Souled: Bid on Love: Bachelor #1

by Shandwick, K. L.

  All my adult life girls had lusted after me. That was a fact, but I figured that kind of came naturally because I played in a band. The women found it a turn on. However, I’d never had anyone say anything as blunt as Charlotte had. I was pissed at her insult because she meant something to me. We had a past of sorts and yet she didn’t appear to see past my physical appearance and take the time to know who I really was.

  Considering her focus was on my physical looks and nothing else stung, and I guess I’d been dished a taste of my own medicine after the way I’d viewed the females I’d met on tour. With that thought I wondered if I deserved what she’d said.

  It wounded me to know Charlotte only wanted me for sex. I felt foolish for connecting my feelings with our past… after all she’d bought my time. It had been a while since I’d felt embarrassed by anything anyone had said to me, but that’s exactly how her opinion made me feel.

  * * *

  Dinner that evening was pleasant in that the food was exceptional, the service from the chef was attentive, and Charlotte appeared relaxed. My behavior was polite but a bit more reserved given her degrading comment from a few short hours before.

  Unbeknown to my paying guest she had put me firmly in my place and created a barrier between us. Perhaps I should have been thankful for her cutting remark because it helped me to focus less on how beautiful she was and more on how I wanted to portray myself to her. Problem was I had already crossed a line and knew I’d have to work hard for her to accept I wasn’t totally like the guy she saw in the media.

  After dinner, Charlotte grabbed the newly corked bottle of Italian Merlot wine from the table and headed toward the patio door. “I feel like a soak in that huge hot tub out there before bed. Would you mind? How do you feel about taking this out there?” she asked, nodding at the deck and shaking the bottle temptingly.

  “Why not?” I asked, already resigned it was going to happen. If that’s how she wanted to finish her night I had no problems with it. After the way she’d expressed herself about me I knew it was no longer an issue for me to stay in control.

  Stepping outside, Charlotte reached the hot tub, laid her drink on the flat edge of the jacuzzi and unzipped her dress from the back. “Would you mind?” she asked when she had taken it down as far as she could on her own.

  With a degree of genuine disinterest, I unzipped her garment the rest of the way, stopping at the small of her back. Nothing like a woman denting the ego to keep a dick limp. Even the small white lace band of her thong never piqued my curiosity further. Turning away, I stepped back inside the cabin, changed into some swimmers then joined her in the tub.

  After a few minutes of settling into the frothy bubbles, I felt my irritation toward her ebb, my body relaxing with the wine and the soothing flow of the weightless feel the water afforded me. Charlotte was oblivious she’d affected me with her comment and chatted freely about some of our mutual friends.

  By the time we stepped back onto the deck I bore no hostility toward her and I’d resigned myself to getting the best out of the weekend with her. At least she could ski.

  As I looked ahead to the following morning I slipped between my own bedsheets and tried to ignore the earlier conduct I’d had around Charlotte. No wonder she thought how she did about me. My resolve going forward on the date was to make sure she had a different view of me by the time we landed back in Virginia.

  * * *

  Any guy will tell you that waking up with a full bladder and morning wood is far from ideal. I lay there until I couldn’t wait any longer, then I crept out of bed and into my bathroom. While relieving myself my thoughts turned to Charlotte and instead of slipping back into bed, I figured I’d get a head start on the events for the day and show her I wasn’t some two-dimensional rock star. I had skills in the kitchen and I could make her a hearty breakfast at the very least.

  Immediately I turned on the shower faucet and stepped inside, allowing the strong rapid flow of the water from the power jets to invigorate me. During my shower I planned in my head what I wanted to do to make amends and by the time I was dressed and heading out to the kitchen, I had a firm idea of how our day would pan out.

  Cooking was one of the few simple pleasures I had left in my life. The rest of my meals were either from pre-arranged menus for rich appetites or prepacked sandwiches or salad bar buffets on the go.

