Confessions of a Chalet Girl: (3 page)

‘I know it’s not fashionable to admit it but I'm not interested in sleeping around.’ She tried to tug her hand away but he wouldn’t let go.

A steady humming of arousal tickled her skin, spreading up from the rhythmic circles Scott was tracing on her palm.

‘That’s okay Holly, I don’t want you to sleep around. I just want you to sleep with me.’

’‘Are you teasing me?’ she asked.

‘Oh, you'll know when I'm teasing you.’ He grinned.

She sensed he knew sex, knew it very well and knew how to make it good for her. Suddenly she wanted very much to be teased by him. Heck it was tempting but at the same time bloody scary too.

Turned on beyond the point of no return she couldn’t pull away.

‘I just want to sit away from the kiss danger zone up there. At least until after everyone's done that midnight, New Year kissing thing. I want to avoid leery, beery idiots and get to bed. Alone that is.’ She tried to look like she believed it, as though he wasn’t turning her on by what he was doing to her hand.

As though they didn't both know where this was going.

Fancying Scott gave him power over her. She knew it and so did he, the knowledge gleamed in his eyes with a triumph that should have annoyed her but excited her instead.

She felt jittery, out of her depth and not knowing how to get back to the shallows. She was definitely in shark territory.

‘Leery, beery idiots?’ He laughed. ‘Would those be the same ones who are paying your wages? So, if you're not one of
those
girls why don’t you tell me who you are? You’re a bit of an enigma to me.’

‘Why? There’s nothing to know.’ She tugged her hand away. He didn’t let go. She could insist. Perhaps she should insist, she knew instinctively if she did then he'd release his grip immediately.

But I don't want him to let go … 

Sod it! She didn’t know what she wanted.

I want him
.

The deep unbidden response roared in her ears.

‘I doubt there's nothing to know, Holly.’ His eyes gleamed with curiosity. ‘So you’re here to avoid your family, amongst other things?’

‘Why ask if you already know?’

‘It's called making conversation, you should try it sometime. But you've avoided my question. I find that interesting.’ His eyes searched hers and stripped her bare, body and soul.

Squirming, she hoped he couldn’t really see her secrets, her inadequacies and fears. Hoped he couldn’t see how different she was from the rest of the seasonnaire crowd. After two weeks in Verbier she still hadn’t blended in. His gaze assessed her with the intensity of x-ray vision. He probably knew the colour of her knickers and her bra size by now.

Oh no, her mistake, he’d already worked that out. Some talent. Was that really the kind of guy she wanted to be with?

Yes, yes, yes!

Her body screamed at her to listen. Here was a drop dead gorgeous guy flirting like mad with her and she was resisting…why exactly?

‘It's hardly interesting. I'm here to improve my French and to spend time abroad.’

‘But not to party? You must be the only one of my employees not drinking tonight.’

‘Well, someone has to be sensible, to stay in control.’ Her jaw clenched, she resented the implication she was boring. ‘You must know what I mean, given you run your own business. You're pretty sober yourself. I haven’t seen you drinking so I assume you know exactly what I mean.’

The fact Scott wasn’t drinking was a huge plus point in his favour as far as she was concerned.

‘Losing control can be fun sometimes Holly.’ His thumb circled her palm with increased pressure, his eyes promised far more.

She looked away, confused and half longing for invisibility, half revelling in the knowledge that he saw her, really saw her. She couldn’t decide which girl to be. It was easy to fade into the background surrounded by three chalet girls who were attention seeking Divas.

Here with Scott there was nowhere to hide. She was teetering on the edge of something, waiting to see if he would push her.

Waiting to see if she had it in her to jump.

‘I, I wouldn't know … I'm still not sure,’ she stammered, cheeks hot, feeling sixteen again. The Madonna lyrics played on an internal loop – ‘
like a virgin, touched for the very first time…’

She’d explode if he didn’t kiss her, didn’t touch her..

‘Wouldn't you like me to show you how losing control can be fun?’ His voice was smooth and tempting, like melting caramel. ‘I get the feeling you need to be in control. But don't you find it exhausting? Don't you ever long for someone else to take control for you once in a while? I promise you, it’ll be fun.’

