CW Boys- The Complete Series Box Set

by C. Shell

  “Let’s go have some fun.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Nate

  “Nate, please don’t touch it again. It really hurts.”

  Dropping down next to Addy, I move my hands down to her feet, and as careful as humanly possible, remove her ski and boot so I can access the damage done to her ankle. “Sweetie, you’ve got to trust me here. I promise to do my best not to hurt you, but I’ve got to check your ankle out and make sure it’s not broken.”

  She makes a hissing sound through her teeth when I start rolling her pant leg up. “And if it is?” The panic in her tone is palpable.

  “Then we will need to call for the ski patrol and get you some help. I can’t get you safely the rest of the way down the mountain with a broken bone.”

  “No calling the ski patrol.” Addy claws at my arm as her anxiety rises. “I can’t handle the humiliation of having to be carted down this damn slope.” Her doe eyes latch onto mine and I groan inwardly. Nothing good comes when she looks at me that way. Fuck, what is she doing to me?

  Clearing my throat, I place my hands back on her cold skin as I do my damnedest to ignore the tears in her eyes. My brain needs to be in gear so I can do this the right way. “You can do this, Addy Bear. Just let me check and see what we’re dealing with and then together we’ll make a game plan. I need you to trust me.”

  She grimaces, but motions for me to continue. With slow hands, I feel around her ankle, checking for broken skin, inflammation, and anything that looks the least bit out of proportion. I poke and probe here and there, and when she doesn’t scream or knock the crap out of me, I sit back on my haunches and smile.

  “Besides a little swelling, I think you will be fine. Just to be on the safe side, we’ll have it looked by a doctor when we get back to the hotel.”

  Her shoulders droop as she stares at me with wide eyes. “And exactly how do you suggest we get back down the mountain?”

  “We walk.”

  Her head is shaking back and forth before I even get all the words out. “That won’t work,” she protests. She glances down the mountain, her bottom lip quivering with nerves. “How about we just wait here for Dex or even Jimmie or Cammy to show up? They could help us.”

  Irritation rises in me at the mention of Dex. That fucknut was too busy showing off his skiing skills to ever notice his girlfriend in distress. If I hadn’t made sure to stay behind her and keep her in my sights then she would be here alone right now. Yeah, there are strangers passing us every now and then, but they don’t know a damn thing about our Addy or how to keep her anxiety down when things take a turn for the worse.

  “Sweetie, they’re already at the bottom and it would take them too long to get another ride on the lift and back down here to where we are. The bottom isn’t too far of a walk. You’ve got to start trusting me, Addy Bear.”

  I’ve already positioned us over to the side of the run so we won’t cause an accident and have my ski’s off and set in an X shape so that they’ll be easy to see later when I come back to find them. I place Addy’s things with my own in the snow, then with an arm under her knees and another around her back, I hoist her up and start walking the rest of the way down the mountain slope.

  Despite her discomfort, Addy giggles and snuggles into my chest as if to get warmer. “You’re my hero, Nate,” she exclaims. “Everyone else assumed I would be fine and left me behind. You stayed close by, and lucky for me you did because I suck at skiing.”

  I glance down at her and we share a look. It’s times like this that I swear I see a fraction of the way I feel for her shining back at me through those baby blue eyes of hers. There is so much I want to tell her, so many promises I want to make, but I don’t. Like always, I hold my tongue because, at the end of the day, I must face the cold hard truth that Addy isn’t mine.

  Swallowing down the words on the tip of my tongue, I kick up my pace and all but run the rest of the way down the slope to the bottom where everyone is frantically waiting for us. Jimmie is the first to reach us, followed by Cam and a pissed off looking Dex.

  “What the hell happened?” The question is directed at me, but Dex’s isn’t looking at me. With a clenched jaw, his main focus is on the pretty girl in my arms, who is clutching at my chest like I am her only lifeline.

