Apres Ski (14 page)

“Maybe she will.” Jud smiled at Chelsea and her insides went
all fluttery. But being reminded yet again that Jud would be leaving almost
made her sick to her stomach. It was enough to make a woman lose her mind—the
soaring highs and the deep lows.

“I’d bet on her anyway,” Jud went on to say. “One of her
pieces at the gallery is a sunrise at the Maroon Bells.”

“Really? That’s one of my favorite spots,” Nicole said.

“It’d look fantastic in Cam’s office,” Jud said.

C’mon, Chelsea. Get in there and join the conversation
instead of listening to
them
talk about you.
“My parents took
me to the Maroon Bells when I was a kid. I’ve been back a few times, hiking, cross-country
skiing. It’s so beautiful, peaceful.”

“I’ve got a great idea,” Nicole said. “Jud, before you
leave, you and Chelsea should come down for a visit. We’d have such a good
time.” She turned to Chelsea. “Did Jud tell you he got stuck at our place last
winter during a snowstorm?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Yeah, it was a real drag.” Jud laughed. “Being stuck in
Aspen with a couple feet of snow.”

“You poor baby.” Chelsea laughed with him, but Jud seemed a
little fidgety.

“Yeah, I think he hated it.” Nicole took every opportunity
to touch Jud, patting his arm while she spoke. Chelsea wanted to pour Jud’s
scotch down Nicole’s gaping sweater.

“Powder skiing, snowshoeing, good food and drink. What’s not
to love?”

Chelsea rolled her eyes—not so much at Jud, but she was
irritated by the attention Nicole was heaping on him.
What is up with this
chick?

“Hey, Cam,” Jud called out. “Can I get a little help here?
The women are piling on.”

“I thought you liked that,” Cam called back, but he did move
his chair closer to the rest of them.

Chelsea nearly laughed at her roommate’s disappointment,
although she was sure that Megan probably already had a promise from Cam to
appear at her bookstore. Megan grudgingly moved closer as well, not bothering
to try to hide her pout.

“So, Chelsea,” Cam said. “How’d a sexy young thing like you
wind up with a big brute like Tate?” His eyes were focused directly on her. In
fact, his whole body language portrayed a picture of intense interest. It was
uncomfortable, in a flattering way.

Two of a kind.
Cam and Nicole were both charming,
oozing sex appeal. Such concentration being relatively new to her, Chelsea
blushed. “Well, we’d been friends for a while and I started to feel sorry for
him, never having a date, always getting rejected, going home alone… You know.”

Cam gave her a sympathetic look. “It was good of you to
sacrifice yourself for the poor bastard. But I have to say that you deserve so
much better.”

Waving him off, Chelsea said, “We all do what we can.”

“I know. I took pity on him too when we first met at a
writer’s conference years ago,” he said, grinning. “But seriously, Jud and I
really hit it off, two naïve idealists. We made it work though.”

“Clearly.” Chelsea leaned closer to him. “I’m sure you know
this, but Jud has so much respect for you. He appreciates your support.”

“Likewise.” Cam smiled at her. “I’m glad to see that Jud has
raised his standards in women. Did you grow up in Vail, Chelsea?” His eyes
searched her face.

Intensity.
She nervously played with a napkin as she
answered. “No, I’m from Boulder. I’ve lived here for about a year.”

“How do you like Vail?”

“It’s great. There’s so much to do. It’s no Aspen, but…”

“You work for the ski company?” he asked.

“I do, but only because it’s conducive to living my dream. I
couldn’t rely on my parents for monetary support forever.”

Cam finally tore his gaze away from her for just a second to
glance in his wife’s direction. “Really? What’s your dream?”

Chelsea saw that Jud was leaning his head toward Nicole as
if she was whispering in his ear. Was Cam as bugged by it as she was? When he’d
fully refocused his attention on her, she said, “My true love is art. I like to
paint.”

“No shit? That’s awesome. What do you paint?”

“I’m inspired by nature, so mostly landscapes. I hope to
expand my horizons though. I just finished kind of an abstract work of Jud hot
dogging on skis.”

Cam smiled at her knowingly. Chelsea felt embarrassed over
what she’d just revealed to this near stranger. He probably saw her as some
lovesick girl so obsessed that she had a studio full of Judson Tate paintings.

