He looked surprised and grinned sheepishly at me, nodding. It was fucking adorable. I ran a thumb over his hand and felt the hairs on his arm prick up. I heard Quinn cough and realized we must have been staring justafew beats too long at each other.
“So they are loaded,” CJ smirked.
“They don’t own a ski resort or anything, if that’s what you are asking,” Perrin replied, deadpan, then taking a drink.
“Score one for the new guy,” Quinn said with a laugh as he stood up to get more wine.
“I’m going to give you that one, Perrin. But now I want some details. Two dads? Two moms? Siblings?” CJ continued.
Perrin swallowed so hard I could see it. “Um, Mom and Step-dad. My dad passed when I was younger. One brother. He is an attorney in Dallas and lives the society life with his wife and my niece.”
“Did you stop there before coming out here?” CJ asked, and I could tell she was starting to have some mercy on the guy. Family was everything with theManns and she wouldn’t pry where he didn't want to go. Not tonight anyway.
“Oh, um, no. I haven’t been to Dallas in years. We aren’t . . . close,” he said, and his face was carefully neutral. His hand wasn’t though; his hand was slightly shaking in mine. I ran a thumb over his wrist, and felt the soft sigh when I did.
Perrin
I realized talking about my family was not a good idea. Not that it ever was. So, maybe a distraction was best.
“I learned to ski out here and in Europe, so skiing the Rockies is sort of like coming home,” I said, throwing them a morsel and moving the conversation to easier waters. Their family was obviously obsessed with all things skiing. “It’s beautiful here - can’t believe how much I missed it.”
I don’t lie to people. I might omit things, or be mistaken, but I will fall on the sword to avoid outright untruths to just about anyone. So, if I wasn’t going to lie, I needed to be either more “on” thanmy brain was right now or move the conversation. I was both turned on as hell by being this close to Jack, and relaxed from the evening ski. Somehow, the Jack-mush my brain became when I was close to him, touching him, had to navigate the rocky ground that was my family. I couldn’t have that conversation right now.
Quinn offered me more wine, but I declined more than my one glass, citing work bright and early in the morning. Truth was, I didn’t need that buzz on top of the one Jack gave me. His proximity was enough to make my head fuzzy.
“What’s it like to be gay in Dallas?” CJ asked, and Jack’s eyes snapped up to her.
“Jesus, CJ,” Jack said. “Perrin, you . . ..” he started, still holding my hand on his thigh, our fingers intertwined and moving slightly every once and a while to map each other’s hand. It sent little electric sparks up my arm.
“It’s ok, sw-ummm, Jack,” I stammered. He was turning me on too much for my thoughts to be coherent. I had almost called him an endearment we had used in the bedroom the night before and this morning, but would probably be misplaced in this crowd.
“I, um, don’t know what it is like to be gay in Dallas, actually. When I lived there I wasn’t ‘being gay,’” I said, lightly. “I wasn’t out.”
“How’d that work out?” Quinn asked with a smirk, but kind eyes and a nod that said he understood what I was saying.
“Clearly didn’t take,” I said, trying hard not to look at Jack.
Matt snorted, and I swear he muttered “clearly” under his breath and I knew my face was probably pink. That, of course, led to me being bombarded with several more questions that I attempted to answer with the truth, although sometimes a vague version of it. Finally, CJ seemed to be happy with my answers, and she started on Quinn about some guy he had left a club with that week, and I let out a sigh.
“Can we get back to Perrin?” Quinn whined, and Jack shot him a look that clearly said he should take one for the team.
“You ok, P?” Jack asked, hand on my thigh. Suddenly, all I could think about was him under me last night, and I had to adjust myself discreetly on the seat.
“Your fingers are making promises, Jack,” I teased, quietly. They had been trailing over my thighs for the past twenty minutes.
“Yeah?” He asked, quietly as well, letting the chatter of the rest of his siblings cover over our muted exchange. I looked him over, Preppy Jack’s jacket had been taken off, leaving snow pants and a sleek, tight top that outlined his nipple piercing.
I dipped my head close to his ear, as I noticed that his siblings were distracted.
“Jack,” I whispered in his ear, enjoying the shiver from him, and the blown pupils when his eyes met mine. “I want you.”
And damned if that wasn’t absolutely true.
Perrin
“I need your body closer, baby,” I said, not bothering to open my eyes from where I was laying on the couch in the front room of the Bear Valley Inn when I heard the rustle of nylon beside me.
I just guessed it would be Jack. Now that I had collapsed on this couch more times than I could count in the last three weeks, I saw why Piper was curled up on it more often than not. The damn thing not only looked great, but was comfortable as shit and was close to the fire.