  “After everyone passed us by, she started going too fast and her skis got tangled up. She took a nasty fall. Her ankle is hurt and starting to swell. I don’t think it’s anything major, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the hotel doctor to give it a look.”

  Dex’s gaze swings up and he is studying me now. The raw jealousy in his eyes is unmistakable. If I wasn’t his best friend, I might take his bristled anger as a challenge, but Dex and I have been buds since we were in diapers. There is no way I would let this come between us.

  “I am so sorry,” Cam gushes, reaching around me to give Addy a hug. “Does it hurt?”

  Addy presses her lips together and gives her a brief smile. “It’s not too bad. I just want to go lie down and put some ice on it. I’m really tired.”

  Jimmie steps forward and ruffles the front of Addison’s hair like he used to do when they were younger. “We’ll get you settled in then have the doctor come to the room to check you out.”

  I pause, enjoying the feel of Addison’s small body pressed against my chest before doing what I should’ve done when I first came down the slope. With precise care, I deposit her into Dex’s waiting arms.

  I point back up the slope we just came down. “I’m going to let you all get her sorted out. I left our gear up there on the side of the trail. I’m going to head back up and retrieve it.”

  Jimmie had already taken a hold of Cammy’s hand and was steering her back to the hotel when he stops as if to call to me over his shoulder. I place my hands in my pocket to warm them as I wait for him to speak. “Meet us back in the room when you’re done. I’ll order us up some food. You’ve got to be starving after carrying my sister all that way.”

  I nod my thanks and turn toward the lifts, ready to get this done so I can get inside and warm back up. I haven’t taken more than five steps when I feel a tug on my jacket. Twisting around I come face to face with Dex. He’s still got Addy cradled in his arms, but from the look of it, she’s already halfway asleep.

  I stand there silent and wait him out. I’m still pissed at him for leaving Addy on the slopes by herself. He knew skiing scared her, and instead of coaching her, he decided to show off and left her to fend for herself.

  This trip is fucking with my mind. I never realized how hard it would be to spend a whole week seeing her and Dex all over each other, to hear them going at it night after night, while I lay on that damn couch alone wishing it was me pounding into her instead of him. Whenever she is around I have to restrain myself from reaching out and touching her. It’s pure torture.

  A headache is forming so I lift a hand and rub at my temples. After what feels like forever Dex finally finds his balls and speaks to me. “I screwed up.” Dex shakes his head and motions to Addy. “I owe you big time for being there for her.”

  I shove my hands deep into my pockets and give him a serious look. “No, you don’t. We’re brothers, not just friends, and when one of us needs help we step in and do what needs to be done.”

  “I wouldn’t have continued down if I thought she wasn’t going to make it. She was doing so well…” His voice trails off and he gets quiet as if the rest of his words are too hard to deliver.

  Dex’s pain is evident. He might make stupid decisions, but he means well. He loves and needs Addison as much as he needs his next breath. Too tired and cold to continue this little heart-to-heart, I decide to throw Dex a bone and give him a little worldly advice.

  “Shit happens, Dex. You can’t plan for everything in life and you’ve got to stop treating Addison like she’s going to break. She’s a tough cookie with a spirit stronger than yours and mine combined.” I nod to the sleeping girl in his arms. “Go get her warmed up and looked at. Tha
t ankle needs some attention. I’ll be up in a little bit.” Turning on my heel, I head to the lift and dart out of earshot before he has a chance to say anymore. I need some time to process my thoughts. And a girl to warm my bed. Whatever it takes to get the nonplatonic thoughts of Addison scrubbed from my mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Addison

  “Have you found my other red heel yet?” Cam looks under the bed for the umpteenth time, coming to the same conclusion I did after I looked there not five minutes ago. “It’s not there. Where the hell is my shoe?”

  Jimmie scrunches up his face. “Babe, it’s just a fucking shoe!”

