CHAPTER TWELVE DIEGO #2
“Nothing’s more important than you guys,” I cut in, truthfully.
“You know I’d take a bullet for all three of you, and just because I’m busy trying to recover doesn’t mean I shouldn’t step up and be there for you.
I’d sleep better at night knowing you’re able to pay off everything and have enough money on the side to treat yourself to a few drinks with your friends once a week.
I know Gaby is trying to help too, but she needs to save for her apartment for when she moves.
And Val deserves to have some hot water in the morning and new books every month. ”
Mom’s dark eyes glimmer with emotion, causing a knot to build in the back of my throat. “Diego . . .”
“We can either go around in circles all day, or settle the argument by you telling me how much you need.” I take another bite of the cookie, shrugging. “Your choice. But you know I’m stubborn and I get what I want.”
“So, when do you think you’ll be cleared to snowboard again?”
I fucking hate this question.
I also hate that we’ve only been talking about my injury since we sat down in the booth at the back of Heidi’s Corner. Don’t get me wrong, I love talking about snowboarding, but I’m not in the mood for that tonight.
There’s nothing I’d love more than to be hitting the halfpipe again, but, according to Dr Ellis, it is still too soon to consider riding. I know it’s the worst thing to do, but I keep lying to him about my pain. Like I said, the sooner I get back to training, the better.
Taking the time to recover from a nasty injury makes sense. What’s still incomprehensible is why the punishment needs to last for months. I think, truthfully, that I’ll be fit to ride again before the end of the month. No one knows my body better than I do.
Besides, if my career is over, it impacts everyone around me. And I refuse to let that happen.
“He doesn’t know yet, Tommy,” Jordan answers for me, as though he can sense my frustration.
I send him a grateful look before taking a long, much-needed drink of my cold beer.
“Sorry,” Tommy says sheepishly.
Tonight, it’s boys night. Jordan, Tommy, Wes, and Jake are sitting around the table to celebrate my birthday. We were in high school together, constantly hanging out and hitting the slopes on weekends as soon as the sun rose.
I didn’t exactly want to go out and make a big deal out of it – turning twenty-six isn’t even that special – but Jordan insisted, and, like his sister, he can be very convincing. It must be a Bradford trait, being tenacious, conniving, powerful.
None of these guys have changed. All loyal to themselves. All still living here and not intending on moving away.
I’ve often wondered if moving to another state was the right choice to make, but if I hadn’t made the change I would have never won those medals and be where I am today.
I have no regrets. If there was one thing that my dad always kept reminding me it’s that life’s too short to dwell on regrets and mistakes.
But I can’t help but reminisce about the old days when I see the five of us together again, and ask myself how I’d feel about meeting them every Saturday night to play poker and drink a few beers.
“Are you and Mina talking about kids already?” Jordan asks Wes, who’s recently proposed to his high-school sweetheart.
I try to listen to his answer, I really do, but my whole attention is fixed on the brunette entering the bar. Alara follows my sister through drunken patrons, slipping her faux fur coat off her shoulders.
Fuck me. What is she doing here?
We’ve texted all day, and amidst numerous cat memes and flirtatious messages that had me grinning like a fool, she never once mentioned she was going out tonight.
But, if this is Gaby’s doing, there’s no doubt it was a last-minute plan. My sister is impulsive, whereas Alara has everything sorted out.
Too many people stand between us, so I barely catch a glimpse of her hair as she joins her friends on the other side of the room.
Wes elbows me. “So?”
I need to get my shit together. Scratching my stubbled jaw, I divert my gaze back to my friends. “What?”
“The wedding. You gonna be here for it? It’s next August.”
I nod. “I can make that work.”
He grins. “Cool. I think Mina would love to see you. Why don’t you come eat dinner over at our place sometime next week?”
For the second time in the span of two minutes, Alara catches my eye, even though the place is packed.
She’s moving toward the bar, and I need to talk to her.
See her. My hands are already trembling from anticipation.
Kissing her has fucked me up, but I don’t regret it one bit.
That’s exactly why I’m standing, ready to seek her out.
“I’m in. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back. ”
The heavy throng of people makes it hard to move forward, but I manage to weave smoothly through the crowd.
It takes too much effort to reach the spot where she’s standing by the end of the bar, next to a wall littered with band posters.
The jeans she’s wearing hug her curves beautifully, my mouth going dry as I do a double take at her legs.
I’m so fucking attracted to her, it’s not even funny. I don’t know what to do with myself.
Checking over my shoulder to ensure that Gaby isn’t looking in my direction, I sigh in relief when I see her in the middle of an animated conversation with her blonde friend.
The last thing I need is my sister poking her nose in my business and giving me a lesson on how not to be a heartbreaker.
I don’t intend on hurting Alara, but Gaby doesn’t need to know what we’re doing.
Besides, with all the patrons between us, she won’t notice a thing.
I step forward, and Alara’s body goes rigid, like it’s attuned to my presence. As soon as I brace my hands on either side of her on the countertop, she relaxes, almost falling back against my chest as I cage her in. She knows it’s me, and the thought alone makes me smile.
“Following me?” I murmur in her ear.
She turns her face enough so that her voice carries through the loud noises booming around us. “You mean at the most popular bar in town where all our friends go?”
