Chapter 14
fourteen
. . .
Wells
Only One Snow Tube
“You have got to be kidding me, Wells McCoy,” Rosalie whispers in horror as she stares at the scene in front of us. “You said fun. You did not say anything about physical torture!”
I laugh. “Is snow tubing considered torture now? Guess I missed that somewhere.”
“I am the most unathletic, uncoordinated person ever! I make candy all day, Wells. Inside a cute little building, wearing my adorable little apron, making my yummy little sweet treats. Sorry, but there’s no way this is happening.”
When she gestures in front of her at the row of snow tubes, her bottom lip pokes out in a cute pout, and my smirk deepens.
Yeah, maybe I should’ve been a tad more forthcoming about what it is that we’re doing, but I had a feeling that a friendly snow tube race between my siblings was not something she’d be excited for.
It’s just for fun, something we’ve done every year since we were kids.
My parents usually spend the first night having a sleepover with Frankie and the kids, so that means that all of the adults are off the hook for a while.
Tradition.
This year, a new part of our tradition is including Rosalie and Penny. Penny girl was all too happy to go with my parents and the kids tonight because that meant endless cuddles and treats, but Franklin, on the other hand…
Wouldn’t even look at me when my mom carted him off like the prince he thinks he is.
He always does this thing where the moment he gets annoyed at me, he turns his nose up at me, refusing to look my way. Temperamental dog, I swear.
“And that’s why you’re going to do it with me, Sugar.” I flop down onto the tube and pat the front of my thighs. “Now, sit your cute ass in my lap on this snow tube and let’s go.”
“Wells…” she starts, eyes flicking back to my siblings as they take their spots.
“It’s just for fun, Rosalie. Although I’m not sure you know this about me yet, but I’m a tad bit…
competitive.” I hook the toe of my boot around her calf and gently haul her toward me, biting back a laugh as her arms shoot out and she starts to flail, losing her footing and falling directly into my lap with an oomph.
Her palms curl around my thighs as she settles back against me and shakes her head exasperatedly.
Bringing my lips to her ear, I let them brush along the shell.
“That means I need you to put your game face on. We can’t let them win. ”
If I could see her face in the dim glow of the setting sun, I’m sure I’d see those sexy little lips pursed into a pout. The one I like too fucking much.
As much as I like the sweet Rosalie, I like the sassy, take-no-shit Rosalie even more. It’s what drew me to her in the first place. It’s the reason I rile her up every chance I get, and I think she secretly likes it just as much.
After a beat of silence, she grumbles, “Fine. But don’t blame it on me when we don’t win. I did try to warn you.”
She settles back against me and slides her hands beneath the strap handles, curling her fingers tightly around them and wiggling her hips in the process.
Fuck, my dick stirs to life behind the zipper of my jeans, and my hands fly to the curve of her hips, curving around them as I hold her still.
“Gonna need you to stop rocking that perfect little ass in my lap unless you want this to be over before it starts,” I rasp hoarsely.
Especially after spending the night touching her, kissing her, breathing in her saccharine scent all night while we were at my parents’.
Rosalie turns her head, brown eyes sparkling as she looks back at me with a sassy little smirk. “Oh? In that case, maybe I should keep it up, then…” Her ass wiggles back and forth once more, this time slower, more intentional, as she grinds down on me.
I’m about two seconds from hauling both of us from this tube, throwing her over my shoulder, and taking her back to the cabin, where I can finally fucking touch her like I’ve been wanting to, when my brother Henry walks up, stopping in front of us.
“I know that you’re new here, Rosalie—sorry to say that you’re with the losing brother.
You see, my big bro, being the professional athlete that he is, thinks that he’ll always win these things, but that’s exactly why I’m here.
To humble him. Not an easy job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
But the good thing is it’s just for fun. ” He winks at her.
Bullshit, I almost scoff, but she beats me to it. “Sullivans never lose, Henry. Sorry to burst your bubble.”
I don’t even bother holding back the laugh that spills out of me. Hard one-eighty for the girl who only minutes ago was complaining that she’d be the reason we lost.
Henry chuckles and shrugs. “May the best team win, then.”
