Книга - Secrets of a Chalet Girl:

Secrets of a Chalet Girl:
Lorraine Wilson


SECRETS OF A CHALET GIRLSet in the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Verbier, the winter playground of the rich and famous, Secrets of a Chalet Girl is the second book in Lorraine Wilson’s fabulous Ski Season series.










Secrets of a Chalet Girl


Lorraine Wilson










A division of HarperCollinsPublishers

www.harpercollins.co.uk




Contents


Lorraine Wilson (#u13eb7e99-7d83-5920-a30a-ea12237e941f)

Dedication (#u3f973a8a-243d-59b8-bc1d-9457fd4af447)

CHAPTER ONE (#u7697639e-6a12-5b99-ad1c-ea487450bf3a)

CHAPTER TWO (#uf6e05983-7f9c-5d1c-baa9-ff59a509417a)

CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

Love Romance? (#litres_trial_promo)

About HarperImpulse (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)




Lorraine Wilson (#u7aced6e4-e8dd-59ea-a15f-c699a3b1999f)


I live in Wiltshire with my husband but love to travel and have lived in four continents. From playing amidst Roman ruins in Africa as a child to riding a Sultan's racehorse in the Middle East as a teen, I’ve many experiences to draw on for the stories I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. When I’m not writing you'll find me listening to audiobooks while I sew or design handbags, usually with a rescue terrier or two curled up on my feet!


I'd like to say a big thank you to the lovely team at HarperImpulse and also to Maria and Dawn - thank you so much for your help with this book.




CHAPTER ONE (#u7aced6e4-e8dd-59ea-a15f-c699a3b1999f)


“Pick a Dare, Flora, it’s your turn.” Tash thrust the shiny, silver gift bag across the bar towards Flora.

Flora had assumed Tash brought the bag along from Chalet Repos because it contained an early wedding present for Holly, or more likely silly ‘L’ plates or even worse…she’d heard talk about inflatable costumes.

No such luck.

Even dressing up as an inflatable penis might be preferable to carrying out a dare Tash had made up.

“Um, I don’t know … ” Flora licked her lips nervously. Looking around at the group she could tell everyone was glad it wasn’t their turn. Tash’s wilder streak was enough to make anyone uneasy. She should’ve known Tash offering to take a hand in organising Holly’s Hen night was a bad omen.

Really? They were playing some kind of Truth or Dare game? She’d played spin the bottle as a teenager. It never ended well.

It might have been better if Holly’s best friend Pippa had been in charge of the plans. But she’d only arrived in Verbier this morning. Plus she had lively one-year old Lexie to keep her busy, so she was hardly in a party planning frame of mind.

Take a bunch of emotional girls, add in copious amounts of cocktails and play Truth or Dare… What could go wrong?

There’d be tears before bedtime. Hopefully not hers.

Her skin prickled with the awareness she was being watched by the other bar customers. It was the third Verbier bar in their bar crawl this evening. The fact they were wearing dresses in a resort town where everyone wore salopettes by day and jeans, albeit designer ones, by night, had already attracted them a fair amount of attention. Holly insisted they dress up, saying she never got a chance to be ‘girly’ nowadays.

“Come on Flora, get on with it.” Sophie giggled, signalling to the barman that they needed more drinks. Her shiny mane of blonde hair and baby blue eyes, coupled with a dress that revealed an impressive cleavage meant they’d had no trouble getting served.

Feeling self-conscious in her silky blue evening dress, Flora shifted uncomfortably on her barstool and hoped she wasn’t going to humiliate herself in public.

Ha! Dream on…

“You should just be glad you don’t have to do the chalet girl initiation thing I went through.” Holly grimaced sympathetically.

“Me too, she’s right, you should count yourself lucky.” Sophie laughed. “The initiation was you had to go to Wonderbar, take your bra off and flash the crowd. Although some we could mention fudged it.”

Sophie winked at Holly, smirking but Flora couldn’t join in the laughter, panic now rising about what she might have to do. Her face flamed with heat. She hated blushing, always had ever since she’d been teased at school for her ability to turn scarlet so easily.

