Chapter 9
EMILY
I’m drifting off to sleep when I hear the door creak open. My eyes flutter open, and I see Axel walking in.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Axel doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he begins to take off his shirt, the fabric sliding off his muscular frame and falling to the floor. My heart skips a beat as I watch him, my eyes tracing the contours of his well-defined chest.
He strides over to the bed with an air of casual confidence, and before I can fully process what’s happening, he’s crawling onto the bed, right on top of me.
“What are you doing?” I repeat, my voice a little breathless now.
His intense gaze lands on me. Axel’s lips curl into a smirk as he leans closer. “Just making sure you’re alright.”
His kiss is intense and commanding, his lips pressing firmly against mine. There’s a rawness to it, an urgency that makes my heart race. I respond instinctively, parting my lips to deepen the kiss. He tastes of something, something that makes me spread my legs instinctively.
He holds my face gently but firmly, his fingers sliding into my hair as he angles my head to better align with his. The kiss is passionate, almost desperate. Axel’s hands drift from my face to my shoulders, sliding down my arms in a way that makes my skin tingle before he’s cupping my breasts.
I moan against the oddly familiar sensation of rough, calloused palms gripping me. To my surprise, it’s not Axel anymore but Tanner.
I whimper against his mouth, but Tanner doesn’t stop. His tongue slides into my mouth, making me moan.
Tanner’s tongue explores my mouth with a hunger that matches the fervor of his touch. He kisses me deeply, each movement sending shivers of pleasure down my spine.
My body burns as his rough hands roam all over my body, tweaking my nipples, his hard cock resting between my legs as I continue to writhe under him. He moves suddenly, taking me with him until I’m lying on top of him, tangled together in the silky sheets.
But when I look down, Tanner’s gone. Instead, it’s Ben. I cup his face tenderly before my fingers roam down his chest, finding the expanse of ink that swirls down to his torso.
He jerks against me, and I can feel his impossibly long cock rest against my ass. “Oh, Ben,” I whimper.
Ben’s touch is different—more deliberate, but equally intense. His hands continue to explore my body, and his kisses, though not as aggressive, are filled with a different kind of passion.
Ben’s lips find mine, his kisses tender yet insistent. His touch is warm, and a gentleness to his caresses contrasts sharply with Tanner’s fervor.
Then, just when I think I can’t take anymore, Ben’s presence shifts and is replaced by someone who feels both achingly familiar and startlingly new. Jace’s hands squeeze my hips possessively as I begin to rock against him, feeling myself draw closer and closer to the edge.
Wetness pools between my legs, making my clit throb almost painfully as I try to seek my pleasure. Jace sits up to kiss me, and I grab his head. The man beneath me is not the same boy I knew years ago. He’s grown, both physically and emotionally, into someone who clearly wants me.
“Oh, Jace.”
“Emily,” he whispers against my ear. The voice changes, melding together until I feel all four of them, their powerful hands roaming all over me, claiming what’s rightfully theirs.
I sit bolt upright in bed, my heart racing and my breaths coming in short, shallow bursts. My body feels like it’s on fire, every nerve ending still tingling from the dream. I glance down between my legs, the dampness between them making my cheeks flush with embarrassment. What the hell was that?
I rake through my hair with my fingers and look outside. Morning light filters in through the window. I sigh. It was a dream, but it definitely felt like more than just a dream. I’ve never experienced something like this, much less with four people at once.
My mind reels with confusion and a heavy dose of self-reproach. I can’t believe how vivid that dream was—how real it felt, as if four pairs of hands were actually roaming over me.
The kisses, the touches—it all felt so intense and powerful. I thought I knew what I wanted, but now...am I attracted to all four of them?
I throw myself back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
My mind is still spinning from that dream, and my body feels restless like I’ve been running all night without getting anywhere.
I roll over, trying to find a comfortable position, but it’s no use.
I’m exhausted, but my mind refuses to let me drift off.
Every time I close my eyes, I see flashes of the dream—Axel, Tanner, Ben, Jace—all of them wrapped around me, their touches searing into my skin, their lips against mine. I groan, burying my face in the pillow, frustrated that I can’t get any of it out of my head.
