Built and Bearded: Bearded Bros Series Read online

  Dax led me to a table and asked if I wanted a drink. Normally, I would not drink while working, but, technically, work was over for the day and I could relax some. A cold beer sounded really good.

  “How about a beer,” I told him. “Hailey likes Merlot.”

  “A beer and glass of Merlot it is,” he repeated and went off to the bar to grab the drinks.

  Hailey arrived, and we all ordered from the menu. I choose a Filet Mignon salad along with homemade dressing and bread. Hailey got the homecooked stuffed Bass, which apparently was caught fresh out of the Blue River.

  The food was superb.

  After dinner, we each had another drink and Dax disappeared and returned with a six pack for me and a bottle of Merlot for Hailey to take back to the cabin with us.

  “Just in case you’re still thirsty after you get back,” he said merrily. “Enjoy the sunset. It will be a good one tonight.”

  We couldn’t say no to the gift and thanked him for the suggestion.

  Dax drove us both back to our cabin in his truck. I could see why he borrowed his sister-in-law’s car to pick us up at the airport. The truck did have a back seat, but it was a compact space for an adult. I was the smaller one between Hailey and me, so I offered to squeeze into the back. With my knees touching the front seat, I was relieved that the drive was a short one.

  We said our goodbyes to Dax and took his advice to have another drink and watch the sunset from our cabin’s porch. We watched as the blazing, orange ball disappeared behind the snow-covered mountaintops. It was beyond lovely.

  Afterward, Hailey settled into a movie and I told her that I wanted to take a hot bath.

  I turned on the hot water and added some bubble bath that was supplied by the resort. The bathroom was small but nice. I lit a couple of candles that were on the edge of the tub and slid into the steamy, bubbly water.

  I closed my eyes and thought of how well the day went. The Hunters, from the ones I had met so far, were such nice and professional people. Business came first but I could tell that they genuinely cared about their guests and each other. Dax was lucky to have such a loving family.

  Dax.

  Once Dax had crept back into my mind, he was there to stay. I saw him give me that sexy grin of his and any resolutions that I had melted away.

  My groin ached for Dax Hunter and I touched myself. I imagined him taking off his flannel. Underneath, he was wearing a tight-fitting, black t-shirt. His biceps bulged below the short sleeves. I watched as he slowly slid the t-shirt up over his head, revealing finely chiseled abs and rock-hard pecs.

  I wanted to touch him. To run my hands over his toned, naked body. I imagined that I put my hands on his chest, feeling the outline of his flexed pecs. I ran my hands down, over his tight abdomen to his belt.

  I wondered how big his cock was? As thick and solid as the rest of his muscles, I presumed. Hard and erect, I imagined putting my fist around his dick and stroking it.

  As I caressed his long, hard cock, my fingers found my clit and rubbed it. I wanted to feel Dax’s hard member inside of me. As he slid into my wet pussy, I pushed my fingers into myself. With two fingers inside my tight walls, I massaged my clit with my thumb.

  Soon, electric sensations began to build up in my center. The vibration slowly traveled up my body ruptured into an intense orgasm. I pumped my pussy with my fingers and squeezed my hard nipples with my other hand.

  I arched my back, allowing the orgasm to take over my body, which shuddered uncontrollably. Then, with a sigh of relief, my body went limp and I slid down into the warm bath water.

  Dax

  Over the weekend, I found myself spending a lot of time with Oakley. But something was wrong. The first day that we had worked together it had all gone well. I even thought that I was growing on her. Maybe she even liked me?

  But now, she seemed to be giving me the cold shoulder. I didn’t know what I had done wrong, or what I could do to remedy the situation.

  We were in the lodge and I was giving Oakley and Hailey the official tour. She needed to get measurements of the main room so that she could map out the seating pattern and aisle for the actual ceremony.

  After an early ceremony, lunch would be served in the main restaurant dining room. While the meal was being served, the lodge would be transformed into a party room, dance floor and all. Hors-d'oeuvres would be served while the guests partied, skied, and participated in the other activities that would be planned.

  After a day filled with activities, a formal dinner would take place back in the dining room, with an after-dinner party and cake cutting ceremony taking place there as well.

  All we needed to do was to work out the final seating arrangements, who would be doing what during the transformation, how the guests would be transported up and down the mountainside, and all of the special events that would take place.

  It was a lot more planning than I had anticipated, and now I saw why some weddings required a wedding planner.

  While we were going over some of the arrangements, I tried to subtly hit on Oakley. I wanted to let her know that I was attracted to her without coming on too strong. I didn’t want to put our business relationship at jeopardy, but I wanted to let her know that I was interested.

  But she didn’t seem to take notice. And it baffled me.

  I was about to give up altogether, and I gave Oakley her space while she mapped out the first seating chart. But then, I caught her glancing over at me. She quickly looked away when she saw me look in her direction, but I saw her checking me out!

  So when I pretended to not be interested, she became more interested in me? She was so very different from any of the women I was used to dealing with.

  But her game encouraged me to not give up. Not yet.

