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)
I’ve never hated a winter jacket more than I do right now.
He eventually gives up and pumps his hips forward, making direct contact.
“Oh, god.” The words push past my lips on a heated whimper. My head drops back against the tree, breaking our kiss as he grinds against the barriers of my clothes, breaching every layer of fabric. It’s the hottest moment I’ve ever had with another human being, despite being fully clothed.
“You’ve thought about this too, haven’t you, Hollis?” he growls, the deep rasp of his voice melting over me like warm honey. “Wanting this as bad as me.”
“Yes,” I breathe. “It’s all I’ve thought about.”
The confession bleeds past my lips with brutal honesty, fueling a new rhythm of his hips. My breathing deepens, breaths coming out in short billows of air, visible in the cold night as I feel myself near the edge of no return.
Mike knows it, his arrogance gleaming in the form of a smirk. “Do it, baby. It’ll be our little secret.” He changes the angle of his thrusts, giving me the friction I desperately need to reach the peak.
Pleasure burns through me like wildfire, a stark contrast to our icy surroundings. My gaze lifts to the stars as I drown in every beautiful sensation, a smile that feels like freedom taking over.
Snowflakes drift lazily from the sky, melting instantly as they land on the heated skin of my face, I bask in it all until my euphoria is cut short.
“Mike? Hollis?” Poppy’s faint voice yanks me back to reality.
My gaze meets Mike’s in a moment of panic, but it’s quickly overshadowed by the intensity reflected at me. It steals my breath away for a second time, making me wish for more time between us. So, we could finish the moment together.
“Where are you guys?” Poppy calls out again, her voice closer now.
Mike mutters a curse before reluctantly placing me back on my feet.
“We’re over here!” I announce, quickly fixing any shifted clothing and smoothing Mike’s hair, which looks as if he’s been mauled by a bear.
Good grief. How did I manage that?
“There you guys are.”
We both whirl around to find Poppy approaching the edge of the clearing we’re in.
“They’re over here, everyone!” she shouts back to the others. “We’ve been looking everywhere. What were you two doing?”
“Nothing!” we rush out in unison, our guilt more than evident.
Thankfully, she doesn’t pick up on it “Did you get to see the fireworks?”
“Yep,” Mike lies smoothly.
I’m saved from having to do the same when the others catch up. Unlike Poppy, they don’t miss our disheveled appearances. Linc chuckles while the rest try to hide their knowing smiles.
God, how embarrassing.
“Ellie invited me for a sleepover,” Poppy reveals, beaming with excitement. “Can I go?”
Mike shifts his attention to Ellie. “You sure?”
“Absolutely,” she assures him. “We’re going to have breakfast with Gunnar in the morning and check out the new car he’s working on. Give you a chance to catch up on sleep or…whatever…”
For once her lack of subtlety doesn’t annoy me in the least. If anything, I silently bless my new friend for her timing and support.
“Can I please go?” Poppy asks again, her eyes pleading.
“I don’t think you’re going to have to beg for this one, kid,” Linc chuckles.
Mike shoots him a glare before gracing Poppy with the answer she hopes for. “Yeah, you can go.”
“All right!” She runs over, giving us both a tight hug. “See you guys tomorrow.”
Ellie steps in to give me a parting hug as well. “You better give me all the details later.”
After this, I’ll give her anything she wants.
We bid the others farewell before the group heads off, leaving Mike and me alone once more.
Our gazes meet simultaneously, a decision forming in that split second.
“Your place or mine?” he asks, his gaze smoldering with an intensity that sears right through me.
“Yours,” I answer without hesitation. “It’s closer.”
“Good fucking point.”
His eager response elicits a laugh from me, a burst of joy that lingers as he takes my hand in his, weaving us through the bustling crowd of locals toward his waiting truck.
With each hurried step, I’m led towards what promises to be an unforgettable night. One that will no doubt be etched into the fabric of my being for years to come.
Mike
Anticipation hums like a tangible force the entire drive home, intensifying and festering until the moment I get her inside the house. Then, it erupts like an atomic bomb, obliterating everything in its path.
We move at the same time, that magnetic pull stronger than ever, drawing us in.
Our mouths collide in a fiery heat that threatens to burn us both alive. I welcome the inferno, fucking bathe in it, letting it incinerate me right to my core.
My tongue sweeps past her lips, aching for another taste. “Christ, Hollis. You’re so damn sweet, baby,” I groan, knowing I’ll never get enough. It’s my flavor of choice now, an addiction I’ll let win every time.