Slippery Slopes (Winterhaven Series - Vol. 1)

Chapter 45

The guests were beginning to drift into the lounge, and some migrating back into the billiard room. With the storm raging outside and no access to the slopes, it was evident the people were growing restless and bored. Drew had Nolan come out to the bar with him, and he retrieved an actual ice pack for his face. Being a ski resort, they saw a lot of torn ligaments, sprains, and pulled muscles; ice packs were a regular part of their inventory.

"Are you okay?" Lizzy leaned across the bar and gently touched Nolan's chin, turning his face so she could get a look at his cheek which had begun to bruise and swell a little. "He did that with a slap?"

Nolan nodded. "A fucking hard slap."

"Asshole." She looked at Drew as he took the stool beside Nolan and sat facing him, holding the ice pack to his bruised flesh. "Are you going to kick his ass?"

"Cassiter got to him first," Drew murmured and stroked Nolan's good cheek with his thumb. The skier's intervention didn't quell Drew's need to beat the fucker down some more, though.

"What did Lane do to him?"

"Nailed him in the face," Nolan smiled. "Dropped him like a sack of potatoes."

Lizzy stared at him. "He...defended you? In front of everyone?"

"Shocking, huh?" Nolan laughed low and met Drew's gaze. They looked at each other for a long moment, and it was evident in Nolan's eyes that he wasn't nearly as shocked as he let on. Drew cast a glance toward the billiard the room. Lane, Todd, and their friends were still in there. Would they call Lane on his blatant defense of the local 'queer boy'? Or were they already putting the pieces of the puzzle together?

"After his behavior these last three years," Lizzy grinned. "Yeah, it is kind of shocking." She straightened up. "Is it okay for me to go back to my casual day-date?" she asked Drew. "Or do you still need my help out here?"

"No, I got it," Drew chuckled and winked. "Go on back to your boy toy."

"Ugh," Lizzy rolled her eyes and laughed, then vacated the bar and walked across the lounge.

Drew looked at Nolan. "So, tell me what really happened in there. What'd you say to piss off Rodney so bad?"

Removing the pack from his face, Nolan set it on the bar. "He was trying to expose Lane, talking about us fucking last night and shit. Then Todd came in, and Rodney saw the hickey on his neck and started fucking with him about it, implying you were the one who put it there." Nolan stared at Drew knowingly. "Todd kind of looked like he was about to panic, so I started fucking with Rodney to take his attention off Todd. Guess I said the wrong thing, though, and he just blew up and hit me."

"What did you say?"

Nolan told him the details. "It wasn't until I said something about him wanting to be nailed, that he lost it. Told me to never say that shit about him." Nolan shrugged. "His reaction just seemed kind of over the top. Like I struck a nerve or something."

Raising an eyebrow, Drew said, "Maybe you did."

"Maybe." Nolan scrunched his eyes and studied Drew's face. "You were the vampire who bit Todd, weren't you?"

Drew cleared his throat and twisted around, facing the bar.

"I thought he was too much of a risk?"

"He is," Drew mumbled.

"But you still went after him and..." Nolan leaned closer. "What exactly did you and he do?"

Drew sighed and looked at him. "Not as much as what you and Lane did last night." Drew's focus shifted off Nolan when he saw Darren walk out from the restrooms. Darren glanced their way, started to head toward the billiard room, then hesitantly approached the bar.