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Cool and calculated, a quality I liked about him at first, until I didn’t, he tracked my every move as I weaved through the tables toward them.
No blinking. Not even a hint of a smile.
Payback.
Something told me to avoid being alone with him… because he might just push my ass off a lift or something.
Okay, so I kind of regretted coming down without Nick now. Not so he could protect me, but buddy system and all that. Witnesses were a good thing.
When I arrived at the table, my dad was right there to smile and kiss my cheek and Nick’s dad followed suit.
“You look ready to conquer a few black diamonds today,” my father said, tucking me in under his arm.
“You know it.” I leaned into him, laying my head against his chest for the briefest of moments, before glancing up. “How about you? You want to take on The Dagger with me?”
He was already shaking his head before the question was out.
“I’m going to leave that trail to you, young lady. Skis or snowboard today?”
“The board. Every day.”
He gave me one last squeeze and let me go. “You be careful.”
“Always.” This was why I preferred hanging out with the guys. No passive aggressive comments. Just straight shooters.
Now to see how Nick had done at shutting down my mother.
She’d always been careful about her figure. And while she’d made a few comments over the years, she’d never been quite so blatant and never in front of others. Or at least in front of non-family. Daniel and Mariah having a front row seat only added insult to injury leaving me choking on bitterness.
My mom acted as though my eating red meat and a potato would send Nick running for the hills.
If it had that effect on him, I didn’t want him anyway. Plus, Nick would never do that to me. If anything, Nick was solid. A rock of dedication. He’d never betray—
God, I’m talking like he’s really my boyfriend and this isn’t just some convenient way to avoid two assholes who actually would be rather good for each other.
If they’d stop looking at us and start looking at each other, we could all take a damn breath already.
I pulled out the chair next to my mom and slapped the Danish down between us with a snap of attitude.
She did a double take, her lips pinching together, before she finally smiled. “Where’s Nick?”
Mrs. McAdams glanced over, her attention one hundred percent on my answer despite Mariah still chatting beside her.
“I tired him out last night,” I said with a wink, unable to resist goading Nick’s mom. “He’s sleeping in.”
“Oh, I—Oh!”
The sheer joy on my mother’s face at the idea that I rode Nick, stayed on for more than eight seconds, and stuck the landing had bile climbing up the back of my throat.
“Yes, best to let him sleep then.” The sheer delight on her face stood in stark contrast to whatever the hell was going on with Mrs. McAdams’s expression.
I tore off a piece of pastry and popped it into my mouth, holding Mrs. McAdams’s gaze the entire time.
My mother positively bubbly about my not-so-sexy sex life with Nick?
Now that was one I didn’t have on my bingo card.
She offered not one peep about the food since clearly I had spent the night servicing my man, and I intended to ride that high as far is it would take me. If I didn’t plan to take on The Dagger, I’d let it walk me right back to the coffee bar for a second danish.
