Flame (Fire on the Mountain #2) (9 page)

I’m not sure if I hear her or feel her presence first. Common sense tells me I can’t really
feel someone’s presence
, but I swear a wave of electricity zings up my spine seconds before the sound waves of Dakota’s rich, honeyed laughter reach my ears. My cock twitches at the sound.

Playing it cool, I continue to fill my plate with food from the buffet line—eggs, bacon, hash browns, and fruit—while listening to her greet everyone else in the room. I’m not facing her; nevertheless, I sense the moment her gaze finds me. I’m already sporting a semi. Fucking hell.

Once I’ve topped my plate with a waffle, I spin around to face her, only to have the air deflate from chest by the scene in front of me. What the fuck?

Looking ridiculously fresh-faced in a red-and-white-striped dress with her wavy, golden blonde hair framing her face, Dakota and Emilia’s brother, Gabe, are listening to Gunner tell one of his many exaggerated racing stories. Well, Gabe is watching Gunner, but even though Dakota’s laughing at the right places, her eyes are trained on me. She’s waiting for me to find her.

The problem with the entire image, the thing that has blood roaring in my ears, is Gabe’s arm, which is slung around Dakota’s neck. Possessively. Purposefully. I have no idea why it pisses me the fuck off, but it does, and it makes me wonder what all I missed last night.

She props her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows at me.
Don’t Hulk out on me again. You’re overreacting.

Overreacting, my ass. Two can play this game.

I give her my best bored face.
Fine, we’ll do this your way.

Breaking eye contact with her, I stride across the room and sprawl across the seat next to Meghan. She leans in to hug me good morning when I lower myself into the chair, purposely rubbing her big ol’ titties against my arm. Then, less than a minute later, she
accidentally
drops her fork and has to drop down on her knees near my lap to retrieve it under the table. Wow, this is too fucking easy.

I look up to find Dakota, dying to see the expression on her face, but she and her
buddy
, Gabe, are too busy fixing themselves plates. Her back is to me, so she didn’t see a single thing. Damn it.

Gunner, Emmy Sue, Dakota, Gabe, and Rhino, all armed with plates piled high with breakfast goodies, head toward us. Just like it happens in the movies, everyone sits, leaving the chair directly across from me as the only one open for her. Unfortunately, it’s also right next to Gabe.

I stay uncharacteristically quiet through most of the conversation as they talk about things that happened last night at the wedding. I don’t have much to add. Each time I try to get Dakota’s attention to send her a message, she’s looking off somewhere else. Almost on purpose.

When Gabe shifts in his chair to aim his conversation strictly to Dakota, my brow furrows. I’m not sure what’s going on with this dude who’s a bit too boy band for me, but I don’t trust him. I don’t care if he is Emmy Sue’s brother.

“How long is your break from classes again?” he asks, not nearly as smoothly as he probably hoped.

“Three weeks. I go back July eleventh. Why? When do you go back to Seattle?”

He clears his throat then takes a long drink of water. “This Thursday,” he eventually replies. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to a concert at Red Rocks on Tuesday.”

“She can’t,” I blurt out, dropping my fork and knife on the plate. The sudden outburst along with the clanging of silverware draws the attention of those close by, but I don’t give a shit. I’m putting a stop to this little fucker’s play before it gains any traction.

“Excuse me?” she scoffs, glaring at me with furrowed brows. “Do you want to enlighten me as to why I
can’t
do something?”

Damn, she’s sexy when she’s mad. I’m going to have to get her riled up regularly. “Because we leave for our road trip to the X-Games tomorrow morning. Remember the one with you, me, Emmy Sue, and Gunner that we talked about last night in my room?” I throw her my best boyish grin before glancing over at Emmy Sue. “I thought you’d appreciate some female company for your last bus trip.”

Squealing ensues as Emmy Sue leaps out of her seat and bounces over to Dakota, rambling on and on about how awesome the next two weeks are going to be and how this is the next best thing to the honeymoon she’s having to postpone. There’s no way in hell she’ll be able to deny Emmy Sue now, unless for some reason she truly can’t go.

Most importantly, Gabe is pushed off to the side and forced to strike up conversation with Meghan—who is now giving me the evil eye. Once Emmy Sue returns to her chair, I stare straight ahead, waiting for Dakota’s response.

Our eyes meet and hers flicker with amusement.
You’re a bully, Hulk.

I take what I want.
My arrogant smirk speaks for itself.

And you want my hands?

Shaking my head, my lids fall heavy at the mere thought of everything I want from her.
I want every single inch, Sunshine.

She pats her napkin around her mouth then lays it across her plate before standing up. Excusing herself to everyone else, she turns to walk away, but not before catching my gaze one last time.

I’ll bring extra massage oil.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

I’VE GOT TO GET OUT
of here . . . I’ve got to get out of here . . . I’ve got to get out of here . . .

I continue to repeat the mantra in my head as I excuse myself from the morning-after breakfast, hurrying to gather my stuff from the room and leave the hotel as quickly as possible. I’m desperate to put some real estate between me and Levi, a breather from the intense reaction he causes inside me.

