She kept her eyes down, her gaze fixed on her bare legs. She felt the brush of his thigh against hers, and she turned her head slowly to look at him.

There was a sheen of sweat on his skin, and her skin.

Hot. Sweaty. Sticky.

She wondered if the heat and the steam were coming from the sauna or herself. Or maybe they were coming from her thoughts.

“Okay, I’m done.” She shot to her feet. “I’ll see you back in the cabin.”

“Alix—”

“You can roll in the snow if you like, but no way am I doing that.” Although, come to think of it, she could think of worse ways to cool down.

Back indoors, she took another shower and tried to steady herself.

By the time she’d changed and walked back to the living room, he’d lit the fire and poured wine into two long-stemmed glasses.

She took one and joined him on the sofa.

Neither of them spoke. They sat in silence by the window and watched the snow fall.

She was conscious of him next to her, legs outstretched, his arm brushing against hers.

There was a lot she’d forgotten about that night, but a lot she remembered, too.

It had started with her outburst. Her feverish warning to Christy that she was making a mistake. She remembered Christy, white-faced, standing firm. I’m not making a mistake. I’m sure about this. I’m in love. And she remembered saying other things, about how it wasn’t fair on the baby, and the memory of those words embarrassed her now because Christy had to be one of the best mothers on the planet. And of course now, with hindsight, she could see that her outburst had been about so much more than her concerns for her friend.

What else would she have said if Zac hadn’t taken her arm in his and hauled her from the room? She didn’t know, but she did know Zac had done her a favor.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you for what you did at the wedding.”

He turned his head. “What are you thanking me for? The great sex? No thanks needed.”

Even now, talking about the subject she least wanted to talk about, he made her smile.

“I was thanking you for removing me from that room before I could completely destroy my relationship with my best friend.” What if Christy had listened to her? What if she’d told Seb that she’d changed her mind? She would have regretted it, and then Alix would have had that on her conscience. “And also for not leaving me alone when I was an emotional mess.”

“Mm, I’m glad you feel that way, because at the time you told me to get out.”

“I know. I’m glad you didn’t listen.” She paused. Considered. “Why didn’t you listen?”

“Because you were distressed. Also, I liked you.” He took her hand. “I liked you a lot.”

Her heart started to beat a little faster. “You only met me once before that day.”