  My brother is at his wits end with the shoe hunt. I can’t really blame him for getting out of sorts with Cam. We’re set to leave the hotel for the airport in fifteen minutes and our packing has been put on hold, so we can all help her find her missing red Gucci Mary Jane pump. How she lost it, is a mystery in itself.

  I point to the living room. “You go check under the couch and seat cushions again and I will check your bedroom. We need to divide and conquer if we’re going to make our plane on time.”

  Cam stomps out of the room like a woman on a mission. Jimmie and I glance at each other and share a silent chuckle. Pulling her suitcase closer to me, I start sorting back through it, hoping that maybe we miscounted, and the shoe is hiding under an article of clothing or stuck in a compartment I missed.

  “You sure you know what you’re getting yourself into with Cam? I love her like family, but she is a handful.”

  Jimmie sets his drink down on the side table and takes a seat on the bed next to me. “Yeah, she is, but I like that about her. She makes life interesting.”

  I jerk in surprise. I’ve never heard my brother say something so real and nice about a girl before. Maybe, I overreacted about them being a couple. Stranger things have happened. That doesn’t mean I plan on ponying up and telling him I was wrong. He and Cam both would never let me live that little jewel down.

  Lost to my inner mulling, it takes me a second to realize what shoe is in my hand. “Bingo!” Jimmie and I are both grinning as big as the moon when Cam comes rushing back into the room. “I found it!” I exclaim, holding the shoe up high in the air like a trophy.

  “About damn time. Now pack the stupid shoe and let’s get going. The valet has already got the car pulled around,” Dex hollers from the front room.

  He’s been grumpy since he got up this morning. Not sure what his problem is, but if he keeps barking out orders, I’m switching seats with Nate on the plane. No way in hell am I sitting next to him for the next four hours and listening to his bellowing. Not happening

  Sliding off the bed, I grab my crutches off the floor and hobble back into the main room where all our things are piled up next to the front door. I balance on my good leg and try to adjust the crutches so that they aren’t digging into my armpits. I hate crutches. After checking me out, the doctor said I lucked out with only a bad sprain. Five days of no putting weight on my bad ankle and I should be as good as new. Hence the stupid crutches.

  The guys get our luggage loaded back up into our rental car and with a farewell to the hotel and staff, we are off. I haven’t slept well the last few nights due to my foot having to be propped up on a pillow at all times. So, when the car gets moving, I let the soft purr of the motor lull me into a deep sleep. The benefit of sleeping in the car is that the drive goes by quickly, and before I know it we are at the airport. Our check-in goes smoothly and after a short wait, we are back on a plane and headed to the sunny state of Florida.

  I never imagined I could miss the stifling heat, but I swear my whole body sighs the moment we step off the plane. Jimmie drops Cam off first, with a goodbye kiss that is certain to haunt my dreams for years to come. Nate is dropped off next, before heading to our house with Dex in tow.

  Pulling into the drive, I jump up and down in my seat, excited to be home and dare I say, ready to see my mom. Probably not the normal teenager response, but my mom is cooler than most. Dashing from the back seat, I hobble my way up the stairs and wrestle the lock open only to find our home empty. A note on the fridge clues me into her new work schedule, one that has her at the hospital more than ever before.

  I track back into the living room to find Jimmie and Dex lounging on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table, with the television streaming an old episode of Gilligan’s Island. I plop the note in Jimmie’s lap as I scoot around him to take up the spot next to Dex.

  “That’s a lot of hours,” Jimmie muses, his eyes scanning over our mother’s new schedule and the little writing she left for us at the bottom.

  “Kind of odd her taking on so much work, don’t you think?”

  Something about the whole situation rubs me the wrong way and not just because my mom will be gone so much. It’s out of character for her to choose work over family. I can’t for the life of me believe she made this decision on her own. Either her supervisor is pushing her to do it, or something happened to make her think she needs to do this.

  “Maybe,” Jimmie answers, not paying me a quarter of the attention his show is getting.

