Page 62 of Ski You Later
Roman startles, something I’ve never seen him do, and I’m yanked behind him before I can blink. I think it took him a minute to understand the lunatic at the door was actually his brother as Xander confidently stumbles his way towards us.
“Dude, Rhoses isgoing to comeand see you. Don’t worryatall, I told her nothingabout your feelings for her ot avout the plan,” he slurs all his words as Roman shoots off the bed toward him.
Roman immediately supports him as he seems to fall over, as Xander wraps his arms around him in turn “Alright buddy, that’s enough of that. How much haveyou had to drink?” His earlier confusion is gone as he looks worriedly towards his baby brother. “Just because the race is in the evening tomorrow, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening at all. This is exactly why I didn’t want a party in our rental.” He all but growls that last part and tries to usher Xander into bed.
Worry for him has me standing and moving over to them, which was the wrong decision on my part.
Xander’s eyes widen comedically as he sees me, and then lunges away from Roman and into my path. His arms wrap around my neck in a second as his dead weight falls on me, and my body immediately strains under the impact.
“Qucik, less makehim jealoss.” Xander slurs, his head looking like he’s going to kiss me before dropping to my shoulder as he falls asleep.
His weight is quickly removed from me, and I don’t hesitate as I breathe in an unrestrained breath of air. While these guys might be loveable idiots, they’re freaking heavy.
Roman grumbles something angrily under his breath as he hauls his limp brother into the bed across from his and flips him on his side. I can see the war waging within Roman’s eyes since Xander obviously ruined the moment that we built between us.
I can’t help but think back to Xander’s words as Roman puts a blanket over him. Roman’s feelings towards me?
Turning to face me, Roman runs his hands through his hair in dismay, and his shirt slowly rides up to expose the flat pane of his lower stomach. My brain understands that he’s talking to me, but my eyes stay glued to that piece of skin.
A couple more words sound in the background, but I return to feeling the same way I did before Xander interrupted us.
Suddenly, his curled pointer finger comes to rest under my chin, and he tilts my head up to meet the smug grin on his face.
“Here I thought he ruined our moment,” he breathes.
“Were we having a moment?” I ask in a breathy tone, tilting my chin up ever so slightly as I challenge him. His eyes narrow at my words and his hands move to rest on my hips.
“I know we were having a moment, Langley. My heart doesn’t beat that fast if I’m just standing still,” he admits in a whisper.
I look up to him with a devious smile that puts a note of uncertainty into his gaze. “So,” I say curiously. “You told Xander you had feelings for me, huh?”
Roman’s face reddens immediately, the flush causing those damned freckles to stand out on his pale face even more. I curse at myself internally, the last thing I wanted was to frazzle him, but I don’t know how else to go about this.
Daniel’s time in my life has left it’s mark, and I’ve been dancing around Roman for months now. Even if he rejects my bold question right now, I’m so proud that I had the courage to ask it in the first place. I brace for him to pull away from me and retreat back into himself.
The flush remains on Roman’s face, but his eyes never change as he looks at me. To my surprise, he doesn’t retreat from me, instead using his grip on my hips to pull me closer. There seems to be conflict behind his eyes, but it vanishes instantly as a new resolve takes over his face.
“I have feelings for you, Rhodes. I’ve had feelings for a long time, and I’m devastated it took a fake relationship to get us where we are. What I’m not upset about is the fact that we’re here now, and no one will bat an eye when it comes to you being mine.”
His words are like a tsunami in my brain, and I try not to crumple under the pressure. He’s had feelings for me? For a long time?
Before I can ask more, he leans in close and cups my jaw with both of his hands. “I’m also not going to kiss you.”
The softness of his voice causes a delay for his words to register. He isn’t going to kiss me? Does he know that I want it just as bad as him? As the protest is about to leave my lips, his thumb shifts so it covers my mouth, and stops what I was about to say.
“I’m not going to kiss you in this shitty rental, full of smelly ski suits and a raging party happening below.” He steps even closer to me now, our bodies fully pressed together as he walks me backwards, and I feel the wooden beam of the bunk bed lightly hit my back. His stare is intense as I watch him settle himself against me, his hips pinning me to the post.
“I’m not going to kiss you for the benefit of putting on a show, and I’m sure as hell not going to kiss you when my brothers snoring in the corner.”
He’s closer to me now, leaning in as my breath goes ragged, and his words start registering in my overwhelmed brain. “When I kiss you, Langley. Because there will be a when. It’ll be the farthest thing from fake.
“Now, I’ll walk you to your room so we can both go to bed. We have a race to win tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 24
I’d give anything in the world to never see her like that again.
I didn’t win today’s race. I didn’t even finish.