“How do you know I haven’t put that Dare in the bag?” Tash winked and practically thrust the shiny silver bag under Flora’s nose.

I am so not taking my bra off and flashing the crowd. No. Not. Not!

“I’d really, rather not. I mean I couldn’t…” She faltered.

Bloody Tash.

Flora caught Holly’s eye, pleading silently ‘Help me.’

“We won’t make you strip, I promise,” Holly interrupted, placing a hand on Flora’s elbow.

Flora exhaled slowly with relief and smiled gratefully at her boss.

Rescued!

Holly was lovely like that. Not to mention great to work for given she’d actually been doing the job herself last season and wasn’t afraid to muck in when they needed help.

Maybe she was paranoid but it felt like everyone in the packed bar was staring at them. A quick glance confirmed most of them were. Now Flora wished she hadn’t worn her high heeled boots and been persuaded into wearing her silky midnight blue dress. Right now she might as well be wearing a sign over her neck saying she was on the pull.

Do I want to be on the pull? It might be a good distraction and I certainly need one of those.

That would probably be the Dare, knowing Tash. Ever since she’d found out Flora hadn’t had sex since coming out of a long-term relationship she’d been on at her to get back in the game. Or had it been ‘on’ the game? With Tash you never really knew. She liked to shock people.

The group of men closest to them sniggered. She was sure she heard them assessing the hen party girls, picking their favourites and giving marks out of ten. She seethed quietly, skin burning as she swallowed down her irritation. Only one of the men here had caught her attention when they walked in and he wasn’t even looking over at them, his attention purely on his mobile phone.

“Okay, I’ll do Dare then,” she said crossly, gulping her cocktail and trying to force a smile to her face for Holly’s sake. It was Holly’s night after all. Sophie and Amelia were playing along with Tash’s stupid game, which meant she had no choice…

It was going to be a long night.

She tried to keep the smile in place as she pulled a card out of the bag. Sophie and Tash cheered.

‘Kiss the sexiest man in the room.’ Fantastic! Not much better than having to flash a crowd.

Flora bit her lip as the girls grabbed the card before she could toss it back in the bag and pick again. Why couldn’t she have picked a drinking challenge involving cocktails? Now that was a Dare she wouldn’t mind.

She caught Holly’s eye, trying to smile but her cheeks ached with the effort. She didn’t want to be a buzzkill. Pippa looked shattered and had made it clear she hated leaving baby Lexie in Steve and Scott’s hands for the evening but she was making an effort. As for the others, well, you couldn’t share a room with three other girls and not realise fitting in wasn’t just preferable, it was a matter of survival.

“I’ll need another Mojito if I’m going to do it,” she squeezed her eyes shut.

You can do this Flora, pretend you’re in a film. Act the part. You came to Verbier to have fun so how about you fricking well get on with it?

The Mojitos and Cosmopolitans consumed so far this evening certainly helped.

I was supposed to get married tomorrow.

I need another cocktail.

“So, who is the sexiest man in the room?” Sophie spoke too loudly, swivelling round on her bar stool and almost falling off. Holly laughed, putting an arm behind Sophie’s back to steady her.

The stocky barman winked at them as he served their drinks but Flora’s mind flickered instantly to the gorgeous looking man still glued to his BlackBerry. Apart from the whole phone addiction thing, something about him initiated warm stirrings in parts she’d thought had iced over permanently.

She hadn’t been able to properly put him out of her mind since they’d arrived. He’d been on his own, leaning nonchalantly against the bar, focused on his phone and looking very scrumptious. When he sensed her checking him out, he’d looked up and given her the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. His eyes were a rich dark blue and they crinkled at the corner when he smiled. It was then she’d felt that…not-at-all-unpleasant stirring thing…

Instead of maintaining eye contact he’d gone straight back to his BlackBerry, so maybe he hadn’t felt what she had if his phone was a bigger draw than she was in her sexiest dress.

So, kissing that guy had its attractions. But walking up to him and kissing him without any prelude? She needed to be a hell of a lot drunker than she was.