  I had no idea where this obsession with Oakley was coming from. She wasn’t my type. I didn’t know if we could actually get along long-term. She lived out of state. But it wasn’t even just that.

  She was really uptight most of the time. All business and no play.

  But, maybe I could change that. Everyone deserved to have a good time now and then, right? Maybe she just needed to be reminded of that.

  I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Not again, I groaned. All day, it had been ringing off of the hook. I took it out of my pocket and glanced at the number flashing on the screen...

  Traci.

  Again.

  I frowned and put the phone back in my pocket. I looked up to see Oakley watching me with curiosity. Was she wondering who kept calling me? Could she be jealous?

  Hmmm...

  Harley came in from his outside activities and I took the opportunity to intercept him to introduce him to Oakley and Hailey. They needed to work out some events for the wedding day with him, so this was perfect timing. There was going to be a variety of ages attending the wedding, and Oakley wanted age-appropriate events planned for everyone to participate in.

  “Harley, this is Oakley Padin and Hailey Voortman. Oakley, Hailey, this is my younger brother Harley. He’s in charge of most of the outdoor and fitness activities here at the resort,” I introduced them all.

  “Just the man we needed to see,” Hailey said, joyfully. She was giving Harley a big smile.

  Oh, no, I thought. Not Hailey and Harley. Not that it was any of my business, but he was kind of immature and could end up being a distraction to her.

  I was relieved when Harley didn’t take notice of her googly eyes. Business as usual and I was glad.

  We discussed some events and how Harley would run them. He stressed that he would need Hailey and Oakley's help with the skiing events, more than likely since they were both avid skiers.

  A list of events was decided upon and their relative times. We decided to let the guests decide on how long they wanted to participate in each event and to not force a timeline.

  After everything was finished up at the ski lodge, I offered Oakley and Hailey a ride down to the dining room for dinner. I thought that maybe a c
ouple of drinks and a nice meal would lighten Oakley up some.

  I was wrong.

  “Hailey and I have planned on going on a hike before we eat dinner today. We’re going to order some room service later this evening. But thanks, anyway,” she said before turning away and walking out the door.

  I sighed. This was not going as I hoped it would.

  Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...

  Damn it. Not again. I pulled the phone from my pocket.

  Traci. Of course.

  But this time I hesitated before hitting the red button. Maybe I should go and meet up with her tonight to release some tension.

  I almost hit the green button but at last second an image of Oakley popped into my head and stopped me.

  I couldn’t do it, not while there was any chance of being with Oakley.

  The call automatically went to voicemail and I put the phone back in my pocket. There had to be a way to change Oakley’s mind about me.

  I knew that she was interested.

  She couldn’t hold out forever.

  Oakley

  I couldn’t believe that the wedding was only a few days away. With it being so busy, the time had been flying. Thankfully everything was going as planned and was on track.

  Working with Dax had become increasingly difficult. And it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I realized this but couldn’t change it. I only had to get through the next weekend and all of it would be over.

  For both of us.

  I thought about going to Brad and asking him if there was someone else who I could work with. But what would the reason be that I could give him?

  That Dax was subtly hitting on me and making me feel uncomfortable? Even though true, Dax wasn’t going overboard with it. In fact, most woman would find it charming. And he was easy to work with. He was really easy-going and had done everything that I had requested of him, no questions asked.

  So, what was the real reason that I don’t want to work with Dax? Because when I was around him, I could think of little else besides riding him like a bucking bronco at the rodeo.

  No. The more time I spent with Dax, the more I genuinely liked him for who he was Quirky personality and all. And that desirability was making it damn hard to stay professional.

  I’d done nothing but give him the cold shoulder the last several days, bordering on out right bitchiness. I’d kept it strictly professional, like there was absolutely nothing between us more than a working relationship.

  At the end of the workday, we both went our separate ways. There was no friendship. Just work.

  He asked me and Hailey to come down to dinner with him the day before and it killed me to turn him down. I made up a story that Hailey and I had plans. And today, when we met up to go over the final arrangements and to make sure that we had everything that we could possibly need for setup the next couple of days, I couldn’t even look at him in the eye. I felt awful for the way I was treating him.

  But I couldn’t help it. This wedding could very well make or break my career and my business.

  I wished that this wedding wasn’t so important, that it was just some every day run of the mill event. Then I could let go and see where things would take us.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. So, I needed to suck it up and keep on working. No matter how much I hated the situation.

  Today we were in the lodge doing a final chair count and adding the name tags. The stone’s wanted each guest to sit in a predecided spot. Family and close friends of the bride and groom up front, then relatives, then other friends of the family in the back.

  We had ten stacks of white chairs for each of the ten rows. We couldn’t set the chairs out yet, because there were other guests using the lodge during the week. We would set them up the day before the wedding. But to be as ready as possible, we could affix the name tags that Dax and I had printed out earlier that day.

  Since Hailey and I had the lists of names and the order of the seating from the Stone’s, I told Dax that we would take it from there.

  “Thanks for all of your help, Dax. Hailey and I will affix the names since we have the lists of guests,” I told him.

