Chapter 19

Levi

I smelled vanilla before any of my other senses kicked in, before I even registered where I was. It was quiet. Still. And then, a bubbling snore that vibrated my ribs.

I cracked open an eye and looked down. Frankie’s dark head was nestled just under my chin, her hand resting above my heart. The sheet was half thrown off, revealing her gorgeous, tanned back down to the shapely apple top of her ass. I pulled the sheet up, figuring she was probably cold. She nuzzled in a little closer. And snored again.

One of the reasons I never invited the women I slept with to stay the night was because I couldn’t stand the sound of snoring. My father was a snorer, so much so that he used to shake the house before my mom made him see a specialist. I liked the quiet. The last thing I wanted to hear when I was trying to sleep was another person’s labored breathing.

Somehow, Frankie’s little snores didn’t bother me. In fact, they were kind of cute. I cocked my head to the side so I could see her face, and as the next snore rattled my chest, I smiled. Long black lashes fanned her cheeks, her bee-stung lips open just a fraction. She was utterly at peace.

I looked over at the light pooled on the floor by the window, which showcased a stunning blue sky with only a single white fluffy cloud in view. For the first time in days, it wasn’t snowing.

I knew I should get up and check the road conditions, but I wasn’t ready to. Not yet. I wanted to enjoy this last minute in bed with Frankie because everything was going to change the second I left it. We would never work in real life, and besides, I wasn’t looking for a relationship. What had happened this weekend was a pleasant surprise, but it was over now. The thought made me a little sad. I pushed past it and began the slow work of getting out of bed without waking Frankie.

She mumbled something and rolled over on her side once she no longer had my chest to rest on, but didn’t open her eyes. I left her in the master bedroom and walked over to mine to put on some clothes. Then I grabbed my phone and crept to the front door, slipping out into the hallway and heading toward the cafe.

I looked up the road conditions on my phone on the way. Still closed, but crews were clearing the snow and were expected to finish within the hour. We’d be home this afternoon.

I reached the cafe and noticed heaps of blankets spread in front of the fireplace. I went closer to inspect and realized they were people, guests and staff alike. Apparently, last night’s blackout entertainment had ended with a slumber party. It made me smile.

On Friday, the thought of this weekend had filled me with dread. I never thought that I’d look back when it was all over and wish I had just a little more time. It wasn’t like me to get so sentimental.

I ordered two coffees from the counter and sat at a table to call my brother. Garrick answered immediately.

“Hey! Great news!” he said.

“The roads are open soon?”

“Oh, you already knew.”

I laughed. “Yeah. Believe it or not, I don’t source all my news from you.”

“You must be excited,” he replied. “Only a few hours and you’ll be home.”

I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window, scouring the few clouds for signs of snow. “As long as the weather holds.”

“How did it go?” Garrick asked.

I paused, trying to think of a satisfactorily vague answer.

“It was fine,” I said. “I’ll be glad to get home.”

“Call me when you’re back in the city, and I’ll come over for a drink.”

“Sure thing.”

I ended the call and picked up my coffees to take back to the room. Frankie was still sleeping when I got there, and I knocked on the door as I entered the bedroom to rouse her.

She sat bolt upright, eyes wild and searching. They landed on me, then the coffee in my hand, and she broke out into a smile.

“Gimme,” she said.

I handed her a cup, and she sat up against the pillows, inhaling the aroma with closed eyes. Even with her hair in complete disarray, Frankie looked beautiful. I nearly told her so but refrained at the last second. I didn’t want to complicate things more than they already were. Right now there was a clear line between what we did at night and who we were during the day—no need for me to blur it.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked instead.

“Like a log in a coma.” She took a sip of her coffee but whimpered when it was too hot. The sound brought me back to last night, her crying out into the shadows as I feasted on her pussy. My cock twitched, and I adjusted my stance.

“The roads will be clear soon,” I said, trying to turn my thoughts from last night’s mind-blowing sex.

“Oh, cool.”

Was that disappointment in Frankie’s voice?

I walked back to the door. “I’m going to start getting my stuff together. You should probably do the same.”

“Will do.”

We spent the morning packing, showering, and getting ready to leave without speaking to one another. On my part, it was because I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure whether to address the fact that we’d fucked or not, and I decided in the end that if Frankie wanted to talk about it, she would.

She did, in the end. It was halfway through the drive home, on a long stretch of highway bordered on either side by tall bluffs of snow. She turned down the radio, and when I shot her a questioning look, I could see that the elephant in the room was finally getting its due.

“I think we can both agree that we would have never slept together if we weren’t snowed in like that,” Frankie said. “It was nice and everything, but I just want to clarify that it was a one-time thing. Well, a two-time thing. But you know what I mean?”

“Got it.”

“In fact, I think it would be better if we just forgot all about it. Leave it up in the mountains.”

I held my face impassively, even though a frown flickered under my skin. I agreed that boredom and opportunity had brought us together, and going our separate ways was for the best. But to forget? Impossible. The fact that she would even suggest such a thing irritated me.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about, sweetheart,” I said. “I decided a long time ago that I’m happier on my own.” I stared hard at the road ahead. “Besides, you’re not my type.”

My icy words hung in the air and I immediately regretted them. Of course Frankie was my type. She was effortlessly sexy. Even when I couldn’t stand her as a person, I found her curves irresistible. But I’d said it, and I wouldn’t apologize now. She was just going to go back to hating me anyway, so why did it matter?

The rest of the car ride was quiet. Neither of us turned the radio back up or spoke a word to the other until I dropped Frankie off in front of her apartment building.

“Thanks for the ride,” she muttered, slamming the car door.

I watched her stomp all the way up the path to her front door.