by K. A. Linde
“You seem pretty confident in yourself.”
“When am I not?”
She finally faced me again, a mask of composure. “That’s a fantastic question.”
“I’ve got to go soon,” I said, inching toward her again.
“Oh, right, Sydney.”
“I just have one question.” I hooked my fingers into the loops of her jeans.
“What’s that?”
“Are you bringing something sexy for me?”
“That’s your question?” she asked, dumbfounded.
“Yeah, babe, I want to see you in some lingerie. Fuck, I’d die happy.”
“Even if I brought some with me, how do you know you’d even get to see it?” she asked, teasing me.
“Who else would you show it off to?”
“I thought I’d wear it to the show and see if I got any attention.”
The glint in her eye was fucking hot as hell. The very thought of someone else seeing my girl in lingerie got my blood boiling.
“Oh, you’d get some attention all right,” I said, yanking on her belt loops. “You’d be getting my dick spreading you open. I’d let every one of those fuckers who paid you any attention see who you belonged to.”
She rolled her pretty blue eyes at me. “Voyeur much?”
“I just want to be inside you.”
“I know.” Her tough-girl routine wavered, and she smiled up at me innocently. “I…I want you, too.”
“So forward, Princess. If we had more time, I’d let you have your way with me. Unfortunately, I have to pick up my crazy-ass cousin. You’ll have to wait to ravage my body.”
“Whatever will I do with myself in the mean time.”
“Masturbate while you think about me. It helps,” I said with a wink.
“Oh my God, why do I even like you?” She pushed away from my chest, but only made it two steps back before I had my arms around her again.
“Because you can’t resist my charm.”
“Is that what you call this obnoxious, persistent Neanderthal routine?”
“It worked on you.”
Ari shook her head and shoved me toward the door. “Go see your cousin. We’ll discuss your charm later.”
I arrived at the Newark airport at exactly eleven o’clock. Sydney’s plane was late, and I had to idle while she picked up her three enormous bags from baggage claim. She suckered some poor guy into carting everything out to my truck. He practically salivated when she smiled at him. I knew chicks had reacted to me like this, but seeing a dude act this way was fucking pathetic. Grow some balls.
After hauling all three bags into the bed of my truck, the guy nervously asked for her number.
“Oh, sorry. I’m here with my boyfriend,” Sydney said with a smile, pointing at my truck.
That was her go-to excuse. Sydney had had as many boyfriends as I’d had girlfriends. Well, I guessed I had one more than her now.
She hopped into my truck in the shortest fucking skirt I’d ever seen, not giving two shits if anyone could see what was underneath. Her chest was on full display in some tiny top, and she was in fucking cowboy boots. My born-and-bred Jersey cousin in motherfucking cowboy boots.
“Hey, cuz,” she said.
“Are you shopping in the kids’ section again, Syd?”
“Yeah, do you like it?” She uncrossed and crossed her legs.
“You look like a tramp.”
Sydney rolled her brown eyes to the ceiling. “Don’t start this shit with me again,” she said dismissively. “If one of your slutbag groupies wore this outfit, you’d fucking cream your panties.”
“You are not one of my slutbag groupies though. You’re my cousin—my younger, not-even-legal-to-drink, don’t-want-to-know-what-you’re-fucking cousin.” I shook my head. “I can’t take you to the Poconos wearing that. You’ll give every guy within a mile radius a hard-on.”
“Ever think that might be the point?”
“Oh, I fucking know that’s the point.”
“Then, shut the fuck up,” she said, jabbing me in the ribs.
“Will you just try to behave this weekend?”
I knew it was a lost cause to even ask, but I had to do it. She was still my baby cousin.
“Oh, Grant, I’ll try. I’ll try really, really hard, but sometimes, guys come on to me, and I just want to blow them. What’s a girl to do?” She batted her eyelashes at me.