He gives her a teasing wink, then walks off toward his wife.
The second he’s gone, I poke her in the side, causing her to shriek, and more wiggling ensues as she pleads with me to stop. I realize then that having her in my lap, surrounded by my siblings, might not have been the best choice.
“What happened to ‘We’re going to lose, Wells, and it’ll be all my fault’?”
She glances back at me with narrowed eyes pinning me where I sit, and I smirk, lifting a brow when she rolls them. “Maybe you aren’t the only competitive one here, McCoy. Now, tell me what I need to do to make sure we win this thing.”
By nightfall, we’re covered head to toe in melted snow, and Rosalie’s shivering as we walk up to the front porch of the cabin, her teeth chattering together noisily.
Even though she looks like a drowned rat, she’s fucking adorable with her bright red nose, hair soaking wet from the snow, wearing a bright smile that lights her entire face up.
“Okay, I have to a-admit that was s-soooo-o much fun. C-cold, but fun,” she sputters, managing to get the words out though all the chattering.
My mouth twitches as I push the front door open and step inside, thankful that we left the fire going while we were outside so the entire cabin is toasty warm. Exactly what we need after being outside in the cold for the last few hours.
“Yeah, it’s always a fun time when we all get together.” I walk over to the small kitchen and grab the bottle of wine my parents must have left for us off the counter and hold it up. “Wanna warm up in the hot tub with a glass?”
Honestly, I totally fucking forgot about the hot tub with all of the “preparing” we’ve been doing over the last few days, so I guess I’m going in briefs if she’s down to get in.
Rosalie nods and turns to her suitcase on the table. “I’ll just get out of my wet clothes.”
“I’ll make sure it’s heated up and meet you out there, then.”
It feels like an hour has passed by the time Rosalie finally appears, walking through the back door and out onto the back patio, where I’m already sitting inside the hot tub.
My gaze rakes down her body, my brow creasing slightly when I realize she’s wearing a baggy T-shirt that falls to mid-thigh to get in the water.
“I… I didn’t have anything to wear. I didn’t know there was going to be a hot tub, so I didn’t pack anything,” she says before she pauses, dropping her gaze momentarily to her feet, then back up to meet mine.
There’s a subtle shake to her voice, one that I might not have noticed if I hadn’t been paying such close attention to the woman standing before me.
Rising from my seat, I hold out my palm to her so I can help her in, instead of asking her the real reason that she’s trying to cover her body. “The ground is a bit slippery.”
She chews her lip for a moment before a small smile tugs at the corner, and she hesitantly slips her hand into mine.
I’ve seen Rosalie in a lot of different ways since I met her that day in my bar, but I’ve never seen her so nervous, and I want to know why.
Carefully, she steps into the water, a red-painted toe first, and then slides down into the hot tub across from me, a throaty moan slipping past her pouty lips.
“Oh God. This is heaven,” she mumbles as she curls her fingers around her wineglass that I’ve just handed to her, her eyes dropping shut.
I use the moment to let my gaze roam freely over her, appreciating every inch of her.
Thick, dark lashes fan along her cheeks, which have already started to flush from the heat of the water.
Steam billows from the surface, wafting around her.
The dark tendrils of her hair disappear below the water, drawing my gaze to follow the path down to the pale yellow T-shirt that’s now wet and molded to her skin.
She’s wearing a lacy bra beneath the soaked fabric, and her tits look so good I nearly fucking groan.
She brings the glass of wine to her lips, taking a long, slow sip that feels like it goes straight to my dick.
Even something as simple as that is sexy, as crazy as it sounds, but that’s the effect that Rosalie has on me.
After spending most of the evening with her in my lap, writhing every chance she got, probably to drive me goddamn insane, I’ve been dying to touch her, to taste her. Even before seeing her now.
“Your family is really nice,” she whispers softly. “Especially your mom. She’s so lovely and made me feel so welcome. You’re really lucky to have them, Wells.”
The mention of my family pulls me temporarily from my thoughts of her, and I nod. “I am. They… stuck with me through a lot, and I’m not sure I’d be here, definitely not in Mistletoe Falls, without my siblings.”