by Kennedy Fox
She didn’t know if it was the evidence Nat and Asher had given that Cole wasn’t all bad, or finally seeing him outside the bedroom, proof that he was a complex human being—complete with a family who ribbed him—or the still extremely potent drink, but somewhere along the way tonight, she’d started to view him as someone more than the aloof, intimidating, irritatingly handsome man she’d boxed him into for years. More than the giant nope she’d stamped on him from the moment they’d met in front of the courthouse.
“A little birdie told me you’re doin’ work at the shelter now. How come you didn’t tell me last night?” Last night, when he’d taken off her panties with his teeth before she’d ridden him on the chair in his suite. She could still feel his groans vibrating against her skin. Could still feel his fingers digging into her flesh.
His eyebrows lifted the tiniest bit, his only tell that she’d surprised him. “That little birdie works fast…”
“Usually does in Havenbrook.”
“Maybe so. But regardless of small-town gossip, I don’t talk about any of my clients. Attorney-client privilege.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not askin’ for details. I was just surprised, is all.”
“Surprised because of how you’ve perceived me since your sister’s divorce?”
She cringed before draining the last of her beverage and tossing the cup in the trash can, Cole’s falling in just after hers. There was no denying she’d judged him by one act and one act alone, and how fair was that? She would hate it if the tables had been turned. “I had that comin’.”
He shrugged. “It’s not who I am, Sadie. It’s just something I do.”
And that something had suddenly become multifaceted, painting him in a whole new light. Recalibrating her preconceived notions and adjusting how she viewed him. How she’d been viewing him.
They walked in silence for long moments as Sadie wondered what else she’d gotten wrong about him. What else about himself had he kept hidden from her? But suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know. Already, she was teetering dangerously close to the edge, and one light touch could send her careening into the unknown with a man she knew was risky.
“You don’t have to stick around, you know,” she said finally, just to see what he would say. Would he stay with her, even after given an out? Did he want to?
He tilted his head to the side as he stared down at her. “Why wouldn’t I?”
She lifted a shoulder and moved her attention back to their path. “You’ve never attended this before. If you’re hangin’ around just to make sure I’m okay, it’s unnecessary. I can get back to the inn on my own.”
He was quiet so long, she finally glanced up at him, their gazes locking immediately. His eyes bored into hers, a delicious weight settling over her skin, making her want to lean into him. To wrap her hand around the back of his neck and pull his face to hers. Press their lips together and remind herself exactly how delicious he tasted. Get lost in his groans and the hungry way he always seemed to grip her body, as if he couldn’t get enough.
“How do you know I’ve never gone before?” he asked, his voice low and rough.
Well, hell. Because she was, apparently, a stalker. She’d kept tabs on him since he’d moved to Havenbrook, but she’d done so in order to help her sister avoid a run-in with him. Hadn’t she? True, Elise had never once inferred a dislike of Cole, nor had she ever vocalized any sort of animosity, but sometimes a twin just knew what the other needed.
She shrugged. “I’ve never seen you at the inn during the event. But maybe that has less to do with the event and more to do with Starlight. Maybe you just don’t like it there.”
“If I didn’t like Starlight Haven, would I have chosen it as a place to spend three weeks of my life?”
Well, that was a question she hadn’t actually considered… And why the hell hadn’t she? True, Havenbrook wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, but there were more lodging options available than just Starlight. Of course, hers was the best—in her completely unbiased opinion. Also the nicest. And a man like Cole Donovan certainly enjoyed the finer things in life. That had to be all there was to it, right?
“Why did you?” she finally asked, desperate, for some reason, to know his answer. She glanced over in time to see his jaw tighten, the only whisper of emotion he allowed. He was very good at hiding them, but she’d been watching him enough that she could read those small tics. Could tell as soon as he walked into the inn what kind of a day he’d had and what she was in for that evening when they’d retreat to his room and spend the night wrapped in each other.
“You don’t seem like the kind of woman who’d fish for compliments, Sadie.”
