“Tight… on my muscle…s.” He was throwing gasoline on top of an already raging forest fire.
“Oh my,” I laughed and glanced towards the other end of the gym.
My skin was crawling because Monroe was watching us with the sourest look on her face.
“Don’t be jealous,” Chance said gruffly.
“I’m not,” I retorted. I hated that she looked like she owned him just because she’d sucked his cock.
“Did you get my note?” he asked, redirecting the conversation.
“I did. And the water.” I nodded and then added quietly, “Thank you.”
“I half-expected you to have your shit repacked and have disappeared by the time I got back—that’s why I figured I’d better get you the La Croix.”
“Oh yeah? I’m not sure whether I should be flattered that you are trying to bribe me to stay or insulted that you think you can get rid of me that easily,” I teased, watching as his movements became more strained with exertion.
“Definitely flattered.” There was that seductive half-smile again—the one that made my heart skip.
“Lucky for you,” I began breathlessly, “I have nowhere to go.”
He shrugged. “There’s always Tammy’s.”
My head shook back and forth. “No… it looks like both of our friends are going through something… difficult… and my staying with her would only add to her stress.” I left it at that though. I was curious about Nick, but asking Chance about it again before we really had an opportunity to talk would be a mistake. With a nod, I stepped back, indicating that he should get off the machine so we could move to the next.
“Alright, let’s give your legs a break and just do some back work.” We moved to the cable machine and I set a decent weight for him to warm up with.
Recalling bits and pieces of our conversation last night, I decided to open up round two with, “Have you told Wyatt that you are considering the position?”
“I’m not considering it,” he replied flatly.
“But you said—“
He spoke to finish my sentence, “That I would go with you to the mountain at the end of this week and depending on how that goes, I will decide what to do.”
My recollection of the conversation was slightly different, but there was no point in rehashing it now; once we were out on the mountain, he would see how wrong he was.
“I’m telling you though, I’m just not that great a teacher. And I have a bum knee. In what world is that a good idea?”
“In the world where you were one of the best in the sport, where you have tons of valuable information to share. The world where you’re still perfectly capable of snowboarding, just not competing like a crazy person at the risk of permanent damage.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “And why do you think you are horrible? You taught your sister the triple cork. And you taught me.”
I didn’t have that much of a death wish.
“I taught you a lot of things, J-bird,” his eyes roamed me up and down and my traitorous body flicked through each snapshot of all the things he could be thinking of.
“You taught me how to snowboard better—how to do tricks, instead of just flying down the mountain…” I’d already known the basics; I was more of a mountain rider than a park rat, but when Chance and I started dating, we’d spent time in the park while he practiced so he took the time to teach me how to do some simple tricks like a frontside grab.
“Yeah,” he laughed. “So?”
I shifted to put weight on my other foot, trying to disguise the ache that was gnawing between my thighs. “And you were hired to teach in California. Don’t be so stubborn, Chance.”
He just grunted in response.
Of course, I was right. Pursing my lips, I increased the weight by fifteen pounds for his stubbornness.
He didn’t even blink. And neither did I—watching as the veins in his arms bulged with the effort, the sinew of his muscles engorging as blood and oxygen flowed into them. It was like he was being carved out in front of me—and I stood there breaking apart with wanting him.
“Since when do you back down from a challenge?” I upped the weight again and he glared at me but pushed himself harder.
“I.” Press. “Don’t.” Press.
I shrugged, making it look like I thought that he was. “I think it would be incredible… I think you would be incredible.” The weight slammed against the machine as he let go of the cables.
His chest was heaving as he closed the distance between us. The sheen of sweat made my ghost glisten.
Not yours, Jessa.
“You know what I think is incredible?”
I knew exactly where this was going. Somewhere it shouldn’t and everywhere I wanted it to.
I know that you’re no good for me, I thought as he stood here waiting for my response, and it makes no sense at all that I still keep coming back for more.
“What?” I could have found myself easier in the ocean than I could in his eyes.
“Your pussy underneath my mouth.” His voice had dropped and our surroundings fell away. “My tongue licking that honey from deep inside of you until you come. Incredible is you drowning me with your pleasure.”
My mouth parted. Was it time to go home yet?
Yeah, even if I had proof that this was going to break my heart in the end, I was going to be with this man whatever the cost. It was like getting chemo for cancer—I would cure myself of my paralyzing desire for him even if it slowly destroyed me.
His forefinger underneath my chin pushed my jaw shut. “You know what else would be incredible?” he asked again softly with a dangerous grin. “Hearing you scream my name, instead of muffling it alone in your bed with the door shut as you finger yourself and imagine it was me—when I’m standing right outside.”
Oh, God.
Betty was right. I was going to give in. No one likes a half-assed resister anyway.
“Although, that was pretty hot, J-bird,” he smirked, “remind me to watch you pleasure yourself one of these days if I manage to be able to keep my hands off of you.”
