Page 18 of Melt for Me (The Last Snow of the Season 1)

Chapter Thirteen

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Milly

I am so embarrassed. Embarrassed doesn't even begin to cover what I am. Not only did I make a fool of myself in the sauna with Jag when he was just trying to calm me down, I had to walk out of there in nothing but Jag's shirt and wet panties. And the wet part didn't have anything to do with the heat in that room. And to make matters even worse - my shirt was misbuttoned. I looked like I put the damn thing on in the dark.

I guess I should be glad I got the thing buttoned at all. My fingers were trembling so bad that I could barely get my hands through the sleeves. I made an ass out of myself. For God's sake, I came. Hard.

Even now just the thought of what I did makes me want to hide my face in a pile of pillows and hope I self-smother...auto-smother...what's the right word for that? It doesn't matter, damn it, I hope it happens. Sooner rather than later would be preferable.

I make my way over to the table where everyone is sitting and waiting. This dinner is going to be a special one. Not only is it supposed to be the last one here, but I am convinced it is going to be the one Charlie purposes at.

Before I get to the table, I hear Tinsley walking over to me. "My goodness, Milly. Your skin looks beautiful tonight." I wait. There is no way she’s not going to try to take a shot at me. I don't have to wait very long. "I guess being stuck in a sauna for two hours will do that to a girl."

She laughs like it is the funniest thing she has ever heard. I'm not sure if someone told her what happened or if she might have been the one to lock us in but either way, she knows and now she has something to make fun of me about even more than before. Out of nowhere, her hand is snatched away from where it was hovering close to my chest and for the first time since we got here, Tinsley looks like she may have misjudged things.

"If I find out you lured me and Milly into that sauna and locked us inside, I'll make it my personal life's mission to make you pay. Stay away from Milly and stay the fuck away from me." He drops her arm and everyone in the room is turned towards us.

"Don't touch me! Just because you got locked in the steam room with the prude doesn't mean you can take it out on me, asshole."

"Don't push me, Tinsley. Don't push me on this. I'll do anything to keep Milly safe." He gets closer to her, "Anything."

She is about to stomp off when she gets blindsided again. Trinity comes up on the other side of her and a crack vibrates through the air. It takes me a second to realize it was a slap.

"Stay away from Roy, you bitch!"

"I can't help it if Roy can't keep his hands to himself. Trinity, you of all people should understand..." Before she can finish her sentence there is another loud crack.

"Don't! Just don't! I was your friend, Tinsley. Even when no one else liked you, I was there for you and you not only hit on my boyfriend, you make up some stupid 'accident' so you could walk around naked in front of him. No more, Tinsley. I'm done. If you ever do something like that again, I'll...I'll teach you a lesson about taking another woman's man from her."

Everyone is still looking at the train wreck in front of us, playing out for all to see. Tinsley finally squares her shoulders, gives the room a once-over, and then narrows her eyes at Trinity. "I just thought you ought to know if your boyfriend would be tempted by a better-looking woman before you went too far and did something stupid like fall in love with the idiot."

Trinity lunges for Tinsley but thankfully Roy was there to hold her back. Tinsley of course takes off presumably going to her room to sulk and pout about being called out twice in one afternoon.

The next few hours were pleasant ones. Charlie purposed over dessert and wine. And with the snow still falling in the background it was like a magical fairy tale unfolding right before our eyes. The whole table started clapping and shouting out congratulations. I ran to Rani and give her and Charlie a big hug. After the proposal, we all went to the movie room to watch something, finally getting the movie night that was interrupted the night before.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about what to do about Jag. He seems to be fine letting me sit with Rumer and Trinity for the night. I can't help but wonder if the reason he isn't with me tonight is because of what happened in the sauna this afternoon. Is he as embarrassed as I am about what happened? Does he think it is his fault? Oh God, what if he thinks he's to blame for what happened. Should I say something? Tell him it's not his fault?

I must doze off halfway through the movie because the next thing I'm aware of is being carried up the stairs in big, strong arms. I try to pull myself from sleep so I can talk to him. I need to tell him nothing is his fault. He brings me to the same room we were in last night and lays me on the bed. I struggle up from the soft mattress and watch as he goes to work getting a fire started in the fireplace.

"I don't want you to feel bad about...anything. It was all my fault."

His eyes turn to me, and he looks confused about what I'm talking about. Oh shit, did I miscalculate what his feelings were concerning what happened?

"What's your fault?"

"The sauna thing, it's my fault, not yours."

"Uh, no. It's the fault of whoever sent those notes to us and locked us in there. Not you."

Is he saying....wait, what is he talking about? "No, I don't mean about us being in the sauna. I mean about us...about me...you know...about what happened...," God, this is so hard to talk about. I'm not even sure if he understands what I'm trying to say because of all the pauses and false starts that I've given him.

"You're sorry about what happened in the sauna? Between you and me?"

"Yes." Thank God! Relief passes over me at the fact I don't have to actually put words to the event because he does understand me.

For a long moment, he just looks at me not saying anything. I lose that feeling of relief the longer he looks at me without speaking.

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