by Mia Madison
Even that thought doesn't quell my insistent craving for Jared inside me again. His hand is cupping my butt, almost covering both cheeks. It shifts away and I moan out a pouty resistance that is squashed into a muffled shriek as his palm comes back down with a resounding slap.
“Oh,” I squeal into the sheet as he gives me a second spank. Juices start to trickle down my thigh.
“You're always so wet for me, darling,” he grits as his fingers swirl in my pussy mouth.
“I hold you entirely responsible for that,” I moan, my fingers clawing up the bed covers as he teases my entrance, taking me right to the edge.
“Let's make sure it stays that way,” he says as he slides his gorgeous prick all the way into my sore tunnel, forging an opening through my swollen walls and making me even wetter.
When he's made me limp again, I curl up for a lovely post-sex snooze.
“No way, Darlin'.” Jared pulls me up into his chest and carries me to the shower.
After a good soaping all over, he wraps me up in the toweling robe that feels like coffee froth and carries me back to the bed for breakfast that arrives like he's waved a wand. My heart only sinks when I'm on my second coffee and he hands me one of the parcels that the store delivered from our shopping expedition.
“What's this?” I say. It's too big to be another slinky little dress.
His smile urges to me to rip it open.
“Oh no. Jared, I can't”
Chapter SIXTEEN
Carina
“Come on, Baby Darlin', I want you to be my ski bunny,” Jared says.
“I've never even seen ski-wear like this.”
I'm shaking with terror as I hold up the sexy black skintight pants made of stretchy black spandex.
“What happened to the old-style puffy stuff?”
“Technology. I invested in the company that started the whole sexy women's ski-wear thing and I wanna see you wearing it. How long is it since you skied?”
I'm almost tempted to get out on a mountain again, just for the sake of the outfits. And the white fur snow boots.
“I don't have underwear or socks, or -”
“You do have all of that. I had the store send over everything you need.”
“You did?”
He planned to keep me with him all night even before we made our escape from the restaurant?
“You knew we'd -?”
“I wanted to. And I could tell you did.”
My cheeks heat up with a blush.
“I thought you wanted to wait,” I say, unsure of why I'm making this a problem.
“We did wait, Baby. Any longer and we'd both have combusted in interior demolition.”
I'm not a prude and I've certainly slept with a couple of guys the night I met them. But wouldn't waiting mean a few weeks of dating rather than a few days? Or is that totally Jane Austen?
Jared sees all the doubts rolling across my face and comes to sit on the bed.
“What is it, Darling Baby? You look confused.”
He is so perfectly stunning in his tight pants, the dagger of muscle pointing down to the solid bulge that's all mine. His narrow waist splays into a triangle of rippling chest I'd like to curl up with and trail my fingers across all day long.
I'm not used to this. The talking about how we feel. What if he doesn't accept what I'm going through and tells me to lighten up. That's how it usually goes.
“Talk to me, Darlin'.” Jared takes my hands and his eyes search mine.
He's not going anywhere, completely focused on my needs right now.
“I don't ski,” I say, copping out at the last moment.
I'm certain I can trust Jared with my emotions but I don't want to ruin this perfect day, last night's amazing sex, with my insecurities.
“Is that all?” The look of relief on his handsome face tells me I was right. “You're going to learn.”
“No. I don't want to learn,” I burst out, jolting him with the force of my refusal. “My father tried to teach me. When we were little, he took all three of his girls to Winter Park for lessons. I took a fall and although he cajoled me to get back on the horse, I couldn't, I can't. I'm afraid.”
Jared pulls me so I skitter into him and find myself safe against his solid wall of chest with the iron muscle arms holding me secure. Let me just stay here where I belong, I want to whimper.
“Let me do this thing for you.”
He kisses the top of my head as he fires me up with the story of how he stopped playing pro football.
“After I was injured in the NFL, I didn't want to get back up either. I know what it's like to be afraid of falling. But I'm here to catch you and hold you. Only by challenging the fears and trusting yourself do you get the stuff you want in life.”
Before I know it, I'm dressed in my expensive new warm underwear that's soon covered over with the sexy pants and quilted jacket.
“Do I look like a biker chick?” I ask.
“You look hot in anything. Even if you were a mummy wrapped in bandages you'd be the sexiest girl alive.”
When I check myself out, wearing the tight ski suit that looks like leather and cups my curves, I can truly say it does look pretty damn good. Jared of course looks incredible in his outfit, looser than mine which is as it should be. I could never date a man whose jeans were skinnier than mine.
When we head out, he leads me into the elevator with a filthy grin that makes my clit throb.
“Where are we going,” I squeak when he hits the up button.
“You were so incredible this morning,” he says, ignoring my query to pull me into his arms. “I love having you open on your knees. And your ass turning pink is the hottest thing I've ever seen.”
“Like my cheeks now,” I laugh.
My cheeks flush bright scarlet with the memory of his spanking and how much I wanted more of his hand slapping my naked butt.
He kisses the end of my nose and leads me through a service door where we're hit by a blast of air.
“Oh,” I squeak and grab hold of his strong arm.
