Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Poppy
“Poppy!” Danielle screeched in my ear as the man across the bar made his way towards us. “He’s coming this way! How is my lipstick? My hair?”
I let out a sigh. “You look perfect.”
All the girls did. They didn’t bother with actual skiing or snowboarding.
They simply sat around with hot cocoa or coffee in their hands as they looked for the next suitable bachelor.
This time, they’d set their sights on the hottest man I’d ever seen.
His brown hair was a little more unruly than the other guests at the lodge, and it curled slightly around his ears.
His eyes were what held me captive, though.
They were icy blue, so light they seemed cold.
I expected him to look at Danielle with her perfect blonde hair that was softly curled around her perfect baby face, or even Trisha with hair so dark it was almost blue, and skin that needed no makeup ever.
Her exotic asian features only enhanced her beauty and drew men in by the droves.
There was Amelia with her big baby blues and her soft southern accent.
If her angelic face didn’t pull the men, it was the southern twang that did them in.
Last but not least, there was my sister, Jade, with her auburn hair and green eyes; everyone quickly overlooked me for her striking features.
Next to all of them, I was plain Jane. I preferred my studies when I was in school instead of partying, unlike all of them, and even now, I preferred to get my hands dirty instead of sitting around and waiting for a man to come swoop me up.
My mother couldn’t stand that I actually wanted to do something with my life and find a husband to love me instead of paying for my lavish lifestyle.
I didn’t need a man to save me, provide for me, or swoop me off of my feet.
I didn’t want a man who was only going to love me skin deep until I aged out and he went looking for his mistress.
That’s what happened with my parents, and there was no way in hell it was going to happen to me.
I stared down at the scuffed boots I’d brought with me on this trip and mentally kicked myself.
How on earth did I think this would be a good idea?
I looked like a rusted tool next to all of these shining stars.
I scowled. These boots were broken in and so comfortable.
I didn’t want this season’s wear just to have blisters and cuts to hobble along for the whole trip.
Oh well.
And if he only cared about the newest fashion trends or the glossiest clothes, then he wasn’t worth a damn anyway. I hadn’t come here for love. I came for the thrill—the sting of the wind on my cheeks and the burn in my muscles as I carved down the mountainside.
A shadow fell across our table.
“Hey.”
Tall, dark, and handsome had chosen his next victim. His voice was smoother than the Tennessee Whiskey I’d tried last summer on Amelia’s daddy’s ranch.
My eyes skirted to the large, picturesque windows that took up the entire back wall of the lodge. The sun was setting, leaving sparkles across the snow. I itched to get back out there, even if it didn’t mean getting on a board. All I wanted was to be outdoors.
The man cleared his throat and said again, this time unsure, “Hey?”
A sharp pain radiated through me as Danielle elbowed me in the ribs.
I whipped around so quickly I swore my spine cracked.
Instead of finding Danielle staring at me, I was looking into the glacier eyes of the mysteriously hot stranger.
His smile was devastating and pointed right at me.
I blinked up at him in shock. For a split second, it seemed like the rest of the lodge faded away.
That smile couldn’t possibly be aimed at me.
My lips parted as I thought of something—anything—to say to this gorgeous man, but no sound came out.
His eyes flickered to the other women around me, and disappointment zinged through me.
I’d lost him all because I was stupidly surprised that a hot man such as himself would want to speak to me.
Trisha jumped to the rescue and nudged me forward. “This is Poppy,” she said with enthusiasm. “She’s not usually this slow, but she had a long day on the slopes and the elevation must be getting to her.”
His slight smile only stretched farther across his face as he held a hand out to me. “Nice to meet you, Poppy. I’m Ivan.”
I placed my much smaller hand in his and could have clenched my thighs at the roughness of his palm. This man was not a pencil pusher, but he also didn’t strike me as a CEO. His hands were callused in the only way they could be—hard work and not in the gym.
Timidly, I smiled back. “It’s nice to meet you, Ivan. How long are you staying for?”
His light eyes clouded for a moment as he thought of an answer, and I wondered if I had asked the wrong thing. “I have a cabin nearby that I like to frequent this time of year.”
“Do you come here for the slopes or the dashing company?”
His tongue traced a path on his bottom lip, and I wondered how I was going to continue to have a conversation when I was now thinking of kissing him. Which was silly. I wasn’t the one who went home with someone at a bar.
At least, I didn’t think I was. I’d never done it before.
“A little bit of both, though I can’t say that I’m very good at the slopes bit. I prefer the food here and the brandy.”
The girls were stone-still behind me. “Can I buy you one, then?” I didn’t know where the question came from, but I knew that I was at least getting a goodnight kiss before bed tonight.
His smirk could drop panties left and right. “I would like that. Lead the way?”
With as much courage as I could muster, I held my head high as I walked around him and made a beeline for the bar. I couldn’t believe I’d asked him that. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
I smiled to myself. I was doing this.