Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
My groin stirs at the new angle, making me thankful she’s above the waist.
She peers back at me, her expression smug. “If you throw me in, I’m taking you with me.”
I find it funny she thinks this would stop me. “Guess it’s a good thing I don’t mind the cold.” It’s the only warning she gets before I launch us both into the snowbank.
Her scream trails into a gasp as I roll her beneath me, burying her in the icy powder. “Oh my god,” she shrieks. “It’s so cold.”
“It’s hilarious, isn’t it?” I mock, enjoying my revenge way too much.
Her eyes narrow, promising retribution. “You’re a dead man, Cross.”
A smirk furls my lips. “Brave words for someone who doesn’t have the upper hand.”
“Not for long, buddy boy.” She thrusts her hips upward, aiming to throw me off balance.
The sudden impact wipes the amusement off my face, every muscle in my body tightening in response.
Shit!
She readies herself to repeat the motion, her resolve unyielding. I quickly shift my weight to evade it, but I’m not fast enough, and she collides with my very hard cock.
A sharp gasp escapes her lips as she stills beneath me.
I reach for restraint, the energy of the moment shifting into something else entirely.
Feeling it’s no longer appropriate to have her pinned beneath me, I mutter an apology and start to pull away when her fingers clutch my jacket, keeping me in place.
My gaze locks with hers, and the need I find in her green eyes rivals my own, burning with an intensity that taunts every bit of my control. It nearly snaps all together when she tentatively lifts her hips, this time purposefully aligning herself with my raging hard-on.
Our groans collide in the frigid air before my growl overshadows them both.
“Careful, Hollis,” I rasp, the warning strained. “You’re playing with fire.”
More than fire—more like a bomb. One poised to detonate at a moment’s notice.
“I’m from California,” she throws back, her breathing labored. “I can handle the heat.”
I’d laugh at the clever response if I wasn’t on the brink of exploding.
An internal battle rages within, all the reasons I’ve kept my distance no longer seeming to matter. Not when she’s looking up at me the way she is, her face soft and sweet, eyes filled with longing, pink lips parted in invitation. Each breath she takes lures me closer, and I decide this is one battle I’m more than willing to lose.
My face lowers, inching closer to hers. Her eyes flutter closed, both of us bracing for the impact that will undoubtedly change my existence forever.
Until my sister’s voice shatters the moment like a bucket of ice water. “Um, excuse me!”
Hollis and I both look over to find her standing just outside the back door.
“Sorry to interrupt your little playdate, but we’ve got a pizza to eat and a tree to decorate. So, I’m going to need you guys to move this inside.”
I love my sister, I swear I do, but sometimes she is the sassiest little shit with the worst timing.
Hollis, however, finds her amusing. A soft laugh floats past her lips—lips I was just about to taste.
My mood darkens at the thought.
With the moment broken, I reluctantly disentangle myself from Hollis and find myself instantly missing her warmth. An unsettling reaction.
Pushing it aside, I extend my hand to her in offering.
She accepts the gesture with a warm smile. Snow tumbles off her in hefty clumps as I pull her upright.
“You good?” I ask, clearing my throat when I hear how gruff I sound.
Pull it together, asshole.
“Yeah, there’s just one thing…” A mischievous glint flashes in her eyes before she hurls a handful of snow into my face and takes off at breakneck speed.
My head drops back in utter disbelief.
I can’t believe I didn’t see that shit coming.
Hollis’ laughter follows her all the way over to my sister, where the two high-five in victory.
She turns back to me, her expression once again smug. “I warned you, Cross. I’m not someone you want to mess with.”
If she only knew how bad I want to mess with her, especially when she pulls shit like this, she would tuck tail and run.
I’m tempted to make her pay for this little stunt too but decide to let it go…for now.
Once inside, I change into a pair of sweats before gathering a towel and some dry clothes for Hollis. As she slips into the bathroom, I head to the kitchen, where I find my sister waiting, her gaze fixed on me with a knowing smile.
“What?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
“You like Hollis,” she declares boldly.
“I do not.”
She snorts at the lie. “Yeah, right. I thought you two were going to start sucking face right in that snowbank.”
A scowl forms on my face as I point at her. “First of all, watch your mouth. You shouldn’t even know what that term means.”