“No, he’s busy trying to get himself killed. Think about that avalanche, Art!” she snapped.
If there was one thing I didn’t miss about being home, it was the constant bickering between these two. I knew they loved each other to distraction, but sometimes I failed to see the connective tissue.
“He’s fine. Landon, how did the new avalanche beacons work out?”
“Great,” I answered truthfully. “Rachel was the first to get a hit, and they had Gabe dug out in record time.”
Mom blinked, and Dad’s mouth dropped open. “Dear…” Mom started. “When you say Rachel…”
I laughed, loving the ability to shock her every once in a while. “I mean the Rachel. She’s here.”
“How?”
“Are you two together?”
“I need details!”
My laughter nearly overpowered their demands. Nearly. “You guys. Okay, look. I’ll be home for Christmas, and I’ll bring her by, okay? But you have to swear not to scare her off. Promise.”
“Scout’s honor,” Dad said.
“Well, I mean, I’ve always wanted to meet her. Where does she go to college when you’re not sailing around the world? And what’s her last name again?” Mom asked, no doubt ready to demand a background check on her.
“She goes to Dartmouth, and she’s a journalism major. And Mom…no. Don’t do it.”
“What? Don’t look out for the best interest of my only son?”
Dad rolled his eyes. “Landon, we love you. Go have a great Thanksgiving, and we can’t wait to see you once you’re home in a few weeks. Be safe, okay?”
“Always, Dad. Mom, I love you.”
“I want her last name, Landon!”
“What was that? I can’t hear you. We’re breaking up or something…must be pulling away from port… Love you! ’Bye!” I slammed the laptop shut.
I quickly tied my tie and then ran my hands through my hair. This was as good as I was going to get…as soon as I adjusted this knot.
“How is it possible to be so incredibly sexy?” Rachel asked from my doorway.
I winked at her in the mirror as I finished with the tie and caught my breath. My fingers tangled in the knot as she walked in. Her black dress wrapped around her body, hugging each line, and was secured by a single tie.
One little pull.
Her hair was swept up, and she looked different somehow…
“Need some help there?” she asked with a smile.
“You have makeup on,” I noticed, appreciating the way her eyes stood out.
“Well, we’re not in a mudslide or stuck in a Himalayan snowstorm, so I thought it seemed appropriate.”
“You’re gorgeous either way,” I told her honestly as she adjusted my tie. “I happen to adore every side of you. Makeup, no makeup…clothes, no clothes.”
She smiled up at me, and my heart clenched, then flew. How easily this could be our normal life. We could be getting ready for any event, a graduation, a date…an anniversary.
“Thank you,” she said simply. “You make me feel beautiful.”
A longing took hold in my soul. I’d always told her that she was it for me—my own little piece of infinity, but here, I saw it. Felt it. Longed for it. I wanted her boarding next to me on the slopes in Colorado. I wanted her coming home to me in L.A. after a long day. I wanted her arms around me when shit went wrong, and I wanted to celebrate with her when it all went right.
She smiled, patted my chest, and headed out. “It’s going to be cold if you don’t hurry up.”
God, she really was everything I wanted for my entire life wrapped in one petite package that packed a hell of a punch.
I stood in my doorway as she hugged Leah, then grabbed a bottle of wine for the table. Every movement was graceful, just like she was. My mind took flight and imagined another Thanksgiving in a few years, where maybe there would be smaller versions of ourselves running around, and for once, the prospect of true adulthood didn’t terrify the shit out of me.
Because I couldn’t fail if Rachel was with me. We balanced each other out, traded off times when we each needed help. We were strong, but together we were invincible.
“Holy shit, I’m in love with her,” I whispered.
“Just now figure that out, Captain Obvious?” Penna said as she walked by.
I stood there speechless until she turned around.
Penna stopped. “Wait, are you seriously just figuring that out? Because we’ve all known for a good three years or so.”
My mouth hung slightly open as I shook my head. “No. I mean, yes. I mean… Hell, I don’t know.”
“Words typically help,” she said, hobbling back to me.
“I knew I never stopped loving her, not really. But…I’m in love with her. Completely, heart-shatteringly, madly in love with her.”
Penna grinned. “Good. Now keep her.”
“How can she possibly love me back after everything I put her through? I abandoned her without a word for reasons that no longer seem anywhere near good enough.”
Penna took my hand and squeezed. “You make it up to her in every way possible. You earn her trust back, and then you never break it again. You deserve happiness, Landon. You both do. Whether or not she loves you is up to her. All you can do is be the best version of you.” She looked back over to where Rachel stood with the other Renegades, our dining room table extended to fill the living room. “Something tells me it will be more than enough.”
I walked Penna to the table and pulled out her chair so she could sit. Then I found my seat next to Rachel and kissed her soundly, uncaring that I smeared her glossy lips or that the entire Renegade family was watching.
She smiled and kissed me back. “Good thing the cameras aren’t in here, huh?” she joked as everyone gave a little hoot.
But I wanted the cameras. I wanted the entire world to know that I was hers and she was mine, and that the only person I’d ever be using those Casanova moves on was Rachel. But she wasn’t ready, because she didn’t trust me yet.
