by J Q Anderson
I shake off the discomfort in my stomach and focus on the cards I was dealt. Not much, but I have all night to make these guys think my skills are rusty. There are eight people at the table, including me, and I have beat every single one of them in the past, except the new guys. This is the first game of the season and if things go well, it will add a nice bonus to my overall income.
“It’s a five card-draw and you need fifty to be in,” Derek says as he deals. I fish out a fifty out of my pocket and lay it on the table.
“Is this game expanding?” I look at the two new guys before pausing slightly on Hot Guy.
Derek shrugs. “That’s Pete, snowboard instructor; Liam bartends at the Spyglass bar and that’s… Jake. He’s… not with the staff, but it’s cool.”
I nod slightly. Dammit. Now he has a name. A cool one.
“Hi again. I’m Jake.” He smiles and it’s like someone just sucked the wind out of my lungs.
“Natalia.” I nod once. “Aren’t you a guest?” I look at my cards, then back at him, doing my best to sound impassive. I cannot let this guy mess with my mojo.
“Yeah, but it’s past my bed time, so I’m not even here.” He winks and for some reason it feels intimate. I look away at Dani to shake off the feeling. She winks, too. Shit. I focus on Zack and he narrows his eyes at me.
“I thought you were tired. Don’t you need a night off?”
I smile at him and scrunch my nose as I study my cards.
“Nah. Need to build up the pot.”
Zack lets out another one of his groans. “You’ll be tired and moody tomorrow. I won’t let you take it out on me. Especially after taking my goddamn money.”
“Aww, such little faith in yourself, Zacky.”
He mumbles something unintelligible and I blow him a kiss.
The game is on and I wait a few rounds, letting the others play their hands while I wait for the right moment. Two hours pass and only Zack, Derek, Jake and I remain in the game. The stakes are high. A little over two hundred dollars are piled in the center of the table, mostly tens and fives given that the source were tips.
Zack has nothing and Derek’s luck isn’t much better. Jake raises an eyebrow and lays his Full House on the table. I smile inwardly, but don’t move a muscle. Tango was a good teacher.
“Those are good,” I mutter.
“How good?” His eyes are locked on mine and it’s as if an electric field has formed around us. The room is a vacuum.
All eyes are on me.
I purse my lips, the first facial expression I allow myself and shake my head slightly, then lower my cards and gently slide them on the table.
My Straight Flush beats his Full House and I meet his eyes dead on with a wide grin.
He narrows his eyes, but a hint of a smile curves up a corner of his mouth.
“Damn.” He looks at my cards and shakes his head, like he still can’t believe it.
Dani cheers and hugs me from behind. Zack slides his chair back and runs both hands through his hair, then stretches.
“I don’t know why I bother. I should just give you the money.” He gets up and darts me a sulky look before walking out the door. I smile because I know he can’t stay mad and he’ll go back to being nice to me tomorrow.
Dani gathers the bills, organizing them in a single pile. She’s a master at it and works quickly. She loves helping me because my wins mean we go shopping. She knows I’ll buy her something nice. She would do the same for me, but she’s only won twice last season… on nights I wasn’t playing.
“You are good,” Jake extends his hand to shake mine. “Didn’t see you coming.” I shake his hand and immediately regret it. His hand completely envelopes mine. It is strong, a bit callused, definitely not what I would have expected from a guy vacationing in Aspen with a Barbie girlfriend. The image of her hand in his hair trespasses my thoughts. She looked older than him and I’m intrigued. My hand is still in his and I pull it away, the skin to skin contact strangely lacking the second I let go.
“Thanks. I’ll see you around.” I look at Dani who has finished packing the bills in her bag. She does a little victory dance in front of Derek and Shane, who shake their heads, but laugh anyway. Derek calls it a night and kicks everyone out of his room. Jake turns in the direction of the guest area while Shane, Dani and I head toward our rooms at the opposite end of the hallway.
Before I follow Dani into the room, I turn my head around to see Jake standing at his end of the hallway. Our eyes lock for a moment and the unwelcome feeling in my stomach returns full force. With a single, quick wave, he turns away. I close the door behind me and lean against it.
