Page 66 of Love Under Snowfall

Todd lowered his glass mid-sip and eyed his friend. “Like I could have gotten you away from Captain America and the rest of the Avengers trying to devise a snowstorm rescue mission.”

“Iwasreally freaked out.” Lucy turned back to Frankie and death gripped her soon-to-be sister’s hand. “Jonathan too.”

“Aww. I appreciate that,” Frankie teased, trying to bury the memories—and subsequent emotions—that inevitably crept up whenever the snowshoeing incident was mentioned. “But like I keep saying, it was no biggie. Like a vacation, really. A vacation where I happened to be stuck with my dick of a professor.”

“Speaking of dick,” Todd interjected. “Are you sure nothing happened between you two?”

“Positive.”

“Because I’ve watched no less than five different pornos that start that very same way, only the dudes weren’t half as devastating as your professor.”

“I can objectively agree,” Lucy added. “Not about the porn part, but about the hunk you were shacked up with.Woof.”

“Bullshit, Luce!” Todd barked out a laugh, reaching over to pinch the bride’s elbow skin. “You sent me the link to the raunchiest video I’m thinking of, you little hussy.”

The flush of pink trickling over Lucy’s cheeks had Frankie biting back her own laugh. She’d spent enough time with her brother’s fiancée in the past year to know that deep down, the sweet and cutesy brunette managed to hide a respectable level of filth. It just took a few margaritas and some girl talk to shake it to the surface. On more than one occasion, typically after one shot too many, Lucy would shift from hypothetical scenarios to real-life recounts of her experiences, which would be all fine and dandy if the other half of Lucy’s torrid encounters hadn’t included Frankie’s older brother. That’s when Frankie would usually settle up the tab and call for a rideshare.

“Hands off my weenus,” Lucy squealed, batting at her friend’s large hand and attempting to poke him in the ribs simultaneously. Water sloshed onto the floor as Todd’s whole body jerked from the tickling jab.

“Oh, Martha.” He emphatically apologized to the sturdy woman who’d been exfoliating his feet. “Shit, I’m sorry for my heathen friend. She doesn’t get out much. I’ll help with the cleanup when we’re done.”

Martha chuckled, shaking her head. “You think you’re the first ticklish person to come through here? Tamera! Mop.”

The receptionist scurried over, and with two quick swipes, the puddle was gone.

This was exactly the therapy Frankie needed after the fallout between her and Benjamin. She’d spent the first two days back—after putting her mother at ease with a few hugs and a promise to come by after she rested—holed up in her hotel room. Sustaining off of her mother’s leftovers andLove it or List itreruns. She’d cried once whenJudge Judycame on, but instead of admitting to herself that the show reminded her of Benjamin, she convinced herself she must be PMSing two weeks early. And even if she had shed a tear over the cabin situation, it had nothing to dowith feelings beyond the embarrassment of rejection. It wasn’t like she wanted to date her former professor, but she had been open to swapping orgasms while in her hometown—and the occasional romp once they returned to Seattle.

Eventually, Lucy and Todd barged in, claiming to be housekeeping, and forced her to shower and go to the nail salon with them. In the harsh light of day, and with the help of a blended chocolate peppermint mocha frappe and an almond croissant, Frankie found clarity. She’d been moping over something insignificant: a one-night stand. She’d had plenty of those in her adult life and had never balked at not hearing from a guy after parting ways.

There were two reasons this was different (and only two). First, she had been dry for months. Of course abstaining from sex would make her clingier when she finally re-popped that cherry. Second, the proximity. She and Benjamin had been through a traumatic event together then stranded in a sexy little cabin with nothing but a wood fire stove and each other’s genitals to keep them warm. Not only did many a porn flick start that way, but also countless romance novels and movies.

“My nookie senses are tingling,” Todd drawled, glancing at Lucy. “I’d bet money there’s something she’s not telling us.”

“Mm-hm.” The little brunette nodded, green eyes narrowed on Frankie.

Jesus, can’t a girl catch a break?

She was used to her future sister-in-law hounding her about her sex life (when she had one to discuss), but the two of them together were like The Inquisition.

“You pervs know real life doesn’t play out like adult movies, right?”

“Not if you aren’t doing it right, it doesn’t,” Todd murmured with a wink. Lucy snorted into her mimosa. “Ok, ok,we’ll leave you and Kylo Ren alone for the time being.”

“Kylo Ren?” Frankie scoffed.

“Brooding, deep voice, black hair, a temperament that shouts, ‘test me one more time and I’ll use The Force to choke you a little.’ The man has overt First Order vibes.”

“What about Sheriff Howards?” Lucy offered. “From what I heard, there was quite a reunion the other day when search and rescue found you and Benji.”

Oh, right.Frankie would have been perfectly happy to forget that little public display of humping. Rational thought had played zero part in her decision to jump into Clint’s arms at the trailhead. Her ego was wounded and her instinct was to dole out just as much discomfort to the person who’d bruised it. However, she had no clue if she’d been successful because, by the time she glanced over her shoulder, Miguel had Benjamin across the parking lot, facing away from the whole sappy display. At that point, she’d dismounted the sheriff, who was completely unaware that her motivations had little to do with him and more to do with injuring her snowshoeing buddy.

Guilt and regret crashed onto her periodically over the last couple days, like waves on a pebbly shore. She didn’t like to play emotional games, and Clint deserved none of it. He’d been nothing but patient and respectful as she expressed her need for rest and solitude.

“We’re picking up where we left off in September.” She hoped her claim satisfied her skeptical friends because it did little to convince herself.

“That’s great,” Lucy chirped out a little too encouragingly as though she were trying to make a child feel proud of an honorable mention ribbon when they’d set their sights on taking home the trophy. “Clint’s got that golden retriever boyfriend material thing going on.”

“Yeah, but will a PB&J be as satisfying after having a fat, juicy cut of steak?”

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