Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I wanted to experience everything he had to offer me. Then an image popped into my mind of Asher in the sauna, that towel slung low on his hips. I had to admit, I was intensely curious about what he had to offer, too.
Later, I was at the front desk, still feeling turned on. My skin tingled. My nipples were hard through my shirt, but I’d put on a jacket over it. I had to—I was so close to the front doors, and the cold air kept making me shiver.
It felt so different, walking around with no panties. And with my hair sweeping along my shoulders as I moved.
Then the family of four approached the desk—Emma, her younger brother, and their parents. The little boy was practically bouncing with excitement. And in an instant, my mind left the gutter and returned to professional mode.
“How is your stay so far?” I asked the children.
Emma started to answer, talking about how much she liked their suite, but her little brother interrupted. “We’re going skiing tomorrow! Me and dad.”
“Don’t interrupt, Henry,” his mother said.
But the little boy was far too excited to worry about conversation skills. “We’re going down a real slope, not the bunny hill.”
“Good for you,” I said. At his age, I wasn’t sure I knew what snow skiing was. The rich really did lead very different lives. “Do you ski, Emma?”
“I did when I was young,” she said, and her parents and I smiled over her head. If Emma thought she wasn’t young anymore, she probably thought someone my age was ancient.
Henry was still enthusiastic about skiing. “I have my own skis now. They’re blue and silver and they’re just my size.” He looked up at his father, who smiled indulgently. “Right, Dad?”
“That’s right, buddy.”
Emma stood next to her mother, rolling her eyes at her brother’s enthusiasm, but there was a fondness in the gesture. Her mother had that same warm, excited energy I remembered from their check-in.
“Well, you’re going to have a great time,” I told the boy. “The conditions are perfect this week.”
“Do you ski?” he asked.
“I’m learning,” I admitted.
“Me too! Maybe we’ll see you out there.”
“Maybe so.”
They headed down toward the restaurant, the boy still chattering excitedly about tomorrow’s adventure. I watched them go, feeling a pang of something—nostalgia, maybe, for that kind of uncomplicated family happiness.
But as soon as they were gone, my mind went right back to my lessons, both the one last night and the one we’d have tonight. I’d spent half the day wondering what we’d do next. The kissing and touching had felt so good, but I knew things were likely to intensify pretty quickly.
With such deliciously wicked things to think about, the rest of the day went quickly. I remembered Mia in the coffee shop back at school, and how she’d sometimes seemed lost in thought behind the counter. Had she been thinking about Diego? Like constantly thinking about him, and constantly aware of her body and what it wanted?
I wouldn’t blame her for that now, though I might have at the time.
When my shift was over, I was pleased to see Landon over by the Christmas tree. Was he waiting for me?
When I neared, his eyes swept up and down my body, and he gave a low whistle. “You’re going to have to do better than that if you don’t want people to know my brother’s been all over you.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Not all over.”
But privately, I could admit that Kai had stroked me almost everywhere today. I glanced down at myself, suddenly worried. Were my clothes rumpled? Were there visible marks on my skin that the jacket wasn’t covering?
I fell into step beside Landon as we crossed the lobby and descended the stairs to the restaurant. I wondered if he knew I wasn’t wearing panties. Had he heard that part, or had he just tuned out what we were doing last night?
That thought made me sad.
“I feel like I disappointed you,” I finally said.
Landon stopped at the base of the stairs, catching my arm before I could move past him. “You didn’t,” he said firmly. “You’re a smart, capable woman who knows her own mind. You asked for something you wanted, and you got it. Why would I be disappointed in you for that?”
“Maybe because you think I shouldn’t want it.”
He let out a breath and released my arm. “No. I admit that my protective side took over a little yesterday. I do think that a person’s first time should be special, and I didn’t love the thought of it being with Kai, who’s skilled but not particularly gentle, or Ash, who hasn’t been very nice to you.”
I thought but didn’t tell him that I didn’t particularly want Kai to be gentle. But I agreed about Asher, even though he’d really turned me on last night. The way he’d touched me was different than Kai, but it had felt just as good.