Second Snowfall (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 2)

  “I know, but with me, fine isn’t good enough.” He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me into a kiss. At first it felt nice, but I couldn’t help but notice how he was shaking a little. Kingsley was the one decked out in a coat, boots, and hat. There was no reason for him to be this jittery. Maybe he was just excited to see me. I kind of liked it.

  “Hot mama!”

  “Get it, girl!”

  I turned around to see Violet and Christie shouting obnoxious things at us.

  “Sorry, you must be cold,” Kingsley said as if he just noticed I was standing in the snow in a pair of boots, jeans, and a t-shirt.

  “I don’t know. You’re warming me up.”

  “Perfect,” Kingsley whispered, and kissed me again. “I’ll let you get back to your friends, but now you can get out tomorrow and head back to the dorms. Who knows how long it would have taken the plows to get to this side street.”

  “Well, aren’t you the considerate one,” I said in a singsong voice as I slowly unzipped his jacket.

  “How much did you have to drink?”

  “I have no idea. Violet and Christie are terrible influences. You should take me far away from them and teach me a lesson.”

  “As much fun as that sounds, I’m not sure if that’s the best idea. You seem a little—”

  I cut him off with a kiss. It was dangerous and filled with heat, passion, and a whole lot of lust. I was practically begging him to shove those pretty morals aside and have his way with me up against Christie’s front gate.

  Kinsley wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in tight. He was playing it safe, and I didn’t want that. His hands were warm and I needed that heat. I grabbed one hand and slid it up my shirt and over my breast. He eagerly held on and groped me as I broke the kiss to moan.

  He kissed my neck and started to suck at my collarbone as his other hand slid down my back and grabbed onto my butt. My head fell back and I basked in the wonder of his abilities. Until we were interrupted.

  “Okay, guys,” Violet said, grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling me out of his grip. “So, Kingsley, that was awful sweet of you, plowing the street and everything, but I think it’s time to bring Annabelle inside before she catches pneumonia or an STD or something.”

  “Wait a minute, Violet, she came on to me. There is only so much I can resist. I’m just a lowly human.”

  “I know. Let’s talk about it all later. It really was great that you did this for us,” she said, and pulled me back into the house.

  I waved at Kingsley from the window and watched as he climbed back in his SUV.

  “That was fun,” Christie said, and smiled at me.

  “I can’t believe I spent all that time doubting him when here he was, just trying to look out for us.”

  “Did he say what the phone call was about?” Violet asked me.

  “He said she had his notes or something. I totally overreacted.” I didn’t want to mention the pills. I’d heard migraines got rough so he probably just wanted a clear head before going into a burning house. I couldn’t blame him for that but I had a feeling they would.

  Christie’s mom called to let us know she was staying over at her sister’s and she wanted to check on us. Christie assured her we were fine and told her the street was plowed but that we’d be fine for the night. They said good night and we all decided it was probably a good time to go to bed before we could get into any more trouble.

  Christie gave us some blankets and we set up some makeshift beds on the sectional. She joined us there, insisting she’d miss out on the bonding if she slept in her own bed.

  We all awoke the next morning when we were blinded by the sun streaming through the blinds. Groaning, the three of us shuffled upstairs and Christie grabbed us cups for very large glasses of water.

  “Ugh, I need grease,” Violet complained as she downed her glass in what seemed like a single gulp.

  “Easy there. It’s a shame your boyfriend is in England. You’re a good swallower,” Christie pointed out.

  Violet and I looked at each other for a second and she subtly shook her head. “Trust me,” she said with a forced smile on her face. “I won’t let my skills go to waste. But I may waste away if I don’t get some food. I think I’m gonna go out and pick up a breakfast sandwich.”

  “Not in my car, crazy lady!”

  “Please, you aren’t going out there just for a sandwich. Sit your butt down and I’ll make you one,” Christie demanded.

  While she cooked, Violet and I sat on the couch and got our phones out. We figured classes had been canceled but wanted to double check. Turned out the whole school was closed. We relaxed a bit and I turned to her.

  “You didn’t have a terror last night.”

  “I know. Maybe the key is to get liquored up before I go to sleep.”

  “Um, you didn’t seem that drunk. I was a mess and you helped handle me.”

  “Maybe it was nice to fall asleep knowing you guys were next to me. I’m sure he’ll lose interest. That’s all I need to do, get him to lose interest.”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

  “He will. Berneli’s investigator said he was on to something. He thinks he knows who the connection outside the jail is but he is checking on a few more things.” She sounded so sure, but I had a really bad feeling about it.

  There was so much that could go wrong, and she was at risk the entire time. The only thing I could do was trust her, and it made me feel terrible. That or this awful hangover was affecting more than just my stomach.

  “Breakfast is served, bitches,” Christie called a little later. She had a plate of bacon sandwiches for each of us, and a massive plate of pancakes. “I didn’t cut up any fruit because I figured we weren’t in the mood for healthy food, but we have some if you want.”

  “Screw that!” Violet grabbed a sandwich and took a monster bite.

  I quickly followed her lead and got my own. I was a little concerned she would inhale hers and then go for another one, leaving me with the dreaded fruit.

