29. Dylan
Iwake with the biggest smile, roll over in the giant king-size bed, and reach for Lara.
I”m alone.
Then the shower runs, and Lara sings an old country tune very off-key.
Chuckling, I rest my hands behind my head. This weekend is going as hoped, even if I am sore… from the skiing.
Yeah… that”s it.
Soon, the water shuts off, and Lara steps out wrapped in a towel.
I try to catch it as she walks by. ”Mornin”, beautiful.”
She moves out of reach with a sly side-eye. ”It”s almost eleven o”clock, big guy. Let”s get moving.”
I rub my eyes. ”Didn”t know we slept in.”
Lara pulls on a black turtleneck that tugs her breasts and flat midriff. ”When you stay up most of the night fucking, that”ll happen.”
I grin. ”It was worth it.”
She smirks as she pulls the sheets away. ”Get in the shower.” Her gaze lingers on me for a few since I am—after all—completely naked.
”Enjoying the view?” I ask.
”Get in the shower,” she orders
I bring her close and kiss her neck.
She lets out a soft whimper as my hands cup her breasts. ”Dylan? Move. I”m hungry, and we need to go shopping.”
”Yes, ma”am.” Reluctantly, I head to the bathroom.
After I dress, we head downstairs and stop at a café inside the lobby for coffee and pastries. Afterward, I throw our trash away and dust off my hands. ”Let”s do that shopping.” I take her arm and guide her outside.
A fresh layer of snow from last night covers everything, and all the shops and boutiques have Christmas decorations on their window fronts, giving the street a magical feel.
We head into the outfitter”s store, and I find presents for Carter and Tanner. Lara picks up things for her dad and a friend or two, then we head to the next place.
Usually, I loathe shopping—going to store after store and carrying a million shopping bags—but I”m having the best time with my girl. And she”s excellent at helping me pick out gifts—something for my aunt and uncle—and finds a sweater for Juliet. And thankfully, Lara knows my sister”s size because I”d have been lost there.
”You sure know your stuff when it comes to fashion,” I tell her as we leave a boutique where she found a pair of sparkly earrings.
”You think so?” She turns to me and smiles. ”I guess I get it from my mom. She”s good at that kind of thing.” She looks down the street and sighs. ”Well… where to next? The music shop? Or the bookstore?”
I look at the bags in our hands. ”How about you go to the bookstore, and I”ll put these bags in the truck so we don”t have to carry them around?”
She hands me her bags. ”Sounds like a plan. I”ll see you soon.” I give her a quick kiss and head to the truck. When I get to the bookstore, she”s in the back, lost in a book.
”Find anything good?” I ask.
She looks at me. ”This one. Maybe. It was my mom”s favorite author. I was thinking of getting it for her.” Lara closes the book and puts it back. ”But I don”t think I will. I doubt she”ll get me anything… It”s dumb.”
I look at the book on the shelf. ”You sure? Your mom would probably love it. And I”m sure she”s going to send you something.”
Lara grabs the book again. ”I can keep it even if I don”t send it to her. Did you want to look around?”
I shake my head. ”How about a coffee and sit for a minute.”
”Yeah, okay.” She gets in line to pay for the book and then looks away, almost as if avoiding my gaze.
I tug on her elbow. ”Something wrong?”
She finally looks at me. ”It”s just… I don”t know. It”s stupid. Buying the book for my mom, knowing she won”t be here for Christmas. It”s like… a dumb idea.”
”It”s not. She”s your mom.”
Lara turns away from me, and I can tell it”s a sign to leave her alone about the subject. She dislikes talking about her mom, and I shouldn”t push. I shouldn”t. Lara doesn”t want to open up. But hopefully, as things progress with us, she can tell me more.
After she pays for her book, we head to the café.
She looks over the menu. ”I want something sweet.”
”I”ll give you something sweet.” I give her a wink, walk to the counter, and put in an order for a black coffee, a mochaccino, and a slice of chocolate cake.
Lara is looking dreamily out of the window when I return.
”How would you feel about seeing a movie?” She points out the window. ”There”s a theater across the street.”
”Sounds like a great idea. Unless you want to do more shopping?”
She shakes her head. ”I think I”m finished for the day.”
The barista brings us our drinks and cake. Lara takes a sip, and sure enough, she gets foam on the corner of her mouth.
”You”re such a messy drinker,” I tell her, reaching to kiss her and licking off the cream.
”And you need to remember napkins exist.” She grabs one from the dispenser and dabs the corner of her mouth. ”I can”t have you always licking my face.”
I give her a sultry look. ”Why not?”
She hides a smile, and we finish our coffee and cake.
”Okay, let”s check the movie times.” She stands and takes my hand.
I get to my feet. ”Yes, ma”am.”
We pick an action movie with explosions, fake-looking stunts, and a big-chested woman by the hero”s side. But I only remember a little of the movie since we make out through most of it. And we”re ravenous for each other when we leave the theater.
Lara giggles as we step onto the lodge”s elevator and hit the button for our floor. ”You want room service again?”