Although, I could always just kiss him on the cheek like I’m greeting him and then claim mistaken identity.

As excuses went it was so lame it needed a walking stick. But in the absence of any other plan it was going to have to do.

“I think she already has someone in mind,” Sophie slurred. “What fun.”

Flora guessed she’d seen the involuntary flutter of her eyes towards the end of the bar and cursed herself for being so easy to read.

People who know you this well should be banned. Or at least banned from giving you stupid Dares.

This was what came from sharing a small dorm room. You all got to know each other way too well…

“How old are we?” Flora rolled her eyes, trying to look dignified but fearing she resembled a nervous horse.

“It might be fun,” Holly said, smiling at her. “You might even enjoy it. And it’s better than having to take your bra off in public, trust me!”

Tash narrowed her eyes at Flora. “You must make it a proper snog. No pecks on the cheek allowed. If you fluff it we’ll make you do the Wonderbar Dare instead.”

Flora shuddered; she knew Tash meant business.

Mental note to self - don’t let Tash anywhere near my hen party preparations.

Not that she planned on getting married.

Ever.

Oh sod it. She was delaying the inevitable. It was only a kiss for goodness sake. Time to woman up. She took a quick sip of the cocktail that’d appeared in front of her – Sex on the Beach instead of the Mojito she’d asked for. Maybe it was an omen. Not that there were many beaches around here, except if you counted the lake shore beaches.

Stop faffing about, Flora.

“Okay, I’m doing it,” Flora announced, and the girls whooped in unison as she clambered carefully off her bar stool. Falling flat on her face and flashing her knickers would not be a good look.

To cheers of “Go Flora,” she made her way through the crowd to the end of the bar, clutching the velvet strap of the beaded evening bag she’d designed herself tightly, more for something to hold onto than anything else. Inexplicably she couldn’t remember what to do with her hands when she walked.

She had a prickling sixth sense feeling she was being watched. Oh yes, that would be because she was being watched.

Nice evening Holly. I’m here to celebrate you getting married by making a complete tit of myself. Nice.

Her mouth felt dry and her brain woolly as her target came into view. He was still texting on his phone.

A quick in and out, before he knows what’s hit him. Then a very swift exit from the bar…

Before she could move he looked up and they both stared, a flash of connection passing between them. It felt like the world around her was melting away, leaving only her and BlackBerry guy in the bar.

He smiled again, a devastating smile. She froze, fear and adrenalin pulsing through her, competing for control.

Go now. Quick. It’s only a kiss!

Only a kiss? Huh. And he was only the sexiest man in the room. And the girls were all watching her.

So, no pressure then.

Someone shrieked behind her and Flora looked back to see Sophie, Amelia and Tash falling about laughing, clutching each other like schoolgirls. They would pay for this. Pippa and Holly were also smiling but in a ‘sorry it’s you but glad it’s not us’ way.

They clearly weren’t sympathetic enough to save her.

Was this what all bar hook-ups were like? Perhaps there was some kind of special code she should know about? Who knew, one raised eyebrow and you might accidentally agree to re-enact ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’!

You’re acting remember, just do it!

She closed the gap between them, hands trembling as she leant forward towards him, rising up on tiptoe so she could whisper in his ear. She desperately hoped he spoke English. The vast majority of Verbier residents did, to her surprise. Her French wasn’t up to more than ordering food or asking where the loos were. It hadn’t been an issue up until now given Scott only marketed Chalet Repos in the UK.

The scent of him momentarily distracted her; it was citrusy, clean and masculine.

Concentrate Flora!

“I’m really sorry but I’m afraid I have to kiss you,” she whispered in his ear, aware of how close their bodies were. “I promise you I’ll go away immediately afterwards.”

Then she sent her inhibitions flying and went for it, meaning to kiss his cheek and sod what Tash said but instead BlackBerry man turned his head and kissed her fully on the lips. Before she could register the feel of his lips on hers he was tasting her and teasing her and her lips responded to him, obediently, unthinkingly… it felt like she was falling down into another world – Flora in Wonderland.