“So you’re inspired by nature and macho ski patrol,” he said
in a low voice so that only she could hear.

Chelsea smiled, her cheeks heating up. “God, I hate being so
transparent.”

Cam reached over and grasped her hand in his. “That’s what
we do as artists, Chelsea. Writers, photographers, painters. We open a vein and
bleed for everyone to see. Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it.”

It was as if a light was switched on. “Honesty,” she said.

“Honesty. Pain. Love. It’s the bane of an artist’s
existence. But it’s what drives us to produce.”

“So I should be proud of putting my heart on a piece of
canvas.”

“Absolutely.” Cam grinned. “I’d love to see some of your
work.”

“I… Uh… Have the feeling you may be going home with one of
my pieces. I believe your wife is going shopping tomorrow.”

Cam clutched his chest. “At least my money will go to
supporting your career. Never give up on your dream, Chelsea.”

She was touched by his kindness. “No, I’ll never quit
painting. Even if I never sell another piece.”

“Good for you. Tell me, what are you working on now?”

Chelsea filled him in on her commissioned work for the
Hollywood producer. He listened attentively, but a couple of times his gaze
flitted over to Nicole—the second time with a distinct flickering in his eyes.
Maybe he
was
mad.

“You know, when you have time, I’d love for you to do a
painting for me. There’s a spot I love to go on the Roaring Fork River. In
fact, Jud came down last summer to go fly fishing and I took him there. It’s so
beautiful.”

“I’d love to see it.”

Cam nodded, again looking over to where Jud and Nicole were
sitting. He watched them for a moment, his face inscrutable.

Chelsea saw that Jud was sitting up straighter now, but
Nicole was still close to him. He seemed to be at least making an effort to
hold her off. The woman was positively shameless. Chelsea glanced over at Megan
and they exchanged a look.

Turning back to Cam, Chelsea saw that he was still looking
at his wife. There was a definite set to his jaw and his eyes blazed. What the…
She glanced back and forth, first at Jud and Nicole, then at Cam watching them.

Her stomach dropping, Chelsea had a sick revelation. Trapped
in a snowstorm? Fly fishing?
It’s them.
Cam and Nicole were Jud’s
threesome buddies. Cam was watching his wife flirt with Jud, and the flickering
in his eyes wasn’t anger—it was desire.

She swallowed, holding down the bile rising in her throat.
She clutched her stomach for just a second.

“Chelsea, are you okay?” Cam asked her.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I think that maybe the
rich dessert isn’t agreeing with me.” Megan looked at her with concern. “Can
you excuse me?” She stood and headed for the restroom, motioning for Megan to
follow her.

By the time she made it out of the bar, Jud was calling her
name. Another deep breath and she turned to him. He grasped her hands and
peered at her. “What’s the matter? Are you ill? You’ve gone completely white.”

She pasted a smile on her face. “Damn s’mores.”

Jud shook his head. “C’mon, I’ll take you home.”

“No. You don’t have to do that. Megan can take me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Chels. I’ll take you.” The look of
caring and concern on his face warmed her heart.

“No, you’re here with your friends, your client. Go finish
what you have to do.” Chelsea was desperate to get away before she fell apart.
She gave Megan a pleading look.
Help me.

“Uh, it’s fine, Jud,” Megan said. “It’s my fault anyway for
feeding her chocolate for dinner. I’ll take her home and you go finish your
meeting.”

“Are you sure?” Jud asked.

Chelsea nodded. “Go, I’ll see you later.”

Jud looked at Megan. “You’re taking her to my place.”

Megan snapped her heels together. “Aye, aye, sir.”

He gave her a look and then turned to Chelsea, kissing her
on the top of her head. “Feel better. I shouldn’t be too late.”

Keeping up a brave face, she smiled and watched him go.

The cold air outside was refreshing, shocking some
sensibility back into her after the unsettling moments in the bar. Still,
Chelsea told herself that she wasn’t an idiot for leaving Jud behind with the
happy sex-crazed couple.

“How’s Chelsea?” Cam asked.

“Okay, I think.” Jud sat down. “Megan’s taking her home.”

“I like her. She’s smart. And sweet.” Cam smiled. “What the
hell is she doing with you?”

