by Ali Parker
I couldn’t hold back any longer. The pent-up lust was demanding release. “I can’t hold back,” I groaned.
“Don’t stop,” she cried out in her usual demanding way. Her nails dug into my back, her leg hooked around my waist and digging her heel into my ass.
She was wild. I had no doubt in my mind she was feeling that wild rush of need that matched my own. I could feel it inside her. I could see it written all over her face. I looked up at the ceiling, every muscle straining as I fought to hold on for as long as I could. I didn’t want it to end. It was too good. I wanted to go on forever.
My body had other plans. I felt her pussy clamp down on me, followed by a flood of wet heat, and I was a goner. I erupted inside her, jerking and grinding as I clawed at the comforter. She was panting and saying things I couldn’t quite make out. There was a sound of rushing water in my ears as I gave her every last drop of me.
I collapsed beside her, sucking in large, loud breaths. I had never worked so hard in my life. I hadn’t even done that much. It was just the exertion of it all. It was ten years of holding back.
“Are you good?” I asked her.
She groaned in response. “I don’t know.”
My head popped up. “Too much?”
“No.”
I smiled. “Just enough?” I teased, angling for a compliment.
“Stop.”
I laughed and rolled off the bed before pulling her up. I yanked back the comforter and waited for her to climb under the sheet. She hesitated until I took a very long, thorough look at her naked body. That got her moving. She hopped in and pulled the blanket up to her chin. If she thought I was sleeping on the couch after that, she was out of her mind.
I crawled in beside her, relieved she didn’t pull away when I tucked her naked body against mine. I missed her. I missed sex with her, but mostly, I missed the intimacy.
I let myself totally be in the moment. I closed my eyes, inhaling the scent of her fruity shampoo mixed with the coffee on her breath. I cataloged every inch of her skin pressed against mine. Even her soft breathing was committed to memory.
I felt the moment she went to sleep. Her body relaxed, and her breathing slowed. I didn’t want to go to sleep. Sleep would bring the morning and she would be gone from my bed. We were good together. She had to know that.
We got along well, and when we did fight, it wasn’t like actual anger. It was sparring. She challenged me and that was what I wanted and needed in my life. We always had amazing chemistry. From the very first moment I laid eyes on her, I wanted her. It had been a different want back in those days, but it was stronger now, steeped in maturity.
I thought about our good times and the long history before the horrible gap when I didn’t see her for ten long years. I hated to think I wasted that much time living without her in my life. Despite my best efforts, I drifted off to blissful slumber with the taste of her still on my lips.
When I woke the following morning, I felt her absence before I even opened my eyes. I wasn’t going to pretend I wasn’t disappointed. I was. I was sad I wouldn’t get the chance for a morning quickie or the chance to share a cup of coffee with her. I hoped she didn’t regret it. That would be the worst possible outcome to the whole thing.
I showered, feeling like I lost five pounds last night. That was how much pent-up lust I had for the woman. I was already imagining the next time I could be with her. I was going to take my time. Last night had been about releasing the steam a little, the precursor for things to come.
I headed down to the dining room, hoping the breakfast I requested be ready for the employees was set out. I knew there would be a lot of hangovers. A solid breakfast was the cure. They needed to be ready to finish those last-minute preparations.
The dining room was quiet. A few employees were walking out with muffins and coffee, giving me small, sheepish smiles as they walked by. I saw Cori sitting at a table, pulling apart a bagel and taking small bites. She looked like hell.
“Good morning sunshine,” I greeted her with a bright smile.
“Why are you yelling at me?” she whined.
“Uh oh, are those margaritas biting you in the ass?”
“Stop it.”
I walked to the buffet table and grabbed a bowl of fruit and a granola bar before filling up a cup with coffee and grabbing a carton of orange juice. I walked back to her table and pulled a chair out. I might have done it with a little more force than was necessary, but I couldn’t resist.
“I hate you.”
“My bad.”
“I still hate you.”
“You look really bad,” I told her. “Why don’t you wear sunglasses at least?”
“Shut up.”
“Seriously, you’ve got more makeup under your eyes than on your eyes. You would make a raccoon very proud.”
She tossed a piece of her bagel at me. “I’m going to tell Mom you’re picking on me.”
I rolled my eyes at the tired threat. “Oh no. Please don’t.”
“You shouldn’t have stolen my drinking buddy,” she pouted. “You guys left me alone.”
“You said you were going to check on your cat.”
“I got waylaid.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I think I kissed Nick.”
I stopped chewing the strawberry in my mouth. “You did what?”
She slowly nodded. “Yep. I’m sure I did but the details are fuzzy.”
“He isn’t here, is he?”
“Well, I kissed someone.”
I groaned, shaking my head. That sounded exactly like Cori. “Someone? You don’t remember what he looks like?”
“I think it was Nick.”
“Stop saying that,” I growled.
“You shouldn’t have left me alone.”
“You’re a grown woman,” I shot back.
