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Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

PETE

“I should have expected your plan would get us arrested,” Danica said, looking up and down the street. Pete’s boots crunched in the snow as she maneuvered her way down the small path to the frozen pond on the edge of the shopping square. The pond was cleared of snow, except for the light flakes that had begun to drift down from the sky. “There’s a sign that says it’s closed,” Danica added. “It closes at sunset.”

“You can’t close a pond,” Pete said, as she took a tentative step onto the ice of the pond. She’d seen ice skaters out here, so she knew technically it was okay to walk on, but maybe spending all this time with Danica was making her play it a little safer.

Pete slid her boots back and forth on the icy surface of the pond, smooth and slippery, especially with the fresh dusting of snow. Her hand stretched out toward Danica, palm up. “Come on,” she said. “Water’s fine.”

“Listen, if I fall through this surface and go into shock, I’m going to need you to take the appropriate steps to save my life,” Danica said, holding up her mittened hand as if she was about to start listing the steps on her fingers.

Pete laughed. “Stop thinking so much.”

“Do you think we’ll get kicked out?” Danica asked, glancing back and forth as she took one small step toward Pete. Even that made Pete’s heart race with a sense of thrill. It was always so fun watching Danica break a rule, like she was peeling back the layers of Danica’s carefully constructed Good Girl personality to find the interesting parts beneath.

“Kicked out?” Pete asked, trying not to laugh.

“Yeah.” Danica seemed so earnest.

“Of a pond?”

“No, out of Telluride.” Danica looked completely serious, which only made Pete want to kiss her rule-following face even more.

“You can’t kick people out of a town.” Pete chuckled, then spun in a circle with her arms flung out to either side.

Danica exhaled a huge sigh, then walked toward Pete. Danica’s woolen mitten fit right into Pete’s palm. “I seem to have forgotten my ice skates back at the bar,” Danica joked. She was wearing dressier boots that were definitely more ice-skate adjacent than snow-ready.

“We’ll just have to make do,” Pete said, twirling Danica in a circle, then letting go of her hand to race across the pond and out of the obvious lights of the nearby shops.

She could hear Danica laugh, followed by the scratch of her boots scuffing across the ice. Pete leapt and slid as far as she could, turning to see Danica do the same.

“Do you remember that time we went ice skating?” Pete asked as they twirled and slid in circles.

“I remember bruising my tailbone and needing to sit on a donut pillow for weeks,” Danica said with a shake of her head, catching Pete’s hand.

Pete chuckled. “I forgot about that.” She pulled Danica into her, brushing some of the snowflakes from Danica’s beanie and hair. Danica shivered against her, and something about her rosemary shampoo and the cold night air made this a distinctly intoxicating moment that made Pete want to hold her close forever, here, just like this.

“That’s because you always remember only the good parts,” Danica stated.

“I remember lots and lots of the good parts, it’s true.” Pete brushed a strand of Danica’s hair away from her face. “I don’t remember your broken ass, but I do remember how much you laughed that day. You said your face hurt from smiling so much.”

Danica smiled now, looking up at her. “Do you remember any of the bad parts?”

Pete ran her thumb over Danica’s cheek, over that freckle on her left side that always drew Pete’s gaze. “Nope.”

“So, you’re like an elephant wearing rose-colored glasses,” Danica said, furrowing her brow.

“Did you just call my nose big?” Pete joked, holding her fingers to her own nose.

Danica gasped. “No, because of your memory — oh, you’re messing with me.”

They both grinned like fools, holding one another on the frozen pond, snowflakes falling all around them like they were in a snow globe. Alone in their own little world, despite the occasional burst of voices from those walking past, or cars in the parking lot, or restaurant doors opening and closing to give a brief flash of bustling noise.

“I remember it all,” Pete whispered, her gaze searching Danica’s.

Danica watched her for a long, silent moment before biting her lower lip.

“I really, really want to kiss you right now,” Pete’s heart thumped with nervous energy in her chest.

Danica pulled back just enough to tilt her head up to look at Pete, and Pete tensed, ready for a lecture about timing. Instead, Danica pushed onto her tip-toes, angling her face up. “Then kiss me.”

Pete’s heart nearly galloped out of her chest, and she wasted no time in following Danica’s command. She closed her eyes, leaning into Danica, only to find that Danica had her hands on Pete’s chest to stop her.

