Page 53 of Fresh Tracks
“You’re dragging ass today.” Josie’s voice breaks the nice, quiet moment. “Normally you’re the one kicking my butt on the trail. You alright?”
I take another long gulp of water and smack my lips. “Totally fine,” I say way too enthusiastically, hiding my very unfamiliar nerves about talking to TJ tonight. Am I going to get confident, decisive TJ finally? Or was last night just a fluke, never to happen again, and he’s going to go back to being too scared to explore whatever chemistry is clearly there between us?
I look over to catch Josie eyeing me skeptically. “So how’s Hot Boss?”
“He’s good,” I say and I hear the pitch of my voice go up. “Or at least he seems like it.”
“He’s good?” Clearly, Josie heard my voice go up too, judging from her knowing grin. “Howgoodis he?”
I roll my eyes at her, but can’t fight the matching grin growing on my face.
Her eyes widen at my reaction. “Spill!”
“I don’t know.” I look up at the sky and squint. “We kissed a few days ago.” I don’t know if I should tell Josie about last night because she’ll be like a dog with a bone, but I need to get this off my chest and maybe she can help me make sense of it.
Yep. Screw it. “But then we sort of had phone sex last night? My knee buckling orgasm was definitely real though.”
A shiver runs through my body just thinking about it again and every thought in my brain is replaced by one driving need. I want to see him, preferably sooner than later.
Josie laughs, bringing my attention back to her. “Girl, again,only you could find yourself in that situation with someone like him. So are you two, like, just hooking up or?”
“I don’t know. It’s not that simple,” I say, borrowing TJ’s words and shrugging. “We have this weird chemistry and I want to give into it and see where it goes. Let the universe take the wheel.” A nervous laugh escapes me. “I was hoping to talk more with him tonight. That’s where we left things. So yeah, I think that’s it for now?”
Josie nods and hums to herself. “Well, I will make myself scarce tonight. I’ll see what Collin and Walker are up to.”
I smile back at my best friend, knowing she’s always looking out for me. Not that she’d really be in the way if she came and parked and camped next to my van in TJ’s driveway tonight like she has been, but I appreciate her wanting me to get TJ alone. “You’re the best. That would be perfect.”
She turns away, looking back over the scenic valley.
“This would be a great spot to film some content. Talk about a view.”
I burst out laughing, feeling much less anxious. “Are you serious right now?”
She looks back at me, shrugs, and winks. “Don’t act surprised. Backcountry Bunni never sleeps.” She waggles her brows suggestively. “That’s why I’m a top content creator.”
She has a point. I can’t argue with her success.
“Seems a bit chilly though, even for you,” I say, watching my breath float through the freezing air, as snow flurries around us. I might love the cold, fresh air on my skin, heightening all my senses, making my skin tingle, but I know that’s not for everyone.
She just laughs, reaching down to put her ski pack back on. I know that’s her cue that she’s ready to go back down to the trailhead. “Come on, let’s get going. If we leave now, we’ll have time to hike back up and get another run in.” She looks over hershoulder at me smirking. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re back to TJ soon enough.”
Pulling up to the guesthouse,I throw my van in park and hop out of the driver’s side. When my feet hit the snowy driveway, my legs wobble and my muscles ache. When Josie suggested we get a second run in, I was all for it until halfway through the hike back up the mountain. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach, or I guess legs. Whatever. Either way, I’m beat.
I throw my tote bag with a change of clothes over my shoulder, ready to head inside the guesthouse for a luxurious shower that I have to admit I’m getting very used to. As comfy as my sweats and hoodie I threw on after skiing are, I’m dying to change out of them and relax.
I stop at the charging pedestal to plug my van in for the night. When I flip open the outlet cover, a familiar little bit of paper falls out and flutters down into the snow. I grab it and read the handwriting I’d now know anywhere.
I’ll be in the hot tub if you want to hang and talk.
That sounds just as good as a shower, even better if he’s there.
I make my way down the evergreen shrub lined path, past the guesthouse, to the patio separating it from the main house. Sure enough, TJ is there, sitting chest deep in the bubbling hot tub that’s sunken down into the stone patio. He has his back to me, looking out toward the sun setting behind the mountains.
His arms are stretched over the sides of the hot tub along thepatio, the water dripping off of them highlighting each dip and ridge of muscle. I find myself ignoring the beautiful sunset in favor of this.
I reach out to the shrub beside me, grabbing a fistful of snow, and balling it up. If he doesn’t know I’m here yet, he’s about to.
I rear back and send the ball of snow at him, satisfied with the direct hit into his broad back that sends a puff of snow into the air.
