Walking over to the bedroom door, I balled my fist up to knock and say goodnight. But halted before my knuckles hit the barrier between us. She probably was asleep and probably had a pile of furniture blocking the door anyway. Barricaded herself in. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had.
But she would not be happy if I woke her up. That I already knew from her fiery temper I’d witnessed that afternoon.
“Shit,” I swore, stalking back to the sofa, not really understanding my sudden mood change. There was something about the woman with no name that both infuriated me and intrigued me. I fumbled in the dark with only the light of the fireplace to guide me and attempted to pull out the sofa bed. Thank god there was one or I would be sleeping on the floor.
After successfully pulling the damn thing out, I stripped down to my boxers and threw my clothes on the chair, using the bar sink to brush my teeth instead of the bathroom. I didn’t know why I was being so careful not to wake her.
We didn’t even know each other.
I padded back over to the sofa bed and grabbed the blanket I had found a moment earlier, and threw it over the small bed. I wondered if that was her doing, a peace offering perhaps. The room was warm enough without it, but I knew that by morning, it was probably going to be cold as balls outside and I didn't know if the fire automatically shut off, so the gesture was a welcome one. With a sigh, I dropped onto the sofa bed.
There was a squeak then an almighty pop. Wooden slats cracked like brittle firewood and suddenly I crashed to the floor. The middle of the bed gave out under my weight. “What the hell,” I muttered as I struggled to get out of the hole, my ass trapped and my arms and legs flailing.
The bedroom door flew open and she came out, a boot in her hand. “What are you doing? I’m trying to sleep!”
“I’m fucking stuck,” I grumbled, pushing on the mattress to dislodge my ass from the bed. “The damn thing fell through.”
Surprisingly a giggle escaped her. Oh, this she found funny. At least she had a sense of humour.
But still I shot her a look. “What’s with the boot? Planning on stomping me to death?”
“I thought, oh lord,” she giggled louder, suppressing her grin with her hand. “I thought someone had broken into the room. I forgot you were—”
“Obviously not,” I answered. “Don’t suppose you mind giving me a hand here?”
"Actually, seeing you struggle is probably the best thing I've seen all night."
I laughed. “You clearly don’t get out much then.”
“Might be best to leave you there then like an upturned turtle.”
“You wouldn’t dare… come on you’re not that cruel are you? Are you?”
Finally she stepped forward with a mischievous smile and offered her hand. I took it and used her counterweight to get out of the hole. We ended face to face, our bodies achingly close. “You would think a place like this would have a better sofa bed,” I said softly, admiring the view before me. She took her hand back and moved away, but closer to the damaged sofa.
“I doubt anyone ever uses them, probably just for show,” she said as I inspected the damage. “What did you do? Use it as a trampoline?”
She had a point; the entire thing was trashed and needed to be replaced.
"You would think that, but no. What on earth are we going to do now?" I asked with a sigh, shoving a hand through my hair as I looked at her. She bit her lip and looked away, her features visible in the soft firelight glow.
“I-I guess we will have to share.”
Surprised, I looked at her. “What?”
She sighed and looked at me. “I mean you can’t sleep on the floor and the bed is big enough for both of us without, well, touching each other. You can sleep in there.”
“I, thanks,” I said, not sure what else to say. “I really appreciate it. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Let me phone downstairs and see if they can bring up a cot or something?”
She waved my suggestion away, and let out a little laugh. “It’s late… We can sort it out in the morning. I mean we are both adults, right?”
Right. We were. I stuck out my hand. “Nick Lowry.”
She placed her hand in mine, the warmth infusing into my skin. “Angel Rose.”
I dropped her hand and cleared my throat this time. “We finally meet. Angel, thanks. I know this isn’t what either of us envisaged when we won.”
"It's the story of my life," she sighed, averting her gaze once again. "But erm can you, um, can you wear a shirt to bed though?"
That was when I remembered I was in my boxers. Conversely, she was covered from head to toe in flannel pyjamas though it didn’t halt the stiffening that was happening. I nodded.
“Shame, I was planning on going commando.”
“You will not!” she gasped, her cheeks glowing red like the fire.
“Okay, keep your panties on. I can cover up.” I hated sleeping in anything, but she was willing to allow me to share the bed. I would put on my ski gear if I had to.
She turned and disappeared back into the bedroom and I wasted no time throwing on a t-shirt, hoping that she wouldn’t change her mind.
Angel was already in the bed, the covers up to her chin when I entered. I nearly laughed as I saw the mound of pillows positioned in the centre of the bed like a make-shift brick wall. She wasn’t lying about me staying on my side of the bed.
But I didn't want to piss her off, so I walked to the other side and slid under the crisp sheets in the dark without disturbing her protective pillow fort. The bed was crazy comfortable, and I let out a sigh of happiness as I stretched my arms behind my head. This was a hell of a lot nicer than that sofa was going to be.
“God this is comfy.”
Angel murmured her agreement, then coughed as if she were building up the courage to say something more. A moment later she said, “Can I ask you a question?”