“Wait, no, hold on, let me wipe my nose,” Danica laughed, pulling a tissue out of her pocket. “That was like a super romantic moment and I don’t want my snot to ruin it.”

Pete laughed as Danica handed her a tissue as well. “Always prepared, Wendell.” She wiped her own nose.

“Okay,” Danica said, clearing her throat and tucking her tissue away in her pocket again. “Now.” She pushed back onto her tip-toes and Pete held her tight again, kissing her slow and heavy, lingering and unhurried and enjoying the moment. Their coats made soft shushing sounds against one another as they shifted, fitting into one another.

There was no hesitation in this kiss, no hesitation in the way they reached for one another, like they weren’t worried about the time they had together. Lost in the deep, passionate kiss, she felt Danica's warm hands replace the chill on her face. She wasn’t sure when Danica shed her mittens, but the tender touch soothed her skin. It was a caress that spoke of cherishing and protection.

They were awkward on the ice, and Pete held Danica close to her, keeping them both steady and stable. It was the kind of kiss a woman could get used to — the kind of kiss she’d think about for hours, or days, even. She remembered all the best kisses with Danica, but this one ranked high.

“I’m so glad you’re not getting snot on me right now,” Pete whispered against Danica’s mouth as they both paused for air.

“Ooh, dirty talk.” Danica smiled back against Pete’s lips.

“I actually did want to show you something.” Pete said as she sank to her knees. She tugged Danica down with her, then rolled onto her back. The chill of the ice bit into her body, even through her ski jacket, but Danica laid down next to her, even while asking repeatedly what they were doing.

From the far side of the pond, the lights from the shops weren’t so noticeable. Despite the resort and Mountain Village lights, she could still make out her favorite constellations, their faint light twinkling against the brighter backdrop.

Their warm breath swirled in front of their faces as they stared up at the night sky.

Danica pointed toward the southeastern sky. “There’s Sirius. Which makes that Canis Major. Your favorite.”

Pete turned her head, watching Danica. “You remember my favorite constellation?”

“Don’t get a big head about it. It’s the dog and Sirius is one of the brightest stars,” Danica said, but Pete could tell even in the darkness that she was smiling.

“And your favorite, right there,” Pete said, pointing to the south edge of Canis Major. “Lepus.”

Danica laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Pete asked.

“I never cared about Lepus. I mean, the hare is great, but I only said that it was my favorite to impress you,” Danica admitted.

Pete let out a small gasp, and turned her head to the side to see Danica’s face in profile, her wide smile visible even in the dark. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. It was closest to your favorite, and it was easy to find because it’s kind of halfway between Sirius and Rigel,” Danica said.

“You are ridiculous. I can’t believe you did that,” Pete said, reaching to squeeze Danica’s hand. “You never had to lie to impress me, Wendell.”

“Yeah, tell that to dorky eighteen-year-old Danica,” Danica said.

“You were never dorky,” Pete said, scooting to be closer to Danica, who was laughing in disbelief. “Okay, maybe like, a little dorky, but mostly just cute.”

“You were cool and knew all of the names of stars and where the constellations were and which stars were actually Saturn. You had a favorite constellation that wasn’t Orion’s Belt or Cassiopeia, and I really wanted you to think I was cool, too,” Danica said, holding a mittened hand over her eyes. “It sounds so dumb when I admit it now.”

“I always thought you were cool in your own way,” Pete said.

“Ouch.”

“No, I mean it. Don’t make that face. That’s not like a participation trophy compliment. You were so sure of who you were and who you would be. I had no idea what I was doing, and I found that confidence and drive very attractive. And, to be honest, I always thought you liked Lepus because you’re basically a hare. Always going, always ambitious, always very aware of everything going on around you,” Pete said.

Danica turned to look at her. “That’s... strangely very sweet.”

“Anyway, I wanted to make you lay on this freezing cold pond and look at the stars because... well, do you remember that app that I built? The night sky one, where you could simulate flying among the stars?” Pete asked.

Danica’s brow furrowed. “I remember it, but I don’t remember you ever finishing it.”

“I finished it after we graduated,” Pete said. “And then I sold it to a UK-based developer who was working on something similar.”

Danica’s eyebrows rose. “Really? That’s so cool. Are you still making apps, then?”

