by Piper Rayne
“The medal, the love, the happily ever after?”
“Doesn’t every girl?” she asks.
“I’m not nearly the perfect man you deserve. I’m probably going to piss you off—a lot. You may scream as much out of the bedroom as you do in it. But, I’ll make a promise if you take me back.”
She waits patiently, her eyes curious.
“They’ll be just as many ohhs and ahhs outside the bedroom as inside. I promise to beg for your forgiveness with every move I make. Actually, hold on.” I stand up. “Everyone!” I scream before using my fingers and mouth to whistle.
All the commotion stops and eyes focus in on us. She pulls on my coat sleeve to get me to sit back down, but I ignore her.
“I’m about to make a promise and I want you to all hear it.”
Mumblings begin and I let my gaze fall to the woman I can’t live without.
“I promise to love Mia Salter with my entire heart. I promise to adore her, to seduce her, to pleasure her, to challenge her.”
Hoots ring out, mostly from the guys.
“I promise to make sure she’s fully satisfied at all times and to admit when I’m being a dickhead.”
Mia’s cheeks pink.
“What do you think? Should she take me back?”
There’s a mixture of yes’s and no’s, but there’s only one answer I really care about.
“What do you say, Mia? Will you snowboard into happily ever after with me?”
She says nothing for a moment and I hold my breath, hoping this works. If it doesn’t, I’ll think of something else because I won’t stop trying. I’m not going anywhere again.
Finally, she seems to come to some decision in her head and she opens her mouth to speak. “How can a girl refuse that?”
I smile wide, the weight lifting off my shoulders. My lips land on hers as we fall to the bench seat.
She breaks the kiss. “Be gentle with me, Kale.”
“Always and forever.”
Epilogue
Mia
“More,” I pant.
Our sweat slicked chests glide along one another, Grady’s strength and endurance on full display as he pins me to the wall, pushing in and out of me, my legs hanging over his arms.
“You’re the best workout.” His classic smirk is on full display and shining right at me.
“Right back ‘atcha.” I pull his lips to mine, never getting my fill of him.
His tongue dives into my mouth, searching for mine. Instantly they connect and an electrical current runs through my body. There’s nothing better than this man and his labored breaths in my ear as he takes me.
My insides clench around him when he drives in deep. “I’m close, faster, baby.” My fingers run along the short hair on the back of his neck.
A low growl rumbles up effectively hitting my eardrum, which sends sensations running right between my legs, and I lose the fight, tumbling into my orgasm as all my body’s tension vanishes.
“Oh, Grady,” I say, but he’s not there yet and he pushes inside of me hard before his body twitches and the entire weight of his body presses me against the wall.
“Shit, baby, you’re perfect.”
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
“Fuck.” We both glance at the clock each of the village rooms have in them.
“Oh, crap.” He lowers my body to the ground, rips off the condom, spilling half of its contents on the floor.
“Grady!” I screech.
“Yeah, jackasses, time for you to make your debut,” Dax screams through the door.
Neither one of us responds, but from how thin these walls and doors are, I guarantee he heard me screaming.
“Shit!” He grabs my roommate’s towel from the back of a chair and wipes it up.
“That’s not mine!” I yell, pulling up my panties and pants.
“Well, it’s either that or nothing.”
I shrug. Point made.
He grabs his boxer briefs and starts dressing.
“I can’t believe I let you distract me,” I say, shrugging my sweater over my head.
“I think you’re the one that jumped me.”
True enough, but if Grady Kale was yours, I guarantee you, you’d be living in a constant state of want like I am.
Running over to the mirror I put some more blush on, freshen up my mascara and lip-gloss while he gets into his boots, sitting down and tying them. I take a minute to admire him, still shocked he’s mine.
“You can stare at me later, babe, get your boots on,” he says without even looking up.
“I wasn’t staring.”
He glances over to me with that smirk I love so much. I clench my thighs shut. Later.
“I like you staring,” he says.
My body loses all muscle control and I almost collapse to the ground. He pulls his hat over his head, and then hip bumps me away from the mirror.
“You’re beautiful no matter what, but we gotta get going. I have to make sure my cheering section stays packed.”
I tie my boots, throw my arms through my jacket and place my hat on.
Grabbing the strings of his hat, I tug him toward me. “I wouldn’t mind if that cheering section had fewer girls in it.”
He chuckles his amusement. “Don’t be jealous. You know I’m a one-woman man.”
I bring my lips to his. “And I’m a one-asshole kinda woman.”
He smacks my ass. “Better be.”
We each look each other over. He reaches over to the bed and grabs his gloves, stuffing them in his pockets. “Let’s go.”
He opens the door. Dax is long gone. We sprint through the empty village building and jog all the way to where we’re supposed to meet for the opening ceremonies.
By the time we arrive, our entire team is looking at us with skeptical eyes.
“I swear you’ll miss your event.” Skylar knocks her elbow into my ribcage.
I bend over to try and catch my breath, Grady doing the same and stretching his calves on the cement wall. Seriously.
“Just working on our cardio,” Grady says, and everyone laughs.
“Okay USA, let’s go, which one of you are holding the snowboarding flag?” the coordinator asks.
