Toxic Secrets (18 page)

“You do know this is my first time skiing?” I looked up at him, realizing just how close we were.

“Yes, of course. I’m just teasing you,” he grinned, flashing his adorable dimples. If only he had an inkling of how much his dimples drove me crazy. I wanted to grab his face and kiss them, even lick them. “You finding something you like?” he asked gazing at me intensely, all playfulness gone in his voice.
Shit! Once again, I got caught staring.

I paused, contemplating whether I should tell the truth. “You’ve probably been told this a lot, but your dimples are adorable,” I grinned, hoping to downplay my statement.

He stopped walking, gazing at the snow producing clouds. “Adorable,” he mumbled, musing to himself. He looked down at me, “Sexy, yes… but adorable?” He wrinkled up his nose, shaking his head.
I guessed that was not a word normally used to describe him.

Hoping he would follow me, I started walking again. “So you don’t like being called adorable?” I opened the door taking us to the lobby.

He smirked. “Do you like being told you’re cute?” I shook my head no. “Exactly. And I don’t like being called adorable.” We stopped once we reached the cluster of snowboarders and skiers waiting to buy their lift tickets.

“Well, let me rephrase myself then. You’re dimples are abso-freakin-lutely sexy.” I gave him a mischievous grin, looking for approval.

Jaxon cocked his head, giving me a dubious look. “Are you flirting with me, Sweet Cheeks?”

I started giggling. “Well, aren’t you the pot calling the kettle black?”

He stared at me with a confused look. “Huh?”

I shook my head laughing, “It’s an idiom. In other words, I was going to ask you the same thing because I swear you’ve been flirting with me since we met.”
Where was this boldness coming from? I couldn’t believe I had just confronted him.

He lifted his hands to chest level, palms facing me. “I’m not admitting to anything, I’m an innocent bystander. If my hearing is good, which, last I checked, it was damn near perfect, I recall you telling me I was fucking sexy.” His playful sarcasm was sexy as hell.

I just shook my head. “You’re a funny guy, Jaxon… uh, what is your last name?”
How did I oversee that minor detail?
I should have been ashamed of myself. Girls at school developed bad reputations for sleeping with nameless guys. We never did the deed, and I did know his first name, but, still, I was almost one of those girls.

“Vaughn, you know—Jaxon Vaughn wakes up at dawn, lets out a yawn, before mowing the lawn because all his money has been overdrawn, so he works yearlong, before he’s undergone, a severe withdrawn…” he ended his little rap with a mixture of beat boxing. I was already applauding before he finished, laughing hysterically.

I was bent over, trying to catch my breath. “That was… cheesy, but the beat boxing was awesome!”

He seemed amused by my reaction. “Next performance, I’m charging,” he joked.

After I pulled my composure together, I noticed several girls had formed around where we were standing. It seemed I wasn’t the only person affected by his charm. I looked around at the girls, giving them a stare down. Distractions were not welcomed today. Jaxon was focusing all of his attention on me, and I wanted to keep it that way.

I was so busy having fun with Jaxon I hadn’t realized Kendra and Reed were nowhere in sight. “Where are Kendra and Reed?” I asked standing up on my tiptoes, peering over the massive groups of toboggans, head warmers, and ski helmets.

“They already hit the slopes. Since we have no ski equipment, we get stuck standing in the rentals line. Stay here. I’ll be back. I’m getting our lift tickets.” I was about to protest, but he disappeared into the snowmen-clad bodies before I could object.

Observing the endless line for tickets, I decided it was a perfect time for a potty break. I knew I would have plenty of time to peel off and reapply the layers of clothing before Jaxon got back.

When I finally walk out of the bathroom, I saw him frantically looking around, his arms full of boots, skis, and poles.

Oh shit!
“How long have you been waiting, and how did you get all of this so quick?” I asked, my hand showcasing all the items he was lugging.

Jaxon quickly spun around to face me as relief washed over his face. “Where the hell were you? I thought you got lost or someone had kidnapped you. I was about to send out a search and rescue.” He dropped all the ski equipment on the floor by my feet.

Crap!
Was he upset? Was he mad at me? I had to stop thinking his reactions mirrored those of Phillip.

His demeanor quickly changed. “Nah, I’m just joking with you. I just got over here myself. I figured you would want to take a bathroom break before we head outside. I know how you women love your bathrooms,” he laughed.