Christ, she really was actually falling. The guy had dipped her backwards, firmly supporting her back as he leant in for a deeper kiss. Her parted her lips with his tongue and her mouth welcomed him instinctively, wanting to say yes to whatever he asked.

It felt strange. Strange and wonderful.

Not to mention that this was a hell of a lot more than she bargained for. Her skin fizzed and the attraction hit her like a body blow. She’d thought these kinds of kisses only existed in the movies. Something deep inside her melted, mellowing her, her inner romantic responding to this stranger against her conscious will, issuing him an invitation.

Her inner romantic was clearly a tart.

In her dim awareness of what was going on in the background she heard wolf whistles. One of them sounded very much like Tash. It hauled her back to reality with a sudden lurch.

Bloody hell. I’m in a ski resort bar with an audience. This has to stop.

She tried to struggle upright. Instantly he helped her up, drawing back a little but his face remained close to hers, dark blue eyes locked on her in a way that sent darts of anticipatory desire zinging through her body. The air between them fairly crackled with sexual electricity. Every nerve ending tingled.

Wow.

Six months without sex could clearly send a girl a bit loopy.

“Hi, I’m Zac Hengler, and you are?” His tone was as cool as though they’d simply bumped into each other, not shared that kiss, the kiss she was still reeling from.

“Um, Flora,” she replied, feeling dazed and disorientated.

“Umflora?” He grinned wolfishly. “Unusual name.”

“Umflora Lyndon.” Despite her mortification Flora’s lips creased into an automatic smile, joining in his joke, her body determined to give this guy the green light no matter what she did.

“I don’t usually do this, honestly. I’m sorry.” She shrugged, wishing she couldn’t still inhale the clean, citrus scent of his aftershave, that it didn’t make her want to bury her head against his chest.

Down girl!

“No need to apologise. So you’re English? Only an English girl would do that and then apologise.” Zac grinned.

“I’m not, I just had to…” Everything was coming out wrong, her tongue not connecting properly to her brain. “We’re playing Truth or Dare. Really silly I know. It wasn’t my idea.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I think it sounds like fun. Can I play?” Zac smiled a slow sexy smile and Flora’s insides gave a delicious lurch as though she’d been thrown into the air by a fairground ride – the Supersonic Swooner.

Who needs a fairground ride with Zac around?

Her cheeks flamed even hotter and she became intensely aware of Zac’s hand still resting on the small of her back. What would it feel like if those fingers dipped lower, stroking and touching… She took a tentative step back, confused, her desire to run battling her inner hussy’s craving to offer herself up to Zac on a plate.

Don’t you dare! Single for a year remember? You’ve got to stop handing control over to men.

“I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me,” she said, not even sure what the ‘right idea’ was. Her physical reaction to Zac shocked her.

“And what would that be? That you’re attracted to me?” His eyes held her gaze, challenging her. “So, tell me the truth, what made you pick me?”

There was more than a hint of arrogance in his sexy smile and it stirred Flora’s fighting spirit. She’d had her fill of arrogant men and had no compunction about putting them in their place.

“You looked bored,” she replied, shrugging. “And I thought maybe you’d been stood up from the way you keep checking your phone, so I felt sorry for you. Er, at least I assume you’re here alone. Oh God, you haven’t got a wife or girlfriend have you? I really should have thought…”

She bit her lip, how could she have been so stupid.

I’m never drinking Mojitos ever again.

“Relax.” He laid a hand on her bare arm and another bolt of sexual electricity shot through her. Her eyes widened and she stifled a gasp.

How does he do that?

“No girlfriend, no wife,” he confirmed. “Since you’re asking.”

“Good.” She exhaled loudly with relief. “I mean I’m glad I haven’t caused any problems, not…I wasn’t asking because of…”

Shut up Flora!

She fell silent and shrugged, shaking her head at her ineptness.

“And you?” Zac’s eyes shone with amusement but beneath that she sensed something more serious - a magnetic tug, pulling her towards him. Pulling her into him. Part of her wanted to plunge right in, to jump instead of tentatively dipping her toe in at the edge of the shore.

