by LK Collins
Heading into the bathroom, so I don’t get caught, I haven’t missed anything new. I mean, other than the normal bullshit that always goes along with these deals. So I respond to a few emails from earlier, and when I walk back into the bedroom, Quinn is lying on the couch, her head resting on the arm and her eyes are closed.
Was I in there for that long?
Looking downstairs, the house is dark and quiet.
Everyone went to bed already?
Turning back, I feel bad for Quinn sleeping on the couch like that; she looks uncomfortable. “Quinn?” I shake her a little, and she groggily looks up me.
“Yeah?” she asks me.
“Come on, get in bed.”
She nods and sets her glasses on the arm of the sofa. “I didn’t know which bed you wanted,” she says to me.
“I don’t think I’ll fit in either,” I tell her and pull the covers back for one, and she crawls in, yawning so adorably. My eyes are on her lips, and as I cover her up, she’s already out.
Grabbing my iPad, I sit down on the couch so thankful that I brought it with me and see an email from Ari. That motherfucker!
To: Merritt Smith
From: Ari Andersal
November 02, 2016 12:23am
Told ya, you’d get the deal.
Attached is an email from the landowners in Canada thanking Ari for his and his company’s time, but saying that they are taking our bid on the deal. The news is fuckin’ awesome. Typing up an email to Ari, I thank him for sending me the message, then quickly email my dad to share the good news that will make his night. After I hit “send,” I rest my head back and look over at Quinn. My heart starts to pound, watching her. I don’t get what it is about her. Maybe it’s the fact that she doesn’t seem to be into me. You know that saying, you want what you can’t have? And clearly, I can’t have her. She’s anti-men and all.
Leaving the room before she catches me watching her like a weirdo, I leave my iPad on the couch and go raid the fridge for a midnight snack and another drink. With a fresh beer in my hand, I eat a cold piece of pizza and gaze out the windows at the vast snowy view.
It’s gorgeous here compared to the heat of Texas that I’m used to. Finishing my beer, I contemplate another, but I’m spent, I really am. I’ve been up since five this morning and need to sleep, so I trudge my ass back upstairs and quietly open the door. Quinn is still out as I grab something to change into. Going into the bathroom, I turn the shower on. Steam quickly fills the room as I brush my teeth and lose the reflection of myself in the mirror.
Stripping naked, my cock is half hard, like it’s been all night, and I get in the shower, hoping some hot water will keep it at bay. It scalds my skin, and I let it. I need something else to focus on, my mind drifting back to earlier tonight. To the way Quinn’s skin tasted beneath my lips and how her tits bounced under her t-shirt.
Running my hands through my hair, I pop open my shampoo…the smell of mint always makes me feel good. Then washing my body with a bar of soap, I admit it’s a lost cause—there is no taming my dick tonight; it’s not going to go down unless I get my cum out. Looking down at it standing straight up, I grip the base, stroking it tightly. Holding it firmly in the palm of my hand, the tip pulsates, and my balls tighten.
Sitting down on the ledge in the shower, I rest my weight back on the cool tile wall and stroke myself. As I close my eyes, Quinn’s ass comes into my mind, and I’d love nothing more than to fuck it, to see her naked and have my way with her.
She might act like she doesn’t want me, ‘cause she’s been hurt and all, but if she’d let me, I’d have her begging for more. And the second that I imagine her on her knees sucking me off, I let go, cum flying in the air as my body tenses and all the pent us sexual tension that is inside of me flows out.
Chapter 5
Quinn
My mind is fuzzy as I take in the bedroom and try to unscramble the events of last night. How did I get in this bed? Heck, how did I get upstairs? Focusing on the clock to read the time, it hits me, and I remember how sweet Merritt was when he put me to bed.
Getting up to use the restroom, I spot my glasses on the arm of the couch. As I place them on my face, I glance around and notice Merritt isn’t in here. I can tell he slept in his bed, though, with the sheets all twisted up and pillows half off the bed.
