Unwrapping Treasure: A Granite Lake Romance Novella

by Kessler, Jody A.

  “I’m soaked. I need to change into my pajamas,” she said as she walked over to her bags. “I think you should crash on the couch. It’s pretty late and we were just sledding on the road so you know how deep and slick the snow is. The plows won’t be out until morning.”

  “Alright,” Bodie said and plopped down onto the couch. “I could totally go for more buttered rum and another cookie.”

  Treasure laughed feeling almost giddy. Cider and warm shortbread cookies were the only tradition she had with her dad on Christmas worth keeping. Now that her dad was gone, it felt particularly special to share it with someone else who appreciated it. “Have as much as you want,” she said and stepped into the bathroom to change.

  6

  The rock-star romance film began to pick up steam as the two main characters decided they needed a quickie in the dressing room before going on stage. Treasure’s eyes were glued to the screen even though her thoughts kept drifting to Bodie’s ripped chest and muscular thighs.

  She couldn’t seem to help herself. He was sitting right next to her, and they were actually doing something other than working. She began noticing different aspects about him. Particularly the way his shirt clung to his biceps and the way his jeans rode on his hips. His sex appeal couldn’t be ignored.

  Stop it, Treasure, she told herself over and over, but she knew her rebellious nature thrived on anything she wasn’t supposed to do or have. The more she shouldn’t have it, the more she wanted it, no matter what it was. This flaw in her personality loved to play havoc with the men she invited into her life and Treasure liked the game of cat and mouse a little too much.

  Bodie had never been in reach before so she’d never really considered him as fair game. Now they were alone and he was no longer tied to Vanessa. He was also leaving next week for the entire winter. Things could get interesting quickly and Treasure’s explicit imagination envisioned all new possibilities regarding her partner. She bit the edge of her fingernail and kept her eyes glued to the screen.

  The guitar playing lead singer in the movie sat on the edge of her dressing table with her legs wrapped around her rival’s hips. Her tall black leather boots met slender thighs and showed her skirt pushed up to her waist. The hunky guitarist from the rival band looked almost pained as he worked her over on the table, using her for his own guilty pleasure even though he had already received the news that his band won the battle of the bands and would be receiving the record contract. He was also in the know about the tour he would be rewarded by the record company. A tour his love interest’s band had been promised.

  She arched her back into him as his hand found its way to her breast. Then he captured her mouth with his and they climaxed together. What the guy didn’t know is the female singer and her band already signed another deal and she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone.

  Treasure sat on the couch engrossed in the film and mentally compared the actor’s butt to how she imagined Bodie’s looked. The telling tingle between her thighs enjoyed the movie and her own imaginings way more than was probably good for her.

  The female character pushed her lover off of her. His breathing was rough and he looked spent. The woman pushed her hair back and gave him the total mock brush off as she slid off the dressing table and began to adjust her clothes. She was the real hero in the film, but he wouldn’t be ignored or disrespected, whether she was only playing him or not. He grabbed her from behind and spun her around, refusing to be her sex toy.

  Treasure thought the confessions, either his or hers, were going to start spilling from their lips and she knew the breakup scene would be happening soon. Then they would figure out a way to make it all work so they could be together by the end of the movie. She loved romantic comedies and dramas and the sexier they were the better. She could watch them over and over again. She thought Bodie was being quite the champ about watching the movie with her even though he complained about being stuck watching a chick flick. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye wanting to see if the sex scene had any visible effect on him like it did to her. Then she noticed his head was tipped back and his eyes were closed. He hadn’t even been watching!

  She set her mug of cider down on the coffee table carefully so as to not make a sound and moved with deliberate slowness so she wouldn’t wake him.

  On the screen, the two musicians were groping each other again after a declaration had been made that they couldn’t stand the sight of one another. The twists in this movie just couldn’t be anticipated, she decided. Treasure watched for another second as the woman took charge of her sexuality and became a little rough with him. She liked this lady, and she liked how the guy always seemed to match whatever the woman threw at him with equal or greater enthusiasm to participate in her craziness.

  Treasure swallowed and then licked her lips deciding if she should follow through on her spontaneous idea. Screw it, she thought as she turned to Bodie and placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed. She was horny and not ashamed to admit it or do something about it. Honestly, she’d gone a long time without getting any. It had been a few weeks at least. The drought hadn’t been on purpose. She just hadn’t been in the mood after Marco, but now she definitely felt the need for sweat and muscles and release in the most primal way.

  Bodie’s eyes remained shut as his hand landed on hers, stopping it from exploring any higher.

  “You’re not even watching the movie, punk.”

  “I’m listening to it,” he said.

  “Liar,” she accused.

  His hand stayed steady on hers, making sure she couldn’t pinch his thigh anymore.

  “Genivieve is doing everything she can to scare Gabe away even though it’s the last thing she really wants. Now they’re kissing again as her phone keeps messaging her because she’s supposed to be on stage like five minutes ago.”

  “Okay, so maybe you’re paying attention.”

  “I like staring at the back of my eyelids,” he said, and released Treasures hand.