“Let’s move on.” I squeaked like Mickey Mouse trying to redirect his freaking steamboat. Ignoring his satisfied smirk, I told him to go change and that he’d finish up in the Hydroworx. The pool room hadn’t really been working out in my favor lately, but it was the only thing that got him and his hot, sweaty, sexy mess out of my immediate vicinity. Right. Now.
I noticed Monroe watching Chance, the sour look on her face practically curdling when he walked right past her on his way to the locker room without even giving her a glance. At least she knew better than to follow him without an invitation—that would have been disastrous on her part.
I turned and disappeared into the other room. There was only one other group working in there and they were just getting started so at least I was assured that we wouldn’t be in there alone. Again.
“What are you doing for dinner tonight?” Chance looked up at me as he dried off. Conversation had been kept to a blessed PG-13 rating during the last half-hour of his session. I guess that compensated for the heavy looks that passed between us—mostly from me—as the water caressed over his ripped muscles.
“Why?”
He laughed. “Always so suspicious. I was going to stop and pick up some Chinese food. Thought you might be interested.”
My stomach growled. It was only two o’clock. “I might be,” I grumbled.
“Your usual?” My eyes widened. Did he really remember what kind of Chinese food I liked? “Egg rolls, vegetable lo mein, and General Tso’s chicken?”
Guess that was a yes. My whole body ticked up a degree, feeling a giddy warmth that I wasn’t the only one who seemed to remember everything about this man.
“I’ll pay you for it,” I muttered with a smile.
“I told you the last time, J-bird. I’m not letting you pay for fucking dinner. So say that again and you’ll regret it.” Before my mouth even opened to object—I was not goin
g to let him pay for my dinner—he stepped closer to me and said, “My house, my rules.” The way he said it sounded like he almost interjected ‘My woman’ in there, too.
Frowning, I replied, “If you think that your buying me dinner means that you are paying for… something else…”
He laughed before I could even finish and leaned towards me with his hand up against the one side of his mouth like he was about to whisper a secret to me, except he didn’t really whisper it. “Trust me, J-bird, I don’t have to pay for that especially from you.” He chuckled again and I was tempted to tell him I didn’t want anything—except the thought of coming home after a full day here that followed a relatively sleepless night had already sunk in too far for me to rescind it. “I’ll see you at home, Jessa.”
I just continued to glare at him and his stupid ass…umptions as he walked out of the door. I slammed the cover shut on my iPad, annoyed that I was so easily distracted by how eager I was to re-familiarize myself with every rise and valley of every muscle on his body… and the way I was now eagerly awaiting quitting time.
“Jessa.” My head darted up to see Dr. Lev peeking through the door to the room. “You ok?” Consternation was not a good look for Dr. Santa Claus.
“Yeah!” I exclaimed. “Just going over some things in my head—got a little lost. What’s up?”
“There are two local high schools that want to bring over their soccer teams for physicals on Saturday. Would you be available to help me?”
Saturday… Saturday…
“Yeah, I don’t have any plans.”
“Perfect. I’ll let Shannon know.” Shannon was the scheduling coordinator for the clinic. I smiled as he disappeared. I had no real plans for the weekend aside from spending all day… in the house… with Chance. Oh, God. No, we would be at the mountain. It had been weeks since I’d snowboarded. Tammy and I had gone for a few runs the one day that several of her ski lessons had cancelled. So, spending the day with Chance at home or on the mountain, I honestly think that, even after weeks of absence, the time on the mountain would result in less strain and soreness on my body.
I busied myself with notes and prep for my patients the following day. Usually at work, the day passed relatively quickly, but today, the next few hours felt like weeks. And the entire time my body felt like it was gearing up for a battle, an assault… and one that it was looking forward to.
I took a deep breath of the ice-cold air as soon as I stepped out of the building. It was the kind of empty cold that spread through your lungs like wildfire, the kind of cold that you could literally feel entering every cell. I pulled out my phone to see two messages from Ally.
ALLY
How did everything go yesterday? Today?
JESSA
Uneventful.
ALLY
…???
I didn’t even get a reply started before my phone started buzzing.
“Hello?” Shoving the thing against my shoulder, I fumbled with my gym bag and purse trying to find the keys to my truck and unlock and open the door without dropping anything.
“What do you mean ‘uneventful’?”
“Hi to you, too.” I tossed my bags onto the passenger seat and climbed in, starting up my truck and proceeding to huddle in the front seat while I waited for it to warm.
“Did you tell him? What happened?—Hold on Emmett!” I heard her yell to her counterpart. “I’d tell you to come over right now, but we are on our way out of town for the rest of the week.”
“Oh, yeah? Where to?”
“Well, it’s a surprise,” she began and then her voice lowered to a soft sadness, “but, Emmett wanted to take me away for a few days because it will be a year since Dylan’s death.”
My throat swelled. The fact that my girl could even talk so peacefully about her ex-boyfriend was a testament to just how much Emmett had done for her. Dylan had died tragically in a surfing accident just before their high school graduation and when she moved here, Ally had blamed herself for his death. She’d been a shell—and so had he. Both of them had been broken souls, but bound, they’d become whole again.