“Yes and no. Mainly no,” Pete said, her stomach twirling with nerves. It felt like she should be honest with Danica, but she also wasn’t exactly sure what to tell her.

“Ah, cryptic as ever,” Danica said, turning back to the sky.

“I negotiated a really, really good price for the night sky app, and I put most of it in savings, but I bought some Bitcoin. Gross, I know. At the time, Bitcoin was kind of dumb but a smart friend suggested it, so I bought it when it was fairly cheap, and then sold it at a good time.”

Danica's gaze sharpened. “How much Bitcoin did you buy?”

“Only about 1500. It was only about thirteen dollars for one at the time.”

Danica choked. “That’s a lot of money.”

“It was worth 20,000 dollars when I sold it,” Pete said quietly.

“You made 20,000 dollars off of Bitcoin? Holy shit.”

“No, I mean, each Bitcoin was worth 20,000 dollars.”

“So, you’re saying you sold 1500 Bitcoin for 20,000 dollars each?” Danica asked, pushing up onto her elbows. “That’s... a lot of money.”

Pete shrugged self-consciously. It was, indeed, a fuck ton of money, but she’d been living frugally to put almost all of it into the foundation. “I’ve wanted to tell you, but it makes me sound like some crypto tech bro, and?—”

A light shone on them, temporarily blinding her with a number of lumens second only to the sun itself. She held up her hand, shielding her eyes, as Danica cursed.

“We’re too pretty for ski jail,” Danica groaned, sitting up.

“Hey, the pond is closed at sunset!” a male voice called out.

“Sorry! We think she dropped her keys earlier,” Pete called out. They helped one another up and linked arms and shuffled off the ice toward the man with the blinding light, both of their heads ducked in the embarrassment of being caught.

“You can look in the morning,” the man said flatly. Extremely helpful.

“Sure, thanks,” Pete muttered, as they stepped foot back on the regular walking path.

“That was nice.” Danica wrapped an arm around Pete’s waist, holding her closer as they walked together. Pete held Danica close, thankful for the warmth of her. “I can’t believe you led me to believe your favorite constellation was Lepus when it wasn’t.”

“And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were a multi-millionaire, so we’re even,” Danica said with a joking smirk.

“Not even, not even a little bit,” Pete said with a laugh. “And I’m not, actually... It’s kind of a long story.”

“You spent it all on blow and strippers already?” Danica asked, bending to adjust her boot.

“Yep. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” Pete made a big show of sighing.

Danica stood again, wrapping her arm back around Pete. A small maniacal giggle was the only warning Pete got before something cold and wet began to slide down her neck and into her coat. Pete shrieked, arching her back to try to get the snow out of her shirt as quickly as possible.

Danica cackled. “Payback!” She ran a few steps ahead of Pete, laughing.

“Oh, you are so getting it now,” Pete warned, chasing after her.

Pete was still laughing as she and Danica pushed open the door of the mud room on the lower level of the condo, even as Danica tried to shush her. They were wet from the snow they’d been throwing at each other on their walk back, cold from lying on the frozen pond, and yet Pete was sure anticipatory steam was coming off her skin. Danica paused in the mud room, stripping off her coat, then leaned on the wall to pull off her boots without sitting.

Danica’s white sweater looked soft and inviting, and Pete longed to touch her, to not be separated by coats and mittens and layers of clothing. Memories flooded her of the night before, of Danica’s warm, wet skin against hers in the hot tub. She pulled her own coat off, willing herself to not be such a horny teenager, but when she looked back up, Danica’s blue eyes were smoldering with what she knew were the same thoughts.

Danica’s lips parted as though she was about to say something, but no words escaped as Pete moved to take kiss her, crashing together in a kiss so inevitable and impatient that some magnetic force had to be at play.

Pete struggled to kick off her boots, laughing against Danica’s mouth as tried. Danica’s hands were in her hair, her entire body pressed against Pete’s with a kind of desperation that Pete mirrored. Pete lifted Danica into her arms, feeling Danica’s legs wrap around her hips as she held her, kissing her up against the wall.

“Do you think we can sneak up to my room?” Danica whispered.

“Depends on how quiet you can stay,” Pete said and Danica moaned into her mouth.

“You’re right. Bunk beds it is,” Danica responded, reaching for Pete’s mouth again, nipping her lower lip.

