Page 4 of Stuck With Mr. Frosty (Delectable Protectors #5)
AIDEN
M ia strides through the crowd like a woman on a mission, those damn ripped jeans hugging her body tight, making every curve visible. The front of my pants gets tighter as I stare at her for a moment while she leans over the bar.
Ryder shuffles to my side and elbows me. “So, what do you think of the newest roommate? Pretty, isn’t she?”
“Sure.” I shrug and sip from my bottle of nonalcoholic beer, the condensation wet on my fingers. “Don’t know what that matters though. If you’re planning on sleeping with her, don’t.”
“Why?” June asks, her tone teasing as she smirks up at me. “You thinking of sleeping with her? She doesn’t seem like your type. Looks like she enjoys having fun too much.”
“I don’t know why all of you think that I don’t like having fun, but I do.” I tuck one hand in my pocket, trying to subtly ease some of the tension in the front of my jeans as I glance at Mia again.
This is going to be a long season.
June laughs and shakes her head, tossing back the amber shot in her hand. “Listen, Aiden, nobody thinks you like to have fun because you rarely do. How often have we been begging you to come out with us, and now you’re finally doing it?”
“I don’t like partying on work nights. I’m here to do a job, and so are the rest of you. And I’m taking over for Carter in a couple hours.”
Ryder claps a hand on my shoulder. “And there’s the party pooper we all know and love.”
June puts her empty shot glass down. “We don’t get drunk every night, but we do try to go out and have a good time and, ya know, get to know the people we’re going to be working and living with over the next couple of months.”
I shrug and take another pull of the nonalcoholic beer. “I don’t need to spend time getting to know everyone else beyond their shifts and when they’re out with a group.”
“And yet you keep staring at Mia.” Ryder tucks his hands into his pockets. “Seems to me like you’re at least a little bit interested in her. Maybe you should spend some time with her or something. Get to know her.”
“Uh-huh.” I nod, stepping away from them. “I’m going to do just that.”
And then I walk away, heading in the opposite direction of Mia the second she starts drawing closer to me. She’s like the other people here, wanting to have a good time and a vacation she gets paid to be on instead of actually caring about the guests.
I head outside, standing on the porch as fat flakes of snow drift down around me. The music is quieter out here, the closed door muffling the bass. At least until it opens, and music and the scent of cherry-vanilla perfume pour out.
“Sooner or later, you and I are going to have to talk to each other.” Mia leans on the railing beside me, crossing her arms around her torso like she’s trying to keep warm.
Kind of hard to do when you decide that a corset is the appropriate shirt for the middle of winter.
There’s no denying that her breasts look great, especially when the cold starts to flush her skin.
I say nothing, staring out at the way the exterior lights make the snow shine.
She sighs. “I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, and you seem to have a horrible idea about who I am. And I feel like that is really going to hold us back, considering we have to work together and share a cabin.”
I press my lips into a thin line before glancing at her. “Stay outta my way, and I’ll stay outta yours.”
“Really defeating the whole purpose of trying to make friends.”
“Wasn’t trying to make friends.” I push off the railing and jog down the steps. “Have a good night.”
She makes a frustrated noise before the music gets louder and softer again. Looks like she’d rather be inside having a good time than getting ready for the first day of work.
Whatever trouble she gets into isn’t my problem.
The morning comes only a couple hours later, and I don’t feel like I’ve slept nearly enough.
I stretch as I get out of bed, Honey hopping down from the end, her tail wagging.
It only takes a few moments to shower and get dressed before I get Honey ready for the snow, putting on her rescue harness, her boots, and her goggles.
Her tail beats against the wall as she waits by the door to our room, ready to go.
I open it up and she runs to the front door, her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth. She sits and waits while I stop in the little kitchenette and grab a couple protein bars, stuffing them into the pockets of my jacket.
A soft snore comes from the couch. I look over the back and there’s Mia, sprawled out on the cushions, drool rolling down her cheek.
She’s curled up, lying on her side and clutching a pillow beneath her head.
There’s a little crease between her eyebrows, like whatever is going on in her head is deeply troubling.
I glance at the schedule on the wall. She has another hour before she has to be at her shift.
Doubt she’s going to make it when she’s passed out this hard.
It’s not my problem though. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself as I leave the cabin and head outside.
Honey leads the trek through the snow to the little gondolas that run up the side of the mountain. We get in one, and I settle into the hard wooden seat while she sprawls out on the floor.
This ride has always been my favorite part of working at Aspen.
I hate the loud tourists and the workers who treat this as a vacation, but getting to sit down each shift and just look at the mountains, the trees, and all the snow is breathtaking. It’s only when I’m up here that everything else seems so small.
The gondola comes to a stop at the top of the mountain. A few eager snowboarders and skiers are already going down the hill, with a couple instructors and some of the medic team watching over them.
I pass them by for the path that leads through the trees, breaking through to the other side where there’s a clear view down the mountain and to the east as well. Carter stands outside with a mug of coffee in his hand.
“How was the party last night?” He looks at me over the rim of the travel mug as he takes a sip.
I groan and lean back against one of the stilts the watch building is on. “The usual shit. People got too drunk, and most of them are going to be hungover for their first shift of the season.”
“You could do with a little letting loose every now and then.”
I bend down to scoop up some snow, packing it into a ball and throwing it for Honey to chase. She takes off with a bark, bounding through the snow. “Don’t know why everyone seems to think that I need to learn how to let loose.”
“Because you walk around with a stick up your ass, and everyone can see it.” Carter smirks and tucks his free hand into his pocket. “I like you, Aiden, but you’re too serious. You need to learn to live a little.”
“I have work to do.”
“And nobody can ever have a bit of fun while they’re working, can they?” The corner of Carter’s mouth tips up. “You spend most of your life moving around from one place to another and never settling down long enough to think if you’re really doing what’s right for you.”
“Settling down is for people who want to do the wife-and-kids thing.”
“And that isn’t you?”
“Not at this point in my life.” I ball up more snow, throwing it far and grinning as Honey sprints after it. “I’m happy with where I’m at.”
“You’re still what, twenty-seven? You might not think that settling down is going to be for you yet — and sure, that looks different for everyone — but sooner or later, you’re going to get tired of traveling from one mountain range to another.”
If I was being honest, I would tell him that I’m already getting tired of it, to some degree. I like the travel, though, and I don’t think that there’s ever going to be a world where I don’t spend time going from country to country.
Carter yawns and checks the time on his watch. “Well, you think about having some fun while you’re here this season. I’m going to go call my wife and the girls, and then I think I’m going to be passing out for the rest of the day.”
“Tell Cassie I say hi. And tell the girls that I better see them on the slopes later this season.”
He nods, already pulling out his phone, pausing long enough to hand me the radio and the keys to the sled.
Since it’s warm out, I set up camp in one of the chairs outside, turning up the radio and listening to the chatter while playing fetch with Honey.
This is the second-best part of my day. Being alone.
But one day it might be nice to have someone to be alone with.
It’s a shame people only love you when they want something from you.