He allowed her to get off the elevator first. All of his friends stood by his door, and Sera barked on the other side.
He checked his phone. Whoa, it was almost dinner time.
He rushed to open the door for them, leaving Mia behind. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Behind him, he heard Mia’s door open and close.
Jessica tutted. “You didn’t even say goodbye to her.”
“You guys were all standing here.”
They all spilled into his suite.
“Go get dressed, man. I’m starving,” Grayson said. That man lived for food. It was a miracle he looked as good as he did.
Tristan glanced down. His shirt was covered in all the ingredients despite the apron he’d worn.
“Hang on a sec.” He put his half of the ingredients on the counter, realizing he’d need her ingredients to complete the meal. Which meant, he’d have to spend more time with her. Which he absolutely wanted to do, but she was getting into his head. He should put some distance between them for a few days.
It took him ten minutes to change his clothes and clean up. It wouldn’t have taken that long, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Mia. He loved the way she shivered when he leaned in to her ear.
He ran a comb through his hair and met his friends in the kitchen.
“What were you doing with Mia?” Liz asked.
“Frankie made me go to this cooking class, and she was there too.” He shrugged in a way he hoped showed indifference.
“Did you have fun with her?”
“It was fine.” It was more than fine, but he didn’t want to give Liz the wrong idea.
“We should invite her to come to dinner with us.”
Tristan didn’t know how to explain his dilemma. Mia was getting into his head, and no woman had done that since Delilah. Not that he had any real feelings for her, but there was something intriguing about her, and he couldn’t let this go any further. He had no way to say that tactfully though.
“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean come on, we only get to see each other a couple of times a year. We don’t really want someone else tagging along.”
Grayson snickered. “That never stopped you before. At least Mia is better than all those other bimbos you bring to dinner.”
“You know those bimbos are safe.” He said that with a little too much vehemence.
The entire circle went quiet. They all knew what he meant, especially Grayson. Tristan didn’t let any woman—or really, anyone else for that matter—get too close to him.
Jessica leaned on the bar. “Are you saying Mia’s not safe?”
He hated being vulnerable in front of them. “Mia’s real, you know?” He met Grayson’s eyes and clenched his jaw.
Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I know.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
Liz met his eyes. “I like her and leaving her in the hall like that while we all went in here was rude. She’s coming with, as my guest, and if you guys don’t like that, that’s too bad.”
Before Tristan could argue with her, she’d escaped out the door. He slumped against the cupboard. He wasn’t ready for this.
Jessica looped her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know you still hurt. But maybe this is a good test. Open your heart a little.”
“I can’t do that.” His voice was thick with emotion.
“I understand. We’ll make sure she sits between us girls. You don’t even have to talk to her if you don’t want to.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Just as long as she doesn’t sit next to Seth.”
Seth guffawed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Dude, you either want her or you don’t. If you don’t, I’m all over that.”
The door opened, and Liz came back, followed by Mia. She’d changed as well and looked very pretty in a long sweater dress and leggings. It hugged all her curves, and he met Seth’s eyes. The challenge was set.
Dammit.
He should just let Seth have her, but every time he thought of Seth’s grubby paws on her, jealousy rose in his chest. It was an odd sensation.
He whispered in Jessica’s ear. “Make sure you sit next to her. Please.”
Tristan felt like Jessica was the only one who really understood, which was strange, because he’d known these guys far longer than he’d known her.
Liz kept Mia captured in a conversation all the way to the restaurant. Seth followed close behind though. They entered the dining room, and to Tristan’s surprise, Mia didn’t sit next to Liz or Jessica. Instead, she took a seat halfway around the table, with empty chairs on both sides of her.
The ass, Seth, snagged the chair on one side, so Tristan had no choice but to take the other. Mia smiled at him.
“I’m surprised I’m still hungry,” she said.
“Yeah, you ate more of whatever the hell it was called than made it into the oven.”
She poked him. “So, did you. It was called sarmale.”
Jessica gave him a pointed look as she sat across from Seth. “What is that?”
“It’s a Romanian Christmas dish made with cabbage leaves. We made the best one, so we won the ingredients to make it for Christmas Day,” Mia said animatedly. She looked like one of those overly excitable Disney princesses.
“You ate cabbage.” Jessica raised a brow at Tristan.
He lifted a shoulder. “It wasn’t that bad. Maybe just an appetizer tonight, then.” He tugged at his collar. He wanted to reach over and rest his hand on her knee. Seth was perusing the menu, but he was sitting closer to Mia than Tristan was comfortable with.
“You want to share?” Mia’s green eyes met his. He blinked and gathered his thoughts.
“How do you know we’ll want the same thing?” He was being way too serious. Who cared if they both wanted the same thing?
She dropped her eyes to the menu and pointed with her manicured finger. “How about the sampler? That’s a little bit of everything.”
The answer was so simple and matter of fact. Like they did this every day. He needed a drink and took a sip of his water. “Sounds good.”
Somehow, he’d gone from not even wanting to sit next to her to sharing a meal with her. This was too easy. He liked it. Being with her felt like a comfy scarf, though she was much sexier than a scarf. He smiled to himself.
