Caught by the Blizzard: A romantic winter thriller (Tellure Hollow Book 1) (14 page)

“Nice,” he laughed. “So uh, this place is incredible.”

I followed his eyes around the room and nodded. “I think I made the same face when I moved in.” I glided to the double doors that opened out onto the deck, letting some cool air in along with the thumping bass from the DJ. When I turned around, Bryan was at my dresser holding the framed photo of my mom. I padded towards him, the lush rug dampening the sound of my steps.

“Is this…?”

I smiled as I looked at the photo in his hand. “That’s her. I think they were up in Vermont or New York somewhere.”

“You look like her,” he said turning to me. I took the photo from him, briefly running my fingers across the glass before setting it back on the dresser. My arm brushed his and I realized at that moment how close we were standing together. I slid my hand along where it lingered for a few moments, the connection like a magnetic pull. His mouth opened slightly as our eyes met, my desire to taste those lips all-encompassing.
Too soon, gotta make him work a little for it
, I thought, letting my hand drop. “I think we should head back to the party.” My voice came out a little too husky.

As I slipped on a thinner long-sleeved shirt, Bryan took a moment to look around my room. “I’m not even going to ask how much you guys have to pay to stay here,” he said in awe.

“Wait! You’ve gotta check this out.” I flicked the light on in the bathroom, walking in a bit so I could watch his reaction.

Bryan’s eyes went wide as he scanned the windowed shower stall. He looked at me with a mixture of shock and appreciation. “You use this?” I nodded, as if showering in front of floor-to-ceiling windows was perfectly normal. A smirk spread across his face. “Really…”

“Oh, you big perv. It steams up pretty quick,” I said slapping his arm. I flicked the light off before I did something crazy, like invite him to take his clothes off and try it out with me.

I led him back out to the hall, making sure to lock the door behind me again. As I tucked the key in my pocket, I wondered for a moment if he thought he’d be spending the night. My stomach flooded with butterflies. I hadn’t actually fooled around with a guy since Rick, and even then…that was more of a business arrangement. After seeing Bryan laying on the sofa without his shirt, I’d found it difficult to ignore those urges. Even though I’d done pretty much everything but sex, I thought maybe he might be the one to show me.

“So, uh…why don’t we get a drink? I think Noah bought enough booze to stock an entire liquor store and Kayla brought in four different kegs.” His hand slid down my arm, interlacing his fingers with mine. The sensation sent a wave of goosebumps across my body.

“Lead the way,” he smiled. I wanted to lead the way back to my room and into my bed, but I resisted the temptation. I pulled him into the crowd.

I’m not sure how it was possible, but it seemed like there were even more people crammed into the house. A couple girls stood on the marble counters in the kitchen dancing like go-go girls. The kitchen island had turned into a beer pong game with dozens of cups on either side. The mood of the party was shifting as people became more drunk.

After grabbing a couple beers from the closest keg, we ducked outside and walked along the back side of the deck. Bryan still held my hand but there was an awkwardness between us. We’d connected so easily when he talked in the lodge. Maybe we just needed to be drunk or pissed off with each other to get the conversation flowing. I took a huge gulp of my beer and looked around, my eyes locking on an unbelievable scene. I tugged at his arm.

“What the fuck are they doing?” I gaped. I really, really didn’t want to deal with someone dying.

I pointed to a small crowd standing around a mound of snow they’d piled up on the deck. Two guys were holding another upright as he balanced on the edge. He had a cheap plastic snowboard strapped to his sneakers. I rushed forward to look over the edge, knowing the drop was easily twenty feet or more. Down below was another group of guys with shovels, piling all the fresh snow into a makeshift ramp. Bryan stood next to me, a broad, crazy smile spreading across his face as he watched the preparations.

“He’s not seriously going to jump that, right?” I half pleaded with him.

“If those guys aren’t riding down that roof,” he said pointing above us, “and completely jumping the deck by the end of the night, I’ll be shocked.”

“So it’s really true what they say about snowboarders then,” I grumbled. I almost couldn’t stand to watch it. The snowboarder gripped the shoulders of the other two as they all counted down.

“Five, four, three, two, one, jump!” I gasped as the guy leapt off the ledge, the plastic bindings coming loose the instant he was airborne. He tucked and tumbled onto the snowbank below, landing in a heap at the bottom. I let out a quivering breath when I saw him move.

“They’re fucking crazy. Who would do that?” I wondered, shaking my head. We stood and watched another make an attempt, this time landing the jump and riding nearly down to the pond opposite the private run. I couldn’t stand to watch it any longer, so I lead Bryan away.

As we rounded the corner of the deck, we came upon a crazy scene of a different sort. At least ten people had piled into our hot tub, some in suits, many topless. I spotted Morgan of all people, balanced on the edge with her feet in the water. She was still wearing her knit hat, her long braids framing her bare pert breasts. Knowing wherever Morgan was, Spencer wasn’t far behind, I scanned the crowd. There he was, the poor guy, just standing off the side looking like the most uncomfortable person in the world. I didn’t feel too bad for him. Judging by the bulge in his pants, he was enjoying Morgan’s free spirit as much as the others, even if he didn’t know what to do about it.

Thankful Bryan didn’t know who my roommates were, so I pulled him past quickly. The DJ I’d photographed earlier was really getting into it now. The deck was bouncing slightly underfoot as the large crowd moved to the music. Visions of a horrific collapse flashed through my mind. As I turned to say something in his ear, he bent to speak in mine. Our faces came so close, our noses nearly touched. His hazel eyes scanned my face, lingering on my lips before he leaned forward.

