“It’s magnificent!” Lucie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with wonder at the sight before them. The Alps rose with proud grandeur, their snow-capped peaks gleaming beneath a crystalline blue sky, like giants cloaked in pristine white. The sunlight danced across the slopes, illuminating sharp ridges and deep valleys where shadows played with the snow, tracing curves as mesmerizing as those of a body bared to a curious gaze....

When Lucie opened her eyes, Nathan and Emma were already up and at it. Showered, dressed, they were messing around with breakfast in a corner of the studio. They’d tried to keep it quiet, but in a bare, cramped space like that, every sound – a spoon clinking, the wood creaking – hit like a little wake-up call. Lucie propped herself up, her blonde hair a messy tangle spilling over her shoulders. “’Mornin’,” she mumbled, vo...

That morning on the slopes, Nathan wasn’t as smooth as the day before. Sure, he still skied like a pro and tossed tips at Lucie, but something was off. He was more distant, less laid-back. Emma, zoned in on her runs, didn’t notice it, but Lucie could see the change. It wasn’t Nathan’s first fling. He’d had his share before, quick hookups with girls passing through, ones he knew he’d never see again. Worst case, a swift bl...