AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The guys met them in the parking lot, and since Holly was covered from head to toe with only a few spots showing on her face, including her eyes, Holly’s confidence flew through the roof. She skipped with her friends to the hill, leaving the guys in the fresh snow. Many other students had gotten the same idea, and the hill was full of fresh tracks and even a little blood.
“That’s not a good sign,” Diane said, edging away from it. “I hope whoever it is will be okay.”
“I’m sure they are,” Cameron said, immediately removing the worry wrinkles in Diane’s expression.
Holly couldn’t wait until Cameron knocked on the door and Diane answered it. Hopefully then he would finally make a move, because Diane was a snail when it came to dating.
Without asking, Justin took Holly’s sled and ran up the hill.
“Hey,” she called. “Bring that back.”
He held it high above his head and laughed. “Never.”
“Silly boy,” she called. Out of the three guys, Justin was the most outgoing and first to get the laughs. When she finally tracked him down, he was already boarding her sled.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said. But no matter how much she pushed, he didn’t budge.
“Just come down with me,” he said. Before she could push him off, he grabbed her waist and sat her in front of him. “Ready to go?”
She squirmed at his closeness and had to “talk” herself down. It was fine. This was Justin. Diane and Aimee were already cheering them on. Eric got ready to slide down with Aimee, and Cameron and Diane climbed onto her sled. “The three musketeers and their muskettes! Are you ready to go?” Aimee called out, smiling brightly.
It was a phrase they said often.
Holly glanced over at her roommate. She was glad she’d finally gotten her moment with Eric.
“Ready,” Diane called, glancing her way. Holly nodded and Justin rocked the sled.
“Hurry, before we tip over,” she said, patting his knees. His legs were awkwardly long and she hugged the tops of her legs. Other than being physically uncomfortable, she felt nothing. It was a true relief to spend time with a guy and feel nothing. She tapped his legs, the excitement growing in her chest. She’d always declined going sledding, so this would be a first.
Justin pushed off with one leg, sending them flying down the mountain. Halfway down, their sled tipped and rolled them onto the snow, helping them to fall the rest of the way. That would hurt tomorrow. Despite the unexpected landing, Holly got up and cheered. “That was fun.”
Eric and Aimee were already at the bottom. “Let’s switch off,” Eric called. “Diane, come with me.”
Aimee frowned, unhappy with their new arrangement. “Fine, but I want Justin. “You two were the fastest ones out there.”
No wonder they’d tipped.
“I’ll go with you,” Cameron said to Holly, picking up her sled and heading up the slope again.
They trudged up the hill with their new partners and almost immediately went down. Cameron was much more careful on the sled.
“That was fun,” she said once they made it to the bottom. Her eyes watered as her nose ran.
Diane passed tissues out to everyone, and they started up the hill one more time with new riders. It was Holly’s turn with Eric.
Of the three guys, Eric was the closest to her size. He was not too tall and not too short. Just right. When she tried to sit down first, he stopped her. “Let me.”
She waited a few seconds and then sat. It was a relief not to have any weight on top of her. And unlike the other two guys, who had held onto the side, he slipped his arms firmly around her. She froze as a new sensation filled her. Ease, excitement, thrill. Emotions shot through her, filling her from mitten to boot.
She scooted up to make sure he had enough room, but he only tightened his grip. “Ready?” he asked, whispering in her ear. Oh no! His voice was sexy at that frequency. This wasn’t a good idea—to start thinking of a friend in any other way than a friend.
“Hey, I better skip this round,” she said, moving to stand. “Can you let me—”
Suddenly, the sled tipped, shooting them down the mountain. She sat back and held onto his arms, leaned against him more, and closed her eyes as they watered with the speed.
When they stopped, his chin stayed close to her shoulder, making tingles crawl up her neck and ear. “That was fun, huh?” he asked.
She was breathless, wordless, but full of emotions that she wasn’t ready to face. She couldn’t like Eric. He was... Eric. Just because a man held her—and it had been a while—didn’t mean anything.
