22. Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Rachel
A s we discarded our food, Juniper announced he needed to take Sasquatch out. Drew offered to go with him, stating he wanted some father-son time, even if for a brief moment. Veronica and I saw them to the lobby where Juniper gave me an apologetic look before they departed from the front door. Veronica and I watched in silence as a few stray snowflakes flurried in from outside. The cold air came with it, hitting my nose first. I suspected they’d be a few minutes; Sasquatch preferred to relieve himself back behind Juniper’s room, so they’d have to wrap around that half of the resort.
“It’s truly amazing what the two of you have done,” Veronica said.
I smiled at her, hoping it was an olive branch. “Thank you. I think I speak for both of us when I say it’s our pride and joy.”
“So, what is it you want from him, hmm?”
I blinked as I processed her words. At first, I thought I had misheard her. “I’m sorry?”
“It must be his money. He certainly can’t get you any fame you may be looking for.”
“Oh!” It took all my willpower to not let my jaw drop to the floor and plaster on a fake, corporate-approved smile. If there was any time to put those skills to use, it was now. “Oh, no, no, nothing like that. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I didn’t even know who he was when I moved here.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Just like that, my fake smile vanished. I forced myself to maintain at least a neutral expression, not wanting my annoyance at her accusations to raise any suspicions. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel vindicated because she’d pushed my buttons in the right order.
“It’s true. I’m from Florida and never even went skiing before coming here, so winter sports were never on my radar.”
“Interesting. So then why take the job?”
Her words tore open an old wound, the one where I struggled to feel like I fit in here. From the way Veronica held her head high, she knew it, too. But I didn’t want to be the girl who ran and hid anymore. I didn’t want to be the girl who was too shy to stand up for herself. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “It felt like it was meant to be.” I briefly explained my previous work situation to her, not getting too into it since I didn’t trust she wouldn’t twist the details, and then said, “So, I left to come here and start fresh, beat burnout, and the rest is history.”
“And once you moved here and learned who Junebug was?”
I shrugged. “Nothing changed between us once I knew. We both had a common goal and focused on it, and we got to know each other along the way. That’s all.”
“Okay. So, now that you know him, what’s your price?”
No longer able to control my expression, I frowned. “Like the last girl he dated, yeah? Listen, I heard about that. And I can assure you, ma’am, I’m not like that. I don’t have a price.”
“So, then, help me understand your aim here. You don’t want fame or money. Junebug isn’t exactly known for being the sweetest guy alive, and certainly not the tallest—”
“Oh my God, no wonder he’s so hard on himself,” I blurted. The last remaining parts of the old me were aghast, but as the shock registered on Veronica’s face, I felt no regret. Maybe Juniper had even more of an impact on me than I’d realized. “I hope you don’t say these kinds of things to his face.”
“Excuse me?”
It would seem it was Veronica’s turn to be dumbfounded.
“You know, I’m seeing now why he didn’t want to tell you he can’t snowboard anymore.” I leaned against the counter with my hip, taking a casual stance that showed I wasn’t going anywhere. “What happened those four, five years ago really messed with Juniper, a lot more than he leads on today. But the fact he has a bad hip or can’t snowboard again doesn’t make him any less capable. And sure, he can come off abrasive at times, but you know what? After years of dealing with fake niceties and corporate politics, it’s refreshing to not have to play any guessing games.”
Veronica stared at me in silence. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it as she thought over her next words. Her face was hard to read, and there was a high chance I’d deeply offended her, but if it meant defending Juniper, then I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
I pushed some of my hair back with my fingers and said, “I’m sure you’re protective of him after what happened four years ago. His ex-girlfriend and friend selling out his hospital stay was horrific, and I hope karma finds them if it hasn’t already. But he’s already got enough self-loathing for the whole state of Colorado without any additional snide comments.” I sighed. “I’m protective of him, too, I guess.”
“You really love him, don’t you?”
Even though neither of us had explicitly spoken the words to each other—knowing his history, I wanted Juniper to say them first so he could feel comfortable—I didn’t hesitate when I answered. “Yeah. I do.”
As Veronica shook her head, not a single strand of hair moved out of place. It was like her hair had Botox done, too. “That’s too bad. I don’t think you’ll last out here. In Colorado, I mean, with the tabloids and dating a celebrity. I wouldn’t have left Florida if I were you.”
