Her kiss was warm, warmer than the sunshine lighting the snow all around them with a blinding glare. Ryan pulled back to look into her face, slightly wind burned from the cold. Her lips were red and softly swollen, and he couldn’t resist leaning in to take them again.

He had no right. He knew that. He wasn’t planning on taking her for a mate, even though she’d shown him just how strong she was in what she had overcome. Even though she’d come into his lonely darkness and pulled him out into the sun again. What they had was friendship, even a strong attraction, but nothing more.

So why did kissing her feel like coming home? Why did it feel like they belonged on this mountain together? Why did he have the urge to sweep her up in his arms and run off with her to his private cabin at the side of the mountain?

He didn’t know, he just knew that the longer her soft, warm mouth stayed locked with his, the more nonsensical his thoughts became.

Mate, his inner bear said. Mate. Mine.

His tongue played at the entrance to her mouth and she sighed and then opened innocently for him. She was inexperienced, but the way her hands clasped around him and her body pressed against him more than made up for it. Ryan, despite not being a player, had plenty of sexual experience. Especially when he’d been younger and a little less mature. But then he’d gotten really focused on snowboarding and his career and had decided women were a distraction he didn’t need.

He didn’t think about it again until he came back to Bearstone Park and saw his father’s note in the will about finding mates there. Just a suggestion, but it made Ryan realize how much he’d like exactly that. How old the tours were getting, how similar the runs were feeling, how much the roar of the crowd was starting to become commonplace and a little empty.

But that was just one part of him. The other longed to be up on the podium, celebrating another win. He supposed there would always be two parts of him, and that’s why it wasn’t fair to Kylie that he was kissing her now, leading her on. A part of him would always want a bear for a mate. A fellow athlete. Not a regular human woman, no matter how warm and strong and awesome and thoughtful she was.

But his body, dang his body responded to her. He deepened the kiss and pressed her even closer to him as he felt her knees tremble. Snowboarding was hard work, and he’d pushed her hard, especially for a first day. But he didn’t want her to think he’d treat her any differently. She’d been tenacious and talented and he’d pushed her harder than anyone else he’d taught.

He was reaping the benefits now. He couldn’t believe she was in his arms, eagerly returning his kisses, meeting each thrust of his tongue with one of her own. The warm heat and friction felt better than almost anything on earth. Anything except dropping into a super pipe.

But it was a similar rush, and he found that no matter how he held her, he couldn’t get close enough. Couldn’t take enough, couldn’t give enough in these stuffy snow clothes. He wanted her, all of her, naked and splayed before him, and it couldn’t happen soon enough. He pulled back and looked down at her dazed face.

Damn, she was beautiful. A few strands of hair had pulled free from under her helmet and blew in the cold wind. Her eyes were wide and softly dazed from the kiss. Her mouth was slightly open in shock.

She’d never looked more beautiful to him, and he knew he needed to get space. Needed to back up before he did something that hurt them both. Despite her fun playfulness, he knew she was the type of woman that played for keeps. At least she seemed that way. He wouldn’t take what he wanted in the short term knowing it would hurt her in the long run.

He set her back over her snowboard and helped her stand on shaky legs. He kept his arms on hers until she was steady. Her expression calmed and she brushed blond hair off of her face.

“Why did you stop?” she asked, annoyed.

He chuckled, trying to hide that he felt just as frustrated as she did by the cessation of what they were doing. But he’d had control of it, she hadn’t. “I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

A dark expression crossed over her features, a quick crossing of light clouds over sunlight, and then she was sunny again. “Oh. I guess you’re right.” She looked down the mountain and wobbled slightly, and he put arms up to catch her and steady her again. She pushed away from him.

“You okay?” he asked, as she scooted toward the next downward slope.

“Yup,” she said. “I’m a big girl. I can learn on my own, what I should and shouldn’t do.”

His brow wrinkled. He wasn’t exactly sure if there was any kind of double meaning hidden in that statement, but he wasn’t about to look into it. Not when she’d already decided to let him off the hook. “Okay.”

He watched her head down the mountain, linking a few turns on the shallow slope and falling occasionally. Each time, she pushed herself back up. Just like she’d walked into his cabin and told him to pick himself up. Just like she’d picked herself up after he’d rejected her when he left Bearstone Park, or when he’d ended their searing kiss.