Sod paddling, she wanted to swim.

“No boyfriend, no husband,” she confirmed, looking him directly in the eye. “And I’m not looking for either.”

Zac raised his eyebrows and grinned cockily. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Great, Flora, what did you have to give him a challenge for? Everyone knows there’s nothing like being unavailable to increase your attractiveness.

His dark blue eyes shone with an intensity that made her shiver. It was desire, she recognised it in him because she felt it too. Its re-emergence after so long shocked her. It had evolved; this new, ravenous desire was nothing like the old.

It had grown up, and so had she.

“But you didn’t answer my question,” he reminded her.

Question? What question?

“I don’t remember…” It was hard enough remembering her own name right now, never mind keeping track of the conversation.

At any rate the words passing between them didn’t seem to matter a whole lot. Hundreds of messages had already flashed between them, in their eyes, their body language, the skin on skin touch of his fingers lightly holding her wrist and in the current of sexual electricity she couldn’t ignore.

Why am I fighting this? Why should I ignore it?

This was a near perfect set up if she wanted sex but no commitment - a foreign country with a gorgeous man she might never have to see again after tonight. Wasn’t it about time? Verbier was about breaking free, kicking back and having some fun.

Right now she had the power to say yes or to walk away. She was in control and that felt good after all the crap she’d had to deal with back home.

If I can’t be bold now when can I be? It’s time Flora. Just go for it…

She was aware of the hen party girls closing in en masse behind her. The drunken giggling was a bit of a giveaway. They’d obviously decided she’d had enough space for one evening.

Please piss off!

She sent them furious telepathic signals but they weren’t picking up. Great.

“Hi Flora, if you want to stay that’s fine but we thought we’d head back to Chalet Repos.” Holly touched her lightly on the elbow. “Pippa’s worried that Scott and Steve will’ve dropped baby Lexie in the Jacuzzi or something. Hey Zac, you look in better shape than Scott after the Stag Do. I heard last night got pretty wild.”

Flora realised she was still in physical contact with Zac and pulled her hand away swiftly. So Scott and Holly knew Zac? While reassured on one level he wasn’t an axe-wielding psycho, part of her wanted Zac to be a total stranger, to stay a total stranger. That he was friends with her bosses made her a little…uneasy.

“Perhaps I should come back with you.” Flora wavered, her fingers tightening on the velvet bag strap, the sensible part of her trying to control her inner hussy. This wasn’t exactly something she’d done before. Getting it together with a random stranger in a bar was what other people did, not her. But so much had changed recently. How could she even be sure who she was or what she wanted? After years of Tom telling her what to do, the freedom to make her own choices felt…weird.

It was a nice kind of weird, though.

Verbier was a start over, a blank page just waiting for her to write in it. She couldn’t sit around waiting for someone else to come along and write her story for her. She’d already been there and done that in the first volume of ‘Flora’s Life.’

Volume two was going to be very different.

There’s nothing wrong with having sex for pleasure. It’s about time you bloody got some!

“Hey, you stay. It’s fine, you’re on leave until the wedding remember, no guests to get up for in the morning. I’d make the most of it if I were you!” Holly smiled, linking arms with an anxious-looking Pippa as they walked to the exit. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

If I were you… So that’s pretty much the green light from my boss then.

“That doesn’t leave much,” Tash shouted back to Holly, winking at Flora in an exaggerated way. The girls fell about laughing and Flora waited for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Well why not? It felt like the kind of evening where anything might happen.

When she wasn’t magically transported away from the scene Flora risked catching Zac’s eye and a lurch of desire jolted her, her insides performing a loop the loop, leaving her physically shaken. But as powerful as the desire was, a little niggle buzzed at the back of her mind like an annoying insect.

“Excuse me for a moment Zac.”

She took a few steps towards Tash, reaching her before she got to the exit.

“Did you set me up?” she whispered furiously in Tash’s ear. She could feel Zac’s eyes on her from where he stood at the bar. They trailed over her body, over the fabric cupping her breasts, lingering on her legs…she didn’t know how she could sense it but the sexual chemistry in the air felt palpable.

