Lasting Stars (Stars Series #2)

10

"I am not going down that," I say looking down at the hill.

He sighs. "You can, I know you can."

I stare at him, ski goggles covering his eyes but I can already imagine what they look like. I can see the dimple in his check form and I definitely know he is amused my my nerves.

"I should have stayed with Ash on the bunny hills," I say under my breath but I guess I said it loud enough for him to hear.

"No, Ash has barely been skiing before," he says. "You, on the other hand, have. This hill isn't that bad."

I skied with my dad for many years when I was young but haven't since my senior year of highschool. To say this hill is steep is an understatement and this isn't even the highest one.

"You ice skate for a living basically," I say. "You'll be good, I'll just-" I start to walk backwards and he grabs my arm.

"Oh no you don't," he says. "The Daphne I have gotten to know doesn't back down am I right?"

I squint my eyes at him. He's half right. "Well things that can make me fall on my face might have an influence of you only being half right."

He tilts his head. "You won't fall on your face." He says.

"I could!" I exclaim.

He chuckles. "Okay, if you can go down this hill you get to pick the movie tonight." He says a smirk growing on his lips.

My eyebrows raise with curiosity. "Movie?"

He puts a finger on his lips. "It's a secret, Blondie."

I glare at him.

Taking a deep breath, I look down the hill. "Fine. But promise me you won't be Mr. Big Shot Hockey Player and go too fast, leaving me behind?" I ask nervously.

I see his lips turn up and I'm hoping he can't see the worry on the exposed half of my face.

"I promise." He says and readies himself to go. I copy him and apprehensively look down the hill once again. "Ready?" He asks, moving his head to look at me.

I shakily nod and he races off. Puffing out a breath, I do the same. I gasp at the impact of the push down the hill but remember all the tips my dad taught me and I slowly begin to remember.

Minnesota doesn't have that many mountains like this but this mountain is crazy high. I see Jordan close in front of me zig zagging down the hill.

Since last night Jordan hasn't left my side for one second. Well, expect when I used the bathroom, but other than that, we have spent all of today together. I've enjoyed it, a lot. I feel awful. I let my emotions get the best of me and push him away. I've learned so much about him in the last day or so that I almost feel like I've known him before.

Nearing about halfway down the hill, he turns his head and slows a bit so I can catch up. One thing I learned about him is that he's very protective, not in a bad and possessive way, but a comforting way. I saw it this morning when Ash accidentally hit her knee on the counter trying to get a bowl. Jordan raced up next to her and made sure she was okay. Derek walked in a second later and it was kinda cute the way he explained it to Derek.

Ash was totally fine but he was very funnily concerned.

"See?" He says. "It isn't so bad."

I nod. "I know, it was just high looking down at it."

He nods in agreement. "Once we get down do you want to head back to the house?"

I think about that for a second, we've been here awhile but I'm having a lot of fun just being us. At the house we can do that but not with Ash hanging around us. I'm not exactly scared to tell Ash my feelings toward Jordan but almost scared she'd somehow talk me out of it or make me feel guilty. It's awful I know. I want to feel this out before involving my best friend who happens to be the man in question's cousin who's basically spent her whole life with him.

"Uh yeah, sure," I say. "My hands are freezing anyways." I chuckle.

He snickers and shakes his head. He stays beside me for the rest of the ride down. Once we reach the end, we spot Derek, Ash, and Hallie, sitting at a table at the lodge. They don't seem to see us yet so we keep walking toward them.

I rub my hands together to try and get them to warm up. I fell toward the beginning of our day and snow has been coating my hands ever since. I feel a tug on my hands and see that Jordan is trying to get a hold of them. I look over at him and his goggles have been placed on his helmet so I can see his eyes now. I do the same with mine with my free hand.

Jordan locks eyes with me and he slowly pulls off my glove, and then the other. He drops them in the snow and he looks down at my hands to see them bright pink with chill. He begins to pull his off and once they touch mine, an intake of breath pulls through me.

His hands are warm, like really warm. I'm not sure how but he must have kept them unexposed from the snow. "Your hands are freezing, Blondie." He says in a low voice.

All I do is nod. My eyes watch his hands as the warm mine. He brings them together and covers both of mine with his. He moves them so the friction heats my skin and they trace up and under my jacket sleeves. He's teasing me.

"You're teasing me," I accuse.

I see that signature smirk grows on his lips. "Maybe."

I scoff and we lock eyes again. Right now I honestly could care less if Ash or other people are watching us because all I see is him.

I attach our lips and I immediately fall into it. His lips are chilled from the crisp air. His hands travel to my waist and squeeze it. My hands are at his neck and I bring us closer together. I don't know how long we stand there but I have a feeling people are staring.

I detach our lips and Jordan looks down at me, breathless and a little dazed. I'm not sure I've ever seen him like this before.

"Cabin?" He asks, quickly.

I chuckle and shrug as my answer. To that, he pulls my hand and drags me to the parking lot. Well, after we dropped our skis off.