Opening the bathroom door half asleep, there he is, on his iPad as he brushes his teeth at the same time. “Morning,” I tell him, and he winks at me. I close the door to the tiny room with the toilet.
After I’m finished, I walk out, and he asks me, “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, really hard. You?”
“Not so good.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Splashing some water on my face, I notice he is glaring at his iPad like something is really bothering him, and I have to ask, “What’s the matter?”
“Just work shit.”
“See? That’s why you need to stay off that thing. For all I know, my work could’ve burnt to the ground, but I’m not stressing about a thing.” He thinks about my comment like he is actually considering it, and I outstretch my hand, wondering if he’ll really give up his iPad.
“Can I at least check it once a day?” he asks.
“No!” I shake my head and place my other hand on my hip, so he knows I’m dead serious. “Okay, let me just email my assistant.”
I smile, loving that he is actually going to unplug. I get that it might sound dumb, but until you try it, you don’t realize the power electronics have over you.
As I wait for him to finish his email, I brush my teeth and comb my hair. I’m pretty sure we are skiing today, so I’m not gonna bother putting on any makeup.
Then I hear him hit send as I put my last contact lens in. I figure he’ll leave his iPad on the counter, but he walks off with it.
“What are you doing?” I stop him from leaving. My hand hits his rock hard chest, the connection between us instantly so strong. My insides ignite the same way they did last night when he pinned me against the countertop and took a body shot off me.
Losing myself in him, I forget all about his iPad as he trails his fingers up my arm and cups my neck. My eyes close, feeling the moment to the fullest. I’m not sure why I’m letting him touch me like this when I don’t even know him, but something inside me wants to.
As I open my eyes, he’s even closer to me, his hot breath on mine, and I figure he’ll kiss me. Bracing my weight on the countertop, I wait…
He slips around me and walks off with his iPad. Jesus, I wanna yell at him for leaving me panting, but I don’t. My neck is still warm where his hand held it, and I touch it myself, feeling the warmth beneath my fingertips.
It was as if he was claiming and possessing me, in a way I’ve never experienced, but I liked it, and I’m not sure why, seeing as men have always hurt me in the end. So why would Merritt be any different than the rest?
A knock on the door startles me. “Come in.”
Willow is ready for the day; her long red hair pulled up, and makeup perfectly applied. “I brought you coffee.” I take the cup from her, wrapping my hands around it. The warmth settles the sexual tension that is rifling inside of me. “You sleep okay?” I hear her words, but my neck can still feel his damn fingers on me. “Quinn?”
“Yeah, I…I, uh, passed out and slept super hard.”
“No issues with Merritt?”
“Nope,” I respond and take a sip of my coffee.
“Okay, well…I was just talking to Ted about the driving situation today, and with everyone’s gear, we’re gonna have to take two cars. Are you okay driving?”
“Sure.”
“Awesome, thanks, babe.” She leaves the bathroom, and I don’t have long until we have to leave. So I have to pull my shit together.
Digging through my suitcase, I pull out my thermals and ski pants. Getting dressed, I spot Merritt’s bag on the floor and am tempted to look through
it for his iPad. Walking up to it, I look down and right as I bend down, Kami barges into the room and scares the shit out of me.
“Do you have a hair tie I can borrow?”
I pop up like I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and thankfully, she’s oblivious. “Yeah, in my makeup bag in the bathroom.”
She rushes in and just as fast, charges out, tying her hair up on top of her head. “You ready?”
“I think so; I need food.”
As we walk out, I look down at Merritt’s bag and wonder why it even matters to me if he has his iPad or not. He’s the one that’s not getting the full experience of the trip, not me.
“You want sausage or bacon in your breakfast burrito?” Ted asks me, cooking in the kitchen.
“Neither.”
“She’s a vegetarian,” Willow reminds him.
“Really? Why?” Merritt asks like it offends him, chowing down on a burrito himself, the tips of his hair sticking out from beneath his beanie.
“For a few reasons.”
