The Storm Series, page 34
“Maybe you need her there to make sure that you keep it in your pants,” Cotter answered, and I knew things were going to get ugly when Phineas straightened to his full height.
“We’re not going to let you break her heart,” Cutter added for good measure.
“Whoa…boys, hold on-”
“Well, you guys switched alliances rather quickly,” Phineas remarked as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What happened to my heart?”
“Ms. Gates doesn’t have a reputation for screwing random hoebags,” Cutter retorted, almost making me want to laugh with his very valid point.
“Okay, that’s enough,” I said as sternly as I could. “While I appreciate the gesture, I trust your brother.” They both looked at me like I was insane, and maybe I was. “I wouldn’t have agreed to date him if I didn’t.” I shook my head as I sighed. “I’m not a glutton for punishment, boys.”
Before either of them could say anything to that, Phineas said, “You’re also overstepping again. My relationship with Sheridan is none of your business. You guys need to keep that in mind.”
It was obvious to see that there was something more at play here, but whatever was going on was between Phineas and his brothers. Being the twins’ teacher, there was a fine line that I had to walk until I knew if Phineas and I were going to be able to navigate our new relationship.
“Look, I’ll go,” I relented, really just wanting to ease the tension. “But I can’t promise that I’ll be able to just get up and leave every weekend, Phineas. I have my own responsibilities.”
His arms dropped to his sides. “Of course.”
I gave him a quick nod. “Okay, now I have to get going,” I announced. “I have some errands to run.” When none of them moved to give me some space, I knew that something was up. “What?”
“We wanted to know if you’d like to accompany us to dinner tonight?” Cotter asked, his weird accent popping out again. It wasn’t as prominent as Phineas’ accent, but both the boys had one.
“All four of us?” I asked as I glanced at all of them.
Phineas nodded. “All four of us.”
The teacher in me should say no. Quince wasn’t too big that people wouldn’t notice me having dinner with Phineas Moore and two of my students. It would be guaranteed gossip, and though it wasn’t anything that I could get fired for, I didn’t appreciate that kind of attention. One wrong move was all it took to ruin someone’s career these days, and the truth often didn’t matter. People posted their opinion about something, and if their opinion took off, then that was it; another life ruined because people didn’t know how to mind their own goddamn business. Or at the very least, get the facts first.
Nevertheless, there was something going on with the twins, and I’d have to be an idiot not to recognize that fact. They were feeling a particular way about whatever was happening in their lives right now, and the more time that I spent with them outside of the classroom, the more that I could see that money wasn’t any kind of substitute for parenting.
“I’d love to,” I lied with a smile on my face. “I’ll just need to take care of a few things first.”
“Really?” Cotter asked skeptically.
“Yeah, really?” Cutter chimed in.
I nodded. “I’ve had my fill of healthy salads this week, so I could use a good hamburger.”
“Uhm…we were thinking you might like Fluorescent’s,” Phineas remarked sheepishly.
Fluorescent’s was the kind of restaurant that didn’t have prices on the menus, and just the very thought of dining there had me wanting to break out in hives. While I could dress up for the occasion when I had to, two fourteen-year-olds had no business at Fluorescent’s. They were kids, not miniature millionaire CEOs.
“I vote for hamburgers with Ms. Gates,” Cutter announced.
Phineas arched a brow. “I thought you guys wanted to impress her?”
“Rude,” Cotter huffed. “Way to rat us out.”
“No need to impress me,” I laughed. “I’m impressed enough.”
Honestly, they had no idea.
Chapter 16
Phineas~
As I stared down the hill, I felt that familiar feeling of peace that always surrounded me when I got ready to give myself up to the snow. I’d lost count of how many broken bones that I’d suffered over the years, how many bruises, scrapes, concussions…almost every injury out there. Luckily, my family had been able to afford the health insurance that had allowed me to follow my dreams. Nevertheless, no matter how bad the injury, I still felt nothing but peace when I was staring down the hill.
Though beautiful, snow was no joke. It was one of Mother Nature’s most dangerous creations, and like fire, it was alive when it was awakened. Snow was more than a winter decoration or a family vacation. It was more than a hobby for rich kids or a stunning landscape painting. Snow allowed us to enjoy it when it was in the mood. Snow allowed us to play in it when it was feeling kind. Snow allowed us to admire it when it was feeling generous.
However, when it was feeling violated or like we were taking it for granted, it reminded us of who was really in charge. It reminded us that Mother Nature allowed humans to live in her world. Snow was unforgiving when it was angered, and as much as it pained me to admit, we deserved the reminder every now and again. Humans ought to be slapped down when our egos got too big.
Luckily for me, I was also able to drown out all the white noise that accompanied these competitions. Between the other athletes, the fans, the cameras, the spectators, the commentators, and the safety crews, shit got pretty loud. Especially, in the heart of winter, when the wind was blowing hard and the snow was replenishing itself, it was easy to get distracted if you weren’t focused. Over the years, I’d seen lots of rookies hurt themselves or lose because they’d gotten caught up in their surroundings.