The control he has over my body, over my thoughts, is alarming. The constant desire to either slap or kiss the permanent smirk off his ruggedly handsome face consumes me when I’m around him. The push-and-pull between us comes way too easy, and to be quite honest, it unnerves me.

Unfortunately, I don’t make it to my parents’ house before I get a text from Emilia.

Emilia: Meet me in front of Valley Girl Boutique at 3:00. I need to pick up a few things before I pack tonight. I’ll give you a quick rundown of what to expect on the trip.

With the bus leaving tomorrow morning, I don’t have a lot of time to make a decision about whether I’m actually going to go. Truth is, I
do
want to go. With classes on break for the next three weeks, I have no binding plans or responsibilities other than hanging out with my family a bit. The thought of a road trip to New Orleans with an old friend, her sweet husband, and a hot-as-fuck motocross rider who promises big things in bed sounds like my kind of party.

My only concern is that Levi and I may kill each other before the two weeks is up, either fucking ourselves into a coma or one of us throwing the other out of the moving bus. I can see both as a real possibility. Something tells me that two fiery personalities like ours may burst into uncontrollable flames if we’re cooped up in a bus together for an extended period of time.

But I’ve never been one to shy away from a risky adventure, especially if the upside involves mind-blowing orgasms. And as the image from the night before of massaging Levi’s bare shoulders and back while feeling the tight muscles of his ass under my naked pussy fills my mind, my decision is made for me.

The last thing I ever want to feel is regret for not doing something I had the opportunity to experience. Worst-case scenario, it’s two weeks of hell, but at the very least, I get to visit some places I’ve never been before. Best-case, the sky’s the limit.

Me: Sounds good. See you then.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you came back to the reception that Levi had invited you to go on the road trip with us? Were you not sure if you wanted to go? You know this is a big-ass deal, right?” The moment Emilia releases me from a welcoming embrace out in front of the trendy Main Street boutique, she wastes no time beginning her inquisition.

I don’t answer right away as I follow her into the shop, the bell on the door noisily announcing our entrance to the staff and other shoppers. Everyone briefly looks up at where we stand then refocus on whatever they were doing, leaving us on our own to browse the racks.

“So?” She nudges my shoulder, grinning mischievously over at me. “Are you going to tell me what happened in his room to make the elusive James ’501’ Levi invite a chick to go on a two week trip with him, when he usually doesn’t let anyone spend the night? Do you know some secret vagina voodoo magic or something?”

Shrugging, I thumb through a row of sheer black tops, trying my best not to overanalyze her words ‘elusive’ and ‘doesn’t let anyone spend the night’. “Honestly, I didn’t think he’d remember that he asked. I was giving him a massage and he was half-asleep, mumbling, so I assumed it was the meds talking. At the time, I didn’t think he was serious.”

Her jaw falls open as her big brown eyes grow even bigger. “You were giving him a massage? Like rubbing your hands all over his skin?”

“Yeah, why?” My forehead crinkles with confusion. “What’s the big deal? It’s what I’m going to school for, and I used some oils that helped him relax and—”

Holding her hand up to stop me, she shakes her head with a sharp laugh. “I didn’t mean anything by my comments; it’s just that Levi is usually kinda funny about people touching him. Like in the year or so that I’ve known him, he’s only ever hugged me and Gunner. Even girls he hooks up with, the exchange is typically very . . .
purposeful.
No displays of affection or false pretenses. He’s there to bust a nut—and once he’s done, he moves on.”

“Wow, what a gentleman,” I grumble, moving over to a group of rompers, the bright yellow one covered in orange pineapples catching my eye.

“That’s the thing. He’s totally
not
a gentleman, but he never pretends to be anything but himself.” Wandering over to some denim shorts, she picks up a pair of the frayed ass-huggers and holds them up in front of her then does the same thing with a stonewashed pair. Back and forth, she alternates them in front of the mirror before tossing them both down with a sigh. “Like I told you when I introduced you to him at Ember, he’s an unapologetic cocky asshole, but when you get past his hard outer layers, he’s really an incredible guy.”

After I add a couple of shirts to the pile of clothes already folded over my forearm, I sidle up next to her and snatch the first pair of shorts she’d chosen, thrusting them into her hands with a wink. “Emilia, I’m super stoked about the trip. I think at first I was a little overwhelmed, but now I’m just excited. However, I want you to know I’m going simply to have a good time . . . to party . . . to live like I’m twenty-two. I don’t do serious shit, and the only layers of James Levi’s I plan on peeling back are his clothes. Now, tell me what all I need to pack for this summer getaway.”

Thankfully, she chills out with the interrogation and we fall right back into the easygoing friendship we shared back in our teenage years. While we try on everything from bikinis to cocktail dresses, Emilia talks about how the first time she saw Gunner was at a party in Vail and thought he was the strangest guy she’d ever met. She shakes her head in disbelief. “ . . . and now I’m married to the guy! What can I say? He’s quite persuasive.” She nudges me with her shoulder as she whispers the last part.