Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61953 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 207(@300wpm)
He was as ridiculous and gallant as ever, bowing dramatically at the waist and kissing both of them on their hands. Bailey was looking at him like she could eat him for dinner. Harley took her hand back quickly and slid into the booth next to me.
“I hope you’re enjoying my resort,” Blake said, dropping an arm across Bailey’s shoulders.
“It’s nice,” she said with a shrug. “I suck at skiing though. I gave up after the first run and decided I was going to be a lodge bunny.”
His eyes widened. “A lodge bunny?”
“Is that not the term? I made it up,” Bailey said with a devious grin. “I sit around in the hot tub, drink hot chocolate and apple cider, and watch everyone else wipe out. I’m a delight.”
He laughed. “Well, if you want to get back out on the slopes, I could teach you.”
I snorted. “Holliday, you’re a terrible teacher.”
“I could have gone pro. I’m a fucking fantastic teacher.”
“Nah,” Bailey said, interrupting.
“What do you mean, nah?” Holliday asked.
Bailey shrugged. “Not really interested in learning. Don’t want to hurt myself.”
“You won’t hurt yourself. I guarantee that.”
Harley just snorted. “I’d give up. The girl only cares about volleyball.”
“I’m not going to break a leg or something and make it so that I can’t play.”
“Volleyball?” he asked. “Interesting. Where do you play?”
“Texas Tech. We’re both Tech students.”
“She walked on and is now a starter,” Harley bragged. “Our little gifted student.”
“Wait, students?” Blake asked, his eyes sliding to mine. “Exactly how old are you?”
“Does it matter?” Bailey challenged.
Blake’s eyebrows rose. “A feisty one.”
“You have no idea,” Harley said.
“Something to say?”
Blake smirked. “I like them feisty.”
“Oh. Well, stick around,” she said, tipping her chin up.
Harley leaned her body into mine, and suddenly, Blake and Bailey’s banter disappeared. It was just her against me. She slid her hand across my lap, threading our fingers together. I dropped mine to her waist and tucked her against my side. I pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in her lavender scent.
This was what it could be like. Us out in the open, with our friends, just living our lives. No hiding from our families. It reminded me of the time we’d had in Seattle. When everything had seemed so perfect. I probably shouldn’t revel in it. There were still months before graduation, but I had her to myself, and I didn’t plan to let her go until she asked me to.
“Where are you staying?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at me.
“I have my family chalet on the mountain.”
Her eyes rounded. “Of course you do.”
“My dad got it in the divorce. Mom took the house in Cabo.”
“Fancy.”
“It means we can be alone,” I told her.
Her eyes widened. “Now?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Now,” she repeated.
“Will Bailey be okay?” I asked, glancing at my womanizer friend in worry.
“Is Blake trustworthy?”
“He’s a good guy. If a promiscuous one.”
“Then, she’ll be fine. She doesn’t drink and can take care of herself.”
“Then, let’s get out of here.”
“Hey, Bails,” Harley said, sliding out of her seat. “We’re going to head out. You good?”
“More than good,” she said with a smirk that said she was not leaving Blake’s side the rest of the night.
Good for her.
“Text if you need me.”
“I won’t. Enjoy your night.”
She hugged her good-bye.
I shook Blake’s hand. “Don’t fuck this up.”
He grinned up at me like a predator ready to go in for the kill. “I could say the same. Hope you find exactly what you were looking for.”
I bumped his shoulder and then grabbed Harley’s hand and headed out of there. We had much more important things to do.
21
Harley
“When you said chalet, I was expecting a small log cabin.”
Chase chuckled behind me. “We’re in real estate, Harley. My father does nothing in halves.”
The chalet might as well have been a second lodge. The snow-topped wooden cabin had been built on the side of the mountain, looking down at the ski slopes and evergreen trees. The view even from the drive was spectacular.
I shivered in my black knee-length jacket. It wasn’t the warmest thing in the world. I wasn’t really used to the cold. Seattle didn’t really get cold like this, and Lubbock only did on occasion. The temperatures this high up had dropped dramatically, and snow had started accumulating even more since the sun had gone down.
“Fuck, it’s cold.”
“Let’s get you inside. That isn’t exactly a winter coat. What were you skiing in?”
“Something warmer than this. But it’s not as cute for the lodge bar, Chase,” I teased him.
“Ah, fair.”
“Plus, no tights. That was a mistake,” I admitted.
His eyes went to my bare legs. “Yeah. Inside with you. We’ll get a fire going.”
My boots crunched along the concrete as we headed to the front door. Chase unlocked it with a keypad, and I stepped into an enormous wooden structure. The opposite wall was entirely made of glass, looking out across the ravine expanse. It was jaw-dropping.