Her eyes widened, shocked at having one of her deepest desires exposed. How could he know she'd loathed always having to be the adult in the household? That she longed with an intense hunger for someone to come and look after her sometimes, like her friends’ mothers did.

She’d felt like she had her nose pressed up against the glass window of a cake shop when she went round to their houses for tea. Not that it happened much because she could never invite them back.

Scott progressed up from the palm of her hand to stroke the pulse point on the tender inside of her wrist. Her heart raced, it was as though he’d stripped her defences away with those few sentences. Her lips parted instinctively and a persistent desire throbbed between her legs.

She edged closer to him, her body giving him the response her lips didn't seem able to. Leaning back, he reached out an arm to lock the door leading into the main chalet then pulled her back with him to a large leather armchair in the corner of the room.

‘Will you let me to take control Holly?’ he whispered huskily into her ear, the warm breath making the small hairs on her neck prickle with anticipation. ‘I’ll only ask once. Let go for just ten minutes and I promise when you walk out of here you can take the control right back again.’

Holly's head seemed to nod of its own volition, her body one step ahead of her mind. She sat sideways on his lap, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions she could barely begin to untangle. There was one emotion she couldn’t ignore. She wanted him, and it opened a chasm of longing up inside her.

She could feel his erection beneath her thighs and was flattered. Scott was gorgeous and there were lots of hot girls in Verbier who’d kill to be where she was sitting right now. She’d heard enough stories over the past few weeks to know he was making an exception for her. Just thinking about that turned her on even more.

Her head span, being desired was a pretty potent cocktail. It was oh so tempting to let go, to relax for just a few minutes.

When was the last time I really enjoyed myself? Or felt truly relaxed?

She didn't know if the hyper-vigilance had ever truly left her.

‘Would you like me to kiss you Holly?’ His question cut through her thoughts. It was time for her mind to catch up with her body.

‘Yes, I’d like you to kiss me. But I can’t have, well, I can’t have you know, sex with you not here, not now…’ she mumbled, mortified, wishing a trap door would open to swallow her up.

‘That’s cool. The door's locked. No one will come in. Let me help you relax.’

His touch ripped through her last shred of restraint.

‘Okay.’ She nodded, her breath catching at the top of her chest as his hand found the hem of her skirt, slid underneath and trailed up her thigh. He traced the edge of her hold ups, tickling and stroking. She gasped as he tickled the bare sensitive flesh at the top of her thigh before caressing the silk fabric of her knickers in a way that made all the breath leave her body.

This should feel too fast, I ought to be protesting … But this is soooo good!

He had her in thrall, wondering what he’d do next, willing to do pretty much anything he asked.

While he stroked the strip of fabric between her legs his mouth found hers and a firm tongue slid between her lips, boldly exploring. Her tongue met his, tasting him hungrily and rough stubble grazed her cheek. The friction of rough against smooth sent a delicious dart of pleasure through her body. Her legs edged further apart, silently begging Scott to touch her.

Please go under the silk. Strip me, touch me, and make me come…

She squirmed and pressed herself against his hand, wanting him but not bold enough to say what she really wanted. Tentatively she reached across to his jeans to caress him but he pushed her hand away.

‘No, not now,’ he murmured. ‘Just relax, Holly. Lie back.’

She obeyed him. Lying back across his lap, she let him push her skirt up around her hips, allowed him to part her thighs with his fingers.

More aroused than she’d ever been before, she squirmed and sighed. He tugged at the buttons of her white shirt and stroked her breasts through their pale pink lacy cups, making her nipples stiffen against the palms of his hands.

‘Pink and lacy. I was right.’ He announced triumphantly before lowering his mouth to her breasts.

She forgave him for being smug as he kissed and gently nipped her nipples through the lacy bra. Was this what he meant when he’d said he would kiss her? She moaned, wriggling and squirming on his lap, parting her legs a little wider, wanting him to go lower.

