Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances

by Nicole Morgan

  He joined her on the bed, climbing up over her so he was leaning over her and rubbed his lips against hers until they parted. Slow and deep, soft and wet, it was a kiss for a lazy afternoon. She felt the slow tug of pleasure within her, that sense of being on a journey familiar and yet always new. Her fingers slipped down over his firm butt as his own traced the curve of her side and slipped over her hips.

  And then his fingers started to unfasten the buttons on her shirt.

  Ottavia put her hands down. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to get to your hidden depths,” he said, pushing her hands out of the way.

  She laughed and went back to kissing him, that long, warm, leisurely press of lips, stroke of tongues. She sank into the kiss as into a deep, soft mattress, luxuriating in the pleasure, losing track of the time. She felt the shiver of desire, tempered by the knowledge nothing could happen.

  And then Julian’s hand strayed to her hips.

  “Do you realize we haven’t had sex in several hours?” he murmured, tracing his fingers over her belly.

  Deep inside, tension began to coil.

  “I think we need to remedy that.”

  “With pleasure.” His voice was soft in her ears, hypnotic. His lips traveled warm down over her eyelids, her cheeks, along her throat and into the vee left exposed by her shirt. “It’s a perfect day, we have nothing but time.” He trailed his tongue down toward her breasts. “We have the entire day to ourselves.” His fingers traced the open lapels of her shirt. “I think we would be insane not to take advantage of it.”

  His breath was warm on the fragile skin. The brushing caresses, the wet kisses tempted, and when his hand returned to her buttons, she didn’t protest, but ran her fingers through his hair. She wanted to feel skin under her palms. When he raised his head to kiss her again, she smoothed her hands down the ridges of his back.

  He had a beautiful body, toned and muscled without being bulky. She could feel the strength in his arms as he balanced himself lightly over her.

  She could feel the persuasion in his lips.

  It wasn’t anything she’d ever do, it wasn’t the type of chance she’d take, and yet when he peeled the shirt back, it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Her breasts bobbled softly, her nipples hardening in the brush of air. Arousal whispered through her.

  Through the open curtain she could feel the warmth of the sunlight on her skin. And when he stripped the shirt off, it felt as good as anything she’d ever had.

  Julian’s hand curved around her breast, bringing it to his mouth for the liquid caress of his tongue. She sucked in a breath as he rubbed his lips against first one nipple, then the other.

  Closing her eyes, she focused only on the slick touch, the warmth, the feel of his hands on her. She gasped a little as they slid over her breasts, pushing them together so he could rub his chin over her nipples, making her jolt at the surprising bolt of pain followed by the warm wet of his tongue.

  Arousal.

  It made her hungry for him.

  Made her bold enough to take what she wanted.

  She pressed against him until he raised his head.

  “What?”

  “I think you should just roll over and relax for a while,” she said. “Let the lady drive.”

  “My pleasure,” he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

  She took her time, making a long, leisurely exploration of his body, pressing her lips against the firm, slightly rough skin of his neck, trailing her tongue over his chest to nibble on his nipples, one after the other.

  Theirs had been a relationship of so much heat and urgency she hadn’t a chance to really learn his body. But here in this suspended moment that was theirs alone, she could. Now she touched and watched, experimenting with a brush here, a lick there, to see what made him quiver, what made him moan.

  And always, always, she dropped down toward what she craved.

  Straddling his legs, she unfastened the string on his pajama pants and pulled down the waistband to free the stiff bounce of his cock. The lust thrumming through her intensified. She swallowed, staring at it, thick and hard and flat up against his belly. “You seem to have yourself a little problem there.”

  “Sweetheart, don’t use the word little when talking about a man’s equipment.”

  “My mistake,” she said. “Any way I can make it up to you?”

  “I can think of a few.”

  “So can I. First, these come off.” She tugged at material still hugging his body.

  “My pants?”

  “If I have to be naked, so do you,” she said firmly.

  He sighed. “The things I’ll do to let you have your way.”

  She grabbed the bottom of his pant legs and pulled, sliding them off. She moved into place, leaning down. His erection was hard, the head purplish in the sunlight. She nuzzled it with her nose, then breathed on it, watching it bobble a bit in reaction.

  Wetting her fingertip, she slicked one of her nipples then rubbed the firm nubbin over the point on the underside of his flesh where she knew he was most sensitive.

  She was rewarded with a groan. “Do you like that?” she asked, repeating the motion.

  “You look so hot,” he muttered, watching her.

  She stroked him a few more times, then shifted so she was leaning directly over him again. With the tip of her tongue she licked his hard glands and was rewarded with a shudder.

  She licked him again, from base to tip as if he were a lollipop, giving him a little flick at the tip.

  His breath hissed in.

  So soft, so hard, his erection pulsed. She caught it in her hand and held the tip up to her lips, letting just the very end slide inside, getting it good and wet, swirling her tongue around it until he was clenching fistfuls of the sheets.

  And with a sudden motion of her head she slid him all the way inside.

  It wrenched a groan from him.