My grandparents did not flee eastern Europe for this shit. It was about time I had the chutzpah to stand up for myself. I shrugged a shoulder at Veronica as I said, “My family has survived worse. Much, much worse. Flashing cameras and tabloid gossip is nothing compared to Nazis, and I’d like to think I inherited their strength. I’m sure I’ll manage.”
We both stopped at the sound of shuffling footsteps and light laughter: Juniper and his father from the sounds of it. Sasquatch trotted along right beside Juniper, and it was Sasquatch’s furry face I saw turn the corner first. What a relief.
“There you both are,” Drew said.
The three entered the lobby, and Juniper reached for me with one arm as he approached the front desk I was still leaning against. My heart all but melted in my chest at the gesture, our fingers interlocking as he stepped in to stand beside me. Juniper placed a kiss on my temple.
“We were just talking about you,” Veronica said.
“Oh?” As Juniper looked at me, I tried to hide my wince with a smile. I hadn’t been sure if he should even know about this conversation, but the cat was out of the bag now.
To my surprise, his mother said, “She’s an interesting one, Junebug. The girl’s got spunk.”
“She hates me.”
Juniper laughed as he stacked the plates and set them in the bus box we snagged from The Elk’s Head kitchen. The table was clear now, with the bus box resting in one of the chairs. Sasquatch rested in the corner of the room. “Even if she does, I don’t care what she thinks.”
I sighed. “I also don’t want you to get shit for it later.”
“I’m a grown man, Rach. You said it yourself, I’m thirty years old. I can handle it. And besides, at the risk of sounding like I have mommy issues, she’s never exactly been the mother of the year.”
“Well, that makes me feel slightly less bad about it.”
“You really said all that, huh?”
I’d given him a recap of our conversation, not sparing him the gory details. While I wasn’t sure how he’d react, I knew he wouldn’t be mad—but I also hadn’t expected him to have a twinkle in his eye the entire time.
“I had to defend your honor, Juni.” I glanced out the window next to us, glimpsing at a large herd of male elk retreating into the woods. “Mine, too, but it was yours I was more concerned with. And I meant every word.”
The only part I hadn’t told him about was when his mother asked if I loved him, nor did I tell him my answer. I’d shout it from the rooftops if I could, but after he’d been wounded before, I wanted to give Juniper the time he needed to get there. No matter what happened with the lodge, we didn’t need to rush, and I’d rather we take our time than accidentally push him away.
That wicked smirk I knew well enough by now crossed his face. “I could take you right here on this table, you know that?”
“Really, now?” I placed my hands on the edge of the table as his arms encased me. Juniper pushed the chair with the bus tray to the side, distancing us from the smells of orange chicken and fried rice. His lips dipped to my neck, kissing the spot just beneath my jawline that always sent heat rushing through me.
“Mhm.” He continued kissing my neck as his hands gripped my waist. With ease, he lifted me up onto the table and positioned himself between my skirt-covered legs. “What can I say? It’s sexy when you’re feisty.”
“What’s left of Christmas dinner be damned?”
He titled his head to the side in brief, faux consideration. “Good thing you’re Jewish.”
I laughed so hard I nearly snorted and then faltered when I remembered our conversation with his mother earlier. “Thank you, by the way. For standing up for me when your mom made that comment.”
“Of course. What the hell was I supposed to do, let her say dumb shit?” He planted another kiss on my cheek, this one sweeter than it was sexy as his hands rested beneath my ribs. “What kind of person would I be if I said nothing?”
“I’m used to most people not wanting to get involved. And I know a lot of people don’t mean anything horrible by it, which is why I try to shrug it off, but that meant a lot to me. So, now that I have the chance to say it properly, thank you.”
“No need to thank me for doing the right thing. I’ve always got your back, Rach.” His grip on my waist tightened, then he lowered his hands to squeeze my hips. “Let me prove it to you.”
“Right here?”
“Mmm, I think so.”
My eyes widened, surprised at his boldness considering how private he was. “And what if we get caught?”
He hummed as he nuzzled my cheek with his nose. “Then let it be known by the tabloids that Juniper Hart fucked Rachel Friedman’s brains out over Christmas dinner.” Juniper’s hands skated up to my shoulders where he pressed down to urge me to lay flat against the now-bare tablecloth. “Extra, extra,” he said, breaking the words up with a trail of kisses down my body. He leaned over me as he started his ministrations at my sternum and moved down to my stomach, eventually lowering himself to reach my hips.
