Dad: I expect you to make an appearance tomorrow night. If you’re not there, this is no longer a discussion. Your trust fund will be no more. That’s final.
I grit my teeth. But instead of crushing my phone in my hands, I mute the conversation and close my eyes, distancing myself from the situation.
Immediately Lauren’s smiling face comes to mind. I smile back at her in my head, and a wave of calm washes over me, followed by a tinge of sadness. She has no idea how good she has it. She’s smart enough to maintain a scholarship, as beautiful as an angel, hardworking, talented… the list goes on and on. I don’t know what her parents are like, but I’d bet they’re infinitely better than mine.
A sour feeling poisons my stomach at the thought of them. I can’t believe they’re threatening to get rid of my trust fund if I don’t follow my dad’s lame-ass campaign trail like some sort of robot puppy. Don’t they remember what it’s like to be young and not have an entire year’s worth of appointments planned out? I don’t even care about the damn money! They hold it over my head like it’s this powerful magnet keeping me dependent on them. I may not have good grades, I may not know what I’m going to do with my life, hell I might be the world’s worst son, but at least I have Snow Club to escape it all.
And this time, Lauren is here. Being near her makes me forget everything except that sexy smile. With Lauren I’m wittier, funnier, I’m even better at snowboarding. She lights a fire in me that I’ve never felt before. She’s somehow sexy and adorable, especially when she’s mad. I stifle a chuckle in the dark, quiet room. I never get tired of pushing that girl’s buttons. And by the way her freckled cheeks flushed pink when I touched her earlier… I know she wants me, too.
I hear her laugh again and imagine she’s mine, that I made her giggle, that I get to pull her close whenever I want. I let my daydream pull me away from the real world, farther and farther until our sweet moment turns into a heated hell-storm of passion and lust. I see Lauren splayed out in front of me, her milky skin radiant in the moonlight, her vibrant red hair spread in wild swirls against the dark cabin rug as I make love to her by a fire pit. Her cheeks turn rosy, and her mouth forms into an O as I thrust deep inside her, making her moan and scream my name to the mountains.
My heart pounds in my chest even though it’s just in my head. I let my hand find my throbbing dick and squeeze myself hard, silently panting as I jack off to the thought of fucking Lauren. I hope to God she thinks of me this way, too. That it’s not just me desperate to be loved by her. I wonder if she touches herself to the thought of me… The mental image sends another surge of lust through my veins. I bring myself to a crescendo, imagining Lauren clenching her tight core around me as we climax at the same time. God, I want to make her come like that so badly. I want to make her laugh. I want to make her smile.
I want to make her mine.
The realization strikes me like a lightning bolt. I want Lauren to be mine more than I want anything. More than I want my parent’s approval. More than I want to spend every day on the mountains for the rest of my life.
I close my eyes, shutting away the pain of everything else, and focus on her smile.
Chapter Three
Lauren
Our feet dangle beneath us as we head up the ski lift to the mountain peak. The sun has just risen past the crest of the treetops, casting a rosy glow over this quaint ski town. It’s a quiet morning as we pass by pine trees and Aspens covered in globs of snow that paint the scene like a Dr. Seuss novel. I would generally consider this a serene, calming moment if my heart weren’t jack-hammering in my chest.
I’m grateful for the freezing cold gusts of wind that carry teeny bits of snow into my face. Otherwise, I might pass out from an overabundance of hormones and racing thoughts. I wasn’t sure how to approach Adam this morning after almost kissing him last night. I couldn’t catch a wink of sleep, not with all those persistently vivid thoughts of what might have happened between us, had the lights not gone out. But as soon as we saw each other in the kitchen this morning, it was like everything was back to normal. If you don’t count the charged glances and electric “almost touches” as we made our toast and eggs.
I sneak a glance to the side, only to find that Adam’s gaze hasn’t left my face for one second on this agonizingly slow lift. It heats me up, despite the forty-degree weather.