It feels like magic.

She shivered again, half with desire and half with fear. She had a choice – go back to the chalet and get ribbed by the girls for being a coward, not to mention spending a sleepless night burning with frustration. Or she could stay here with Zac and let this go further.

Her body screamed an instant ‘Stay!’

“You haven’t been laid in six months Flora,” Tash hissed back, a little too loudly in Flora’s opinion.

“Great, shout it a little louder would you, I think there was a guy over in the far corner who didn’t quite catch that,” Flora muttered, her jaw clenching and molars grinding. “Thanks a bundle for making me sound desperate.”

Breaking up with Tom had been so bloody traumatic, especially with all the hassle she’d been given afterwards about calling off their wedding. Leaping into bed with someone else hadn’t been top of her to-do list given she’d suddenly had nowhere to live, no job and oh yes, had been the most hated girl in town.

“Let me see the Dare bag,” Flora asked, a suspicion occurring to her. She made a lunge for the bag and managed to grab it. She opened card after card.

Each one read ‘Kiss the sexiest man in the room’

“Did you switch the bag?”

Tash shrugged unrepentantly. “That’s what friends are for. I made some spare cards in case you needed a little push to get back out there. These ones were for you. So what? Have fun, you deserve it and you’ll be thanking me in the morning.”

Sophie lurched in the direction of the barman and Tash grabbed her arm, knocking the cards out of Flora’s hands in the process.

“Amelia and I will get her back safe safely. Seriously Flora you need some fun, it’s way overdue.” Tash put on her stern, ‘don’t mess with me face’ that worked so well on the chalet guests who thought it was funny to pinch her bum.

That was true at least.

Could I?

As the possibilities fluttered into her mind her attitude softened towards Tash. Tash knew how hard her last relationship had been, how traumatic ending it had been for her. She didn’t know all the details, but she knew enough. They’d all talked long into the night about their love lives on more than one occasion.

If I can’t have fun here in Verbier when is it going to happen?

It’s time.

Zac bent down for one of the cards that’d fallen to the ground before Flora could stop him.

Shit.

His eyebrows shot up and he grinned. “So, I’m the sexiest man in the room am I?”

Flora’s face flamed again. She cursed her inability to stop blushing, really she should have grown out of the habit by now, she was twenty-four for frick’s sake.

“Well, the bar’s a bit short of talent tonight,” she replied stiffly.

There was nothing worse than a gorgeous man who knew exactly how sexy he was. That knowing smile was irritating and annoyingly…attractive.

Damn.

He laughed and took her hand, tugging her back towards the bar. She went unresistingly, aware of the gentle but insistent pressure of his other hand at the small of her back. The force of his will seemed sufficient to drive her but a part of her rebelled against this assumption of control.

After all, Tom had assumed control so slowly, so subtly at first that she’d thought she was imagining it and over-reacting.

These kinds of charms often acted as a mask and who knew what lay beneath?

I’ll just have to be careful.

“I’m all for you doing what the card says.” He lowered his mouth to hers and before she knew it they were kissing again. Her body pressed so firmly against his it was as though they were magnetised, relentlessly and ferociously drawn to each other.

She forgot the girls, even forgot she was angry as her fears melted away with the heat of his kisses. When he eventually pulled away the room seemed to spin a little. Her mouth opened but no words came out.

“Shall we get some fresh air?” he asked.

She nodded and averted her gaze from the smug smile of the barman. She had to see where this might take her. And she really, really needed to have sex. It’d been too long and her wakening senses demanded satisfaction.

“Why don’t we continue Truth or Dare back at my chalet?” Zac’s arm snaked behind her, his fingers lightly caressing the small of her back through the silk fabric of her dress, making her skin tingle in a very nice way. “It sounds entertaining and it could be much more fun in private.”

A thrill ran through Flora’s body and she pushed her anxieties to the back of her mind where they hovered, buzzing at her like insects, just present enough to be annoying.