Needing him to touch her.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he whispered and as though he’d read her mind he stroked a hand down to her stomach, reaching her knickers. He traced rhythmic circles on the surface of the fabric until she was so wet for him she couldn’t bear it any more.

‘Please,’ she groaned, arching up under his hand. He laughed.

‘Sure.’ He slid two fingers under the elastic and plunged them inside her, thrusting as he kissed her again. Pressure built up between her legs and she writhed against his fingers, wanting more.

‘Hang on…’ He pulled away from her, his breathing ragged and his eyes dark with lust. Standing up he pushed her back onto the buttery-soft leather and deftly positioning her close to the edge of the chair. Tension vibrated on the air as she waited, still reeling from his caresses.

The only sound in the room was their breathing, Scott exhaling loudly as he slid her knickers down and slipped them into his pocket. She felt achingly exposed, the sensation of air between her legs unfamiliar.

The bulge in his jeans told her he was as turned on as she was. How contrary of her to long for him to make love to her. Yet at the same time she’d be disappointed if he didn’t respect her request.

‘Don’t worry.’ Scott crouched down in front of her. ‘I asked if I could kiss you and that’s all I'm going to do.’

Spooky. He must be able to read my mind. But…

‘I didn’t say
where
I was going to kiss you though.’ He grinned, eyes gleaming.

She couldn't breath, couldn't think as he raised her thighs onto his shoulders. Relief she’d showered earlier mixed with anxiety. Just what was Scott going to do? ‘Oh, my…God.’ She moaned softly as his tongue lapped her.

She forgot to be self-concious, forgot to worry how she compared to other girls and pretty soon she forgot to think at all…

He gently circled the most sensitive nub of flesh with the tip of his tongue. She bucked against him, half scandalised, half wild with exhilaration. His hands slid under her bare buttocks, clasping and squeezing them.

She felt like a different creature entirely from the woman who’d walked into the office ten minutes ago. But then Scott's ministrations were a whole universe apart from Paul’s lengthy and fumbling attempts to make her come. There was nothing fumbling about what Scott was doing to her right now.

Soon her whole body was overwhelmed by a wave of molten pleasure that practically ripped her out of his hands.

Oh…My…God…

So this was what everyone had been going on about. Well it was pretty damn…amazing. Holly knew that however long she lived, she'd never have a New Year's Eve kiss to beat that one.

She shuddered, quivering as he lowered her carefully back onto the chair.

‘Happy New Year, Holly,’ Scott said, grinning at her as he pulled her skirt back down.

For a moment his dark eyes stared at her intently, as if to check she was okay.

Then he turned abruptly, unlocked the door and walked back into the chalet corridor as if nothing had happened.

Well… That was…

She bit her lip. Should she wait for him to come back? Or go back up and try to be nice to the guests, make sure they were having a good time. Like she was being paid to.

Shell-shocked, she did up her shirt buttons and rose to go out the back way, needing the fresh air to bring her back to reality. The sudden rush of cold air between her legs reminded her he still had her knickers.

She felt brazen, liberated and confused all at once. Her legs were a little shaky as she made her way back round to the side entrance.

It was a clear night. The stars shone brightly in the inky blackness with no light pollution to obscure them. She was miles away from London, that was for sure, and a long way from home in more ways than one. She didn’t know if what she’d just done, what she’d let Scott do, was fantastic or the worst mistake of her life.

Although her initial desire had been sated she still ached for him, felt incomplete somehow. She needed more.

And she needed her knickers back.

Scott made his way down the corridor to the kitchen in search of a glass of something cold. An ice cold shower was what he really needed to take the edge off his desire to finish what he'd started with Holly.

A cold shower or a stiff whiskey.

Not that whiskey was an option. He’d trained his body to manage without it. Grief may have tempted him once, the alcohol blurring the sharp edges of the pain of bereavement. But inevitably it had been a false friend and he’d never choose its company again.

Work distraction would have to do instead. It always helped. Pouring every waking moment into expanding Luxury Chalet Experiences rather than torturing himself with guilt paid great dividends. Expanding into Italy to capitalise on the weak euro, while keeping the income in British pounds, was a risky move but one he thought would pay off.

