Chapter 19 Chapter 19 The Cabin
Gemma drove my car, with Vince and Ashley riding with us. Sergey was in Gemma’s car with Alek, Tish, and Erika. The rest of the guys piled into Nick’s Suburban—Andreas and his new girlfriend, Dustin and his new girlfriend. The whole way up, Gemma didn’t let up. A full hour of her telling me how this is dumb, how I am going to get hurt, and questioning why I am acting like this.
“Please tell me you are not in love with him?”
I pause, shoving those thoughts into a dark corner of my mind. “I… I am not in love! That is ludicrous!”
“So then it shouldn’t be a problem for you to sleep with… your other guy,” she says, talking in circles around Ashley.
Vincent smirks from the back seat. I don’t even want to sleep with him. For the first time in weeks, he hasn’t crossed my mind like that.
“Mason Jones invited us over for New Year’s. He lives in the DewDrop Towers on the Strip—penthouse,” I say, trying to redirect the conversation.
“You are going to spend New Year’s with him too?” Vince asks.
“Sergey is staying with me for another three weeks.”
“We are still going to the club to play tennis on the first, though, right, Elena?” Gemma presses.
“Yes, Gemma.”
She glances over at me, that look on her face—the one that means she is about to push something I don’t want. “Let’s take Sergey and Alek to the Red Rooster!”
“NO!”
“What is the Red Rooster?” Ashley asks as Gemma starts laughing.
Vincent answers for her. “It’s a sex club. Not to be confused with the Green Door—that’s a swingers club.”
Silence.
We take the long road up the mountain. Instead of turning left toward the ski slopes, we turn right and keep driving another thirty minutes. One by one, we pull into the long paved driveway.
I don’t even wait for the engine to shut off. I jump out and head straight for Sergey. He had the same idea—we collide into each other. His hands cup my face, our lips brushing, my hands pulling him closer until we are flush.
“Oh God, here they go again,” Gemma scoffs.
Alek shoves us sideways into the snow, but it doesn’t stop us. I end up on top of Sergey, laughing. He pulls my jacket off, his hands sliding under my sweater. He tugs my bra down, and the cold air hits my nipples, making them hard instantly. His hands move down, gripping my ass as I lean in and kiss him.
“We have to calm down,” I say against his lips between kisses.
“Alright, moya lyubov.”
I pull back and look at him. “Don’t!”
He sits up, pulling me into his lap. “Don’t what? I can say it in English but not Russian? Elena!”
“It means more in our native tongue!”
“They are fighting already!” Vincent laughs.
“I am going to give you some tongue,” Sergey grins, grabbing my pussy over my jeans before his hands slide up my sides and he starts tickling me.
We both break into laughter, kissing again before I finally stand. Sergey gets up after me, brushing the snow off his clothes. We follow Gemma into the house.
It always smells like vanilla bean in here. Exposed wood beams, cream-colored walls, polished hardwood floors. The foyer opens up to that massive deer antler chandelier—it still makes me stop every time. The staircase stretches all the way up to the top floor.
We shed our coats. Hot chocolate is waiting in the living room, the fireplace already burning. The Christmas tree is lit, towering up to the fifteen-foot ceiling.
Shoes off, we all file in. Three large couches surround the fireplace, a plush light-brown rug beneath them. Presents sit under the tree—Gemma’s rule is that she’s the only one allowed to buy them.
We play the same game every year: grab a present, give it to someone else. Usually novelty stuff—last year it got a little too expensive.
Sergey sits on the floor, leaning back against the couch closest to the fire. He pulls me down onto his lap. Alek sits behind us with Tish and Erika. Across from us are Nick, Matt, and Andreas. Vincent sits next to them, and Ashley tries to sit on his lap, but he pushes her off, making her sit between him and Andreas.
Gemma stands by the tree, smiling—and something about it makes my stomach twist. She’s planning something.
She clears her throat, getting everyone to quiet down.
Sergey’s hand slips under my sweater, cupping my boob, rubbing slowly as he whispers something in Russian. Alek kicks him lightly to knock it off. Vince watches Sergey's hand like a hawk.
“We are playing a game this year!” Gemma announces, beaming as she starts handing out presents.
Each of us gets two.
We sit there in silence for a moment.
“Open them!” she demands.
Lingerie.
The full set—bra, panties, garter belt, stockings. Each of us in a different color.
The second gift—perfume.
The guys open theirs: underwear. Boxers, boxer briefs. Sergey’s are green mesh boxer briefs.
I look at her and sneer. “Seriously, Gemma? No.”
“We are playing Go and Get It!”
The guys immediately perk up. Sergey and Alek look confused—until she explains.
Each girl sprays herself with the perfume. The guys take turns smelling us. Then we go hide somewhere in the house. We change into what she gave us. The guys have to find us—and once they do, we get an hour to do whatever.
Last time we played, Nick found me. We spent the whole hour talking, listening to everyone else going at it around the house.
Then Gemma adds a new rule.
“You have to at least give a kiss! New rule because of Elle and Nick!”
I roll my eyes. Nick laughs. “I was not going to fuck my sister!”
I ball up some wrapping paper and throw it at his face.
Alek grins, but Sergey hesitates slightly.
“Once you find a girl, you can’t turn around and leave,” Gemma adds.
I stand up first and spray myself. One by one, we line up. Even Gemma joins us.
Each guy leans in, taking a slow breath of each scent.
Then Gemma sets her phone down and starts a thirty-minute timer.
And we run.