The Billionaire Athlete’s Christmas Fling - Leslie North Page 0,36
into space.”
“Just thinking.”
The real question wasn’t what Tana would have done if he were still a ski champion. The real question was what he should do now. No matter how sparkling and wonderful his vision of their potential family appeared to him, he had to deal in reality. He was moving on from this place, and Tana was putting down roots. They wanted two different things.
Chase put his half-empty plate down on one of the tables to the side of the ballroom meant for collecting dishes. He needed to be at home, in the quiet. Besides, it didn’t look like she was going to show up anyway.
He was still in the middle of the room when he saw her.
All the things he’d been debating furiously in his head, while smiling and nodding at the people around him, fell away. Tana stood framed in the double doors leading into the lodge’s ballroom in a pair of low heels and a black dress that hit just above her knees. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders. And she was looking for him. He knew from the way her eyes danced over the room, searching.
She caught sight of him, and a smile spread over her face. The smile went straight to his core. In the black dress, she looked...transformed. He thought Tana was breathtaking, but in this dress, it was like watching a sunrise as she moved. Graceful, elegant, and inspiring.
Tana raised her hand and gave him a wave.
Chase moved toward her, anxious to be close enough to touch her. Tana cocked her head to the side, for a friendly peck on the cheek. He’d forgotten almost too late they couldn’t kiss in the middle of the ballroom, but she’d remembered.
His nerves were singing with the sight of her. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, dropping his voice to a low whisper so no one would hear.
Tana blushed. “You look pretty good yourself.”
They were clearly both thinking of yesterday and the hot passion they shared. It wasn’t exactly forgettable. Chase glanced around and caught his grandmother watching him. She didn’t miss anything, did she? He tried not to look lovestruck. His grandmother already suspected it was Tana that day in the shed.
“Hey, you two.” Pete, one of the chair lift operators, approached, clapping him on the back. Saved by the bell from making a mistake in front of his grandmother. “How have things been with you lately, Chase?”
“Hey, Pete. Good to see you here. I see someone I need to talk to, but I’ll catch up with you later, Chase.” Tana strolled away, not bothering to wait for an answer. It was hard not to watch the sway of her hips with every step like a hungry man.
Chase forced his attention back to Pete. “Good. Thinking about getting back on the slopes again someday.”
“That would be awesome.” Pete grinned. “It would be good for you to get your snow legs back.”
“It would definitely cause a stir with the guests if I announced a comeback.” He’d lost sight of Tana. No—there she was, talking with a group of women. He and Pete got into a discussion about new skis, which led them to clothes, which led them to jobs. Opportunities.
Chase sensed Tana behind him in the crowd, and he glanced over his shoulder to find her. She was standing next to his grandmother, and the two of them were deep in conversation. He watched as they embraced, then Tana crossed the room toward him. He needed to get her out of here. Chase wanted nothing more than to peel the dress off her body and have her all to himself.
His heart raced. “Honestly, Pete, I might not be around the lodge much longer.”
“Really? Why?” Genuine concern filled Pete’s expression.
“I got a job offer from a friend.”
“That’s great news!” Pete nodded a little. “Isn’t it?”
“Yeah. The only thing is the job is in LA. And he wants me to start at the beginning of January.”
“Telling everybody about your west-coast offer?” Tana spoke from directly behind him and a chill of regret went down his spine. She patted him on the shoulder and came to stand between the two men.
“A job in LA, man? You should take it.”
“You really should,” Tana seconded Pete’s opinion.
Chase gaped at her, not liking the sound of her support of getting rid of him. Especially not after he’d been fantasizing about the two of them together and waiting all night for her to arrive.
Tana smiled brightly. “Compared to a place like