Jared made a megaphone of his hands and got everyone’s attention. “I realize everyone will be busy tomorrow with wedding activities, but we can schedule another session the morning after that. How many are in?”
All hands went up, including Trey’s.
“I’d advise the cowboys to acquire ski pants,” Jared said. “You’ll find them a lot more pleasant.”
“I’ll vouch for that,” Watkins said.
“I’ve got twenty bucks that says Jack won’t wear ’em,” Nash said.
“You’d lose that bet, my friend,” Jack said, “just like you lost the one today.”
Nash made a face. “Don’t remind me.”
“But, Jack, you’re the only one who didn’t fall down.” Jeb’s expression was filled with hero worship. “You don’t need to worry about ski pants.”
“I didn’t fall down, but I’m here to tell you that my boys are not happy.” Jack glanced around at his jeans-wearing companions. “The next time I come out here, my guys will be thermally protected and waterproofed. Count on it.”
After the laughter died down, the crowd dispersed with much joking about frosty denim and shrinkage. Trey would have liked to confirm with Elle that they’d meet in his room when she was free, but she was having a long conversation with Jared. Trey decided to go back to his room and get free of the cursed jeans.
Watkins called out as Trey started toward the lodge. The barrel-chested cowboy had his cell phone in his hand.
Trey paused. “What’s up?”
“I have a call from Pam.” He put the phone to his ear and continued to talk as he approached. “Let me check with him, Pam. Should be fine.” He put his thumb over the speaker and glanced at Trey. “As we might expect, Emmett’s freaking out a little about all the fuss surrounding the ceremony.”
“What fuss?”
“You and I haven’t been part of it, but Pam’s been in consultation with the chef about the menu because some items didn’t come in as expected, and the florist shipped the wrong arrangements and Emmett’s coat doesn’t fit quite right. You know, the usual wedding issues.”
“If you say so. I’ve only been involved in one wedding, and that was when Sarah and Pete got married last August. I’m not what you’d call an experienced wedding person.”
“The upshot is, Emmett is stressed. Pam thinks it’ll help if we meet in the room where the ceremony will be held and give them a little preview of the music we intend to play. She thinks just listening to those songs he loves, songs he helped choose, will remind him of how great the wedding is going to be.”
“I’m not sure that will work. It might make him more nervous than ever.”
Watkins nodded. “It could, but she’s running out of ideas short of plying him with whiskey.”
“Isn’t there a bachelor party for him tonight? We can get him toasted then.”
“And we will, but it’s quite a few hours between now and the bachelor party. Anyway, I think we should give it a shot.”
“You bet. After all, she’s rolled out the red carpet for all of us. Does she want us to do the preview now?”
“Yep. As soon as we can change out of our ski duds, or in your case, out of your wet jeans.”
“Oh.”
“You got something planned?”
“Not exactly, but...” Trey couldn’t very well explain to Watkins what he’d scheduled for the next couple of hours.
“Something to do with our ski instructor, maybe?”
Trey’s face grew hot.
“Look, ordinarily I’d put Pam off for a little while, but she sounded desperate. If you want me to go down there and handle it by myself, I will.”
As a testament to his driving need for Elle, Trey considered that offer, but only for a split second. “No, that wouldn’t be right. I’ll go. Give me fifteen minutes to change clothes and grab my guitar. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Thanks.” Watkins squeezed his shoulder. “I know Pam is going to really appreciate this.”
“I’m sure she will.” Trey glanced back at Elle, who was still talking to Jared. How could he let her know the plan had changed?
Too bad he didn’t have her cell number. He’d get it first chance he had, but for now he’d have to stop by her room and slip a note under her door. That wasn’t great, but it was the best he could come up with on short notice.
Knowing he needed time to write and deliver the note before he met Watkins in the lobby, he made tracks for his room, which fortunately was on the first floor. He took off his gloves and jacket on the way there. That soak in the tub wouldn’t be happening.