Her voice was soft in the darkness and my curiosity was instantly piqued at what she would want to ask. “Sure, go on. If it’s to ask if I snore, then no. I don’t.”
“Good, but no that wasn’t what I was going to ask. Would you, I mean, if I had asked you to leave, would you go?”
I chuckled. “Of course not. This is my room too. Besides, I don’t think you really want me to go.”
The mattress moved and I felt her turning.
"I—how did you come to that conclusion?" she said, her voice breathy. Flustered. I bet the crotch of her flannel pyjamas were already soaked.
“You wouldn’t have invited me into your bed otherwise… You want me in your bed, Angel. That I know for certain.”
“Pretty sure of yourself aren’t you?”
“You just hate that I’m right.”
She huffed and shifted her body, and I knew that was the end of our conversation for the night.
I laced my arms behind my head and got comfy. Angel. Her name certainly didn’t fit her personality. Well, an amateur would probably think so. Maybe on the surface she came across all doe-eyed and innocent, but beneath that shy little exterior there was a little firecracker wanting, and waiting to break free. And I vowed to see the fireworks before the five nights were up. I’d have Angel begging to ride me like the devil I was… right here in this bed.
Five
Angel
Day Two
I was deliciously warm.
Oh, and comfortable. Very comfortable in fact, his body heat radiated through my pyjamas and into my skin, warming me from the inside out. I enjoyed the feel of his arm around my waist, the way I snuggled against his hard chest, the steady beat of his heart echoing my own.
I never wanted to leave.
But then, the bulge nestled against my ass grew larger. Tim never had a bulge like that. Not in the morning. Not ever. Not that fucking huge. Wait a minute. Tim never snuggled. He was a: ‘I need my space when I'm sleeping' type of guy.
My eyes flew open and I found myself staring at an unfamiliar wall, the bedding far luxurious t
han anything I had on my little bed. My breath seized in my throat as my brain comprehended where I was. And who I was with.
Oh my god. It was not Tim at all. It was the cocky bastard I was being forced to share a room, and now a bed with! And where the hell did all the pillows in the middle of the bed go?
"Mmm," Nick mumbled, his breath close to my ear. "God, you're killing me with your wiggling. Quit it or I'm going to have to do something about it."
I wasn’t sure if he was awake or still asleep, thinking I was someone else. How I wished I was still asleep as well.
Still, I couldn't deny the fact that it was nice to feel a body pressed up against mine again. Nick's heat-seeker trying to burrow into me. Between my thighs I was pulsing. Wanting more. Needing more.
What was I thinking? I didn’t know this guy and the last thing I needed was some convoluted affair on what was supposed to be my solo trip, with time to myself to get my head straight! A man was never supposed to be in the picture. Spa treatments, chocolates and lazy days. That was the plan. Don’t deviate from the plan, Angel!
But deviating wouldn’t be all that bad, right? He was hot and I had places that needed scratched.
But I didn’t do flings…
I thought about kicking him hard with my foot, but I was scared I might break it on his solid calf muscle. Instead, I attempted to move his arm from around my waist. Stopping for a second, eyes wide, as I felt the thick muscle of his forearm. Nick worked out for sure.
He mumbled something against my ear and I stilled again, the delicious warmth of his breath causing my stomach to do a funny flip. Who was I kidding? Whole teams of gymnasts were doing cartwheels, backflips and putting on a breath-taking aerial show inside the stadium that was my tummy.
How long had it been since Tim had held me this way? Had he ever?
I clenched my jaw. Nick was not Tim. And I was not going to think about him. I had come to forget about Tim, not drum him up at every turn. So what better way to forget him than to indulge in a casual fling? He was already in my bed after all…
God woman! Have some self-restraint! I was not going to start something up with this guy, no matter how much my body enjoyed being curled up next to his. No, Angel, don't do it.
And yet I lingered. Felt myself wanting to move, to wiggle my behind again. To encourage him to do something about it. I longed for my stranger, for Nick, to blink the sleep from his eyes and run his hands down my body, to dive under my waistband and sink his fingers into me…
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he whispered. “I told you so.”
I could hear his cocky smile even though he was behind me and that just infuriated me. Way to ruin the moment!
“Get off me,” I said, and threw his arm away from me. He jerked as I sat up, my attempts to extrapolate myself barely missing his face in the process.
“What the hell?” he croaked as I scrambled out of bed, backing against the wall. Oh my god, he was delicious in the morning, his close-cropped hair haphazard on his head, his bedroom eyes the colour of warm cocoa. Why oh why did I want to climb back in that bed again?
“You were, I mean, we were.”
He rubbed a hand over his face, clearly attempting to wake himself up. “Listen, I was asleep.”
“Liar.”
"Okay, maybe the last few seconds I was coming to… but come on you were practically begging me with those little shuffles, your ass backing up into me. You wanted me to take you as my dirty valentine, didn't you?"
I knew that, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to know that! I scowled at him and wrapped my arms around my middle. Desperately trying to stop the funny feelings swirling around my stomach at the memory of him curled around me. Instead of saying anything, I pursed my lips and bolted to the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind me.