There was no reasoning with her. We were two peas in a pod. We always had been while growing up. That meant I needed to let her know about Ari before she heard it from someone else. Sydney needed to get the jokes out on me. I didn’t want them getting back to Ari. Even though I was close with Sydney, I wasn’t sure how to tell her that I had a girlfriend. It had never happened before.
“Syd, before we get there, I need to talk to you about something.”
Her ears perked up. “Has Vin been asking about me?”
“What? Well, yeah, he has, but this isn’t about him.” I blew out a quick breath and just went for it. “I have a girlfriend.”
Sydney burst out laughing. She kicked her feet up onto the dash and leaned back. “Funny. That’ll be the day.”
“No, Syd, I’m serious.” I ventured forward. “Her name is Aribel, and she’s going to be at the resort this weekend.”
“A girlfriend?” she said the word as if it were new to her vocabulary. “But…you don’t do girlfriends.”
“Nah, I don’t, but she’s different.”
“Who the fuck are you? Are you sure that you’re my cousin?” she asked. “Where did we grow up? What street did you find me on when I fell off my bike in the sixth grade? How many doughnuts did we eat that one time before we both thought we were going to throw up?”
“Point Pleasant. Carter. Lucky number thirteen,” I fired back. “Still me.”
“Okay. So…what’s she like?” Sydney sat up and then tucked her feet underneath her like she used to do as a kid.
So, I told her about Ari. Sydney was most amazed that Ari wasn’t some dumb slut—as Sydney put it. I didn’t tell her that Ari was a virgin because Sydney probably would have just laughed at me and told me that I was only still with Ari because she hadn’t given it up. I wanted to fuck Ari more than I’d wanted to fuck anyone in my life, but that wasn’t why I was interested in her.
“Does she know about…” Sydney trailed off.
“No,” I said gruffly.
“Well, are you going to tell her?”
“I don’t know.” I clenched the steering wheel tightly in my hands until my knuckles turned white.
“Maybe you should.”
“That’s my business, Sydney.”
“I know. I just thought since this is the first time you’ve had a girlfriend—”
“Drop it,” I growled.
“Okay,” she whispered. She fluffed her brown hair and changed the topic. “You know I get the final stamp of approval, right?”
“Since when?” I asked, relaxing after that last part of the conversation.
“Ever. I’m your cousin,” she said as if that settled it all. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
I had the strong sense that this was going to be a disaster.
The girls and I arrived at the ski resort about an hour behind Grant and Sydney. He’d texted me to let me know that they’d already gotten their ski rentals and to meet him on the slopes. I’d gone skiing with my parents two or three times a year since I was little, but this was the first time I was going with friends.
After we dropped our stuff off in our rooms, the girls and I went to get our rental equipment. I had my own skis at home, but there hadn’t been enough time to get them shipped to me. My parents hadn’t been thrilled that I wasn’t coming straight home for the holidays, but I’d insisted that this was something I wanted to do. Even though they were strict, they had trouble denying me anything.
We spent the afternoon on the slopes, and after about an hour, we ran into Grant and Sydney. I wasn’t sure
what Grant had told her about us, but she had this humorous glint in her eye every time she looked at me. She and Cheyenne hit it off right away, which was just fine with me. They seemed like kindred spirits.
Sydney disappeared halfway through the day. When I asked Grant where she had run off to, he just laughed and told me not to worry about it. I shrugged and followed him to a Black Diamond trail while Cheyenne, Shelby, and Gabi met up with Kristin and her friends.
I didn’t mind being alone with Grant in the quiet, looking over the precipice to the world below. Actually, being up here at the top of a mountain felt about the same as it had the night when we sat on the shore, watching the sunrise.
“You ready for this, Princess?” he asked, leaning precariously over the edge.
“I’ve been skiing since I was four. Are you ready?”
He leaned over and kissed my frozen red nose. “Race you to the bottom.”