He had a feeling that at the end of this, if anyone had trouble picking themselves up, it would probably be him. Kylie seemed as indestructible as snow. You could melt it, you could evaporate it, but it would always change, always be something.

He wished he could be that fluid.

---

They took a day off for Kylie to deal with the muscle soreness from the first day. When they met up again, she brought pastries from the lodge to share at the cabin at the top of the lift while discussing future plans.

Ryan bit into a bear claw, hiding a smile at the irony in it, and looked shyly over at the woman who’d brought it.

She gave him a happy smile, but he could sense something was wrong under the beaming.

“What’s up?” he asked. “You still want to do this? You don’t have to.” He tried not to sound self-conscious about it. Honestly, her letting him help her learn snowboarding was totally sustaining him right now. He didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have that as his purpose. Snowboarding had been his whole life.

“I’m just a little worried about the whole arrangement,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be learning, and I couldn’t have a better teacher…”

“My head is fine,” he said. “I couldn’t even find a way to fall hard on these bunny hills we’re doing.”

She eyed him tentatively, as if skirting around a topic she wanted to approach carefully. “That’s not exactly what I’m worried about.”

His heart sunk. “Wait, is this about the kiss?” He didn’t know why it should hurt that it was bothering her. After all, he knew just as well that it shouldn’t have happened. But for some reason, having her regret it when she’d been pursuing him almost since he first set foot in Bearstone Park kind of bothered him.

She looked away as she unwrapped a homemade rice crispy treat. “I just think we should keep things clear, so no one gets hurt at the end.”

He eyed her narrowly. Why did she suddenly care about boundaries now? This was a woman who’d gotten drunk at his brother’s wedding and tried to corner and kiss him in a broom closet after.

This was a woman who’d asked him out countless times, who’d taunted and teased. And now she was reluctant about a simple, spontaneous kiss that neither of them had been able to resist.

So, what was it? Was it that now that he wasn’t a top snowboarder, he wasn’t as attractive to her? Was she only into the Ryan Hart that the world watched and adored? Was he less to her now? His heart felt coiled and twisted at the thought, and he scolded himself for feeling that way. Especially since he’d always been the one saying no.

“Look, when you left… When you went back to wherever, I got the message. I know you aren’t interested in me. I know that I made a fool out of myself chasing you. Who knows, maybe part of what I liked so much was the way you played hard to get?”

She shrugged and licked a bit of marshmallow off one of her fingers. He wanted to do that. “But anyway, don’t lead me on. Don’t kiss me when we both know you’ll walk away again when you’re better. I’m not good enough for you. I get it.” She didn’t meet his eyes, just sat on the bench in front of the table and continued to eat.

“It’s not that,” he said, feeling pained at the rejection she’d felt from him. She hadn’t deserved that. Perhaps because she’d always put herself out there, always been so fearless, he’d assumed she was a little invincible. “It’s not that you’re not good enough. You’re amazing, Kylie. You’d be good for anyone.”

“Just not you,” she said bitterly.

“I just don’t think it’s a good match,” he said carefully, hoping this didn’t screw everything up. Why hadn’t he been able to resist kissing her the other day? Such a bad idea. Now he could lose the only thing that was currently keeping him going. But was she right? Would he be able to just walk away after this was all over? He hated thinking about the future when things were so uncertain, but he guessed that yes, he’d walked away once, so it would be fair to assume he’d do it again.

He couldn’t change that he had certain expectations.

“It’s okay if you’re going to walk away,” she said. “I lived and I’ll live again. You’re hot, Ry, but you aren’t everything.” She gave him a small smile and finished off her snack before standing and stretching.

Damn, why was she even hot when she was basically telling him to go to hell?

“So, I thought I’d have a goal while we’re working together. I figure, if I can learn to snowboard, why not go all the way? I think I’d like to be a teacher. Can I learn that in one season?”

He pressed his lips together, considering it. He didn’t want to give her false hope. Nevertheless, she’d done outstanding. She had an amazing sense of balance that compensated for the loss of toe-heel control in one foot. She’d probably be really good in no time.

“Normally I’d say no,” he said. “But given that you have a really experienced private instructor, I would think you’d be ready to audition for teaching next season. If that’s what you want. You could at least teach beginner lessons, I would think. Why do you want to teach though? Don’t you get enough teaching down there?”

She nodded. “I do, but sometimes I’m not the most patient person.”

“You wouldn’t like snowboarding lessons then. People get pretty angry after a few face plants.”