Pressing my forehead against the door, I groaned softly. I was acting like a scared rabbit. I’d felt sorry for him last night and allowed him to sleep the bed. After all, it wasn’t his fault that we were stuck like this. But that didn’t automatically mean I would sleep with him.
"Ugh, why couldn't he be ugly?" I whispered, pushing away from the door. It would be a heck of a lot easier to ignore him.
Thirty minutes later, I shyly emerged from the bathroom, feeling a little bit better about the day. I didn’t need to beat up Nick about this morning. He was right but still there was nothing between us, nothing at all.
Nick was standing the living room when I sauntered through, my confidence and resolve coming back with each stride. I saw that he had ski bibs on, the straps hanging down to show off his tight thermal stretch across his torso underneath.
“Good morning,” he said for the second time that day, a hint of a grin on his handsome face. “I was wondering if you were going to stay in there all day and hide. You know I won’t bite. Unless you ask me to.”
I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster and spat, “Bite me, Nick!”
“Mmm, well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
I took a breath counted it for five beats and waited for him to say something more, to elaborate that perhaps we should’ve stayed in bed. I probably would’ve been in a much better mood had I let myself relax… and take advantage of the situation. But no, I had to be me and all awkward about having the sexiest man alive in my bed.
“Sorry,” I grumbled and pulled my hair up in a bun on top of my head. “About to go skiing?”
He nodded, stretching his arms over his head. His shirt rode up and I caught a glimpse of his taut abdomen in the process, turning away before he caught me staring. “Aren’t you?”
I glanced back at him, the words on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t know how to ski, nor did I care to make an idiot out of myself and fall into the cold, white snow. No, I’d planned on curling up near the large fireplace in the lobby with a juicy thriller for a good long while. I would sear all thoughts of him from my addled brain.
But I didn't want him to think I was weak in any way, and the way he was looking at me, it was almost as if he was daring me to say no. Challenging me. To tell him that I didn't have what it took to go out there.
“Um, sure I was just getting ready to put my ski clothes on.”
He glanced over my outfit, a cute set of leggings and a warm, chunky sweater and chuckled. “Are you sure? You’re not exactly dressed for the part… I mean I can show you what you need if you like—”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I said I was sure, didn’t I?”
He held up his hands, backing up. "Hey okay, no need to get defensive. I'll go downstairs and see about getting you some equipment if you want? That is if you're still up for some company?"
I nodded and held my stance until he exited the room, rubbing a hand over my face as soon as the door shut and I was alone.
What was I thinking? I couldn’t ski, let alone ski in front of him. I’d never even set foot on an ice-rink never mind a ski slope before and he looked like he was a pro.
“Way to get yourself killed, Angel, or worse make an utter fool of yourself,” I muttered, stalking back to the bedroom for something more fitting for the weather. I mean surely it couldn’t be that hard. Everyone here seemed to be doing it, so why couldn’t I?
Six
Nick
She was lying. I watched as she bit her lip for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes, her hands clenching the side of the creaking chairlift as we ascended to the top. She definitely did not look like someone who was excited about skiing down into the basin.
No, she looked terrified.
It had been hilarious to see her being fitted for her skis, how she nearly busted her ass when the attendant had asked her to stand. If it hadn’t been for my quick thinking, she would have ended up crashing to the ground.
Somehow, she had gotten herself to the lift, but if I was a betting man, I was about to see the epic fail once it got to its destination and she had to get off.
“Have you skied a lot?” I asked her,
attempting to sound innocent.
“O-of course I have,” she answered, her voice trembling. “Tons of times.”
“I like the black diamond slopes myself,” I said casually, testing. Teasing. “Which one is your favourite?”
“Um I like the black ones too,” she answered, falling into my trap. Those were one of the hardest types to go down.
I chuckled as we came to the drop off point, grabbing my poles ready to jump off. “Alright then. Looks like we are going to have a damn good run.”
Angel followed my motions and somehow got herself off the lift too without stopping the damn thing. But as soon as we were clear, she was already cursing, her skis pointing inward as she fought to stay upright.
“Do you need any help?” I asked, standing a few feet away.
“I got it,” she said darkly, doing everything wrong to get herself to move. “It’s been a while. Just give me a moment.”
My guess was probably never, but I held my tongue. After this morning's debacle, the last thing I wanted to do was get on Angel's bad side. Though, I couldn't deny the fact that she'd felt damn good pressed up against me, wiggling against my aching cock to the point where I had to will it down as soon as she fled to the bathroom.
We took it slowly, heading towards the markers, and I made sure to ski next to her, staying by her side as she wobbled like a newborn deer. In front of us were two choices, the safe and relatively easy slope to the right and the more advanced one on the left. I pointed my skis left, wondering if she'd take the bait and how far she would take this little charade.
“Make sure you use your poles and don’t stick them in the ground during your descent or you will leave them behind.”
Five Night Valentine Page 3