“I don’t know, man. I just hope she never comes to her
senses,” Jud said.

“Never?” Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Could it be that Judson
Tate is in love?”

Jud shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m pretty happy right now.”

Nicole sighed. “Damn. I guess that puts the kibosh on my
plans for the evening.”

One look at Cam told Jud everything he needed to know. Jud
suspected that Nicole wanted a repeat of their previous sexcapades. In a way,
he was thrilled that he could use Chelsea as an excuse. Sex with Nicole had
been awesome, dirty, disturbing but hot. Nicole Wood was sex personified—the
kind of woman who should be perfect for him. Still, all he could think about
was a lovely young thing with a sick stomach.

Yep, he was a goner.

It was just after ten by the time Jud returned home. He’d
shared a couple more rounds and a bite to eat with Cam and Nicole, but he’d
taken the wind out of their sails with his rejection of another sexual
adventure. He’d been treading on thin ice, not wanting to destroy either their
professional or personal relationships.

Fortunately they’d been cool about it. It took some major
self-confidence or a really thick skin to invite a third person into your
bedroom, and luckily Cam and Nicole had both in spades. Far from having hard
feelings, they were probably scoping out other possibilities.

Jud found Chelsea in the living room watching an old rerun
of
Seinfeld
.When she saw him, she shut off the television.

Dropping on the couch next to her, he asked, “How are you
feeling?”

“I’m okay. Whatever it was has passed.” She looked down at
her toes when she answered.

“Good.” He propped his feet on the coffee table and leaned
against the back of the couch with a sigh. Something was going on. He could
sense weirdness.
But what
do I do about it?
A few more quiet
moments spurred him to action. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut
it when he heard her voice.

“How was your evening?” she asked.

“It was nice. Had a few more drinks after you left, some bar
food. No s’mores.” He gave her a look and was rewarded by a small smile, but
she remained silent, avoiding his gaze.
What the hell?
He nervously
cleared his throat. “Chelsea—”

She quickly turned to face him, cutting him off and
startling him with the sudden move. “I know it was them.”

“What?”

Sighing, she said, “Cam and Nicole. I know it was them. I
know you…had sex with Nicole and Cam… Uh… I know it was them.”

“Oh.” He wasn’t exactly sure what to say, but one thing
always worked. “I’m sorry.”

“I guess that’s why you were so secretive about this
meeting.”

“I didn’t mean to be. I don’t want to hide anything from
you.”

She nodded, staring straight ahead. “So were you all
planning on another round?”

“Wait. What?” Did she really think that?

“C’mon, Jud. Nicole was all over you and Cam seemed thrilled
by it. It was just suddenly so obvious. And here’s dumb little Chelsea,
clueless and excluded.”

Fuck.
“Hold on. That’s not the way it was at all.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really. I mean, yes, I guess Nicole was all over me
and I apologize for that. But whatever happened in the past, Cam and Nicole are
my friends. And Cam is a huge client. He’s a big reason for a publishing house
to hire me—odds are good he’ll come with me and sell millions of books for
them. I’m walking a tightrope, not wanting to piss them off.”

“So it’s okay for Nicole to flirt with you, touch you, rub
up against you.”

“No, it’s not okay.” He could see that she was hurt and it
killed him. “And I promise you that will never happen again. But you’ve got to
know Nicole—she lives to flirt, to turn men inside out, and it doesn’t mean
anything to her. If it hadn’t been me, it would have been some other guy she
was drooling over.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” She was frowning,
her voice catching.

His chest tightened. How could he make her understand? He
was a little rusty at this kind of exchange and he really didn’t want to screw
it up. Grasping her hands in his, he was relieved that she didn’t pull them
away. He took a deep breath. “Chelsea, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you,
but you have to believe me—I have absolutely no desire to be with any other
woman.”

She studied him for a long moment before she spoke. “I
believe you. I have to admit I was a little worried at first, but I do believe
you.”

“Good. That’s good.” Surprised by her answer, he smiled.

“Jud, you can’t exclude me from parts of your life. I trust
you, so you have to trust me.”

Another surprise. “You’re right. I wanted to bring you along
tonight but I decided not to ask you—not because I was trying to hide anything
from you, but because I was worried about how you would react to them.”

Her brow furrowed. “You mean you were worried I’d figure out
about your kinky past with them?”

