Jonas came back out of the lodge at a run, scooped up some snow, and made a snowball without stopping. He aimed at her, but Gabe stepped in front, flinging out his arms to save her from the hit.
Game on.
It didn’t take long, however, for Anna to notice the cold seeping through her gloves. They were meant more for sleigh rides than skiing. The chill spread to her body and her teeth started to chatter.
Gabe was the first to notice. “Time out,” he yelled, his voice louder than all the other noise. “Anna’s cold.” He put a hand to the side of her face and looked down into her eyes. “Let’s get you inside.”
“No,” she protested. “I’m good to keep going.”
“You’ll freeze out here.” Gabe slipped an arm around her waist and hustled them both toward the glowing warmth of the lodge. “If there’s anyone more in need of hot chocolate than you, I’d be shocked.”
The lobby bustled with activity—more activity than Anna had expected, but Gabe had eyes for none of it. He led her straight to the gourmet hot chocolate station on a mahogany table at the side of the room, whipping her up a fresh cup of cocoa with surgical precision.
“Here. Drink this.” The grey in his eyes was more intense when they were inside, giving the color a stormy cast. It wasn’t just the hot cocoa that made her blush.
Gabe reached up and stroked a lock of hair away from her forehead. “Should we sit?”
“I’m really okay.” The hot chocolate was smooth and delicious—still delightful, though it was the second cup of the night. The warmth of his gaze went to her bones, chasing away all the chills. “Shouldn’t we get out there and finish the battle?”
“Not until I’m sure you’re thoroughly recovered from the cold.”
She laughed. This was the Gabe she worked with and admired wholeheartedly. It wouldn’t be so bad to bask in it for a while, would it? Possibility glimmered in the air between them. They could go up to the room and cuddle on the couch until she was heated from her head to her toes. They could even go in the jacuzzi—
Jonas and Chase, followed by Tana and Lindsey, came into the lobby on a burst of cold, fresh air.
“You’re coming to the gingerbread house competition, right?” Chase clapped a hand on Gabe’s shoulder, and a twinge of disappointment marred the glow of the hot chocolate in her chest. They’d been having a moment together. Moment over. It did, however, explain all the people in the lobby who were making their way into one of the elegant meeting rooms to join the competition.
“I wasn’t done throwing snowballs.” Anna grinned. “But I can hold my own with gingerbread.”
Jonas gave a quick nod. “Good. You’ll make the competition much more exciting.”
“Excuse me,” Tana cut in. “You’ve never seen me work with gingerbread before.”
The four of them followed the guests into a room decorated with miles of tinsel and lights. A Christmas wonderland, for sure. The area was set up with tables covered in dark green tablecloths, topped with silver trays that held stacks of gingerbread and all the decorations a person could dream of.
Gabe guided her to a table with a light touch on the small of her back. “This one’s ours.”
First things first—Anna tugged off her gloves and coat, and Gabe took them over to a coat rack in the corner of the room. While he was gone, she rolled up her sleeves and considered the tools at their disposal. Plenty of frosting. Plenty of sprinkles. Little bowls of gold leaf. When the Elk Lodge did something, they didn’t skimp.
“I think we go classic,” she announced as Gabe joined her. “A one-room house, and let the decorations speak for themselves.”
He dropped a kiss on her cheek, sending a shiver all the way down to her toes. “Good plan.”
Over at the next table, Tana had dipped a finger in frosting and was waving it in front of Chase’s nose. He laughed, a deep belly laugh that had Lindsey giggling behind her hands, and the three of them jostled and argued as they got the house set up. Jonas had taken a table in the corner with Elin, who sat perched on a chair, delicately painting on swirls of frosting and adding decorations. The room was full of people who were already working on their masterpieces—they’d gotten a head start.
Anna and Gabe reached for a gingerbread piece at the same time, their hands colliding over the tray. Gabe caught her hand in his and kissed the back of it. Desire shot through her and heated her face.
She cleared her throat and went about setting up the four walls of the house. Gabe stepped behind her, reaching around to pipe in the frosting as she held the pieces together. The hard lines of his body bracketed her in, and her breath caught.
“There. Four walls are done,” Gabe said, smiling down at her and at what they’d accomplished as a team.
“Let’s do the roof,” she said.
Anna couldn’t help but notice the strong lines of his forearms, and the capable way his hands moved. But then he stepped back, letting her take over with the decorations as she added a row of gumdrops to the “front lawn” of the gingerbread house. Anna popped one in her mouth and savored the sweetness on her tongue.
“Don’t you want to help with the gumdrop picket fence?” she teased.
“It’ll be better if you do it.” Gabe stood close, supervising but not touching the candy. He always wanted things to be perfect and that’s what she intended to do. Gabe’s grandmother would only ever see her being perfectly happy and content. The ideal fiancée.
The host—one of the head staff members—called time on the contest a few minutes later. Gabe took their house to the judging table. The winners would be announced the next day.
He returned with their coats and a relieved smile just as Chase and Tana approached.
“Dinner at grandmother’s?” Chase asked.
“We wouldn’t miss it.” Gabe nodded. “What time?”
“As soon as everybody’s there.” Chase took Tana’s hand and she took Lindsey’s, and the three of them headed for the exit.
Elin left on Jonas’ arm right after them, leaving Anna and Gabe. They made their way to the elevator and rode up, but outside the door to Elin’s apartment, Gabe hesitated. He put his hand in hers, and Anna straightened. Obviously, they needed to make a convincing entrance.
However, she was surprised when instead of going into his grandmother’s suite, he tugged her down the hall. They stopped at a shadowy alcove with a round window overlooking the ski slopes and abandoned their coats on a low table nearby.
“Did you want to show me the view?” she asked as he led her into the deeper shadows.
“No.” And then his mouth was on hers, answering the need in her. She sucked in a gasp as the kiss deepened and Gabe’s tongue found hers. Oh—there was the wall, coming up against her back and holding her upright. His hands worked down her sides before one came back up to cup her face. Anna was almost sure her knees would buckle. She stayed standing, arms around his neck, pulling him in tighter than she’d expected. Gabe nipped at her bottom lip, and a tiny moan escaped her. They shouldn’t be doing this—not in the hall outside his grandmother’s suite, not where someone might come across them—