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She shrugs her shoulders, bats her eyes, and replies without missing a beat. “Maybe, or maybe I’ll go a little rogue by breaking character tonight.”
My cock hardens and I stare at her, unable to control my feelings of longing and need. I’ve wanted this for so long. Maybe we both have. Maybe the voice inside my head is right. Why am I so quick to dismiss the thought that she might feel the same way about me? I run a hand through my hair, pushing it back awkwardly, and change the subject. “Do you want some cocoa?”
“Are you going to make it the right way or the easy way?” She asks, implying there’s only one correct way to answer this question.
“Would you like me to make it the right way? I wouldn’t want to become predictable.”
“There are some things that just wouldn’t be the same otherwise,” she taunts back.
I don’t answer. I can’t answer. My tongue is twisted and unable to respond. It takes everything in me to stop myself from marching across the room to throw her into the wall, smothering every inch of her in my embrace. Our bodies pressed together as I take everything I’ve ever wanted to. Instead, I turn away from her, returning to my task of building a fire.
Chapter three
Aspen
As soon as Zane leaves the fire to gather ingredients from the kitchen, I let out my breath and bite into my bottom lip. What the fuck am I doing flirting with him like this? I don’t know what’s come over me. His presence overwhelms my senses, making me behave recklessly. If Breck were here right now... But Breck isn’t here right now, and he would never have to know. The thought slams into my head with a force strong enough to make my stomach lurch with the anticipation of his touch. I’ve never slept with anyone before, but I can’t stop thinking about what it might feel like to sleep with Zane. My pussy clenches at the thought of him warm and hot inside of it. I wonder what it’s like to be filled like that. My thoughts are amiss as I imagine the way he feels, and not just those parts but his fingers, his lips. Just thinking about it leaves me burning with desire.
Not caring one bit what Zane thinks, nor what he has to say about it, I snatch my favorite Christmas record featuring Bing Crosby and plop it onto the record player. I need a comfortable distraction from my thoughts. Soon jazzy Christmas music mixes with the crackle of the fire, filling the space with holiday cheer and warmth. I flip on the light switch to the Christmas tree Zane’s parents put up in here every year while singing along to the song.
As I stare at the gorgeous twinkling lights on the tree, the realization hits me. I left the gift for Zane in the back seat of the Jeep. I always get him Christmas Eve pajamas. It’s one of our parents’ strange traditions. Zane felt left out every year, so I started buying them and gifting them to him each Christmas Eve. I’m not going to miss this year on account of a blizzard. Having never taken off my jacket, I sneak back to the entryway, hoping the keys are on the entryway table. Creeping my way through the house like I’m trying to escape, I try to be as quiet as possible. The last thing I need is Zane interrupting and refusing to let me go out for a silly present. Except it’s not a silly present, not to me. I hold my breath as I step into the entryway. My eyes sweep the table in search of the keys. I’m relieved to see the keys abandoned carelessly. It makes it that much easier for me to swipe them. With the keys zipped inside my coat pocket, I slowly creak open the heavy front door and step into the freezing cold storm. I pull the door shut softly behind me and follow the barely visible outlines of Zane’s footprints from earlier.
It’s freezing cold and dark out here as the wind whips around, biting at my face. My fingers sting from the cold, even after I shove them deep into the pockets of my coat. I trudge through the billowing drifts of snow. The gleaming white peaks swallow my boots over and over with every step. I can feel the snow melting into my jeans and freezing. It sends a shiver rolling through my body, making my teeth chatter. This is brutal. We’ve only been in the house for just under an hour and already the temperature outside has dropped at least another ten degrees. A tremendous gust of wind knocks into me, sending snow swirling against my body, leaving me stumbling to keep from falling over. Zane’s going to be so pissed at me for coming out here alone like this, I think. And why is that? I ask myself. I know the answer without thinking about it, though. He sees himself as my brother, and would never risk losing his friendship with Breck to be with someone like me. He probably thinks I’m immature compared to all the college girls he’s been around for the last few months. I sigh, focusing on the Jeep. My legs are getting tired from stomping through the mounds of snow. In a few more steps, I’ll reach the SUV and then I can turn back. I can’t wait to warm up next to the fire with hot cocoa heating me from the inside out. Or maybe something else is warming me from the inside out. Fuck. Stop thinking like this. There’s not a chance, I scold, but then my mind goes back to his flirty behavior earlier. Maybe there is a small chance. Even if there was, would you really act on it? Would you really cross Breck like that? Can you live with being the reason their friendship ends? I can’t handle the thoughts swirling around in my head. This is all my mother’s fault. She should have never insisted I pick the boys up alone. I know she meant well. Even if she’s not a perfect mom, she still notices enough to know that I’ve missed them both.