That the business kept him away from London was a happy coincidence. If he had to stay within a ten-mile radius of his family he'd be stark raving bonkers by now.

The murmur of voices reached him from the living room. He ought to go and chat to the guests about the off-piste skiing trip they’d requested, but not yet. Tension wound itself around his body like a tightly coiled spring. He could've done with the release of sex with Holly tonight. It’d been bloody hard walking away.

He headed straight for the fridge as quietly as possible, buying himself a little more time alone. Christmas at home had been hellish as news of his father’s most recent infidelity had leaked out. The dishonesty of it riled him. Why couldn’t people just be straight with each other? Hadn’t they had enough of that in their family already? It had taken his sister Zoë from them and you’d have thought they might learn something from that.

He grabbed a bottle of cold water, trying not to mull on the fact it was almost a year since they’d lost Zoë to cancer. If she hadn’t lied about feeling ill they might have got her help sooner, despite her terror of chemo.

Lying should be a capital offence.

He slugged down the water, trying to swallow down his anger with it. A conversation at the other end of the kitchen broke into his thoughts and he tuned in to listen, turning his gaze on Sophie, Magda and Amelia. They had clustered around the kitchen island drinking rather than circulating with guests as they were supposed to. He heard Holly’s name and decided to postpone the kick up the behind they needed. After all Holly hadn’t been working either…

‘Where on earth can she have got to?’ Amelia searched for discarded champagne bottles containing dregs and poured the contents into her glass. ‘It’s not like Miss Goody Two Shoes to play hooky.’

‘Perhaps she’s shagging someone in the Jacuzzi?’ Magda sneered. Drink always made her tongue harsh and her eyes as sharp as flint. It wasn’t a look he found attractive, even though her ice-cool Scandinavian looks were the type most men went for.

‘Naahhh,’ Amelia rolled her eyes. ‘Holly wouldn't shag Daniel Craig if he begged her, she’s far too uptight. She should neck a few drinks and chill out more.’

‘Come on, she’s all right.’ Sophie grabbed a discarded champagne glass and glugged the contents down.

Scott warmed to her. Sophie was nice, definitely kinder than the other two. He felt glad Holly had someone on her side. Make that two people on her side. The flash of vulnerability on Holly’s face when he’d asked about her family roused his protective instincts.

Holly entered the room looking flushed, cute and very, very fuckable. Scott groaned inwardly as the invisible coil tightened its grip on him. Then he moved closer and cleared his throat so the girls were aware of his presence. Their guilty expressions at seeing both him and Holly were quickly replaced as they recovered themselves and plastered smiles on their faces.

‘Happy New Year, girls. Enjoying yourselves?’ he raised an eyebrow.

‘We were just clearing up, Scott,’ Magda beamed at him, the queen of bullshit.

‘You can clear up in the morning. Go mingle. You need to make sure none of our guests ends up in a snowdrift tonight. Hypothermia might put a bit of a dampener on their holiday.’

Holly smiled and hesitantly met his eye but looked away again quickly when he winked at her.

Irresistible. Concentrate Scott, work!

‘Wait a sec girls, while I remember – the day after tomorrow we’re taking the guests on an off-piste skiing expedition. We need to be at the helipad by eight am and I want the two best skiers, Magda and Holly to come with us.’

Holly choked on her orange juice and Magda slapped her on the back with what seemed like unnecessary force to Scott.

‘Are you okay?’ He moved closer, concerned.

‘I’m um, fine,’ she gasped, stepping out of Magda’s reach. ‘But I'm really not a very good skier. I don’t know why you’d think I was.’

Scott smiled. ‘Now I know you’re being modest. When you listed skiing as an interest on your CV I’d no idea how many amateur competitions you’d won. The guests will be really impressed to have a slalom champion along side them.’

The colour drained from Holly’s face. She looked imploringly at him, aghast. ‘Really, I’m not any good, I…’

‘Enough with the false modesty Holly,’ Amelia snapped, clearly put out to be ousted from the helicopter trip by the new girl. ‘If you don’t want people to know you shouldn’t splash it all over your Facebook page, should you?’

