“This is why I don’t like you,” I muttered.
“This is why you don’t like me?”
Levi’s mouth closed on my nipple, and he sucked. His hard thigh wedged between mine and ground on the sensitive bundle of nerves between my legs, and I cried out at the sudden onslaught of pleasure.
“No, sweetheart,” he said, his breath chilling my wet nipple. “This is why you do like me.” He dug his thigh up, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. “This is why you’re going to have dirty thoughts about me for months to come.” He squeezed my breast in one palm and brushed his lips against my other nipple. “This is why you’re going to cum harder than you ever have before for me tonight.” He bit down on my bud and my back arched.
I was losing it. Levi was going to drive me mad with lust, and there was nothing I could do about it. He controlled me, owned me, and only he could satisfy the throbbing need between my legs. He was right; I would be thinking dirty things about him for months. Hell, maybe even for years. Nobody had ever made me feel like this, made me want like this, and I didn’t think they ever would.
Levi began an agonizingly slow exploration of my body, licking and sucking my breasts, my hips, my stomach, until I started unconsciously pulling at my restraints to get to him.
Finally, his stubble scraped down my ribs, over my naval, and kept going.
“Stop teasing me,” I begged, knowing that if he didn’t touch my pussy soon, I was going to die.
“I’m tempted to tease you a little more just for that,” he said, kissing the top of my mound. “But fuck, sweetheart, I can’t wait another second to taste you.”
Levi’s tongue speared between my folds. I screamed. He tossed my legs over his shoulders and pulled my sex tight against his face, swirling his tongue around my clit and sucking on my tender flesh. The wet heat of his mouth overwhelmed me. I bucked against his mouth, riding his face toward the orgasm that had been bubbling in me with every brush of his lips. He moaned, vibrating my sensitive nub. I couldn’t tell whether I was panting or cursing or a bit of both.
His cheeks scraped my inner thighs, a delicious contrast to the softness of his tongue. He sucked my clit and licked it with the flat of his tongue, alternating strokes to keep me on edge without letting me fall over. I whimpered and struggled, but Levi was in complete control, holding me down by my hips.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, Levi shoved two fingers inside of me, and I broke into a thousand glittering pieces. My body convulsed. Pure ecstasy spread through every nerve ending in wave after wave, bringing me to a shuddering climax that turned me inside out. I cried out Levi’s name over and over again. He didn’t pull away from my pussy until the last wave skittered over me, and then kissed me hard and deep so that I tasted myself on his tongue.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “Holy fuck.”
Levi sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and grazed it with his teeth. “You taste amazing, Frankie. I could feast on you all day.”
“I don’t think I could take it,” I said. “That was...wow. Probably the most amazing orgasm I’ve ever had.”
“Good. Ready for my cock?”
A hot tingle worked down into my core. “God, yes.”
Levi sat up and grabbed my hips, twisting me onto my front. He rustled with something on the bed and then pushed a pillow under my hips. My face fell against the mattress, hair forming a curtain over it. I felt so exposed, even in the darkness, but not in a bad way. It was sexy.
I heard the rip of a condom packet. A couple of seconds later, Levi leaned over me, pulling back my hair and fluttering his lips over my neck. His hard length probed my folds, and Levi grunted as he found my entrance and worked inside.
I moaned. The angle made the feeling of him stretching me more intense, and I wiggled to get used to it. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to how perfectly full I felt when he was inside of me.
“You’re so tight, Frankie,” he growled, pulling my hips up to meet his. “This pussy was made for me.”
I couldn’t argue with that. The evidence didn’t lie.
Levi bottomed out and pulled back to slam in again, and with each thrust my swollen nipples rubbed against the blanket and sparked with pleasure. I was helpless beneath Levi as he had his way with me, unable even to look back at him. It was wildly erotic, and I felt like we were other people. We fucked like lovers who’d known each other for years, not two people who were only barely getting along after a few months.
Levi’s powerful thrusts shook the bed. His cock hit the perfect spot inside of me, and my moans grew louder.
His lips pressed into the back of my neck and his thrusts became more frantic. He worked up to a dizzying pace, grunting and groaning quietly against my throat. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. Levi reached below me and squeezed my breasts, giving me one final command.
“Cum, sweetheart. Cum for me.”
I did, and he followed soon after. The pleasure sucked us down together, and together we fell, pressed so tightly against one another that our bodies seemed to fuse from the heat. I was blind, deaf, my only sense that of the nerves pulsating under my skin.
I was in heaven.
Chapter 19
Levi
I smelled vanilla before any of my other senses kicked in, before I even registered where I was. It was quiet. Still. And then, a bubbling snore that vibrated my ribs.
I cracked open an eye and looked down. Frankie’s dark head was nestled just under my chin, her hand resting above my heart. The sheet was half thrown off, revealing her gorgeous, tanned back down to the shapely apple top of her ass. I pulled the sheet up, figuring she was probably cold. She nuzzled in a little closer. And snored again.
