Sarah Morgan - Maybe This Christmas

“Don’t you dare! Tyler O’Neil if you so much as— crap .” She ducked too late as snow hit her on the chest and exploded into her face. “I am soaking!”

“You shouldn’t have unzipped your jacket.”

“I hate you, you know that, don’t you?”

“No, you don’t. You love me, really.” He was smiling as he scooped up more snow, but this time she was quicker, and the snow in her hand hit him full in the face.

She did love him. That was the problem.

She really loved him, but there was no way she was going to let him know that.

She made the most of her temporary advantage and let herself into the lodge, reasoning that even Tyler wouldn’t dare throw snow indoors.

The lodges were the pride of Snow Crystal. Set in the forest and overlooking the lake, each one felt private and intimate, but Forest was her favorite. “I’d forgotten what good aim you have. I have snow blindness.” Still laughing, Tyler wiped snow out of his eyes, tugged off his boots and coat and left them by the door.

“You’re neat and tidy all of a sudden.”

“I’m trying to set a good example. I’m working on being a responsible parent. It’s exhausting.” He sprawled on one of the sofas, his powerful frame dominating even this large, spacious room. The fabric of his jeans clung to hard, muscular thighs, a legacy of years of downhill skiing.

Brenna pulled off her hat and hung up her coat. It was only when she noticed Tyler taking a leisurely look at her body that she realized her soaked, roll-neck sweater was clinging to her breasts.

Alternatively freezing and then burning, she turned away, but it was impossible to ignore his presence or the fact they were alone.

It felt strangely intimate. The lodge was at the far end of the lake, wrapped by the forest that showed itself as dark shapes through acres of glass.

The only other property partially visible through the trees was his.

If she knelt on her bed high on the sleeping shelf, she could just glimpse his bedroom.

Trying not to think about his bedroom, she pulled open the fridge and took out two beers. She opened them both and handed him one.

“I’ll be back in a second. Thanks to you, I need to change my sweater.”

His gaze collided with hers briefly, and then she backed away and took refuge in the bedroom.

When had he ever looked at her before?

She pulled on a dry sweater, took a deep breath and rejoined him in the living room.

“About that thing you were asking me—”

“What thing?”

She curled up in the chair opposite him. “Sex. Jess.”

“Are you blushing?” His eyes narrowed on her face. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed, do you know that?”

“You’re never cute. You’re a pain in the ass the whole time.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me.” He winked at her. “Go on. How do I deal with it?”

“Honestly? I think you should wait for her to bring it up. I would have died of embarrassment if my parents had tried to talk to me about sex.”

“What if she doesn’t like to ask? What if she turns around in a few years and tells me she’s pregnant?”

“I think you need to chill.” Brenna sipped her beer. “Make sure she knows she can talk to you about anything. Create an atmosphere where she is comfortable to say whatever she wants.”

“Judging from the conversation earlier, I think we’ve already got that atmosphere. Can you believe she was actually trying to fix me up?”

Brenna almost choked on her beer. “Who with?”

Christy. It had to be Christy with the smooth blond hair. Or maybe pretty, bubbly Poppy, who worked closely with Élise in the restaurant.

There was a brief pause. His eyes met hers and then slid away again. “No one in particular, but she thinks I should have a sex life.”

Definitely Christy.

She was always flirting with Tyler.

Brenna wasn’t good at flirting. And anyway, how did you flirt with someone you’d known all your life? Tyler had seen her soaked to the skin and exhausted after a day in the mountains. He’d dragged her out of ditches and picked her up when she’d wiped out on her skis. He knew everything about her. They had no secrets. She could imagine his reaction if she’d fluttered her eyelashes or made a sexual comment. He’d either laugh or run for the hills.

The reason they were able to be friends was because he didn’t think of her like that.

Women came and went from his life, but their friendship was constant.

And Brenna realized the reason the past year had been so blissful, the reason she’d been able to enjoy his company and his friendship, was because he’d been focusing on Jess. For once in his life he’d mastered his short attention span and put aside his urge to sample the charms of every female who crossed his path. The only woman who’d had his attention was his daughter. He’d put his own needs on hold.

Knowing what he was like, how physical and sexual he was, Brenna had often wondered if he was seeing someone discreetly, but she’d never asked. Instead she’d made the most of her time with him and occasionally, when they’d been out on the mountain guiding or teaching, it had almost felt like being kids again.

Their friendship was stronger than ever.

Was that about to change?

If Jess was actively encouraging him to date then no doubt it would.

And Brenna knew it would take Tyler O’Neil less than thirty seconds in the company of a woman to resurrect his sex life.

How was she going to feel about that?

TRYING TO DELETE the image of Brenna with her snow-soaked sweater plastered to her breasts from his memory, Tyler strolled up the snowy path to the main house.

In no hurry to face the overwhelming reality of family night, he paused and breathed in the freezing air, watching the forest transform before his eyes. Snow layered on snow until all traces of green vanished and the trees were draped in a mantle of white. As a child it had been his favorite sight. He’d kneel in his bedroom window and watch the first of the flakes fall, hoping it would continue until the snow was up to his waist. The first winter snowfall had been the cause of great excitement in the O’Neil household.

The mountains had been his playground; the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing his drug of choice.

Now he greeted snow with mixed feelings.

It was good for business, and he knew how badly Snow Crystal needed that.

He was enjoying the silence when his phone rang.

Irritated by the disturbance, he dragged it out of his pocket intending to switch the ringer off and then saw the name.

Burying his emotions deep, he lifted the phone to his ear. “Chas? How’s it going?”

He didn’t ask where his friend was. He didn’t have to. Chas was one of the finest ski techs in the racing world. The fact that Tyler was no longer racing meant that Chas was available for another member of the U.S. Ski Team, which meant right now he had to be in Val Gardena, Italy, on the World Cup circuit.

If it hadn’t been for the accident, Tyler would have been there, too.

They would have been discussing strategy, the course, the snow conditions, in an effort to come up with the perfect plan. Chas’s job had been to use his skill and experience to make Tyler the fastest skier down the mountain. Over the years they’d shared beers, hotel rooms, victory and defeat. Chas had been more than just another member of the machine behind the ski team. He’d been Tyler’s wingman and close friend.

Along with his brother Sean, Chas had been the first person he’d seen after his accident.

Tyler tightened his hand on the phone and stared blindly at the trees and mountains.