“Which are?” I’m not sure why the question peeves me so bad, but it does. It’s none of his damn business. “Are you a vegetarian or vegan?” he persists.
“What’s it matter to you?”
“I’m just asking, what’s your problem all of a sudden?”
Everyone in the room looks at me, and I realize how ridiculous I’m being. Just because he’s driving me sexually mad doesn’t mean that I have to be such a bitch to him. Two can play at his game, and that is what I fully intend to do.
“Vegetarian and for health reasons.”
“That’s cool.”
Ted passes me my burrito, and I peek inside, just to be sure there is no meat. As I begin to eat, we decide the driving arrangements for the day. Ari and Merritt will be with me, and Kami and Jacob will ride with Ted and Willow.
Watching Merritt joke with the guys, I remind myself why I’m truly here—for a week of relaxation, unplugged from the drama of my life and definitely no guys. Time and time again, I’ve fallen into the same trap that always leaves me heartbroken in the end, and I won’t lead myself down that road again…no matter what.
Chapter 6
Merritt
Sitting in the back seat of Quinn’s Jeep as she drives us to the ski resort, Ari is on his phone, which I have no clue why he was able to keep it with the fit that Willow threw when she saw I had mine.
But that’s not what’s really on my mind. It’s Quinn. My eyes are on her in the rearview mirror as she drives, controlling the car effortlessly as we trek up the side of the mountain. Every so often, she keeps glancing at me, making me wonder if she wants me just as much as I want her.
“Would you turn the radio up?”
She smiles at my request as Ari gripes under his breath at his phone, emailing or messaging only God knows who, and I have to admit, even though I didn’t give her my iPad, being unplugged from the world right now feels really good.
“You like Stateless?” she asks me.
“Yeah, they’re one of my favorite bands.”
“Me too.”
“You ever seen them live?”
“I really wanted to when they came to Denver and played at Red Rocks, but the tickets sold out in minutes.”
“I’ve seen them a few times; they’re pretty incredible.”
“Really?” Her eyes beam, and I love to see the excitement in her expression.
Quietly, she sings along to the song; her voice is beautiful, and then Ari blurts out, killing the moment, “You know what, man? Your father is a fucking prick.”
“Ha, and you think I don’t know that?”
“I swear, he’ll throw money away, just to make my life hard.”
My father was pissed when Ari made the decision to leave his company and join forces with one of the big timers in oil and gas. I couldn’t care less—I just wanted to see my friend happy, and working under my father, Ari wasn’t. “What did he do?”
“He got word of our bid on the Matrix land in North Dakota and offered the seller a million dollars more than us when he wasn’t even part of the bidding.”
“A million dollars?” Quinn chimes in, obviously she thinks she didn’t hear the amount correctly.
“Yeah, a million.”
“You don’t know his father; he’s ruthless,” Ari says, and I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to business, he doesn’t let anyone or anything get in his way. I don’t agree with half of the stuff he does, but at the end of the day…he’s my boss, and if I want to inherit his company one day, then it means I’ve gotta put up with his shit…all of it.
Ari is glaring out the window, deep in thought, and I wish I could fix what my dad did.
“I’m really sorry, man.”
He nods, brushing me off as Quinn parks her SUV. We all get out of the car; my balls are already freezing. Ari’s phone rings and he answers it, walking away from us and towards the lodge.
“It’s gorgeous here,” Quinn says, taking in the view. The sun is peeking through the clouds, trying to warm the day, but it’s not helping.
“It might be pretty, but what’s it, like, ten below?” I complain.
“Don’t be such a baby,” she tells me as we get our gear out of the back of her vehicle.
“So, you ski a lot?” I ask her.
“When I’m not working I try to, you?”
“Not as often as I’d like. Work seems to run my life these days, and when I get a moment away, I end up catching up on sleep.” God, that sounds lame, but it must not be because she agrees with me.
“I totally get what you’re saying. I took a long weekend last month and had all these plans, but got nothing done. All I did was sleep.”