Shit.
Chapter 4: Jake
I enter silently so I don’t wake Tamara. She stirs and I still, but then she rolls over and I relax. I don’t think she’d care that I’ve been out, but I don’t like explaining myself to anyone. Haven’t done that since I was eight.
I lie in bed next to her, unable to sleep. All I can see when I close my eyes are those fierce green eyes and that untamed mane of endless black hair. Natalia. She’s sexy as fuck and I know it will be a challenge to be around her the next few days when I’m supposed to give all my attention to Tamara. I remind myself that this is a work week for me and I can’t let distractions like Natalia fuck with work. But I close my eyes and she’s there, barging into my mind, pouting her mouth in that sexy way that went straight to my dick. Her mouth is perfect. It taunts me even in my sleep. I dream about pinning her against the Jacuzzi wall, smothering her mouth while I fuck her.
She moans… Christ.
Tamara’s warm body pressed to mine awakes me. Her hand finds my dick and she lets out a pleased groan because I’m already hard. Without opening my eyes, I roll over on top of her, spreading her legs with mine. She giggles and grinds her hips against mine. Natalia’s face filters into my thoughts and I keep my eyes closed, holding onto the image as I thrust into Tamara. It’s intense, unusually mind-blowing and even though I don’t understand the hold this girl has on me I go with it. Tamara moans and I come hard with only one image in my head. Natalia.
This week’s shaping up different than I thought.
In the morning Tamara and I ride the chair to the top of the mountain. It’s not too crowded up high, so we are able to get a few runs in. It feels good to get my blood flowing. Tamara is a good skier and has no trouble catching up with me. Most women I go out with are barely average, so I’m enjoying this part of our trip. We have lunch at the Spyglass bar, a secluded spot overlooking the whole valley. I recognize one of the guys from last night… Liam, I think. He nods at me and I give him a brief nod back.
After lunch Tamara says she’s tired and wants to take a nap. At the base the valet meets us to take our boots.
“Are you sure you don’t mind if I go see Keira this evening?” Tamara runs her fingernails through my hair as I pull on my after ski boots. I give her an impassive smile although I’m more than glad to have time alone.
“Of course not. Have fun, babe.”
She slides onto my lap and wraps her arms around my neck. “What are you going to do on your evening off, all alone?”
“I’ll swim a few laps. My legs feel tight.”
She pouts. “You’ll be at the pool without me? I don’t know if I like that. I saw the way those waitresses were looking at you.”
“Tamara. You know you don’t need to worry about that. This week I’m yours, babe.” I kiss her and she smiles against my lips.
“That’s right. This week is mine. Maybe you’ll even get a bonus if you manage to not get distracted.”
I pull my head back. “I don’t get distracted.”
She smiles and slides off my lap. I know she’s pleased with herself for reminding me of the boundaries. I let her because in the end, she is nothing to me but another job.
Vapor hovers over the heated pool, the surface invisible under a layer of fog. It is close to midnight and the pool area is deserted. I shrug off my robe an
d stand at the edge, pausing to take in the incredible peace that surrounds me. I lower my goggles and dive into the water. This is the best part. Those five seconds after my body first meets the water. The cathartic, cleansing feeling of the world washing off me. I close my eyes and drift back to my life at the ranch with Dad and my brother Jamie. When I was free and the minutes in my life weren’t paid for by someone else.
I reach the end and flip-turn into the next lap. The familiar burn spreads through my muscles and I welcome it. I try to clear my mind, but Natalia’s image haunts me. This sucks because thinking about women is not something I spend any time doing. My life is simple and I like it that way. But this girl, something about her lures me in and I want to know who she is. She had an accent. Maybe Italian. Fuck, Jake. I switch to butterfly to engage every single cell and drown all thoughts of her.
Chapter 5: Natalia:
I plop onto the bed face down. My shift was totally shitty. I can deal with annoying, rich customers and it’s all good because the tips are great, but the drunk creeps that stay at the bar until we close get on my nerves.