  “Mm, is that maple bacon?” Charlotte murmured in a hoarse morning voice as she hugged the wooden door frame. Glancing up from turning over each slice, my movements froze when I took in one of the sexiest images I’d ever encountered.

  Long, lean, tan legs stretched up to the hem of some white lace-edged jersey cotton shorts while the matching figure hugging cami top displayed her pert tits to perfection. Beaded nipples strained the thin material stretched tightly across them. Match that image to the just-fucked look her long tousled dark brown hair and sleepy flushed face had given her, and she represented the image most teenagers may have conjured up in their minds to jerk off to.

  “It is,” I replied gruffly, clearing the lump in my throat as I tried to ignore my dick that tented my sweatpants. “Take a seat, it’ll be ready any minute,” I urged as the microwave beeped and I grabbed the warm scrambled eggs and began loading the plates. Toast popped on cue and I plucked it from the toaster and placed it onto the cutting board.

  Continuing to distract myself with the food, I buttered and sliced it diagonally, slipping the golden triangles into the metal holder. I carried it with her plate of breakfast across the room to the large oval dining table.

  “Damn, McKenna, you never struck me as the type of guy who did this.”

  “Did what?” I asked, knowing full well there was another insult coming as I wandered back to grab my plate and the coffee pot.

  “Treat your women to breakfast the following morning,” she replied as she began to bite into some toast.

  “You’re right, I’m not… then again, you’re not one of my women,” I reminded her and slid into the seat across from her.

  The instant my words were out her hands stopped moving and her eyes met mine. She looked wounded at my comment. Good she’s not the only one who can cut to the chase.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I said in a softer tone. “I meant if you were like all the others you wouldn’t be sitting here now,” I offered nonchalantly as I waved my fork around. “I told you already I’ve only ever brought one girl here in the past.”

  Charlotte stared at me hard, her eyes not blinking as she digested what I’d said. I could tell the moment she believed me because she shifted uncomfortably in her seat for a second before she began cutting her bacon again.

  “What’s the plan for today?” she asked, needing to take the topic onto something less confrontational.

  “Skiing, like I promised I figured we’d get a little off-trail action this morning and I’ve got a surprise for you this evening.

  “Oh. I love surprises,” she said shifting again in her chair, this time with excitement. She glanced up at me through her thick eyelashes.

  From dinner I’d learned a lot more about her father that was news to me. Her father had almost skied for the USA at the World Championships, but her father became sick and he stayed home to look after the family business, throwing his chance to represent his country.

  When Charlotte began to talk about the places she’d skied and mentioned some of the best Austrian and French Alpine resorts, I knew and understood how hardcore her ability was. Following this, I had no issue taking her up the mountain with me. She was better than good, better than me, and I was looking forward to watching her tackle the ridge I had in mind for the day.

  * * *

  By 10:45 am my date for the day was wrapped up warm in a spanking new well-fitted snowsuit thanks to our purchases the day before, and we were gliding over the snow and heading up the mountain in one of my black shiny snowmobiles. Gregory and his buddy, Alex, were following close behind.

  Testing Charlotte�
��s ability one last time as a warm up, I gave her a challenging run which she aced effortlessly, leaving me in no doubt she could handle one of my favorite spots. Greg and Alex had met us at the bottom again and twenty minutes later they dropped us both off, leaving us alone at the peak. Looking over the edge was enough to set adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  The powder was fresh, thick, and virgin, apart from those already left by our skis and our transport, and after about thirty seconds of the noise of them leaving it fell silent. Charlotte glanced around in wonder at the vast horizon and the rolling mountains ahead then down toward the small town we’d walk around the day before. The quiet remote location offered a new level of peace and serenity as the unusually warm sun seared down on us.

  I had checked the ski center warnings before we set off and the risk of avalanche was slight. There was nothing new about that because there was always the risk at this altitude. I figured the snow was so soft because of the sun on the ridge and the route we were due to take down was mostly in the shade. This reassured me shifting snow wouldn’t be a major cause for concern.

