Vanessa wondered for the umpteenth time if she’d made a mistake agreeing to stay in Seth’s condo, even if only for one night. When his handsome brother, Remy, had shown up after midnight, worried, she felt a jolt of attraction low in her belly. Again. And she hated drama of any kind. Getting in between two brothers could create chaos of epic proportions.
Still, after Remy left and she’d wandered back to her bedroom, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
When she woke shortly after seven, she hurriedly showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen, where she hoped to get a cup of strong coffee. Seth’s bedroom door remained closed, making her wonder if he’d forgotten their plans to ski. Loath to knock, she texted him instead.
What time are we leaving?
No answer, which might mean he was in the shower. She went ahead and made her coffee, glad Seth stocked milk and sweetener. After a couple of sips, warmth flooding her throat, she felt her original optimism again. There was nothing she loved better than skiing and she could hardly wait to try out the slopes at Pine Peak. She glanced at her gear piled over in a corner near the door. Rather than leaving it in the car and taking a chance on it being stolen, she’d brought it inside Seth’s condo.
Speaking of Seth… She checked her watch. They’d agreed on early morning, before he had to go in to work. While she wasn’t sure what his schedule looked like today, she figured he’d have to start by nine at the latest. Which meant they were running out of time to ski.
She walked over to the window and peered outside. Snow still fell in a steady curtain and judging from the amount piled up on cars, they’d gotten over a foot of fresh white powder overnight. But there didn’t seem to be any wind, which was a good thing.
Perfect for skiing. As long as conditions weren’t whiteout, the slope would be rocking and rolling. She could hardly wait.
Gathering up her nerve, she went ahead and tapped quietly on his door.
Nothing.
With her heart racing, she turned the knob and peeked her head in. Judging by the man-size lump under the covers, Seth was still asleep.
Sleeping it off?
“Seth?” she ventured, staying in the doorway. “Seth, are you going to get up?”
A loud groan was his only answer.
Damned if she would go any farther into the room. She wasn’t sure what Seth thought this was, but she could clearly see what might happen if she stepped over and attempted to shake him awake. He’d pull her down and start kissing her, likely ignoring her protests that they weren’t intimate anymore.
Nope. Not happening. Suppressing a shudder, she called him again. “Seth. We’re supposed to go skiing before you go to work. I’m not sure what time you have to be in, but if we’re going to hit the slopes, I’m thinking we need to head out now.”
“We’ll go later,” he mumbled. “I’m taking the day off from work.”
“Okay,” she replied, backing out and closing the door. Drinking the rest of her coffee, she debated whether or not to head out alone. While she could certainly ski an unfamiliar mountain by herself, it was always much more fun with a friend like Seth, who was a damned skilled skier. And whatever else he might be, she hoped the two of them could remain friends.
She decided to give it a few hours. After all, she had no place she had to be.
Since Seth had told her to make herself at home and to help herself to anything she wanted, she rummaged in the fridge in search of something she could make herself for breakfast.
Surprised to find a wide variety of foods, she settled on scrambled eggs and toast, along with a second cup of coffee.
After she ate, she checked the weather app on her phone. While she personally felt there was no such thing as too much snow, she knew ski resorts didn’t always agree. If visibility got too poor, they’d shut down the slope and send the ski patrol out to bring in any stragglers. Her heart sank as she realized the snowstorm had caused exactly that situation. Though they hoped for perfect conditions tomorrow once the storm had passed, those in charge had decided it was too dangerous at the moment.
Which meant Seth’s refusal to get out of bed had actually been a good thing. With the passion of a thousand purple suns, she hated getting suited up in anticipation of a couple of good runs and being stopped at the base of the mountain as she was about to get on the lift.
Should she go home then, and leave skiing Pine Peak for another time? After all, she’d done what she came to do and hopefully Seth would now have some closure.
Another quick internet search revealed they’d closed Loveland Pass. She could still take the I-70 tunnel, though she wasn’t sure of the road conditions right now.
Her motto when it came to snowstorms had always been Better Safe Than Sorry. Which meant she’d be sticking around Roaring Springs at least one more night, maybe longer.
Glancing once more at the still-closed bedroom door, she knew Seth wouldn’t mind her staying with him an extra day or two. If she could just get past this uneasiness. Since she’d been here, Seth had been nothing but a perfect gentleman. Sure, he’d gone out and had a little too much to drink last night, but he hadn’t come pounding on her door or anything.
A sharp series of knocks on the front door made her jump. Hurrying over, she checked the peephole. Her stomach did a somersault when she saw Remy standing there, all bundled up in a down parka, a light dusting of snow on his broad shoulders.
Hurriedly, she opened the door. “Come inside,” she said. “It’s freezing out there.”
“I know.” As he stepped inside, his solemn expression gave her pause. “They closed down the slopes.”
“Yes, I saw. Ditto on Loveland Pass, which shouldn’t be such a surprise.” She took a deep breath. “Would you like some coffee?”
One side of his mouth quirked up, but he shook his head. “No thanks. This isn’t really a social visit. Is Seth around?”
“In there.” She inclined her head toward the closed door. “Is everything all right?”
“He didn’t show up for work.” Remy removed his parka and hung it on the back of a chair. “He didn’t even call, so they didn’t know if they needed to bring someone else in to cover his shift.”
Seth had said he was taking the day off. Clearly, he’d managed to forget to inform his employer of that.
Again, their gazes met and held for a second too long. Remy looked away first. “Is he still asleep?”
Feeling slightly dazed, she nodded. “I think so. I tried to wake him earlier but he was having none of it. We were supposed to hit the slopes first thing this morning. Though I guess since they closed them down, it was lucky we didn’t.”
“True.” Remy grimaced. “Please excuse me while I go talk to my brother.”
She nodded, trying to decide if she should retreat to her room or not. As he disappeared inside Seth’s room, she elected to remain in the kitchen. She couldn’t help but find how seriously Remy appeared to take his role of elder brother fascinating. Obviously, Seth could use the help.
“Get the hell out of my bedroom,” Seth shouted. “Who let you in here, anyway?”
“Your houseguest,” Remy replied, his tone measured and controlled. “I was here last night, too, after Gary called me all worried about you.”
A string of curse words followed. “I don’t work for you, Remy.” Seth stormed out of the bedroom, briefly stopping short when he saw Vanessa. He’d put on a sweatshirt and a pair of wrinkled jeans and shoved his feet into snow boots. “Sorry about this, Van,” he muttered, before snagging his down parka out of the front closet.