For the first time in my life, I couldn’t think of a single comeback.
Instead, I was suddenly, painfully aware of how close we were. I still lay on top of him from our fall, and our torsos pressed so tight against each other I could feel his heartbeat—fast, erratic, and completely at odds with his languorous drawl. The white plumes of our breaths mingled in the tiny distance between our faces, and a brief zing of surprise traveled through me at the sight.
Considering the tightness in my chest, I hadn’t thought I was breathing at all.
Josh’s smile faded, but his hand remained on my shoulder—a whisper-light touch compared to his earlier hair tug, yet enough for me to feel it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
I licked my parched lips, and his eyes darkened before dipping to my mouth.
The hum of electricity transformed into a bolt of lightning, lighting me up from the inside.
I should get off him. I needed to get off him before my thoughts wandered down even more disturbing paths, but there was something so reassuring about the solid weight of his body beneath mine. He smelled like winter and heat all wrapped into one, and it was making me light-headed.
It’s just the mountain air. Get yourself together.
“Jules,” he said softly.
“Yeah?” The word stuck in my throat before it came out all wrong. Weird and raspy and not at all like my normal voice.
“On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want to fuck me right now?”
The moment shattered into a thousand pieces.
My skin flamed as I shoved myself off him, making sure to jab my elbow into his face as I did so.
“Negative one thousand,” I hissed. “Times infinity.”
Josh’s laugh erased any goodwill he’d accrued during our ski lessons.
I couldn’t believe I thought he might be somewhat tolerable. One semi-decent morning didn’t change the fact he was the same insufferable, cocky ass he’d always been.
The worst part was, he wasn’t entirely wrong. There had been a moment, just the briefest one, when I’d imagined what his hands would feel like on my skin. What his mouth would taste like, whether he liked it long and slow or fast and hard.
A ball of angry embarrassment formed in my throat. Clearly, I needed to get laid, and fast, if I was fantasizing about freaking Josh Chen.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Josh pushed himself up, his mouth curved into a smug grin even as his eyes simmered with banked heat. The sight made me feel somewhat better. At least I wasn’t the only one affected by our proximity. “We can make it happen, you know. I’m no longer opposed to the idea. Our relationship is progressing.”
“The only relationship we have is in your dreams.” I yanked my cap off and ran a hand through my tousled hair. “We’re done with lessons.”
“Quitter.” The soft mockery prickled against my skin, but I didn’t take the bait again.
“I’m not quitting. I’m postponing.” I jutted out my chin. “I’ll sign up for real lessons with the resort tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get the guy from the lobby as my instructor.” Blond hair, eager smile, muscled body. Lobby Guy might as well have Ski Bro stamped on his forehead. “I’m sure I’ll actually enjoy my time with him.”
Josh’s grin took on a hard edge. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, Red.”
Instead of responding, I turned on my heels and stormed away as gracefully as I could in skis. I should’ve taken them off before my grand exit, but it was too late now.
The dull ache of irritation throbbed in my stomach and intensified the closer I got to the lodge. God, I was an idiot. I should’ve known better than to—
Out of nowhere, the ache escalated into blinding pain. It ripped through me like a serrated blade and forced me to double over with a small gasp.
No. No, no, no.
My pulse roared in my ears.
It was too early. It wasn’t supposed to happen until next week.
But when another spike of pain caused tears to form in my eyes, it was clear Mother Nature didn’t give a damn about my schedules.
It was happening now, and there was nothing I could do about it.
12
JOSH
After Jules stormed off, I squeezed in one run down the advanced ski slope before I met up with Alex and Ava for lunch.
I assumed Jules had returned to the lodge after our failed ski lesson, but the fourth spot at the table was conspicuously empty.
I eyed it, distractedly answering Ava’s questions about how my morning went, before I asked, “Where’s the redheaded menace? Off sticking pins in a voodoo doll somewhere?”
Considering the way she’d stomped off, I wouldn’t be surprised if the voodoo doll was of me.
I didn’t know what possessed me to offer her ski lessons in the first place. I blamed it on the mountain air and the champagne I’d imbibed on the flight, but spending a morning with Jules hadn’t been as terrible as I’d expected. Plus, it’d been worth it for her reaction alone when I asked how badly she wanted to fuck me.
My mouth tugged up at the memory of Jules’s crimson cheeks. She could deny it all she wanted, but she’d thought about it. I’d seen it in her eyes, felt in the shallow rise and fall of her chest against mine.
She hadn’t been the only one thinking impure thoughts.
Our fall had been an accident, but the way her curves molded to my body had been a revelation. We’d both been bundled up in winter clothing, but in my mind, we might as well have been naked. I could picture it so vividly—her silky skin, her lush curves, her aggravating snark melting into a moan as I fucked her senseless…
Fuck.
I snapped open my napkin and placed it over my lap. My cock strained against my zipper, and I prayed neither Alex nor Ava noticed my uneven breaths as I reached for my glass again.
I didn’t know what was in the air that made me fantasize about Jules so much today, but it was fucking with my head. I’d been this close to doing something crazy earlier, like—
“She texted and said she’s not feeling well.” Ava sipped her water, her expression cagey. “She’s resting at the cabin.”
My arousal cooled at the new information. “She was fine an hour ago.”
Alex arched an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
Shit. “I, uh, ran into her on the slopes.”
“Jules said she didn’t go skiing.” Suspicion flared in Ava’s eyes. “She stayed at the lodge after she picked up her phone from the cabin.”
Double shit. “Maybe she went to the ski run first, then changed her mind.” I lifted my shoulders in what I hoped was a casual shrug. “Who knows? Her mind works in strange ways.”
A tiny smirk touched Alex’s mouth.
Luckily, the waiter arrived and saved me from further interrogation. After we placed our orders, I shifted the conversation to Ava’s latest assignment at World Geographic magazine, where she worked as a junior photographer. Nothing animated her more than talking about photography.
I half-listened as my sister rambled on about her project documenting the city’s street art scene. I loved her, but I gave zero shits about photography.
My eyes strayed again to Jules’s empty seat. Knowing her, she had a minor headache and was claiming near-death symptoms.