  As I bit into it, I knew this was exactly what I needed. I groaned as my eyes rolled back into my head. Violet and Christie burst into laughter and I stared at them, confused.

  “I’m sorry, was that your O noise?” Christie managed to ask between giggles.

  “My what?” I started to blush, a little embarrassed.

  “The noise you make when you come,” Violet clarified.

  “Shut up. That wasn’t what that was.”

  “No, but seriously, is that the sound you make? Mine is more like an, ‘oh gawd.’” Christie started to fake an orgasm in a very Harry Met Sally kind of way. I tried to ignore her, but it was hysterical. Soon we were all faking it and it sounded a bit too much like a brothel.

  We spent the rest of the morning hanging out and getting to know Christie a little better. But by lunch, we were definitely imposing. Christie had made us three meals and refused to let us contribute any money, or even help her cook.

  “I have a crazy day tomorrow that I need to get ready for. We really have to go,” Violet said finally.

  “Yeah, and since Kingsley and I are going on that date tomorrow, I should probably work on my homework a bit.”

  “All right. I guess that’s fair.” Christie walked us to the door and handed us some of the cookies. “But text me when you get back so I know you’re safe,” she called after us.

  “Don’t worry,” I shouted at her. “I’m gonna drive. Violet can barely drive in perfect weather conditions.”

  “Rude,” she insisted, and tossed some snow at me.

  I shoved her gently and then climbed in the car. I didn’t have gloves and she’d definitely win in a snowball fight.

  “Do you mind dropping me off at David’s?”

  “Don’t you want to go home and get some clothes or toiletries? You don’t want to show up tomorrow looking like you slept in your clothes or anything.”

  “I actually have some
stuff there.”

  “Wait, like you forgot some things there or you have a permanent place for your deodorant and your clothes go in their own drawer?”

  “I have my own drawers, as in two,” she bragged.

  “That’s a big step. But it’s so great. I’m happy for you guys.” I wanted to ask her what was going to happen at the end of the semester when he went back to England. But every time I’d asked her before, she always said she was living for the moment. This made me anxious since their temporary situation was sounding a whole lot more like a permanent one. Guys in movies didn’t give a girl a drawer until they meant business. But then again, what right did I have to say anything? Here I was, dating for the first time. At least they had some kind of plan, even if it was a day by day kind of thing.

  I dropped Violet off and then headed back to school to get started on all of that homework.

  ***

  It was around ten and I was climbing into bed to watch some TV when Kingsley called.

  “Hey, babe, are you ready for tomorrow?”

  “I would be more ready if you would tell me what we were doing.”

  “Well, I called to give you some hints.”

  “Oh, I like hints.”

  “But you have to earn the hints. For the first hint, tell me what color bra you’re wearing.”

  I looked down at my ratty sports bra and did what any girl would do in my situation. “I’m wearing a red lace bra”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  I hoped he never asked to see it since I didn’t own anything close to that sexy. It was probably time to go lingerie shopping with Violet and Christie.

  “All right, the first hint, wear comfy shoes. They won’t get dirty, but we’ll be doing some walking.”

  “But there’s snow on the ground. Where are we going to be walking?”

  “You earn your hints, babe. What are your panties like?”

  I wanted to be flirtatious and fun, but the truth was I didn’t always sleep in panties. You had to let your hooha breathe sometimes. Then I realized that was probably an even better answer than anything I could have made up and I went for it. “Actually, Kingsley, I’m not wearing any panties. Just a pair of those short shorts you like so much. They are even smaller than the ones from the other night.” I hoped this worked, but it sounded ridiculous to me.

  Kingsley definitely didn’t think that though. He groaned. “Aww, babe, you’re killing me. All I want to do is come over and rip those shorts off.”

  “No, you’re breaking the rules. Where’s my hint?”

  “Okay, fine, I just hope you still have some Christmas spirit in you.”

  “Wait. Why? I love Christmas.”

  “No, you don’t get any more hints. I’ll pick you up at ten.”

  We said good night and I sat with my phone in my hand for a few more minutes. I did want to see him. I was a bit eager to finish what we started the other night. The more he touched me, the more I wanted to do with him. Maybe he would be my first. He just made me feel so special. But I couldn’t ruin his surprise. It sounded like he was going all out.

  Chapter 8

  I woke up early and rushed into the shower. I wanted to have plenty of time to get ready. On a good day, I changed my outfit twice so that didn’t take too much time. On a day like today, without Violet’s advice, there was no telling how long it was going to take.

  After the shower, I stood in front of my closet and had no idea what to wear. After three outfit fails, I grabbed my phone and video called Christie.

  “Everything okay?” she asked through a yawn, eyes not entirely focused yet.

  “No.” I told her about my hints but left out the dirty talk, though she probably would be pretty proud of my attempts. I’d tell her about it later when I wasn’t in a time crunch.

  “All right, so, black skinny jeans, a red blouse or sweater, and brown riding boots. The red will be Christmasy, the boots will be comfortable, and the skinny jeans will make your ass look great,” she rattled off.

