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He smiled and kissed her cheek before making his way back over to the people he’d been speaking to. Maya had to take a moment to compose herself from the spine-tingling sensation of the brush of his lips, before dragging herself off the terrace to go meet Rowan.
Maya surveyed the area. She’d assumed the tourist would be a beginner and therefore be on the baby slope with Sam. Hearing a squeal, she craned her neck, spotting them in the beginners’ area, and settled into her seat to watch.
The student looked a little older than them. It also seemed she had the hots for Sam, judging by the way she kept throwing her arms around him to come to a stop rather than using an actual snowplow. She nearly knocked him off his feet at one point, and Maya started laughing, then clapped a hand over her mouth when a few people turned to look at her.
Sniggering, she spied on them for the rest of the lesson. It almost seemed as if Emma were a little more capable than she let on, but was putting on a damsel-in-distress act in order to play up to Sam.
They finished, and Sam made to leave but Emma took his arm, leaning in closer to say something in his ear. He smiled and shook his head, but she held on to him, seemingly in an attempt to convince him about whatever she’d asked.
“Uh-oh, Sammy boy,” Maya said to herself. “You’ve got a limpet there.”
Sam glanced over, clearly trying to find an escape. He spotted Maya, and she gave him a wave with a massive open-mouthed smile that clearly indicated she was enjoying his discomfort.
He turned back to Emma and pointed toward Maya, saying something that made Emma drop her hand and glance over.
Maya stopped waving. Uh-oh. Methinks I’m being roped into whatever this is.
Sam was coming toward her, with Emma staying put in the background, watching.
Maya stood to lean against the side of the terrace, wondering what on earth was going on.
Sam pulled off his helmet and goggles, unzipping the front of his jacket as he arrived, and climbing onto the terrace to stand in front of her. He put his stuff onto the table, and circled her waist.
“Just go with it,” he said in a low voice. “I had to tell her you were my girlfriend to get away.”
Her pulse accelerated. There was no point in pretending to herself that she minded. Far from it. “You told her what?”
“Shh. Please.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m bloody black and blue from her throwing herself at me. Just play along so I don’t get jumped next lesson.”
Like she needed any convincing. Maya put her arms around his neck to draw him closer. His scent was like pine trees on a crisp winter’s day and conjured the exhilaration of whizzing through an off-piste pine forest. She quickly glanced past him. “Oh my God, she’s still watching. What the actual? Is she a bunny-boiling stalker?”
Sam bent his head closer, rubbing his nose against hers, and for a moment Maya almost forgot that it was pretend.
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “But I’m a bit scared.”
“You’re scared? It’s me she’s going to come for in my sleep,” she whispered back.
He smiled. “I’ll protect you.”
Maya arched a brow. “In my sleep? You wouldn’t be there.”
His smile spread more widely, and heat rose in her face.
Sam bent his head to kiss her cheek. “You’re adorable when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing,” she murmured, her skin tingling from his kiss. “It’s just the cold.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Shut it, Leonard, or I’m leaving you with stalker Emma.”
“Is she still there?”
“Yes.” She let out a breath. “For goodness’ sake, we’re going to be stuck here forever.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Stuck in a clinch with you? I can think of worse things.”
A warm sensation flooded her system. “Oh yeah?”