“Admit it” – I lean further in, taking in a whiff of her sweet fragrance – “you were just missing me.”
Alara finally spins on her heel, keeping her back against the bar. My breath catches at the sight before me, and I’m already on the brink of saying fuck it and dragging her into the filthy bathroom. But Alara deserves better than a quick lay in some public place.
I love it when she wears her hair down. It looks so soft, long enough for me to wrap my fist around once, maybe twice.
Brown strands fall down her shoulders, pulling my attention to her black top, which clings to her like a second skin with the neckline dipping low to her midriff.
I can trace the shape of her full breasts like this – it makes me want to kiss the valley between them, to know if her skin tastes as good as her lips.
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, superstar,” she chastises, smiling beautifully.
I smirk, stepping closer, closer, closer, until she has to tip her head back to look at me. “Shame.”
Her attraction for me can’t be concealed either.
She gives me a once-over that leaves me hot and bothered, because I can’t have her yet – not until I lay down my terms and conditions and make sure she wants that too.
But this is not the place to talk about it.
My sister is here – Alara’s best friend.
Jordan is on the other side of the room – Alara’s brother and my best friend. This is too risky.
“Are you not going to thank me for the cookies?”
My right palm finds her waist. I love the way the dip welcomes me perfectly, seamlessly.
“I was getting there.” It’s hard not to lose myself in her pretty eyes.
She’s the embodiment of sweet temptation – the more I want her, the more I realize how it’s going to fuck me up.
She’s my friend, and maybe initiating a physical relationship with her might ruin everything, but I won’t rest easy until I know what she tastes like, the sounds she makes when I fuck her hard and— Okay, I need to focus.
Walking around here with a hard-on is not the goal. “Thank you. They were delicious.”
She beams. Fuck, she’s cute. “I’m glad.”
“How’d you know they’re my favorite cookies?”
“Because I pay attention to you too.” An admission, simple but powerful enough to make every single last brick protecting me crumble to pieces.
It didn’t take long for her to look at me and see me.
It happened the very moment we met again and, even to this day, it terrifies me how easy it is to be myself around her.
It’s fascinating how, in this crowded room where rock music is blasting away, she’s the only person that matters. How, even with people pushing past me to access the bar, I can’t find a sliver of strength in me to move.
Her fingers play with the top three buttons of my shirt that I hadn’t bothered fastening. “Does the birthday boy want anything to eat or drink? My treat.”
“You? I haven’t had dessert yet. You know I have a sweet tooth.”
She lifts her brows in amusement. “Does this line usually work for you? Because it was lame.”
I shrug, but my grin doesn’t waver. “I don’t know. Never tried it on another woman. Is it working?”
“Do I look charmed? Perhaps you should try harder.”
I bark out a disbelieving laugh. She’s playing hard to get, but I know she’s going to lower those walls as soon as I kiss her again.
The way she responded to me last night was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
She wanted this as much as I did, she reciprocated my passion and need, and it was incredibly hot.
“Alright, then. I’ll try being a gentleman. Usually works.”
She gets distracted for a moment as the bartender taps her shoulder to ask if she’s ready to order.
She asks for a round of shots for her table, and I tell Martin to put them on my tab.
I ask for beers for me and the boys, before gripping her chin between my thumb and forefinger in order to bring those hypnotic eyes back to me.
“You look unreal right now, do you know that?” I murmur, hoping she can hear my sincerity over the sound of Mariah Carey’s voice. Somehow, the music has shifted from rock to Christmas hit songs that have every patron singing at the top of their lungs.
Her rose-painted lips tilt upward. “I have an idea. Seems like you can’t stop looking at me.”
“Why would I look elsewhere when you’re in the room?”
She shakes her head, partially to hide her natural blush. “Shameless flirt.” Martin deposits the shots by her elbow, and she turns to gather them between her fingers. “Thank you for the drinks,” she says.
Before I can say or do anything else, someone wraps their arm around my shoulders to pull me back.
“Is that my big bro?” Gaby slurs. She’s already smashed?
She literally just walked in, for heaven’s sake.
I’d bet my entire Lego collection that she’s going to be so drunk I’ll have to take care of her all night long.
“You” – she pokes her nail in my pectoral – “go celebrate with your friends and leave my bestie alone. You already see her every single day of the week, so she’s mine tonight, ’kay? ”
I mock a salute. “You got it, boss.”
Alara hands the shot glasses to Gaby. “Bring these to the table? I’ll be a sec. Don’t drop them.”
“I’ve got it!”
Gaby is already sauntering off, and thankfully disappears without questioning us further.
“She’s such a lightweight.” Alara chuckles, keeping her eyes on Gaby to make sure she gets to their table. “I’ll watch over her, don’t worry.”
“I know you will.” I reach for the belt loop of her jeans, wrapping an arm around her waist to dip my mouth to her ear. With her palm laid flat on my chest, there’s no doubt that she can feel how wild my heartbeat is. “We have unfinished business, Alara.”
“Yes, we do.” The hint of seduction woven into her dulcet voice gives me chills. Then, she cups my jaw, stands on her tiptoes, and kisses the corner of my mouth. “Happy birthday, superstar.”
A rush of cold air hits me in the wake of her absence, and, with the lingering touch of her lips on me, I realize that I want her. And, tomorrow, I’m taking what I want. Tomorrow, I’m being selfish.