“You’re awfully quiet this morning,” he says. “What happened to miss sass?”
I want to say something witty back, but I am so far off my game that I don’t know what’s what. I decide to simply look away.
We slowly pass over a cute little neighborhood of log cabins covered in snow. I watch the chimneys start to smoke as the rest of society wakes up.
“What are you smiling about?” Adam’s voice pulls me back to the present, and I realize I am smiling.
“I was just thinking about my after-college plan,” I say, glad to finally break the awkward silence.
He shifts in his seat, leaning toward me ever so slightly. “And what’s your plan?”
I squint my eyes at him, wondering if this is some sort of trap. But there’s a sincerity in his eyes this morning that tells me if anyone were to get excited about my plan with me, it’d be Adam. He gives me a sweet smile that melts down my remaining defenses.
“I want to live in a place like that.” I point to the cabins just behind us now. “Someplace small and cozy, nothing too crazy, but close enough to spend every day on the mountain.” A bubbling excitement builds in my stomach from saying it out loud. “I’ll ski all day, teaching kids, adults, whoever wants to learn. It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m outside and on the slopes, I’ll be happy.”
Another moment of silence passes as I play out my fantasy. When I realize it’s too quiet, I turn to find Adam looking at me with the oddest expression on his face. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t have a stupid comeback.
“What’s with the face?” I ask.
Adam clears his throat. “That sounds amazing.”
We share a look for far too long. It feels tingly and warm and foreign. Something weird is going on here, and I’m scared to admit what it is. I want to talk to him. I want to know more about what’s going on in his head, too. But just as I’m about to ask him another question, I realize something.
This is all part of his plan. It has to be. He’s trying to get me off my game! That selfish, cocky, spoiled ass!
Well, I’ve got news for him. I am not falling into his trap.
“You’re trying to get in my head, but it’s not going to work,” I say. Adam lets out a belly laugh that echoes through the treetops. I stare daggers into him.
When he finally stops laughing, Adam’s eyes turn serious and dark. He leans close to me, and in a low voice, he says, “If I wanted to get in your head, I’d do this.” Then Adam plants his lips on mine.
The world stops. The only sound permeating my ears is the erratic beating of my heart. The only sensation I can feel is his soft, warm lips on mine. I want to slap him and wrap him in my arms at the same time. Or jump from the lift and ski all the way home.
But when Adam cups my face and pulls me closer, my head spins, and something inside me snaps. For a guy that’s always rubbed me wrong, this feels so right. I suddenly can’t remember why I ever resisted this before. Heat erupts inside me, and all I want now is to embrace him and melt together.
The lift squeaks, signaling the end of our ride, and Adam pulls away from me with the most devastatingly handsome smile I’ve ever witnessed. He doesn’t say anything, and I can feel the dumbstruck look on my face as I watch him adjust his goggles and strap into his board.
“You’d better get ready to lose, Lauren,” he says with a hint of humor behind his voice, “‘cuz when I win, we’re going to finish what we started.”
He flashes me the sexiest of smirks and jumps off the lift, already heading for the finish line.
Chapter Four
Adam
Lauren almos
t trips on her skis as she loads off the lift. “Wait a minute—” she starts, but I cut her off with a laugh and dart down the trail. Glancing over my shoulder, I see that Lauren isn’t too far behind. She drops onto the trail, hunched forward in her determined, racing stance, and I know she’s back in the zone and coming after me with fire in her veins.
Hell, there’s just as much fire in mine after that kiss. I don’t know what came over me on the lift, but I had to do it. What she said about living out here and spending every day on the mountain... I guess I never realized she felt the same way as I do. Everything about what she said sounded like a dream come true. There was only one thing missing from her plan.
Me.
“You should be wearing a helmet, you cocky asshole.” Lauren’s voice cuts through my thoughts as she shoots forward to match my speed. She’s grinning and darting her eyes between me and the trail ahead of us. I love seeing her when she’s competitive. She looks all cute and adorable with her freckled face and that sweet smile, but as soon as you challenge her, Lauren turns into a feisty little hothead. Her vibrant red hair is a perfect match for her fiery personality.