As we sat to Thanksgiving dinner, which Pax had no doubt paid a fortune to have delivered to our suite, we all took turns saying what we were thankful for.
Finally, it got to me.
“I’m thankful for our families, both biological and chosen,” I said. Then I turned to Rachel. “And second chances.”
I wouldn’t need a third.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rachel
Queenstown, New Zealand
“We’re going to be late if you keep that up,” I said to Landon, exposing more of my neck for his mouth. The man was going to have me in a giant puddle, and I wasn’t sure I cared.
“We could stay in today,” he countered, backing me against the wall of our hotel room.
“We could,” I agreed, running my fingers through his hair. Every muscle in my body clenched with the unbelievable pleasure he sent spiraling through me. It was like my neck had a direct line to my core, and Landon was taking complete advantage. I moaned when he set his teeth to the delicate area where my neck met my shoulder.
“Yes, let’s do that,” he said as his hand slipped under my halter top and underlying bikini to cup my breast. His thumb found my nipple, and I arched, wrapping one leg around his waist.
For not having sex, we were certainly pros at the hottest make-out sessions ever.
Hard against me, he strained against the material of his cargo shorts, and I grasped him through the layers of material. He was hot and heavy in my palm, and the moan he gave me when I gently squeezed him sent a fresh wave of need through me.
“Fuck,” he said, leaning his forehead against mine as I stroked his length.
“We could, you know,” I suggested. It had been two weeks since his self-imposed celibacy, and he’d not backed down even an inch.
He grasped both my hands in his and held them against the wall above my head. “Stop trying to rob me of my virtue, Ms. Dawson.”
“Stop driving me out of my
mind, Mr. Rhodes,” I complained.
He kissed me long and hot, his tongue twisting around mine, drawing every ounce of pleasure he could between our mouths. With my hands pinned, I could only accept his kiss, but I leveraged my lower body and wrapped leg to rock against him. How long could this madness continue?
Three loud slams at our door were followed by Little John’s voice.
“The van is waiting on you two. Let’s go.”
“We’re not going,” Landon called, his mouth hovering just above mine.
“Like hell you’re not. Unwrap yourself from your girlfriend and get your ass in the van now, Nova.”
Landon’s eyes raked down me. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to put you on that bed and ride you until my sexual frustration is a distant memory,” I said, nipping at his lower lip.
He growled.
“But I guess we really should go, seeing as we flew all the way down here last night, don’t you think?” I asked.
“I’m not kidding, guys!” Little John called through the door.
“Fucking fine! We need a minute.” He backed away from me and glanced down at his erection. “We need a couple minutes.”
I stalked him, and he retreated. “Don’t even think about it,” he said.
“Think about what?” I asked innocently, laughing at the absurdity of this six-foot-plus guy backing away from a five-foot-two girl.
“No,” he said, stopping and pointing a finger at me. “You touch me, and I know I’ll fucking lose it. You’ll be on your back on that bed, against the wall, in the shower, on the damned bathroom counter in less time than it would take you to count to three, and I don’t even know where to buy condoms here.”
“You didn’t bring condoms?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “What kind of sex god are you?”
“One trying to convince the girl of his dreams that he means serious business!”
“Well, I seriously could go for some sex!”
“I could go for you two getting your asses into the goddamned van!” Little John called out.
Laughter bubbled up through my lips, and I covered my mouth as I tried to get myself under control. “Oh my God, he must think I’m the horniest girl ever.”
Landon joined in, pulling me to his chest and kissing the top of my head. “Yeah, well, apparently I’m the prude here.”
“And I’m getting sick of asking you guys to get out here!”
We grabbed our bags and headed out the door. Little John stood with his arms folded in the hallway. “It’s about damn time.”
Landon didn’t make any excuses, just shrugged his shoulders and held his hand out for mine. I slipped mine into his, and we made our way to the van.
“For fuck’s sake, you two,” Pax called out. “We have an appointment.”
“You know what? Until one of us misses the boat, you have no room to talk about tardiness,” Landon answered with a grin as we pulled into traffic, the camera crew following in the van behind us.
“Fuck off,” Pax answered and put his arm around Leah’s shoulder.
“Later,” Landon promised in a whisper as I leaned against him, buckling my seat belt.
“Later what?” I asked.
He moved his lips next to my ear. “Later I’m going to strip you out of these shorts and bury my tongue inside you. I can’t have my girl walking around all sexually frustrated.”
I turned so fast that our lips brushed. “How about this? You get to put your mouth on me when I get to return the favor.”
“You play hardball, Ms. Dawson.”
I grinned. “Learned from the best, Mr. Rhodes.”
“I can’t remember ever wanting someone as bad as I do you, Rachel,” he whispered.
The van was crowded, but it felt like we were the only ones on the planet.
“I might know how that feels,” I told him.
He ran his thumb over my lower lip before kissing me. It was soft, lingering, and full of the barely restrained passion I knew lurked just beneath his surface.
“There’s only one thing to do when I’m this damned turned on and can’t have you.”
“And what’s that?”
“Go jump off shit.”
“Sex is comparable to cliff swinging?” I asked.