Nodding, he said, “That, and I was afraid they might try to
recruit you.”

“What?” She laughed. “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged, laughing along with her. “Listen, I never know
what’s going to come out of either of their mouths. I do know they have a way
more liberal set of boundaries than I do. I guess I was just worried that they
might want to try a foursome.”

Chelsea laughed—a deep belly laugh. “And you thought I’d be
up for it?”

“I don’t know.” He laughed along with her. “Not too long
ago, you were a virgin. Now you’re my little sexpot.”

“Oh God. You’re so funny.” She pulled away from him. “The
thing is, I liked them. Well, I liked Cam, anyway.”

“Yeah, I could see the two of you all huddled up together.”
He raised a brow. “Do I have something to worry about?”

“Right. You don’t ever have to worry about me.”

Jud felt his chest tighten, beyond happy to have Chelsea
Ryan in his life. “You don’t have to worry about me either. You know that,
right?”

“I know.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’m beat. I’m
going to bed.”

“I just want to catch some scores. I’ll be there in a
minute.”

“Okay.” Smiling, she rose and made her way across the room.
“So tell me—did they want an encore performance?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Ah! I knew it. Once they’ve experienced the swift sword of
Judson Tate, they have to have it again.”

Speechless, he heard her laughter trail behind her as she
left the room.

The smile was still there when Chelsea looked in the
bathroom mirror. It was a good feeling, considering that a few hours ago she
was nearly in the depths of despair. Looking back on it, she’d never really
thought that Jud would cheat on her. Everything about his behavior with her had
led her to believe that he was loyal.

What had bothered her the most about their evening with the
Woods was that, first, Jud had tried to hide them from her and second, she’d
felt literally like the odd woman out. She wanted to believe that if she knew
that the Woods were the people in Jud’s wildest sex story that she would have
been cool about it. But she hadn’t been given the choice. Instead she sat
there, blissfully ignorant—at least at first. Later she’d felt merely idiotic.

Then again, the real reason she’d been in such a funk was
none of the above. And she had no idea how to deal with it.

After splashing her face with water and brushing her teeth,
Chelsea made her way to the bedroom. She stripped off her clothes and crawled
into bed, lying on her side. Despite her fatigue, she was unable to fall
asleep. After a while, she heard Jud come in, the sounds of him removing his
clothes. The bed dipped behind her and she felt his warmth before his fingers
caressed her hip.
What the hell?
She’d told him she was tired. Then,
who
am I kidding? I
did
get into bed naked.

Holding as still as possible, she tried to keep her
breathing even. It was tough. Her skin tingled and burned as his fingers
stroked up her side, then back down to her hip and thigh. His lips pressed
against the back of her neck and she melted inside. Damn, he knew what that did
to her. He’d come to know her body better than she did herself.

It was hard to be still, but she tried to manage it. His
breath was warm on her neck as he let out a low laugh—probably at her efforts
to appear unaffected. He pulled the covers down to expose her back and, instead
of causing a chill, it was a relief to her hot flesh. His lips and tongue moved
down her spine while his fingers continued to work their magic—sliding up high
on her torso to lightly graze the swell of her breast, then back down to stroke
her thigh and ass.

By the time he kissed the sensitive flesh of her lower back,
she was squirming inside. He moved closer to her as his lips trailed up her
back, lingering to plant countless kisses on her neck. “I know you’re not mad
at me,” he whispered.

She said nothing but let him have his way with her.

Another low laugh from him. He nipped her shoulder and the
flesh at the crook of her neck, his hand now concentrating on stroking her
lower back, her ass and her upper thighs.

Chelsea wanted to beg him to touch her where she needed to
be touched. He knew it, damn it. Well, she could wait. He’d get there.

A couple moments later, he did. His fingers slid down the
seam of her ass and under to split her pussy lips. Another chuckle. “You want
me.”

She wasn’t about to deny it. He pulled her top thigh up to
press her knee into her chest and moved in closer behind her. He stroked his
cock through her pussy lips and when it was nice and wet, he worked it inside
her, stroking deep. He fucked her slowly, his hips undulating and making small
movements. As a result, his huge cock kept up nearly constant stimulation just
where she needed it. Dropping her palm to the bed to steady herself, she bit
her lip to hold back her gasps.