But he didn’t want to let his guard down. The words echoed in his mind. How do you know we’ll want the same thing? It was such an idiotic thing to say.
The waitress came around, and Grayson ordered half the menu.
Mia laid her hand over Tristan’s. His heart fluttered. He spied Adam out of the corner of his eye, his phone pointed right at them. Ass.
“We’re going to share the sampler,” Mia said.
It took all of Tristan’s self will to not flip his hand over and weave their fingers together. He moved his hand out from underneath hers and clasped them in his lap. Jessica smirked at him. He almost stuck his tongue out at her like a child.
Seth flung his arm across the back of Mia’s chair and whispered something in her ear. She giggled and shoved him in the chest. He scooted even closer to her.
Mia’s face flushed, and she grinned from ear to ear. Tristan wondered how hard it would be to bury Seth in the snow after he murdered him.
“So how did all of you meet?” Mia asked.
“College,” Tristan said in a hurry. He wanted her to pay attention him, not his traitorous friend on the other side. “We’re all from the same fraternity.”
“Which one?”
“Omega Mu Alpha.”
She nodded. “I don’t think we had that one at our school.”
Seth snorted. “Probably not. It’s not usually at the smaller schools.”
“Why?”
“Because, sweetheart, that frat turns out more millionaires than any other frat in the country. Super exclusive and mostly legacy.”
She glanced around the table at all the guys. Tristan wo
uld’ve given anything to know what she was thinking. Seth sounded like a pompous windbag. He needed to remember she didn’t grow up like them. It was rude to talk about money, although he’d never felt that way before.
“Were all of you legacy?”
“Those losers all were, not me. I got in on pure talent,” Seth said with a smirk.
“So how did you get in?” Mia asked.
“By being tenacious,” Seth said at the same time Grayson said, “By being an annoying ass. I can’t even remember why we let you in in the first place.”
“You can’t remember, dude? I saved Teddy Bear’s life.” He puffed his chest out.
“That’s right. She ran onto the ice before it was fully frozen over, went right in the water,” Adam said.
“Who’s Teddy Bear?” Mia asked.
“She was our frat dog. Doberman. A sweetheart. Died our senior year. But she would’ve died that day our freshman year if not for Seth. Jamie and Lukas jumped in after her, but it was Seth’s vet background that kept her alive after we got her out.” Adam picked up his phone and started taking pictures. Again.
“You’re a vet?” Mia asked.
“No. But my dad was, strictly farm animals, but I helped a lot. I was going to follow in his footsteps, but these guys convinced me to switch to finance instead.”
“Yeah, we were kinda hoping he’d be our accountant, but instead he goes and specializes in international finance and won’t help any of us out,” Adam said.
Seth snorted. “Whatever. I’ve closed more deals for you guys than I can even count.”
Mia laid her hand on the table next to Tristan. He almost reached over and squeezed it, but he kept his hands firmly in his lap. He did think about swatting Seth’s arm off of her chair. That could very well end up in an immature slap fight behind Mia’s head, but he still considered it. Though, as soon as the food arrived, Seth would be distracted.
“Jessica said there are ten of you. Where are the others?”
“Lukas and Jamie both have kids. They’ll spend Christmas Day with them and fly in on the twenty-sixth,” Tristan said.
“Will the kids come?”
“When they get older, but not yet. Hayden’s a momma’s boy and won’t spend Christmas away from her. And Blake’s in Japan working and couldn’t get away.”
The waitress showed up and put three plates of food in front of Seth and another two in front of Grayson. Seth attacked the food with vengeance, completely ignoring Mia.
Mia gave Tristan a devastating smile. Oh, he was so lost.
Chapter Sixteen
Mia woke up late the next morning. She’d had an extremely difficult time falling asleep. She’d tried to read, but Seth’s words kept floating through her mind. He’d leaned over during dinner and whispered in her ear.
Tristan wants you bad, but he’s chicken. I’m trying to make him jealous, so he’ll move faster. If you want me to keep it up, giggle like I’ve said something funny.
And she did. Because there was something about Tristan that beckoned her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she was two seconds away from taking her sister’s advice. She needed to find a way to make sure her heart didn’t get involved. She’d done this in college a few times. She could do that here.
Except college was just a few drunk party flings. This felt a lot different. Especially since she couldn’t figure out why Tristan would be scared of her. He seemed so utterly confident all the time, and she’d seen him flirting with other women at the bar. Mia was not an intimidating woman.
She couldn’t dwell on it too much. If he wanted her like Seth said, she’d play the role of sex kitten. She wouldn’t get involved with her heart. All she had to do was picture her exes’ faces, and she could remember she wasn’t here to find another relationship.
Mia took a quick shower, unsure of what she was going to do. Frankie had already left for the day by the time she got to her room, so she wasn’t sure if he’d planned anything for them today or not.
She thought about putting on her jeans, but opted for thick leggings instead. They were more comfortable and warmer. She put on a black long sleeve t-shirt and a red sweater.