“Yeah, but when he’s around, I’m helpless to resist.”
I held up a hand. “Don’t say any more. I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t like the idea of the two of you hooking up.”
“Get over it. You’re my brother, not my keeper.”
“Cori, I’m serious. This isn’t a good idea. It’s too weird. I don’t want to think about the two of you guys hooking up.”
“Relax, buckaroo. I said I thought I kissed him. I didn’t say I hooked up with him. Get your mind out of the gutter. Not all of us take someone to bed on the first date.”
“Pot calling kettle black.”
“Not him. If I did kiss him, it was a mistake and I won’t let it happen again.”
“I’m going to call him.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“I’ll ask him if he took advantage of you last night,” I told her.
“Stop it. You are talking too much and too loud. I would know if something happened. It didn’t. Now settle down. Go enjoy your day off. Aren’t we all supposed to be relaxing today?”
“Yes, some of us.”
“I’m going back to bed and sleeping until I feel human again. Do not wake me. Do not call Nick. If he is here, leave him alone. I don’t have the energy to deal with you walking around acting like you own everything.”
“I kinda do.”
“Not me. You don’t own me.”
“Fine, but he better not be in your room.”
She rolled her eyes, grabbing her cup of coffee and sticking out her tongue. “You’ll never know.”
“Cori!”
She walked away, leaving me in the dining room alone. The smell of bacon filled the air. I looked down at my bowl of fruit and decided I’d earned the extra calories. I got up and got some eggs and bacon before sitting down again. I was stalling. I was hoping Harper would be down soon. I wasn’t sure how to proceed from here, but I knew I wanted to move forward. I needed to have that morning-after conversation with her and let her know it wasn’t just a one-night thing for me. I wanted her back.
I stalled for as long as I cared to before finally leaving th
e dining room. A few more employees were moving around, going about the normal maintenance routines. Everyone had the option of taking the morning off or the whole day if they wanted. Not everyone over-imbibed last night. The ones who didn’t were the ones working.
I made my way to my office, hoping to find Harper in her own office. The door was locked and the lights were off. I didn’t hear her leave. I could have sworn she was in my arms most of the night, but maybe that was my imagination.
I sat down behind my desk and began filtering through the emails. There were several requests from the travel bloggers and a few from the local media all wanting an interview about the grand opening.
I forwarded them all to Harper. She was the marketing manager. She’d already put together a generic statement to send out. With those out of the way, I did a little Googling to see what the general feeling was about another resort opening in Vail. There were plenty of negative comments, but overall, it seemed to be a positive thing. I hoped it stayed that way.
Without Jake to keep me on task, I felt like I was drifting a little. I made a few phone calls and returned more emails, all the while waiting for Harper to show up. She never did. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait forever. The sun was shining and the fresh snow that had fallen yesterday was begging for some attention.
It had been too long since I’d gotten to ski. I shut everything down and decided the boss was taking the day off as well. It wasn’t like there was much else for me to do.
Chapter 21
Harper
I wasn’t necessarily hiding from him, but I wasn’t ready to face him just yet. When I woke that morning, my first instinct was to run. I had to get away. I couldn’t think straight when he was hanging on me. Technically, I supposed I was hanging on him, but still.
He’d been so warm and hard and so fucking handsome lying there with his eyes closed and his hair mussed. I was proud of the willpower I wielded when I walked out of that room without waking him with a kiss. That was what I really wanted.
I wanted to blame it on the alcohol. I really did. Then I could laugh it off and tell him it was no big deal. I was drunk, and he was willing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t drunk. It had been well over an hour since my last drink and the coffee and food combined with the fresh air helped sober me up. When I kissed him, I knew exactly what I was doing. I knew he would have sex with me. I might have used him just a little in that regard.
I used his want for me to get something I wanted. Ever since we broke up, I had longed for one more night with him. Last night had been beautiful, but it had to be a one-night thing. I couldn’t get mixed up with him. He was bad news for my heart. We were professionals. I needed to keep that in mind.
Chase hired me to do a job and that was what I was going to do. Once that job was done, I was on my way out of his life again. I wasn’t going to stick around and wait for him to leave me again. He would get this resort up and running and then set off for greener pastures. He would have a taste of success and end up in Switzerland or France, ready to open another resort that was bigger and better. He wouldn’t need me, and I refused to chase him around the globe.
He would leave me. I knew that as well as I knew the sky was a gorgeous blue today. Chase wasn’t the kind of man who stayed in one place for long. He’d find something bigger and better and he would get up and walk away without a second thought for me.
Just like before.
I woke up, warm and tingly. Chase was lying next to me, his warm body keeping me cozy with just a sheet pulled over us. I felt a little naughty. When he picked me up for prom and told me he rented a hotel room for the night, I was giddy. I told my parents I was staying the night with Cori. I rolled to my side, putting my hands together under my cheek as I watched him sleep.
