Beneath Our Faults (21 page)

"Is it?”

"Uh, yes." Okay, I was starting to get pissed.

"You’re right, it is,” he said, catching on to my attitude change. “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I only said it because people believe they are untouchable when they are in love, but they’re not. When you love someone, you usually set yourself up for disaster later.”

“But now you’re saying that you can love? So you would be setting yourself up for disaster.”

"I'm not sure if I could ever love, per se."

"So you still don't actually believe in love?" Jesus, it's like we were playing a damn guessing game.

"I've just met someone who I think I could actually break the rules for."

My heart stopped. "You've met someone?"

His hands ran through his hair. "I think so. I'm not saying I'm in love with the chick or anything, I just wouldn't mind being more with her."

"Do I know her?" I interrogated, curious.

"Possibly," he answered, shrugging and turning his attention back to the show.

"G
OOD MORNING
sunshine," a scratchy, deep voice called out from above me.

The arm covering my eyes shot away, giving me a full view of the perfect but sleepy face looking down at me. His deep green eyes were half-mast.

I gulped, looking down the couch and noticing my body stretched out the entire length of it. A soft pillow was under my head, lifted up by Keegan's lap. "I didn't puke," I whispered, proudly.

"You didn't puke.” His chilly hand reached down to my face, gently brushing away my crazy morning hair. Damn bangs. "Now how about we get something in this tiny belly," he tapped two fingers on my stomach over the blanket, "to be sure you don't this morning either."

"Did we sleep like this?"

"We did. You slept like a baby, looking all comfortable since I make such a great pillow." He stretched, giving me a view of his full biceps through his thin, white shirt.

I frowned. "Sorry, I bet that wasn't very comfortable for you."

"No worries, it wasn't so bad with the exception of your godawful snoring.”

"I do not snore.”

"I beg to differ, princess, but it's a cute snore, so don't worry," he chuckled, tilting his head and studying the diamond pendant attached to the chain.

He leaned down to grab the neglected blanket on the side of the couch and he lifted me up, wrapping the blanket around my cold body. "Next time, more clothes," he reminded, following behind me into the kitchen with his hands wrapped around my waist to hold the blanket in place. He ran his hands down the front of the blanket before sitting me down on the chair directly across from the stove.

"What sounds good for you this lovely morning?" He asked, dragging out pans and food from the fridge.

"‘This lovely morning?’ You are sure in a chipper mood."

I got a smile. "Every morning I wake up with you is lovely." Warmth radiated through my chest and I returned his smile. "Eggs and bacon or I can throw us together some fire omelets?"

"An omelet sounds great. Good thing you can cook because I suck at it." I swear if I lived by myself, I would either be living off peanut butter and jelly or die of starvation.

"Good thing you have me," he said back, cracking open an egg.

"Good morning, assholes," Lane called out, strolling into the kitchen. "I would first like to apologize for my tasteless behavior last night. We are going to blame it on the alcohol."

"Wow Lane, that's a real remorseful apology," Cora proclaimed, stepping in the kitchen from behind him. She had on matching long-sleeve thermal pajamas and her hair was a wild mess.

"Your hair looks amazingly in place this morning, Cora," Keegan said.

She threw him an annoyed look.

"Make up sex is the best," Lane grinned, wrapping his arms around her small waist and twirling his hair around his finger. "Her poor hair just never survives."

"You are officially cut off," Cora said, elbowing him in the stomach

"I'll need something later to make up for that, too.”

Cora ignored him and sat down in the stool next to me. "So what's on the agenda for us today?"

"We are going to go cause some hell in the snow," Lane hollered. "Be ready to leave in fifteen, so hurry it up with my omelet."

"This one is taken," he said, flipping the egg and pointing to me. "The pan is all yours when I am finished," he smirked.

"Dude, weren't you the one calling me pussy-whipped?"

I
TRUDGED
up the stairs to my room and opened up my bag. When I had packed, I followed the basic rule of packing for cold weather: lots of layers. Dragging out a pair of leggings, I slid then over my legs then covered them with my snow pants. A thermal Henley, a sweatshirt and my winter coat then followed, making me look like a giant marshmallow. I finalized my look with my big, bulky snow boots and a wool scarf wrapped around my neck.

Keegan burst out in hysterics when he caught me waddling down the stairs. "You do know we aren't in the Arctic?

"You have to wear layers in the snow. Don't be trying to borrow any of my warmth when you are freezing your butt off," I warned him, taking in his body only covered in snow pants and a jacket.

"I promise I won't try to get you out of your clothes," he said, giving me his best innocent smile, which was still far from that. "At least not in the snow.”

A cold, ivory blanket covered everything within my eyesight. I opened my mouth, sticking my tongue out and letting the wet snowflakes hit my tongue. We got in the car.

"Have you ever snow tubed, Dais-meister?" Lane asked, looking at me through his rearview mirror from the passenger seat.

"Dais-mesiter? Really?" Cora said.

"No, but I've always wanted to. It looks fun."

"You're going to have a blast," Keegan said, clasping his gloveless hands and rubbing them together.

"If anyone, and I mean anyone," Cora turned around from the passenger seat to glare at Keegan, "even attempts to shove my face in the snow, I will chop off your balls and feed them to the bears out here."

Keegan leaned forward, clasping Lane's shoulders and giving it a shake. "I feel for you, dude."

