Crave (5 page)

Chapter 12

Tuesday rolls around, and I’m told a few friends are coming along for our ski day. I can’t decide if it’s a date or just skiing. I decide to go with just skiing and dress down a bit this time. I wear my black ski pants and a simple teal shell. I have a magenta fleece underneath for my flash of color and because it looks great on me. Meeting in the same spot, I’m ready for adventure. Blaine’s friends are all instructors, and while I know I’ll be the worst skier, I’m sure it will be awesome.

They’re late and I get more nervous every minute. Snow squeaks under my boots as I step around with anxious energy. I try not to look too frantic as I adjust and readjust my gear. I notice Blaine before he sees me. He scans the crowd. I guess he’s looking for my white outfit. “Blaine!” I raise my arm in a wave.

“There you are.” His face breaks into a grin. He’s with two girls and one guy. “This is Megan, Nick and Jess. Guys, meet Casey.”

In unison they say, “Hey.”

Nick has the stunning good looks of a Greek god, while Megan is petite and fair. He and Megan make a move toward the line. No time for small talk, I see.

A chorus of ski bindings click boots into place as I glance at Jess. She’s pretty and working it to the max. Tight, in-the-boot stretch pants make me wonder about her skiing. They certainly make a girl look good, but so impractical the moment snow gets in your boot. I’m a bit dowdy next to her. She moves next to Blaine. Wow, I guess I’m riding alone.

Megan looks back. “I’ll ride with Casey. You don’t mind do you, Nick?”

“Naw, I’ll find a single.” He flashes a pearly-white smile, and I think she swoons a little.

I slide up next to Megan. Is she feeling sorry for me? Can she tell I thought this was more than just tagging along on some double date?

“I hear you’re going to teach with us next year.” She bends down and opens her boot buckles with a snap. She probably gets cold feet like I do and loosens her boots to wiggle her toes on the chair ride.

“Yes. I’m both nervous and excited. Do you teach kids or adults?”

“I teach adults. I love it. Kids are great, though. It’s like babysitting at times, but you can get adults like that too. Well, you don’t wipe their noses and put on their mittens, but you do get some high-maintenance people.” Her eyes twinkle with amusement.

The chair scoops us up and I relax on the cushioned seat. I’m glad we’re in front of Blaine. I wouldn’t enjoy watching him with Jess. As we get away from the loading area, Megan fills me in.

“Jess has a thing for Blaine. He’s such a nice guy, he never tells her to back off. She has you pegged as competition, so watch out. That girl has claws.” She pulls a sleeve over the edge of her glove.

“Thanks for the warning. It’s fine. Blaine and I are nothing more than friends.” My coat zipper grinds as I pull it up higher.

Megan turns a bit to look at me. “Really? I wouldn’t be so sure. He was anxious to find you this morning. If you ask me, I think he might think of you as a little more than just a friend.”

I can’t help but smile. Megan gives me a sly look.

“Judging by the look on your face, that’s not a bad thing, is it?”

I blush. “No. It’s not a bad thing.”

“Good. That guy needs a girlfriend. He’s too great to be alone. I’ll see what I can do to pry Jess off him.” She lets out a sigh. “I’m not sure how she managed to horn in on this. Nick doesn’t like her any more than I do.”

The wind is cold on my face and I pull my fleece up over my chin. “Is Nick your boyfriend?”

“Yes. When you get to know him, you’ll see why. He’s more than hot, he’s adorable.” She has a silly grin on her face.

Awww, she’s in love. The rest of the ride she tells me cute stories about Nick and their relationship. I like her.

Velcro rips as I adjust the strap to make my boots tighter. I’ve just finished my buckles when Nick takes the lead. “We’re skiing the bowl.” I notice he’s up to something by the look on Jess’s face. She’s not pleased.

“Blaine, you know I don’t like bowl skiing. Make Nick go somewhere else.”

Oh my word! She’s whining.

“Jess, you’ll be fine. I’ll help if you get stuck.” He pulls a pole strap over his glove.

Megan cuts in. “No. You won’t, Blaine. I think you should make sure Casey’s good, and I’ll look out for Jess.” Her tone is bossy and Jess squints her eyes.