He woke up, looked at me, and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I believe he thought I was beautiful, but I was guessing my yesterday’s makeup and the thick hairspray that had kept my hair in the updo last night left me looking a little worse for wear. “You’re so sweet.”
“It’s true.”
“What time do we have to check out?”
“Eleven.”
I groaned. “I don’t want to leave our little cocoon.”
“Me either. I’ll order room service. We can eat breakfast in bed.”
“You can’t!” I exclaimed, thinking of the cost.
“I’m sure I can.”
He rolled over and grabbed the phone. I listened as he ordered us a very elaborate breakfast that was sure to cost a small fortune. He put the phone down and rolled back to face me. “I believe we have twenty minutes.”
I grinned. “How should we pass the time?”
He kissed me. We spent the next twenty minutes slaking our lust for one another until we heard the knock on the door. We both burst into laughter before he climbed out of bed and pulled on his underwear. I admired the view, watching as he took the cart and tipped the room-service guy.
“It smells so good.”
I sat up and pulled on his discarded shirt. “Stay in bed,” he whispered. “I really want to have breakfast in bed with you.”
I grinned and got back in the bed. I grabbed a slice of bacon and munched on it. The night had been perfect. The morning was just as amazing. I never wanted it to end. He made our senior prom weekend just as special as he promised.
“Do you have to go to work at the hotel today?”
He nodded. “I told my dad I would be there at two.”
“Bummer.”
“It’s all good. I need the experience.”
“Why? You’re going to college in a couple of weeks.”
“Actually, I’m not.”
I stopped chewing. “What do you mean you’re not?”
“I’m going to New York as soon as I graduate.”
“For the summer?” I asked hopefully.
I hated the idea of being apart from him for three months, but we would be back together in the fall. We were going to Colorado State together. It was going to be a blast. We were embarking on our life together.
“No,” he said without looking at me.
“A couple of weeks?”
“No.”
“What are you saying, Chase?”
“I’m saying I’m not going to college. I’m going to go to work at the hotel in New York. I’m going to learn how to run it and hopefully make it better than it was, which shouldn’t be hard because it is bleeding money.”
I stared at him, suddenly not hungry anymore. “I thought we were going to college together. We had plans.”
“They weren’t realistic,” he said. “I’m not meant for college. I don’t have the same drive you do. I don’t have the smarts you do.”
“Yes, you do!” I argued. “We made a plan.”
“We can still have our plans, but they just need to look a little different. I can’t go to school with you. I’m ready to hit the ground running. You’re the one that says hands-on is the best way to learn.”
“Not in this situation! You said we were going to get married after we graduated. We were going to plan our wedding for the summer after we graduated. We were going to start our family.”
“I don’t want to go to college,” he said again. “I don’t want the stress of studying for tests and worrying about a paper. I can just skip all of that and get right to the living part of my life.”
“It’s not that hard. The college experience is supposed to be fun. We were supposed to have it together.”
He scoffed. “That’s easy for the valedictorian to say. You look at a chapter and you memorize it. You take a test and you ace it. It’s easy for you.”
“It isn’t easy! I work my ass off to get those As.”
He shrugged. “I’m not saying we have to break up. I don’t want to break up. I still want to marry you and have kids with you. You go to school and I’ll get starte
d running the business. By the time you graduate, I’ll be ready to take over and we can live anywhere we want. You won’t have to work if you don’t want to.”
Tears clouded my vision. “It will never work. You’ll be there, and I’ll be here. You’ll meet women clamoring to get into bed with you. You’ll forget all about me.”
“I will not. What about you? You’ll be in college with jocks climbing all over you. You’ll go to frat parties and get drunk and someone will take advantage of you.”
“I would never cheat on you!”
“I won’t cheat on you. We’ll see each other on holidays. I’ll try and fly home at least once a month. We can make this work.”
I knew it would never work. I hopped off the bed, searching for my clothes. I remembered the overnight bag I brought and snatched it up. I ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me. Tears streamed down my face as I pulled on my clothes. I slipped on my sandals and walked out of the bathroom. He was standing in the middle of the room, looking at me.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting out of here.”
“Don’t run away, Harper. We can make this work.”
I shook my head. “No, we can’t. Long distance relationships don’t last. The end is inevitable. Let me save you a flight or two and lots of text messages. I’m out. Go ahead and do your thing. Go run the family business. It was nice knowing you.”
I walked out of the hotel room, running down the hall. I took the stairs, not wanting to bother waiting for the elevator. I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want to see him ever again. I hated that we still had two more weeks of school. I would avoid him as much as I could. He broke my heart. He let me believe we would be together forever.
I hated him. I would never trust another man for as long as I lived. I would certainly never trust him again.
I stared down at the work I was supposed to be focusing on. This was why I couldn’t mess things up with Chase. He confused me. He made me unfocused. He brought up memories I didn’t want to revisit. I didn’t want to relive that pain. The only way to avoid it was to avoid getting caught up with him again.