Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

JUSTIN

Fucking snow.

Kellan Horne might be the best agent in the business, but when Candyce, one of his associates, texted last week to let me know he booked me a stay at a resort to help me destress after a crazy season, I had imagined sun, sand, the beach. Maybe a few bikinis here and there.

But why the hell would that make any sense?

Did I mention I hated snow. The cold. The fucking wind what tore your face off and felt like sand being blasted at any exposed skin. Layers of clothes.

I wore enough layers in the race season that I was looking forward to chilling on a beach in board shorts. Drink in my hand. Enjoying the scenery.

But instead, I was trapped with an angry, hot (yeah, I could admit it), and obviously ready to possibly slit my throat in my sleep if I looked at her the wrong way roommate. Who loved the snow.

How could I tell? On the ride from the airport over where we almost went over the side of the fucking mountain three separate times, her eyes lit up and she rolled the damn w indow down as the thick flakes fell in curtains of white frigid cold fractals.

Window. Down.

Frosting on the I don’t even get to eat it cake? The Lodge was overbooked due to the storm and a glitch in their system named me as Frosty’s co-habitor. The poor woman at check-in looked like use a break, so after I mentally weighed my options (snowed in, no other places available because I checked while she rode with her head out the damn window on the ride over, and sharing a room was a better alternative to an airport floor or hard bench) I landed on the side of share, stay away, and get Candayce to get m e the fuck out of Winter Wonderland as soon as possible.

“Harrison will be by on the snowmobile in about twenty minutes with dinner, breakfast, and a few extra things to warm you up. The kitchenette has a few supplies just in case, and the generators are all hooked up and running. Checked those myself.” Ray, our escort and driver in the chain on the tires vehicle that brought su to our cabin navigated the dimly lit grounds expertly, and though the small cabin was farther than I would’ve liked, he assured us it had all the modern conveniences and backups to weather a storm like this one. Fat flakes kept falling at an impossible pace, and he grinned. “It’s been a few years since I’ve seen a snowfall like this. Should make for a gorgeous morning. Or afternoon. Radio and sat phone are in the closet next to the front door if you need it. But, you should be well stocked to ride this out.”

I’d given up on being frustrated. Stuck, no matter what, and decided to make the best out of the situation. And getting a bottle of Falling Leaves Bourbon from Gentry Distilleries didn’t hurt either. Top shelf, and smooth. And I’d need it.

Snow. A gorgeous if not openly hostile woman as a roommate. Did I mention the snow? And the toughest season of my open wheel racing career. Just as I thought the team I was with was turning a corner, we hired fucking Chase Scott as the second driver for the team I drove for.

Chase Scott was a Grade A asshole, and had a rep around the paddock that only grew as he cheated on his girlfriend, who happened to be his owner’s daughter and in a way, his boss. Pictures surfaced online of his exploits and things imploded until Kennedy Alexander, the British daughter of the owner of a manufacturer of a key component used in open wheel, convinced Salvatore Rossetti to hire the guy. It was only my second year with the team, and we’d lost one driver early in the season because the sponsors weren’t impressed with his trial run.

Empty seat to fill, and as much as the guy had a bad rep, he was a talented driver. But, the rest of the season wore on me. We might’ve been on the same team, but Chase drove like demons were chasing him on the track and was so tight-lipped about sharing info that the tension at the end of the last race boiled over, and Kennedy had to pull him off our lead engineer after the race. And now the two were fucking dating.

So, I’d begged Kellan to get me away from it all.

Big. Fucking. Mistake.

The current bane of my existence hopped out of the truck as I thanked Ray again for the ride and grabbed our bags and slung what I could over my shoulder. Ray helped carry a snowboard and another suitcase to the door of the cozy cabin.

“Like I said, Harrison will be here soon, with dinner, supplies and other things you’ll probably need,” smirked as Mia ignored us both and barged into the cabin. A fire was lit in the fireplace. “Flip the switch to turn off the fire, or keep it on. Keeps things cozy. And I’ll try to check in with you in the morning. If the snow is too high, listen for the SAT phone. Enjoy your stay. It’s a shame you two don’t like each other. You have the best cabin on property. Romantic Getaway. Anne loves the cheesy names. Well, I’m going to let you get settled in and check on a few other folks.”