“Feel good, Chels?” His voice was irritatingly controlled.
He laughed again when she didn’t answer. “I kinda like this silent side of you.
I can do whatever I want to do to you.”

Apparently he didn’t realize he could do whatever he wanted
to her regardless of how silent or loud she was. Still, his words sent shivers
down her spine. The tension that had taken over her entire body now settled in
her middle, growing in intensity.

Jud grasped her shoulder, thrusting deeper and harder. “You
feel so good—so hot and wet. Come on me, baby. Squeeze my cock with your tight
pussy.”

She was now gasping for air, the burning in her cunt
stirring her higher until she was pushed over the edge. Her orgasm was slow and
rolled through her in waves, lasting until her heart was bursting and her lungs
ached for oxygen.

“That’s right. Come on me.” Jud slowed his thrusts, finally
pulling out to let her recover.

Chelsea rolled to her back, her skin dewy from the
heart-pounding sex. She licked her lips, taking deep breaths, still not saying
a word.

“Don’t get too relaxed. I’m not done yet.” His voice was
commanding and would have brought her to her knees had she not already been
lying flat on her back.

Before she knew it, Chelsea found herself on her belly, a
pillow under her hips. Jud moved over her and she could feel his erection
tickling the backs of her thighs as he kissed her neck, her back and lower. He sat
back on her thighs and palmed her ass cheeks.

“Damn, I love your ass.” He kneaded the soft flesh of her
butt, stroking and pinching.

Chelsea saw him grabbing something from the bedside table.
The next moment, she felt his fingers warm and slippery between her ass cheeks.
His thumb rubbed her back entrance and the sparks of sensation drove her crazy.
Feeling a combination of anxiety and arousal, she knew what was coming—he’d
been hinting at it. She wanted to please him and knew he would never hurt her,
and surprisingly she found herself wanting it, craving it.

Pressing her palms against the bed, she felt the hard tip of
his cock nudge her entrance. He spread her cheeks wide, stretching her entrance
open, then moved over her and whispered in her ear, “Relax, Chels. Let me in
your ass.” He pushed just barely inside her and sucked in a breath. “Ah God.”

Chelsea’s eyes watered at the feel of him inside her. It
hurt, but it also felt incredible. The mere thought of what he was doing to her
was so carnal, so kinky. She wished she could see it.

The heat from his body enveloped her as he moved closer, his
knees on the outside of her thighs, his fingers interlacing with hers. “You
feel so good, Chelsea. Relax for me. I wanna feel your tight ass squeezing me.”

Following his direction, she took a deep breath, tried to
relax, let her muscles go limp. She was rewarded by a nearly unbearable
fullness as he moved deeper inside her.

“Fuck, it’s so good,” he muttered. He kissed the back of her
neck, squeezing her fingers tightly as if he was trying to control himself.
“Your ass feels like a fist on my cock, you’re making me lose my mind.”

Chelsea could feel the friction as he moved slowly in and
out. The more she relaxed, the easier his movements were. And the better it
felt. She must have some wicked sensitive nerve endings there because her
entire body was buzzing, tense, ready.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?” His words were stilted.

She shook her head quickly no. She actually wanted more of
it.

“Thank God, ’cause I can’t stop.” He kept up the relentless
small thrusts, kissing her back and neck in ways that made her crazy.

Already so wet, Chelsea felt juices oozing down from her
pussy, coating the inside of her thighs. She wanted to come. She needed to
come. She ripped her hand away from his and slid it under her body between her
legs, touching flesh that was hot and drenched.

He groaned. “That’s right. Play with yourself.”

Every time her fingers rubbed her clit, her hips jerked up,
pushing her ass back onto his cock. She saw stars behind her lids.

“Jesus, Chels. Feel good?”

“Mm-hm.” It felt awesome.

He released her other hand and pulled back. “Baby, you
should see this—my cock pushing into your ass—fucking incredible.”

She gasped, feeling him in her chest.

“Tell me you like it.”

“I like it.” She panted from the effort of taking him inside
her.

“Tell me you love it, that you love me fucking your ass.”

Bastard.
He was driving her crazy. “I love it… I love
feeling your cock in my ass, fucking my ass.” Her body felt ready to come apart.