“Sorry.” He lifts the edge of my beanie and whispers into my ear. “Your ass looks fucking fantastic in those pants.”
I wiggle my butt, giggling at his harsh intake of breath.
“All right, you two.” Cary takes his place at the back of the sled. “Ready to go?”
“So ready!” Giddiness creeps into my voice. Maxwell’s grip tightens on my hips.
“Then let’s go.”
The ride starts slower than I anticipated. Which, to be fair, I had no idea what to expect. Besides watching Balto as a kid, I have zero knowledge about dogsleds. I did read a few Yelp reviews and made sure Cary treats the dogs well, but that’s it.
But I think I love this pace, and it definitely sets Maxwell at ease. I relax back onto his chest as we pass by all the snow-covered pines until they become a little more sparse . . . then a little more . . . and then they’re gone and we have an uninterrupted view of mountains around . . . and below us.
“Holy shit.” I pull off my sunglasses and look around. Unlike when I get to the top of a ski lift, it’s easy to tell that people don’t come up here and the ones who do don’t do it often. Other than the lines from the sled and Cary’s shoes, the snow is undisturbed. It’s like the sky dumped glitter around us. I can’t stop squinting from the glare of the sun and the bright white snow, but no amount of wrinkles could stop me from looking.
There are some moments you know you’ll never have again and this is one of those. And I’ll be damned if I don’t do my best to commit every single bit of it to memory. The smell of unpolluted air, Maxwell’s warm breath against my freezing skin, the sound of the wind cracking against the snow. It’s perfect.
“This isn’t usually part of the tour, but I figured if Max is really going to represent Colorado, he needs to see exactly what that means,” Cary says.
Finally, the perks of dating a Mustangs player start rolling in.
“Point taken, man,” Maxwell says, his eyes still roaming over the mountaintop. “This is incredible.”
“Hey, Cary.” I climb onto my knees and turn around in the sled . . . which is much more difficult than I originally guessed. “Can you turn around for a bit?”
“That I can.” He winks.
Normally, this would embarrass me. But not this time. I mean, I can almost guarantee my cheeks are hot pink from the cold. Also, we’re practically on top of the freaking world and it’s romantic as fuck. There’s no way we’re leaving this without a kiss. No way. No how.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Maxwell says before I have the chance to talk.
“Thank you for being someone I can experience this with.” I feel my eyes begin to tear up so I lean in to kiss him before they fall. Nothing distracts from crying like Maxwell’s mouth on mine.
I pull my head away when the dogs start to grow impatient. Maxwell drops his hands to my ass and squeezes. “Let’s get this show on the road, Cary.”
“You got it!” Cary does something with the giant leash system anchoring all the dogs together while I turn back around. “And hold on, this is the fun part,” he warns us, but takes off before I can prepare.
The dogs start sprinting down the mountain. Snow from their paws whips around our heads, and I let loose a high-pitched scream. It’s like being on a roller coaster and not knowing if there are brakes.
Which is basically how I’ve felt since the moment Maxwell walked into my life.
Thirty-five
I wish I could say things got real sexy when we got back to the Blue Tower after dogsledding. But that would be a lie.
What started out as a perk of Maxwell’s fame turned into a downside real fast as what I was told was an hour-and-a-half sled ride turned into a four-hour tour. It was like the mountain version of Gilligan’s Island. Add to that the one-hour return trip to our house, and by the time we got back, we both barely made it to the bed before we were asleep.
I roll over and reach for Maxwell, but I’m met with cool, empty sheets.
I sit up too fast. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping it will stop the windows of the tower from spinning around me. I open them slowly and let out a deep, contented breath. From this spot in the bed, I literally have a panoramic view of the mountains that surround Buena Vista. If it weren’t for the sound of a running shower, I’d probably lie back down and never move.
But if there’s one view that could beat this, it’s of a naked and wet Maxwell Lewis.
I don’t have a plan as I inch closer to the open bathroom door, but as soon as I see Maxwell’s soap-covered body through the fogged-up glass, one comes to mind.
I slip out of the satin nightie I had enough mind to put on last night—I normally sleep in old T-shirts I’ve hoarded from high school, but in an overwhelming victory, Vonnie, Poppy, Avi, Jac, and even Paisley forced me to leave my field hockey shirt behind. The steam from the shower has warmed the bathroom as I pad across the tiles and open the shower door.
Maxwell startles but is quickly placated as he takes in my naked body.
“Good morning,” I say over the gentle sound of running water.
Maxwell pulls me into him, turning our bodies so I’m positioned beneath the water. “It is now.” His hands run up and down my bare back, causing me to shiver despite the warm water. “You could spoil a man. It would be real easy to get used to my days starting this way.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I drop my hands between our bodies and stroke his hard, wet length as hot water streams down on my head.
“Fuck no,” he hisses out between clenched teeth. He leans in, touching his forehead to mine, and braces both hands on the tile behind me. “Not at all.”
As I speed up the pace, he begins to pump into my hands. His eyes are closed, but mine are wide open and taking in the wonder of watching this strong, amazing, beautiful man fall apart in my hands. My hips start to move and my thighs press together. I need him inside of me.
Now.
“I’m on birth control and I’m clean.”
He stills in my hands, and his eyes fly open.
“I mean, if you want.” I try to backpedal. “I can go grab a condom real fast.” I drop my hands to my sides and try to slide under his arm to leave, but his hand on my arm stops me.
“I’m clean too. We get tested before every season and I’ve never not used a condom.” His eyes bore into me, heating me up more than the steam floating around us. “I’m okay with no condom if you are.”
I nod my head and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m okay with that.”