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The girls and I have breakfast at 8AM. All of them are still discussing the bachelors and last night. I hear Bain's name mentioned a lot.

'Amity? You spoke to him quite a bit last night, what was he like?' Marybeth asks across the table.

The conversation suddenly stops and everyone looks at me. I can feel Helene's stare burning into the side of my face.

'Um, he was really nice. We spoke about his family mostly,' I reply awkwardly.

I sigh with relief as the focus moves away from me and onto today. Spencer comes in as we're finishing our meal.

'Good morning, ladies!' He calls, garnering our attention. 'Today, you have a group date.'

A hush falls on the table and we all look at Spencer expectantly, anticipating what he might say.

'You are going to be going skiing with our bachelors. You have twenty minutes to get ready. Thermals and salopettes have been left on your beds. We will drive over to the resort, where you will be fitted for equipment.'

Excited chatter breaks out at the mention of skiing. I'm happy with that. I've skied before on school trips, I'm no pro, but at least I know what I'm doing.

I return to my room and get ready. The white and blue outfit is oddly flattering and I braid my hair back into french plaits.

Once all of the girls are ready, Spencer leads us outside and into a minibus. The vehicle takes us down the mountain and then up another one, it takes about half an hour.

We arrive at the resort and it is bustling with eager skiers. Spencer guides us into one of the lodges and staff members fit us for skis, poles, boots and helmets.

Once we're all geared up, we are taken to the chair lifts.

'Alright ladies, have fun and hit the slopes!' Spencer calls out.

He ushers us all onto the lift and then follows with us. Surprisingly, he's joining us today.

'I bet you're happy that Spencer is joining us,' I tease Saff and nudge her playfully.

She smirks at me from behind her helmet. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Sure, girl,' I reply sarcastically.

We ski off the chair lift and group at the top of the first slope. It is a blue one, to ease us in.

Marybeth and Kira are still down at the bottom. They've never skied before and are getting a crash course to be able to join us in an hour or so.

The men are waiting for us. Bain is dressed in all black, shocker. Fidel is in red and Ahmed is wearing navy.

The woman eagerly ski over to greet the guys. Everyone is clipped into their skis, so we can't hug easily.

'Alright, first slope! Let's do this!' Spencer shouts and then drops over the edge.

Slowly, we all follow him.

I stay near the back, not wanting anyone to go over my skis. Winnie has been skiing with her family many times before, she handles the slope like a pro and is the first one at the bottom, even before the boys.

I think the bachelors take it easy on us, not wanting to intimidate us. One of them owns the castle, which means they either live out here or come here a lot. I guarantee they're pro skiers.

Once we reach the bottom, we ski over to the chair lift, but this time we choose the one that takes us higher.

We try a red slope next.

I stay at the back again, choosing to go at my own pace. I enjoy watching everyone else, too. Winnie flies down again, but Lula and Niki stay closer to the back, with me.

Bain and Fidel stop halfway, to make sure everyone is following. Bain looks over in my direction, he nods in greeting and I shyly nod back. He looks like something out of James Bond film in his full black attire.

When we get to the bottom, Lula and Niki decide to stick to the blue slopes. From what they've told me, I think they've only been skiing once before.

The rest of us go up for another red slope. Spencer is a very skilled skier, he and Winnie vie for first down the slope.

After completing the second red slope, Spencer suggests we try a black one. I feel a little nervous, but I think I can handle it.

Helene sidles up to Bain, her googles are resting on her helmet and she's giving him sex eyes.

'What do you say, big guy? Think you can handle it?' She taunts him, her voice breathy and flirtatious.

He smirks at her. 'Trust me, I can handle it. I'm more worried about you.'

She pouts at him. 'You're worried about me? That's cute.'

Bain puts on his goggles and pushes forward, heading for the gondola lift. Helene gives me a smug smile and pulls her goggles down. She skis past me and straight into the gondola with Bain. She shuts the doors before any of us can get in.

'I tell you, if you don't wipe out that bitch, I will,' Saff mutters next to me.

I laugh and shake my head.

'Don't worry, Karma is a bitch,' I comment.

The rest of us pile into the next gondola. There's only eight of us.

Surprisingly, Bain and Helene wait for us at the top of the slope. Only when we're all there and ready, do they start to ski down it.

It is harder than the other slopes. The gradient is much steeper and the slope is lined on either side with thick fir trees.

