3. Sutton

three

Sutton

" D oesn't it seem a little strange to be staying in the honeymoon suite?" I try to sound casual, but my voice has taken on a husky quality I've never heard before. I can't take my eyes off the large heart-shaped bed in the middle of the room.

"It's only strange if we make it that way. Besides, it's not like we haven't shared a hotel room before." Ryan walks through the room, inspecting our surroundings, walking to the French doors leading onto the balcony, pushing them wide open. "Sutton, you have to come and see this." He calls over his shoulder, and I obey, still not sure how I'm going to survive sharing a room, let alone a bed.

Sure, we've shared a hotel room before, but the last time, he was ten, and I was five, and Lucy and Seth were in the room with us. This is a lot different from how it was way back then. For starters, I'm twenty-two, and he's twenty-seven. Second, Lucy and Seth aren't here with us. Their plane is grounded for a few days thanks to a snowstorm, leaving Ryan and I all alone in a room specifically designed for lovers.

"Wow, the view of the mountains is amazing." I step through the French doors and onto the large balcony into the crisp December air.

"I bet it's even better from inside the hot tub." He tugs at his shirt and pulls it over his head, letting it sail through the French doors and into the bedroom. "Come on, I dare you." He coaxes as he toes off his socks and shoes, slipping his gray sweats down his legs until he's left standing in nothing but a pair of gray boxer briefs. I can't help when my eyes slide down his muscular, smooth chest to the obvious bulge in his briefs that, if I'm not mistaken, has gotten bigger. At his laugh, I snap my eyes back to his face. "The last one in is a rotten egg." He teases and rushes to the hot tub, sliding his long legs over the edge and into the water, and lowers himself into the steaming hot water.

"No, fair, you cheated." I attempt to pout, but I can't. With his boyish smile and naked chest, all I can do is take off my clothes, leaving only my sheer pink bra and matching lace panties on, and follow him into the hot tub. "You're right. The view is amazing," I say as I slide into the spot next to him, our thighs brushing under the water, causing my nipples to pebble against the now translucent fabric of my bra.

When he doesn't answer, I turn my head to look at him, but his eyes aren't on the snowcapped mountains. They're on my almost bare mountains, visible in the clear water of the hot tub.

"Hmm, they are amazing." He swallows hard before leaning over me in what I think is going to be a kiss, so I lean toward him, our chests meeting in the water. But instead of kissing me, he reaches behind me and turns the nob that controls the jets on, causing large relaxing bubbles to form in the water.

“Oh," I say when I realize that was his intention, but not before my nipples press into his chest.

He leans back against the hot tub, a pained look on his face, and I'm transported back in time to the last time I kissed him. It was my high school graduation—I was officially an adult—I was going to claim Ryan. I got him alone in the kitchen, backed him into a corner, leaned on my tiptoes, and planted my lips to his. At first, everything was going as planned, especially when we both opened our mouths, and our tongues began rubbing against each other. I was acting on instinct since I had never kissed anyone since Ryan was it for me—no other boy would do. Even though I thought the kiss was perfect, it did seem a little sloppy. It made me think Ryan might not be that experienced with kissing either until my brain took over, reminding me that Ryan is five years older than me. Of course, he's kissed other girls.

The kiss was over sooner than I wanted it to be, as Ryan pulled back and ended it with an apology: "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let that happen." He said and rushed out of the kitchen, not once looking back.

From that day on, we never spoke of it again. Our relationship went back to the way it was before that day. The only difference was that the small part of me that believed Ryan had romantic feelings for me was made smaller until it was finally crushed on the day I graduated from nursing school.

"Um, that's better. Should we go over the list for the wedding?"

Thankful for the distraction, I rattled off everything from Lucy's list she texted me: "So, I was thinking since it's late tonight, I would grab a bite to eat from room service and go to bed early since I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow." The sun had set not long ago, and the moon shone off the snow as the stars twinkled in the sky. It was certainly romantic, but I guess that's to be expected since it's a bridal suite.

"Don't you mean we have a lot to do tomorrow? We're the best man and the maid of honor. We're like the Bonnie and Clyde of the wedding world.”

“I'm not sure your sister would enjoy her wedding being planned by a couple of criminals."

"Okay, how about Bert and Ernie? I'll even let you be Bert."

We laugh at the absurdity of it all. "I think that's worse. You know they're both guys, and I'm a girl, right?"

"Oh, I definitely know you're a girl." He casually drapes an arm around my shoulders, and I instinctively lean down until my head rests on his chest and my body curves at his side, not caring about the mixed signals I'm getting from him.

I take that back. They aren't mixed. They're extremely flirtatious, making my skin aware of every place our bodies are touching.

Not wanting the moment to end, I egg him on with other partner-in-crime couples.