before you start when you’re looking down the hill, you start to see the worst that could happen. And let’s face it, when you’re flying down at those speeds, it doesn’t take much to make you crash—you hook an edge or take a wrong turn—” he shrugged, not wanting to dwell on the chilling options “—it’s not that you don’t feel fear, but you control it. And that takes discipline. What people don’t realize is that it’s not only a physical challenge out there, it’s an emotional challenge.”
“I thought maybe the fact that I’m scared might mean I can’t do this.”
“No. It’s not feeling fear that’s the problem, it’s how you manage it. You can learn.” He reached out and fastened her helmet. “You could do this. You have what it takes.”
“Do you think one day I might even have my own crystal globe?”
“If you work hard, who knows? Do you want to?”
“Will you help me?”
He felt a rush of adrenaline and elation that he hadn’t felt since his accident. He knew he could help, and he knew he’d enjoy doing it. “All the way.”
“Then let’s do it.” Excitement burned in her eyes, and she knocked the snow from her boots and stamped her feet into her skis. “Let’s take it from the top.”
BRENNA FINISHED HER last lesson and drove back to Lake House. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to relax in a deep bath and stare through the window at the snow falling.
What she didn’t want was an embarrassing, uncomfortable moment with Tyler.
What was she supposed to say?
Forget it, Tyler. It was just one night. Plenty of people do it.
But she didn’t. And he knew she didn’t.
Let’s pretend nothing has changed.
How could she say that when it was obvious to both of them that everything had changed?
She should never have said the L word.
Exasperated, and cringing with embarrassment, she was relieved to see no sign of his car. At least she could go straight to her room.
She opened the door, made a fuss of Ash and Luna and then saw the package lying on the floor with her name on it.
Luna whined and pressed her nose against Brenna’s leg.
“I messed up, Luna.” Brenna stroked her gently and then opened the package.
A flimsy wisp of black tulle and lace fell into her hand and she stared at it, and then at the note from her friends, in disbelief.
Maybe this is the day you have a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny. Coco Chanel (with some tweaks from Élise and Kayla xxxx)
“You have to be kidding me.”
Luna whined, and she shook her head at the dog. “I cannot wear this. I can’t.”
She turned it over in her hands and then held it up.
She didn’t need to try it on to know it was going to reveal far more than it covered.
She heard the slam of a car door and listened for the sound of voices, but a quick glance through the window told her Tyler was on his own.
Without bothering to take off her coat, she sprinted upstairs to her bedroom and closed the door, the offending package still in her hand.
Heart pounding, she put the garment on the bed and checked the label.
French, of course. And expensive. Sheer, sexy and something she wouldn’t wear in a million years.
Except—
Heart thumping, she took off her coat and hung it up, feeling as if the underwear was watching her, blaming her for being a coward.
Did Élise really wear that sort of thing? No wonder Sean was always walking around with a smile on his face.
What was to stop her doing the same thing?
From downstairs she heard a clash of pans in the kitchen and relaxed slightly. One thing she was sure of—there was no way Tyler would come looking for her. He was obviously as uncomfortable about the whole thing as she was.
After stripping off her clothes, she ran herself a deep bath and sank into the water.
She thought about the underwear lying on the bed.
It wouldn’t hurt to try it on, would it? Then she could at least thank Élise and Kayla, tell them it was a lovely thought but that it hadn’t fitted.
Leaving the comfort of the deep bubble bath, she wrapped herself in a towel and walked into the bedroom. The only light in the room came from the lamp next to the bed, and she dropped the towel and reached for the underwear. It felt soft and flimsy in her fingers, a whisper of wicked temptation.
Pulling it on, she turned to look at herself in the mirror. She’d never worn anything so light and delicate. It was like wearing nothing, and the tulle bra fitted her small frame perfectly.
She had a feeling Coco Chanel would have approved.
Piling the heavy mass of her hair on top of her head, she pouted and struck a pose and then shook her head.
She looked ridiculous.
If she walked into Tyler’s room looking like this, he’d laugh. She could imagine his expression.
And then the door to her bedroom opened, and she didn’t have to imagine his expression because he was standing in the doorway looking as if he’d been caught in the path of an avalanche. And there was no sign of laughter.
“Holy—”
“Tyler! What are you doing here? Get out!” She dropped her arms and tried to cover herself, then snatched the damp towel from the floor but it caught in her foot and she crashed down onto polished wood in a tangle of long limbs and black transparent underwear.
Dignity shredded, she lay sprawled at his feet thinking that when Coco Chanel had referred to a date with destiny, she hadn’t anticipated that it would look anything like this. She felt as if she’d let the whole of womankind down.
Sorry, Coco.
She heard Tyler inhale and assumed it was because he’d never witnessed anything more clumsy or less provocative in his life.
“Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not all right! You’re supposed to at least knock or something. Oh, my God, Tyler, just—go!” She felt the burn in her cheeks, and anger mingled with frustration, all aimed at herself. Élise or Christy would have given him a feline smile and beckoned him into the room. They wouldn’t have fallen over and yelled at him.
“Are
