Chapter 16 - Hayden
HAYDEN
I returned to a breakfast already cleaned up, the cabin’s galley kitchen scrubbed spotlessly clean once again. Part of that, of course, was in my master plan. The other part was due to Bodie’s OCD nature, which I had to admit I’d taken full advantage of.
“Ah, the princess is back,” quipped Sawyer, leaning back in his chair. He looked me over with a suspicious eye. “And somehow, she picked up coffee, too.”
“There’s a Starbucks up the hill,” I nodded toward the door. “Go see for yourself.”
“Should I make a left at the bear shit?” he smirked. “Or keep going straight?”
“Neither,” I shot back. “You make a right at the rock shaped like a giant dick.”
Bodie, seated beside him, actually chuckled. He had his feet up, black socks and everything, and looked more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. I also noticed he was reading a newspaper. An actual newspaper!
“Speaking of giant dicks…” Sawyer said confidentially, “I was washing mine in the shower, just now. ‘You have fun last night?’ I asked him. And he said yes, yes he did.”
I played it casual. “Your dick said that?”
“Oh yeah,” answered Sawyer. “He also told me he wants to go back on that ride again.”
I grabbed the coffee pot, entirely unflustered, and topped myself off.
“Your dick’s a he?”
Sawyer looked back at me and shrugged. “Of course. It would be kinda weird if it were a she, no?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” I chuckled. “I guess so.”
Carter came in just then, rubbing his hands together. The weather was picking up. It was getting cold outside fast.
“Turns out you were right,” I nudged him, on the way through the door.
Sawyer frowned. “Right about what?”
“He said you’d drop a joke about last night,” I confirmed. “He also said that joking around’s your only real defense mechanism, and that you use it to combat your own deep-seeded insecurities.”
Sawyer’s jaw hit the floor. It was all I could do not to break out laughing.
“You said all that?” he glared at Carter. But Carter laughed.
“No, numbnuts, she’s fucking with you.”
Bodie laughed again, and this time he put the newspaper down. He took his glasses off, leaned forward, and glanced at Carter.
“Did you tell her yet?”
“Tell me what?”
“Soo… we wanted to run something by you,” said Carter, slowly shifting his gaze back to me. “We were thinking of staying in today.”
“Staying in?”
“Yes.”
“No skiing? No snowboarding?” My body was actually a little hopeful at the thought.
“Nope.”
“I wore you out, didn’t I?”
Sawyer laughed. “Not a chance.”
I wondered for a moment if that were it. We’d stayed up late — seriously late — and the taking turns thing had extended our lovemaking deep into the wee hours of the morning. The last orgasm I remember having, the sky had actually faded into a shade of blue.
“We were thinking more along the lines of going into town, and walking around for a bit,” said Carter. “Stretch our legs. Grab some food. Maybe hit a bar or two, and let someone serve us for a change.”
Cradling my coffee mug in both hands, I sighed into it. “That sounds nice, actually.”
“After that we’d hang around the cabin, and feed the fire. Enjoy some relaxation before the long drive home.”
It all sounded too good to be true. Another day on the mountain would’ve been fun, but I knew my body would be paying for it all week.
There were times when my legs felt like they were still shaking, from both the day’s and night’s activities.
And there were parts of my body still sore from each of them, too.
“I’m fine with that if you are,” I told them, trying to mask my excitement. “I just feel bad for when we get back.”
“Why?”
“Because we left your place in literal shambles,” I reiterated. “I know you still have to pick up the pieces that Cole left behind.”
Carter shook his head. “I already talked to Gus. He has things handled.”
“Gus?”
“He works the kitchen,” said Sawyer. “He also runs the place when we’re not there. Grizz can always help out too, if need be.”
“The only thing Grizz does is drink you out of house and home,” Bodie lamented. “Besides, Grizz walks with two limps — one for each leg.”
“You’re talking about the old guy, right?” I squinted. “The one that’s always there?”
“Every night.”
“A customer who never leaves,” I mused. “Seems like a good problem to have, no?”
“It would be,” said Sawyer, “If he actually paid for his drinks.”
The two exchanged familiar glances. There was a story there; as evidenced by the bitterness in Sawyer’s words. Carter chose to ignore him.
“Let’s pack the car in advance then,” said Bodie, standing up. “Better to get it out of the way now, than do it later when we’re tired.”
Later, I thought to myself diabolically. When we’re tired.
I turned my head to look at the living room, which had long since been put back together.
The pillows and blankets were back in their respective bedrooms. A coffee table sat in the spot where my writhing body had been so gloriously desecrated.
I chuckled at the idea that someone else would rent this place, never knowing what went down there.
“So you’re in, Angel?” Carter asked hopefully. His deep, masculine voice snapped me back from my daydream.
“Yeah…” I said distantly. “Sure.”
He smiled and kissed me quickly on the way out of the kitchen. It seemed natural. Normal. Like we’d been kissing hello and goodbye, all our lives.
“As long as we find and ransack a pizzeria,” I grinned, licking my lips.