Uh-oh. I pretend my boots need another adjustment and bend down to avoid her gaze. But I caught the glare Jess gave me. I so want to glare back. I don’t. Instead, I rise and smile sweetly. “Jess, I’m an East Coast skier. We’re awful at bowl skiing too. If anyone is falling and holding up the group, it’ll be me.” Like hell it will. I have every intention of crushing this girl. I grip my poles with determination.

Our skis gently scrape snow as Blaine moves up by my side. “Follow me. I have a line I think you’re going to love.”

“Does it involve a cliff?” My heart beats a little faster.

“Maybe. I promise to warn you this time.” I can tell he’s teasing me. A smile creeps on his face. “Honestly? I just want to make sure I get to enjoy this with you.”

Oh. My. Goodness. My heart beats even faster as blood rushes through my body.

Bowl skiing is an amazing experience. Not always, but most of the time a concave, steep section of a mountain is whipped by winds, leaving the snow a consistency like butter cream frosting. Skis easily slice through, and allow a skier to descend the steepest of inclines for a thrill like no other. Shaped like the inside of a bowl, it flattens out at the bottom. But here’s the thing: a skier has to have good turns, or it can become a nightmare. It isn’t uncommon to see someone fall at the top and tumble all the way to the bottom. Most don’t get seriously hurt, but it’s a few minutes of sheer panic.

Nick takes off and the sound is clean and sharp as he makes picture-perfect turns. Blaine traverses over to a different section and I follow. The sliding of nervous skis is behind me, and I know its Jess. Curiosity makes me wonder what kind of skier she is.

Blaine stops. He looks over his shoulder and sees all three women are with him. “Ready, ladies? It doesn’t get much better than this.”

He leads the way with ski-instructor turns. I point my skis down and experience the stomach-lurching sensation of extreme steepness and the ultimate control of a good turn. My skis respond to my pressure in the beginning of my turn to snap me around and on to the next one. Much like music, the movement is about rhythm. When you get it right, it’s a sensual dance between you and the mountain.

Blaine has stopped and I pull in just below him. “Wow, just wow!” A grin covers my whole face.

He lifts his goggles as I lift mine. “Those were great turns. You can do that on ice, can’t you?”

“I sure can, but it’s not nearly as fun.”

“Can I give you a quick tip?”

“Sure.”

He drops his hands down by his thighs and bounces slightly. “You’re a bit too forward on your feet. It certainly helps to control your speed, but it doesn’t leave you much room for error. One little bump can throw you forward and you’ll tumble. Focus on feeling weight in your arches instead of the balls of your feet.”

“Got it. Thanks.” I flex up and down a bit and make sure I’m over my arches. “You can give me pointers any time you wish. I want to get better.”

Nick had pulled up by us during this little lesson. “Careful there, buddy. Teaching a girlfriend is not a good idea. Ask me how I know.” He pats Blaine on the shoulder.

Girlfriend? A tingle rushes through me.

I’m distracted by Jess. She slowly makes her way down one turn at a time. I feel for her. She’s scared, and seeing her ski, I know why.

Nick turns to me. “Can you tell why her turns don’t work?”

“Each one picks up speed?”

“That’s right. Why?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

He lifts his hands to demonstrate. “She’s too far back on her skis. It’s making it hard for her to start the next turn. So she whips her shoulders around, making her body follow. As you can see, it’s not very effective.” He shakes his head.

Megan is up there with her, talking her through. She may not like Jess, but I can see she is being patient and kind.

“Megan’s a good instructor, isn’t she?”

“She is one of the most requested females for private lessons. She knows her stuff. She also doesn’t let personal feelings get in the way.” Nick lets out a sigh.

He turns to Blaine. “Dude, this is going to be a long day if you don’t do something. I don’t know why you let her come.”

“You know Jess. It’s not like
no
would work with her.” He sounds defensive.

“If you don’t get rid of her, I will. I won’t be nice.”

Jess and Megan finally get to us. Jess slides up close to Blaine. “That was nerve-racking!” Looking at him she says, “I didn’t see you go, and without a good line to follow, I was a mess.”

“Sorry about that. I was focused on Casey.” He looks over at me. He smiles with pride. “She handled it brilliantly.” Heat flushes my face.

Jess purses her lips, and I think I see smoke come out of her ears. “Let’s go over to the other side, Blaine.”

He hesitates before answering. “Sure, we can do that.”

Nick isn’t having any of it. “Casey, what’s your favorite thing to ski? We’ll go do it.”