One of the reasons I never invited the women I slept with to stay the night was because I couldn’t stand the sound of snoring. My father was a snorer, so much so that he used to shake the house before my mom made him see a specialist. I liked the quiet. The last thing I wanted to hear when I was trying to sleep was another person’s labored breathing.
Somehow, Frankie’s little snores didn’t bother me. In fact, they were kind of cute. I cocked my head to the side so I could see her face, and as the next snore rattled my chest, I smiled. Long black lashes fanned her cheeks, her bee-stung lips open just a fraction. She was utterly at peace.
I looked over at the light pooled on the floor by the window, which showcased a stunning blue sky with only a single white fluffy cloud in view. For the first time in days, it wasn’t snowing.
I knew I should get up and check the road conditions, but I wasn’t ready to. Not yet. I wanted to enjoy this last minute in bed with Frankie because everything was going to change the second I left it. We would never work in real life, and besides, I wasn’t looking for a relationship. What had happened this weekend was a pleasant surprise, but it was over now. The thought made me a little sad. I pushed past it and began the slow work of getting out of bed without waking Frankie.
She mumbled something and rolled over on her side once she no longer had my chest to rest on, but didn’t open her eyes. I left her in the master bedroom and walked over to mine to put on some clothes. Then I grabbed my phone and crept to the front door, slipping out into the hallway and heading toward the cafe.
I looked up the road conditions on my phone on the way. Still closed, but crews were clearing the snow and were expected to finish within the hour. We’d be home this afternoon.
I reached the cafe and noticed heaps of blankets spread in front of the fireplace. I went closer to inspect and realized they were people, guests and staff alike. Apparently, last night’s blackout entertainment had ended with a slumber party. It made me smile.
On Friday, the thought of this weekend had filled me with dread. I never thought that I’d look back when it was all over and wish I had just a little more time. It wasn’t like me to get so sentimental.
I ordered two coffees from the counter and sat at a table to call my brother. Garrick answered
immediately.
“Hey! Great news!” he said.
“The roads are open soon?”
“Oh, you already knew.”
I laughed. “Yeah. Believe it or not, I don’t source all my news from you.”
“You must be excited,” he replied. “Only a few hours and you’ll be home.”
I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window, scouring the few clouds for signs of snow. “As long as the weather holds.”
“How did it go?” Garrick asked.
I paused, trying to think of a satisfactorily vague answer.
“It was fine,” I said. “I’ll be glad to get home.”
“Call me when you’re back in the city, and I’ll come over for a drink.”
“Sure thing.”
I ended the call and picked up my coffees to take back to the room. Frankie was still sleeping when I got there, and I knocked on the door as I entered the bedroom to rouse her.
She sat bolt upright, eyes wild and searching. They landed on me, then the coffee in my hand, and she broke out into a smile.
“Gimme,” she said.
I handed her a cup, and she sat up against the pillows, inhaling the aroma with closed eyes. Even with her hair in complete disarray, Frankie looked beautiful. I nearly told her so but refrained at the last second. I didn’t want to complicate things more than they already were. Right now there was a clear line between what we did at night and who we were during the day—no need for me to blur it.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked instead.
“Like a log in a coma.” She took a sip of her coffee but whimpered when it was too hot. The sound brought me back to last night, her crying out into the shadows as I feasted on her pussy. My cock twitched, and I adjusted my stance.
“The roads will be clear soon,” I said, trying to turn my thoughts from last night’s mind-blowing sex.
“Oh, cool.”
Was that disappointment in Frankie’s voice?
I walked back to the door. “I’m going to start getting my stuff together. You should probably do the same.”
“Will do.”
We spent the morning packing, showering, and getting ready to leave without speaking to one another. On my part, it was because I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t sure whether to address the fact that we’d fucked or not, and I decided in the end that if Frankie wanted to talk about it, she would.
She did, in the end. It was halfway through the drive home, on a long stretch of highway bordered on either side by tall bluffs of snow. She turned down the radio, and when I shot her a questioning look, I could see that the elephant in the room was finally getting its due.
“I think we can both agree that we would have never slept together if we weren’t snowed in like that,” Frankie said. “It was nice and everything, but I just want to clarify that it was a one-time thing. Well, a two-time thing. But you know what I mean?”
“Got it.”
“In fact, I think it would be better if we just forgot all about it. Leave it up in the mountains.”
I held my face impassively, even though a frown flickered under my skin. I agreed that boredom and opportunity had brought us together, and going our separate ways was for the best. But to forget? Impossible. The fact that she would even suggest such a thing irritated me.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, sweetheart,” I said. “I decided a long time ago that I’m happier on my own.” I stared hard at the road ahead. “Besides, you’re not my type.”
My icy words hung in the air and I immediately regretted them. Of course Frankie was my type. She was effortlessly sexy. Even when I couldn’t stand her as a person, I found her curves irresistible. But I’d said it, and I wouldn’t apologize now. She was just going to go back to hating me anyway, so why did it matter?
The rest of the car ride was quiet. Neither of us turned the radio back up or spoke a word to the other until I dropped Frankie off in front of her apartment building.
“Thanks for the ride,” she muttered, slamming the car door.
I watched her stomp all the way up the path to her front door.