  “Okay, I have to stock up the bar so if you need me, just let me know,” Dax replied giving me a sexy grin before turning to go to the storage room behind the bar.

  I gave him a sideways smile as to not be rude and turned to do my job. I noticed his look of disappointment as he put his head down and walked away. It made me feel really bad. What I really wanted to do was give him a sensual smile in return. To have a real conversation with him. To learn more about him. To open up.

  I sighed and continued fastening the stupidly extravagant name tags to the backs of the super fancy chairs. We were also winding a string of flowers through each of the chair backs and as I was struggling with my latest vine, I looked up to see two attractive young girls come into the lodge.

  Guests, no doubt. Both girls were decked out in the newest ski fashions. Designer ski jackets, hats, and boots. Fancy sunglasses. One was a blonde with long straight hair who looked just like a Barbie. The other was a brunette with shoulder length curly hair that bounced with each step.

  They both headed straight to the bar and ordered drinks. The bartender quickly went to work making their drinks. When he delivered them, both girls sipped from the long straws, babbling and giggling amongst each other.

  Dax came out from the back room carrying several cases of beer, stacked on top of one another. He was wearing a tight-fitting white t-shirt, and his biceps swelled out of the thin sleeves as he carried the heavy cases. He set down the cases on a cooler and began stocking the adjacent cooler in front of the two girls.

  “Ooh, Mandy, look at those muscles,” the blonde girl cooed to the brunette, not even trying to be quiet.

  “Wow! Dax, you must have been working out today. Your biceps are so hard. Come here and flex for us,” the girl called Mandy fussed over Dax.

  The blonde fluttered her dark eyelashes at him and gave him a coy smile while sipping slowly on her straw, clearly trying to look sexy.

  I gasped. What kind of respectable lady would ask their host to come and flex for them? And look at that blonde chick giving him that seductive stare!

  I watched─astonished─as Dax obliged the girls. He strutted his stuff to stand right in front of him and raised his arm to flex his bicep for them. Both girls “oohed” and “aahed” over his muscle.

  I just stared. My mouth must have been hanging open because Hailey actually nudged me, giving me a “What are doing?” look.

  I felt my cheeks get red hot. Sighing, I looked away.

  Why was I so angry? I had put off every advance Dax had made toward me. I had no right to be angry or jealous that he was flirting with other women. Women who were giving him the attention that I refused to.

  “What’s going on?” Hailey asked me, looking troubled.

  I hadn't confided too much in Hailey about Dax like I usually did when I had a dilemma. I guessed admitting that I liked Dax to Hailey would have made it too much of a reality for me. So, I avoided talking about it all together.

  Now, I couldn’t avoid it any longer.

  “I can tell that you like Dax. I just didn’t want to say anything. I know that you can’t make any moves on him because of this wedding,” Hailey told me.

  I just looked at her for a moment. I looked back over to the bar and watched as the two girls flirted with Dax and he flirted back.

  Jealousy filled my veins. I had an urge to go over there and put a stop to it. But instead, I turned to Hailey.

  “Yeah, I like him. You know my situation. But this,” I said, motioning over to the girls. “This is too much. I can’t believe that he would act like this right in front of us. In front of me. Like a teenager!” I whisper-yelled angrily.

  Hailey grimaced as she watched Dax interact with the girls. “Hmm,” she said, shaking her head.

  I tried to not stare, but I couldn’t help to watch the scene.

 
; “He’s obviously trying to make you jealous. You know, you could lighten up a little around him. It really wouldn’t hurt,” Hailey suggested.

  “I wish I could Hailey. But I’m afraid if I do, then I’ll lose my edge and end up doing something really stupid. I can’t afford to let my judgement get clouded or my focus to be pulled in any direction but at this wedding. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I can’t risk blowing it because I’m horny,” I told her.

  “I know that, but the wedding will be over this weekend. The, who knows?” she siad.

  “I guess. I just don’t want to get sidetracked. I need to focus and make sure that every single aspect of this wedding goes off without a hitch. That’s why the Stone’s are paying good money. They didn’t hire some school girl who would put a man before their son’s wedding.”

  “You are correct. But, you are really good at this. It’s not like you don’t know what you are doing. And, I already told you that I got your back. If I see something out of place, I will take care of it,” Hailey reminded me.

  “I know. You’re the best, Hailey. Maybe I’ll just lighten up a little bit,” I replied. “But,’m not too sure that I like what I’m seeing right now,” I added, still mad.

  Dax

  Those two girls had the most perfect timing coming into the lodge from skiing. I couldn’t have planned it any better myself.

  Oakley dismissed me like she had been doing the last few days. I had almost let it upset me. But those two hot chicks had come in and sat at the lounge and they hit on me right at the perfect moment.

  Right as Oakley was watching.

  I saw her looking out of the corner of my eye. I saw her mouth drop when I flexed my biceps for the girls, and I totally took advantage of the situation. I flirted my ass off.

  I had those cute chics “oohing and aahing” over my muscles. They were giggling and cooing at me and licking their red lips. Sucking on their straws seductively.

  It was too perfect.