Time to break things up.

‘Come on girls, don’t get catty on me. Go forth and mingle and don’t forget to be professional. Our guests are paying good money to have a nice time and that money pays your salaries so please go do your jobs.’

***

Holly scuttled out of the room before anyone could talk to her but headed for her room instead of the party. She’d left her iPhone on charge and needed to find out what on earth everyone was talking about.

Don’t panic, there’ll be a rational explanation. You can find this other Holly Buchanan’s profile and go show Scott, explain you can’t ski.

She grabbed her phone from its charger and clicked immediately onto her Facebook App.

‘This can’t be right,’ she murmured aloud. ‘Oh bloody hell!’

On her Facebook Timeline there was a photo of her on skis, holding up a cup…Dazedly she backed onto her bunk bed and sat down. How could this be happening? It all looked so real, for a microsecond she even questioned if she’d some kind of selective amnesia and had simply forgotten she was an expert championship skier.

Get with it Holly, think…

Obviously someone had hacked her account. She clicked on the twitter app too, just to check and gasped as she read ‘her’ latest tweet.

Gr8 to be back in Alps again, can’t wait to show Verbier my moves on the slopes!

She ground her teeth. There it was again, that picture of her on skis, holding a cup. How? Someone must have photo-shopped it. But who…who would do that? Who on earth would think this was funny?

Steve?
The answer popped into her mind. He was a techno freak computer nerd and had a pretty warped sense of humour.

She pressed 'Pips mobile' on her contact list, nervously biting at some loose skin on her thumb. Given it was New Year they would still be up, she was sure. After two rings Pippa answered, Holly cut across her greeting.

‘Hi there, I need to keep this short because the call’s going to cost a fortune.’

‘Well, Happy New Year to you to!’ Pippa replied.

‘Sorry Pips, I’m a bit stressed. Someone’s hacked my Facebook and Twitter accounts and posted some rubbish about me being a championship slalom skier. They’ve even posted a photoshopped photo. Worse still, my boss has seen it and wants me to help take the guests off piste the day after tomorrow.’

‘Really? How funny!’

‘It is not bloody funny, it’s a nightmare,’ Holly groaned. ‘I put skiing as an interest on my CV, meaning I was interested in learning how to ski and now with that and the Facebook thing he seems convinced I’m an ace.’

‘So, tell him the truth.’

‘I tried and he just thinks I’m being modest. I didn't actually admit I'd never been on skis before though. Are you laughing?’ Holly rubbed at her aching temples with her free hand. What on earth was she going to do?

‘Can’t you just fudge it, haven’t you had any lessons yet?’

‘No, I had no time last week. You remember, I had all that babysitting work, looking after the tots while their parents skied. I hired some skis and boots when I got here and I’ve got those Salapettes and the ski jacket I managed to get cheap on eBay. But… I think there’s a shedload more to it than just having the right gear.’ Holly sighed, she just couldn't face admitting she'd never skied, it was too lame.

‘Go and talk to him tomorrow. It’ll be fine, stop stressing.’ Pippa yawned. ‘Or you could learn tomorrow, have some kind of crash course in the basics.’

Was that even possible? Holly briefly considered the option, mad as she knew it probably was.

‘I’m not sure about that. But Pips, hang on. One other thing I need to ask you - do you have any idea who the hacker might be? I was wondering if, you know, Steve might have done it as a joke.’

‘You think Steve did it?’ Pippa’s tone was sharp now.

‘I don’t know, it was just a possibility,’ Holly backtracked, feeling guilty. ‘Sorry, look, give my love to Steve and the bump and if you can think of anyone who might have done this can you let me know?’

‘Okay, I will. Now take care and stop stressing. ‘Night.’

‘’Night,’ Holly replied and pressed the red button to end the call.

Great, so where did that leave her? She would just have to find Scott and tell him, explain her accounts had been hacked. Sure, she’d put skiing on her CV as one of her hobbies but everyone lied a
little
bit on those kinds of things. He wouldn’t mind, surely.