I wasn’t expecting to emerge onto the roof of the building. And I definitely wasn’t expecting the bright green helicopter with huge curved windows like eyes on a grasshopper.
Jared pulls me through the draft of the rotating blades and lifts me up into the cockpit. As soon as he tugs the door closed and high fives the pilot, we lift off, high above the city where the people look like tiny dolls in the streets.
Half an hour later we're flying over snowy mountain peaks edged with green and it's breathtaking.
“Are we mile high in this thing?” I whisper into my headset.
It completely slipped my mind that the pilot is connected to our wavelength and is now trying not to smirk.
He soon sets us down on a flat bowl of land from where we can access the slopes.
“You're going to love this, Darlin',” Jared promises as we walk hand in hand through the pristine white fluff. “But if you aren't happy, you let me know and we'll head straight to the bar.”
“The air is so clean it's invigorating.” I say, happiness and waves of relaxation flowing through me.
I have this.
With Jared supporting me I can do it.
“Yeah. Although I only need you here with me to get that rush,” he replies with a look that makes me quiver.
Oh Christ, what's happening here?
I can't fall.
I must not fall for this guy.
“I can't believe you bought me new skis,” I complain, worried about the waste if I crap out again.
“All the rental equipment is used. I have to keep my beauty safe.”
Once again he's on his knees in front of me, to buckle the boot in place. My mind strays to his face buried between my lips, his tongue diving inside my pussy mouth.
Jared grins up at me with filthy recognition, then spends the morning on the nursery slopes holding me up and patiently teaching me like I'm a little kid. In fact, the little kids in
ski school fly past, looking at me strangely.
I notice how Jared smiles at them, giving one a high five when he executes a perfect stop before I crash into him. This man loves children and what an amazing father he'd be. Unselfish, loving, able to express.
“Okay, we're ready to take it to the next level,” he announces.
“We are?”
My heart skips a dozen beats then I realize he means skiing and that's actually less scary than what I first thought he meant.
He leads me to the line and kisses my nose which must be red with chill, before we climb into the chair lift. Jared puts one arm around my shoulders and I nestle into his side, feeling the flex of power there.
“Just put your weight down and relax. Let your body feel the ground beneath you and trust,” he tells me and I think he means more than the fact that I now have to get off this thing. No option.
He gives me his arm. I mean, the man can ski on one foot so my Bambi on ice routine is no problem for him. He supports me all the way as I tumble out of the chair and somehow we glide across the snow.
“Let's get you some Dutch,” he says.
He leads me down a small slope to where, thank God, there's a bar restaurant right at the top of the mountain for fraidy cats like me to stock up their courage.
We head inside for a shot and Jared puts his arm around me to warm me up. I wish I could stay right there, protected beneath his solid bicep.
The problem is that sooner or later I'm going to have to face up to stuff and come down from this high.
And I'm not sure I can deal.
Chapter SEVENTEEN
Carina
I'm given a reprieve while we eat a late lunch looking out over the gorgeous scenery and I'm pumped up with bravery or carelessness by some good wine.
“Eat. But not too much vino,” Jared tells me. “The effects are multiplied at altitude.”
“Time to face the nightmare,” I say, stealing myself.
I know Jared will pick me up if I fall and the prospect of being held in his arms softens my terror.
It's not so bad. Once I relax, I can actually point my skis downhill in a plow and grind down the slope to reach the bottom. Jared never leaves my side, even though he must be itching to get in a black run.
I can see he's a brilliant skier, his body is agile and powerful with a confidence that doesn't allow for failure.
“Am I holding you back?” I say and receive a kiss on my Rudolph red nose. “From catching some good runs, I mean.”
“Nothing is more fun than being here with you. I don't need any more adrenalin than that.”
“Yeah, I'm sure towing me up the hill on the end of your pole is really exciting.”
He tugs me into his chest and nuzzles into my hair, nipping at my ear lobe until I'm writhing with tickles.
“You talk dirty like that to a guy like me, you're gonna be in trouble, Darlin',” he growls against my skin so goosebumps rise all over.
“Oh, so you like having me on the end of your pole.”
“Nothing better in the world. And fuck, now how am I gonna fix my junk in this long underwear?”
I giggle, actually giggle like a kid because he makes me so freakishly happy. This is how it is. He's taught me to ski and taught me what love looks like. I don't know how I'm going to be when he's gone.
Other than devastated.
“Let me help you.”
I reach for him and he yanks his groin away from my eager mitts.
We're on the edge of the run, between some tall pines that Jared saved me from running into, but still people can see us. I'm laughing so hard as he squirms away from me, I lose my stance on the skis. Jared reaches out for me but too late, I've gone down on my butt and tugged him down to cover me.
“Really, Darlin', if you wanted me on top of you, you only had to ask. You know I'll always oblige you.”
“Always?” I mewl.
The laughter sticks in my throat as I pose the question that's been bugging me before I catch myself. Jared doesn't freak or look remotely disconcerted.
“Yeah. Always,” he replies.
His lips graze mine lightly, enough that he can pin my eyes under his as the tip of his tongue trails along my swollen mouth.
