Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I smiled back, reaching over to hug her. "I love you, even if this is batshit insane, and I wish you hadn't called him."
I opened my eyes as I was hugging her and spotted James across the lobby. He was... wearing pristine white ski gear and holding up a bright pink suit that had matching patterns of yellow crisscrossing lines to match his.
Really?
Giving me the best sex of my life the night before destroying my career and then returning like a ghost three years later to haunt me wasn’t enough? Now he had to try to kill me with embarrassment… those?
He wiggled his eyebrows and pointed at the matching suits like he thought I was going to jump for joy.
My mom followed my eyes, then laughed softly. “Those are cute.”
Oh dear God. He wasn’t serious, was he?
13
JAMES
The bus bounced beneath us, rattling me and bouncing me into Emma for the tenth time since we’d boarded.
“Come on,” I said. “You know it’ll be fun.”
Emma shifted in the bright pink snow suit, looking anywhere but in my direction. “I only agreed to this because I happen to love the idea of skiing. I’ve always wanted to learn.”
“Wait…” I said. “The idea of skiing? You’ve never done it?”
“Not yet. But how hard could it be? I’ve seen it in movies. It’s just like… falling on purpose, right?”
“Uh… no. I don’t think so. And the general consensus is it’s harder than you’d think.”
“I’ll figure it out,” she said, glaring at me.
“You look cute, by the way. Like a big pink marshmallow.” I poked her stomach, but the suit was so thick I wasn’t sure she even felt it.
Emma slapped my hand away. “Rule number one. Poking is absolutely not necessary touching.”
“Right. I keep remembering when you straddled me and moaned my name, and it makes me forget rule number one is a thing. That’s my mistake.”
Emma scooted further away on the bus seat, only for us to hit a bump a moment later that practically bounced her into my lap.
“You just can’t keep yourself off me, can you?” I asked.
Emma hopped off me like she’d been burned, then whacked my arm. My matching snowsuit protected me from the blow.
“Where the hell did you find these, anyway? And why does mine fit? How did you know my size?”
“I have an impeccable memory. You could say I memorized every one of your curves that night in… rule number three,” I said, stopping myself with a grin. “But you also left a suitcase full of clothes in the room we’re sharing. I just read the tags and then hit one of the resort shops.”
“You went through my clothes?” she snapped, eyes suddenly fearful.
“Yep. What’s the deal with the lingerie? Two sets? Were you planning to meet somebody special here? Or maybe two somebodies?”
Her cheeks brightened. “I… no. I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”
I shrugged, glancing out the window and seeing we had reached our destination. Even though the bottom of the slopes were visible from Timber Ridge Resort, guests had to take buses to the parking lot with access to chair lifts. A couple other buses were already unloading guests in the parking lot, and I spotted the Wellington crew gathered and talking.
“This is us,” I said, tugging her up to her feet as I stood. “The Wellington’s are down there, so this touching is necessary, by the way.”
Emma reluctantly let me keep my arm around her as we scooted off the bus with a few other resort-goers dressed for a day on the snow.
“Here,” I said, stopping once we were off the shuttle.
It was colder and windier up here than it had been down at the resort, and I didn’t want her getting sick.
I reached into Emma’s front pocket where I’d stashed her gloves and hat. I pulled the hat down on her head while she watched me with murder in her eyes. Just to mess with her a bit, I also tucked the hair behind her ears and spent longer than necessary fiddling with the placement of the hat. I kept going until she finally swatted at me.
“Careful,” I said softly. “They could be watching. Wouldn’t want them to think there’s trouble in paradise. Might make them wonder if they chose the right woman to plan their wedding.”
“I hate you,” she mouthed.
“We both know that’s not true,” I said, taking her wrist and slipping one of the gloves on. “Warm enough?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I feel like a penguin, though.”
“Good. All the extra padding will keep you safe if you fall.”
“Like you care.”
“Hey,” I said. “I enjoy messing with you, but I’m not going to let you get hurt. That’s rule number… ten. So long as I’m your fake boyfriend, I’m going to make sure no harm comes to that wonderful body of yours.”