“Oh good. I have to pee.”
I look back in the rear-view mirror, shake my head at her and say, “Liv I told you to go before we left.” She rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue. I look over at Presley and smile. Taking her hand in mine, I bring it to my lips, whisper I love you against her skin, before leaving a lingering kiss.
Five minutes later, we pull up to an A-frame cabin. The solid oak logs run horizontally across the front, and a pitched hunter green roof helps keep the snow off. There is a large evergreen wreath on the front glass door, and evergreen garland drapes across the porch railing.
Presley leans forward in her seat as she admires the cabin, eyes wide as she takes everything in. “Oh my gosh! Brice, this is beautiful.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek, bringing my lips to graze against her ear, “Only the best for you.”
“Trey, did you plan this? Or was this all Brice’s idea?”
I want things to go well for Trey and Liv. Liv and Presley are friends, so I know if Trey messes something up, Liv will tell Pres and then she’ll tell me, and then in some weird twisted way, I’ll get in trouble for something he did. I want to avoid being in trouble at all cost. “Nope. Liv, this was all Trey. I didn’t even know this place existed.” Giving Trey a wink, he nods his appreciation.
“Aww, baby! Thank you.” The pitch of her voice tells me she’s genuinely happy.
“Anything for you, Liv.”
I get out of the truck while Presley continues to admire the cabin and the evergreen forest tucked back behind it. I open her door, allowing her to slide out of the truck and into my waiting arms. “You totally planned this, didn’t you?” she says in a hushed tone so as not to ruin the excitement for Liv.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mmhmm. Sure, you don’t.” She gives me a sideways glance, pushes her chest into mine, nibbles on my ear, and seductively whispers, “Too bad, you could have been getting lucky right about now.” I clear my throat as she taps the backside of her hand against my groin, “But like you said—you didn’t plan this.”
I have to readjust myself as my cock immediately pushes against my jeans; she lets off a triumphant laugh. “It’s too easy to mess with you.”
She sprints towards the cabin and I chase after her, yelling behind her, “Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, Presley Elizabeth! Just you wait.” She’s in a fit of giggles by the time I get to her, pulling her inside. I give the receptionist Trey’s name and Presley an, “I told you so” smirk.
“Oh, you must be here for the afternoon ride. Follow me this way. We’re all ready for you.”
“Ride? Brice, what are we doing?”
I cringe at the sound of my name. It’s not Brice she’s doing this with. It’s me, Robert, her Robert. I take a deep breath and try to push my feelings aside. “Just wait,” I say while giving her a wink.
Outside, Liv lets out a high-pitched squeal that causes the dogs to become flustered, and I’m sure there are pieces of broken glass somewhere within a five-mile radius of us.
“Oh. My. God! Are you serious right now! I’ve always wanted to go dog sledding. Trey! How did you know?”
“Uh, lucky guess, I guess.” He shrugs his shoulders and looks at me, unsure of what to do.
Two guides come out of a nearby barn and help us get into the sleds. Guys in the back; each girl settled snuggly in between our legs. Fur blankets are thrown on top of us to help keep us warm and to keep the snow off. The whole ride takes about three hours.
“Thank you for this,” she says as she lays her head against my shoulders.
“For what?”
“For planning this, despite what you say; I know this was you. I’ve missed our snuggles and those big strong arms of yours around me.”
I know she’s patronizing me with the last part, but I’ll indulge her. “One day princess, these arms will hold you tight every night.” A few weeks ago, a comment so bold would have scared her off, but now she wiggles her body closer to me and pulls my arms tighter around her.
“What are the chances of you staying over tonight?”
I feel her heart racing through her jacket, and it kills me to answer her, “As much as I want to, none. Liv is staying with you, and I’m beginning to doubt my restraint when I’m around you.”
She nuzzles against me, nipping at my neck, “You’re not the only one having a problem.”
Our lips collide with a magnetic force as she opens willingly for me. My tongue strokes against hers, pulling the tiniest whimpers from her already shaky breath. I am instantly kicking myself for allowing us to get to this point with our flirting. Our tour guide clears his throat and I have never been more thankful for a distraction.
Taking the girls dog sledding ended up being a perfect day date. Both Presley and Liv fell asleep on the drive home giving Trey and me an opportunity to talk.
“I really appreciate you giving me credit for today. There’s no way I could have pulled off something like this.”
“It’s no problem. You and Olivia are still new. Besides, you need way more help with your game than I do.” We both laugh and he claps me on the shoulder.
“Hey, not all of us can save a life, Mr. Knight in Shining Armor.”
I chuckle to myself, remembering what I called myself when Presley said the exact same thing, Knight in Carhart.
“You know, Liv and I can go out alone tonight if you wanted to spend time alone with Presley. I mean, hell, I have blue balls just watching the two of you. I can’t believe you haven’t slept with her yet.”
“It’s not just about sex with her. I mean, yea, I’d like to do more than kiss her, but I can wait till she’s ready.”
“I don’t know how you do it, man.”
I chuckle to myself, “When you find the right one, it’s an easy decision. I mean not everyone finds their soulmate when they’re three.” Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Three? Didn’t you meet her a couple of months ago?”
“Uh, yea. It’s an expression.” Trey quickly drops it, but I can tell he’s questioning me.
*****
As we drive home, I rest my head against the window and close my eyes. I’m not completely exhausted, just slightly tired. I focus on the sound of Robert’s voice as if it were my own personal lullaby.
Trey cuts in, “You know, Liv and I can go out alone tonight if you want to spend some time alone with Presley.”
Oh, thank you, Trey. Please say yes, Robert. Mom will be gone, and I’m so tired of waiting.
“It’s not just about sex with her. I mean, yea, I’d like to do more than kiss her, but I can wait till she’s ready.
My heart jumps. He’s so sweet, but I’m ready, Robert. Can't you see how ready I am?
“When you find the right one, it’s an easy decision.”
God, how did I get so lucky? And is this really a conversation between two teenage guys? Do they really talk about stuff like finding the one? Huh. Who knew? Robert does sound way older than Trey, though. I really hope he doesn’t end up hurting Olivia. I swear I will murder him and then have Gramps hide the body if he thinks he can use her. She deserves a good guy.