  “Are you saying you’re too tired for our movie marathon?” she asked and tapped her fingertips against his leg.

  Bodie took a deep breath and then looked at Treasure from the corner of his eye, head still resting back against the cushion. There was something smoldering inside him she’d definitely never seen before. She felt the urge to back up a few inches, but stayed put. Was she making it up because she wanted to see the heat of desire in him, or was it really there? She dropped her gaze to his pecs as she reconsidered her need for foreplay and physical connection. Would this really work out? He was leaving in just a few days. It would give them both plenty of space if sleeping together turned out to be weird or awkward. Bodie tended to be laid back and she guessed he could handle a one night stand a lot better than most guys she knew.

  Her eyes drifted back up to his face slowly, taking in every detail and feeling the surge of lust flare inside her.

  “Did you miss the part where they screw against the dressing table?”

  “No,” he said and she caught him looking at her mouth. “I heard it fine.”

  “He has a nice ass,” she said.

  “Hers isn’t bad either.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Treasure asked, suddenly interested in what turned Bodie on.

  “I guess,” he said with a tiny indifferent shrug of a shoulder.

  “You’re a butt guy?” she teased.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  She swallowed hard again. Treasure had picked up guys before, but normally she sent out a signal and then waited on them to make the first move. Somehow, in the moment, she knew she would have to let Bodie know what she wanted. He would never propose what she was about to.

  “What do you go for?” she asked. She was genuinely interested, but she also wanted to keep their conversation headed toward sex. This subject had always remained closed between them.

  “I’m not sure you need to know,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

  “I like muscles. A cute face. Sensuo
us mouth. Hard chest. Nice feet,” she said with a glance down at Bodie’s. She actually didn’t know what his looked like and she wouldn’t find out now because his thick wool socks kept them from being seen.

  “Feet? Really?”

  “Yeah. Ugly feet are the worst.”

  “You’re weird,” he said. “And you’re not watching your movie. You picked this twisted love story and now you’re not even watching it.”

  “I’m not,” she agreed. “I’m moving on to better entertainment.”

  “We’ve eaten, drank ourselves silly, and went sledding in a ridiculous amount of powder. Is sleep considered the next step of celebrating Christmas at the cabin?”

  “Bodie?”

  “What?”

  Maybe it’s only sleepiness in his alluring eyes not lust. She ran her hand higher up his leg and then stopped before she reached the crease where his leg met his groin.

  “I don’t know if you should be touching me like that,” he said.

  “What if I want to? What if I want to more than anything?”

  He stared into her and she felt completely unable to read what was going on inside him. Her heart started to beat harder and it made her breath come faster. She suddenly became aware of her nipples brushing the lace of her bra.

  “You can’t handle me, Treasure,” he said without any arrogance.

  She nearly guffawed at this statement. No guy had ever proclaimed how endowed he was to her before they had even made it to first base. Treasure couldn’t help herself as she looked down at the bulge in his pants with skepticism.

  “That’s not what I meant,” he said and slid her hand off his leg. “Not that I have anything to be embarrassed about,” he added.

  She thought she saw his ears and neck turn a nice shade of pink before speaking.

  “Let’s have one night together with no strings attached. Haven’t you ever thought about it?” she asked letting her tone turn serious for a second.

  Bodie focused on his lap for a long silent breath. Did she make a mistake in assuming Bodie fit in with ninety-nine percent of the men she had ever known and fantasized about what it was like to sleep with her?

  “We’re friends. We’re adults. How long has it been since you were with anyone? You broke up with her months ago. Aren’t you human? Don’t you need to feel a woman wrapped around you? Carnal pleasure? Orgasm? Wild monkey sex?” She wanted to keep throwing out dirty words and sexy images until he was hard and no longer wanted to stop himself from using her in all the best ways.

  “Listen, Treasure. Don’t assume I haven’t been with anyone since Vanessa.”

  “Have you? Are you seeing someone right now? I guess I should have asked before throwing this proposition out there.”

  He raised a hand and scrubbed his fingers over his scalp. “No. And no. But that’s not the point. I’m not like you. I don’t have to have someone in my bed all the time.”

  “Ouch,” she said and wondered if the real reason he hadn’t agreed was only because of her past with men. Too many men. That could be a turn off for a lot of people. Bodie knew about her weekend exploits. She didn’t openly talk about it, but they’d known each other long enough for him to figure it out.

  “I didn’t mean it like that, Treasure. I don’t care who your past boyfriends were. I meant I didn’t rush off and sleep with a dozen girls since the breakup. I needed some time to rearrange my head.”

  “Are you better arranged now?”

  “I am,” he said.

  “Maybe you’re right and we shouldn’t mess with what we have. I mean, you’re the only guy I can talk to like a normal person and not worry you’re going to hit on me and make it all uncomfortable.”

  Bodie blew air from his nose with a little huff and shook his head with disbelief.

  “What?” she asked, wondering what the discontent was about.

  “God, Treasure. Of course every guy hits on you because… look at you.”

  “I’m not all that. Guys just know I’m horny all the time.”

  “They don’t know any such thing. They hope you are, but it’s a wet dream that never happens for any old chump.”