I grabbed the front of my puffy coat, pulling it away from my body, “With all this garb I have on, I’m hoping to avoid the bathrooms at all cost. Speaking of cost, how much do I owe you?”

His lips curled to the side, “You owe me nothing other than spending the day with me, and, of course, allowing me to teach you how to ski.” He leaned down close to my ear. “These instructors here have nothing on me,” he muttered low.

Chill bumps spilled all over my body. “You’re the little charmer, aren’t you?” I said, giving him a playful smile.

He threw his chin up in the air, arrogance radiating off his body. “I try my best,” he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, “Are all Californians cocky?”

“Nope, just me,” he beamed. “I’m the only sexy, funny, charming and
adorable
Californian motherfucker you will ever meet. I have more great qualities. You just haven’t discovered them yet.” He ran his hand through his hair with a smug grin on his face. I pretended to ignore his innuendo.

My layers of clothing were suddenly making me sweat, or was that Jaxon? I needed to get outside in the crisp, snowy air to drop my body temperature a few degrees.

“Yo! Mr. Swag, I think we need to jump on those bunny trails before you blow your head up with all those vain compliments,” I snickered, pulling him by his coat to the nearest bench. He laughed, following close behind me.

Jaxon turned out to be a great ski instructor. He was very patient and refrained from laughing at me all twelve times I fell on my butt. The moments I got frustrated and wanted to give up, he encouraged me, pushing me to keep going. After skiing down the bunny slopes time after time without falling, Jaxon decided it was time for me to broaden my horizons and take the ski lift to the Green Trail… whatever that was. I figured he knew what was best, so I agreed.

Standing in line for the ski lift was a tougher challenge than I ever imagined, but getting on the lift was almost a nightmare. Jaxon prepped me before it was our turn to hop on the lift, but the operators still had to stop the entire contraption so I could gracelessly maneuver myself on the seat. I had never been so mortified in my life, but Jaxon was so decorous. Not once had he laughed or poked fun at me.

The falling snowflakes were beautiful as they piled high on the surrounding pine trees. As far as I could see, the resort was covered under a fluffy, white blanket of snow. Jaxon and I rode the lift up in silence, enjoying the peaceful beauty around us. Together, we were on our way to embracing this magnificent winter wonderland.

The exit ramp was fast approaching when my nervous jitters decided to pay me a visit. I was petrified of the staff shutting the lift down again for me to depart. Jaxon, my knight in black ski attire, came to my rescue, taking my poles as we were about to descend. He then wrapped his arm around my waist to steady me as we glided off the lift and down the small knoll.

Jaxon held onto me tight until we made our way to the top of the hill. “You ready for this?” he smiled, pulling his ski goggles down over his amazing eyes.

I laughed nervously, “No, but I guess you’re going to make me do this regardless.” Grabbing my goggles, I slid them down to protect my eyes from the falling snow. My motor skills were going to be a challenge. Therefore so, my vision was going to be a necessity. Taking down a small child was not something I wanted to add to my list of ‘embarrassing moments for the day.’

He gave me a crooked grin, then replied using a bossy tone. “Yes, I am. As you can see, the only way back is for us to ski down this hill.”

Jaxon started slowly down the hill. He didn’t go far before he stopped to wait on me. I stood there frozen, unable to move. Fear was taking over. All I kept envisioning was me flying down the hill, out of control and unable to stop. “Sweet Cheeks, come on, let’s go!” he yelled up at me.

 “I can’t,” I yelled back.

He pulled the goggles off his eyes, placing them on top of his head. “What do you mean you can’t? Are you scared?”

I nodded. This was embarrassing. Just call me Courtney the Coward.

Jaxon was side stepping his way up the hill to reach me. “You will be fine. Stop worrying.”

“I know, but what if I fall? Or what if I can’t stop? Or what if I go off the side of the mountain? Those orange thingys are not going to stop me from meeting the grim reaper.”
Okay, maybe I was getting carried away, but still, the thought briefly crossed my mind.

Trudging up the hill on skis looked to be a difficult task, but, as I watched Jaxon make his way up to where I was standing, he made it appear effortless. He wasn’t even breathing hard when he stopped in front of me. “Meet and greet with the grim reaper?” he snickered. “C’mon, Court, your fear is giving you wicked illusions. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I promise.” His facial expression told me he really meant what he said. “I will stay right beside you until you feel comfortable, then I’ll follow behind so I can keep an eye on you.”