Chapter 20
Frankie
“Cozy!” I squealed happily, burrowing further into the blankets on my couch.
The soundtrack of the black and white movie on TV was reaching a crescendo, meaning I’d made it back from the kitchen just in time. I wrestled the cap off the wine and poured a glass, placing it on the table next to me. What was the point of going to put it back in the fridge? I was probably going to drink the whole thing anyway.
I was officially set for the evening. I had a pizza in the freezer, another bottle of wine in the fridge, and at least three channels of nonstop cheesy Christmas movies. It wasn’t the Christmas I wanted, but it would do. At least by the end of it I’d be shit faced.
I lifted the glass to my mouth for my first sip when my door buzzed, startling me. My hand jerked, and wine sloshed over the side and into my lap.
“Damnit!” I jumped to my feet and brushed the liquid off of me, glaring at my buzzer.
Who the hell could that be? The only reasonable answer was that it was a Christmas murderer, out for the blood of lonely losers like me spending Christmas alone. Obviously, I shouldn’t answer.
The buzzer trilled again. I sighed and set my glass down, walking over to pick up the handset.
“Hello?”
“Merry Christmas!” came a cheery female voice. “Are you going to let me in?”
I frowned. “Val?”
“Who else would it be, silly?”
I decided not to tell her about my Christmas murderer theory and buzzed her in. I stashed my wine bottle back in the fridge, made sure I hadn’t left any bras or underwear lying around, then opened the door just as Val came out from the elevator.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Adopting you! Pack an overnight bag.” She pushed past me into the apartment. “Do you have any Christmas sweaters?”
“Adopting me?” I followed her inside and closed the door, folding my arms over my chest. “What do you mean?”
Val tossed my blankets over the arm of the couch and sank down. “You’re coming home with me for the night,” she explained. “Well, not my home. I’m spending Christmas with the Wheelers because my parents are in Barbados on vacation. I told Gerhart and Molly that you were all alone today and they insisted on having you over. Isn’t that amazing?”
My mouth fell open. “What? Val, that’s so nice of them, but I can’t possibly accept.”
“You have to,” Val said. “I insist.” She caught my gaze and held it. “It would mean a lot to me to have you there. I hate thinking about you spending Christmas all alone.”
My eyes pricked with tears and I tackled Val in a grateful hug.
“Val I’m so touched.”
“Good. Now let’s get you packed.” She started down the hall toward my bedroom, calling after her, “Christmas sweater? What’s the status?”
I followed her. “I don’t have one.” I grabbed her shoulder and halted her. “Hey, wait a sec.”
Val spun and fixed me with an expression of concern. “What? Everything okay.”
“Yeah, it’s just...” I winced. “Levi. I haven’t talked to him since he dropped me off last week. Don’t you think it’ll be awkward?”
Val reached for my hand and squeezed. “Not at all. You said you guys are pretending it never happened, right?”
“Yeah. That’s true. Does Garrick know?”
Val shook her head. “I didn’t tell him because it wasn’t my secret to tell, and as far as I know, Levi hasn’t mentioned it either.” She patted my shoulder and continued into my room. “It’s not going to be a big deal. We’re all adults, right?”
I followed her into my room and grabbed a bag to start packing, even though I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Sure, I didn’t want to spend Christmas alone, but was it worth stirring the Levi pot? Part of me never wanted to see hi
m again. Part of me missed him—really, viscerally missed him.
I spent my first night back in my apartment after Mount Hood wishing that I could fall asleep listening to Levi’s heartbeat again. I hated myself for it because it made me feel weak, especially since I knew that he wasn’t thinking the same thing about me. After all, I wasn’t his type.
I could see how much rescuing me meant to Val though, and in the end, I wanted to be rescued. And hey, I’d probably realize the second I saw Levi that he wasn’t nearly as tempting as I’d built him up to be.
Val was a hurricane. Within fifteen minutes I had a packed bag, and I’d changed into more Christmas dinner appropriate clothes—a slim-fitting black dress with tights and a wooly burgundy cardigan.
Val carried my bag down to her car and then whisked me off to the West Hills, one of Portland’s most affluent suburbs. We spent the whole drive catching up and didn’t mention the wedding once. It was nice.
I had no idea what to expect for the Wheeler’s estate, but it still managed to floor me. The long driveway was artfully overgrown and ended at the front of a grand, Georgian style house. Two floors of symmetrical windows gleamed with the last rays of sunlight, and Val parked her car next to a sleek Lincoln and led me into the entrance vestibule.
“It’s nice, huh?” she said. “Simpler than my parents’ place, but then again they’ve always cared more about looks than function.”
Simple? The idea that anybody could call this place simple was beyond me.
Val walked straight in, announcing her presence with a song, “We’re here!”
I followed her shyly inside.
The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. The entryway greeted me with polished oak floors, a high ceiling, and elegant but simple decor. Garrick jogged out to meet us, pulling Val in for a tender embrace as I hung back lamely. I noticed he was wearing a bright green knitted sweater with reindeer prancing across the front. The reindeer in the front had a red pompom for a nose.
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