I loved Nick.
Now don’t go getting excited. Of course, I loved him. He’d been an annoying part of my life for forever. One more testosterone-wielding butthead to intimidate the boys I liked and be an all-around watchful eye. He and Chance starred in so many of my firsts. They taught me how to ride a two-wheeler. They took me fishing, hiking, and camping. Everything they did, for the most part, they invited me to do too.
I grew up shooting hoops with Nick, roasting marshmallows with him, and stealing the good tube every chance I got when we were out on the lake.
And he let me… every single time.
He’d been stitched into every part of my past, but what we were doing here in the present, it made me want for a whole different future.
This wasn’t supposed to happen to us.
I needed distance.
Which was why I was in an outdoor hot tub, a blanket of stars in the inky sky overhead, with the subtle hum of skiers and lifts drifting over from the mountain where night skiing was in full swing, with three guys from New York City.
Without Nick.
Hey, I left him a note. And he couldn’t say I didn’t warn him he’d need a hot tub later.
Besides, it wasn’t like I was cheating. Nick and I weren’t real, and these guys were definitely not interested in the equipment I had.
In the short time I’d been out here, I’d gotten to know them. It only seemed right sharing communal hot tub waters and all. Matt, Seth, and Seth’s husband, Landon, owned a marketing firm in the city. They hightailed it to New England as a reward for a successful year firmly in the green.
Since Seth was a Maine native, they came here. From the way they hung so close to one another, I strongly suspected Seth and Landon had an open marriage, and Matt dabbled in some kinky adventures with them.
They seemed like the audacious types who could appreciate my collection upstairs.
And if I was right, their sexy plans might be a bust if I couldn’t work the twinge out of Matt’s back he earned after a full day of black diamond runs.
“You’ve got a huge knot right here.” I pressed down with the heel of my hand and rolled along the hard ball under his skin while I held his shoulder, keeping him as still as possible.
He groaned. “It hurts, but for the love of God, I’m begging you to not stop.”
“I’m not a quitter. I won’t stop until you feel relief.”
“Am I interrupting?” Nick’s amused voice rumbled behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder. He stood there, a grin tipping his lips, a pair of swim shorts slung low on his hips and a towel flipped over his shoulder.
“Hey.” Oh god, that sounded breathless. Or maybe it was just me.
Matt glanced over his shoulder with an arched brow.
Okay, so not me. I totally sounded like a bitch in heat after gobbling up the view.
“Hey,” he said, leaning against the beam nearest to the tub. “Steppin’ out on me?”
“I have a feeling you’d be welcome to join us,” I said with a laugh. Matt sat on the lower step between my thighs while I pummeled the muscles in his back. Seth and Landon, well, they occasionally brushed against me as they made out in the corner closest to me.
Matt hummed, his interested gaze snagging on Nick and traveling over him top to bottom. “He’s definitely invited. He yours?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It’s not,” Nick answered with a firm nod. “I’m hers.”
His tone left no room for argument, the sound setting off butterflies low in my belly. Two words and he had me knocked right back off balance, even more so than this morning with Daniel.
“So, I’ll just appreciate the view then.”