  “This is perfect, McKenna.” Charlotte’s soft pleasant voice broke into my thoughts as I ran through my risk assessment in my head. The sunny smile on her face was worth a million bucks to me. It made me pleased to see her that happy.

  “Glad you think so, but I don’t want you to take on something for the sake of it or because it's me here with you. If you’re not happy for any reason, I can always radio for Greg to come back.”

  “No. I’m definitely up for this,” she grinned as she adjusted her bobble hat and glanced over the ridge. “I can’t wait to make my mark.” She looked genuinely excited for the challenge.

  Her response was everything because I’d skied the north side of the ridge at least fifty times and always wished I’d had someone to share it with. Now I did.

  “Shall we?” she asked and didn’t hesitate digging her sticks into the ground and shoving herself off, kicking up a spray of fluffy snow in her wake.

  A split second after she committed to the run, I was on the chase, coursing downhill at around seventy miles an hour until I saw her level out and ski horizontally in her effort to slow herself down. Within no time I caught up alongside and followed her slowly. A couple of times she glanced to the side of her and a huge grin spread across her face. My heart turned over in my chest and I felt her smile all the way to my core.

  Falling into a steady pace we were able to look out at the scenery on the way down and I thanked God for giving me such an amazing backdrop to re-center my life during my downtime. Around halfway down Charlotte signaled to me and deliberately dropped to the ground. She slid down another twenty feet before she came to a halt. I followed suit and stopped alongside her.

  “This is incredible. I couldn’t imagine a better date than this,” she said, her bright eyes scanning the view before she turned to look at me. Observing her ragged breathlessness, I knew she was buzzing with adrenaline and I advised her to take in a few deep breaths. She did what I asked, and I watched as she attempted to slow her fully alert body down a little. “I can’t think of a more perfect way to spend time with you,” she added.

  “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be here with,” I replied, shocking myself at my admission. It was true. And it made me happy she preferred skiing with me than trying to get me inside her. My concentration drifted for a moment, then I realized we were locked in another intense stare when Charlotte’s breath hitched in her throat.

  Digging my stick in, I quickly stood up as best I could at a perpendicular angle to the mountain and pretended to be engrossed in the scenery again.

  “Are you ready?” I prompted because I felt the longer we sat there, the more danger there was for another awkward conversation to occur and I was determined to keep the day and the conversation on a lighter note.

  "Yep," she said, carefully digging her sticks and standing up. As soon as she did, she went hurtling down the mountain again because of how sheer it was. Again, I followed suit and just as she got to grips with her pace my heart almost stopped when I heard the terrifying blast of explosives from the snow cannon above.

  The distinctive noise instantly registered with me. Cracks began to appear beneath my skis as the packed layers of snow under the powder started to shift, forming large crevices which in turn created channels too wide for our skis to glide over.

  Immediately the quiet shift in the air alerted me of impending doom unless we moved quickly. Briefly, I glanced at Charlotte who was looking up at the wall of snow bearing down on us before she looked fearfully back at me.

  My survival instinct took over and I grabbed her backpack, reached around for the rope safety clamp attached and attached the hook on hers to mine. Nodding toward the east side of the ridge we began to ski over to the side where the edge dropped away. I had hoped we’d avoid the bulk of the falling wall of snow, but we didn’t travel far before the deafening roar from thousands of tons of snow rained down on us.

  Our trusted inflatable airbags went off on impact as we continued to tumble at speed; our legs and arms tossed as we hurtled through the air. Thankfully we both lost our skis quickly and without broken bones.

  As we tumbled down the mountain the snow crunched and shifted around and over us. Through my goggles I saw the occasional glimpse of clear blue sky, which looked calming and in stark contrast to my pounding heart. Fear spiked a rush of adrenaline to flow through my veins. We’re going to die.