Inside his room, he tossed his coat on a chair and pulled off his clothes as fast as his cold fingers allowed. Then he grabbed a towel from the bathroom and rubbed it briskly over his chilled body. Ah, better. Not as good as a soak in the tub, and definitely not as good as making love to Elle, but he’d survive.
As he finished his rubdown, he heard a knock at the door. He wrapped the towel around his waist and checked the peephole. Maybe Pam had changed her mind and Watkins had come down to tell him. He could only hope.
Instead, he discovered Elle, still in her ski clothes, outside his door. He pulled it open. “I—”
“Don’t talk.” She hurried inside and began tearing off her jacket. “I have five minutes. Jared’s driving into town to look at some new ski equipment for the lodge and needs me to go. The sale ends today. I couldn’t get out of it.” She dropped the jacket and knelt down to take off her boots.
“But you still want to—”
“Oh, yeah.” She glanced up, and her blue gaze was full of fire as she dispensed with her boots. “I want to.”
He dropped the towel.
Chapter 6
ELLE HAD KNOWN the sensible thing to do—cancel hav**g s*x with Trey. On her way to his room, she’d conducted an inner debate. Her sensible self had put up a really good argument about not appearing too eager.
Except she was eager, and not totally rational, either. A rational woman would have called his room to say she couldn’t make it. The devil in her had whispered that it would be quicker to simply stop by.
Once she’d decided on that course of action, she’d begun to consider another one. Finding him wrapped in a towel had been the deciding factor. Seeing how quickly he reacted to her suggestion had told her she’d made the right choice.
She stood and shoved her ski pants and silk long johns to the floor. He, however, hadn’t moved, except for the elegant rise of his cock. “You’d better get the—”
“Right.” He spun away from her and headed for the closet.
She noticed a tattoo on his left biceps as he turned away. She didn’t get a clear look, but thought it might be a wing of some kind. Now was not the time to ask about it, though.
She pulled her turtleneck over her head and dropped it on the pile of clothes at her feet. Crossing to his king-size bed, she threw back the covers, scattering decorative pillows everywhere. By the time she’d climbed in one side, he’d climbed in the other.
They met in the middle, his mouth hungrily seeking hers as he moved between her thighs. One quick thrust and he was there, right where she ached to have him. The pressure set off tiny explosions that reverberated through her.
His mouth lifted, hovering over hers. “Promise we’ll have longer tonight.”
Breathless with need and not caring that he knew, she pressed her fingers into his back. “I promise. But I need you now.”
“I need you, too.” He began to pump, first slowly and then faster. “So...oh, God...so much.” His breathing grew ragged as he pounded into her with enough force to lift her from the bed.
She rode the whirlwind with him, arching her back and urging him on. “Yes, oh, yes. Keep doing that. Right there...right...” She came in a fiery rush, and he swiftly followed her into the flames with a deep groan of surrender.
She gulped for air. “So good.”
“Yeah.” He kissed her once, hard. “Tonight,” he murmured as he levered himself away from her.
“Yes.” Quivering in the aftermath of her orgasm, she forced herself to slide out of his bed. He’d already disappeared into the bathroom.
She’d loved every minute of that experience, but she’d love every minute of a longer one, too. Jared’s request faded in importance. “Should I text Jared and beg off?”
“No.” He walked out of the bathroom, a study in masculine beauty.
“Are you sure?” She admired his chest, furred with dark hair, and followed the line of hair to his navel and beyond, where dark curls framed his semierect c*ck and impressive balls. Her body grew moist and achy all over again.
“I’m sure. I can’t stay, either. Pam Mulholland asked Watkins and me to give her a preview of the wedding music.”
“Now?”
“Yep. I’m meeting Watkins in the lobby. He may already be there.”
“Whoops. We’d better get moving, then.” As she stooped to gather her clothes, the humor of the situation made her smile. “You could have given me a rain check, you know.”
