Page 49

Thanks to the helmets, I had to tilt my head back a lot to reach Ruben’s lips.

And it remained a whisper. A delicate kiss, a ray of sunshine breaking through snow-covered fir trees. When, after a winter, the first rays of spring warmed skin tormented by the cold. They caressed it and brought it back to life. And just like the sun, Ruben’s kiss took on a life of its own. Within seconds, it became as hot as the summer sun and threatened to set me, a highly flammable material, ablaze with its sparks.

“More!” Ruben demanded.

I opened my mouth and tasted his tongue. The memory of the summer, of what we had shared, came crashing down on me like an avalanche.

“Get lost! This is a family slope. Perverts.” The angry voice of another skier drove a wedge between us, and we parted ways.

The next moment, someone whistled. Appreciatively? “Get a room, boys.”

I scrambled to my feet and Ruben pushed himself up too.

His cheeks were bright red. So were his lips. I looked around for my board and grabbed it.

“Maybe we should go back.”

Ruben nodded frantically. “Yeah. I have to go to the kitchen too.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I whispered.

His cheeks turned even darker, and he let out a squeaky sound that I couldn’t quite identify.

When we arrived at the resort, Ruben turned toward the main building, but I grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the staff cabins.

“But I have to return the things.”

“We’ll do that later. I’ll return everything for you when you have to leave.”

His gaze sought mine, and he opened his mouth. A cloud puffed out of it. “I thought you didn’t want to . . . ”

Shaking my head, I trudged on. “I’m not saying it’s the best idea. But maybe we shouldn’t take it too slow. That’s what I think. If you . . . ”

Ruben overtook me at a speed that took me by surprise. “No! No objection from me.”

Laughing, I ran after him. We frantically put our boards down on the porch of our cabin.

Ruben had already thrown himself into my arms before the door closed behind us. We hastily pulled off each other’s jackets, sweaters, and snow pants. Interrupted by stormy kisses, we finally stood in front of each other wearing only briefs and T-shirts.

The cabin was much too cold for this state of undress to be comfortable. I urged Ruben onto his bed and pulled the blanket over us.

A shiver ran through his body, and he buried his face in my neck. “Thank God. It’s cold.”

“The only downside is that now I can’t see you. We should turn up the heat.”

He snorted slightly. “Don’t talk. Kiss me.”

But instead of obeying his command, I leaned back slightly and grinned. Ruben didn’t even notice how bossy he was becoming in bed. The transformation was fascinating.

Since I wasn’t doing what he wanted, he pulled me close, so our bodies touched from head to toe.

Doubts arose in me again. Worries that we were rushing into things once more. But I wasn’t going to reject Ruben again.

He nibbled along my jaw, placing a kiss after three bites. I could hardly concentrate on anything other than Ruben on top of me.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Hmm.” I gently stroked his back.