“I’m not lonely.” I roll my eyes. “I’ve been finding plenty of entertainment.”
Simultaneously, their attention swings back to me. My statement might’ve sounded a little dirty, sure, but they’re the ones whose minds are in the gutter.
I scratch my jaw. “I mean, uh?—”
“Oh my God, you found a hookup already?” Briar laughs.
A flush works its way up my neck, accosting my cheeks. Because my traitorous brain goes right back to the mischief Mira and I got up to on the slopes this morning…
Sure, we made it down in one piece, and we didn’t even run into Mira’s sister or brother-in-law. Wedidsee her parents, who looked ready to head toward the lift. They invited us, and beforeI could make up a lie, Mira blurted out something about the binding on her board needing to be fixed.
Once gone, we split up. Me to drop off mine, Mira to pretend to get her board repaired for appearances’ sake. Or something. I don’t know—maybe she just wanted to be free from me after that orgasm. It was spontaneous and a bit stupid, a definite risk to both of our reputations if we had been caught…
My insides haven’t been so twisted up since my first college game as a starter.
“Don’t listen to her, Rhys.” Thorne pats my back. “You can hook up with whomever you want.”
Briar shakes her head. She beats us both to the door, yanking it open and sweeping her arm to usher us in.
“That’s my job, kitten,” Thorne rumbles. He pauses at her elbow, his hand going to the side of her face. He leans down?—
Gag.
I miss their kiss, instead bypassing them and slipping into the warm lodge. Across the lobby, past the reception desk, I spot the rest of our friends standing at the hostess stand.
I take a breath and continue forward. Hopefully Mira’s family is nowhere near this restaurant, because I’m not sure how I’d explain this group to them. Or vice versa.
CHAPTER 12
MIRA
I decideto give Rhys the night off, feeding an excuse to my family that he’s on a video call with his family while they open his gifts. Meanwhile, I’m forced on a nonnegotiable family outing to the tree lighting in the center of the resort.
The pine tree stands tall in the courtyard behind the lodge, the tip of it so high I have to crane my neck to see the bright star. Liam, with his rosy-red cheeks, is on top of my dad’s shoulders to see better. Marcus acts like a child and secretly throws snowballs at the back of my sister’s head to piss her off.
I laugh under my breath every time the powder explodes against her coat.
Until he hits me.
“Marcus.” I spin with gritted teeth. “Don’t play with me. You know I’ll get you back.”
Cold snow slides down my neck and underneath the back of my sweater. A chill works through me, and I can’t help but bend down to make my own snowball.
“I would be afraid if your boyfriend was here.” Marcus chuckles. “But he’s not. Did he break up with you already?”
I roll my eyes, all while packing my snowball tighter. “If he did, it’d be because of how crazy my family is.”
Marcus makes the mistake of taking his eyes from me.
I palm the snowball a few times until passersby move out of the way. When the coast is clear, I wind my arm back and send it flying. It smacks him on the side of his head, and my laughter erupts.
“Mira!” my mom scolds me, but I truly couldn’t care less.
Maybe it’s the random orgasm that Rhys gave me, or maybe it’s just Rhys’s presence in general. Either way, I’m much more chipper today than I’ve ever been while on a family trip.
I fake an apology to my mom and turn away from my brother. There’s a weird pang in my stomach that comes with the thought of Rhys.
Do I miss him?