Those slate-blue eyes of his were blown with lust as he looked up at me through his eyelashes, and even though he kissed me through my clothes, Juniper still had my body feeling like melting snow, something easy and relaxed that shot chills down my spine all the same.
Juniper gripped at my skirt and hiked it up, still covering my thighs but giving himself room to slip his head beneath the fabric as he kissed up my bare legs. His kisses were hot, open-mouthed, and tantalizingly slow, leaving me to wonder just how long he planned to tease the plush skin of my thighs. My breath hitched as he dragged his lips along my inner thigh, pausing only when he reached the center. When he kissed there—still through the fabric—I wanted nothing more than for him to shove my panties aside or to pull them down, but he seemed set on dragging this out. Despite his instincts most likely fighting him on this internally, I was certain he was getting a thrill out of the risk of getting caught.
“Juniper, please.” I didn’t dare speak it louder than a whisper, but it only made me sound even more desperate than I already felt to feel his tongue without a barrier. “You damn tease.”
When he chuckled, I felt the vibration shoot through me. “We’ll put that in the press release, too. I can see the revised headline now: Juniper Hart makes Rachel Friedman beg.”
Every word he spoke made me ache with want. I bit my knuckle, hoping it would muffle the pathetic whimper I couldn’t help as he left another passionate, open-mouthed kiss between my legs. Relief came soon after in the form of one finger dragging the fabric aside. I could feel his breath on me as he grazed his teeth along my clit and traced my entrance with his tongue.
“Oh, my God.”
“That’s a start. Now be a good girl and say please.”
I didn’t dare disobey, not with the commanding yet gentle tone he’d taken on. A part of my brain wondered what would happen if I sassed him back, but that was better suited for another night, considering how needy I already felt. “Please, Juniper.”
It seemed like those two words, regardless of their order, were the only things I could croak out tonight.
“Louder, Rachel. I want this whole resort to hear you.”
As he finally dipped his tongue in me, I was certain of only one thing: Juniper Hart would be my undoing. What I’d give to grip at that mess of black hair, but with the way I barely hid him beneath my skirt, I settled for the tablecloth instead.
This will definitely need to get sent straight to the laundry room later.
I felt that familiar warmth blossoming through me as Juniper’s fingers lightly dug into my thighs for support as he expertly used his mouth. It wasn’t long until I felt my release on his tongue, but Juniper was relentless. After I rode out my orgasm, he pulled away only to say four words.
“I said louder, sweetheart.”
Then he was back at it, dull nails imprinting into my skin and his warm mouth enveloping me. When he moved one of his hands so he could rub my clit while exploring me further with his tongue, I moaned louder than I wanted to. Juniper was so close to me we were practically one, and as a result, I could feel him smirk when I moaned. He continued, as did my whimpers of pleasure, until the second wave washed over me—and his name passed my lips without any restraint.
Juniper slowly emerged from beneath my legs and when he stood straight, I could see my orgasm on his lips. His tongue darted out across his mouth as he pulled me up, then kissed me with every ounce of strength he had. When he pulled away, I felt breathless. My brain short-circuited, drunk on Juniper’s tongue and touch and warmth. Instinctively, I leaned into him and gripped his flannel shirt collar, my hand balling up into a fist as he chuckled and denied me the second kiss.
No, what I got instead was so much better.
“Good girl.”
Not for the first time, those words awakened something in me I didn’t know was there.
His hand fell to the small of my back as he helped me down, and once I was on my feet, our bodies were flush in that kiss I craved. Through his jeans, I could feel his hard-on press against my leg, a hint at what else was to come.
“Bedroom,” I said between kisses, “now.”
With a million-dollar smile—a smile I sensed only I’d ever seen—Juniper asked, “What, is right here not good enough?”
“Need I remind you we’re in public?”
“Please,” Juniper said, bringing his lips to my neck. “We practically have this whole place to ourselves right now.”
“Except for the fact your parents are here.”
“And my mother’s going to spend the next twenty minutes talking shit to my father, who will pretend to listen to her as he plays some dumb free game on his phone. We’re as good as alone. Right?”
I rolled my eyes as I grinned. “Such a scoundrel.”
“I’m looking for a yes or a no.” His voice was thick with desire as he planted another kiss on my neck. “So be a good girl for me and answer the question.”
With the way he was kissing my neck and how I still ached with want, craving the feeling of him inside me once more, there was no way I’d say no. Not that I’d ever want to say no to Juniper. The man could ask me to read him the phone book naked because it would get him off, and I would.