“No, I mean, with the kids. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but I think I’d like the opportunity to teach all ages.”

“It doesn’t pay well,” he said, testing the waters. For some reason, the idea of her being up here, teaching snowboarding, after he was long gone, kind of bothered him. He didn’t know why. Was it just that it hurt to think of her involved in his lodge and his life, while he wasn’t around to see it?

She grinned a little wider this time and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder so she could pull her helmet on and start doing up the chin strap. She looked so cute in her outfit. So short compared to him, so chubby in the snow clothes. His own little marshmallow, and despite her entreaties not to lead her on, he wanted to eat her up. He was sure it probably showed in his eyes.

Maybe she’d always been able to see that he wanted her. That a part of him was sure about her, while the rest was saying no way. Maybe it was intuition. But now she was asking him to stop, and he would respect that, or at least try to.

“Look, Kylie, I just don’t want this to be about you not being good enough. I’m just kind of an odd guy. I need someone equally odd.”

She raised an eyebrow, as if to answer that they didn’t come much odder than her. And he had to agree, but…

“My kind of odd,” he said.

She rested her chin on her gloved hand. “Don’t you think that’s a little boring?” she asked. “Someone just like you?” She shook her head. “I mean, your choice, but I sort of feel like when I find someone, I want it to be someone who complements my strengths, rather than mirrors them.”

He swallowed, knowing his next words would seal the distance between them. “I hope you find them.”

Her eyes hardened and he knew she took his meaning as he meant it. Look elsewhere. If he was expecting her to wilt or cry, he was wrong once again, as he always tended to be with her. “Fine,” she said. “Me too. So I pulled you out of isolation and you’ll teach me until I’m good enough to teach snowboarding, and then we’ll go our separate ways.” She folded her arms and took a step toward the door.

He stepped in her way. “Fine.” He folded his arms as well and looked down at her imperiously.

She looked up at him. “Suits me.”

He nodded, taking another step forward. “Me too.”

She gulped and looked up at him. “And no more kissing.” She took a minute step forward.

He closed the distance and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Right, no more kissing. At all.” He touched her hair and loved the velvet softness of it. He could scent her, here in this cabin. She smelled of wildflowers and spring snow.

She tilted her face up, lips slightly parted and waiting for his next move.

This was it, his chance to be a man and walk away. Keep the promises, keep his distance, and stay true to what he said he wanted.

Time seemed to freeze as they stood close to each other, his hands resting gently on her as he resisted the urge to pull her in for a kiss.

“Kissing you would be a ridiculous thing to do,” he said quietly, leaning down toward her.

“Yes, utterly ridiculous,” she said, reaching up to circle his neck with her arms. Her breath was sweet. She would taste like marshmallow. He wrapped his arms around his waist. Why couldn’t his body listen to his mind?

“Such a bad idea,” he said, brushing her lips lightly with his. A touch that feather-light couldn’t count, could it?

Her lips closed over his for a brief moment and pulled back. “The worst.”

He’d have to teach her and leave her. He’d have to go back to his world and let her remain in hers. Let her find a man who could appreciate her for everything she was in a way that he couldn’t. He’d do that. He’d have to.

But at least in this moment, he couldn’t let go of her. He had absolutely no ability to. So he scooped her up in his arms as she let out a little gasp, and stormed to the bedroom door before either of them could come to their senses.

---

Moments later, they were alone in the bedroom, his heart beating wildly. This was why he’d tried to stay away from her. This was why he had run when he did. The longer he was around this persistent, arousing, smart-mouthed little female, the more likely it was that he was going to act on the urges surging through him.

And those urges had never been stronger than at that moment where she was telling him what would happen between them and how it would end, looking like it wouldn’t affect her at all.

Suddenly he wanted to show her that it would affect her, that he was really something to lose, and she should look more disturbed by the idea. After all, he was.

And she’d been drawn to him, like a magnet to a fridge, had let her body speak opposite her words as she came forward for a kiss. Even now, she was nuzzling into his chest, reminding him of another time he had carried her. His hold on her tightened and he paused at the door as he remembered that day.

He’d been strolling through the lodge after a night run on the slopes, and seen her in another man’s arms. Scented bear. So he’d blocked the man’s way out, all of his protector instincts firing on max. It turned out the man was Leslie’s friend and was just carrying Kylie out because she was drunk, but Ryan hadn’t been able to resist taking her back from the other man, bear, and taking her home himself.