I’m too tired to go skiing. Maybe the Jacuzzi. My cellphone vibrates in my pocket, startling me. Marc’s sleepy voice makes me smile.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Perfect timing. Just ended my shift.” I reach for a pillow and get comfy.
“Got your pockets full of numbers from hot, single guys who want you to call them?”
I chuckle. “Yeah. Just sitting here deciding…”
“I miss you baby.”
I miss him, too. I close my eyes and imagine he is lying next to me.
“I want to see you. When can you come?” I yawn.
“A week from Friday.”
I frown. “I thought maybe you’d come this weekend.”
“Baby, I can’t. I’m going to have to work all weekend for a pitch Monday.”
“Okay.” I let out an exasperated sigh.
Our conversation doesn’t last long because we are both tired and frankly, I am getting frustrated that we are apart. Our long distance relationship is getting harder and harder to endure. I hate that he lives so far away. He’s been flying down to Buenos Aires pretty much once a month, thanks to his generous income as a creative director in advertising. I’m a brat for complaining, but it’s still frustrating.
I kick off my shoes and chat with a friend on Facebook for a while, then she says she has to leave for the movies and I’m left solo again. Our room is small and I don’t want to hang out here. Dani is out with Zack having drinks in someone’s room and I could join them, but I need a break from everyone at work. I get my butt off the bed and decide to pay the Jacuzzi a visit.
The gelid night air hits me as I walk out the side door leading to the pool. It’s deserted except for a lane where a guy is swimming laps. I pull the collar of my robe around me to block the chill. It still smells like Marc and I smile. I remember telling him I was stealing it because I wanted his scent on me every morning. Dipping my head, I meander in the direction of the hot tub. I’m still a good distance away when my eyes pause on the swimmer. There is something beautiful, almost poetic about the way his body flows with the water. It’s also magnetic because I can’t look away. As I move closer I notice he’s in really good shape. He’s swimming in a rhythmic butterfly stroke. His back bobs in and out of the water and I fixate on the outline of every muscle. He stops at the end and turns, leaning on the edge as he takes a break.
I skid to a halt. Shit.
Jake.
He slides his goggles up and meets my surely blanched expression with a grin. Dammit. I give him a half wave and set off in the direction I was heading before he short circuited my thoughts.
He lifts himself off with astonishing ease then sits on the edge, letting his legs dangle into the water. It’s like the laws of gravity don’t apply because he did it in one seamless movement. He’s still smiling and looks as if he’s about to say something. Crap. I don’t want to engage in a conversation with him. Something about him makes me uneasy. I am also trying to avoid looking at his body because… well, because it’s fucking perfect, that’s why.
“Couldn’t sleep?” His voice is low and sort of raspy. I don’t want to think about his voice.
“Yeah.” I shrug, trying to look non-committal. Maybe if he thinks I’m boring he will leave me alone. “Just heading for the hot tub.”
He nods and I think I’m off the hook, but his eyes are still on me. I try to shake it off and turn toward the Jacuzzi area behind him. If he makes a move I will keep walking and go to my room because the fact that we are the only two people here is making me uncomfortable. He dives back into the pool and I relax.
In the Jacuzzi, I close my eyes and let my body melt into the enveloping heat of the water, welcoming the contrast with the nipping air over the surface. It’s not long before my face is beaded with sweat. I lower my head all the way into the water to wash it off. When I come up Jake is standing at the edge of the hot tub.
Fuckdammit.
My heart ninja kicks my chest. I push myself back and grip the edge behind me.
“Sorry,” he chuckles, and it’s so addictive I can’t think straight. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Mind if I hop in? I just need to wind down.”
I shake my head no, still unable to formulate a coherent sentence. Up this close he looks like something Michelangelo took a decade to sculpt. It hurts to swallow because my mouth is completely dry.
“Long shift?” He smiles briefly as he eases himself into the Jacuzzi letting out a pleased groan that hits a forgotten spot inside me.
“Yes, long.”
He studies me and says nothing. His eyelashes are endless and still wet, and… I want to leave. He’s freaking hot and it is bugging me how aware I am of it. I have a fiancée for fuck’s sake.
