by J Q Anderson
Her head rises and she smiles, then gives me a soft kiss and stands up. I watch her walk to the bathroom and retrieve her clothes. She smirks as she slips them on because they’re drenched in sweat, but she doesn’t have another option if she doesn’t want to get caught.
“I should have thought about the ‘after,’” she says. “You’re messing with my head, Jake.” She looks up and winks at me, and I wonder if she knows how much she’s been messing with mine.
I dress into my ski clothes and walk her to the door. She grips my shirt at the chest and pulls me for one more kiss.
“What’s your last name?”
I frown. “Harper. Yours?”
“Prinz.”
I tilt my head and she shrugs. That’s probably where the ‘Princess’ nickname came from.
“You look hot in ski clothes, Jake Harper.” She kisses me again and inspiration hits me.
“Come skiing with us.”
She stills. “What?”
“Come skiing with us. The guys won’t mind and it will be fun.”
“Jake. I don’t know if…” She smiles and I grin back.
“You don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
She stifles a smile and I kiss her.
“Come on,” I say against her mouth. “Meet us at Spyglass for lunch.”
“Are you sure? You should spend time with your friends.”
“Pete, Dillon and I go on ski trips all the time. They won’t care.”
“Okay.” She smiles.
“Okay.”
It’s one o’clock when we push the doors into the Spyglass lounge. It’s swarming with people and I’m scanning the room for Natalia. I’ve already told the guys she’d be joining us. Dillon seemed fine with it and Pete was even excited. I wish he’d stop busting my balls over it. I’m not going to fucking marry the girl.
She’s sitting by the window at a table big enough for all of us. She looks up and smiles when our eyes meet. The guys slump into the seats and I lean down to kiss her. She tenses, then goes with it and relaxes.
During lunch Pete and Dillon grill Natalia with questions about the mountain. I’m impressed at how well she knows it. She tells them about some virgin trails at the back where there’s sure to be fresh powder. It requires some hiking, but if we’re game she can lead us to them. The guys are thrilled. Pete keeps sending me pointed looks. I give him a warning glare.
Once we are finished with lunch we dress back into our gear and follow Natalia to the back of the mountain. She is fun to ski with and can easily keep up with Pete and Dillon, who are exceptional skiers. She blazes down the runs as if she’s weightless. We traverse across a slim path at the summit that will take us to the virgin trails she mentioned. She’s leading us and I stay close behind. Watching her ski so close to the drop-off on the other side is making me uneasy and my protective instinct kicks in.
We finally make it to the end of the trail and she points down. I take a minute to watch the view. It’s spectacular and we are the only skiers here. I slide down to where Natalia is and lean down to kiss her.
“It makes me nervous having you up here. Will you promise to take it easy? I saw the way you took those turns back there.”
She smiles. “I’ll be fine, Jake.”
“Promise me,” I say against her lips.
“Okay,” she whispers. “You worry too much, Jake Harper.” She kisses me chastely, then turns and before I can blink she’s pushed herself off the edge and is flying down through the powder. Dillon whistles and jumps after her, then Pete slides down and stops by me.
“What a girl.” He winks and before I can punch him he’s off after them.
I lower my goggles and slide off, fighting the tightness in my chest until I see she is safe again.
Back at the base, Natalia pulls her helmet and goggles off, letting down that wild mane of sable hair. Several heads turn around and I groan inwardly because a group of guys is now checking her out. She looks up at me and her face is glowing. I cut the distance between us and before she can react I wrap my arm around her and pull her into a kiss. Her lips are cold as they part to welcome my tongue. Then she quickly pulls away.
“Jake. Not here.” She grimaces.
“I’m sorry,” I say, even though I’m not sorry at all. I narrow my eyes. “You promised me you’d slow down.”
“Oops.” She smiles.
“We are going into town for dinner. Come?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. Fuck. I sound clingy. But I don’t give a shit.
“Come on.”
“Jake, this is your guys-trip.” She looks at Dillon and Pete who are already heading to the lounge for a beer.
“They won’t care if you’re there.”
“Of course, they care. They’re just being nice.”
“Come.”
“How about I meet you afterwards for a drink?”
I look at her for a long moment. I want her to come with us, but I also like that she respects my time with the guys. I tell her Dani has my number and ask her to call me at around nine in the evening. She smiles and says okay.
At the lounge the guys are already on their second beer. Dillon grills me with questions about Natalia, but I keep it vague. Pete shakes his head and smiles, and I know he’ll grill me later without Dillon around. Dillon’s eyes are now trained on Dani, who’s sliding the beers onto the table. He takes every opportunity to flirt with her and before we leave, he tells her Natalia is meeting us for drinks later and asks her to join us. She looks up at him and smiles, and I already know this is a runaway train. I shake my head because Natalia would think this is Not a Good Idea.
Chapter 19: Natalia:
Dani barges into our room as I am coming out of the shower. She has a wicked grin on her face. I narrow my eyes.
“What?”
“Got myself a date with a pretty hot guy.”
I nod, relieved, and head to the closet. The fact that Dani has a date with a hot guy is not news. Sometimes I envy her lack of depth when it comes to relationships with guys. She has a great time, then gets on with her life.