I was the last competitor, a showing that had originally belonged to Ripley. When it was just an exhibition, they saved the best for last, and Ripley was the best. If you showed the best first, then it could discourage the other athletes or you could lose the crowd, and that wasn’t a good thing. The exhibitions were a representation of the sport as a whole, and we did our best to showcase a family of snowboarders, rather than individuals competing for that top spot.
Like most sports, we advertised the upcoming season, and the winter games were set for this year, meaning that we were all going to be pretty busy during these next few months, gearing up for the first competition before hitting the peak of the season. Practice was going to be brutal, but that’s what we all lived for. If you were lucky, you owned enough private land to keep your routine a secret, and I was one of those few lucky ones. So, even though the fans were hoping to see something great today, I was saving my best for the games, possibly one of my last showings ever; I wasn’t getting any younger, something that I was very aware of. However, I did plan on giving them a couple of YOLO Flips and a Backside 540 Rewind.
There was also Sheridan and the twins to consider. I wasn’t going to be able to keep up this pace if I wanted to build something meaningful with Sheridan and spend more time with the twins. I supposed that I could always take the summer off like teachers and students did, but traveling was still hell on a relationship and parenthood, though I was far from anyone’s parent.
I felt a hand slap the back of my shoulder. “Ready, Moore?”
I nodded. “Always.”
Charles Clarke stepped back, making sure to give me plenty of room to start my descent. As soon as it was clear, I gave my customary quick praise to The Lord, then shifted by weight to start my journey to the bottom of the hill and to a waiting Sheridan.
The wind hit my face, but I was so used to it that it didn’t even faze me anymore. Right now, all that mattered was the first hill and my first trick. As soon as I felt the air beneath me, I grabbed the edge of the board, then spun twice, landing perfectly, the solid ground supporting me again.
I ignored the roar of the fans as I kept my eyes on the next hill, a simple spin for this particular section. Again, this wasn’t the time for anything hardcore. I’d be pissed if I got hurt and was out of the games all because I’d wanted to impress Sheridan. Besides, the woman wasn’t impressed with shit like this; she was impressed with how people treated her.
Almost near the end of the slopes, momentum had me in the air again, and I grabbed the edge of the board again, spun once, then flipped twice before sticking another perfect landing. The crowd roared, and everyone finally came into view as I slid to a stop in front of the judges. Before, I would have charmed those same judges, played to the crowd, then done my interviews. However, now all I wanted to do was get to Sheridan to celebrate my showing.
Immediately disconnecting from my board, I grabbed it, then headed over to where Sheridan was watching the entire thing. I felt like a teenage boy with his first crush as I rushed my way over towards her, not caring about anything or anyone else.
Not letting the barrier stop me, I grabbed her face, then kissed her in front of thousands of people and cameras everywhere. Luckily for me, she kissed me back, and if I thought that peace had surrounded me at the top of the snow, that was nothing compared to how I felt now. Sheridan was kissing me back in front of everyone, and this was what I wanted at the end of all my competitions.
When I finally broke off the kiss, I lifted my goggles to get a better look at my future. Sheridan was grinning up at me, and though it was clichéd as shit, seeing her beaming at me with a face full of happiness and pride felt better than all the medals that’d ever been placed around my neck. That smile was going to greet me when I was no longer in my prime, when I was no longer competing, when the crowd was no longer chanting my name, when people began forgetting who I was, and that made Sheridan’s smile the most precious thing in my life. Though I was grateful for everything that the sport of snowboarding had done for me, my athletic career had an expiration date, whereas Sheridan was forever.
“You were great,” she cried out excitedly. “That was so incredible.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I loved her, but now wasn’t the time for that. I wanted to tell her when it was just me and her, and when she’d have no choice but to believe me. That meant that I was going to have to wait until we got home, and I definitely couldn’t tell her while we were in bed together. For a woman like Sheridan, it needed to be said while there was no benefit from saying it. As an academic, it needed to make sense in her head, so saying it in front of a crowd of people or while I was balls-deep inside her wouldn’t work.
Nevertheless, before I could say anything, a sports reporter was sticking his microphone in my face. “Phineas, another perfect ride down the hill. Tell me, are you ready for the games this year?”
I tossed my signature grin his way. “I’m always ready,” I replied. “Everyone should know this by now.”
The man laughed like he was supposed to. “Care to share any of your surprise moves for the games?”
“Well, if I did that, then they wouldn’t be surprise moves,” I joked good-naturedly.
Before he could comment on that, another reporter had her microphone in my face. “Phineas, can you tell us anything more about Ripley Storm’s mysterious absence?”
Now, while some people would be annoyed with this question, it was no secret that Ripley and I were best friends, so if anyone would know why he was absent, it’d be me. Nonetheless, I wasn’t about to tell Ripley’s personal business. Though he wouldn’t mind the world knowing that he was at home with his wife, it really was no one’s business.
“It’s not a mystery to those that are close to him, so if you want to know what’s going on with Rip, then you’ll have to wait until he decides that he wants people to know,” I replied as kindly but as firmly as I could. After all, this wasn’t the first time that I’d had to shut people down about Ripley.
