A Touch of Spring by Evie Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

hungry, lingering kiss.
    Andy pushed her away gently. “Naughty Mrs. McTavish. Not here. We have a ways to go yet.”
    “Gornergrat railway,” he told the driver.
    On the way, Roz nibbled her way through the supply of energy bars he always kept in his pockets, but she was still starving and when they joined a group of eager hikers at Riffelberg.
    Bloody man of mystery. Andy had refused to tell her where they were going and had extracted a promise that she wouldn’t ask any of the others. A hike? They were on a very belated honeymoon and he wanted to take her hiking? But when she scowled at him, Andy just laughed.
    He adjusted his backpack and handed her a pair of ski-poles to help her on her way.
    “You’ll love it,” Andy said with a grin. “Come on, it’s only ten minutes from here.”
    They followed the group through the crisp white snow. The air was clean and cold and despite her craving for a little luxury, Roz began to cheer up a little. They were together. Nothing else mattered.
    Up ahead, she heard a woman’s delighted laughter, and the enticing aroma of mulled wine drifting on the icy air made her mouth water.
    “Welcome, everyone.”
    The stark whiteness of the ice village contrasted with the slate-grey mountain peak in the distance. A burst of laughter escaped her. Only Andy would remember that she had a childhood fantasy about being a snow angel. “You got me an igloo?”
    A blond man smiled as he approached them. “Your accommodation is this way.”
     
     
    The entrance was set into a bank of hard-packed snow. Inside was a series of rooms that Roz itched to explore. The interior was covered in ice carvings; birds, fish, mountains and tiny villages. In the centre of one room, a platform of ice was covered with sheepskins, furs and sleeping bags. The wall behind was decorated with the giant wings of an eagle.
    “Food first,” Andy announced.
    On a covered tray, a selection of cured meat, bread cubes and salad leaves awaited and a pot of fondue bubbled. Roz devoured it eagerly and afterwards lay back on the sheepskin rugs to stare at the round ceiling. The room was cold but not freezing and with food inside her she was beautifully warm. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she murmured happily.
    “You haven’t seen the best bit yet.” Andy pulled her to her feet and down a flight of stairs.
    Wisps of steam escaped from a bubbling whirlpool. In one corner, a bottle of champagne sat in a wooden bucket, flanked by two glasses. He had thought of everything.
    “Do you need help getting out of those clothes?”
    Roz flexed her fingers. The movement was a little easier and the warm water would probably help. “I can manage. Why don’t you go first?”
    Without taking his eyes from hers, Andy shed his clothing quickly. Roz wanted to whistle. How could one man be so edible? He stepped into the warm water.
    Andy disappeared beneath the surface and rose again, shaking the water from his hair before turning his attention to her. “Is there a problem, Mrs. McTavish?”
    “No. I was just admiring the view of your ass.”
    Roz pinned her hair into a neat twist. She fumbled with the zips and fastenings on her clothes before laying them on top of his. She followed Andy into the pool and lowered herself quickly, keeping her head above water to keep her hair dry.
    “Jesus.” Andy brushed a stray curl away from her face, uncovering the bruises on her cheekbone and temple. He tilted her head, his touch infinitely gentle. “Gorev?”
    Roz nodded. She didn’t want to think about that now. Not when she had found Andy again.
    His mouth formed a thin hard line. “Stand up. I want to see the rest.”
    “It’s bloody freezing,” she protested. But his uncompromising expression drove her to her feet. Roz shivered as he examined her for damage, checking her arms and legs for bruises. “I will kill him. I will break every bone in his body.”
    She was damned if she would allow Gorev to intrude on their