“You won’t be by yourself.”
“I can’t ask you to stay inside with me. This is your last spring break of college. You should enjoy it.”
“Iamenjoying it.” The only reason I’d had any fun on this trip at all was because I’d spent most of my time with Deborah, teaching her how to ski. I was way more advanced than she was and I loved skiing, and anything outdoors really, but seeing her eyes light up when she conquered a new slope had been the highlight of the entire trip. I didn’t need much else, right then.
****
“You didn’t have to stay with me this whole time. I bet you missed hitting the slopes one final time.”
“Not even a little bit,” I responded, sincerely, staring into Deborah’s blue eyes. The blue in her eyes was illuminated even more due to the roaring fire behind us. We were sitting in the cozy lounge area of the cabin. Most of the others that’d come on this trip were on the slopes for one last time but I couldn’t be bothered. Not when Deborah was here. The snow-covered mountains couldn’t compare to this view.
“You say that as if you mean it.” Her voice was softer than usual, almost unsure. She didn’t usually display her vulnerability, which was probably why when she did it yanked at every nerve ending inside of my chest.
I inched closer to her, throwing my arm over the back of the love seat we sat on, facing one another.
“I do mean it.”
Frowning, she dropped her gaze down toward the floor before peering up at me, out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t try to woo me. I’m not Tracey or one of the other legions of women you’ve slept with.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Legions? My reputation precedes me, huh?”
Her gaze shifted back to me.
“Listen princess, I don’t need towooanyone. I damn sure don’t need to buy a woman’s interest by bringing her on a ski trip and ignoring all of my so-called friends. And I sure as hell don’t need to be scared shitless when I hear that woman has been injured while skiing just to get in her pants.” I moved closer, taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “So, you can drop the attitude, admit you like me as much as I like you, and we can get past all the pretense.”
Her pink lips parted on a tiny gasp and I seized the moment.
Inching forward, I trapped her lips in a kiss that cemented my words. I felt the shiver that ran through Deborah’s body and my cock instantly grew hard. I’d meant it when I said I didn’t need to work hard to get a woman, but I’ve also never felt this intensely aboutanywoman. Especially one I hadn’t taken to bed yet.
Deborah’s soft lips opened, on a sigh, surrendering to the kiss, to me. That awareness made me hotter than I’d ever been. I moved closer, trying to remind myself that, despite the fact we were alone, we were still in a public space. I couldn’t take her right then and there. But dammit I wanted to.
I pulled back to tell her just that when I heard, “Isn’t this quite cozy?”
My eyes instantly narrowed as I twisted around to see Jack Lassiter staring down on us. He was accompanied by a few of our other friends who’d gone out on the slopes with him. However, he was the only one who felt it necessary to interrupt an obviously private moment.
“Can I fucking help you?” I growled.
“Me?” he questioned, pressing a hand to his chest. “The guys and I were just wondering where you’ve been, and then we come in here and low and behold.”
His tone immediately pissed me off. I stood up, getting closer, in his face. “Low and fucking behold,” I repeated, my voice low, fists at my side, clenching. I knew Jack to be a pompous son of a bitch. Hell, we all were, but something about the way he looked at Deborah, the tone of his voice and that stupid fucking smirk he wore as if he had a secret only he knew. All of it made me want to put my fist through his face, but I restrained myself.
“Hey, man,” he stated, stepping back and holding his hands up. He still wore that smirk, however. “I was just asking. You’ve been MIA most of this week. Then we come in here and find you lip locked with her.” He gestured to Deborah.
“With her?” I repeated, again not liking his tone.
“Yeah, a fucking stripper no less.”
The final word was barely out of his mouth before he was stumbling backward from a right hook I sent to his jaw. And just as I’d always suspected, Jack was a bigger pussy than most. He crumpled to the floor faster than a house of cards.
“What the hell?” he yelped, holding his jaw.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I growled.
“Robert!” I heard Deborah yell from behind me but I kept my gaze trained on Jack.
“Man, what the fuck is your problem?” Jack implored, stumbling as he rose from the floor. “She’s—”
“You don’t know when to fucking quit!” I grabbed Jack by the thick parka he had on and pushed him through the back door of the cabin until we were both out in the night air.