Taking the rejection in stride, she then asked, “And who’s this beautiful woman?”
I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face, even if I’d wanted to. So, throwing my arm around Sheridan’s shoulders, I pulled her closer to me, the barrier banner be damned, then announced, “This is my girlfriend, Sheridan.”
Both reporters balked in surprise before the guy finally got his bearings. “Oh…oh, you’re girlfriend. Well, that’s…that’s some unexpected news.”
“She finally took pity on me and agreed to be mine,” I told them, though I knew how archaic that phrasing sounded. “It only took me two years.”
“Well…uhm, congratulations,” the female reporter said, a seemingly genuine smile on her face.
“Thank you,” I replied sincerely. “Now, I’ve got autographs to sign and pictures to take.”
Five minutes later, Sheridan was standing quietly off to the side as I greeted fans and did my thing. She didn’t try to steal the spotlight or make sure that she got enough camera time. She wasn’t taking selfies or posting pictures, trying to capitalize on my fame. Sheridan was simply being a supportive girlfriend, happy with waiting in the shadows, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. While she was perfectly happy just being my girlfriend, I wanted to broadcast her to the entire world. I wanted everyone to know that she was my everything, and if I could carry her in my pocket and take her everywhere with me, I would; I so fucking would.
Unfortunately for me, Sheridan had her own life.
Chapter 17
Sheridan~
Watching Phineas in his element had been a special thing to see. When someone that you cared about was experiencing something they loved, you couldn’t help but smile and be excited for them. Even though Phineas had done this a million times, it was obvious that he loved what he did for a living. Watching him come down that hill, do those amazing tricks, then smile for the cameras had been a joy to experience. However, watching him with the kids…well, it was easy to see why the twins adored him.
There was also how he’d had no problem announcing to the world that I was his girlfriend. He’d made that statement like it’d been the most natural thing in the world, and I still wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I mean, I was happy that it’d been so easy for him, but when Junie had texted me that I was trending because Phineas Moore had introduced me as his girlfriend…well, that I hadn’t been prepared for. At least, not this soon and not this fast.
“What are you thinking about?”
I felt Phineas’ arms wrap around me as I looked outside our hotel window. I’d never been to Chile before, and not only was it beautiful, but the idea of snow in August was still blowing my mind. I’d felt like such an American when we’d arrived, absolutely forgetting that there was life outside the US. Not every season matched ours, not every country celebrated our holidays, and the world really didn’t revolve around how Americans lived our lives.
“I was just thinking how beautiful Chile is,” I answered.
“Well, if you give up your entire life to follow me around the world, you’ll be able to see all kinds of beautiful countries and cultures in person,” he said, and a part of me wondered if he was serious.
“Well, since I have no desire to give up my entire life to become your number one groupie, you’ll just have to tell me all about it,” I quipped.
Phineas turned me around in his arms. “Even if I beg?”
Before I could say anything, he was already dropping to his knees, but I knew that it wasn’t to beg. When we’d gotten back to the hotel room, we’d both jumped in the shower for a hot bath, and while Phineas had thrown on a pair of grey sweats, all I’d thrown on was a pair of panties underneath the complimentary robe that had come with the room.
Staring down at Phineas’ gorgeous face, I didn’t say anything as his hands parted the terry cloth, and I felt the heat from his palms warm my bare thighs. His green eyes were piercing right through me as he gripped the waistband of my panties, then slid them down my legs.
As my feet stepped out of them, he said, “I fucking love this view.”
My hands latched onto his shoulders as he grabbed my left thigh, then draped it over his shoulder. Phineas’ leaned forward, nuzzling my curls with his nose, his tongue flicking out to tease me. I’d never met a man that enjoyed going down on me so much, and I knew that I could easily get addicted to this kind of attention.
My hands gripped Phineas’ shoulders in surprise when he grabbed my other thigh, draped it over his other shoulder, then lifted me, so that my legs were wrapped around his face. His tongue was going to work as he turned, then walked us over to the bed, and when he dropped onto the mattress, I was perfectly positioned over his face.
As he wrapped his arms around my thighs, he said, “This is where you should always be sitting.”
I moaned as I planted my hands on the pillows, my hips already moving in time with Phineas’ incredible tongue. No matter what position he had me in, the man knew exactly how to make it work for us. That first weekend together had shown me all kinds of things about Phineas Moore, and one of those things had been how creative he could be in the bedroom.
“Ride my face, baby,” he ordered between licks. “Show me how much you like dripping all over me.”
“Phineas…” I panted as my hips moved faster and faster. “Please…”
Before I knew what was happening, Phineas had his tongue deep inside me, his thumb turned in to massage my clit. The dual sensations were enough to make me start fucking myself on his tongue, his low groans turning me on some more.
“Phineas…I’m going to cum already,” I warned him. “Oh, God…don’t stop…I’m going to cum…”
Within seconds, my body was trembling all over, that euphoric high getting better and better each time that I was with him. Being with Phineas felt exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time, and I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get enough of this man.
As I collapsed on the bed, Phineas slid out from under me, and he sounded positively wicked when he said, “Christ, you look perfect like this.”