“Are you kidding?” He opened a drawer and got out a pair of briefs.
“No.” She dressed quickly. She’d rather not be here if Watkins got tired of waiting and came looking for Trey. “I would have understood.”
“Lady, I’m no fool. Opening my door to find you ready and willing was a gift. I wasn’t about to say no to an opportunity like that.” He grabbed jeans and a shirt and put them on as he talked. “I’ll be smiling all day.”
“Better be careful. People will wonder what you’ve been up to.”
“Are you worried about that?” He sat on the bed and pulled on his boots. “What people think of us getting together?”
“I’m not super worried, but I’m not used to having everyone know my business.” She hadn’t realized that was a priority with her until now, but maybe that was a big reason why she’d always kept her personal life separated from work. Not dating resort guests, both here and in Argentina, had guaranteed her privacy.
“Then we’ll keep it on the down-low.” He stood and picked up his guitar case. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She zipped her jacket. “If you’re going toward the lobby, I’ll go in the opposite direction.”
“Before we leave, give me your cell number, in case you get some free time this afternoon.”
She grabbed a pad and pen from his desk and scribbled it down. “I doubt it. Jared and I are scheduled to make a promo video for the resort’s ski program. But just in case, let me have yours, too.”
He tore off the bottom of the page she handed him, wrote his number and gave it to her. “And I need one more kiss.”
“Make it a quickie.”
He laughed. “I think we already did that.” Setting down his guitar, he drew her into his arms. His kiss wasn’t quick at all. He lingered and tasted, teased and nibbled.
She moaned softly and drew back. “No fair. You’ve stirred me up again.”
“Just making sure you’ll show up here tonight after the bachelor party.”
“We’ll meet in your room, then?”
“My bed’s bigger.”
“Good point.”
A sharp rap on the door made them jump apart.
Trey mouthed the name Watkins.
“I’ll hide in the bathroom and leave after you do,” she murmured.
He nodded and picked up his guitar.
She put a restraining hand on his arm, stood on tiptoe and finger-combed his tousled hair into place. Now he didn’t look quite as much like a man who’d been rolling around in bed with a woman. Then she retreated to the bathroom and listened as Trey apologized to Watkins for being late.
“Hey, no worries,” Watkins said. “When you didn’t show up in the lobby, I wondered if we had our wires crossed. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is great. Just had to warm up a little is all,” Trey said as he closed the door behind him.
They’d been gone only a couple of seconds when Elle’s phone, which she’d tucked in the pocket of her jacket, chimed. No surprise—it was Jared—but she was grateful he hadn’t called a minute ago. She answered it with a cheery greeting.
Jared sounded slightly impatient. “I thought I’d hear from you by now.”
“Sorry. Something came up.” Did it ever. “I’ll be down in the lobby in ten minutes.” She’d have to race back to her room like an Olympian and freshen up in record time, but she could do it.
“Okay. See you then. Hurry. This kind of sale doesn’t come around often. Carl’s eager to cash in on it, and he wants you to check out the snowboards, since you’ve had more experience with them than I have.”
Elle understood the urgency. The resort got a volume discount from this store, and a sale on top of that could save significant money. Usually she enjoyed shopping for winter sports equipment.
But as she flew back to her room and shucked her clothes for the second time, her thoughts were on the glories of making love to Trey. She expected that once the newness wore off, she wouldn’t be so focused on him.
Their relationship was really only about sex, and that would get old eventually. It always had before with other guys. Elle wasn’t even sure that she and Trey would have things to talk about if they weren’t locked together in feverish delight.
He was a cowboy and she was a ski instructor, so their career paths had nothing in common. She had no knowledge of horses and all he knew about skiing he’d picked up this morning. She was well traveled thanks to her parents’ military lifestyle and her own decision to spend six months on each side of the equator. Trey might be a globe-trotter, but she doubted it.