Still pressing Danica up against the wall, Pete sucked Danica’s lower lip into her mouth, teeth scraping her flesh. Danica crushed herself closer, her fingers tangling in Pete’s curls as she rocked her hips into Pete’s.

Pete let herself take everything Danica was willing to give. Every touch felt more urgent. She’d been waiting for so long that one more second might make her combust.

“We’d better get to your room,” Danica gasped in between kisses, and Pete gathered all of her resolve and self-control as she carried Danica toward her room, stumbling and trying to be quiet as they made their way down the hall. Pete shut the door behind them, immediately pressing Danica back against it.

Danica’s chin tipped up and Pete’s tongue found her skin, salty and sweet and irresistible. Her hands drifted lower as Danica’s legs unwrapped from Pete’s hips as they moved to stand. Pete’s knee pushed between Danica’s legs, her hands sliding past Danica’s waist toward her hips as Danica rocked against her knee.

An extremely sexy and quiet moan slipped from Danica’s lips as Pete held Danica’s hips tightly against her, leaning forward to nibble on her neck, her ear lobe, her jaw. She ached with need, her pulse throbbing in her ears, her mouth, her entire body.

Danica seemed to feel the same way, moving against Pete’s knee, making those quiet moaning noises that made Pete smile against her mouth as their lips met again. She’d missed this. She hadn’t let herself miss it until this very moment, but she’d missed everything about Danica. The way Danica’s soft hair felt wrapped around her fist, the frantic way Danica always chased release, the way her moans seemed to vibrate through Pete.

She wanted more of Danica. She was desperate to replace her knee with her hand, her tongue. She wanted all of her. If Pete wasn’t careful, she’d be taking Danica messy and eager and up against a wall.

Of course, that all sounded extremely appealing now, but she’d waited all this time. Now that she had Danica in her arms, writhing in expectation, she wanted to take it slow and savor every moment.

Pete’s hands moved to dip below the bottom hem of Danica’s sweater, pulling it over her head with an excited anticipation as though she was unwrapping a present.

“You are so gorgeous I can hardly think at all,” Pete said, taking in the thin, flimsy fabric of her bra.

Danica’s forehead pressed against Pete’s, her ocean blue eyes sparkling in the dim light. Pete ran her hands over Danica’s skin, so soft and perfect. She took a step back, taking Danica’s hand as she walked backwards toward the bed, unwilling to take her eyes off of the woman in front of her.

“Bunk beds are the least sexy bed choice,” Danica teased as Pete pulled Danica down to straddle her lap, careful not to hit her head on the bed above.

“I don’t know. They provide plenty of handholds,” Pete said with a wicked grin.

Danica raised a mischievous eyebrow, reaching forward to grip the frame of the top bunk. “They do, don’t they?”

Pete leaned forward to let her hands slide across the smooth expanse of Danica’s back, her mouth gently pressing against the thin fabric of Danica’s bra. She reached to unhook it, and Danica lowered her arms from the bedframe to let the straps fall. Pete discarded the bra and guided Danica’s arms back to the upper frame, grinning at Danica as Pete’s thumb brushed against her nipple, her touch sending thrill through her. Danica’s eyes fluttered closed and her back arched ever-so-slightly, a silent plea for Pete to continue.

Danica’s knees trembled as Pete dropped her head, her tongue and lips trailing down from her collarbone, wet kisses on delicate skin. Pete's lips enveloped Danica's nipple, causing Danica's skin to tighten and pebble. One of Pete’s hands slipped lower, following the curve of Danica’s waist and hip, over her thighs to tease against the seam of her jeans. Danica rocked into her, making a quiet, frustrated huff.

Pete turned them both, letting Danica fall onto the bed under her. Hands braced on either side of Danica’s shoulders, she skimmed her nose against Danica’s, their breath warm and smelling faintly of whiskey. Pete's tender, kiss-swollen lips tingled.

"I've been craving the taste of you for so long," Pete breathed, her voice more a growl than whisper. Taking delight in the way Danica’s eyes darkened with desire at her tone, Pete couldn’t help but grin again. God, she loved it when she could turn Danica on with just her words, like she had that night in the hall at the karaoke bar. Pete nipped at Danica’s lower lip. “Tell me you want it, too.”

The sheets twisted around Pete’s fingers as Danica pushed herself up, arching her back as if in a desperate need. “Yes. Please. Yes.”

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