Ace, Whiskey and a Hot Tub

by Lauren Blakely

  ACE, WHISKEY

  AND A HOT TUB

  Lauren Blakely

  A JULIA AND CLAY SHORT STORY

  IN THE SEDUCTIVE NIGHTS SERIES

  Copyright © 2015 by Lauren Blakely

  LaurenBlakely.com

  Cover Design by © Helen Williams

  Ebook formatting by Jesse Gordon

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  COPYRIGHT

  ALSO BY LAUREN BLAKELY

  ACE, WHISKEY AND A HOT TUB

  CONTACT

  ALSO BY LAUREN BLAKELY

  The Caught Up in Love Series (Each book in this series follows a different couple so each book can be read separately, or enjoyed as a series since characters crossover)

  Caught Up in Her (A short prequel novella to Caught Up in Us)

  Caught Up In Us

  Pretending He’s Mine

  Trophy Husband

  Playing With Her Heart

  Standalone Novels (Each of these full-length romance novels can be read by themselves, though they feature appearance from characters in Caught Up in Love)

  Far Too Tempting

  Stars in Their Eyes

  21 Stolen Kisses (March 2015)

  The No Regrets Series (These books should be read in order)

  The Thrill of It

  Every Second With You

  The Seductive Nights Series

  First Night (Julia and Clay, prequel novella)

  Night After Night (Julia and Clay, book one)

  After This Night (Julia and Clay, book two)

  One More Night (Julia and Clay, book three)

  One Night With Her (A short prequel novella about Michelle and Jack, this story is also included in the ebook of Nights With Him)

  Nights With Him (A standalone novel about Michelle and Jack)

  Forbidden Nights (A standalone novel about Nate and Casey)

  Sweet, Sinful Nights (A standalone novel about Brent and Shannon, Summer 2015)

  The Fighting Fire Series

  Burn For Me (Smith and Jamie)

  Melt for Him (Megan and Becker)

  Consumed By You (Travis and Cara, Summer 2015)

  ACE, WHISKEY

  AND A HOT TUB

  Julia was sore. Her thighs burned, and her calves were on fire. She was used to working out, to walking at top speed in Manhattan, and to occasional jogs around Central Park. Toss in a bit of Pilates, some mild weight lifting and she was good to go, toned and trim. But hell, snowshoeing was a whole different ballgame. Especially since the unexpected snow flurries that had met them at the peak of Emerald Mountain seemed deadset on turning into a tiny bit more than a small mess of snow.

  “Hey handsome, how about you and Ace pick up the pace?” Julia said, calling out to her husband, who was tossing a sturdy orange all-weather ball to their dog, a frisky ten-month old rescue collie who’d come along on their Colorado vacation. “Looks like the snow is falling faster.”

  “That’s what makes snowshoeing fun,” he said, as they clomped down the hill in their gear—ski pants and parkas, with heavy boots and snowshoes on their feet. They’d made it to the top of Emerald Mountain, high above Steamboat Springs, and had enjoyed the panoramic view of the gorgeous ski town, in between engaging in some mile-high kissing. Even when it was freezing out, Julia still couldn’t resist locking lips with her handsome husband.

  “Check this out. He’s a wide receiver!” Like the quarterback he’d been back in high school and college, Clay easily tossed the ball far ahead of them on the trail. Ace barked happily as he barreled after it, his black and white body looking like some kind of snow dolphin as he bounded through the banks of snow.

  She laughed at the sight of the dog they’d adopted a few months ago from a shelter in Long Island. Ace was a city dog now, and kept Julia company during the days and Clay at night. A well-trained beast, he’d taken to city life. But a dog was a dog was a dog, and the four-legged creature liked to stretch his legs, so they’d planned this trip with him in mind. He’d gone on nearly all their mountain adventures so far except for the ski slopes. On their downhill days, he’d visited a doggie daycare in town. Fine, he was pampered, but that’s how a dog should be — Ace had the life and that included traveling in style. Clay had suggested they bring Ace with them; he hated being apart from the dog. He loved that creature something fierce, and she’d often walk into the bedroom when she came home from a late night at her bar to find he’d invited the pooch to bed, and had his arm wrapped around the dog. Her husband’s sweet affection for the dog had made her mind wander to possibilities.

  To how he might be in other situations.

  Situations she’d been considering more of these days, so when he’d brought up the option to bring Ace with them she’d happily said yes. The dog was great, and he was good training too for the future. Plus, she loved seeing this side of Clay and watching how he was with that dog. Ace had joined them on the Pinkertons’ private jet that they’d taken for the trip, enjoying a long dog nap as they flew through the sky. No pearls this time, but her creative man had brought along a feather tickler to surprise her. She was surprised all right, and tickled, and then she was tingly all over, until she turned red-hot, and insisted on reclining the seat all the way, spreading her legs, and wrapping them around her man.

  Well, insist was a strong word. He hadn’t needed any convincing. He’d never objected to her legs around him. They were an every-morning-and-every-night kind of couple. Some things never changed; their desire for each other had only deepened every day, and even with nearly two years of marriage under the belt, they hadn’t slowed the pace at all.