  There’s nothing like this feeling, she thought, knowing he was aroused, knowing what each movement she made was doing for him. Lips wrapped around him, she slid him in and out of her mouth, her fingers ringing his shaft to keep him wet, to make him even harder. With her tongue she stroked the sensitive underside of his cock. She heard his ragged breath, savoring the immediacy, the knowledge of the pleasure she gave him, knowing at that moment he was focused only on those sensations.

  She let him slip out of her mouth. Ignoring his ragged gasp of disappointment, she moved up to straddle him again, this time leaving him poised at her opening.

  “Condom?”

  He inclined his head toward the bedside table. “In the top drawer.”

  She reached over and quickly found one. By the time she had him covered he was trembling. “All set,” she murmured.

  With a pump of his hips he slid up inside her, where she was already slick and wet.

  For a moment she was absolutely still, savoring the sensation. She began to move up and down on top of him, feeling him go deep in a new way that made her cry out, where it felt she couldn’t possibly take any more, but if she stopped, she would die. With every stroke she felt him all the way up inside, his hands on her hips, guiding her, setting the pace as she tightened herself around him. The struggle for control drew his features taut.

  She wanted release. She wanted to be suspended in this particular moment of connection. She moved her hands to her breasts to pleasure herself, knowing what the sight would do to him. Immediately he grew thicker and harder, as it did just before orgasm. Every time she moved, his cock stroked her clit. Every time she moved, she dragged them both closer to orgasm, every stroke tightening the pleasure down to one tiny spot, one spot from which all sensation radiated.

  The sun was warm on her shoulders and she gloried in it, in the pleasure of his body and hers. She leaned down to press her mouth to his and the tension exploded, sending her quaking and clenching around him. She saw when he let himself go over and they shook together.

  As she struggled
to catch her breath she relished his embrace. Probably a little more than she should, but she just can’t help it.

  It just felt so good.

  Chapter Ten

  “I want to take you to the annual Christmas party.”

  Ottavia looked up, tightening her jaw to keep her mouth from falling open. That had been the last thing she’d expected to hear from Julian. They were camped out in her living room on her couch. He was watching a basketball game while she went over a few of the final details for the event this coming weekend. She wasn’t afraid to say she’d been slacking on her duties lately.

  Thankfully, Yves could moonlight as a freaking elf. Clearly Ottavia wasn’t the only one not keeping up. Something was going on with Trinity as well, but she didn’t know what. She’d had her hands full with Julian the past few days. Since agreeing to have dinner with him on Saturday, he’d either been at her place or she at his. Not that she minded. There was something to be said about being snuggled up to him at night after a lusty round or two of lovemaking. But what he’d just suggested was preposterous.

  “I’m on the committee, Julian. I’m not going to have time to enjoy myself. Believe me, you don’t want to go with me. I’m usually in the corner whimpering by the time the party is over.”

  He lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “I still want to go with you. Maybe we can even sneak in a dance or two.”

  She stared at him for several moments, until his gaze left the screen and met hers. “Do you know what you’re asking?”

  He frowned. “Yes. I’m requesting you attend the town’s Christmas party with me.”

  Exhaling softly, she sat the paperwork she’d been reading over down. “What is this really about, Julian?”

  Picking up the remote, he turned off the television before turning his attention back to her. “I want to go out on a real date with you.”

  “A real date?” she retorted with puzzlement.

  “Yes, you know that thing where you get dressed and go out to eat at a restaurant, then perhaps follow it up by attending a movie.”

  “You don’t have to be sarcastic. I know what a date is.”

  “Okay then. What time do you want me to pick you up for the party?”

  She began to nibble on her bottom lip nervously, wondering how she was going to deal with this sticky situation. Finally, she figured honesty was the best policy.

  “I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to go the Christmas party together.”

  “Why?”

  “Because people will speculate and I have no desire to become a part of the rumor mill.”

  “People are going to gossip regardless.” He sat up slowly. “Are you going to tell me what’s really going on, Ottavia?”

  She hesitated. “I enjoy my time with you, Julian. I feel like we’re getting to know each other without the outside distractions and influences. I don’t want that to change.”

  “Who says it will?”

  “Come on now. Even I’m not that naïve.”

  He released a pent up breath. “Be truthful with me, Ottavia. Do you ever plan on revealing our relationship? To our family? Our friends? The people in Wayne who know us so well?”

  She remained silent and he shook his head.

  “Why? I don’t get what would be so bad about telling people.”

  The back of her neck began to itch and she reached up to scratch it. That only happened when she was nervous and frankly she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. She’d been hoping they could put this conversation off for some time to come, but she should have known she wouldn’t be that lucky.

  “I know it’s not because of my race, because you’ve dated outside of yours before. So I don’t—”

  She could see the moment when it dawned on him.

  “You’re embarrassed to be with me.”

  Her mouth fell open in shock. “What? No! That’s not it at all, Julian.”

  “So, it has nothing to do with my reputation?”

  “Well, yes and no.”

  “No, Ottavia. It can’t be yes and no. Either it is or it isn’t.”