  Fortunately, Charlotte had remained attached by the mountaineering rope safety clamp and I grabbed hold of her again with both hands, locking my fingers around her waist. We clung on for dear life as we hurtled toward a small area of slate-gray jagged rocks. I knew if there were some still sticking out from the snow there was a larger piece buried beneath and there may be a void of shelter nearby.

  Somewhere along the way we got spun around and I hit one of the rocks airbag first. The cushion that had been protecting my head immediately burst on impact, leaving me with a temporary deafening and ringing in my ears.

  As suddenly as we’d been hit, everything appeared to stop, and I realized Charlotte was lying somewhere beneath me. However, before I had a chance to think about how to free her, we were swept up again, engulfed once more by a smaller second wave of residual snow as it tumbled and carried us further down the mountain.

  As the snow piled heavily on top of us I did my best to keep my arms braced and absorb the weight of the impact, and although the snow had moved our position again, I had somehow managed to keep my back straight and my arms locked, maintaining the same cage-like spot over her.

  After what appeared like an age but had probably been less than a minute from start to finish, I was able to turn my head to the side under the bulk of the cold white snow that was packed under and above me. I was thankful that small parts of Charlotte’s bright orange airbag were still visible at least and I knew she was somewhere beneath me because my backpack was pulled taut with her weight.

  Struggling against the compacted snow, I scratched blindly at my goggles to clear them and activated the tracker in both my glove and my snow jacket. People knew where we’d gone skiing up there and I had every faith in the lifesaving mountain equipment we had with us. I may have been an adrenaline junkie, but the risks I took were always calculated. And I’d never have taken Charlotte up the mountain without adequate precautions and preparation.

  “Charlotte?” I shouted as my lungs struggled to expand in the confined space and my voice sounded muffled, cocooned by the tomb that surrounded us. A weak strained groan broke through the silence near to my face and my heart raced with a new adrenaline rush at the thought she was hurt.

  “I’m right here with you, baby,” I offered in reassurance. “Can you move?”

  “Heavy,” she gasped followed by a spluttering sound. She was face up I deduced, but I knew if she had slid down on her back then the impact of the avalanche would be crushing her chest. Frantically
, I made grabbing motions with my gloved hand, creating a small void which got bigger with each movement.

  Blindly, I followed my instincts and scooped my way down until the texture changed and I hit the softness of her padded suit and something bony underneath.

  “I got you, sweetheart,” I called out.

  The snow around my face began to melt with the heat of my breath and I was able to move my head more freely. “I’m coming, baby, try not to panic,” I advised, my calming words in complete opposition to my desperate efforts despite the restricted movements I faced.

  My attempts to reach her became increasingly urgent when Charlotte stopped responding, and I fought against the panic rising up from my chest as I clawed at the frozen slush and hard-packed clumps of ice and snow. I knew that time was against me to create a big enough void in the suffocating conditions to help her to breathe freely.

  Melting snow ran in small streams from my headgear onto my goggles and I scratched at my plastic visor in the hope of improving my view. Eventually, I felt wetter snow and knew her warm breaths had melted into it. Relief washed over me as I made a final sweep with my hand and felt Charlotte groan against my glove.

  By then the snow had melted enough for me to visualize her covered features. Her tiny nose poked through a small melted hole in the snow. All my efforts had paid off against the odds. I leaned in toward her and exhaled, huffing warm breaths onto her face as I scooped away the remaining snow and slush from around her eyes and airways.

  “Charlotte, hon, can you hear me? Open your eyes, I’m here.”

  Initially she was unresponsive and for a moment my heart jolted in shock and almost stopped. I held my breath as I tapped hard on her head and fought another wave of panic. The snow shifted slightly around her, and she groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Suddenly she was alert and her eyes were wide with panic. When she realized our situation, her eyes scanned the confined white space and fear instantly clouded her beautiful big brown eyes. Her frightened stare wrecked me because at that point I was helpless to do anything more to help her.