“Would you rather I get back on the table or bend over it?”
He groaned into my neck as he pulled away. “That answer is also acceptable.” He reached into his back left pocket for his wallet and retrieved a condom. As he pocketed his wallet again, he whispered in my ear, “Bend over, sweetheart. You might need something to hold on to.”
“First, did you want me to—”
But Juniper shook his head and cut me off before I could finish the sentence. “Another time. Feeling how wet you were on my tongue was more than enough to get me riled up.”
As I saw our reflection in the window, I curled my fingers around the end of the table. Juniper was right; I was glad I had the edge to hold on to.
As if the way he made me feel wasn’t breathtaking enough, the look of him in the afterglow of it all was heavenly. The blues of his eyes popped against the darkening twilight outside and the loose black strands of hair that framed his face. The half-bun he’d had it in had long since fallen out. He helped me up from the table and, as my skirt fell back into place, he adjusted his pants and pulled me in for a kiss where I could still taste myself on him.
“Do you need anything?” Juniper asked. He discarded the condom in the bus box for now, with plans to throw it away once we brought the dishes back.
I shook my head. “I’ll grab the dishes if you wanna fold up the tablecloth. We should probably wash it for Edgar.”
“Hang tight. I’ll help you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. This’ll take but a second.” He folded the tablecloth and tucked it under his arm.
“Say, I just realized.” I grabbed the bus tray and carried it with my left arm, propping the right side of it against my hip for extra support. “Does Edgar have security cameras in here?”
“Outside and in the kitchen. None here, though.”
I sighed in relief. “Okay, one less thing to worry about.”
“We’ll, uh, have to keep that in mind for any other locations we decide to try out around here,” Juniper said.
“Not gonna lie. You surprised me with that one.”
“What can I say? You’re helping me come back out of my shell. Figured something like this would help me be a little less afraid of public appearances.”
I snort-laughed. “That’s one way of looking at it.”
“Something like what?” We looked up to see Veronica coming through the back door of The Elk’s Head. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. Since when are you afraid of public appearances, Junebug?”
Juniper sighed and gritted his teeth. All enthusiasm left his voice when he said, “Please don’t call me that.”
Whatever Veronica said next, my brain didn’t register. All I could think about was how heavy the bus tray was, but I couldn’t set it down just yet. After all, if I did, then our used condom would be out in the open for her to see. I wasn’t sure which one of us would be more mortified if it were to come to that.
“You could have come to me for help, you know,” Veronica said.
“Let’s be real. You don’t even believe I’m disabled. No, I couldn’t have.” He looked at me, ignoring her, and said, “Here, Rach, let me help you with that.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“No, no, I got it.” Juniper grabbed each end of the plastic rim and set the box down. To my horror, his first task was picking the used condom out of the bin and then dumping it in the trash. Half-eaten chunks of orange chicken followed. In an attempt to act like nothing was amiss, I stepped in beside him and grabbed some plates, cleaning them in the sink in front of me.
If Veronica noticed, she said nothing. Never before had I felt so self-conscious about my movements, hoping I looked like a normal human instead of a robot.
“So, this is your life now?” Veronica lifted her hands but then let them fall back to her sides with a light slap.
“It is. And for what it’s worth, I much prefer it this way.”
“You know, I have your Christmas present in the car, but I don’t even know if you’ll want it.” Veronica’s voice cracked. “I got you some new boots in case you decided you did want to snowboard again.”
That wasn’t a gift for Juniper. It was a gift for herself—for her own self-importance she got from viewing her son as an extension of herself instead of as his own person, even well into adulthood. I had sorority sisters in college with parents like that, too afraid to let go and accept that their children were adults.
It made me even more grateful for my own; Ima and Abba encouraged me and Sarah no matter what we did (within reason, of course), letting us discover ourselves instead of dancing a sad, sorry tango. Despite being a Rabbi’s daughter, there was never any pressure to be perfect or to act a specific way. Any and all pressure came from me struggling with my own insecurities, not from my parents or the Reform synagogue my father hosted services at.
Juniper sighed and pushed his bangs back with his hand. “Well, as you now know, I can’t use them. It’s not a matter of wanting. You can either return them or leave them here and I’ll include them in our rental stock. It’s up to you.”
A choice: to walk away, or to accept who he was regardless of his ability to get on a snowboard ever again.
“I’ll return them.” Veronica frowned. “Merry Christmas, Junebug.”
Juniper didn’t reply as she turned and walked out the door.