Page 27 of Just Curious

Jackson barked out a laugh and said, “Considering the number of times she brought you up while you were gone, I’d say we’re safe.” He took Casey’s hand and looked him in the eye. “This is about as perfect as life can be, if you ask me.” He saw Casey relax and changed the subject. “How would you feel about taking a vacation? I think we all need to have some fun.”

“Fantastic idea,” Casey agreed. They had a long conversation about what sounded like the most fun and set to work planning it all out.

And as soon as they put down their phones and closed their laptops, Willa reappeared, looking as radiant and gorgeous as ever.

“Need any help with packages?” asked Jackson, ever the gentleman.

“As a matter of fact, I’d love that. I bought out the boutique. But what’s for lunch first? I’m starving. You guys didn’t eat yet, did you?”

“Nope,” answered Casey. “But Phillipe has something that smells delicious just waiting for us. And Jax and I have something to discuss with you while we enjoy it.”

So, they headed to the dining room where Phillipe had outdone himself once again with an exquisite pasta dish.

“We’ve been doing some research and some planning,” began Jackson. “Casey and I have always wanted to head up to either the Bugaboos or the Cariboos in British Columbia to do some heliskiing, and we’ve found a place that sounds perfect. It’s a super-deluxe lodge where we can book a big suite and have either a five- or seven-day guided heliskiing package, depending on how much skiing we’re all up for. Can you take the time now?” He looked at her expectantly and so hopefully, she had to smile.

Speechless for a moment, Willa finally answered, “That sounds amazing! When can we go? I can take the time off now that my commitments are all fulfilled. In fact, I’d love to take some time off—with you guys, of course.”

The guys’ faces split into huge grins, and Jackson answered, “I booked it for next week. It sounds incredible. But this is only part of our trip. Casey also has something to tell you.”

“Part of the trip? What are you talking about? More skiing?” she asked.

“We thought,” continued Casey, “that we’d ski in Canada for the week since April is the best time of year for it, and then we can pop over to France. You know about the yacht I’ve been working on recently? The owner was so pleased with the result, he told me I could use it sometime, and it so happens that we can have it for the two weeks after the ski trip if we want it. It’s docked right now in Nice.” He kept talking, faster and faster as his enthusiasm took over. “We can visit Monte Carlo and the casinos, or we can just float around the Côte d’Azur if you prefer. It’s also prime time for that vacation—not too hot and not too cold. I do have to warn you that the crew on the yacht is new, so we’re sort of acting as Guinea pigs, breaking them in. The good news is we don’t have to pay for anything unless we want to tip them. It’s the owner’s way of making sure everything is perfect.”

Laughing with joy, Willa exclaimed, “When you guys put your heads together, you can certainly accomplish a lot in a few hours.”

“We enjoy putting our heads together,” Jackson said with a wink.

“What can I do to contribute to this trip?” asked Willa.

“Nothing,” said Casey at the same time Jackson said, “You don’t have to do a thing.”

“Oh, no you don’t, you guys. I’m at least paying for the transportation to get us to Canada and France.” Willa had a mulish expression on her face. “I may not be a billionaire like Jackson, but I’m not insolvent, you know.” Then she cracked up. “This is going to be great!”

So, after they ate, Willa took care of booking car services and private planes for their travels. This was really an adventure to look forward to.

Unfortunately for Chef Phillipe, the yacht’s crew already included a Cordon Bleu chef.

Chapter 17

Jackson took off for Castroville on Monday, planning to stop and charge his car somewhere around Bakersfield. He had plenty of audiobooks to keep him entertained along the way, but as soon as he left La Jolla, a loneliness overtook him. It caught him off-guard.I’ve always been independent, so how come I feel like I’ve just lost the use of my right arm or something? Those two have really invaded my brain—and my heart. I’m used to missing Casey now and then, but the two of them together are positively irresistible. I wonder how her book signing is going. I’m sure her fans adore her. And I hope Casey does well with his new clients. I hope this party goes well and I can get back soon. My family is great, but I sure wish Casey and Willa could have joined me on this trip. Oh well, the next couple of weeks will give us plenty of opportunity to make up for lost time.

His thoughts continued in that vein for much of the trip until he decided to listen to one of Willa’s audiobooks. He’d downloaded a few of them and picked one about a skier that sounded good. He figured it would get him in the mood for some snow.

Who’d have figured he’d move next door to not only the woman of his dreams, but one who also loved to ski as much as he and Casey did? They used to beg their parents to let them head up to the various Lake Tahoe ski areas all the time when they were teenagers, and the older they got, the more frequent the trips became. It was during one of their trips during a college break that they had taken the next step in their physical relationship, and it not only excited them, it shook them up. Being so young, they weren’t exactly sure what to do about it.

Thinking back to the night they had actual penetrative sex for the first time, Jackson smiled. It was mind-blowing. Neither was a virgin at that point, but this was a whole new level of intimacy. The two of them hadn’t seen each other for a few months, and they couldn’t contain their excitement at reuniting. The topic of sex came up as soon as they got to their hotel room. Casey shut the door and blurted out, “I want to try fucking you.”

Jackson blinked at his friend for a beat and then laughed. “I was going to say the same thing. I even brought lube. But I want to fuckyou.”

Eventually it was decided that they both wanted the same thing, and fair was fair. So, Casey deferred to Jackson—since he’d brought the lube and all—with the caveat that he’d bottom for him if he’d get his chance on top too.

Jackson felt himself starting to get hard as he remembered how strange and wonderful it felt to have Casey inside his body in the most intimate way possible. He’d loved it. But when Casey reversed roles with him, he also loved fucking Casey’s tight ass.

He couldn’t honestly say whether he preferred having sex with a woman over having it with Casey, but he felt in his heart that they were both lucky to be free enough with themselves to enjoy it all. And now? With WillaandCasey? Life was nearly perfect.

Jackson’s Tesla took over much of the driving, and he relaxed as he listened to Willa’s beautifully crafted story told by a wonderful narrator. She was right, he realized, when she told him that the characters in her book were not autobiographical. The woman in the book was nothing like Willa, and she didn’t relate to her boyfriend in a way that felt familiar to him. He recognized Willa’s amazing aptitude for story-telling and appreciated her imagination.

Several hours later, he arrived in Castroville and had a quiet dinner with just his parents. He was happy to see them but tired from the drive, which they understood. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. Dinner was wonderful, Mom. Please let me know if there is anything I can do around here tomorrow, but now I’m worn out.”

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