Thinking of Scott reignited the spark of desire still smouldering since his ‘kiss’ earlier. Would she get a repeat performance? She hoped so. She still ached for him, needed him inside her. Why oh why had she told him she didn’t want sex yet?

When she went back up to the party he was nowhere to be found. Relief mixed with anxiety at the postponement. Now it would be hanging over her head all night. Great.

She’d tell him tomorrow, he’d be fine about it. Of course he would.

***

The skis carried her effortlessly over the glittering snow and Holly grinned across at Scott who skied next to her. He smiled back at her, a sexy smile that promised very exciting things.

When she turned back to the snowy horizon she could see dark obstacles lying ahead in the snow. She looked down at the ground to see her skis had vanished and old tin trays were strapped to her feet instead.

Damn. It was a dream. Of course she was dreaming, after all she couldn’t actually ski. She wobbled, her balance faltering. Scott had disappeared up ahead before she could call to him and she tumbled over onto the hard impacted snow, banging her head with a force that left her reeling.

Holly sat bolt upright, chest tight and breaths coming in great gulps. A killer headache thumped away in her head, accompanied by a powerful emotion, a familiar sense of not being good enough.

It was just a dream. It didn’t mean anything…
She looked at the time - it was only four am. She played Angry Birds on her phone to keep her mind from racing, only falling asleep again just ten minutes before her alarm went off.

***

When Scott failed to appear at breakfast she decided to find him in his office. Her heart thumped painfully hard, sleep deprivation exacerbating her anxiety. There was no answer to her knock so she pushed the door tentatively.

The office was empty.

She stared at the chestnut brown leather armchair in the corner.

Did last night really happen?

Heat rose in her cheeks as flashback images came to mind. Had she really done
that
? With a man she barely knew. Worse than that, with a man who was her boss!

Sensing someone behind her, she turned to find Magda staring at her, a malevolent gleam in her eye.

‘Oh, Hi Magda, I was just looking for…’

Magda cut across her. ‘He’s driven to Cortina again, something to do with his latest venture.’

She pressed her lip-glossed mouth into a smug smile, as if to infer she was party to Scott’s personal confidences. The very thought made Holly feel sick. Were Scott and Magda an item? Or had they been? No, she couldn’t think about it.

She managed a weak smile. ‘Oh, on New Year's Day?’

‘He's very passionate about his work, it means more to him than
anything
else.’ Magda's eyes raked over Holly, sneering at her supermarket jeans and hoodie. Clearly Holly’s off duty clothes didn’t pass muster. ‘Scott and I go back a long way. If there's anything you need to know you should ask me rather than bothering him, he's always terribly busy.’

Miaow. Message received loud and clear.

Magda was the last person she'd go to with any problems. Holly ignored the sharp stirrings of jealousy, remembering instead Scott's interest in her, his eyes on her body, full of desire … 

‘Looking forward to tomorrow?’ Magda asked, her pencilled eyebrows arching skyward.

Holly eyed her with suspicion. Magda always seemed to have so many agendas going on at any given time it was hard to keep track.

‘Hmm, well, I might not be going.’ She crossed her arms over her chest, wondering how quickly she could extricate herself from this conversation.

‘But you’ve got to,’ Magda replied, a flinty look in her eyes. ‘Amelia and Sophie have the day off and they’ve arranged to go to Geneva shopping. They've even booked their train tickets. You can’t wimp out now.’

‘No problem,’ Holly lied. ‘I expect it's not that difficult really?’

‘It's a really easy run, you could do it in your sleep.’ Magda smirked and rolled her eyes as she walked away.

I did do it in my sleep last night and I came a cropper!

Holly chewed thoughtfully at a loose fingernail, hugging her arms around her chest. Sophie, she’d go and find Sophie. Maybe she knew someone, one of the ski instructors who’d give her some cheap intense tuition. After all she had most of today free before she had to be back for supper duty. There was one advantage to the all male group - at least she didn’t have to add babysitting to her duties.