“But -”
Am I gonna leap this time? Face up to stuff and deal with it for once?
Jared's watching my angst with interest, giving me flashes of confidence-boost with his eyes, just like when he was teaching me to stay upright on two slippery planks of carbon fiber.
“Hmmm?” he prompts, his lips moving across mine so sensuously I can hardly think.
“How come you don't already have 'always'? No wife. No family?”
Shit, I hope I haven't opened up the lid on some terrible tragedy in his past. But didn't he say he liked shiny new toys?
“I never found the right one. I waited, holding out for the perfect girl. I mean my perfect girl, warts and bright red noses and all.”
My heart is ram-raiding my chest. He'd be slammed by it's resounding thump if it weren’t for the down padding between our chests. He thinks I'm the perfect girl for him.
He kisses my chilly tip and then his smile gets serious.
“I always fell in love too fast, Carina. And soon realized it was lust every time.”
Now my smile drops into the heavy zone. This is the same. This is fast love and a fuckton of lust. The entire mountain of snow must be melting from the heat between us.
“No, you stop that,” he commands me. “That's not what this is. Not this time, Darlin'.”
“How do you know? I mean how can you tell the difference between this and the last time?”
I pout slightly, not relishing the thought of all the times he's loved before he found me.
“Just can. I guarantee you this feels completely different from any other time. A man knows when the one arrives. He just feels it when the time is right. Plus I'm old enough to know exactly what I want.”
“I'm old enough to know what I want too.”
His lips crush into mine and my arms waggle, making angels in the snow from the rush of delirious pleasure his tongue delivers.
We're both panting and grinning when he finally breaks the intense kiss.
And I'm about to reach up to pull his gorgeous face back down on mine when a spray of snow arcs right over the top of my head.
“Carina, what are you doing here?”
A flash of hot pink and bright blond stands out in the whiteout.
“Britnee, hi,” I squeak.
Oh shit.
“How come you didn’t tell me you started skiing again? I'm kinda hurt after all the times I tried to get you up here.”
She's eyeing Jared with interest and I can tell she's impressed by the handsome face I've got caging me to the ground.
Am I soaked all down my back?
Yeah but it's nothing compared to the drenching between my thighs.
Jared bounds up to standing in a single leap, then helps me as I struggle to get up, raising me up like I'm his little doll girl, tiny and almost weightless.
I brush myself down and see Britnee's clocking the situation pretty rapidly.
“Holy shit, you're Jared Helmsley right?”
Britnee's BF, the snowboard instructor carves to a halt beside her.
“Put it there, Bro,” he says.
Jared does and knocks knuckles with Cody in that complex handshake routine guys do. I'm proud to see Jared is cool as ice and just as natural with that.
“I saw you compete in regionals back in the day,” Cody says, almost gushing which is out of the ordinary for him.
“Ah,” Jared says, whimsically. Like he knows where this is going.
“You were awesome. I was, like, nine years old and you totally inspired me to board as a lifestyle.”
Shit.
There it is.
I can tell right away that Jared, even though he's smiling and friendly, is retreating. He's calculating the age differen
ce and the deduction is not adding up nicely. Cody is already almost ten years older than Brit and I, which makes Jared – prehistoric. In his mind anyways. I'm losing him to the age police.
And then it gets worse.
“Let's get a selfie,” Britnee insists, pulling out her phone and posing. “No one is going to believe Carina Wallis is on the piste.”
We huddle in and I have to tug Jared to my cheek to get him in there. He keeps squirming and shifting enough so that he's out of the shot. He tries to kiss me so his face is hidden but I manage to pull away.
“Oh, you moved,” Britnee squeals.
At the last second Jared bends down, pretending to flick some ice off his boot.
Before Brit gets a chance at another shot, Jared takes my hips to direct me to stand in front of him. I'm tucked against his stiffening groin, his thick thighs caging me like a little girl as he glides me down the hillside.
“Good to meet you,” he calls back to them.
I shrug back at Britnee.
I'm helpless to do anything but go where Jared leads me.
But what was that?
He purposely messed up a photo of us together. Why doesn't he want to be out on social media with me?
Chapter EIGHTEEN
Jared
For the first time in forever I may be freaking out.
Not because I'm falling for a girl and it seems like it's for real. I'm ready for that. I've known it in my heart for a while, but I wasn't about to rush into something because the clock was ticking or because society was raising a collective eyebrow.
I wanted the right woman, my perfect girl and I was willing to wait for her to happen along as long as it took. I just had to focus on not making the wrong choice. I lived through a bitter divorce with my parents, watching their daily battles through clenched teeth when they assumed the kids were too young to 'get it'. Believe me we got it and both me and my sister grew up to have a hard time with forever.
I want Carina like I’ve never wanted anyone. I need her. She and I are two objects floating around in space like the astronaut and the space dock, flailing and aimless before finally locking on.
I'm freaking because I have every intention of claiming my girl but it's looking increasingly like I'm nothing more than an interlude for her. An exotic animal she likes to get in a cage with and live dangerously for a while. But not one she's going to let out with those close to her. She looked so awkward at being discovered with me by her friends.