“Where are you going?” I ask, pondering over the lack of choices in my wardrobe.
“Same place you are. My date is with Dillon.”
I whip my head around and she grins.
“Dani. No. Why him?”
“Why not him?”
“Dani, things with Jake are already weird enough as they are. Do you think getting involved with his friend is a good idea?”
“Yes. He’s cute. Besides, they are both leaving the day after tomorrow, so no strings attached, Nati,” she says, pulling off her sneakers. “Let’s just have a good time. When was the last time you and I went out on a double date?”
I shrug.
“Come on. It will be fun. Besides, I think you need this.” She squeezes my shoulder and leaves to the shower. I plop down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I guess she’s right. It’s not like Jake and I are planning to see each other at all after he leaves.
The thought depresses me.
I close my eyes. My head is a knot of confusion. There are moments when I miss Marc. So many memories barge unbidden in my head at the oddest times, leaving a sense of emptiness in their wake. Then I get angry. Angry at Marc for cheating, at me for trusting him so blindly and at life for once again taking away someone I loved.
But lately, I am also invaded by thoughts of Jake and the new memories we made together in the short time that I’ve known him. The swimming lessons, the day he found me in the snow, our shower together this morning. Damn, that was hot.
But the more I think about what Jake and I are doing, the more I know this whole ‘in the moment thing’ is a ticking bomb that will eventually blow up in my face. Jake is quickly penetrating through the armor I’ve built around my heart since Tango died. And that scares the living shit out of me.
Because I already know how this story ends.
Downtown Aspen is swarming with the after-ski crowd. The
bar where we are meeting the guys is a casual place in the style of an old wood cabin. There is a pool table surrounded by booths and a stage adjacent to a dance floor where a live band playing classic rock covers. The atmosphere is fun and lively.
Jake is sitting at a booth across from Dillon and Pete. When I approach he stands up to let me in and greets me with a kiss. Pete slides out to let Dani sit next to Dillon, who appraises her with a wide smile.
We order beers and reminisce about the day’s skiing. The guys seem impressed with the little tour I gave them down the back of the mountain and say they want to go back tomorrow. Dani and I have the day off and the guys insist we go skiing with them. We discuss possible routes and the whole time Jake’s hand is stroking my knee under the table. When I look up at him he leans over and gives me a sensual kiss on the neck.
“You smell good. I still have images of you in my shower. It’s driving me crazy,” he whispers in my ear. I blush scarlet and Dani gives me a knowing look from across the table. Dillon’s eyes meet mine and he smiles, then looks at Jake with a puzzled expression that makes me think Jake probably doesn’t normally act this way around him. Or maybe I’m just hoping. I interlace my fingers with Jake’s and he kisses my knuckles.
“Dance with me.”
It’s like he’s talking directly to my libido. I have to squeeze my knees together to brace the shot of lust that swirls between my legs. I slide out of the booth and Jake takes my hand to lead me to the dance floor. There is a slow melody playing and he pulls me against him, enveloping me in his arms. I close my eyes and lean my head on his shoulder. Part of me surrenders, and part of me wants to stop what this is doing to me, the physical closeness to his body. But he starts kissing my neck and I melt.
“Jake.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you, naked on my lap,” he whispers, and I nearly expire. He pulls away so our eyes meet, then lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me slowly, tenderly, his arms squeezing me so hard against his chest I am not sure I can breathe. The kiss deepens and I fall into the abyss that is Jake, a place where I only have the present. I decide to take everything he’s willing to give me and kiss him with the same abandon, losing myself in the now.
When we break the kiss we are panting. Jake presses his forehead to mine and lets out a long sigh, but says nothing as we move slowly to the music.
A few minutes later the singer says they’ll take a short break, and we return to our table. Pete, Dillon and Dani are playing pool a few feet away. We watch them as we sip on our beers. Jake is very quiet and I’m not sure if it’s the funky mood I’m in tonight, or if he’s having similar thoughts about what will happen with us after he leaves.
We join the pool game and for the next hour I forget about the fact that my minutes with Jake are counted. Pete is a good player. I like the way he interacts with Jake. I can tell they’ve been friends for a long time. Pete teases him and Jake doesn’t seem to mind. Meanwhile, Dillon and Dani can’t take their hands off each other. He wraps himself around her whenever it’s her turn to shoot and looks thrilled that she can still make a straight shot. Pete and Jake exchange looks and taunt Dillon.
The guys and Dani play another game with new comers that want to up the stakes by making bets. Jake and I go back to the table to finish our beers. He tugs on my hand and slides me onto his lap.
“Stay the night with me,” he says against my mouth. “I want to spend as much time with you as I can before I leave.”
“Jake. Your friends? I can’t come over.”
“Maybe I come over to you.”
I chuckle. “Dani would love that. And I’m not joking.”
“Actually, Dillon said Dani is spending the night with him.”
I whip my head around and raise my eyebrows. That’s a little too fast, even for Dani. Jake shrugs.
“They’ve already discussed it.” He smiles.
I look at Dani and frown, shaking my head. Jake wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.
