“Defensive much?”

I looked back to the road, only visible by the headlights. The snow falling softened everything around us, leaving us secluded. “I just meant that we have a plan, and we stick to it. We’ve been together over three years, and we have two more before graduation. Then Riley wants to go to law school so he can prep for politics. He wants to get married before law school.”

“Seems to be a lot of Riley in that plan.”

White hot frustration crept up my throat like acid, and I clenched my fists in my lap. Who was Josh Walker to question our plan? “There’s a lot of me, too.” Ouch, that did sound defensive. “I mean, I’m the one who wants to get married then, because I can’t see us going another few years before we finally have s— ” I abruptly cut myself off. Heat stung my cheeks. The car was dark, so he couldn’t see, couldn’t possibly know I was the exact shade of red as his Jeep’s paint job.

“Have what?” he questioned.

I didn’t answer.

He snapped his gaze to me, eyebrows arched in surprise. “You’re telling me that in three years, you haven’t had sex?”

“Eyes on the road!” I countered. He stifled a laugh and turned back to driving. My hands flexed open, closed, open, closed. “I can’t believe I just said that. You can’t say anything!”

“Are you a wait-for-marriage kind of girl?” There was no mocking in his tone. “It’s cool if you are, it’s just that three years is a long time to a guy.”

I shook my head. I’d already said this much, what was the harm in finishing the thought? Besides, it’s not like we ran into each other on campus or anything. “Riley wants to wait for marriage. He says it’s for me. You know, squeaky clean and perfect. He promises waiting will be worth it, and it’s important to him. It sucks, but everything will be flawless . . . like we planned. I guess he’s old-fashioned.”

“You don’t want to wait?”

This was crossing the line, so I shook my head in response.

His eyes raked down me briefly. “Riley must be a fucking saint.”

I hated how good that made me feel. It was Riley’s compliments I wanted, right? I’d been careful when I dressed tonight; after all, I’d had a plan, too. I was done waiting. What was the purpose when you didn’t know what tomorrow would bring?

My skinnies were tucked into my black boots, and I rocked a lacy camisole under a belted, low-cut gray sweater that Riley liked. My hair was up, the auburn mass quickly piled in a messy bun, but I’d been patient with my makeup. I had to stun him.

But I’d stunned Josh. I’d seen it when he’d opened my door for me. Watching those brown eyes widen with unmistakable hunger lit a tiny flame in a part of me I’d forgotten existed. He noticed me, desired me, and if I wasn’t careful, that tiny flame would burn me to the ground.

I cleared my throat, hoping to dissolve the tension and the topic. “So how do you like coaching?”

“It’s really been the highlight of these last couple years. Those boys are something else.” His lips quirked in a subconscious smile.

That didn’t add up. “But how could you be Gus’s hockey coach last year when you went to CU?” The two were hours apart.

“I’m a senior at CU Springs, not CU Boulder. I took some time off after I transferred.”

“But, I thought you had a hockey scholarship to Boulder?” He jerked his gaze to mine in surprise. “I did pay attention to the gossip of the infamous Josh Walker when we were in school. So why the Springs?”

His lips thinned. “Some things don’t work out.”

Subject closed. Got it.

I pulled out my phone to see if Kayla had responded to the text I’d sent her as we were leaving the Springs. I really hoped she could come up tonight. No response. That sucked. I could have really used my best friend.

We turned into the town of Breckenridge and made it through the quaint downtown without hitting any drunken pedestrians. Christmas break brought out the skiers to the slopes and the beer-seekers to the rooftop bars afterward. People who weren’t used to the high altitude were usually the first to regret their decision in the morning.

We curved through the town, turning where the GPS told us for Riley’s cabin. “This is his str—” My sentence cut off as we rounded the corner and were assaulted by a virtual parking lot of cars on each side of the road. “There’s no way they’re here for Riley.”

As we crept past the cabin with nowhere to park, it was clear they were all here for Riley. People milled on the wraparound deck, and I recognized a few of his fraternity brothers. “Hold on,” Josh warned before he pulled up onto a large, flat boulder and parked the car.

“Show off.” I couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled out.

He slipped from the car and had my door open before I could undo my seatbelt. I looked down to see his arms outstretched for me. From the angle he’d parked, I needed his help to get out.

I swung my legs over, and he grasped my hips, lowering me against him without being suggestive, but awareness of his body caught my breath. This close to him, I only reached his collarbone, which was currently covered by a blue button-up shirt. He jumped off the boulder, lithe, and reached his hands back up for me.

A smile spread across my face before I launched myself into his arms. He caught me with an “umpf!” A laugh escaped him, the sound beautiful and open. “You keep Riley on his toes, don’t you, Ember?”