Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
So instead, he handed me the beer he’d been holding, and I accepted it automatically. He turned back to the fridge and got another one for himself.
I couldn’t quite take it in. How could there be two men that looked that good? I stared at the photo, even enlarging it with my fingers, trying to find evidence that it was faked. But the more I looked, the more convinced I became that it wasn’t. I stepped back, really looking at him this time, searching for differences.
I couldn’t find any. Except maybe that his hair was a little less spiky.
“I’m sorry,” I said, handing him back his phone.
He waved off my apology. “No need. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. And at least you didn’t slap me.”
“Someone’s slapped you before?”
He nodded grimly. Then he gestured toward the seating area in front of the fireplace. “Want to sit down, drink, and take turns complaining about my irresponsible sibling?”
I gave a half smile. “I’ve actually got one of those, too.”
“A twin?”
“No. A younger sister.”
We settled onto the leather sofa in front of the fire. There were blankets in a basket nearby, and Landon grabbed one and handed it to me before swinging his feet up onto the coffee table, crossing his ankles.
I noticed his long legs. Even his bare feet were kind of sexy—not gross like some men’s.
We drank in silence for a moment. The fire crackled, filling the quiet with warmth.
“So, you just have one sister?” Landon asked.
“Yes. She’s twenty. I’m twenty-two, but I feel ten years older than her sometimes.”
“I know what you mean. I’m about thirty minutes older than Kai, but sometimes it feels like ten years separate us as well.”
“So you’re very different?”
He looked contemplative, staring into the fire. “We used to be the same. We used to be... well, I’ve never understood the phrase ‘thick as thieves,’ but it probably fits.”
At the mention of the word ‘thick,’ my eyes flicked to his muscular thigh before I could stop myself. But then I raised my gaze and gave a little smile. “I don’t know what it means either, but maybe you could say ‘thick as twins’? But that doesn’t sound right either.” The initial sounds needed to be the same. “Twisted as twins?”
He laughed, the low sound seeming to have surprised him for some reason. “That works.”
We drank a little more. I found it surprisingly comfortable to sit next to him. He wasn’t like Kai. He wasn’t waiting for one wrong word so he could tease, embarrass, or flirt with me. I barely knew Landon, but he somehow felt safe.
“So what are you here for?” he asked. “Are you a chef like Asher?”
“God, no.” I couldn’t cook to save my life, and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to work with Asher.
“But you are a student, right? You look about his age.”
“How old are you?”
“We’re twenty-six.” He grimaced. “Sorry. It’s a twin thing to slip up and say ‘we.’”
I grinned. “I won’t tell your brother you told me his age.”
He smiled back, and I felt something warm unfurl in my chest.
“I’m a senior,” I said. “Hospitality major. I’m doing a management internship for winter break.”
He looked impressed. “I’ve never known this place to take on any intern except Ash.”
“I kind of talked my way into it,” I admitted.
“Good for you.” He said it simply, like he genuinely admired that. It was such a contrast to Asher, who’d said earlier that I’d only gotten the internship by being pushy.
“Are you a ski instructor too?” I asked.
I already knew he had to ski—his muscles were exactly the same as Kai’s. Flat abs. Thick biceps. Powerful thighs.
“Sort of,” he said. “I’ll give a few lessons here and there, but I’m mainly the ski patrol.”
That wasn’t a term I was familiar with. “What does that mean?”
“It’s a bit different here than at bigger resorts, but my job is to keep people safe on the mountain. In the mornings, I do safety checks—inspect the trails, set hazard markers if there’s ice or debris. During the day, whether I teach lessons or not, I’m on call if anyone gets injured. Late afternoon, I do a patrol sweep to make sure no one’s stranded, write up any first-aid reports, and oversee equipment maintenance.”
Wow. That was impressive—far more impressive than just lifting a newbie onto a chair lift. “Sounds like a big job.”
He gave me a modest smile. “Sometimes. But out here, well, this isn’t exactly the Alps.”
I latched onto that. “You’ve skied in the Alps?”
“Yes. Most beautiful mountains anywhere.”
I thought of something. “Were you skiing yesterday? I saw someone go by really fast while he—I mean, your brother—was teaching me.”
“Yeah, that was me.”
I remembered how incredible he’d looked, flying down that advanced slope, moving like he was part of the mountain itself.
He set down his empty beer bottle and stood. “Want another?”