I love him. A nice me would say the smooth, groomed trails like Jess wants. The mean me would say another bowl run. The truth? Bowls and bumps are an even tie. Knowing bumps won’t be any easier for Jess, I decide that’s my best answer. It’s still mean, but appears innocently so. “Bumps. Any good ones around?”

Nick’s white teeth shine as he breaks into a grin. “There’s a great back shot on this bowl with bumps as big as Mini Coopers. Yes?”

I rub my mittens together in excitement on two counts. That ought to send her running. “Heck, yeah!”

Jess lets out an exasperated sigh. “I’m going to have to leave you guys. My knee is acting up, and bumps will hurt.”

As she skis away, Nick gives me a fist bump. He looks at Blaine. “Dude, you’re pathetic. But Casey? She rocks. Let’s go see what the flatlander can do.”

Once Jess is gone it’s like a date. Blaine and I ride together on every chair. Chairlifts are great for being close. Inches apart, when you turn toward each other body parts touch. He gives me pointers and I don’t mind. He’s a good teacher and I enjoy this. More than once, Megan gives me a secret thumbs-up behind his back.

As the day winds down, I don’t want it to end. I wonder if we’ll do the après ski thing. Nick suggests we go to a local watering hole.

Blaine tucks his arm in mine and looks down at me with sparkling eyes. “I have a better idea. Hot chocolate again?”

I melt. “I would really like that.”

Megan looks at us. “Should we leave you two alone? Blaine?”

Blaine links arms with Megan too. “No, you should come. Has Nick ever taken you to The Jerome?”

“Wow, is that where you take all the girls? That place isn’t even on my radar.” Megan sounds impressed.

Nick snorts. “What girls?” He takes my unoccupied arm. “Casey, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you. I was beginning to think Blaine here might need an intervention.”

I flash him an appreciative smile. Nick is so awesome. Megan was right.

When we get to the locker room, Megan takes off her skis and hands them to Nick. “Nick, would you take these in for me? And grab my bag? I’m going to use the public restroom here with Casey.”

We enter the bathroom, and the sound of boots hitting tile echoes. Megan lets out a little squeal of delight. “He couldn’t stop touching you!” Mimicking his voice, she puts her hands on my hips. “Here, Casey, you need to move them like this.” Grabbing my hands she says in his voice, “And here, Casey, you hold your poles like this.”

I laugh at her as I turn to take off my helmet and assess the damage. “I didn’t mind one bit.” Fluffing up my hair, I can see her in the mirror. “You were right about Nick. He is darn adorable.”

“I know, right?” She lets out a contented sigh.

Chapter 13

After hot chocolate, Blaine offers to drive me to my car. The blinker tics and he turns into the lot. “Next week we should take one car.” I let out an inner squeal. Next week?

I point to the left. “I’m that older, white Saab over there.” I think Tuesday is my new favorite day. There are butterflies in my stomach as he pulls in next to my car. The gearshift clunks into park. He turns toward me and reaches over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. It sets off a tingle in my veins. His hand drifts down to my cheek and I hold my breath. He leans in and soft lips touch mine. Once there, he presses a little harder, and his tongue darts into my mouth. I taste chocolate and feel the rough stubble of his check under my fingers as I hold his face. Breaking away, his voice is low. “When can I see you again? Tomorrow?”

I take a deep breath and exhale. “Yes.” He leans in and kisses me again. This time it’s deeper, longer, and more passionate. Warmth travels to my belly. Inhaling the barely-there spicy scent mixed with his musky male odor, I’m intoxicated. My hand slides in his jacket and onto his chest. I feel the strong muscles strain against his tight turtleneck. Oh my. I crave more than a kiss.

He pulls away and I squirm a little in my seat. Wow. I’m not sure I can stand, but I open the door to leave. “Tomorrow?”

He grabs my skis and hands them to me. “Tomorrow. I’ll be home around four-thirty. Want to come over for dinner?”

“Sure, where do you live?” I step out.

“I’ll text you the address.”

“Great.” I push the door shut and dig in my pocket for my keys. In my head, I squeal.
Oh my goodness!

I turn the ignition and hear the engine rev to life. The moment Blaine drives off, I grab my phone to text my best friend in Vermont, Gretchen.
“I’ve met someone. Just kissed him. Wow.”