"You have no idea," he laughed, turning left into a large parking lot.

"H
APPY
N
EW
Years, bitches, " Lane's deep voice sang out, jumping into the steaming water, grabbing Cora around the waist and pulling her shrieking body into the water. My bare feet hit the frigid, wooden porch and my entire body shivered. The long, rectangular hot tub was sunk into the deck with a magnificent view of the sparkling white mountains behind us. We were all exhausted from our day of snowboarding so we decided to keep it low key and stay in for the night.

"You are going to freeze that sexy ass of yours off if you don't get in there," Keegan's husky voice whispered into my ear, leaning into my body from behind and wrapping his arms around my torso.

"And so will you," I bit out. Before my brain even realized what the hell was happening, Keegan grabbed the edge of my towel in his fist and tore it away from my body swiftly. "What the hell?" I shouted, with a few other expletives falling out of my mouth. Shoving away from him, I placed my hands over my body in a poor attempt to cover my lady bits, which were already covered by a bikini and turned to glare at him.

"There you go," he said. “I just made it easier for you. Now get your ass in there before I throw you in." I twisted around without answering him, tiptoed across the deck and slid myself into the wet heat.

“Yo, what’s everyone’s resolution?” Lane asked.

“I don’t have one because I’m perfect, Cora said, snuggling up into his lap.

“That’s right, babe,” Lane agreed, winking at us. I didn’t have a resolution. I was just happy that I made it through the rest of the year.

Peeking up at the dark sky, I ignored the noise around me and focused on the shimmer of bright stars scattered amongst the mountain peaks. Inhaling the fresh and musky scent, my eyes fluttered shut.

"W
AKE UP,
sleepy head. You ready to get out?" My eyes flickered open; spotting Keegan gliding towards me, water rippling in his wake. We were alone.

"That's probably a good idea," I answered, glancing down at my fingers and noticing the wrinkled skin around them. "I can't believe I fell asleep."

"Trust me, you didn't miss anything," Keegan informed, stopping in front of me. "Cora and Lane started attacking each other so I had to kick their horny asses out." Good thing I missed that. Reaching my arms out to the edge, I hoisted myself up until I was standing with only my legs submerged in the water.

"Whoa there, kitty. Hold on a minute,” Keegan said, stopping me. His hands dented into the skin on my shoulders, stopping my body from getting up and dipping me back into the warm water. I quivered when his hands moved in and grazed my collarbone. My eyes fastened in on him pulling his body out of the steaming water. Wet droplets streamed down his hard, muscular chest and my mouth dropped open as he wrapped a towel around his lower half. Every time I saw his chest, I was in awe of its perfection.

"Come on," he said, his breath showing in the cold air. I brought myself up the same way as before, stepping one foot out then the other. The night air was freezing, hitting my bare back as soon as I stumbled into the open towel in his hands. He picked me up.

"Just don't slip and break any of my bones," I yelled.

"Your bones?" He laughed. "What about mine?" The door slammed shut behind us and the hot air kissed my skin. His movement stopped when we reached the living room, dropping me back to my feet only to begin the task of drying my damp body off. I gulped, a lump forming in my throat as my frozen body melted at the touch of his hands running across my uncovered skin. Glancing up, I eyed his bare chest, still wet with water dripping from the sheath. My mouth watered, urging to lean over and swipe every last drop with my tongue.

Chills broke out along my arms, my eyes blinking as he slipped down on one knee, sliding the towel against my legs, slow and precise like I was an expensive sculpture that couldn’t be broke. "There you go," he breathed out, against my leg, his voice hoarse. "All dry."

"Thanks," I stammered, hyperaware of every spot on my body his hands had been. His movements were torpid, like he was deliberately trying to torture me.

I jumped at the clearing of a throat and my eyes flashed up, meeting his. "I'm dry but I can stand here longer if you could like to continue eye raping me," he smirked. "Just let me know when you've had your fill."

Embarrassment rushed through my body. "I-I wasn't staring," I rasped out.

"Baby, you were,” his husky voice answered and he moved my way. Smiling, his eyes hooded. I forced down the large lump in my throat as his chilly fingertips glided across my shoulder blade, sending tingles across my skin at every soft brush. My back went straight when his fingers reached my chest, moving down the crevice of my cleavage then tracing the edge of my bikini top with two large fingers. "You were staring at me like you were starving and I was the only thing that could remedy your hunger," he breathed, running his fingers back and forth along the thin fabric. "And because of that, I am going to kiss you."

He stepped forward until we were mere inches apart, his lips in front of mine barely grazing me. "Is that okay?"

Ok. Deep breaths.

I nodded nervously, shutting my eyes. His lips slammed into mine. The kiss started out slow but heated up as his tongue slid across the middle of my lips, begging for entry, which I happily obliged. I squealed when solid hands moved down my bare back to my ass, squeezing it in both hands firmly before lifting me up in his arms. My legs immediately wrapped around his waist. Walking backwards, our mouths never losing contact, we dropped down on the couch with a thud.

His body hovered above mine and my lungs drew in a sharp breath. "Daisy," he rasped out, his lips moving away from mine to brush the sensitive skin at my neck. My heart plummeted at the touch of his fingers slipping underneath the hem of my bikini top, tracing the bottom of my breast casually. "Tell me this is okay," he muttered against my neck, his free hand reaching up to caress my cheek softly.