Jesus, not only is she hot as hell, but her work seems just as important to her as mine is to me. She is a one-eighty from the chicks I’m normally interested in—the first issue is always that I work too much.
“You guys ready to get smoked down the hill?” Ted asks with his head out the window as he pulls up next to us.
“You wish,” Quinn says, and the other guys gather their gear before we all walk inside the mountain lodge to get suited up. The girls are in front of us, and I find my eyes on Quinn’s body…again. Even beneath her ski outfit, every curve is calling for me. “You hit that shit last night?” Jacob asks me.
“Nah, she passed out.”
He nods and says, “You gonna?”
“Fuck, I’d like to.”
“Did you bring extra hand warmers, baby?” Kami asks him, and I hope the girls didn’t hear us. He passes them to her, then offers me a pair. Gladly, I accept, really wishing they made a pair you could tie around your ball sack. After we are all suited up, I spot Ari at the bar. He’s still on his phone and waves us to go ahead.
“He’ll find his way,” Willow says, not caring that we leave him, and I kinda feel bad for leaving him.
“What about his gear?”
“I left my car unlocked,” Quinn says.
Getting in the line for the chair lift, it’s apparent that Quinn and I will be riding up together. The other couples are lost in conversation, and I’m not sure where to begin. It’s a long ride up and being so close to her has my mind on other things.
We take a seat, our thighs touching as we make our incline up the mountain. Quinn looks out at the vast Rocky Mountains, taking in the view once again and I swallow, wishing I could find some damn words to say. Thankfully, she makes it easy and pulls out a small flask from the pocket of her light blue coat. She takes a swig then passes it to me and says, “Let it all go, Merritt. There’s nothing you can do about anything from up here.” She reads me well, and I knock back a drink, her words resounding inside me.
I hate that my father has upset Ari, and I want to undo what he’s done, but with my dad, no one tells him how to do things, and out of anyone, I know that best. The sting of the tequila warms my throat, reminding me of the body shot I took off Quinn last night.
“You gonna let it go?” she as
ks me.
“I’m trying.”
“You don’t want to be like Ari, stressing over work when you could be enjoying all of this, do you?” She opens her arms wide, making me take in the sights of the ski resort.
“I don’t, but he’s pissed at what my dad did, and I feel bad, like I’m partly to blame.”
“You didn’t do it, did you?” I shake my head, and she says, “You’re not your father. Let it go and Ari will too.”
She’s right, I need to, and he will as well.
We each take another sip, the chair lift smoothly taking us up the mountain, and she asks me, “So, are you going to give me your iPad or what?”
“No way!”
“Come on.” She bites her bottom lip, and I’d love to feel her mouth around my cock.
“Let’s say I do. What do I get in return?”
“Nothing!” she exclaims, like thinking of repaying me is a cruel punishment.
“Come on; I can think of a lot of things I’d do in exchange for handing my iPad over to you.”
“Okay, then name some.”
I’m still holding the flask and take another swig before giving it back to her. “I’d like to kiss you, for starters.”
“But I wouldn’t kiss you back,” she says, and I lean into her, smelling her sweetness, knowing she can’t resist the sexual tension. She’d kiss me, and she knows it, and right as I go to connect our lips, the chair lift reaches the top of the hill. “Welcome to the top,” someone says, and she panics, tossing me the flask as she wraps her hands around her ski poles. I screw the top on it as I position my board on the ground. She pushes herself forward, and we get off the lift just in time, making our way over to the group. I stick the flask into my pocket. “You guys all cool if we start on this blue slope?” Ted asks everyone, and I buckle my left foot into my board, stoked to head down. We all agree, and Quinn asks me, “You have the flask?”
“Yup, and you still owe me that kiss.” I take off, following everyone, leaving her behind. Looking back at her, she’s right behind me as she digs her poles into the thick snow and pushes right on past me. “Fine…if you can catch me.” She breezes on by, and I cut the edges of my board, working to get traction as I try and catch up to her, but damn, she’s fast.