  “Thanks. Hold on, I’m gonna put it on. I have this pretty, off the shoulder red sweater with glittery silver thread throughout it. I have a black tank top I can put underneath it.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  I grabbed my clothes and quickly got dressed. Then I took my phone and stood in front of the mirror. “What do you think?”

  “Turn around so I can see that ass!”

  I laughed and spun, bouncing my butt up and down for her.

  “You look great,” she managed when she stopped laughing. “Don’t forget to tell me all about it. I’m so excited for you.”

  “See you later!” I hung up and started on my hair. I liked it straight, like, really straight.

  ***

  I was working on my make-up when he texted. Kingsley was going to drive in front of my dorm so I didn’t have to walk in the snow. He said he’d let me know when he was here.

  After taking a few deep breaths, I quickly finished with my make-up and sent Violet a text that I was thinking of her. They’d decided not to go to the jail. The snow seemed like a good excuse and it would give the investigator a little more time. Besides, I really didn’t think Violet could handle it.

  A few minutes later, Kingsley texted that he was waiting for me in the car. At first, I was a little flustered. Wasn’t the guy supposed to pick the girl up at her door? When he said he was going to let me know he was here, I thought he meant in front of my door. He knew which one it was. Then I shook the idea from my head. It was so cold and snowy outside, he probably didn’t want to deal with all that for, like, two seconds to come get me. Besides, I shouldn’t be nitpicking at these little things. He did plan this big date for us. At least I hoped it would be a big date. Maybe it was a mistake to set my expectations so high. It would be better to be pleasantly surprised.

  I took a second before opening the main dorm door and tried to calm down. I was going to be excited no matter what we were doing. Except hiking…I definitely would not go hiking in this weather…or in any weather really.

  When I opened the door, I was immediately hit by a rush of cold air. It was awful. I hurried to his SUV and quickly opened the door.

  “Thanks for picking me up. It’s freezing.”

  “No problem. I’m just glad it stopped snowing. The sun has started melting the snow but it isn’t going fast enough yet.”

  “Yeah, um, is it safe for us to be out today?” I’d be so pissed if the weather ruined our date. Then again, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to spend the day curled up in bed with a movie. I’d lean against his warm, shirtless chest and he’d wrapped his strong arms against me as I breathed in the delicious scent of his cologne.

  “Don’t worry about that,” he said, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ve got chains on the tires and I double checked the place. It’s still open.”

  “What place?”

  “You’re going to have to wait.”

  “You’re no fun.” I pouted a little at him. I stuck my bottom lip out and fluttered my eyelashes. He started the engine and began to drive off.

  “Oh, no, don’t you try that with me.”

  “Try what? I’m not doing anything.” I tried to sound both innocent and sexy at the same time.

  “Just relax, it’s about a half hour away so you should calm down a little.”

  “So, how was your night?” I asked him, deciding to move on.

  Kingsley got excited and broke into a tale about how he singlehandedly saved a family when their car got in an accident. The more he told the story, the more I realized he may have been exaggerating a little bit. But I thought it was cute. It wasn’t like he was lying. He was just embellishing the story to impress me. I was sure he really did help with the rescue, and to be honest, I was a little flattered that he wanted to astound me.

  I continued to listen to his story, completely taken by how animatedly he talked. He just had this way about him that sucked me in. One day, he’d tell his kids the best bedti
me stories.

  My eyes grew wide as I panicked a little. Where had that thought come from? I couldn’t believe I was thinking of him like that. Shaking my head, I pushed those thoughts away and let him finish his story. By the time he was done, we were pulling into the parking lot of a giant building. It looked like a bubble in the middle of a field. I had no idea what it was nor any idea what we were going to be doing there. But at least it didn’t look like we would be braving the elements, so that was a plus.

  “I still don’t understand what we’re doing here,” I told him when he put the Range Rover in park.

  “I know.” Kingsley leaned over me to reach into the glove compartment. He pulled out a red blindfold and winked at me. “Do you trust me?”

  “Um, why?”

  “Because I want you to be really surprised. Now, turn your head so I can put the blindfold on you.”

  “We really don’t have to. I can just close my eyes. I promise I won’t peek,” I insisted.

  Kingsley raised his eyebrows at me and tilted his head in judgment. “We both know you’ll cheat and ruin the surprise.”

  “Fine,” I said, succumbing to him. I turned my head and he placed the blindfold over my eyes.

  “Okay, turn back and let me know if you see anything.”

  “No, I can’t—”

  He quickly cut me off with a kiss. He held the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him. At first, I didn’t like the sensation. I had no idea what was going to happen next and I was positive that I was going to fall off the seat and break the gear shift. But Kingsley held me down and slowly lowered the seat a few inches.

  I was almost laying down while he was leaning on top of me. His hand started moving up my body and the anticipation made me squirm. Then he stopped kissing me and gently blew in my ear. His hands were now suddenly on my hips. Everything he did was slow and deliberate. Kingsley didn’t slide his hands over me, but rather placed them as he felt my body. I didn’t know where he was going to touch next, where he was going to kiss next, what he would do with his tongue, and I was even more aroused than normal.