I need to lighten up.

“It would sure beat holding Sophie’s hair back at two in the morning.” She joked, stalling for time, not making a move towards the coat rack at the door. If she left with him there would only be one outcome tonight.

What would sleeping with a man like Zac be like?

Only one way to find out.

She’d been with Tom since…well, it felt like forever. It actually had been forever. She’d never had sex with anyone other than Tom; that couldn’t be normal.

If she could find out what it felt like with someone who really knew what they were doing, just once…

Her body screamed at her to go anywhere this man asked her, to do anything he asked. Only the tiny trickle of fear running down her spine kept her feet from moving. She could hear Tash in her head, berating her and telling her she didn’t deserve this chance if she was going to be a wuss.

Aren’t you supposed to feel the fear and do it anyway?

“I promise you, if you spend the night with me it will be a hell of a lot better than the alternative you described.” Zac murmured in her ear, his stubble lightly grazing the side of her cheek.

“Oh really?” She laughed, looking down at her new boots. From now on they were going to be her lucky boots. “It doesn’t exactly set the bar very high does it?”

“Are you okay?”

That he sounded curious, not scornful or impatient made her like him even more. Her weird behaviour hadn’t sent him running for the exit yet and she was sure with his sexy smile he could have his pick of the girls in this bar or any of the other Verbier bars for that matter.

“Erm … ” She fiddled with her bag strap, picking at a loose thread and absently thinking she must do something about it. “It’s just I don’t really know you, it feels a little…Well it’s not something I’m used to doing, you know?”

She looked pleadingly at him, willing him to understand she was inexperienced and not dismiss her for being totally pathetic.

“If you’re worried I’m about to kidnap you, you don’t need to be. Let’s see, I’m a respectable management consultant with a flat in Geneva and a chalet here in Verbier. I love to snowboard. What else? Well, I’m quite fond of après ski and I like sex.”

“Right. Your English is very good but I can definitely hear something else in your accent?” She tried not to react to his mention of sex.

Great, now you sound like you’re making conversation at a church garden party! Not sexy Flora.

“My father’s Swiss,” Zac’s smile tightened. “Hence the Swiss surname. But I was sent to boarding school in England and my mother’s English.”

“Okay.” Flora’s tense muscles relaxed as she nestled against his firm torso. She could feel the hard muscle through his shirt, was aware of her flesh responding to him, her nipples hardening on contact.

I want this. I need this.

“So you’re happy to come back with me now you know my mother’s English?” He teased.

“Sort of, it’s nice to know a little about you.”

“And how about you Umflora? What do I need to know about you?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Flora giggled. It was great being able to finally say what she liked and do what she wanted. This was the first time since leaving Tom she felt really free from him, free from home, free from the old Flora…

“I promise I’ll come up with much more interesting Dares. Because if you don’t want to tell me anything you’ll have to do what I dare you to.”

“And vice versa, you’ll have to do what I dare you too,” she countered, feeling playful and liking the idea of having some power.

“I look forward to it.” Zac leant in closer and planted a soft kiss on her neck. She shivered, certain they both knew Zac was way more experienced than her. What would he say if he knew she’d only ever slept with one man?

I do hope he doesn’t ask me that.

Come to think of it there were all sorts of things she hoped he wouldn’t ask her. It would be so much nicer if he did things to her instead.

“Relax.” Zac stroked her ribs through her dress, sending sparks of desire ricocheting throughout her body. “Let’s go, shall we?”






CHAPTER TWO (#u7aced6e4-e8dd-59ea-a15f-c699a3b1999f)


Like there’d ever been any doubt about whether Flora was going to leave the bar with Zac. She’d been kidding herself that she could walk out of this bar and take the turning back for Chalet Repos at any time but she knew, deep down, there was only one place she was going.

To bed with Zac.

She went with him to the coat rack and once he’d helped her into her coat they stepped out onto the street. The icy mountain air assaulted them immediately. Flora shivered, half with the cold, half with anticipation.