”You don”t want to check out the restaurant?” I ask. ”There”s supposed to be great views of the mountains.”
Lara lets her palm trail down my shirt and cups my crotch. ”There”s a great view from our bed.”
”If you”re not careful, I”m going to fuck you here in this elevator.”
There”s a ding, the doors open, and three people step on.
Lara and I flatten ourselves against the back wall, and I hope we don”t give ourselves away.
I could use a bucket of ice water dumped over my head—or maybe a whole water trough.
Once we get to our suite, we decide to try the restaurant—mainly because we”re starving—and this way, we”ll build up our strength and go all night.
While I”m changing into a nice blue shirt and black dress pants, Lara enters the bathroom with one of the bags from today”s shopping trip and closes the door. She”s in there a while before I knock.
”Don”t forget our reservation is in ten minutes.”
The door opens, and Lara steps out in a low-cut black dress with a high slit up the side. My dick goes rock hard.
”Wow. Where”d that come from?”
She smiles. ”Got it at that one boutique… the one you bought Juliet”s sweater at.”
”I”m not sure how I”ll make it through dinner with you wearing this.” I wrap my arm around her waist. ”I”ll be thinking about removing this off you every second.”
”After dinner, you can. But until then, you”ll have to suffer.” She kisses me and then crosses to the door. ”Are you coming?”
It”s a loaded question.
I blow a breath. ”Right behind you, darlin”.”
The restaurant is fancy, and I wonder if I should”ve worn a suit and tie instead of my button-down and black pants. But it”s too late now.
The host shows us to a table in front of a large picture window showing the snowy mountains. Strings of twinkling lights up and down the ski lifts and on the sides of the skiing area give everything a holiday glow.
”It”s like a magical North Pole,” Lara says, looking outside. Thank you for bringing me. Really, this has been great.”
”It was my pleasure,” I tell her, taking her hand. ”Both of our pleasures.”
She giggles as the server comes over.
”May I interest you in some champagne?” he asks, smiling at both of us.
”Yes, please,” I tell him. ”Bring the bottle.”
”Absolutely, sir.” The waiter walks away.
”He didn”t even ask us for our IDs,” Lara whispers.
”We don”t look like kids. You certainly don”t in that dress.”
Lara touches one of her sparkly earrings. ”Thank you.”
After the server brings the champagne, another server brings the first course—lobster bisque.
”I”m not sure if I”ve ever had this before,” Lara says, bringing the spoon to her lips. ”Oh wow, now this is tasty. Try it.”
I take a spoonful. ”Oh, yeah. Man, that”s good.”
We finish our bisques, and the server comes and takes them away. Less than a minute later, another waiter shows up with salads.
Lara looks at me. ”How many courses are there?”
I pick up my fork and spear some lettuce. ”Five, I think.”
”Good thing I brought my appetite,” she says and takes a bite. ”Coming to such a nice place with a full stomach would break my heart. Mmm, this is so good. I love creamy caesar.”
I swallow another bite. ”You could always box it up, I guess.”
”For some reason, I think that would be frowned upon here.” Lara licks her lips and glances around the room. ”White linens on the tables. Candles. The piano player is in the corner. This isn”t the kind of place you ask for a carryout box.”
I fork a crouton. ”Very low-class asking for a doggy bag.”
Lara giggles. ”This might be the nicest place I”ve ever been on a date… much better than where I sometimes go. Like… next week… that one guy I”m seeing… he suggested we go to the Dairy Queen.”
The smile on my face vanishes. ”Andrea?”
”Andrew.” Lara glares at me and takes another bite. She chews and swallows. ”And, yeah. Can you believe it? Dairy Queen. Like… come on. I”m not twelve.”
I lick the corner of my lips and place my fork down. ”You”re going on a date next week with him?” I ask again, making sure I heard her.
She runs her tongue over her teeth and swallows. ”Since you and I are seeing each other this weekend, I scheduled him for next week. He just texted me earlier about the DQ idea.”
The waiter asks if we”re finished with our salads. Lara glances at her empty plate, and I nod for him to take mine, too. There”s no way I can eat another bite now.
Lara gives a little shiver of excitement. ”What”s next, do you think?”
It takes everything in me to smile. ”Don”t know… The entree… Filet mignon.”
”Oh, that sounds good,” she says, picking up her napkin and patting her lips. ”I don”t have anything on my face, do I?”
I stare at her beautiful face and shake my head.
I take a breath and then sip the champagne—a long sip.
Yeah, I know Lara has been casually seeing—whoever—but I didn”t think she still would after what happened between us this weekend.
After everything, does she want to see other people?
I want to talk about it. I need to, but I can”t find the words.
How can she think I”m okay with this?
It”s like this weekend doesn”t matter—like I don”t matter.
While all these thoughts run through my head, the waiter shows up with the meat course.
”This looks so yummy,” Lara exclaims, cutting off a piece of the sizzling steak.
I cut off a piece of my own meat and put it in my mouth. It has to be good—has to—but I can”t taste a thing.