  “Please stop. I feel bad enough about this as it is. I’m sorry. I really thought I could try things your way. I was willing to give this a shot, but I can’t. I know you won’t understand, but I’ll try to explain it anyway. Growing up, my parents weren’t uncompromising, but they were strict. There were just certain things I wasn’t allowed to do. I had a curfew. I could only go certain places and do approved things. It was instilled in me to always conduct myself as a lady—”

  “So, in other words, you’re holding my past against me?”

  “No. I wouldn’t have let you into my bed if that was the case.”

  He emitted a humorless laugh. “So I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough for anything else.”

  She flinched at his harsh expletive. It was a testament to how upset he was, but she wouldn’t stand for it. “Don’t use that sort of language with me. It’s uncalled for.”

  He stood slowly. “No, what’s unnecessary is your unwillingness to open your eyes and compromise. Sure, I was a little bit of a ladies’ man back in high school. Yes, I was the bad boy you didn’t want to bring home to meet your family. But I promise you I didn’t sleep with every woman who’s claimed I have.” He shook his head, his frustration evident. “I would tell you how much I changed the instant I went off to college, but I don’t think it would matter so I’m not going to waste my breath.”

  He shoved a hand through his hair. “What surprises me is you can’t get over something that occurred sixteen or seventeen years ago. It’s even more interesting you’re willing to ignore all of the changes I’ve made since returning to Wayne in order to hold on to that opinion of me.”

  Her brows furrowed together in confusion and he scoffed.

  “Exactly. I can see I’m right so I think I’ll just head home now.”

  It wasn’t until he walked toward the front door and picked up his coat she was spurred into action.

  “Wait, Julian.”

  When his gaze met hers she was taken aback by the anger and disappointment she read there.

  “What for? To be honest, I don’t think I can stomach anything else you have to say.”

  She touched his arm and he recoiled. The sharp pain that travelled through at his reaction startled her. “You don’t have to leave.”

  “Believe me, Ottavia. I have no choice but to.”

  Before she could say anything else, he yanked the door open and marched out, slamming it behind him.

  She stood there in shock for a few moments, trying to figure out what had just happened. What had gone wrong? More importantly, why did it feel as though a mule had kicked her in the chest? This was what she’d wanted. To get him to see it was better to keep things casual between the two of them. But for some sinking reason, she had the feeling she’d done much more.

  A few heartbeats later she shuffled back over to the couch and put away the information for the Christmas party. She’d look it over first thing in the morning once she’d had some rest and her brain was back in working order. Because right now she couldn’t get her mind off of what had just occurred between her and Julian.

  The moment he walked out the door she realized now she’d had what she wanted, she wanted even more.

  “Mom, Dad, it’s me,” Ottavia called out as she let herself into her parents’ home.

  Her mother exited the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. “Hi, baby. As always, you have perfect timing. I just put the cake in the oven.”

  “Clearly being perfect isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be,” Ottavia mumbled under her breath.

  “What was that?” her mother asked.

  She shook her head. “Nothing, Mom, just muttering to myself. Here are the books you wanted.”

  “Just sit them right there then come give your mother a hug.”

  She sat the bag on the end stand by the couch then walked over to embrace her mom.
It took everything she had not to sag into her mother’s comforting hold. She hadn’t heard from Julian in two days and she missed him.

  Yesterday, she’d been preoccupied with getting the last minute details over to Yves before the deadline. But today had been very trying without anything to do but think about Julian.

  “What’s wrong, baby? It seems like something is bothering you.”

  Tears sprang into her eyes and she couldn’t even attempt to hide them. When she sniffled, her mother pulled back to look at her, concern etched into her features.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen. I’ll make you some hot chocolate then we can talk.”

  She followed her mother into the kitchen with her heart in her throat. A short time later, she had a steaming mug in her hands and her mother sat across from her.

  “Now tell me what has you so upset.”

  Ottavia chewed her bottom lip while trying to figure out where to begin. “I’ve recently started seeing someone.”

  Her mother’s expression lit up. “That’s wonderful, honey. But wait, why would that have you upset.”

  “Because I think I’ve screwed things up.”

  “How?”

  “When I was growing up, remember how you used to always tell me to be careful of whom I associate with or I could end up with a reputation I couldn’t get rid of.”

  Her mother’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Yes, I recall that. You know how gossip travels around Wayne quickly. But you did fine. You’re a good girl.”

  “I know, Mom, but I’ve gotten involved with someone that could change all of that.”

  “What are you talking about? Are you in trouble?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not. I promise.”

  “Then tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring me.”

  “Do you remember Julian Ryder?”

  Her mother smiled. “Oh, yes, such a wonderful young man.”

  “Well I—wait—what?”

  Her mother took a sip of her cocoa before continuing. “He’s a little bit older than you so you might not know a lot about him. He was a little bit of a bad boy when he was in high school. Then he left Wayne and went to school in Iowa, which is probably the best thing that could have ever happened to him. He excelled in college and graduated magna cum laude. He returned to Wayne a different man. From what I understand he does a lot of charity work and even convinced the bank to create a scholarship to give to students who might not have a chance of earning one any other way. Yes, a very nice young man. So what about him?”