I stop halfway down it to catch my breath. My skis feel like they're trying to get away from me, it's so steep.

Ahmed skis over to me on the side.

'Amity!' He calls. 'Are you alright?'

I raise my pole at him in greeting.

'All good!' I shout back.

He nods and points his skis back down the slope. He bends his knees and pushes off the snow with his poles, propelling himself forwards.

I wait a moment and then copy his movements, following him down the slope.

When I reach the bottom, all the others are waiting. I take my goggles off, too, seeing as everyone else has.

'We're going to try a black diamond slope,' Spencer says and Saff nods excitedly next to him.

I know Saff and Winnie will be able to handle it, no question.

Me, however...

'Okay, I'll probably stick to the black one, if that's okay,' I tell them.

Helene sneers. 'Pussy,' she comments and I glare at her.

Bain looks between us.

'I'll sit this one out, too,' he says, surprising me. 'Come on, Amity.'

He repositions his poles in his hands and nudges my shoulder. I'm shocked, but I happily follow him to the gondola.

Before the doors can close, the rest of the group gets in with us. Bain is pressed to my side, not that I'm complaining.

Our eyes meet and the corners of his crinkle, telling me that he's smiling.

'Will you try the black diamond slope with me after, Bain?' Helene asks sweetly, obviously trying a different approach.

Bain nods. 'Sure.'

I look away, not wanting to meet her jealous eyes.

Whilst the others stay on the gondola to move higher up the mountain, Bain, Florie and I get off for the black slope.

The three of us take our time going down it, there's no competitiveness between us. It's nice, I enjoy it.

Florie and I decide to stick to the black slopes.

'I'm going to do the black diamond one, but I'll come back down to the black one after, okay?' Bain tells us when we get out.

I shrug. 'You don't have to do that for us, we don't mind.'

Florie nods. 'Yeah, stick to the hard ones, have fun.'

Bain looks like he's going to protest some more, but the doors close and the gondola moves on.

The two of us do the next few slopes together, taking our time and enjoying the gorgeous scenery. We chat in the gondola on the way back up and stick together on the slope going down.

After an hour or so, the group comes down to join Florie and I again. Helene skis right next to Bain, practically sticking to his side.

'How did you two enjoy the baby slope?' She asks mockingly.

Florie frowns. 'It was good. How was the diamond one?'

Helene smirks.

'Really good, but Bain and I kept bumping into each other, didn't we?' She grins up at Bain, who rolls his eyes.

'Only because you were clinging onto him,' Saff mutters, but we all hear it.

Helene shoots a glare at her and Spencer clears his throat, trying to ease the tension.

'Let's ski, shall we?' He suggests, ever the mediator.

We start going down the black slope. Helene and Florie are behind me, whilst I'm trailing behind Ahmed and Saff.

Helene suddenly cuts across me, skiing straight over my skis. She bumps my skis to the side and I lose my balance.

My skis cross over one another and I hurtle towards the trees on the side of the slope. With my crossed skis and the thickness of the untouched snow at the side, I manage to slow myself down. I stick my poles into the snow, steadying myself.

I'm lucky, I just missed a huge fir tree. That trunk wouldn't have been as forgiving as this knee-deep snow.

Bain swerves to a graceful stop a metre away from me. He unclips his skis and stomps into the thick snow, towards me.

He lifts his goggles up to rest on his helmet and he looks at me with concern.

'Amity, are you alright?' He asks worriedly.

I nod. 'I'm fine, don't worry.'

I take off my goggles and try to sort myself out. I realise that one of my boots has started to become unclipped from my ski. I stumble forwards, half bringing the ski with me. My other boot remains in the ski and I fall.

Bain rushes forwards to catch me, but I manage to take the two of us out. The both of us fall into the knee-deep snow.

Bain lands first and I fall across his chest, making him grunt. Snow surrounds us and we must partially disappear to passing skiers.

'Fuck! I'm so sorry, are you okay?' I ask hurriedly.

I try to get off him, but each time I put my gloved hand in the snow, it sinks. I try to push myself up, but I keep falling back onto him.

Bain chuckles at my failed attempts.

'I'm fine. Are you, though?' He places his hands on my shoulders and helps me sit up.

The two of us sit in the snow, laughing at our predicament.

When our laughter fades, something else replaces it. I'm not sure what, but it suddenly makes me wish I wasn't wearing a helmet, so I could kiss him.

The mischievous glint in Bain's eye tells me that he is thinking the same thing.

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