  “I’m willing to let you have your way with me. Right now, Bodie. No strings. Just you and me and then we don’t ever have to discuss it again. I almost died yesterday and I want to feel alive in the best way I know how.”

  He shut his eyes and she watched him take a moment.

  “I don’t think you understand what you’re asking from me.”

  “I’m willing to find out.”

  Treasure twisted around and drew her knee up and over Bodie’s lap so she sat facing him and straddled over his legs. She grabbed the front of his shirt twisting the fabric in her fists. He placed his palms on her thighs and she had the fleeting thought that he would venture higher. That, or he was about to push her off.

  She watched his face until his eyes met hers in the flickering firelight.

  “Bodie, be my friend and do me this favor.”

  “Is this how you always deal with the stress from the job?” he asked softly.

  His breath moved in and out of his chest as softly as his tone. He seemed relaxed and thoughtful and she found this observation of him extremely attractive.

  “Sometimes,” she admitted.

  She loosened her grip on his shirt and trailed a finger down his abdomen. The firmness of his six pack increased her interest in what lay beneath the cotton.

  “And it helps?” he asked.

  “It can,” she confessed and felt blood rush from her center and warm her already overheated body. How long could he keep her answering questions? “Physical release helps the mind deal with trauma and stress.”

  “I usually go to the gym or somewhere to work it off,” he said.

  Was she imagining it or were his hands becoming hotter by the second? She licked her lips in an attempt to moisten them. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. “I noticed. No one has abs like yours without major dedication.” She pressed her hand flat to his incredible stomach and felt the muscles more thoroughly.

  “What about you?” he said, lightly squeezing the top of her left thigh. “This is pretty firm.”

  “I don’t go to the gym. That’s from the bike,” she said, staring down at his hand.

  Even his hands were gorgeous. His long and strong fingers gripped her quads and she wanted that hand to move to other parts of her anatomy. “Maybe from running.”

  “Running to work because your bike and your car are broken down,” he said, and she knew he was only half joking. She’d had more than one incident where this actually happened and she chose to run instead of calling him to pick her up.

  “I like running,” she said. Her hand was still on his taut stomach and she was ultra aware of how close she was to his beltline.

  “More physical release,” he said.

  “Something like that,” she said back. “Want to take a test run right now?” She scooted forward an inch and settled deeper onto his lap. Treasure liked to play with fire and she knew there were risks involved, but nothing had actually happened yet other than her placing the offer on the table.

  “You’re not talking about going outside for a jog in the snow, are you?”

  “No. Let’s try kissing and if we don’t feel any spark then we’ll go back to the movie and we’ll forget about it. Sound like a plan?”

  The way he looked at her had equally thrilling affects. Kissing seemed like an excellent place to start, but the intensity radiating out of him made her want to find out for sure, but also want to take it back. Maybe she couldn’t handle him, like he’d said. She didn’t pull away. Her daring side had to know. The decision would be his.

  Instead of answering, he raised his hands and cupped the sides of her neck and let his thumbs rest gently against her jaw. As he leaned forward, he drew her to him until their lips met with exquisite tenderness.

  It was a simple, sweet kiss that could have been an innocent meeting with no insinuation. E
xcept there was fire lingering in the pulse of their heartbeats. Treasure felt their connection pull deep down to her groin, and even though she subconsciously knew Bodie felt it too, she let doubt cloud her more conscious thoughts.

  He moved back an inch, pressing into the couch and giving him room to speak. “Anything?”

  “It’s a good start,” she whispered. Her eyes remained closed. She wanted the feeling to linger. The sensation of lust soaring from the edge of her lips to the tip of her tailbone and then blooming into a shower of sparks was worth holding onto. If she looked into his eyes again, she could fall into an abyss she knew nothing about.

  “Want to try again?”

  “Yes.” The word was little more than a breath escaping past her lips.

  “It’s going to be more intricate this time, Treasure,” he said. “Stop me if you need me to.”

  She almost whimpered with need, but she held still and waited for him. When his mouth met hers, it was tender at first. His lips were the perfect combination of warm and firm, supple yet coaxing. He tasted her first with the slight tease of tongue against her lips. She responded by pressing in closer to him. What started out as a test quickly turned into a journey of pleasure and teasing, tasting and traversing new territory. He kissed with his lips and teeth and his tongue knew exactly what to do. Even his hands found a way to guide her as he caressed the side of her neck with one hand as his other hand held her lower back causing the heat from his palm to penetrate straight to her core. Treasure decided in that moment, kissing should always be this tantalizing, this intoxicating.

  Her thighs pressed against his and she began to explore more of him with her hands. First, feeling his chest and then working up over his shoulders. His muscles excited her enough to ignore the ache in her shoulder. The bulge of his deltoids rolled down his shoulders and met biceps worthy of being worshipped – or licked – or better yet, both. She ran her hands down his sculpted arms and back up again and gripped the back of his neck, marveling at how strong the cords of muscle were. Her fingers crept upward, seeking the little divot where his spine met his skull. She loved the feeling of running her fingers through thick soft hair and Bodie’s was perfect, luxurious satin in her hands.