Chapter 5
Jordy
I couldn’t believe my luck that I was stranded in a snowstorm with Courtney. I thought she’d be stressed about our predicament, but after the initial freak out she accepted our fate and was currently rummaging through my sister’s cabinets in search of snacks.
She pulled out a box of fancy crackers and a jar of olives. “Perfect.”
She set them on the counter and opened the door of the large fridge built into the cabinetry and stuck her head inside. A moment later she dropped a wedge of Brie and a jar of apricot preserves on the island.
The array of items made no coherent sense to me but before long she’d arranged a charcuterie tray on a platter she’d dug out of a cabinet. Another cabinet produced a bottle of red wine, which she thrust at me with instructions to open it and find glasses.
I was familiar with my sister’s kitchen, having visited her house many times before, yet it took me longer to find the wine opener and glasses than it had taken Courtney to put together an entire tray of snacks.
Once we had our tray and glasses, she led us to the family room, where a flick of a switch produced a fire in the gas fireplace. At my glance, she shrugged. “We may as well enjoy the evening as it seems we’re stuck here for the night.”
Her words lingered between us as the implications sank in. We were indeed stuck here for the night and while we didn’t lack for amenities, we were forced to either avoid or acknowledge this tension between us.
Because there was no doubt that the thread of tension that wound itself around us was not letting up and only strengthening the more time we spent in close proximity to each other.
As if sensing my thoughts, Courtney’s eyes clashed with mine as she settled onto the sofa. I sat a polite distance from her, determined to keep the chemistry at bay.
As much as I was interested in her, I knew she’d only accepted my invite on a whim. She hadn’t signed up for a night alone with me. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”
She shrugged as she poured the deep red wine into our glasses. “It’s okay. I told my parents I was spending the night with a friend. You’re just not the one I had meant.”
“I’m a friend?” I couldn’t help the eager question.
“Close enough. I’m not home watching quiz shows and crawling out of my skin, that’s all that matters.”
“Is that so bad?” It wasn’t my idea of a good time but it didn’t sound too terrible for one evening.
“Don’t get me wrong—I love my parents. It’s just that they are so hyper focused on me that coming home feels suffocating.”
“I can’t say that I understand that. I like having family around.”
Courtney sipped her wine thoughtfully. “I do, as well. But it’s different as an only child. I’m so used to being independent that having that level of scrutiny is challenging.”
“So you took a chance on escaping with me, only to end up snowed in.”
“I could think of worse ways to spend the evening.”
I picked up my glass to sip my own wine, even though I wasn’t really thirsty. “So, what now?”
Courtney popped a bite of cheese in her mouth and considered my question. “Well first we snack and drink our wine. After that—who knows?”
My brain unhelpfully supplied lots of ideas of what we could do to pass the time. I doubted that she had similar thoughts although the way her eyes roamed from my lips to my torso had my skin heating.
I cast around for topics of conversation, settling on a continuation of our conversation about families. “What was it like growing up?”
“About what you think growing up in a small Connecticut town would be like. Everyone knows everyone so there’s no getting away with anything. Although I certainly tried.”
Her relaxed laugh warmed me. “I’d love to hear those stories.”
She mimed zipping her lips. “No way. I have not known you long enough to spill my secrets.”
“Just one—please.”
Courtney’s cheeks flushed and I couldn’t tell if it was from the wine or the secrets she wasn’t spilling.
“Hmm, this is one I shouldn’t tell you but I’m feeling a little rebellious tonight.”
“Your hometown bringing out the rule breaker?” I teased.
“Maybe.” She took a large sip of wine before she confessed her secret. “I like you even though I shouldn’t.”
My gut swooped at her confession. The truth was I liked her a hell of a lot too. The knowledge that she shared my feelings had me ready to shout with joy.
Instead, I chose the teasing that seemed to bring out her playfulness. “Why not? I’m inherently likable. At least according to my senior superlatives.”
“Oh really? Voted most likely to charm an older woman?”
“You’re not that much older—and it was most likely to be friend zoned,” I admitted sheepishly.
She laughed in earnest now. “God, that must have sucked at the time, but now it’s so ridiculous it’s good for a laugh.”
I gave her my most pitiful expression. “What do you mean? Still the story of my life.”
“No way.” She waved her hand up and down my body. “You’re seriously built and super sweet. Plus those glass you wear are hot as hell.”
“You’re the first woman to say that to me.”
I wasn’t exaggerating. I did okay in the dating department but no one had ever expressed such enthusiasm over me except Courtney. My own cheeks flushed at her compliments.
“Well, they’re missing out. If I were closer to your age—“
I held up a hand to cut off her sentence. We were only about twelve years apart which wasn’t a huge enough difference to be a problem. At least for an evening of fun, which is all that was on the table.
Courtney was looking at me intently now, curiosity clear in her eyes. The cabin was bathed in quiet, any sound muffled by the heavy snow outside. The wine had warmth buzzing in my veins and the possibilities that lie ahead of us were endless.
We could sit here and drink wine until we went to sleep separately or—we could give into the chemistry that sizzled between us like a live wire.
I knew my choice and held my breath while I watched Courtney consider the options.
Her expression shifted from curious to heated and I had my answer.
The rebellious side of Courtney was ready to come out and play.
And I couldn’t wait to see what her next move would be.