I wasn’t jealous of them. I swear.
Ok, maybe a little bit.
Unfortunately, my soul had been broken too long ago and, like a bone that isn’t set properly, it had healed misshapen and in ways that still pained me.
“I’m sorry, Ally.”
“Don’t be, Jess. I finally feel at peace. And I think these few days will be just what I need to finally let him and his memory rest in peace.” I could hear the soft smile in her tone and I could practically imagine Emmett in the seat next to her holding her hand.
Alright, I was really fucking jealous.
“So, did you talk to Chance? What did he say? And did he tell you what’s going on with Nick?”
“No. He left me a case of La Croix and a note yesterday saying that he wasn’t going to be home. So, I just saw him again at his appointment this afternoon.”
“Interesting… I really wonder what could be going on with Nick.” I murmured in agreement, turning onto the street that my new temporary home was on. “Are you going to talk to him tonight? Are you going to sl—“ her voice cut to a whisper and I groaned, “—sleep with him?”
“I’m hoping to talk to him tonight, yes. Nothing is going to happen until I talk to him; I can’t let this stay between us anymore.”
“Ok. Fine. But I did think about it and I just have one rule: you are not allowed to have sex with my brother in my bed—use his own bed.”
“Ally!” I exclaimed, her name turning into a groan thinking about what I’d done in her bed last night to the thought of her brother. Oops.
“What? I’m just saying. If it’s not going to happen, then it’s not going to happen. But if it does, I just want it to be clear that it’s not happening in my bed.”
“Yeah. Got it,” I muttered.
“How is he doing?”
“You mean besides the fact that I not only have to live with your brother but that comes after spending the afternoon with him?” I laughed. “No, it’s good. Betty is great. All of my patients are really great and today, Dr. Lev actually asked if I would assist him with some physicals on Saturday morning. I think I was the first person he asked, so I don’t know if that was because it’s a Saturday and I’m the newbie or if it’s because I was his first choice.”
“I’m sure it’s because of what a great impression you’ve made,” she reassured me. “How is Chance doing otherwise? With the therapy and everything? Aside from a few texts, I haven’t really talked to him and any time I ask how it’s going, he just says ‘ok’ or ‘fine…’”
Ally made no attempt to hide the torture in her voice knowing that Chance had shut himself off; he’d always done everything and anything to hide his weaknesses from her.
“Good.” It was the truth. “Channing and Wyatt asked him to teach at their new school.”
“Oh my God, really? She didn’t say anything to me!”
“She didn’t say anything to me either—probably because Chance hasn’t accepted.”
“Why not? That would be perfect!”
“I know… He doesn’t think he’s good enough.”
“Seriously? To teach kids who know nothing how to snowboard?” She scoffed. “How can men be so stupid sometimes?” I heard Emmett pretend to be offended in the background and Ally as she subsequently reassured him that he was the exception to the rule.
“Well, he hasn’t turned her down yet. I’m trying to convince him but I don’t know if that’s helping or hurting.”
“Well are you wearing clothes while doing it?”
My groan matched the crunch of my tires as they packed down more snow on the road. “Really? Sometimes, I wonder if you remember that you’re talking about your brother.”
“I told him I would go with him to the mountain at the end of this week to snowboard. I don’t think he’s been on one since… Hopefully, that will convince him because I’m not go
ing to bribe him with nudity to make the right decision.” Alright, maybe I would. If I had to. Even if I didn’t have to.
“Well, it’s just a thought. You know, if worse comes to worst.”
I sighed, turning into the drive. My heart jumped seeing the garage door open; he’d said that he’d be here, but after the past few days, I had my doubts. But seeing his truck was sending my body into haywire.
“Alright, well I just got home so I’m going to go.”
“Ok. Text me and let me know how things go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“You just focus on yourself for the next few days, Al. I’m good.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I shut my truck off as she hung up, staring at the door into the house. I felt warmth rush between my legs—and I hadn’t even seen him yet.
This was going to be interesting.
Eight years ago—Our graduation party at Frost’s
“DAMN, MAN. YOU ARE FUCKING toast.” Jack—one of the skiers in our class—laughed as he hit my arm.
“What?”
“Exactly.” He nodded over to where my focus was—Jessa—instead of where it should have been—on our conversation. “You look like you’re about to get down on one knee.”
Now, I laughed because he had no idea how close to the truth he was.
I loved this girl so damn much it was insane. And having her love? Well, that was everything. With that, nothing else mattered—not school, not snowboarding, not competing. I mean, the shit mattered, but it didn’t consume me; it didn’t wear me down to the point where I felt like if I didn’t get it all fucking perfect I was a fucking failure.
That was why I told her I would move to Texas with her; it was the same reason I’d let Emmett become ‘King of the Mountain’ way back so that she would date me: having her put everything into perspective.
The past week and a half though something had been up. She didn’t say anything and most people probably wouldn’t have fucking noticed the change. But, when I could feel the slightest quiver of her pussy against my dick just from her taking a breath, I could fucking tell when something was going on with her—when something was bothering her.
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