If Janna hadn’t been with them on the ride down, he might have been the one to tuck her in, and wouldn’t that have been a disaster. From the moment he’d taken her soft little body in his arms, it had felt right. Too right.

Maybe it was that moment that scared him, made him truly feel like he needed to run after the weddings. Get back into the snowboarding world and show himself exactly why they wouldn’t work together.

He just had something he had always pictured for himself. A tall, strong woman beside him. Bear cub children. A mountain lodge. Even if Kylie was proving herself to be more adventurous than he had initially thought, he couldn’t shake the thought that she was all wrong for him.

In every way but this.

He set her on the wide bed that no one had shared except for him. It wasn’t his secret lodge, but no one else that had access ever used it. His brothers were busy with family and they never spent time on the mountain like he did.

It was the perfect place to bed down after a long day of snowboarding, but it was too far away from civilization in his brother’s opinions so he hadn’t stayed here while recovering. They’d wanted him to have easy access to the lodge doctor.

She looked up at him, staying quiet for once, as if she was trying to see inside his mind.

Impossible.

He’d always been able to hide what he was thinking from those around him, while usually being able to tell exactly what was on their minds. But he couldn’t right now. Not with her.

“We can both agree this is a terrible idea, right?” she asked.

He nodded. “Right.” He pulled his jacket over his head, giving her a flash of abs. His hair was mussed and he ran a hand through it, enjoying the way she bit her lip as she watched him. “A terrible idea.”

“It’d be terrible if you took off your shirt,” she said. “Slowly.” She bit her lip to hide a small grin and he felt his own grin deepen.

“Right, terrible,” he said, lifting the shirt over his head and relishing the shocked expression on her face. He knew his body was incredibly cut, from the constant exercise and the lifting. He was tall and strong, and had never been more grateful for it than at this moment. “Just like it’d be an awful decision if you started taking some of those snow clothes off.”

“Oh, would it?” she asked, unzipping the puffy snow jacket. His mouth went dry as she dropped it off her shoulders, exposing her perfect, curvy body in a tight turtleneck. Her fingers played with the edges of the shirt. “I’d hate to make a bad decision.”

She gave him a naughty wink and lifted the sweater over her head, exposing full, lush breasts in a satiny black bra with ample cleavage. He should tell her to wear a sports bra next time they went. But right now he was too busy thinking about licking the beautiful curves exposed to him.

“And I totally should not help you remove your pants right now,” he said, kneeling in front of the bed to help with her snow boots.”

“No,” she said, putting up a hand. “I’ll do it myself. Have to be careful of the prosthesis.”

“Oh, right,” he said, taking a step back. “I guess I’ll work on my own then.” He reached for the button at the top of his snowboard pants. Her eyes snapped to his and she paused in taking off her boots to watch him. She shook her head and removed her boots and then her snowboard pants.

She was left in cute, knee-high snowboard socks with horizontal stripes, a sweet pair of hot pink underwear in a boy short style, and that sexy bra, and he suddenly forgot how his zipper worked.

Then she bit her lip and eyed him up and down and he remembered. He slid the pants off and stood in front of her in his dark gray boxer briefs, waiting for her to give the go ahead for more. He drew himself to his full height and folded his arms as he looked down at her on the bed.

“All joking aside,” he said. “This doesn’t change anything between us, so I need to know now, bad idea or not, do you want to do this? Do you want to go all the way?”

She chewed her bottom lip and shifted slightly on the bed. Gosh, the sight of her drove him crazy. He didn’t know how long he could stand there in his underwear, waiting for her to give him her answer. She arched slightly against the mattress and he let out a low groan.

“Fine,” she said. “It doesn’t change anything. I still want you. Just this once couldn’t hurt.”

“Just this once, then,” he said.

“Better make it worth my while,” she said.

He climbed onto the bed and leaned over her, crowding her back into the covers. He hovered like a predator, scenting her, placing a kiss lightly at the nape of her neck before pulling up to look down at her. “I don’t make any bad decisions without making sure they’re damn well worth it,” he said, studying her body with heat and excitement that she was finally his.

He could feel his animal surging within, excited to be bonding with her finally. Rational thought and what “should be” were far from him at this moment, and he didn’t care.

Much.

“Show me,” she said, reaching up to lock her arms around his neck.

Damn straight he would.