Gathering as much courage as I could, I closed my eyes, said a quick prayer, and then allowed myself to glide down the hill. Jaxon stayed alongside me, keeping his word. “Remember, if you want to slow down or stop, make a ‘V’ with your skis.”

I nodded, not wanting to speak, afraid of breaking my concentration.

Halfway down the hill Jaxon fell back behind me, giving me space. As I started to feel comfortable, gaining confidence, I straightened my skis to gain a little speed. For the first time that day, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, finally understanding the enjoyment people found in the sport.

My thoughts were contemplating whether or not to attempt the blue trail before the day was over when I heard Jaxon yell “fuckin’ asshole!”
Who was he talking to?
Right at that moment, some jerk cut right in front of me, causing me to cross my ski tips. I was on the ground tumbling before I could comprehend what was happening.

When I finally stopped rolling, Jaxon was already squatted down in front of me assessing the damage. “Fuck!” he hissed. “I am so sorry, are you okay? Does anything feel broken? Are you bleeding anywhere?” He was frantic as his hands and eyes were everywhere on me, feeling and looking for injuries.

“I’m okay, Jaxon. Just a little dizzy from all the somersaults,” I laughed. Looks like I had another embarrassing moment to add to my list.

“Are you sure?” he asked, lifting my disarrayed goggles off my head. “I’m really sorry. That guy nearly hit me right before he cut in front of you, giving me zero time to warn you. I’m sorry I broke my promise.” His eyes were sad, genuinely apologetic.

The sincerity he was showing was doing funny things to my insides. “I promise, I’m perfectly fine. Pride is a little cracked, but that can easily be sealed,” I smiled at him. “Now as for what I look like… I’m afraid to see what this white, mangled mess looks like,” I snickered, feeling the snow everywhere in my hair and sliding down my neck. “I bet I look like an albino yeti,” I snorted.

Jaxon stood, offering his glove covered hand to help me up. Grabbing it tight, I let him pull me to my feet. “I think you look like a snow princess,” he whispered, before softly kissing my lips.

I was startled, jerking away even though I wanted more. “I’m so sorry, Court, I didn’t mean to do that… I did, but I didn’t.” His eyes were laced with anxiety. Perhaps he was worried over my reaction. “Not yet anyway,” he mumbled, almost inaudible.

My brain was screaming in confusion as my tummy danced with butterflies. I blew his kiss off by focusing on my new nickname. “Snow Princess?” I looked at him questionable. “Is this my new nickname? I was starting to like Sweet Cheeks,” I said, brushing the snow off my coat and head warmer, distracting myself. Making eye contact at this moment was not a wise choice.

He gave me a one-dimpled, crooked grin, aware I was avoiding the brief connection. “No, Sweet Cheeks is permanent, but out here, right now, you’re Snow Princess.” I grabbed onto his sturdy arm as he helped me snap my boot back into my ski. “Speaking of nicknames, I noticed that Phillip called you Jeanette. Is that your middle name or something else? If it’s none of my business just tell me.”

He handed me my poles so that we could descend the rest of the way down the hill. “It’s a nickname, one that I hate, and one he calls me when he’s mad or when he wants to piss me off,” I seethed. Just thinking about it got my blood boiling.

“Knock the snow off your skis, like this,” he said, showing me how to strike my pole against my skis. “So where does Jeanette come from? What’s the meaning behind it?”

I gave an exaggerated sigh, “You know the Chipettes from Alvin and the Chipmunks?” I asked. He nodded. “Well, he says I’m just like Jeanette—we’re shy, clumsy, and timid, and we both share the same color of hair and eyes, and both wear glasses. He said the only quality I don’t have that she does is the high IQ,” I shrugged, knowing Phillip’s words turned to shit as soon as they hit the air.

He cocked his head, looking at me studiously. “Glasses?”

I threaded my hands through the loop of my ski poles, “Yeah, I used to wear them, but I switched to wearing contacts after getting tired of his jokes.” I shrugged. “I thought it would stop him, but, of course, it didn’t.”

I was ready to change the subject. I didn’t want to think or talk about Phillip during my time with Jaxon. “Wanna race?” I challenged, pushing off to get a head start.