  But she pushed aside reminisces of their sex life from her head, because as far as she could see they still had another several hundred feet to trek through, and the earlier uphill hike had heated up her muscles. The downhill was easier, but with the white flakes falling faster, she was ready to be done with the outdoors, and to curl up by a fire or a hot tub to relax her body.

  Her cheeks were red from the cold, her fingers icy even beneath the gloves. The temperature was below freezing so they’d had to suit up. “Too bad we didn’t adopt a horse dog,” she said to Clay, who still managed to look sexy as hell even in his heavy jacket and ski pants. His hair was tousled from the workout, and he was working the stubbled-jawline-on-vacation look like only he could. “I wouldn’t mind a faster ride down the mountain.”

  Clay raised an eyebrow, his brown eyes twinkling, then scooped her up easily in his arms, and proceeded to carry her through the snow drifts. She pounded her fists against his che
st, laughing. “Stop it! I can manage.”

  “Oh sure you can, city girl.”

  “It snows in New York,” she pointed out.

  “Not like this.”

  Ace scampered ahead, peeking back occasionally to stay close to his pack.

  After several feet, Clay hadn’t set her down yet. She gave him a sharp stare. “You really don’t have to carry me down the mountain.”

  “I thought for sure you’d want me to play the role of rugged lumberjack,” he said, his strong arms holding her tight.

  “Got a flannel shirt you can roll up to your elbows and a pair of Timberlands?” she asked as the sky turned darker, and the snowfall threatened to speed up.

  “If that’s what turns you,” he said in that sexy, gravelly voice that did, in fact, turn her on.

  “Everything you do turns me on. But so does getting inside by a fire right about now, Mister,” she said.

  They were near the end of the trail, and he lowered her to the blankets of white on the ground, setting her down on her clunky snowshoes. A few minutes later, they’d trudged through the final drifts of snow, then took off their snowshoes. When they found the red truck they’d rented, the windshield was already coated with a fine layer of white powder. Clay opened the door on the passenger side, and Julia slid into the cab, grateful to be off the mountain. As Ace leapt into the backseat, she looked skyward. “Tomorrow should be a good day on the slopes,” she mused.

  He shot her a look. “I don’t know. Looks like it could get mighty nasty out there.”

  “You afraid of a little snowstorm, handsome?”

  He leaned across the cab and gripped her head in his strong hands, his fingers curling through her snowy hair. “Never. There is so much to do in a storm.”

  * * *

  Clay ran a hand across the soft fur of his dog, who’d curled up on a rug in the cabin. The little guy was all worn out from the hike up Emerald Mountain and back, especially given the extra work of jumping through all those snow banks. He was a trooper. A sturdy beast, but still a puppy so he’d be deep in the land of nod for a while, replenishing his energy stores, Clay suspected.

  “Get some rest there, pal,” he said just to the dog, then joined his wife by the fireplace. She was putting the finishing touches on building a fire, layering some kindling on top of the logs in the brick fireplace. Stripped down to yoga pants and a tank top after they’d shrugged out of their chilly snow gear, she looked like the all-natural beauty she was. He’d teased her on the hill about carrying her, but knew she didn’t need a ride. He simply couldn’t resist having his hands on her. He wanted them on her right now, come to think of it.

  “Want me to light this?” she asked. “You can grab a blanket, get naked and curl up with me under it.”

  He shook his head, meeting her gaze straight on.

  “No?” She arched an eyebrow.

  “I’m thinking there’s a hot tub on the deck with our name on it.” The hot tub had been heating up since they’d returned.

  Her pretty green eyes sparkled with a yes, and in seconds she’d stripped off her tank, her pants, and her bra, dangling it enticingly on her fingertip. He grabbed it and tossed it somewhere behind them.

  “Don’t wake up the dog,” she chided.

  “It’s okay. Ace is my wingman. He won’t cockblock me.”

  She laughed deeply. “He is truly your dog.”

  “No, he is our dog,” Clay said, as he stared at her one item of clothing with hungry eyes. “But enough about dogs. I hate the thought of you not being full naked this very second. You better take them off right now.”

  She slid her thumbs into the side of her red cotton panties, and skimmed them off quickly. Like that, heat licked through his veins. One look, one touch from her, and he was ready to go.

  He groaned appreciatively at the sight of his beautiful naked wife.

  “Join me,” she said, seductively, stopping to grab a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in the kitchen before heading through the log cabin to the deck. He stripped along the way, leaving a trail of clothes behind him.

  When they reached the deck, a gust of wind whipped through the air. She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise as she gestured to her nipples. Hard, tight, perfect peaks. He wanted them in his mouth. “I’m aroused, and I’m freezing,” she said, both laughing and shivering as she set the bottle down, wrapped her arms around herself then stepped into the bubbling waters of the hot tub on the wooden deck with the speed of a cheetah.

