Page 7 of The Season
“What about you, Coach?” Akiva’s voice jolts me from my thoughts, and I blink up at him. He’s smirking, a curling sort of grin, like a cat who knows he’s cornered a mouse.
I narrow my eyes at him, because fuck if I’m going to be the mouse. I’m not playing this game. It’s not my job to tell these guys what they can and can’t talk about, but I’m not going to sit here and make one of my students uncomfortable.
“I like my girls how I like my coffee,” I deadpan. “Short, sweet, and on the side.”
Across from me, Lily snorts out a laugh, her hand flying to her mouth, eyes dancing. A few of the other guys chuckle too, and Matty visibly relaxes.
Akiva huffs, then turns to Lily. “What about you, sweetheart?” he asks, his voice dropping low, full of false sweetness. “What’s your type?” He leans forward, folding his arms on the table in front of him, flexing his muscles under his thermal top.
Lily blinks up at him, long dark lashes fluttering as she rakes a gaze up and down his torso, then back up to his face. “Well…” she drawls, quirking a sultry grin. “I’ve kind of sworn off guys for the season. But I bet your mom would be just my type.”
Matty chokes on his hot chocolate and some of the other guys hoot with laughter at Akiva’s expense. Akiva forces out a laugh, jaw ticking as he glares down at Lily. She stares back up at him, glossy lips curving into a confident smirk.
I bite the inside of my cheek to hold back my grin. There isn’t a lot that makes me want to smile—really smile—but fuck that was good. I wouldn’t say I like this girl. As a rule, I don’t really like any of my students. Or people in general. But I think she’s going to be the one I hate the least.
“Um…” Matty clears his throat, then swipes the remnants of hot chocolate he spat out off the table with the back of his sleeve.Classy. “Is anyone still looking for a place to live?”
The other guys at the table shake their heads, and Matty frowns with visible disappointment.
For the briefest of moments, I stupidly consider putting my hand up, but my momentary internal battle is short-lived. Sure, I’m looking for a place, but there is no way in hell I’d bunk up with this guy and whatever group of new-season Yanks he’s collected around him.
I’ve got standards.
Plus, I’m pretty sure I heard Eddie saying he still had space in his flat in the changing room this morning. I don’t know the guy that well, but he worked at Cardrona with me back in New Zealand.
I won’t hold the fact that he’s a skier against him. Too much.
“I’m looking for a place, actually.” Lily leans forward, slender arms resting on the table as she peers past Akiva to where Matty is sitting. “If you don’t mind cohabitating with a brunette, of course.”
Matty chuckles, a deep-red flush spreading from his forehead to under the neck of his sweater. “Nah. I don’t mind.” He pulls out his phone, unlocks it, then slides it across to Lily. “Put your number in and I’ll message you after training today.”
Some of the guys at the other end of the table give a low whistle. Lily pointedly ignores them, keys in her number, then slides the phone back to Matty. Well, at least someone has accommodation in this overcrowded and overpriced town.
Just not me.
Chapter2
Lily
Everything hurts.
The walk from the changing rooms to my car feels like a marathon, muscles I didn’t even know I had burning as I trudge through ankle-deep snow, my head spinning with an overload of new information.
The day had started off pretty mellow, with a couple of warm-up runs and a cup of expensive coffee at the café. Sure, I’d had to face the fact that I have a lot of work to do if I’m going to pass the instructor’s exam in two weeks, but I expected that. I’m not afraid of hard work.
I hadn’t expected everything else.
What’s your type, sweetheart?
“Hey! Lily, wait up!”
I pause at the sound of a familiar voice, turning in time to see Matty limping across the snow-covered parking lot toward me, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Um, can I catch a lift to my place?” he asks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his snowboard pants. The cuffs are tucked into combat boots, and I grudgingly admit to myself that it’s a much better footwear choice than my worn sneakers.
“Seeing as we’re going to the same place and all?” his grin falters as he gets closer, and he worries his lower lip with his teeth.
I flash him a reassuring smile. “Of course.”