“Me!” Demi jumps up.
“I should do it,” Dax approaches and Demi narrows her eyes like he’s about to take her baby.
“No, I claimed it first.”
“Here we go.” Skylar takes a deep breath.
“Guys,” Beckett tries to be the rational one. “How about we flip for it?”
“How about ladies first?” Demi sneers.
“This is why they didn’t want women in the Classics. You can’t be all ‘I want this and that and...’” He covers his head as all the women’s hands go up and smack him upside the head.
“Idiot,” Grady murmurs.
“Fine.” He somehow gets out of our grasps, fixing his hat. “Hold the damn flag, but I’m putting that down in the books as you owing me one.”
Demi stands there completely unamused.
I share a look with Grady who rolls his eyes. Dax is annoying and definitely loud, but he’s our guy and I think he’s about to be hit over the head with more than a large crowd of women’s hands again.
“I owe you nothing,” she says. “If anything...”
The two walk to the head of the group, arguing the entire way.
“Peace at last,” I say, and Skylar laughs beside me.
“Hey.” Grady comes up alongside me, his hand finding mine.
“What?”
“I love you,” he whispers, placing the lightest and sweetest kiss on my lips. “Gold or not, this is the best Winter Classics of my career.”
“I love you.” I place my mitten-covered hand on his cheek. “But I want the gold, too.”
He picks me up and swings me around in his arms. “Mia Salter, you’re going to be the death of me.”
I nod. “Yep, pretty much.”
My feet land back on th
e ground with the grace of a princess and he bends down and kisses me with the surety and gentleness of a man who loves me. He slows our kiss, his hand never leaving my cheek.
“So, we’re in agreement. A couple of gold medals and a few hundred orgasms then we’ll live happily ever after?”
I nod. “Sounds perfect.”
The End
What will The Classics bring for Dax and Demi?
2.12.18
ON THIN ICE
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NOTE: This is the prequel to Cold As Ice. It occurred four years prior to Cold As Ice.
Four years ago…
I’m sitting on the couch of the lodge rental with a beer in my hand, watching my dumbass friends do backflips off the counter. There’s liquor bottles scattered around the island, empty and half drank solo cups covering every inch of the counter, and the music is so loud the walls are rattling.
“Jackasses are going to kill themselves.” Mia plops down next to me, a beer in her hands.
“Your brother know you have that?” I eye the aluminum can and her gaze follows mine.
A slow, sneaky smirk forms on her lips. “Are you going to tell on me, Grady?” She leans in a little too close for my comfort. The last thing I need with four weeks to qualifying for the Winter Classics in Sochi is Brandon stapling my balls to the ceiling.
“No, but if he catches you I’m not sure you’ll see the light of day. And do me a favor, leave it at one.”
She nods and I don’t miss her eyes taking me in. Mia’s had a crush on me for years. Hell, she might’ve come out of the womb with one mission—to get me in her bed. She’s assertive and forward and every time we interact it becomes harder not to notice all the great things about her.
Right now, I have the fact she’s seventeen on my side. Okay she’s only a couple months away from eighteen, but still. She’s a baby, still in high school. Too bad her body isn’t even close to matching her age. Add on the fact that she’s a killer snowboarder and it makes her damn near irresistible. I don’t know if her talent was derived from following her brother and I around all her life or if she’s just a natural, but the chick is good. So good, that in four years I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the one trying to qualify for the American Winter Classics team.
“You guys going out tomorrow?” she asks.
I glance to my side at her. This is how I know Mia Salter likes me. She’s asking me the same dumbass questions girls always do when they’re trying to chat me up.
“That’s the whole point of being in Utah.”
“Well, yeah, I just didn’t know if you were going to take a break.” Her gaze drifts across the room and she pretends to sip her beer.
“No, we have a ton of shit to do.”
“Your friends are morons.” My older cousin Jagger sits down in the chair across from me with a glass of some expensive alcohol in his hand, his frat days long gone now.
“They like to have fun.” I shrug.
“They obviously want to spend some time in the hospital.” He watches Dax stand on the top of a door at the top of the staircase like he’s going to use it to snowboard down, laughing his head off, being egged on by the guys and girls watching from the second floor. “Like this dipshit.”
“Dax tends not to think of consequences,” Mia says next to me.
Jagger’s gaze lands on her, roaming up and down, a smile playing on his lips like he’s a starved cat and just spied his dinner mouse. He leans forward, outstretching his hand. “I’m Jagger, Grady’s cousin.”
Mia gives him a shy smile, and then does that thing where she straightens out and pushes out her tits. “I’m Mia.”
“Nice to—”
“Brandon’s sister and a high school senior,” I deadpan.
Jagger drops Mia’s hand. “Should you be drinking?” he asks, like the fact she had alcohol was a beacon that she’d be okay to approach.
I crinkle my forehead. My cousin isn’t exactly the poster child for the Boy Scouts. He’s been drinking since his freshman year of high school, if not earlier. I don’t even want to know what age he lost his virginity. Other than one girl I heard about back when he was in high school, nobody has a chance of lasting more than one night with him.