“Don’t give her a hard time. I need this. And so do you,” he says to my ear, sending chills up my back. I smile because he’s right. As much as spending every free minute I have with Jake scares me, I know I want all the time I can get with him. I turn on his lap and kiss him, letting him know how much I want this, too. He tells me he’s hard and it makes me smile. I like that I can do that to him. His hand slips under my sweater and he strokes my stomach with his thumb. We stay like that, watching the poker game and pretending we are not falling hard.
Chapter 20: Jake
I open my eyes in the dim light of Natalia’s room, then close them again. Images from last night flood my thoughts. The stop at the Crépe Wagon on the way back because she had skipped dinner and was famished. The wind had died down and the snow drifted in overweight snowflakes. She kissed the corner of my mouth and told me I went well with chocolate. Then our sneaking around the back of the resort, her laughter when we both tripped and fell face down in the snow; our race to take each other’s clothes off in her room. Then sex. So much fucking incredible sex.
The alarm clock says it’s six in the morning. I fight the urge to wake her up and pull her into the shower with me. But the hotel staff will soon start circulating and I need to leave before I am seen walking out of her room or through the employee hallway. I already feel bad about leaving tomorrow and giving her no prospects of a future visit. I don’t want to screw up things at work for her, too.
I watch her sleep as I dress. She looks beautiful, her hair masterfully ruffled over her shoulders and naked back. She is lying on her front, the comforter halfway down her waist, exposing her perfect skin. I want to lean over and kiss every inch of her, but I refrain. Instead I leave her a note and quietly sneak out.
I make my way to the back of the property and into my villa, feeling every inch the asshole that I am. Natalia was quiet yesterday and I recognized the dominating emotion in her eyes: longing. Or maybe regret. Maybe she wishes we hadn’t crossed that invisible line. She walked right through it and what scares me the most is that I did, too.
Yesterday I considered extending my stay, but as I step through the early morning snow, I am convinced that the only way to get a handle on things is by putting physical distance between us. I need to go back to L.A. as I planned. Maybe I can let a few weeks go by, then come and visit her if I want. Who am I kidding. I already know I will.
The cabin is quiet when I slip in. I get the coffee machine going, then sink on the couch while I wait. Pete’s door opens a few minutes later and he shuffles out, half asleep. He greets me with a nod and when I get up he’s at the table with two cups of coffee.
“Rough night?” He mumbles, taking in my not-so-rested-appearance.
I ignore him and take a sip of black poison. Pete makes the strongest damn coffee I’ve ever tasted. He says it’s his way to tackle the day head first.
He’s eyes are still on me and I can already hear a speech coming. I don’t want to deal with one of his fucking speeches today.
“Pete, I know you’ve imagined my whole future already, but things with Natalia are not what you think they are. We have an understanding and that’s that.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah.” I lock eyes with him. “My life is on track. I decide what happens next and I’m happy with things as they are. I don’t need complications.”
He chuckles. “Seriously, Jake? Are you listening to yourself? Because that’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve heard you say in a long time.”
I glare at him, but he doesn’t flinch. The other thing about Pete is that he’s the most persistent motherfucker I’ve ever known. When he gets an idea in his head about the way things should be he doesn’t let up. We’ve gotten into arguments before in which at least one of us ended up with a black eye. I’ve always sort of respected that about him, but right now he’s pissing me off.
“I need to get a hold on things. I need to go back to Santa Monica and start working on the mov
e and what I need to do for the shop. It’s not a good time for distractions.”
“She’s a distraction, alright,” he mutters. “She’s smart as fuck, beautiful and for some damn reason I don’t yet understand she is falling for you even though she’s well aware of what you do for a living. Come on, Jake. You and I know girls like her are not around for long. Some other lucky fucker is going to push you out of the race if you don’t get your shit together.’
“Goddammit, Pete. Let the fuck go. There is nothing more than sex between Natalia and me. She’s getting over her ex and I’m… I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing anymore. And that’s why I need to fuck off and go back to L.A.”
Pete stands up and runs a hand through his hair. “Whatever, man.”
Dillon walks out of his room looking no more rested than me. He glances over at the two of us and his mouth stretches into a grin.
“Morning, fellas.”
Pete rolls his eyes. “You asshole could’ve been more considerate of the fact that there is only one wall between your bedroom and mine.”
Dillon’s grin widens. “Jealous? Is married sex already boring for you, Pete? I wouldn’t have guessed. Syd is hot.”
With a whiplash move, Pete grips Dillon into a headlock and grins. “That’s my wife you’re talking about, asshole. Give her the respect she deserves.”
Dillon tries to break lose, but Pete has him. He finally lets go.
“And yeah. She is hot. But only I get to say that.”
Dillon flexes his neck and smiles while he pours himself coffee. He and Pete have known each other since they were kids and wrestling has always been a big part of their problem-solving with each other.
Dani walks out of Dillon’s room wearing her clothes from last night. Despite the early hour, she’s a very pretty girl. I get why Dillon is shit-faced about her. He looks at her and his eyes light up. I am surprised she’s still here because Dillon never lets girls sleep over, but then, she couldn’t go back to her room with me there. Or maybe these Argentinean women put a spell on us.
