Page 22 of Full Send

Cynthia Peters

SVP, Product Branding and Marketing

Earth SnaX

I exhale, realizing I was holding my breath. No idea what that’s about, but glad it’s nothing urgent though. Not that I’m going to let anything derail tonight. I’ve been waiting for a Spicy Fox Marg since I booked the flight out here.

When I look up from my phone, I’m surprised by someone standing at the table. And not a pleasant surprise.

“Hi there. Haven’t seen you around here before,” says the guy standing opposite me. “Name’s Dustin.”

Just what I needed. Some random guy trying to hit on me.

“Hi.” I say, wanting this conversation to end as soon as possible. Can Lizzy please get back here already?

He leans onto the table, clearly not sensing my lack of interest in a conversation with a stranger. “Can I get you a drink?”

This guy screamsTech Bro Chad. Perfectly clean cut. Way too put together for après ski drinks. I bet he didn’t even hit the slopes today. He’s probably the type to take a one hour ski lesson and call it a day.

“No thanks. Just waiting on my brother and friends.” I wish this guy would just take the hint and move on to wherever his gaggle of bros is.

While I roll my eyes as dramatically as I can to try and continue to show my disinterest, his eyes shift from me and grow wide with what looks like terror. Before I can turn to see what he’s looking at, I feel a hand run across my back and rest on my waist.

“There you are, babe. I’ve been looking for you.” That deep raspy voice. I calmly look down at the tattooed hand resting on my hip before looking back up to Tanner, smiling eagerly.

I’m 5’9” and Collin is tall at 6’1”. And right now, Tanner is towering over me. Last night I only really saw him sitting at the table. But standing next to him now, this close, jeez. What is he like 6’4” or something? I can see why Tech Bro Chad here is intimidated and I definitely don’t mind it.

“Hey sweetheart.” I bat my eyes and put a hand on his chest, playing along with his little show to drive off this bro. “Where are my brother and Lizzy?”

Tanner tilts his head towards the bar before pulling me in close to him. “They’re up at the bar grabbing drinks. They should be back soon.”

At that, Dustin finally tucks his tail and leaves our table.

“Thanks, Tanner. Appreciate that. You know you’re pretty good at playing big sexy boyfriend,” I say appreciatively.

His face goes an unmistakable shade of red at those words and there’s an awkward, yes definitely awkward, moment of silence lingering between us. His hand is still on my side and I’m still leaning against him, somehow in no rush to leave this spot.

He slowly levels a grin at me that stops just before it reaches those fierce green eyes, piercing into me and searching for something like last night.

Ok. Lizzy is right. I definitely wasn’t imagining that last night. But what’s up with him?

“Um hey guys. Here’s your drink, V. But-,” Lizzy startles both of us and Tanner quickly pulls his hand away. “But what’s going on here?”

She waggles her finger back and forth between us questioningly.

“Tanner was just saving me from some obnoxious tech bro.” Lizzy eyes me curiously before shrugging her shoulders. “Thanks again for the drink, Lizzy.”

Tanner finally takes off his jacket and hangs it on the hooks under the table. And. Oh. My.

I knew he had put on muscle after seeing him last night, but the long sleeve shirt hida lot. He’s now wearing a black Jackson Hole t-shirt that’s straining at the seams to hold back his thick arms and broad chest. The once trim, lanky boy from years past is bigger, broader, and more rugged than I remembered. Certainly looks like he’s made from granite, cut from the mountains themselves.

And I can see the other tattoos, including one I’ve never seen before on his forearm. It’s a chef’s knife wrapped in roses on his forearm. There’s something I can’t quite make out reflecting back in the blade between the roses.

Yes, he’s definitely grown into a man. How on earth is he always single? He’s definitely a catch now, if he wasn’t before.

Lizzy moves to Tanner’s other side after handing me my drink. “Well,Chap,” she says, popping her lips and batting her eyes. “If you’re done playing V’s fake boyfriend for the night, how about playing my real boy toy?”

I nearly spit out my drink and quickly cover my mouth to hide a laugh. Damn. Well I guess Lizzy is definitely shooting her shot.

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