“Let’s go someplace a little quieter,” he said, his breath hot on my ear. I nodded in response, my breath coming out in a shudder.

Traveling back into the steamy hot living room, I spotted one lone overstuffed chair. I pulled him over but we stood awkwardly, not sure how to arrange ourselves. The frustration of our nerves finally getting the better of me, I grabbed him by the shoulders and gently pushed him into the seat. He landed with a laugh. I’d planned on sitting on the arm but he looked up at me with an arched eyebrow, and patted his lap.
What the hell? Why not?
I settled gingerly in his lap, self-conscious, like most girls, that he could feel how heavy I was.

Bryan wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. His other hand slipped behind my head and pulled my mouth towards his. His lips were hot and urgent against mine. I garbled something in surprise, easing into the kiss as his tongue slipped between my lips. For several heartbeats we connected and when I pulled away, I was left breathless.

I stared into his eyes, for once at a complete loss for words. The faintest curl started at the corner of his mouth as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. “I couldn’t wait anymore. Ever since you kissed me yesterday, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about feeling your lips again.”

The reaction those words created was a surprise to even myself. If I’d had more than one beer, I would’ve blamed it on the alcohol but as it stood, the reaction was all me. I bit my lower lip, right where his thumb had just been caressing. Putting a hand on either arm of the chair, I pushed myself up and eased myself into a straddling position, facing him. It was his turn to be shocked.

I ran my fingers through his messy brown hair and smiled down. “In that case, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about doing this.” I kissed him again, so passionately his head pressed against the black leather behind. His hands grasped at my back, arching me against his body. It wasn’t my direct intent, I swear, but I could feel his cock stir beneath me. I squeezed his hips with my knees but I forced myself to pull back before I got too carried away.

“So uh, now that we’ve gotten that out of our system,” I said pushing myself back into a normal seated position but still across his lap. “I think we can carry on with the rest of the night.” It was a bit of a lie. It hadn’t released any sexual tension. It’d only turned up the heat that much more, but at least I could talk to him without the distraction clouding everything. I ran a finger along his jawline, my nail catching his stubble. “You’re not much of a mountain man anymore.”

He smiled, scratching at his cheek self-consciously. “Yeah, well, I don’t actually own a razor so it’s the best I could do.”
God, he’s cute
, I thought.

The longer we talked, the more comfortable I felt with him. I’m not gonna say we were kindred spirits or anything like that, but that feeling I’d gotten from the conversation in the lodge returned. The party nearly disappeared around us as we talked and before long, any nerves I’d had faded completely. We had a similar history, our hearts had been broken in the same places. We were two damaged people connecting in the middle of a hedonistic paradise, seemingly amazed that the other was real. I’d seen the ache in his eyes when he’d brought up his dad and I wanted him to know I shared the same hurt. It’s not like I could go from one of the hottest kisses I’d ever had to talking about dead relatives. This playful date was shaping up to be so much more. I felt a pull towards him that wasn’t borne of just passion but something else entirely.

“So, how do I get to wear a fancy pair of skis like you? I doubt you’re making that much in the shop,” I asked, my fingers twizzling through his hair.

Bryan tilted his head and grinned, his thumb idly rubbing my knee. His eyebrow moved a fraction of an inch. “A few more lessons, followed by drinks in the lodge, and I think I could get my guy in the pro shop to hook you up.”

“Ah, I see how it is. This is downright—” My thought was cut off by Kayla flinging herself into my lap, belly first. The red lipstick on her bottom lip was smeared half way down to her chin. The smell of booze rolled off her as she laughed.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” she yelled. She slipped down and landed on the floor with a thump, her dress riding up around her waist.

“Oh man,” I groaned helping her up. I tugged her tight dress back down, saying a little thanks that she’d decided to wear panties. “How much have you had to drink?”

Kayla giggled. “Not much.” She leaned forward and started petting my hair, staring at it like it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand, trying to get her to focus on my eyes. I’d seen her like this before, but I had to make sure. “Sweetie, did someone give you something?” She kept nodding, almost as if she’d gotten caught up in the beat of the music.

She pulled my hair. “It’s just like the shit from Ashville,” she whispered. My stomach sank. I glanced at Bryan who was still sitting in the chair, looking at us with a bit of amusement. He had no way of knowing what that meant but a very tangible sense of dread leached into my blood.

I put my hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at me. “What do you mean it feels like Ashville?”

Kayla pushed against me, her face twisting and contorting like a child’s in fear. Suddenly, she was on the brink of tears. “It’s like Ashville.
Snoooowbaaaall
.”

“Is that what Noah gave you?” She nodded, her face still in my hands. “Are you okay? You’re just high?”

Bryan started to clue in, realizing that she wasn’t just drunk but on something potentially dangerous. He stood and touched my shoulder, concern filling his face. “Is she gonna be okay?”

“Hey mountain man,” she slurred, her mood shifting yet again. She stroked his stubble and cooed as if she were petting an animal. “You’ve got pretty eyes for a mountain man.”

I groaned and slung my arm around her waist. “She seems pretty far gone. If she took what I think she took, then I probably need to stick with her for the next hour and ride it out. Do you think you could help me get her outside? The cold air might help.” Bryan put his arm around from the other side, resting it on top of mine. I leaned forward and continued, “I’m really sorry about this. She promised me I wouldn’t need to babysit tonight but…”

“Really, it’s fine. We’ve all been there, right?”

I gave him a nudge and a knowing smile. “Yeah, I seem to remember someone from not so long ago…”