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“I really wouldn’t worry about that much if I were you.”
Lies. All lies.
The more time I spent with him, the more flutters he sent straight to my stomach—and sometimes lower—had me heavily wanting to consider what a date with Dominic Evans would look like. But as soon as the holidays pass, and life goes back to normal, this little bubble Dom and I are living in will dissipate. I won’t seem as charming anymore. I’ll become too much. I always do.
So I won’t let this go too far.
“Speaking of dates,” he cleared his throat, almost awkwardly, “have you seen Travis again?”
I laughed. “No.”
“I knew it.” He smirked. “Why not?”
I ignored him, turning my head to look out at the landscapes around us. We were suspended so high in the air that I could not only see the entirety of the ski resort, but all of the snow-covered mountains and valleys around it. The blue of the sky clashed with the white of the mountain peaks, blinding the world in brightness. Dots of green sprinkled among the valleys below made me feel as if I was sitting in a Bob Ross painting.
I’d found myself enjoying living in Southern California. The weather was almost always warm, and living within walking distance of one of the world’s most famous beaches was unreal. There was always something happening– always something to do. The view outside my bedroom window consists entirely of palm trees and cloudless sky.
Though, crisp mountain air and heavy forests felt like home to me. Or at least as close to home as I’ve ever gotten. My best friend may be right. Home may not be a physical location but a mixture of many things that make us feel complete, and I didn’t think I’d found that yet. But sitting here made me feel like I may have just gotten a little closer.
A broad shoulder knocked against my slender one. I turned back to find his goggles on his forehead and his bright brown eyes blazing back at me. A crooked smile was on his face but it felt as if something deeper was hidden underneath it. “What happened with Travis, Macie?”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re not doing that.”
“I’m just asking as a friend,” Dom pouted. He stuck his bottom lip out and trembled like a puppy dog. It was entirely unconvincing but a giggle escaped my lips anyway.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” I blew out a breathy laugh and shook my head. “But, you were right before… Travis wouldn’t have worked out.”
“Sexually?” he asked.
I shoved at him. Of course he knew that. He made me admit it beforehewent down on me. Plus, I couldn’t go out with Travis again after what I did with Dom following our first date. It didn’t feel right. I huffed, glancing out over the chairlift, taking another moment to admire the view of the mountain around us, the valleys below it, and the snow-covered trees.
“It’s not his fault,” I found myself whispering. Almost as if I was offering him an explanation. “My ex made me feel like shit, sometimes. So now, when I date someone it’s hard for me to express what I like. It’s hard for me to feel comfortable telling someone what my…needsare, I guess. They were… a bit much for Jeremy.” My cheeks flushed as I was sure Dom and I both thought back to our past indiscretions. “I don’t want to feel like that again. It’s better to just not have sex at all.”
I wasn’t sure why I was telling him this. Something about our conversation in the car earlier made me feel like I could. More than that, I wanted him to understand that what happened briefly between us wasn’t standard for me. There were a few reasons I didn’t want things to go any farther, but this was one of them. This was something I could at least try to explain.
I wasn’t sure how else to explain it, though. I didn’t wait for a response from Dom, I wasn’t sure I wanted one. Instead, I continued to admire the landscape around us. After a moment, he cleared his throat, catching my attention. His eyes were no longer smoke or embers. They were pure flames. Burning, and hungry.
Like they could meet all of my expectations.
Like I’d exceed all of his, too.
“Tell me, Macie.” His voice was a rough command. It raked along my bones, and electrified every atom in my body. I knew what he wanted me to say. What he wanted me to explain. I also knew if I did, he may make promises to me. Promise I wasn’t sure I wanted, and promises I was near certain he couldn’t keep.
I watched his tongue snake out across his full lips, as his eyes studied every inch of me. He watched as I clenched my knees together at the thought of that tongue. My skin pricked and I knew it wasn’t the cold air anymore.
Suddenly, we’d reached the top of the slope. Without another word to him, I slid off the chairlift and down the run.
Chapter 14
Iwontherace.
I was also fairly certain that Dom believed I distracted him with all that talk about myneedsin order to get myself a head start. I all but leaped off the lift while his focus was still zoned in on the spot between my legs. Though I was sure that he knew the reaction my body had to his voice, his words, his tongue, was entirely genuine. I’d let him believe it was a ruse to win our bet.
If nothing else, I was at least getting that free dinner out of it.
In reality, I bombed down that hill so quickly because I needed to get away from the crackling of embers in the air between us. I needed to get away from the way he made me feel, at the risk of another attempt at kissing him. This time I wouldn’t have the excuse of being concussed.
Even though I’d won, Dom insisted on choosing the place we ate dinner. Once the resort closed for the day and we exited the mountain, we both changed back into the clothes we wore on the drive up. I had on my leggings and knit sweater, though I kept my ski jacket over top, and swapped my ski boots for combat boots. I took off the scarf I had pulled my hair back with and let it down. I kept the scarf tied around the nape of my neck and pushed up off my forehead to keep stray curls out of my face.
