The Billionaire’s Fake Christmas Engagement - Leslie North Page 0,17

wide and he turned and ducked, scooping snow from the ground as Elin took Jonas’s arm and headed toward the lodge, laughing as she went. Tana and her daughter Lindsey had launched the attack and Chase was backing them up.

A snowball fight.

Another first. Anna had never been in a snowball fight before, and the snow seemed unwieldy in her hands. She got one ball together and launched it at Chase, who neatly ducked out of the way. Everyone was having fun, their voices echoing high in the clear night.

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