  Dex casts a half-slanted brow in my direction. “You’re worried about this.” It’s not a question, but a statement, because my super-duper boyfriend is in tune with my body language. “Instead of driving yourself crazy with what if’s, why don’t you just ask your mom about it the next time you see her?”

  I flash him a grin. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Better to know the truth, then to imagine the worst.” Reclining next to Dex, I let out a contented sigh. It feels good to be home.

  Jimmie shifts on the couch, throwing his arm around Dex so he can poke me in the shoulder. I shoot him a glare. ‘What is your problem?”

  “I’m starving.”

  My brows rise. “And how is that my problem?”

  “I was thinking that you could make us all some sandwiches.”

  I glance down at his outstretched legs, then back up to his smiling face. I laugh, shoving his arm away. “Your legs aren’t broken. Get up and fix the sandwiches yourself. I’m comfy right where I am.”

  Jimmie’s head rears back an inch. “Seriously? But with mom working more that makes you the woman of the house.”

  I want to smack him. What a chauvinistic pig. “Just because I have boobs and a vagina does not mean my job in life is to cook for you.” Using my crutches, I knock his legs off the coffee table and point toward the kitchen. “If you’re hungry, then get your ass in there and make yourself a snack. I’m not helping you.”

  “Fine.” Jimmie leaves the room with a few choice words mumbled under his breath. I glance at Dex and he rolls his eyes.

  “You want to stay and eat something with us?” I glance at the kitchen where I can hear pots and pans being moved around and smirk. “Looks like my brother will be cooking for us tonight. We have our very own chef at work.”

  A quick smile covers Dex's face before he glances down at his watch. “Thanks for the invite, but I’ve got to get back home. I promised my mom I would be home in time for dinner. Dad’s away on vacation again and you know how she hates eating alone.”

  “Another time then.”

  ‘Definitely.”

  A grin teased the corner of his mouth and when I think he is going to leave me, he changes direction and swoops in for a kiss. My body relaxes as he cups the side of my face, his tongue tangles with mine, and my need for him soars. I’m starved for more. I grip his biceps as I start to crawl up his body. I want more, but before I can voice my desperation, Dex pulls away.

  I blink, my lust for him making everything seem hazy and out of focus. “Why did you stop?” The moment the words are out of my mouth, I want to knock myself in the head. I sound like a freaking harlot. Good job there, Addison!

  My head falls back to rest on the sofa cushion as Dex stares down at me. “You know I’ve got to leave. I don’t want to, but a promise is a promise, and my dad breaks enough of those for the both of
us.”

  I nod my understanding because I believe Dex doesn’t really want to leave me. His tented pants and hooded eyes are a clear signal of how much he wants to stay and finish what he started. If only we had the time.

  He bends down and I close my eyes, relishing the feel of his lips against mine. As usual, I can never get enough of him.

  “Keep the door unlocked. I’ll be back over before you go to sleep.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I fight with all my might, but my strength has long since waned. With Nicholas’ body heavy on mine, each breath feels like a chore. I know what he wants from me and my mind is screaming No! But my brain is foggy and too tired to keep up the fight much longer.

  “You know you want this, you little slut. Just save us the dramatics and open your damn legs already.”

  I slash out with my hand, my intended target his mouth, but fall short and only manage to connect with his shoulder. The movement doesn’t push him off of me, but it does cause him to shift his weight, giving me a chance to catch a full breath.

  “Please stop!” I hate begging this bastard, but what else can I do?

  I’m alone and afraid.

  Where are my friends?

  Why isn’t anyone helping me?

  The sound of my shirt tearing sends a tremor of fear down my spine. This is it. What happens after he gets what he wants? Will he kill me or just leave me here, and how will I explain all this to Dex? Seeing me in this shape will kill the good in him.

  I cry out, feeling my legs being pried apart. I scream out, desperate to make it all stop.