“I’m beat.” He sighs and runs a hand through his long, straight hair. It was sandy brown yesterday, but I can’t help noticing how good it looks now, darker because it’s wet. His eyes are liquid caramel. Every part of him is well taken care of and it makes me automatically assume he’s probably full of himself.
“How does it feel?” The words are out of my mouth and I frown, like they’ve betrayed me.
He tilts his head to the side. “How does what feel?”
I curse myself inwardly, but now it’s done. “Swimming.”
He angles his head a bit more and looks at me like I just spoke in another language. I shrug.
“I’m wondering, because you swim really well and I… well, I can’t swim at all. So watching someone in the water like that sort of blows me away.” Shit. That just sounded like I was flirting. I look at my watch to feign disinterest.
He doesn’t speak right away and now I really want to leave because his silence reassures me he thinks that was a pickup line.
“It feels incredible,” he finally says. “Like you leave everything behind and nothing can touch you.”
A pang of envy flicks in my chest. I ignore it and nod. “Where did you learn?”
“I played water polo in college, then professionally for a few years after.”
I hate that I think what he just said is super cool. It adds up. The ripped back, the aerodynamic fusion between his body and the water. I stretch my legs and swirl my toes so I am not looking at him so much.
“Not anymore?” I ask, pretending my toes are more interesting.
“Not anymore.” He doesn’t say anything else and it makes me look straight at him. A flash of regret crosses his eyes, but it’s gone almost immediately. His eyes scan the landscape behind me, then meet mine full force.
“So what’s your story, Natalia?”
I open my mouth and close it. I am trying to stop the craze caused to my vitals when he said my name. I hate how great he made sound the word I’ve heard every day since I can remember. I look away, gathering my wits.
“Um…there’s not much to tell. I live in Buenos Aires, I just graduated from college and I come her
e in the summer…well, winter for you, and work the season.” That’s all I say because I am not interested in making a new friend. Especially a hot one that looks at me the way he’s looking at me right now. Those eyes are seriously flirting with my pulse and I cannot let that happen.
“I think there is much more to tell than you let on,” he says in that same hoarse, low tone. “I learned it in that poker game last night. You took every penny I had.”
That makes me grin. I am not beyond pride when it comes to my poker abilities.
“Do you want to go out one night?”
WTF? My jaw drops. I know he knows I saw him with that middle-aged Barbie. I narrow my eyes.
“Your girlfriend doesn’t mind you asking other girls out on dates?” My tone is caustic and I think it takes him off guard. Then realization crosses his eyes and he relaxes.
“Tamara is not my girlfriend. And she is leaving tomorrow.”
I shake my head. These rich guys are all the same. Women are just tools to them.
“Thank you, Jake. But I am not interested. And even if I was, I am sure my fiancée would not be happy with that. I gotta go.” I start to stand up, but his hand catches mine and stops me. I stare at him, ignoring the head-to-toe chills caused by the skin to skin contact, and pull my hand away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. Stay.”
I give him a long look. I should probably go back to my room, but my body is on strike with my mind and refuses to move. Besides, the warm water feels so damn good. I look away abandoning the impulse to leave. I assure myself Jake has nothing to do with my decision.
I slip back into the water and keep a safe distance from him. But the fact that we are here alone makes this feel more intimate than I am comfortable with. I stay mainly quiet as he tells me about his life at a ranch in Santa Barbara, where he grew up. It kind of bugs me he is so easy to talk to. Something about him coerces all of my attention as he slowly thins down my guard. He speaks as if we’ve known each other for a lifetime, laughing out loud as he recalls the memories he’s sharing with me. He talks about his younger brother and his dad and the horses. He doesn’t mention his mom and I don’t ask. Not because I’m not curious, my interest is piqued, but I hate it when people ask me about my mom. An image of her braiding my hair flashes in my mind and the bitterness of losing her to cancer so early unfurls and surfaces. I couldn’t save her. I smother the memory. When I look up Jake has stopped talking and is watching me with an amused expression.