Murder_ A Sinful Secrets Romance - Ella James Page 0,105
later, one of the guys says, “Hey…are you that girl?”
Despite my lousy mood, I’m prepared, and flash a quick smile his way. “Yes. I’m definitely that girl.”
I hear a cough, followed by rich laughter, and look up into a handsome face.
The guy who first spoke rolls his eyes at his companion, the dark-haired, dark-eyed guy who’s giving me a lets-fuck look.
“I’m Dove,” the first guy—a blue-eyed ginger—says. He jerks his thumb at brown eyes, beside him. “This is my buddy, Breck.”
The dark one pulls a glove off. Holds his hand out. “John is the name.” He cuts his eyes at Dove, who shrugs.
“I think I know you, too. Weren’t you in a movie?” Breck-or-John asks.
I smile. “Was I?”
“She was,” Dove says.
I flirt with them until the lift lets us off at the top of one of the easier black diamonds—the only one that’s open at this moment for night skiing.
Even in my Elvie-distracted state, I’ve learned these two are in “the service,” probably the Service-My-Cock-Tonight arm of the military, because they claim the last time they were here, they were skiing alongside President Obama and his family.
“You think I believe that?” I ask, cocking a thin, shaded brow at them.
When we all get off the lift, the one called Dove hands me a small pair of binoculars and says, “Watch and you decide.”
I watch them until the course turns so sharply, they move out of sight. I have to admit, they’re really fucking good. They ski like pros, and I would know. My younger cousin is one.
I find them beaming at me at the bottom of the slope. Jamie is standing by them, chatting animatedly, as if they all are friends.
When I stop, they ski over. I give her a confused look, and she smirks. “I see you’ve met our neighbor and his friend.”
“We have a neighbor?”
John holds his hand out. I hand him the binoculars, giving him a skeptical look.
“That’s cold.” But he’s grinning.
I shrug. “That girl is cold.”
We end up in The Slopes Bar with them, sipping some weird, organic, spring water something or other vodka called Snow Queen.
“Not bad,” I admit, although honestly, I’m not paying attention. I’ve got my phone in my lap and am texting with one of Elvie’s tech girls, Louise, a pretty native New Yorker who dates mostly girls and sometimes drives E home when he’s too drunk and I’m not there.
I’m hoping if I follow the conversation here with half an ear, the guys won’t notice my rudeness.
“See, I knew she’d like it,” one says.
“It’s the spring water.”
Jamie elbows me. “I’m going to take that thing,” she hisses.
When we go to the ladies’ room an hour later, she says, “C’mon, girl. They’re nice, and they just moved into that house. Before then, they lived somewhere smaller, but the dad is Mayor Ferrara.” She blinks, dragging her eyes wide open after.
“What does that mean?”
“Mayor Ferrara. He’s the mayor of Breckenridge. You don’t pay much attention to politics, do you?”
I roll my eyes. “Absolutely none.”
She snatches the phone away. “He’s not a texter. You know that. I’m keeping this.”
I sigh dramatically and refresh my lipstick.
“Do you even want to stay out?” she asks.
I shrug. “I’m cool either way.”
“Okay, well we’re staying. I don’t know John very well—or any of that family, really—but it sure beats watching you mope around at home.”
I let out a melodramatic groan, and Jamie tugs me out the door.
When we get back to the table, the “military” guys are standing up, waving us toward the door.
“C’mon ladies. We’re going down the way to Carlyle’s Blues Bar. Our obnoxious friend is there, and he wants to meet you.”
NINETEEN
GWENNA
November 6, 2015
I watch his hand come to his mouth, his fingertips touching his lips as he blinks at the door, then shifts his gaze down to his feet.
He’s wearing a white shirt and what looks, through the distortion of the peep hole, like dark pants. His curls are blowing slightly the breeze. It looks like he’s trimmed his facial hair, so it’s less beardlike and more scruffy again.
I wonder what’s in the pack he’s wearing on his back. I wonder what he’d do if I pulled the door open right now.
He blinks right at me through the peep hole, and I can’t resist the urge to pull the door open.
“Come on in.” I laugh.
His eyes widen on my blue face, then he’s grinning. I forgot how beautiful he is when he lets loose a big, wide, dimpled grin: his clean, white teeth, his