He screwed up his face. ‘That sounds really hard on the teeth.’
‘No harder than if I fall off this rubber ring you’re planning on sending me hurtling down a slope on.’
He stilled for a moment, scrutinising her. ‘We don’t have to go, not if you’re not up for it.’
‘What, and miss the chance of whooping your arse?’
‘Oh no.’ He picked up pace again, leading them towards his car. ‘Heavier people go down faster.’ He glanced sideways at her. ‘You’re a tiny thing compared to me.’
‘I may be lighter, but I’m also more aerodynamic.’ She waved a hand towards his shoulders. ‘Those big things aren’t going to help you.’
Why on earth had he worried?, he thought as they reached his car. This woman was exactly who he’d first thought she was: funny, brave. Her own person. She wasn’t going to be intimidated by a bit of ice.
‘Nice wheels.’
He bent to open the car door for her. ‘Not going to tell me it matches my stereotype? You know, the playboy barman, or whatever it is you’ve got me down as?’
She slid neatly into the passenger seat, her five-foot-and-a-bit frame fitting in far more easily than his six-foot-two one did. ‘I’m a computer geek. You’re not going to get me stereotyping anyone. I hate it.’
A tiny part of the jigsaw that made up Mia Abbott slotted into place. ‘I bet you do.’ He also bet that’s why she rebelled with her green hair and her non-conformist attitude.
‘She’s a TVR, yes?’ she asked as he squeezed into the driver’s seat and turned on the engine, smiling when he heard the rumble.
‘Correct on both accounts.’
‘Both?’
‘The fact she’s a she, and a TVR. A twenty-year old Chimaera, to be exact.’
Mia laughed, brushing a hand along the walnut dashboard. ‘She had to be a girl, she’s so pretty.’
‘I hope you’re still saying that when she breaks down on the way back.’
‘But you can fix her, yes?’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because only a stupid guy would buy a British sports car and not be able to do basic repairs.’ She glanced sideways at him. ‘And you may be a playboy barman, but you’re not stupid.’
How long since anyone had shown that sort of belief in him? ‘Not sure I deserve your confidence but thanks.’ He was aware of her eyes on him. ‘What?’
‘One day I’m going to ask why a guy who’s so full of himself when it comes to the opposite sex, puts himself down when things get more personal. But not today.’
He wasn’t sure how he felt about her soft threat. ‘Why not today?’
‘Because today is about me getting on that donut and leaving you for dust … err, snow.’
‘Yeah? Bring it on, Leprechaun.’
She groaned. ‘First Naomi with the elf, now you. I’m dyeing it red tomorrow.’
He laughed, enjoying himself. ‘Good. Red Riding Hood is cute.’
They kept the banter going while he parked, and while they changed and had their helmets fitted. In fact all the way until they stood at the top of the long icy slope.
‘It looks scarier up here.’
Her voice had lost some of its boldness. Because he didn’t want her thinking about it too much, he walked to the lane next to hers and plonked himself down in his rubber ring. ‘It’ll look even scarier when you’re staring at the back of my head.’ He raised his hands aloft in a mock celebration. ‘Victory is mine.’
He’d never seen anyone move so fast. One minute she was standing, the next she was whizzing down ahead of him.
By the time he’d reached the bottom, she was back on her feet, cheeks flushed, eyes dancing. ‘What was that about victory?’
‘That wasn’t a victory, it was blatant cheating.’ He cursed as he struggled to get out of the ring he’d somehow wedged himself in, which only made her expression more gleeful.
‘Need any help there? I know I said your big shoulders wouldn’t help, but I didn’t realise your backside was going to let you down too. Here.’ She held out her hand and tugged.
They were still on snow and it was slippery as shit, so though he made it out of the ring, he unbalanced, which caused him to knock into her and they both went down, limbs tangled, helmets colliding.
He found himself sprawled over her, staring straight into a pair of shocked blue eyes. Chest resting against the most amazing pair of breasts he could ever remember pressing against. Clearing his throat, he croaked out, ‘Are you okay?’
She nodded. ‘Feel I’ve been sat on by an elephant.’
That’s when he realised she was taking all his weight. ‘Crap, sorry.’ He rolled off her, sitting up, then started to laugh. ‘FYI, you were pretty comfy.’
She snorted. ‘Just what every woman wants to hear.’
‘Hey, it was a compliment. No angular, bony bits. Just a lush, bountiful softness and – oof!’ He received a harsh prod to his stomach.
‘Confucius says, when in a hole, stop digging.’
Laughing, he stood and held out his hand to help her up but she shook her head. ‘Seriously? You think it went that well the last time?’
‘You won’t hear any complaints from me.’ He watched while she struggled to her feet, dusting the snow off her legs. ‘So, want to go down again?’
She smirked back up at him. ‘As long as you don’t mind getting beaten by a girl.’
He shrugged. ‘You’ve called me a playboy bar guy with a huge backside who weighs as much as an elephant. I figure I’ve reached my threshold for insults.’ Reaching out his gloved hand, he brushed a flake of snow off her nose. ‘Wow, you’ve got some serious freckles going on there.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Call me cute and I’ll push you down the slope without the ring to cushion that big bum of yours.’
‘Not cute.’ He bit into the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. ‘Oh no, you’re not cute at all, Leprechaun girl.’
But damn it, she was. As Luke followed her back up the stairs to the top of the slope, he wondered how he was going to manage this friends lark, when all he kept thinking about was how much he wanted to kiss her at every conceivable opportunity.
Chapter Thirteen
Mia hung back as Sandy served a customer with what looked to be a large glass of rosé. What did it say about her screwed-up feelings that she was seeing her through clear eyes now she knew Luke and Sandy were only friends?
Just like she and Luke were only friends.
It didn’t matter that there were times her pulse sped up when he looked at her, or butterflies buzzed in her belly when he touched her. It only mattered that she was smart enough to ignore it.
Sandy did a double-take when she saw her. ‘Hi, it’s Mia, isn’t it? I almost didn’t recognise you.’ She waved at Mia’s new highlights. ‘The blue suits you. It matches your eyes.’
‘Thanks, I fancied a change.’ And red had been rejected; she didn’t mind elf and leprechaun but she drew the line at being a little girl. Red Riding Hood, yuk. ‘Have you got a minute?’