She nods. “I’m freezing, and honestly the only thing I can think about is the hot tub back at the chalet.”
Thatgrabs my attention, and I visibly straighten up. “There’s a hot tub at the chalet?”
She nods, biting back her smirk. “Yeah, just outside the back doors. Want to join me?”
I clear my throat, trying to act normal while my dick has other ideas. Lucky for me, my jacket hides the tent it’s pitching.
“Sure,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Let’s go.”
TWELVE
MAISY
Sterling is already outsidein the hot tub by the time I step into the bathroom to change because it took me twenty minutes to find the bikini I was looking for. I stare down at the bold, red fabric that borders on indecent.
I know the idea of both of us half-naked, close enough to touch, is a bad idea. We barely have any self-control around each other, and so much could happen if we’re not careful. Going in the hot tub together is reckless. After all, I’m the one that decided to end things between us three years ago.
And still, I shimmy into the bikini, adjust the straps, and pull my robe over my shoulders, tying the belt tight around my waist before making my way outside.
The cold night air bites at my exposed ankles and face, stealing my breath. Snow covers the ground in glittering sheets, and the hot tub sits in the corner of the deck. Sterling is reclined against the side, one tanned arm draped over the edge. His brown curls damp from the steam, and his broad shoulders gleaming.
He looks up at the sound of the door closing behind me, brown eyes locking on mine. They slowly move down to my robe,lingering a moment before rising back to my face with a look that makes my stomach flip. His silent way of telling me to take it off.
I slowly slip the robe off my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground in one swift movement. The cool air rushes over me, turning my skin a subtle shade of pink within seconds, while a shiver skates down my spine. The corner of his mouth ticks up, but I can see the way his throat works, the way his chest expands like he’s fighting for control. I know that look better than anyone, and I know what I’m doing to him.
“Are you coming in or just planning to torture me?” he asks, his voice rough.
My lips curve. “Both.”
I cross the deck, making a point to sway my hips more noticeably, and dip one foot in the hot tub. Sterling’s gaze doesn’t move as I lower myself beside him, water sloshing against my ribs. His thigh brushes mine under the surface, and I press just a little closer. I can feel the tension in his body, see the way he’s gripping the edge of the tub, and a small, wicked part of me wants to see how far I can push him.
“Maisy,” he warns, roughly, but there’s no real force behind it.
“Sterling,” I murmur back, tilting my head, and letting a teasing smile tug at my lips. My shoulder nudges his, and I watch him stiffen, jaw tight, and eyes darkening.
“Careful,” he says again, voice almost a growl, and I can’t hold back my grin.
I let my hands glide along the edge of the tub, slowly inching closer, lightly skimming my fingertips along his arm. I watch the subtle flex of his muscles, and the slight shift in his posture when our thighs press together again.
He’s trying so hard to resist, I can tell, but I can also see the need that he’s losing control over.
I dip my chest under the water for a moment, letting it ripple over my chest, then rise slowly, making sure he sees the water drip off my skin, the way my nipples pebble from the instant change in temperature.
“Maisy,” he says again, firmer this time.
“Hmm?” I hum innocently, tilting my head, but my pulse is racing.
I lower my hand under the water, resting casually on the seat edge, close enough to his thigh to make the contact feel electric, and I let it linger there. He exhales sharply, the sound half agony half turned on.
“You’re impossible,” he mutters, eyes on me, but I don’t look away.
“Am I?” I whisper, letting my voice drop low, with a teasing edge.
The way his jaw clenches is mesmerizing, and the slight dip of his chest as he swallows tells me he’s right there on the edge, every inch aware of me. And yet he doesn’t move closer, because he knows he shouldn’t.
I know the rules, too. We’re off-limits to each other now. We can be friends but nothing more. But friends don’t look at friends the way Sterling is looking at me right now. Friends don’t feel the things I feel when I’m around him.
My hand now trails a path up his leg and he catches my wrist lightly, just enough to stop my teasing, and I feel the electricity of his touch shoot straight through my arm. My heart starts to race, my chest tightens, my lips part slightly, and I know he feels it too.
