It's All Relative (41 page)

“Come on, we can get a taxi back to the lodge.” She nodded her head toward the dark of night visible through the large front windows. Kai wanted to object, to tell her that she could stay with her friends and he’d go back alone, but he found himself nodding at her instead. Smiling, Jessie squeezed his thigh once before standing and walking over to her friends. That dress curved perfectly over her backside, framing it in such a splendid way that Kai couldn’t look at anything else.

Jessie spoke with Harmony for a minute. They both twisted to look at him. Thankfully, Kai snapped his eyes to their faces just in the nick of time. Giving them a dopey wave, he ordered his suddenly surging heart to calm down. He desperately needed to stop looking at Jessie like that. Harmony nodded, then gave Jessie a quick hug before separating. The guy Harmony was talking to smiled wider at hearing she was staying. His eyes drifted down to her chest, cleverly being emphasized by a teal wrap shirt that knotted right under her breasts, and stayed there.

Jessie slowly walked back to Kai, her eyes drifting over his chest before settling on his face. She smiled that soft smile that he absolutely loved on her, then extended her hand. With a wide grin, he took it. After helping her put on her jacket, he slipped on his own. Then they waved goodbye to the pair of flirty girls and darted outside.

It was lightly snowing and the traffic on the streets was sparse. Not seeing any cabs, they decided to walk for a ways under the snowfall. Kai was cold, but not freezing. Multiple layers were helping with that, but he swore it was Jessie’s presence too. He grabbed her hand, not thinking that he might be crossing a line, just wanting to share the warm feeling in his heart with her. Jessie let out a soft sigh as she leaned into his side. With no one to witness it, they walked a few blocks in the snow, looking more like a young couple in love than two cousins walking off a hefty meal.

Finally hailing a cab, they made it back to the lodge, just slightly damp with melted snow. Kai almost wished they’d never found a taxi; he could have walked the entire way back with her, and been just fine with it. Jessie disappeared into the bathroom when they got to the room, saying she wanted to change for bed. She didn’t look as uneasy about the idea as she had at first. Maybe she figured they’d gotten the tension out of their system earlier today, with their heated moment on the slopes. Or maybe walking through the snow had just evaporated her fear. Either way, Kai was happy that she only had a smile on her face as she vanished behind the door.

After scrubbing his hair dry with a towel hanging over the back of a chair, Kai threw on some comfortable lounge pants and a light t-shirt. Not wanting them to be chilly, and also because it was a shame not to use it, he turned on the gas fireplace; it instantly erupted into cheery orange-tipped flames. Glancing at the animal rug spread out before the fire, he rolled his eyes and folded it up. Placing it on the chair under the window, he grabbed a couple of pillows off the bed and an extra blanket he found in one of the drawers. When his sleeping place in front of the fire was prepped, he smiled and sat down.

Kai felt a soothing peace flow into him as he watched the flames lick the logs. It was a peace and warmth that he knew stemmed from love. A deep love, deeper than he’d ever felt before. A love he knew he shouldn’t feel…but he did. He smiled as he thought of Jessie in the next room. Thought of her examining herself in the mirror as she brushed out her damp locks. Thought of how she might be biting her lip as she thought about him. Feeling mesmerized by the flames and his fantasy, he wondered what she’d choose to sleep in. He pictured her in black lace. Then he sighed and shook his head. No, if he had to choose, he’d want her going to bed with only her perfect skin to keep her warm. Yes, if it were up to him that was what he would pick out for her.

J
essie quietly left the bathroom with her teeth freshly brushed and her face squeaky clean. She felt great, much better than she’d felt earlier. Once the shock of the room arrangements had finally worn off, and once she and Kai had started playing and having fun together, her tension about them sleeping in the same suite together had vanished. She’d missed Kai. Seeing him again…was indescribable. She almost couldn’t stand it when they were apart now. Jessie wasn’t sure how she’d go back to avoiding him after this. She wasn’t sure if she had the strength to resist calling him or going over to his place. Not anymore.

They’d had an amazing afternoon together. Jessie had playfully teased him every time he’d fallen, and he’d stoically taken it and tried again. She just couldn’t resist chucking a snowball in his face though, and she really hadn’t thought he’d be able to catch her. He’d surprised her by staying on her tail…then crashing right into it. Even then, wrapped up in his body, she hadn’t been able to resist playing with him by faking that she was hurt. And then he’d said
that
word. The warmth that had flowed from his mouth when he’d said it, even mixed with concern, was unlike anything she’d ever heard.

Baby. In his worry, he’d called her baby.

Even his retaliation, once he realized she’d been kidding around, was nothing after hearing that word. And then the seriousness had seeped in, igniting them. And he’d touched her…intimately touched her. She’d been silently begging him to do it, and almost like he’d heard her, he’d dipped his finger into her bra and caressed her. It had nearly been too much. She’d almost climaxed with just that tiny stroking. It had been so long…

Then they’d almost been caught and reality had crashed upon her. She couldn’t do those things with her cousin. It was wrong, it was twisted, and if Harmony had noticed…she wasn’t sure would have happened. Jessie had stuck close to her side after that, wanting to make sure she didn’t suspect anything. Luckily, Harmony had been so excited over the fact that she’d finally tackled the advanced slope that she hadn’t thought twice about the odd moment she’d stumbled upon between Kai and Jessie.