She breathed out a laugh. “And if I were, I certainly wouldn’t fish for them from you.”
Although, he’d paid her compliments before, hadn’t he? Nightly, when his eyes were hazy with lust, his lips hovering over her skin, parted as if trying to inhale her taste. That first night they’d slept together, he’d told her she was gorgeous. Breathtaking. Beautiful. And he’d managed to whisper similar words of adoration every night since.
“In that case, and in the interest of throwin’ you off your game, I’ll tell you that Starlight is the best in Havenbrook. It’s the nicest with the longest list of amenities.”
“That’s true. But is that the only reason you picked it?”
He tugged her to a stop, his hand holding her own, heat zipping along her skin at the contact. When a family walked by, he stepped closer to her, their bodies now nearly flush, and Sadie wanted nothing more than to fall into him. To lift up on her toes and press their lips together. Kiss him with everyone in town as witness. “Were you hopin’ I’d tell you something else? Something like how much I enjoy the fresh-baked cookies in the afternoon or the muffins delivered to my room each mornin’? Or that I find the woman who runs it unbelievably—”
“Y’all’re still out here?” Edna slipped an arm through Sadie’s and bumped their hips together, not so subtly shoving her into Cole.
“Whoa, easy.” Cole steadied Sadie with firm but gentle hands on her hips. And though she might be wearing layers upon layers of clothes, she still felt the touch as sure as a brand against her skin. “You okay?” he asked low, his words just a whisper against her ear, the same tone and cadence he used when he settled his thick length deep inside her.
She shuddered and nodded, ignoring the tightening of her nipples and trying not to dwell on what the rest of Cole’s sentence might’ve been before Edna interrupted.
Clearing her throat, she eyed the older woman. “What’re you still doin’ out here? Did you talk Finn into givin’ you a drink after all?”
“Can’t hide a thing from you, can I?” Edna grinned, all mischief and mayhem. She’d been scheming since well before Sadie was even born, and she pitied the poor fool who was Edna’s next victim. “I was actually out lookin’ for Mac. You seen your cousin around here anywhere?”
Sadie shook her head. “No, I haven’t.” Actually, she hadn’t seen her cousin Mackenna in quite a while—not since her job duties had turned her life upside down. “Was she here tonight?”
“She was supposed to meet me for a carriage ride, and Fred’s over there waitin’.”
Sadie furrowed her brow. “You and…Mac…were gonna go on a horse-drawn carriage ride?” she asked, unable to suppress the skepticism in her voice.
“Yes, sugar. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” Sadie said quickly. “Not a thing. I’m sure friends enjoy it all the time.” None that Sadie had ever seen, considering how romantic the ride was—or so her guests always told her—but who was she to judge?
“My thoughts exactly. But my friend bailed on me, so why don’t y’all go on and enjoy it? Fred can bring you back to the inn since there’s a nip in the air. Feels like snow’s comin’.”
“Oh no. No, that’s fine. We’re fine. We’ll just—”
“Nonsense. It’s right here, and it’s a
lready been paid for. You wouldn’t want me to waste my money, would you, sugar?”
“No, of course not, but—”
“Then y’all go on and use it. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Somehow, without Sadie noticing, Edna had maneuvered them toward the horse-drawn carriage and now not so subtly shoved Sadie in that direction.
Fred, the coachman, lifted his top hat at their approach and stood. “Give me a sec. I’ll be right down to help y’all up.”
“I got it,” Cole said as he gripped Sadie’s waist and lifted her into the carriage as easily as if she weighed nothing more than a sack of flour. To be clear, she definitely weighed more than a sack of flour.
Sadie squeaked in surprise, spinning around in time to see Cole slip Edna some cash before climbing into the carriage alongside her.
She glanced between him and Edna, who strolled away with a grin on her face. “Did you just give her money?”