I laughed when he jumped down the slope without warning, taking a head start. He would need it. About halfway down the trail, I glided across a particularly icy patch on the ground to take the lead. I heard Grant hit the snow behind me. I came to an abrupt halt and turned to see him sprawled out with one ski sliding down the slope toward me and the other sticking straight up out of the snow in the woods about ten feet away from him. I couldn’t help myself. I just started laughing hysterically.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I asked through my laughter.
“Bitch, are you laughing at me?” His head popped up to glare at me.
“You look ridiculous.” I grabbed his spare ski when it reached me and stuck it in the ground.
“Well, are you going to just stand there? Or are you going to help me?” he asked, dropping his head back into the snow.
“You keep calling me a bitch, and I’ll just leave you there.”
“Babe…”
I kicked off my skis and made sure they were secure. I jogged awkwardly in my snow boots back up the mountain while carrying his ski with me. I dropped it down next to him and then went in search of the other. Once I had it in my hand, I placed it next to its mate.
Grant was still lying, unmoving, on the slope.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked him.
He slowly eased up into a sitting position and rested his snow-covered arms on his knees. “I’m going to be fine,” he said. Then, he reached forward, grabbed me by the backs of my legs, and pulled me down on top of him.
I shrieked and my knees landing hard in the snow. He just laughed, rolled me over, and covered my body with his. His mouth was on mine in a second, and any thoughts about the snow vanished. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer.
We stayed like that, lost in each other’s touch, until a group came by to make sure we were okay. Grant seemed completely unperturbed by them watching us, but I laughed nervously and told them we were fine. After dusting the snow off our bodies and snapping on our skis, we made our way down the mountain.
After a much-needed shower, I changed into a pair of skinny jeans, a tight black undershirt, and my baby-blue cardigan. I draped Grant’s dog tags over my head. It didn’t really go with my outfit, but I never went anywhere without them anymore. I grabbed a peach scarf and my peacoat, and then I headed down to the lodge with Cheyenne, Shelby, and Gabi in tow.
The opening bands were playing tonight to kick off the music festival. There would be shows the rest of the weekend, culminating in a giant final performance with The Drift. Their song “Tell It Like It Is” was playing nonstop on the radio.
The lodge was a massive open room that had been completely renovated for the music festival. The main area was a built-in stage that was used year-round for local events, and rooms branched off of it with stages for smaller bands. A second main stage along with two other slightly smaller ones were set up outside in tents with heaters for day performances.
At the door, we slipped on highlighter-green wristbands that gave us an all-access pass to the concerts all weekend. I stepped into the room, and I admired the mass of people gearing up for the opening act of the evening. The room setup was like a log cabin with high ceilings, exposed beams, and giant fireplaces that blazed brightly. I spotted the band near one of the fireplaces, and for once, I took the lead and walked my girls over to them.
“I’m so going to hook up with Vin this weekend,” Cheyenne whispered into my ear as we walked over.
I just laughed, feeling happy and carefree. It was a nice change of pace for me. “Have fun with that, Cheyenne.”
Two girls I didn’t recognize were talking animatedly to Grant when I approached him. He hadn’t seen me yet.
One leaned up to whisper something in his ear and then her friend slipped something into his hand before they walked away.
I arched an eyebrow as I approached. “What was that about?”
Grant shrugged. “Just groupies.”
“What did they give you?” I asked curiously.
He unfolded the note and passed it to me. I glanced down and saw that a room number was scrawled on it. Lovely.
“Is it always like this?”
“Nah, Princess. Normally, I take them home,” he said, pulling me close to him. “But the only person I’m taking home with me tonight is you.”
I hadn’t doubted that for a second—okay, maybe a second—but hearing that helped.
“Oh fuck!” Grant groaned.
“What?”
I glanced over in the direction where he was looking, and I saw exactly what he’d meant.