Feeling better that Harmony was none the wiser, Jessie had dressed as nicely as she could for dinner. She’d borrowed a dress from Harmony. Her friend was notorious for over packing, and had insisted that Jessie wear one of hers instead of going back for her stuff in Kai’s room. While still not wanting to sit or stand anywhere near Jessie, April was being far more civilized after a physically demanding afternoon on the mountainside, and Jessie could tell Harmony had wanted to keep the good vibes going. That was fine with Jessie. Harmony had packed her kick-ass boots for her anyway, and while she couldn’t wait to see Kai again, she wasn’t sure if she should be alone with him right then. His touch had still been lingering through her veins, boiling her blood. And when she saw the look on Kai’s face when she walked into the lobby with the girls, she knew the brief time apart had been completely worth it. The way he’d stared at her had made her body flush with heat, and she was instantly happy that she’d chosen Harmony’s dress over plain sweater she’d packed for dinner in her bag.

She’d felt a little odd around Kai at first, same as he had seemed to feel around her, but eventually, through quiet conversations and soft smiles, a feeling had bubbled up between them that had blocked out any disgust or awkwardness. By the time the night was fading, and it was obvious he was tired and wanting to leave, Jessie wasn’t thinking about their inappropriate moment anymore. All she felt was joy, warmth, and peace as she walked by his side in the snow. Pressing against him, she felt like she belonged, like it was perfectly natural and acceptable. She’d never felt more content in all her life.

That amazing walk home through the lightly falling snowflakes was what made her feel okay about walking out of the bathroom to share the remainder of the evening with the incredible man waiting in the other room. Jessie couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be.

Peeking her head around the wall that separated the bathroom from the rest of the suite, Jessie instantly spotted Kai. He was sitting on a few blankets spread out on the floor in front of the fire, like he intended to sleep there. Jessie smiled as she quietly stepped into the room. They hadn’t talked specifics about where they would each sleep, but Jessie had assumed, since she was crashing his room, that she would take the floor. Kai hadn’t even asked. He’d just given the bed to her. He was generous like that.

Kai didn’t react to her presence when she stepped into the room. He only continued to stare into the flames with a soft smile on his face, completely lost in whatever thoughts were occupying his head. With a knot of hope in her heart, Jessie wondered if any of his thoughts were about her.

She silently watched him as he silently watched the flames. The orange glow threw shadows upon his bronze skin, deepening and highlighting the creamy color, making him seem even more exotic and attractive. The firelight danced in his pale eyes, changing the blue-green into a fiery shade that hinted at the passion buried within him. His arms were loosely slung around his knees as he quietly sat there, thinking.

Jessie’s heart thumped a painful rhythm inside her chest. He was so perfect…and so unobtainable.

Wanting to share the fire’s warmth with him, since she suddenly felt chilled, Jessie walked over to his side. He snapped out of his daydreams when he felt her standing there. Looking up, his eyes locked onto the sleep-shorts she was wearing before drifting to her face. Tucking her hair behind her ears, Jessie gestured to the floor beside him.

Smiling, Kai nodded and moved over so she could sit on the blanket beside him. Jessie carefully sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. She ran her hands over her bare arms; the shirt she was wearing was worn and comfortable, but didn’t offer much in the way of protection. Glancing over at Kai studying her, she wondered if her outfit was inappropriate, given their circumstances: the shorts were a little short, the shirt was a little threadbare. When she’d packed her stuff, she’d planned on being in a room with her girlfriends. Comfort had been her only goal.

Twirling a long lock around her finger, Jessie wondered what Kai was thinking. Was he beating himself up about touching her earlier? He wouldn’t if Jessie confessed just how badly she’d wanted him to do it, but while that might ease his mind, it wouldn’t help their situation, so Jessie didn’t mention it.

She stared at the flames and eventually Kai twisted back to stare at them too. Silence permeated the room, but it was a comfortable one. It wrapped around her, warming her more than the heat the fireplace produced. Jessie couldn’t keep the smile off her lips.

“What are you thinking about?” Kai finally asked her.

Jessie looked over at him. He’d brought his arms down between his knees and was rubbing his forearm, like he was sore. He was probably sore all over, considering what he’d done today. Grabbing his arm, she took over for him. She
was
the professional, after all.

Jessie grinned as she watched his eyes flutter closed while she worked on his aching muscles. “Nothing really. I was just thinking that this is nice, being here with you.”

Kai opened his eyes and looked over at her. “You’re not bothered by…?”

He cringed and Jessie knew what he meant—the incident on the slopes. She felt her cheeks heating, but she shook her head. It had been a mild slip-up. One that she’d wanted him to do. The memory of her cousin touching her in that way should bother her, but as her fingers worked up his arm, she felt nothing bad about the encounter. She was only happy that he was back in her life.

Kai smiled at her response, and let out a pleased sigh when she switched to his other arm. “Yeah, this is nice,” he murmured, his face relaxed and content.

Jessie scooted closer to him, so she could move up his arms to his shoulders, where he was probably really feeling the strain of this afternoon. Groaning in relief, he leaned into her hands. Sitting up on her knees, she scooted behind him so she could reach his kinks better. Focusing on the tattooed shoulder blade, her trained fingers worked on taming the knots that had formed in his muscles. She smiled when he groaned again, and loved the fact that she had skills that could help him. She also loved hearing that noise escape his lips. When she felt he was more relaxed on that side, she moved to his other shoulder blade. Her body was firmly pressed against his back, much closer than she would be if Kai were just a client. Kai dropped his head forward as she loosened his other side.

Feeling like she’d done all she could with his aching upper body, she dropped down onto her hip beside him. She was closer than she’d intended to be, with her entire side pressed into his. Kai gave her a sleepy, lethargic smile as he gazed at her. “Thank you. I’m so sore.” A light chuckle escaped him and he nestled into her body.

Feeling his words heat her down to her very soul, Jessie contentedly rested her head on his shoulder. He let out a sigh that matched her mood as he rested his head on hers. One of his hands found hers and he began rubbing her palm with his thumbs. Jessie sighed; as a masseuse, she very rarely got treated to massages. It was absolute heaven. Cuddling into his side, she slinked her arm over his thigh so her hand was in a better position for a good rub.