Page 74 of Curious
“It’s nice that we have some memories now, when we didn’t even know each other back then.”
Shelby moves so he’s more snuggled into me, and I wrap an arm around him. It’s awkward, given our poles and the puffy jackets, but we manage. Eventually, the top comes into sight, and we tilt up our skis to dismount the lift.
I look at the choice of ski runs. “Will you think less of me if we don’t do the black diamond course? I still want to be careful with my ankle.”
“I’d never think less of you for not doing something rash. Besides, I told you I’m not the best skier anyway.” He smiles and points to an intermediate run. “Let’s take this one.”
“Sounds good.” We take off down the mountain, the cold wind rushing against our faces, feeling like our bodies are being propelled down the hill by more than gravity. We whiz past evergreen trees, enjoying the scenery and the clean air. Even though I’m taking it easy on my ankle, I’m giddy with the pleasure of getting outdoors and stretching myself this way. And the fact that I’m with Shelby makes it that much better.
When we get to a midpoint that levels out, we stop for a moment to catch our breath. “I can tell my thighs are getting more of a workout than usual,” Shelby says.
I smirk at him. “I can work out your thighs in a number of ways.”
He shivers, but I assume it’s not from the cold. “Yes, please.”
When we make it to the bottom of the hill, we’re both grinning. From the exhilaration of the way it feels to zip down the mountain, yes. But also because I feel closer to him than I’ve felt with anyone. Ever.
After a few more runs, we take a break for lunch. We deposit our gear on a rack, then clomp inside in our snow boots, where we end up ordering hot pizza and cold beer and sitting by a roaring fire. Eventually, our friends join us, but it still feels intimate.
Everyone is starting to couple off. Noah and August. Alden and Danny. Even my sister is dating someone. Charlie doesn’t have a date with him, but he’s prickly, so that doesn’t surprise me.
“Are you two going to stay together?” Alden asks. Then he stiffens, remembering that he’s one of the few who knows the entire story about why Shelby and I got married.
“Absolutely. He’s it for me,” I say.
Shelby gives me a weird look. I think he’s trying to figure out how to cover Alden’s faux pas and also how to react to what I just said.
I lean over and whisper in his ear, “I mean it.”
He swallows hard and nods. “That’s amazing.”
“Are you two going to ski some more or go back to the cabin?” Danny asks.
“While I’d usually want to ski more, I don’t want to put too much strain on my leg,” I say.
“Uh-huh,” August says. “If you guys need alone time, just tell us.”
“We need alone time,” Shelby says, and everyone laughs.
“I can’t argue with that,” I say.
They all laugh and shoo us out. After ditching our ski gear on the porch of our cabin, we go inside, where it’s warm and welcoming, and we shed our outer layers quickly, in between kisses. God knows I want this man.
We strip each other out of shirts and pants, then take off our underclothes, leaving them in a trail to the bedroom. I’m so glad we got our own cabin. We definitely need privacy.
When we get to the bedroom, Shelby grins. “Let’s go in the hot tub first.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Naked.”
“I’m scandalized,” I say dryly. But I’m not. We have a private hot tub on the back deck, and it’s only visible from the house. We grab towels and go outside. While the air is cold, the tub is steaming when we take the cover off, and we slide in.
“Ahhh,” we say simultaneously.
After we get settled, I tug him to me, and he straddles my lap easily, toying with my piercings. He never seems to get tired of playing with them, and I’m certainly not complaining. Then he wraps his arms around me and kisses me. With his tongue in my mouth and his dick rubbing against me, I drift into a hazy space of pleasure. The hot water feels so good, and Shelby’s a balm for my soul.
There’s something so sexy about the way he gives back as much as he takes. How our kisses turn into battles that we both win.
