Page 30 of Delay of Game

“Me either,” she says a little breathlessly, giving me a coy look out of the corner of her eye.

“But snowboarding will be nice. Then maybe we can fire up the sauna back at the cabin,” I say, my mind racing with thoughts of Alice in nothing but a bikini. Or better yet, naked.

“I have some ideas of things we could do in the sauna,” she says, and I inhale through my nose and beg my erection to go away.

“You’ll be the death of me,” I say, focusing on playing her favorite songs for the rest of the drive.

The resort is not as busy as previous years, likely because of the snowstorm that passed through this week, so we grab our lift tickets and get to the top of the mountain in record time.

I help Alice clasp her helmet tightly and kiss her—just once—before pulling back and pulling the goggles over her eyes. Thesmile she gives me is blinding and I force myself to step back from her before I ask her to ditch the mountain and head back to the cabin.

“Ready?” I ask, adjusting my own goggles and securing my bootstraps.

Alice does the same, sitting down next to me and saying, “I was born ready.”

I chuckle and tell her, “Last one down has to buy the hot cocoa.” Then I push myself up and glide down, getting a head start.

“You traitor!” she yells after me, laughing. I look back for a second and see she’s following close behind. I angle myself straight down the mountain to get some speed and watch my edges so I don’t flip myself face-first into the snow. Even though this is only a Blue Square intermediate slope, I still want to be careful, not only because of my career, but because I want Alice to be safe too. I know how competitive she can get, and the last thing I want is for her to get hurt.

I cut across the slope a few times as we approach the bottom of the hill, slowing down enough before coming to a full stop in front of the fire pit and the food truck that sells hot cocoa.

“No fair, you always beat me,” she huffs, reaching down and unclasping her boots. I do the same and rest my snowboard against the wood beams near the fire pits.

“Get good, noob,” I say, and it earns me a slap across my bicep. Not that I can feel it with how little force she puts behind it and all the layers I’m wearing to ward away the cold.

“Go grab us a couple seats by the fire. I’ll get the cocoa,” she grumbles, shuffling away to the food truck.

I do as she says, finding two available spots and moving the chairs closer to the fire pit. Grabbing a couple logs from the basket nearby, I throw them in, keeping the fire going. I wish the rest of our friend group could have come too. I snap a picture ofthe fire and mountain behind it right as Alice photo-bombs it, poking her tongue out at my phone. I smile and send it to the group.

Eli

I wish I was snowboarding instead of sweating in California.

Ash

That’s not what you said last night after winning the All Star mini game.

Hi Al, cute braids!

Robbie

Hope you two have fun snowboarding. Olivia and the cats say hello as well.

“Hot cocoa, as promised,” Alice hands me a paper cup with no lid, the steam billowing out in the cold weather. I blow on it and take a small sip, instantly enjoying the velvety chocolate taste and the warmth it brings me.

“Take a seat,” I say, motioning her over with a tilt of my head. She shuffles between me and the fire pit, but before she can make it to her chair, I gently wrap an arm around her middle, mindful of our drinks, and pull her to sit in my lap.

Alice gives me a small grin, a small dimple popping in her right cheek. I lean in and kiss it, my hand squeezing her waist as she melts into me, and we rest against the back of the wooden chair. Careful not to spill her drink, she presses a sweet kiss to my mouth, gently tugging at my bottom lip with her teeth. I open up to her and the instant her tongue touches mine, I groan. Fuck, I want her again.

“Someone’s eager today,” she whispers, taking a long sip of cocoa and licking her upper lip, enticing me. What I wouldn’t do to have those lips on my cock.

Jesus, I need to slow down. What is it about this girl that makes me act like a high school virgin, excited for any bit of physical attention?

“Hm, should I not be?” I say, leaning away from her. “We can go back to just snowboarding,” I say, smirking.

Alice narrows her eyes at me and says, “Maybe we should, then I can have my way with you in the sauna.”

I down the rest of my cocoa as she giggles and does the same. Then I scoop her up and carry her to the beam where our snowboards rest.

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