  Hell, it was colder than an igloo out here, and he needed to warm up too. There was nothing for miles but a neon white blur of snow. “Seems like our snowfall has turned into a blizzard,” he said, as he joined her in hot tub.

  Ah. It was heated to perfection.

  Nothing quite like a bubbly hot tub to take the edge off a frozen wintry day. He sunk down lower in the water, until it reached his chest. Julia’s breasts were bobbing along the waterline. He had no choice, clearly, with the way they were taunting him but to reach out and touch them, giving each a squeeze.

  “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to get a little something in the water,” she said playfully, as she reached for the glasses and poured some whiskey for both of them. He managed to keep his hands on her breasts even as she poured. One of his talents was keeping his hands on her as much as possible.

  “You do know better. I’m always trying to get some with you,” he said, letting go of her luscious breasts as she handed him a drink.

  “I do indeed know about your appetite. It matches mine.”

  He grinned, and took a deep swallow of the whiskey. “Whiskey, a hot tub and my woman. Doesn’t get better than this,” he said, looping his arms around her and moving in for a kiss. A slow, soft kiss that turned to a hot, bruising one in seconds. He set down the glass, cupped the back of her neck, and kissed her greedily. His gorgeous, beautiful, sexy, smart wife. He’d never get enough of her. He broke the kiss momentarily, to brush some of the wet strands of hair off her neck and away from her ear. He leaned in to whisper, “What are we going to do if the snow keeps falling?”

  “You mean if there’s a blizzard that shuts down the ski resort?”

  “I do mean that.”

  “I just don’t know, Mr. Nichols. Whatever are you trying to suggest?”

  “What I’m suggesting is that you spend the rest of the day today and even tomorrow showing me how you look in my favorite positions.”

  She wiggled an eyebrow, then shifted in the water, suggesting how she’d look if he took her on all fours.

  “Mmm. I love that ass of yours up in the air, inviting spanking,” he said, giving her cheeks a quick wet slap under water.

  “And this,” she said standing up, placing her hands on the edge of the tub and showing how breathtakingly sexy she’d look if he took from her behind like that. His heart thumped and his dick hardened more.

  “Fucking perfection,” he hissed.

  “Or maybe this,” she said turning around, then sitting in his lap.

  A groan worked its way up his chest. He yanked her closer. “Spread your legs for me. Wrap them around my back, gorgeous,” he said, directing her.

  She did as he asked, and when he had her nice and snug, he took a drink of his whiskey, and then she reached for his glass. He clasped his hand over hers, stopping her. All at once, his heartbeat quickened, and the moment slowed. Now. The time was now. A small fleet of nerves raced through him, then he banished them quickly. He was certain of what he wanted. He hoped she’d want it too. He’d been thinking of the possibilities for months now, and the time was quite simply right.

  “What would you think about not having another drink?”

  She raised an eyebrow curiously. “Right now?”

  He nodded. “Now, and on this trip, and maybe for longer?”

  “But I barely touch the stuff.”

  “I know. But I’m thinking maybe you could stop something else too.”

  “What’
s that?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

  He gulped, but spoke with the certainty he felt. “How about those little pills you take every morning?”

  Her jaw fell open. Shock registered across her features, and the air was even quieter than it had been. He hoped to hell he hadn’t scared her. But surely she was ready for this too. He knew her. He knew her so well, and they’d joked and chatted now and then about the possibilities someday of being more than a couple.

  “You want me to stop taking the pill?” she asked carefully.

  He nodded, and placed a hand on her belly. “I would very much like to see you grow bigger.”

  “Clay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “That’s a big step.” It came out as a warning but with the sound of hope in her voice too.

  “I know. But we’ve been married for a year and a half now. I’m ready to take the next step. I hope to god you are too. Because I want us to have a family. I want Ace to have a little baby boy or girl to play with.”

  She laughed. “You want to knock me up so the dog has a playmate, do ya?”

  He laughed and nodded. “I do. And because I love you madly, my gorgeous wife. And I want you to be the mother of my child sooner rather than later.”

  She brought her lips down to his as if she were about to kiss him, then stopped to look him in the eyes. “You are going to be a great father.”

  “And you will be a great mother.”

  “I know it won’t happen today but I’m kind of thinking we should start practicing now,” she said, trailing her fingernails along his chest.

  “Climb on top, gorgeous. Practice makes perfect.”

  Then his wife lowered herself onto him in the hot tub, and he groaned as he filled her. Every time with her was incredible, and here, as they made love in the hot tub, with the snow falling, and the cold setting in, he couldn’t help but hope that soon, the next time, or maybe the next, they’d be starting their family expansion plans.

  Three months later

  Julia glided the soft, silky black fabric up her left leg, positioning the top of the stock just so. Stretching out her right leg next as she sat perched on the edge of her bed, she did the same to the other one. Ace lay on the floor, watching her, his tail wagging. She slid her feet into black pumps, then adjusted her black lace bra and panties, and appraised herself in the mirror. Her red hair fell in waves on her shoulders, and the short satin robe was the perfect finishing touch.