Read Online Flame (Fire on the Mountain #2) by Erin Noelle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erin Noelle
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right?” The moment Emilia releases me from a welcoming embrace out in front of the trendy Main Street boutique, she wastes no time beginning her inquisition.
I don’t answer right away as I follow her into the shop, the bell on the door noisily announcing our entrance to the staff and other shoppers. Everyone briefly looks up at where we stand then refocus on whatever they were doing, leaving us on our own to browse the racks.
“So?” She nudges my shoulder, grinning mischievously over at me. “Are you going to tell me what happened in his room to make the elusive James ’501’ Levi invite a chick to go on a two week trip with him, when he usually doesn’t let anyone spend the night? Do you know some secret vagina voodoo magic or something?”
Shrugging, I thumb through a row of sheer black tops, trying my best not to overanalyze her words ‘elusive’ and ‘doesn’t let anyone spend the night’. “Honestly, I didn’t think he’d remember that he asked. I was giving him a massage and he was half-asleep, mumbling, so I assumed it was the meds talking. At the time, I didn’t think he was serious.”
Her jaw falls open as her big brown eyes grow even bigger. “You were giving him a massage? Like rubbing your hands all over his skin?”
“Yeah, why?” My forehead crinkles with confusion. “What’s the big deal? It’s what I’m going to school for, and I used some oils that helped him relax and—”
Holding her hand up to stop me, she shakes her head with a sharp laugh. “I didn’t mean anything by my comments; it’s just that Levi is usually kinda funny about people touching him. Like in the year or so that I’ve known him, he’s only ever hugged me and Gunner. Even girls he hooks up with, the exchange is typically very . . . purposeful. No displays of affection or false pretenses. He’s there to bust a nut—and once he’s done, he moves on.”
“Wow, what a gentleman,” I grumble, moving over to a group of rompers, the bright yellow one covered in orange pineapples catching my eye.
“That’s the thing. He’s totally not a gentleman, but he never pretends to be anything but himself.” Wandering over to some denim shorts, she picks up a pair of the frayed ass-huggers and holds them up in front of her then does the same thing with a stonewashed pair. Back and forth, she alternates them in front of the mirror before tossing them both down with a sigh. “Like I told you when I introduced you to him at Ember, he’s an unapologetic cocky asshole, but when you get past his hard outer layers, he’s really an incredible guy.”
After I add a couple of shirts to the pile of clothes already folded over my forearm, I sidle up next to her and snatch the first pair of shorts she’d chosen, thrusting them into her hands with a wink. “Emilia, I’m super stoked about the trip. I think at first I was a little overwhelmed, but now I’m just excited. However, I want you to know I’m going simply to have a good time . . . to party . . . to live like I’m twenty-two. I don’t do serious shit, and the only layers of James Levi’s I plan on peeling back are his clothes. Now, tell me what all I need to pack for this summer getaway.”
Thankfully, she chills out with the interrogation and we fall right back into the easygoing friendship we shared back in our teenage years. While we try on everything from bikinis to cocktail dresses, Emilia talks about how the first time she saw Gunner was at a party in Vail and thought he was the strangest guy she’d ever met. She shakes her head in disbelief. “ . . . and now I’m married to the guy! What can I say? He’s quite persuasive.” She nudges me with her shoulder as she whispers the last part.
That conversation naturally leads to Levi’s place in their life, her fondness of him shining through on her warm, heart-shaped face. “He’s the only real family Gunner’s ever had. They’re more like brothers than cousins, meaning they bicker and
I don’t answer right away as I follow her into the shop, the bell on the door noisily announcing our entrance to the staff and other shoppers. Everyone briefly looks up at where we stand then refocus on whatever they were doing, leaving us on our own to browse the racks.
“So?” She nudges my shoulder, grinning mischievously over at me. “Are you going to tell me what happened in his room to make the elusive James ’501’ Levi invite a chick to go on a two week trip with him, when he usually doesn’t let anyone spend the night? Do you know some secret vagina voodoo magic or something?”
Shrugging, I thumb through a row of sheer black tops, trying my best not to overanalyze her words ‘elusive’ and ‘doesn’t let anyone spend the night’. “Honestly, I didn’t think he’d remember that he asked. I was giving him a massage and he was half-asleep, mumbling, so I assumed it was the meds talking. At the time, I didn’t think he was serious.”
Her jaw falls open as her big brown eyes grow even bigger. “You were giving him a massage? Like rubbing your hands all over his skin?”
“Yeah, why?” My forehead crinkles with confusion. “What’s the big deal? It’s what I’m going to school for, and I used some oils that helped him relax and—”
Holding her hand up to stop me, she shakes her head with a sharp laugh. “I didn’t mean anything by my comments; it’s just that Levi is usually kinda funny about people touching him. Like in the year or so that I’ve known him, he’s only ever hugged me and Gunner. Even girls he hooks up with, the exchange is typically very . . . purposeful. No displays of affection or false pretenses. He’s there to bust a nut—and once he’s done, he moves on.”
“Wow, what a gentleman,” I grumble, moving over to a group of rompers, the bright yellow one covered in orange pineapples catching my eye.
“That’s the thing. He’s totally not a gentleman, but he never pretends to be anything but himself.” Wandering over to some denim shorts, she picks up a pair of the frayed ass-huggers and holds them up in front of her then does the same thing with a stonewashed pair. Back and forth, she alternates them in front of the mirror before tossing them both down with a sigh. “Like I told you when I introduced you to him at Ember, he’s an unapologetic cocky asshole, but when you get past his hard outer layers, he’s really an incredible guy.”
After I add a couple of shirts to the pile of clothes already folded over my forearm, I sidle up next to her and snatch the first pair of shorts she’d chosen, thrusting them into her hands with a wink. “Emilia, I’m super stoked about the trip. I think at first I was a little overwhelmed, but now I’m just excited. However, I want you to know I’m going simply to have a good time . . . to party . . . to live like I’m twenty-two. I don’t do serious shit, and the only layers of James Levi’s I plan on peeling back are his clothes. Now, tell me what all I need to pack for this summer getaway.”
Thankfully, she chills out with the interrogation and we fall right back into the easygoing friendship we shared back in our teenage years. While we try on everything from bikinis to cocktail dresses, Emilia talks about how the first time she saw Gunner was at a party in Vail and thought he was the strangest guy she’d ever met. She shakes her head in disbelief. “ . . . and now I’m married to the guy! What can I say? He’s quite persuasive.” She nudges me with her shoulder as she whispers the last part.
That conversation naturally leads to Levi’s place in their life, her fondness of him shining through on her warm, heart-shaped face. “He’s the only real family Gunner’s ever had. They’re more like brothers than cousins, meaning they bicker and
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