A knock sounded on the door, and she ran to get it.
Frankie stood there with a wicked smile. “Who’s your boy?”
“You are,” she said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “What’s up?”
He waggled his finger at her. “Un uh. Not until you tell me about last night.”
“The class was fun, and I went to dinner with him and his friends. I had a good time, but nothing romantic.”
“Well, girl, hold on to your hat because I’ve got only the most romantic things Breckenridge has to offer.”
“Not looking for romance.”
Frankie put his hands on his hips. “Oh, yes you are. That boy is not interested in me, so I’m living vicariously through you.”
Mia snorted. “He’s not interested in me either.” Perhaps that was a lie, but she wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.
Frankie sighed dramatically. “Right. That’s why he ordered you the chocolate bath.”
Mia’s cheeks colored. “Okay, fine. Maybe he might be a little interested.”
“I want details, sweetie.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “There are none. But it was totally worth it. Do you have any other bright ideas?”
Frankie cleared his throat and waved the paper theatrically. “Today, you will be joining an intimate group of people who will snowshoe through our lovely woods. Tomorrow, you’ll take a private helicopter tour of our gorgeous mountains. On Friday, you’ll spend the day in the spa and end with a couples massage, and then…”
“Ideas, Frankie, I wanted ideas.”
“Nothing happens with just ideas. These are plans.”
“Cancel everything. I can’t afford it. Besides, I don’t even know if Tristan wants to do these things. I’ll suggest them, and then we’ll decide what we want to do.”
Frankie started to argue, but his walkie buzzed. He handed Mia the paper, and she quickly scanned the rest of the list. Ice skating, wine tasting, and a show at one of the other resorts. Mia chewed on her lip. She wasn’t thrilled about any of this. Sure, the cooking class was fun, but she liked cooking. Snowshoeing? She’d fall flat on her face. And she wouldn’t mention ice skating to Tristan. She also worried that she’d puke on the helicopter. This was a dumb idea.
Frankie set his walkie on the counter and put his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes.
“I’ll cancel the rest of the plans, but it’s too late to cancel the snowshoeing. It’s already paid for. This will be good for you. Go get Tristan. This should be enough to see if you’re going to weasel your way into his bed or not.”
Her familiar racing heart showed back up. Her breath sped up to catch it, and she had to sit down. It was hard to get into this new Mia, the one who tried new things without thinking. She forced herself to nod.
They were due to meet the group for snowshoeing in less than an hour. She gave Frankie a quick hug. “Thanks. You’re the best,” she whispered and slipped out of the door. She didn’t have time to hesitate. Besides, she was looking forward to spending the day with Tristan. Even if that meant spending the day outside.
She knocked on Tristan’s door. Sera barked, and Tristan hushed her.
He opened the door, and his eyes traveled the length of her body again. Yep. Exactly what she was going for. The look in his eyes almost caused her to forget why she was here.
“What’s up?” he finally asked.
“Well, I was supposed to go snowshoeing with a friend I met a couple days ago, but she’s come down with the flu. I know you aren’t doing anything because of the, you know.” She pointed to her head. “Wanna come with me?” She really, really hoped this worked because she didn’t have another plan.
He cocked his head, and Frankie rushed up.
“Sorry, I’m late for Sera. You two need to get going, or you’re going to be
late.”
“Late for what?” Tristan asked.
“Snowshoeing. Hurry.”
Frankie handed Mia her coat and gloves and pushed past Tristan.
“Will you come?” Mia asked again, with what she hoped was a pleading look.
Frankie came up behind Tristan, coat in hand. “Go now. I’ve got Sera. No worries.”
Tristan stepped out, now looking thoroughly confused.
“I guess I’m going with you.”
“Good.” Mia grabbed his hand and pulled him to the elevator.
Hurdle one crossed. Man, she was feeling bold. Was she seriously dragging him behind her right now?
Yes, she was.
Now she just hoped he’d have fun.
Chapter Seventeen
Tristan looked around the van. He and Mia were the youngest people by at least thirty years. He still wasn’t sure how he ended up here. He hadn’t even had his coffee yet, so he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Somehow, he and Mia kept ending up together.
An older couple in matching sweaters sat quietly in front of them. They each had headphones on and stared at their own devices, but they were holding hands. In front of them two older ladies wearing Breckenridge or Bust sweatshirts chattered happily.
“Have you ever done this before?” Mia asked.
“No. This is a new one.” He rubbed at his face.
She grinned. “Me either, but I’m pretty excited.”
Her smile wasn’t quite real, a little forced.
Tristan had no idea how hiking through a bunch of trees could be fun, but he was more than happy to be spending time with her, and that bothered him. He just wished it wasn’t with a half dozen senior citizens.
He slung his arm casually across the seat, gauging her reaction. She seemed okay with Seth. Would she be alright with him?
“So you’ve never been on a vacation anywhere but here?”
She nodded. “I really had no desire. I know that’s weird. But I like my little corner of the world. Where do you live?”
“The Keys.”
“I bet it’s beautiful.”
Christmas and Commitment (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 6) Page 7