Another gust of wind slams into me and I fall against the SUV’s cold door, unable to move for several seconds. Once I’m able to move again, I swing the door open, hastily snatching the gift bag from the backseat. I allow the door to slam shut in the wind. The loudness sends an echo coiling through the air. I should have been more careful. It’s too late now. I shrug my shoulders and unzip my jacket enough to tuck the beautiful bag and paper against my body safely. I don’t want the pajamas to get wet or for the snow to destroy the tissue paper and bag. I tug my zipper up carefully to avoid catching the gift. It takes me a long minute to get turned around. I click the lock button on the Jeep keys and make my way back to the house. No longer fighting against the storm, I find it’s much easier to walk in this direction.
It takes me half the time to walk back to the front porch. Even though my fingers are inside my coat pockets, they are frozen to the bone. My jeans are wet and frozen up to my knee. My teeth chatter uncontrollably as I stomp my numb feet off on the porch. The door swings open just as I’m about to reach for it, revealing a very angry Zane staring back at me unhappily.
“What the fuck are you doing, Aspen?” Zane pulls me inside the house and slams the door behind us. “It’s cold outside.”
I try to speak through my chattering teeth, but stutter as tears burn in my eyes. “I…was…getting…your…gift.”
He rolls his eyes at me, annoyed, just like I knew he would be. “That was really dangerous, Aspen. You didn’t even tell me where you went. You just disappeared. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“I’m sorry, Zane.” I whisper, dropping my eyes and blinking back the hot tear drops.
“I would have gone and gotten it for you if it was that important.” He pulls me into him and wraps his arms around me protectively before whispering against my ear. “Breck would never forgive me if anything happened to you while you’re in my care.”
I can’t handle this. My knees are shaking as I come completely undone. The way he worries about me like this is so fucking sexy. It only makes me want him more. Luckily, he mistakes my trembling for being cold, instead of my body’s response to its extreme attraction to him.
“Come on. You’re freezing cold and soaking wet. Let’s get this stuff off of you.”
He unzips my jacket the way a gentleman does, being careful not to accidentally brush against my breasts. Except my nipples ache to feel his fingers trace soft lines against them. They peak in response to my dirty thoughts as if in agreement.
Zane catches the bag as it spills out of my jacket, completely unharmed and in no worse condition than before my snowy trek. He sets it on the entry table, then bends over to help me get my boots off. My hands land on his broad, muscular shoulders like they have a million other times. I run my hands across them. Electricity buzzing in my fingers as the warmth thaws them painfully. He tugs my boots off one after the other, then sets them next to the register.
“Your pants are frozen and soaked,” he says, returning to my side and poking an accusing finger into the hard fabric.
“I really should go. I don’t have any dry clothes.”
He laughs at me. “There’s no way we’re getting to your house tonight, and you barely survived walking to the Jeep, princess.” I roll my eyes at his taunting nickname.
He surveys me up and down with a giant smirk before rummaging through his luggage to find a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.
“Are those even clean, college boy?” I ask, returning some of his shade.
He scoffs, “You think I don’t do my laundry at college? I’ve been doing my laundry longer than you have, and college hasn’t changed that.” His tone feels harsh, but it’s probably painful to realize just how grown up his parents forced him to be. I shrink back into myself as he slides the clothes into my hands.
“Change.” He glowers at me for a moment, then turns on his heels, returning to the den.
