Page 36 of On the Slopes of Tahoe
He laughs, deep and throaty, and lowers the cup to me. “So bossy this morning. To answer your question, I saw you dancing and, yes, I saw the shots.” He wags his eyebrows at me suggestively. “Then I watched him haul you off toward the back of the bar like a man on a mission.”
“And you just let him run off with me? What if I didn’t want to go?” I volley back, knowing I never would’ve forgiven him if he’d interrupted us.
“Oh please, you’re a grown woman and you went willingly—very willingly, from the look of it. Am I wrong?”
I hide my face by taking a very large gulp of very hot coffee and end up spluttering it down my pajama top. Jamie just laughs again.
“Fine. No. You’re not wrong.” I stick my tongue out at him, not feeling overly mature this morning.
“Care to spill? I brought your jacket, by the way,” he adds, lifting his arm that does, in fact, have a jacket draped over it. Oh shit. I completely forgot about it. It was definitely cold on the walk home last night, but between the tequila and the heat from our kiss, I hardly even noticed.
“His too.” He raises his eyebrows and hangs them both on the hook by the door. His smirk is like a permanent fixture on his face at this point, the auburn whiskers of his beard twitching each time it grows.
“Thank you for grabbing them. How was your night? You and that blonde looked pretty cozy.” I change the subject, preferring when he’s in the hot seat, which is standard.
He blushes under his scruffy beard.
“Oh-ho, good night then. Sorry you were left hauling our jackets when you likely had other,betterthings to do with yourhands.” I sip my coffee to hide my smile. “Thank you for this, by the way.”
“Welcome. And yes, it was a good night.”
I pause to look him up and down. “Oh my god, you didn’t go home? Did you sneak out of that poor woman’s hotel room to get me coffee?” I’m not actually that surprised, ladies’ man that he is.
He shrugs. “Sort of. I mean, I was leaving regardless. I wasn’t exactly sneaking out. She knew the deal when she took me home with her.”
“Uh-huh, and you thought you’d just come here and wake me up too?”
“I’m honestly shocked you were still asleep. Don’t you have breakfast with your family in half an hour?”
The color drains from my face. Crap.
“No, no, no. I totally forgot. Thank god for you.” I press up on my toes and kiss his cheek. “I have to get ready. Are you coming? You might want to change…”
“Do you want me to come?” He gives me a loaded look.
I know his ask is genuine, but after last night, after finally doing something for myself, I feel a tiny bit steadier at the prospect of seeing my parents. Plus, Wes and Joss will be there, and Willow and Breck too.
I blush at the thought of Breck. Jamie must notice because his knowing grin is back.
“No, I’ll be okay. Thank you though. Go home and take a shower. You’re a mess,” I tease, shaking my head. His hair is tousled and there’s a smudge of lipstick on his collar.
“If you need me, just call, okay?” He lifts his coffee my way before heading back out into the cold.
I have to get ready, and I have less than thirty minutes to do it.
I’m jogging down the stairs to pull my boots on when there’s more knocking at my door.Who is it now?
“Coming,” I call as I skid to a stop and yank it open.
“Morning.” Breck’s smile tilts up on one side, allowing just one of those perfect dimples to pop, making me weak in the knees. He has his hands pushed deep in his jeans pockets, and he looks like he’sfreezing.
“M-morning,” I stutter, feeling a warmth spread across my cheeks. “What’re you doing here?”
I force my eyes away from the face of the man who kissed me senseless against a wall last night and focus on the smiling little girl beside him. She’s bouncing on her toes and is wearing the bear-eared hat I bought for her.
“Thought we could all drive together to breakfast. You know, for the environment.” His smile quirks up a little higher, like there’s definitely more to this invite than saving the sea turtles.
“I’d love that.”