Sydney had just shown up in the most outrageous outfit for a ski lodge. She was in a teeny-tiny skirt that showed off a large rose tattoo on the outside of her right thigh. She was shrugging out of a parka, and underneath was an insanely low black tank top, displaying her half sleeve. She was wearing some god-awful cowboy boots that made it look a bit like she was trying to be Daisy Duke. Eyes followed her as she approached us. She was all smiles while her boobs bounced with her wavy brown hair trailing behind her. If this was her normal clothing choice, I suddenly understood where she had disappeared to this afternoon.
“Hey, cuz,” she said in greeting.
“Didn’t I tell you to behave?”
“Didn’t I say I’d try?” She gestured down. “I tried…but failed. Now, where is Vin?”
My eyebrows shot up at that. Sydney is interested in Vin? Cheyenne was gorgeous and forward, but she didn’t dress like that.
Grant sighed and pointed Vin out. He was standing only a few feet away from us by the fire, chatting up some girl.
“Thanks,” she said with a wink. “Oh, Aribel…”
“Hey, Sydney,” I said softly.
I didn’t know what it was about her, but at that moment, she made me feel about two feet tall. I’d never be comfortable in an outfit like that, not that I needed that kind of outfit or anything. Wow. When did I turn into such a girl?
She flicked the dog tags hanging down between my breasts. “Nice necklace.”
“Thanks,” I said as she sauntered away. “She’s, uh…something.”
“Ignore her. She’s trouble.”
“Sounds like someone I know.”
“You have no idea,” he said, slapping me hard on the ass.
I squeaked, and that only made his insufferable smirk widen.
“Watch this,” he said, gesturing to Sydney. “It’ll be entertaining.”
My eyes returned to Sydney, who had since pushed the girl Vin had been talking with out of her way.
“Vin, baby,” she cooed, slithering into his grasp and running her hand temptingly down his chest.
“Sydney, I’ve fucking missed you.” His hands ran down her sides to grab her ass. He looked like he’d just won the jackpot.
“Oh God, it’s so good to see you. I’ve missed these huge muscles.” She grabbed his biceps and squeezed. Her eyes fluttered closed, like she was going to orgasm.
I almost felt rude for intruding.
I glanced over to Cheyenne. She was sta
nding not too far off, and she was watching the whole scene, like everyone else. She was fuming, and her face was as red as her hair.
“Syd, you know you can have these…muscles anytime you want,” Vin said, thrusting her hips against him to emphasize exactly what he’d meant.
Her hand slipped between them, and his eyes widened further.
“I’ve been dreaming about your dick. Actually, I’ve been dreaming about you drilling it into me.”
“Let me take you upstairs right now and give it to you, baby,” he groaned. “I got all the dick you’ll ever need.”
“All four inches?” she asked with a devilish smirk. “Or is it five now?”
The watching crowd started laughing at her insult. I covered my mouth and shot Grant a look. He nodded his head back to them as if to say, It gets better.
“You know I’m a solid eight inches. Don’t even mess around.”
“Eight inches? What are you measuring with?” Her hands made quick work with his belt and then went for the zipper next. “Let me get a good look just to make sure.”
“You’ve fucking seen it before. The next time you see it, we’ll measure it inside your pussy where it belongs.”
“Oh, Vinny,” she cooed, “we all know you’re an ass man.” She winked.
“I’d fuck your ass, too.”
Sydney turned and shimmied her body down his and then back up, gripping his hips. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tilted her head back, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Maybe next time, lover,” she said before walking away from him.
“Is it just a game?” I asked, trying to comprehend what I’d just witnessed.
“One they’ve been playing since she got tits,” Grant told me. “Vin always made fun of her when she was a kid, and then she turned out…well, like Sydney. He’s wanted all over that ever since. I think she gets more amusement out of torturing him.”
“So, she’s not even interested in him?”
“Last I checked, no.”
“Still no,” Sydney said, coming up behind me. “No Vin for me, but I think your friend digs him.”