There’s a sharp knock at the door, and I freeze.
My heart leaps into my throat, pounding hard and fast. For a split second, I think it’s them—one of them, or maybe all of them—standing on the other side of the door, ready to finish what my dream had started.
I shake my head, trying to clear away the ridiculous thought. I’m being irrational…aren’t I?
I get up and take a deep breath as I cross the room and pull the door open, bracing myself.
But instead of finding any of the guys, it’s Hailey standing there, looking much more cheerful than yesterday.
Relief and disappointment flood through me at the same time, and I’m not sure which emotion is stronger.
Hailey raises an eyebrow at me, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “You look disappointed, it's me. Were you expecting someone else?” she asks.
I shake my head quickly, trying to mask the blush I can feel creeping up my cheeks. “No, of course not,” I mumble, stepping aside to let her in. “I’m just…tired, I guess.”
She gives me a knowing look, but thankfully, she doesn’t push it.
Instead, she claps her hands together, already switching into bridal mode.
“Well, you’d better wake up, sleepyhead.
We have a busy schedule today, starting with breakfast,” she says, her voice filled with excitement.
“And after that, we need to get you fitted for your bridesmaid dress. So, let’s get moving! ”
I nod, trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep and the weird, lingering feeling from my dream. “Right. Breakfast and then the fitting,” I repeat, more to myself than to her. “Let me just brush my teeth. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I splash cold water on my face, brush my teeth, and run a comb through my tangled hair, trying to tame it into something presentable.
A quick swipe of mascara and a dab of lip balm from the lodge’s gift shop, and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
I pull on a comfortable sweater and jeans, take a deep breath, and head out of my room.
As I make my way downstairs, I can’t help but glance around, scanning the lobby and the hallways for any sign of the Hotshots. Tanner, Ben, Axel, Jace—they’re all on my mind.
I can’t seem to shake the hope of running into one of them. Or all of them. But there’s no sign of them anywhere, and with each empty corner I turn, I feel a pang of disappointment.
Focus, Emily, I tell myself as I head towards the dining hall. It’s probably for the best that I don’t see them right now. I have enough on my plate with Hailey’s wedding and everything that needs to be done today. I need to keep my head in the game.
I make my way to the dining hall, figuring that’s where I’ll find Hailey. As I approach, I see her standing near one of the tables, deep in conversation with someone. The other person’s back is to me, so I can’t see who it is, but Hailey seems really engaged in the conversation.
I smile, relieved to see her looking happy and energized.
“Hailey!” I call out, waving as I walk over to them.
Hailey catches my gaze and her eyes widen slightly, her smile faltering. Her reaction throws me off, and I frown, wondering what’s going on. The person she’s talking to turns around, and my breath catches in my throat.
It’s Chloe Yeager.
She looks almost exactly the same as she did in high school, maybe a little more polished and put together, but with the same perfectly styled blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
Memories come rushing back, memories of Jace and prom and everything that happened back then.
My heart races in my chest, and I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me.
Chloe’s eyes light up with recognition, and a slow, almost feline smile spreads across her face. “Emily?” she says, her voice sugary sweet, just like I remember. “Wow, it’s been ages!”
I force a smile, my stomach churning. “Yeah, it has,” I say, my voice coming out a little more strained than I intended. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m actually here to deliver the flowers for Hailey’s wedding,” Chloe says with a bright smile, as if this is the most normal thing in the world.
My stomach drops. “You’re what?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
Hailey chimes in, her tone somewhere between defensive and apologetic. “I didn’t know she was coming. I swear.”
I force a smile, trying to act like this revelation doesn’t make my blood boil. “What a pleasant surprise,” I say through clenched teeth. Inside, I’m fuming. Chloe Yeager, of all people, handling the flowers for Hailey’s wedding? It feels like some kind of twisted joke.
Chloe seems oblivious to my irritation, or maybe she’s just ignoring it. “Yeah, I got stuck about two miles or so away from the resort last night. The snow was really coming down hard. I arrived much later than expected.”