A fast food bag plops down on the table in front of me and my gaze moves up from the bag to find Brandon holding a similar bag with his usual I’ve got a secret smirk splashed across his face.
I don’t even want to know what kind of challenge he’s proposing now.
“Mia, put the beer away. You’re not even drinking it.” He shoots a fleeting glance her way and then his gaze lands on me. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” I slide to the edge of the couch, placing my beer next to Mia’s and open the bag. An array of food fills it and then Reese, the girl Brandon’s been dating, places a tray with two pops and two milkshakes on the table.
“Me and you. Food challenge.”
I slide back to my previous position. “Nah, I’m not hurling tonight.”
“Pussy,” Brandon coughs out like that’s going to get me to agree.
“If he doesn’t want to do it, leave him alone,” Mia says, sticking up for me. It’s cute. Well, it’s cute to me. Brandon’s gaze darts over to his younger sister with a look that shouts ‘shut the fuck up’.
“What’s going on here?” Dax comes over, wiggling his ass between me and Mia. “What’s up Lil’ Salter?’”
Mia rolls her eyes and slides over so Dax’s ass isn’t on her thigh.
“Kale’s being a wuss. I’ve got every item from the value menu. We each eat and then whoever finishes first and doesn’t throw up wins.”
“Wins what?” Dax asks. He’s probably itching to take my place. Except he did the cinnamon challenge last night, so in the order of things it’s my turn. Yes, in this chaotic realm of stupid challenges there are some rules.
“What does he want?” Dax asks.
“Besides the sign outside my door?” I ask.
“Sign?” Jagger asks.
“It’s like our trophy,” Dax explains. “Whoever wins the challenge gets ownership of the sign.” He sits up, grabbing Mia’s beer.
“Hey!” she says.
Dax downs a big gulp. “You aren’t drinking it anyway.”
She crosses her arms over her chest but says nothing, because he’s not wrong.
“How about first dips on the pipe tomorrow?” Dax offers up something I might actually be interested in.
With the three of us heading to the Winter Classics qualifying, it’s been hard to get enough time on the mountain.
“Whoever wins gets three runs before the other one.” Brandon grabs a kitchen chair and drags it over opposite me and sits down.
“You’re going to eat until you puke for that?” Jagger’s face contorts. “Am I happy I chose to be in the entertainment business.”
Brandon disregards Jagger and holds his hand out in front of me.
I shake it, eyeing the bag as my stomach rumples. I was hungry anyway. “Thanks for the free dinner.”
We both open our bags, placing the burgers, nuggets, fries, and baked potato out on the table.
“Now my stomach is growling.” Dax leans over Mia, grabs an opened back of chips and leans back.
“Don’t mind me,” Mia sneers.
“You’re hard to miss.” Dax winks.
“Not everybody thinks that.” Mia’s attention veers my way.
God help me when she turns eighteen.
Jagger inches up on the edge of the chair as a crowd forms around us.
“On Reese’s say,” Brandon looks over his shoulder at his girlfriend. Her face lights up, an unsaid ‘I love you’ in her sparkling smile.
Brandon stares me down like we’re in a gun draw in a western movie. He takes competition to a whole other dimension.
Dax rubs his hands together secretly hoping we both puke I’m su
re. Then he gets to keep the sign on his door.
“Go!” Reese yells.
Brandon devours the first burger before I’m halfway done with mine. He takes a sip of the drink, choking it down. “It’s fucking diet.”
Everyone laughs over the sour look on his face after he swallows.
I move on to the second burger and Brandon digs into his potato.
Halfway through I let my head fall back between my shoulders, secretly asking my stomach to calm the fuck down. It’s gurgling, and expanding so much my pants are about to split open.
Brandon stands up with the soda in his hand, unbuttoning his pants and letting them fall to the ground, leaving him in boxer briefs printed with ‘Warning: Choking Hazard’ in front of his junk.
Hoots and hollers ring out in the small room.
“Someone thinks a lot of himself,” Jagger shakes his head with a laugh.
I toss two nuggets into my mouth, my jaw sore.
“Let’s go, you can do this.” Dax elbows me and the queasiness in my stomach increases.
“Giving up?” Brandon asks, his eyes suggesting he knows he’s already won.
Two can play at this game.
“Hey, Mia, how about a neck massage?” I eye Brandon.
He narrows his eyes, shooting his sister a silent shake of his head.
Low blow and I’m an asshole for taking advantage of her school girl crush on me, but if I don’t beat Brandon, I’ll never hear the end of it. He’ll brag until the next challenge.
Mia walks on the back of the cushions, sits back down and then her hands are on my neck.
Damn it feels good.
“Mia!” Brandon yells.
“Relax. She’s not thirteen,” Jagger says and Brandon’s long hair covers his eyes when he snaps his attention over to him.
“I’ll be eighteen in two months.” Mia’s elated voice over touching me can’t be missed and I truly feel like a jackass in this moment. I can’t lead her on when I have no plans of doing anything with her. I’m twenty-one and even if I was to cross the line with Mia, expectations would be full-time boyfriend and girlfriend status. My career is just getting started and I can’t be signing up for distractions when I’m on the top of my game.