We toe-heeled off our boots and took in the space, moving further into the living area.

The inside of the cabin resembled a wine country vibe more than a mountain log cabin. The A-Frame opened into an open floor plan, but the bedroom area up in the loft had a little privacy. The entire back of the cabin, though, took my breath away. I might hate snow, the view was spectacular. Or, it would be if the lights that were barely glowing under the piled up snow were any indication. A wall of glass windows and double doors that looked over the side of the mountains. There was a glass door that led out onto a balcony, complete with a hot tub shield from the elements as much as it could be.

“So, ground rules.” Her high ponytail swung, and like a little boy on the playground I wanted to tug it just to see what she would do. Her face lit with a scowl. “I get the bathroom first, no changing clothes in front of each other, no asking personal questions, and clothing is not optional.”

“Don’t you think we should at least introduce ourselves before we start talking about taking off our clothes in front of each other?” I couldn’t resist teasing her. Riling her up was way too much fun and might make this whole debacle livable for the next 36 hours if the forecast was accurate. I stuck out my hand, and she glared at it like it was offensive or maybe smelled bad. “Come on,” I cajoled, “I’m Justin, and you are?” I arched my brows with what I knew was my sponsors love me smile.

She huffed her long bangs out of her face and rolled her eyes. “Mia.”

“Nice to meet you. Mia. I promise to be a gentleman. But I can’t guarantee the clothes thing.”

“Non-negotiable.”

“I’ll do my best, but I usually sleep naked.” She sputtered as I went on. Too easy. “Pants I can guarantee at minimum.”

“Do your maximum!”

I pretended to study the room. “And I’m not sure where the air mattress is going to fit.”

She spun around, frantically searching the space with her eyes. Then pointed to the dark hardwood floor and the huge plush rug in front of the couch that was positioned in front of a flat screen. “There!” she pointed. “We’ll push the couch out of the way. And you can watch sports or whatever.”

A knock at the door saved me from another see how far I could push her moment. Mia scampered past me to open the door. And just as promised, was a man who I assumed was Harrison, hidden under two picnic baskets, a burlap bag, and another bag that looked squishy and had to be the air mattress and extra blankets. He leaned in, and said in a muffled tone because the baskets were blocking his face, “Don’t want to come inside and get more snow and water on the floors. Two baskets. Wine and bourbon, the good stuff from Anna, an air mattress and enough blankets to build a fort.”

We helped unload all the snowed in necessities and Harrison gave a few more instructions on how to check the generator and fire up the hot tub if we dared. Then he headed back out into the swirling white abyss to finish dropping off provisions. Mia dove into the baskets, moaning with each new item she discovered. I stopped her, and took them over to the kitchen.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting the food sorted out while you make a spot for us to eat with the blankets by the fire and then we are going to watch a cheesy movie, preferably Guardians of the Galaxy if possible, then we are going to have a snowed in picnic.”

Mia narrowed her eyes at me. “Geez Justin, that sounds-”

“Almost as good as it would’ve been if this was where I wanted to be.”

Hands on her hips as she tracked my every move, “Which was where?”

Forks? Check. Fancy napkins? Check. I grabbed two take containers that smelled fucking fabulous, the bourbon and the wine as she spread out blanket and put two pillows on the ground for us to sit on. Carefully as to not drop either bottle, I stepped around the tiny island that served to separate the living and kitchen area. “The beach.”

She snorted. “You do realize you were at the airport and landed in western North Carolina, in the mountains, and the beach is almost on the other side of the state, right?”

I smiled ruefully. “I do. But, I didn’t arrange this trip. My agent did.”

Mia lowered herself to the floor next to me. “Your…agent? What, are you some famous rockstar I’ve never heard of?” She shot me a both annoyed and curious look. A dare if I ever saw one.

“No. Can’t carry a tune to save my life.” I sighed. “I drive cars.”

“Like at a dealership?”

“No, like a race track.”

The sassy and somewhat crabby woman before me canted her head to the side. “Like, those guys that drive in a circle, turning left all day?”

I chuckled. “Not stock car racing. I turn left, but I also turn right. And have a thing for the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.” The smell of the food made my stomach growl, and Mia smirked. But, then hers did the same and I returned the smirk with equal fervor. And shoved a huge forkful of the warm yet still delicious dish into my mouth.