And I can’t wait to see it spread out on the floor in front of me as I make love to her by the fireplace tonight.
“Helmets are for losers,” I call back.
“Lame.” She stabs her poles into the snow and hauls herself forward, establishing a small lead. I push myself to catch up.
“And poles are for cheating!” I shout. She ignores me and heads straight down the mountain, leaving delicate S-shaped tracks as we cut through the freshly fallen snow. She’s talented, I’ll give her that. But can she do tricks?
I head for the half-pipes on the side of the trail, gaining speed alongside Lauren. I perform a double spin in the air before landing two feet from her, casting a glorious spray of snow in her face.
She shakes her head. “Show off!”
“Let’s see you try,” I call.
“No, thanks.” She uses her poles to gain another few feet of lead.
“It’s not a fair race unless we both do the same trick!” I yell after her.
“Fine, ya big baby.” She speeds to the left and lines herself up for a small training-level jump ramp.
“That’s nothing compared to a double spin!” I taunt. She waves me off, squats into position, pulling her knees together, and takes off into the air. Lauren crosses her skis behind her into an X position, but as she nears the ground, they don’t come undone.
I can feel her panic as she heads for the ground. SMACK! I wince as Lauren lands hard with her skis out of position. Before I know it, she’s tumbling down the mountainside, poles flying out and skis sliding in every direction away from her in an epic yard sale.
Uh oh.
She skids to a stop just before hitting a tree at the edge of the trail. I race to her side, heart pounding in my chest.
“You okay?”
She’s out of breath and panting from the shock. “My skis got locked,” she says with gritted teeth. Her voice is muffled from within the pile of snow accumulated around her.
“Shit, I saw. Your timing was off, you gotta—”
“I know, I know.” Lauren pushes herself up and immediately winces, cradling her left arm to her torso. “Shit!” Her eyes fill with angry tears as she grits her teeth.
“Can you move your legs?” I ask.
She wiggles her ski boots in the snow. “I’m fine. Where’d my skis go?” She looks around with furrowed brows, but her skis are nowhere to be seen. I put my hands on her shoulders, but she slaps me away.
“That was one yell of a yard sale,” I say, wishing this had never happened. “Your skis are probably halfway down the mountain by now.”
She turns away, tears stinging her eyes.
“I’ll call ski patrol,” I say. Lauren barely nods, keeping her eyes as far away from me as possible. “Unless you wanna ride my snowboard down?” I ask, knowing she’d never be caught dead snowboarding. She’s a skier through and through.
“As if,” she murmurs, and I smile. Even in pain, she’s not one to back down.
We wait in silence for Ski Patrol, listening to the quiet nature around us.
Then Lauren says, “Does this mean it’s a tie?”
Chapter Five
Lauren
I sit on the edge of the doctor’s bed, staring at a bright pink cast on my wrist. It’s like a children’s doctor’s room with murals of the mountains lining every wall in the tiny space. We’re still waiting for the doctor to come back with my release paperwork. I fractured my wrist, but it should heal in a few weeks, unlike my pride.
My heavy ski boots anchor my feet and my spirits to the floor. Ugh, I’m such an idiot. I keep replaying that kiss in my head, and every time I do, I feel perplexed. One minute I hate Adam, and the next, I’m putty in his hands. But what bothers me more than the fact that I completely fell for his stupid trick is how badly I wish that kiss was real.
Adam sees my sour expression and moves closer to me. “I know it sucks, but accidents happen. You’ll heal up in no time.”
I roll my eyes at him. “This is all your fault,” I say, anger building within me.
“What did I do?”
“You kissed me, you ass!” I punch his arm.
Adam smiles, rubbing the spot where I punched him. “It seemed like you were enjoying yourself in the moment,” he teases. That damn smirk of his drives me over the edge.