Cole lifted a single shoulder as he sat, pulling her along with him and settling her flush against his side, draping the thick wool blanket across their laps. “Didn’t seem right that she paid for this when we’re gonna enjoy it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and ignored the flip of her stomach. “Did y’all plan this?”
“Sadie, if you haven’t learned by now that I’m neither that subtle nor that romantic, then you haven’t been payin’ attention.” He placed his arm along the back of their seat, the warmth of his body seeping into her even through the layers separating them. He leaned down so their faces were merely inches apart, their breath intermingling in clouds between them. He smelled like chocolate and peppermint, like Christmas and winter nights, and she wanted to melt into him. To lay her hand against his stomach and press their lips together. To enjoy this ride as if it were truly a romantic date. “If I want something, I just come out and say it.”
Caught in the magnetic pull of his gaze, she leaned closer to him, unable to stop herself. When she was a mere breath away, her eyelids drifted shut as Cole wrapped a hand around her head, his fingers delving into her hair. He held her jaw, tipping her face up to meet his, before lowering his mouth to hers. He groaned into the kiss, and Sadie barely held back her gasped surprise at the contact. They were still in the middle of town, seated up on a pedestal for everyone to see, and he was kissing the breath from her. He swiped his tongue against hers, and she reveled in the contact, inching her hand along his thigh under the blanket until she cupped his hard length and smiled as he groaned into her mouth.
“You’re not playin’ fair, firecracker.”
“Who said I had to play fair?”
He leaned down until his mouth brushed her ear, ghosting his lower lip along the sensitive skin. “Just so we’re clear, if you weren’t wearin’ jeans, I’d already have my fingers deep inside that perfect pussy. I’d make you come before we got back to the inn, too, wouldn’t I? Because I know exactly how you like it.”
She shuddered as he pressed his hand to the seam of her jeans, teasing her swollen clit with his words and light touches that would never get her off. “Why do you do this to me?”
“Because you love it.”
There was no denying that. No denying how much she’d come to crave this man in such a short while. She just had no idea if he felt the same, but maybe this was the sign she’d needed. He’d kissed her for all the town to see, wrapped his arm around her and tugged her into his side. Whispered filthy words in her ear as the townsfolk looked on, unaware of the path his hand took beneath the blanket.
Maybe she could come like this, fully clothed, with a man old enough to be her grandfather guiding their path mere feet away.
But suddenly, Cole slowed his ministrations and whispered, “Open your eyes.”
Hesitantly, she complied, blinking until their surroundings came into focus. She’d been so caught up in him, she hadn’t even taken in how beautiful it was, sitting up here as they rolled through Havenbrook.
“Wow,” she whispered, still tucked into his side.
The carriage itself was a winter wonderland masterpiece, the jingle of the sleigh bells strung from the reins intermingling with the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves on the pavement. It was wrapped in garland and glittered with white lights that arched in a canopy above their heads. That only added to the magic of the experience as they rolled through the most festive streets in town, lit up for their pleasure.
“I’ve booked so many of these for other people, but I’ve never actually taken my own ride.”
He pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “I should’ve paid Edna more, then.”
She breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’ll have to thank her.”
What Sadie didn’t say was that she’d love to be in a relationship with someone who thought to arrange things like this for her, just because they knew it’d make her happy. A picnic in a meadow, wine under the fireworks, or a romantic carriage ride during the holidays.
As they took in their surroundings during their slow ride back to Starlight, tiny specks of white fluff floated down around them, and a smile split her face. It didn’t snow every year, but that only made it all the more special when it did.
She looked up at Cole, who was watching her instead of their surroundings, his eyes locked on her face as she basked in the snowflakes that’d never last. And even though she knew they’d be gone in the blink of an eye, that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy them for however long they stayed.
“Y’all wanna be dropped off at the main house?” Fred asked, breaking her out of her trance.
Cole squeezed her leg under the blanket, his thumb brushing over the seam along her inner thigh. “You need to check on things before you head back to the cottage for the night?”
“Um…y-yeah,” she stammered, trying to recall if she’d mentioned earlier in the night needing to do either of those things, or if she was just that predictable.