“I think I went to a race there when I was younger. My dad lived around the area, until he moved up north to be closer to my brother and I. But I think it was motorbikes.” She ate a bite, and my eyes went to her mouth, then back to my food. “So, then the Indy 500 cars?”

“Yeah, it’s a great track. And I drive one of those.”

“For a living?”

She eyed me like she didn’t believe me. “Yes, for a living. Though this last season was a little rough,” I confessed. Not sure why the words left my mouth.

Her cheeks were still a little flushed from the cold, and as she reached up to fix her ponytail, my eyes dropped to her chest, cause I’m a guy and though I tried to no be a jerk, she was pretty in a way that most of the woman who hung around the track weren’t. Unassuming, if a little crabby. Though I couldn't blame her.

Beach versus snow equaled disappointment.

For her, Snowed In with a Random Guy versus Alone equaled utter annoyance.

“Do you love it?’

It took me a second to answer. Yeah, I loved driving the car. But, fuck Chase was suck a dick that it made even something as simple as a team meeting or SIM time aggravating. But, fuck, when I was in the car, just me and my crew competing? “Yeah, I love racing. It's the other drama.”

She studied me for a moment, then took the two red solo cups, and poured Falling Leaves into both. “Then why are you letting someone steal your joy? The only thing anyone should steal is your heart. And even then, it’s still yours to go or take back.” With a wicked smile, Mia thrusted a red solo cup my way. “Cheers to never letting anyone steal your joy.”

“Sounds like advice we should both take,” I added as she downed hers. I did the same, and though Falling Leaves was usually something I took my time drinking, the burn felt pretty fucking good. Still smooth, but like giving Chase and his shit the middle finger. “What about you?”

There was something about her that seemed familiar now that I had the chance to really look at her, but as she tugged the half zip long sleeve over her head, giving me an even better view of her tits in a tight pale blue tank underneath. Her head appeared, ponytail swinging. “I am a snowboarder.”

“You do that for a living?” I teased, pouring another two fingerfuls into both our cups.

“Ha ha. Kind of. I also teach and design snowboard art. It pays the bills.” Her eyes lit up a little, like she didn’t want to come off as too excited.

Then it hit me. I snapped my fingers. “Mia Summers! I watched you in the X Games last year. Are you competing in January?”

Her face fell. “I don’t know, honestly.” Bourbon downed, again in one slam back motion. “My personal life started falling apart, and I love boarding but…”

“What happened to not letting anyone steal your joy?”

“I love snowboarding. It’s the pressure to compete. And, I’ve hit all the goals I had.” A hand reached for a pillow and she hugged it to her chest. “Plus, I was supposed to be getting married to the asshole that is not here. I had plans.”

“Plans?”

Mia poured one more, and this time, she sipped it. “My own snowboard art design company. I was in talks to license my designs with a snowboard company. And expanding to other things. But, my ex was the business connection and I am not numbers or legal minded. Since he’s my ex, I am now without that plan.”

The light from the fire lit up her features, and instead of being sad, she looked pissed. ‘No, you’re not.”

“What?”

“You’re not without a plan. You’re without an asshole who didn’t care about you or what you had planned. You still have the plan. You just need to pivot and look for a new line to run.”

Through the window, the snow fell so quickly that there was only a white glow outside from the light inside our cabin. An eerie and crazily comfortable silence filled the room. White teeth scraped along her bottom lip. “New line?” She looked back at me.

One sip, and I nodded. “When the track and your set up aren’t working, you find a new line. Make adjustments. But you don’t give up. Even the slightest thing can make the biggest difference. You give up, the race is over, But, you might not win, but you might gain positions. Or,” I drained the rest of the bourbon, “you could surprise everyone and come out of nowhere.”

Maybe it was the bourbon, or the way her eyes lit up as she thought it over. Or both. But, fuck suddenly all I could think about was kissing her lips. How she tasted, what noise she would make. She rose up on her knees, and pulled the tie out of her hair. “A surprise, huh? Out of nowhere?”

Fuck, this woman was so different from anyone I had ever met, I hated that she wanted to give up because she didn’t see her worth. Because the way she handled the whole double booked issue told me she could hold her own in any negotiation.

“Definitely.”