“Everything is a game to you,” I say, my voice coming dangerously close to a shout. Adam sits up straighter, taken aback.
“What are you talking about?” He furrows his brows. “We were racing. It was an accident.”
“This isn’t about my arm, Adam.” Oh God, I can’t believe I’m actually on the verge of tears. Keep it together, Lauren. “You’re just a spoiled jerk who never takes anything seriously, and it’s because you already have it all,” I continue. “With rich parents and enough money to never work a day in my life, I’d probably treat everything like a joke, too. And that’s fine, Adam, it really is. But don’t fucking play me like one of your games. I should have never fallen for a selfish jackass like you.”
Even before those words spill from my mouth, I already regret them.
Adam’s eyes go wide with shock, and the expression of hurt in them breaks my heart. How could I say those things? I’m not even sure that I truly believe them myself. “I’m sorry—” I start, but the damage has already been done. Adam stares at the floor, his warm, playful demeanor slowly replaced by a lifeless statue.
I want to say something, anything really, to make this horrible moment stop, but I know I can’t. I resign myself to this punishment, watching Adam from my side-eye as the space between us grows colder and colder.
BZZZ! Adam pulls his phone from his pocket. A moment later, his entire body goes rigid. The hard lines of his jaw flex as he grits his teeth.
I’m about to ask him what’s wrong when the door to the room opens and the doctor walks in. She gives me some papers and tells me where to sign, then hands me a bottle of what’s essentially prescription Advil. I thank her and head out with Adam quietly towing behind me and a sinking feeling gnawing at my stomach.
Chapter Six
Lauren
I absentmindedly watch the flickering flames of our bedroom fireplace dance while one of my roommates changes into her bikini. It’s a hot tub kind of night, and everyone’s eager to relax after another day on the slopes.
“What’s up, girlie?” the blonde girl from before asks. She’s tall and thin and exudes confidence. It’s the first time she’s spoken to me outside a group setting. “I mean, besides the broken arm.”
I let out a deep sigh. What actually is wrong? I mean, sure, I was a little mean to Adam earlier, but he deserved it, didn’t he? The gut feeling in my stomach tells me it isn’t true. The longer I’ve sat on these terrible feelings, the closer I’ve come to understanding the truth. I was never mad at Adam. I was angry at myself fo
r falling for him. But would that really be such a bad thing?
“I was cruel to Adam earlier,” I mumble.
The girl gives me a sweet smile. “Sometimes it’s easy to be a jerk back when he’s always such a pain in the ass. I wouldn’t worry about it.” She turns to the mirror and fixes her hair up in an artfully messy bun. “Besides, he’s used to letting things roll off his shoulders.”
I turn away from the fireplace to face her. “What do you mean?”
“His parents are tough on him. You know who his parents are, right?”
I nod. Everyone knows who Adam’s parents are. It’s kind of hard not to when their campaign messages are everywhere online and off. “Yeah, they’re politicians,” I say.
“Exactly. They want Adam to do all these social appearances and shit, and they’re constantly threatening take away this and that privilege from him. But worst of all, they want him to get a haircut.” She snorts, but I don’t laugh. This news hit’s me like a brick wall. I was totally wrong to say those things earlier, and now I feel even worse.
Plus, who are they to get rid of his hair? That shaggy blond mane is one of my favorite things about him. It’d be a shame if he were to cut it, especially before I get to run my hands through it…
“I didn’t realize that,” I say.
“Not many people know. He doesn’t talk about it much. But I’ve known him for a while, and sometimes shit comes out when you’re drunk.” She shrugs.
The girl turns on her heels and heads for the door. “You should join us.”
“I will,” I say. Right after I find Adam and apologize.
“Good. And girlie?” She turns to me as she steps under the doorway. “I saw the way he looks at you. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” She winks and heads out the door.
Tempt University: Year One: A College Romance Collection Page 26