Page 84 of Stuck on the Slopes

Rachel

WhenIwokeupin Juniper’s bed on New Year’s Day, he was already up, showering from the sound of it. I rolled out of bed, wondering if I’d make it in time to join him, and checked my phone to see what time it was.

What I found along with the time were dozens of notifications from Michaela, Ariana, and Sarah, who’d started a group chat with me to gush over Juniper’s Instagram post from this morning.

Wait,Juniper’sInstagram?

Before I replied to them, I opened the app. His post was the first one on my feed. The first photo in the carousel was one he’d taken of me last night, standing in the snow with a sparkler as fireworks shot above the mountains. Sasquatch sat by my side, looking up at the sparkler in my hand with puppylike wonder as I laughed.

As I swiped, assorted candid photos of me and Sasquatch I hadn’t even realized he’d taken followed. My heart swelled; he hadn’t struck me as the type to take a lot of photos, and I had no idea how he managed to do this without my noticing. But either way, the acceptance settled onto me like a weighted blanket. When I moved here, all I’d wanted was to find myself again, a restart in order to return to my usual confident self. The lifeless, drab nature of the cubicles had sucked the soul out of me, but now, I had that back and so much more.

The post’s caption was simple: “looking forward to the new year with these two” and two emojis, the service dog and a curly-haired woman’s face.

It looked like Juniper was sending his own message: to the tabloids, to his family, and to me. I was a permanent fixture, here to stay. I belonged.

I liked the post, quickly sent the emoji surrounded by little hearts to my sisters with no further comment and then made my way to the shower. Not needing to wash it today, I tossed my hair up in a bun and then stripped to join Juniper. He smiled and greeted me with a kiss as I entered the shower.

“G’morning.”

“Good morning. I saw your Instagram today.”

“Oh, that?” He squeezed the soapy water from his locks. “Figured I need to be more active on there and that it was a good time to start.”

I shook my head as I snagged his loofah and squirted his body wash on it. “It was sweet. I’m looking forward to the year ahead with you, too.”

Juniper smirked. “How far we’ve come, huh?”

“A few weeks ago, you’d barely even let me sit next to you.”

“Once I started, I couldn’t get enough.” Juniper’s hands gripped my biceps as he lowered his forehead to mine. Some of his hair clung to his face, but most of it stuck behind his neck. “Maybe it’s from going so long without letting myself feel like this or getting close to anyone, but I can’t help myself when it comes to you.”

He grabbed the loofah from my hand as he kissed me, keeping our bodies close as he ran it with care up and down my arms. The earthy tones of his body wash overwhelmed my senses, and from the way he caressed me with the loofah, I was positive he got off to the idea of me smelling like him.

“Turn around,” he whispered. “I’ll get your back.”

I thanked him and did as he said, enjoying the pressure he applied as he ran the loofah in circles along my shoulders and lower back, and then up and down my spine. With his free hand, he traced his fingers up and down the side of my body. The soap made my skin feel extra smooth, letting his hands glide effortlessly along my ribs. Once he finished, he handed me the loofah back with a kiss on my neck.

Despite his insistence that I didn’t need to and that he could get it, I did the same for him. His groan of satisfaction betrayed his earlier refusal when I reached his lower back, where I ditched the loofah for my hands so I could massage the area for him.

He said, “You’re an angel and I don’t deserve you.”

“Just shut up and enjoy the massage.”

“Are we sure you’re real? I didn’t get too high and hallucinate you?”

“Unfortunately, you did,” I said, “but it’s alright. I’m perfectly happy existing as a figment of your imagination.”

Juniper’s laugh echoed against the shower tiles and glass encasing us. “Good thing my imagination has good taste then, huh?” He turned around to kiss me again. Now, the shower ran over both of us, dripping from his head down to my shoulders. I ran my hands down his sides, cherishing a slow, intimate moment with a smiling Juniper.

Only leftover suds and water separated our bodies. He didn’t hesitate to ditch the loofah and used his now-free hand to feel me up. It wouldn’t surprise me if Juniper had a map of my body memorized, given how easy it was for him to turn me on. He always touched the right places, applied the right amount of pressure, and listened to the cues my body gave him. If I leaned into his touch, he gave me more.

His fingers dipped between my legs as mine wrapped around his cock. After being closed off for so long, it seemed Juniper had a lot of love to give. We matched each other’s tempo, setting a slow, lazy pace that allowed us to relish in one another.

Against my lips, Juniper said, “If you keep squeezing against the tip like that, I’ll cum in your hand.”

“Promise?” I repeated the motion, and Juniper shuddered at the touch. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s nice seeing how much I turn you on.”

“You’re a damn minx.” He grinned as he said it, even as he kissed me again. That grin never left his face as I came on his fingers, with him not far behind me.

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