She glanced up at the dark, star-strewn sky. It seemed appropriate; as she walked along the street with Zac’s arm behind her back, steadying her on the icy patches of pavement, it felt like taking a step into the vast unknown.

She was due some adventure.

Playing Truth or Dare made it easier. After all at least fifty per cent of the time she would be in control. There was quite a lot she wanted to ask Zac about himself. Getting to know him might be a lot of fun.

And then there was the sex…

“Is it far?” she asked.

“It’s just up here, the modern chalet with the large windows.” He pointed to a snow-covered chalet further up the hill ahead. It nestled up above the town centre, facing the magnificent drop down over the Val de Bagnes and the view across to the French Alps. It was a sight that usually took her breath away but tonight she only had headspace for Zac.

At least his chalet wasn’t as flashy or as large as some of its neighbours. It was a relatively new building, a quirky design but built with the same wood as the traditional luxury chalets surrounding it. The front of Zac’s chalet had windows the height of the building facing the mountain view and a couple of balconies to sit out on to enjoy the Swiss sunshine during the day and stars by night.

Nerves hit her as they entered the main cabin. It was cosy with large padded dark leather sofas contrasting with light oak flooring. The splashes of colour in the room came from the books on the shelves that covered an entire wall of the room. The volume of books impressed Flora. It was kind of nice to find another reader. Not that it mattered obviously. This was only going to be a short-term fling so it hardly mattered if they had much to talk about.

Zac walked over to the log basket by the fireplace and tossed another log onto the still smouldering fire. It hissed in protest and then sent flames licking around the new source of fuel, flaring into life. Outside in the darkness, snowflakes began to fall, slowly at first, then growing ever larger until the night sky was thick with snow, giving it an eerily pale glow.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Erm, I probably shouldn’t.”

Shouldn’t drink and probably shouldn’t be here. Oh help, what have I got myself into?

“Can I tempt you with a Kir Royale?”

“Okay,” she folded, mentally swatting the worry-insects away. “You’ve found my weakness.”

A couple of sips wouldn’t do any harm. It might help her to relax. She wouldn’t finish it. On top of the cocktails she’d already had, it could be lethal. Or at the very least, it could lead to her doing or saying something she’d regret.

“I hope to find a lot more weaknesses,” he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching. “It will save me a lot of time if you tell me up front.”

“You’ll have to work a bit harder at interrogation than that,” she said, taking the tall champagne flute filled with rich, dark-pink bubbles. She sipped at it, the fruity blackcurrant bursting onto her taste buds before she swallowed. The warmth spread through her chest like a comforting embrace, relaxing her.

Zac knows what he’s doing. He does this a lot.

Somehow the thought of Zac bringing numerous different women back to his chalet after a day on the slopes didn’t disturb her as much as she’d thought it would. It helped her to feel anonymous. It would be as though she’d never been here. Maybe Zac wouldn’t even remember her. That thought gave her a kind of freedom. It didn’t matter how bad she was in bed if he was going to forget her.

After tonight, apart from the wedding, maybe she wouldn’t have to see Zac again if she didn’t want to?

Perfect.

Tash was right. This was the best way to leap back into the dating fray – with a sexy stranger in a foreign country. If she screwed up who would know? No strings sex – absolutely no pressure.

She felt peculiarly light-headed, whether it was from the Kir Royale or the feeling of freedom and anticipation pulsing through her body she wasn’t sure.

Probably a little of both.

“Come and sit down,” Zac patted the leather sofa next to him and she approached cautiously, perching on the edge a little further away than he’d patted.

Zac took some dice from a drawer in a lamp table and selected one.

“Let’s play Truth, Dare or Forfeit,” he announced. “If you throw a one or a two that means a Truth, three or four mean a Dare and five or six will be a Forfeit – the thrower has to forfeit an item of clothing of the other player’s choice.”

Flora’s stomach fluttered and her skin prickled to attention. Zac was so impossibly handsome – a strong jaw shadowed with stubble, intense dark-blue eyes and a physique an athlete would be proud of. He looked like he could wrestle a bear without breaking sweat. Hmm, where had that come from?





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