He nodded once. Then, without ever taking his eyes from her, he said, “That’d be great, Fred. Thanks.”
“No problem. Here we are.” Fred pulled the reins, halting the horses in front of the path leading to the inn. “I’ve got a stool for y’all. Let me grab it to help Miss Sadie climb down safely.”
“We’re all right.” Cole tossed the blanket aside and jumped down from the carriage before turning to face her.
Glancing down at the drop to the ground, Sadie snorted and stood. “Speak for yourself. I’m too short and out of shape to jump and land gracefully.”
“I wouldn’t let you fall.” He lifted his hands to her, resting them on her waist, his eyebrow cocked in question. “May I?”
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she gave a subtle nod and held her breath as he lifted her out of the carriage and set her down directly in front of him, their bodies brushing along the way. He was still hard, the length of him pressing into her and making her ache with need. They were so close, his exhales fluttered wisps of her hair around her face. It’d be all too easy to press up on her tiptoes, tug his face down toward hers, and kiss him again. Lose herself in his touch and his taste and the feel of his body against hers.
Cole reached up and brushed his thumb across the apple of her cheek, his warm touch against her chilled skin sending a shudder through her. “Snowflake,” he murmured, his gaze dropping from her eyes to her lips, and then he did exactly what she’d hoped he would.
He lowered his head and stole her breath, his tongue swiping against her lower lip as he gripped her ass, having no concern at all for who might be watching. And, in that moment, Sadie didn’t either. She couldn’t remember why being with him wasn’t the smartest thing, especially when he made her feel like this. As if a bottle of champagne had opened inside her chest, all bubbly and warm, and coated every inch of her.
“Y’all have a great night,” Fred called, snapping the reins as he rode off.
“C’mon, let’s get you inside,” Cole murmured against her lips before pulling back. He linked their fingers together, pu
lling her behind him as he climbed the front porch steps, entered the code on the door, and held it open for her.
“Thanks,” she murmured, ignoring how her nipples peaked as she slid past him. Ignoring, too, all the questions this evening had brought up. Like what the hell they were doing now. She’d had an answer for that before tonight—they’d been bed partners. Fantastic bed partners, but that was where it ended. Tonight, though… Tonight changed things, didn’t it?
As soon as they stepped over the threshold, they nearly ran into Elise, who had very obviously been waiting for Sadie to arrive. “I’m out,” she said, barely sparing Cole—or his and Sadie’s linked hands—a glance as she slipped into her coat.
“Wait,” Sadie said. “How’d it go tonight?”
Elise shrugged, one hand on the doorknob. “Fine. Busy. We ran out of your muffins around 8:30, but I plied the rest of the freeloaders with wine.”
“Really? That’s great!” Sadie said as Cole squeezed her hand. She’d prepared as many muffins as last year, plus about twenty-five percent extra, which meant they’d seen quite a bit more traffic. “And how about—”
Elise held up a hand before Sadie could finish. “Everyone’s already in for the night, so we’re both free.” She blew through the front door and lifted a hand in a wave. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” Sadie said, although her sister was already gone. She couldn’t blame her for her hasty retreat—working the Sip and Shop was extremely demanding, and Sadie was always exhausted at the end of the evening.
“Well…” She turned to face Cole, their fingers still linked between them. “It looks like I’m free for the rest of the night.”
“Looks like.”
“Thanks for tonight.” She glanced down at their hands and took a deep breath before lifting her gaze to his. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I had fun.”
Cole cocked a brow. “Quite the compliment comin’ from you.”
She pressed a hand into his stomach and shoved lightly. “You know what I mean…”
“Yeah. Who’d have thought we could be in the same proximity without either bitin’ each other’s heads off or rippin’ each other’s clothes off?” His gaze dropped briefly to Sadie’s lips, then her breasts, which were very interested in the attention, before tipping his head toward the back door. “C’mon, I’ll walk you to the cottage.”