“Hell no. Sex with you blows everything out of the water. But I’ll take what I can get.”
“You can have it all,” I told him in all seriousness.
“Yeah, I know,” he said, kissing me again softly. “That’s why I’m waiting on the sex.”
Damn it. He was good.
A hot Kiwi strapped me into my harness as Landon watched. “Are you ready for this?” the guy asked with a sexy little smile.
A couple of months ago, I might have gone for him.
Now the tall guy brooding behind him was all I could handle—or want.
“Tallest cliff swing in the world? Bring it on,” I said, carefully examining the latches on my harness.
“A girl after my own heart,” he said, pulling the strap tight. The metal platform we stood on hung over 350 feet in the air, and I could already feel my body readying itself to take the plunge. I freaking loved this stuff.
“Mind if I look?” Landon asked.
The guide knew the Renegades by reputation and backed away with his hands in the air. “Feel free, Nova. I strapped your girl in tight, I promise.”
Landon went over every strap and latch, pulling the one around my waist a little more snug before he was satisfied. “You sure you don’t want to go tandem with me?”
I rolled my eyes. “I think you’ll be safe on your own, honey.”
His eyes lit up at the endearment. “What will I do without my lucky charm?”
“Vomit,” Pax said from behind him. “Rach, you strapped in?”
“Yeah, I’m good to go,” I told him, my eyes still locked on Landon. His eyes looked blue today against the fabric of his shirt, and they were looking at me in a way that said he’d rather be watching me naked.
Well, that makes two of us.
“I saw you at the X Games last year, Nova. You’re pretty badass on that board of yours,” the guide said as Landon gave his final approval on my harness.
It was completely overbearing and a little primal but hot as hell to watch his concern for me.
“Thanks, I love what we do,” he told the guide.
Leah walked out onto the metal walkway until she reached us.
“Firecracker, what are you doing out here? I’ll take you with me,” Pax promised.
“I’m going to ride tandem with Rachel,” she said. “You have stunts you need to do. There’s no chance I’m holding you back from that.”
“No. No way. I’ll take you. I’ll just come back up—”
“Hell yes!” I said. “A girl jump!”
Leah smiled and pulled away from Paxton, her harness already in place and no doubt examined like she was launching into space. If I thought Landon was obsessed with my safety, well, Paxton was ten times worse with Leah.
“This okay with you, mate?” the guide asked, not knowing which guy to ask.
“Well, since she said it’s okay with her, mate, it doesn’t matter what the boys say,” I sang sweetly.
Leah echoed my smile. “I’m quite capable of making my own choices.”
“Fuck my life,” Paxton muttered. “Fine. Rachel—”
“Save it, Wilder. She was my best friend long before she was anything to you,” I said with a grin. “Strap up, Leah!”
“Guys, I’m going to have to ask you to wait off the platform,” the guide said. “We already have a camera out here, and you’re in my way.” He showed them the way off while they sputtered about safety and harnesses.
“Well, girls, what do you want to do? The drop slide? The backward fall? The cutaway?”
Leah blinked up at me, realizing what she’d signed on for. She had been petrified of heights when we were at Dartmouth, but Wilder had helped her work thro
ugh a ton of it. But having gone through the accident she did a few years ago, it didn’t surprise me to realize some of that fear would linger.
“Cutaway?” I asked Leah. “Instead of rushing off, we hang there for a second, and then they cut the rope.”
“Yeah, that sounds better than just falling off,” she agreed.
They latched us onto the cord and walked us through the procedure once the ride was over. Then they hoisted us until we hung suspended over the platform. We were jostled as we attached to the line that would swing us down the canyon.
“Oh my God, this sucks,” Leah said, gripping her rope. “Talk to me.”
“About what?” I asked, watching the river raging in the canyon beneath us.
“Anything!” she snapped. Then she took a deep breath. “I can’t let him think I’m upset. He’ll freak out.”
“Ready, girls?” the guide asked.
“No!” Leah yelled.
“It’s not bad,” I promised her. “You just let yourself go. The cord does all the work.”
“Not. Ready.”
“She needs a second. Is that okay?” I asked the guide.
The guide looked behind him, where Pax and Landon stood on land, their arms crossed. “You can have as long as you need.”
“Thanks,” I said, shifting us so that I could slip my arm around her. “Are you okay? You don’t have to do this.”
“No. I do. I’m good. I just… Ugh. Distract me for a second. How are things with Landon?”
I blinked at the change of topic. “Great. We’re connecting again, and I’m happy.”
“Do you love him?” she asked.
“What? We’re not talking about this right now.”
“For fuck’s sake, Rachel. I’m dangling three hundred and fifty feet over a river, getting ready to tell this guy that he can cut the rope that’s holding us here. The least you can do is tell me if you’re in love with Landon so I can die peacefully.”
My mouth opened and shut. “Uh. Well. I mean…”
I looked over to where he stood, shifting his weight back and forth in nervousness. He did this kind of thing all the time, so I knew it was worry for me. Ugh, that melty feeling in my heart was back.
“Are you?” she asked, gripping our harnesses like her life depended on her hand positioning.
Nova (The Renegades #2) Page 24