Second Snowfall (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 2)

by Sarah Fischer

  I grabbed the cover and brought it up to my chin, even though I was still fully clothed. Then the guilt hit me hard. Yesterday, I became official with Kingsley and he asked me to start limiting my alone time what Jason. What was the first thing I did? Climbed into bed with him.

  “No, we shouldn’t be doing this. I’m sorry, but you need to leave. Kingsley is gonna freak out if he finds out.”

  “So that’s what this is about? Your precious boy? Where was he last night, huh? Who was there for you when you fell apart? It was me. He knew this was going on and he didn’t even check on you. We fell asleep, it was innocent. If he doesn’t understand that, then he’s a tool.”

  “Oh yeah, are you going to tell Janice?”

  “She already knows. I texted her that you and Violet needed me and she said to take all the time I needed.” Jason grabbed his shoes and put them on.

  “But did you tell her it was just me? You made it seem like it was the three of us. Did you tell her that you were just with me, in my bed?”

  “No, but what does it matter? Kingsley is the guy you’re thinking of.”

  “He is, and I need to go see him. You’re right, he is the person I should be leaning on right now.”

  “Fine, I’m leaving. Text me if you hear anything from Vi.” Jason walked out and slammed the door a bit too hard.

  I sat in bed, lost and confused. I desperately wanted to talk to Violet, but she had enough going on. Instead, I called Christie.

  “Hey, I really need to talk. Can I meet up with you somewhere?”

  “Yeah, I’m craving a coffee. Why don’t we go to that café across from campus? From the sound of your voice, I’m thinking we’re going to need some pastries too.”

  “You are probably right about that.” We agreed to meet up in an hour. I needed to hop in the shower to wash off Jason’s essence from my body.

  I rushed getting dressed and didn’t even bother putting make-up on. I was going to be early, but I didn’t want to be in my room any longer. It turned out that I was about fifteen minutes early. Christie had sent me a text that she was also running early, so I wasn’t going to be sitting by myself for too long. I ordered a coffee and a big cinnamon roll, then found a little table near the window.

  By the time the barista announced my coffee was done, Ski Patrol Barbie was walking into the café. I smiled at Christie and she gave me a big hug. “Look at you. Did you get all dressed up for me?” I asked her as we let go.

  “Obviously,” she teased, and went to order her own coffee. She was wearing a beautiful red coat with a feathered hood. Her bright blonde hair fell over it in loose curls and her black wedge boots hugged her faux leather leggings perfectly. As with every time I saw her, her make-up was perfectly applied, and I was pretty sure she was wearing false eyelashes. It must take so much work for her to look this good but she made it look flawless.

  She came back to the table with her drink and sat down. “Okay, what’s going on?”

  “Kingsley and I went to this beautiful winter festival and he asked me to be exclusive. So that was great. But then I got a call from Violet. She was devastated so Jason and I went over to see her.”

  I thought about how I was going to talk about Violet. It wasn’t my place to tell her the big secret, but it was obviously important to my story. There was probably a way I could talk around it.

  “Violet does have a boyfriend and she’ll introduce you when she’s ready. They want to keep the relationship on the down low, but something happened last year. One of the security guards attacked her because he was jealous. Luckily, Violet got away and he was put in jail. Now he’s causing trouble again.”

  “But what can he do? He’s in jail, right?”

  “He is. Uh, it’s a long story. Finn, the guard, is working with someone on the outside. Anyway, so that happened and I was really upset because I can’t do anything. I felt so useless and helpless. Jason and I went back to my dorm and chowed down on some food. But he was upset and I just hugged him because he’s my friend and I love him too, but then we fell asleep.”

  “Okay, and…”

  “And I just became exclusive with Kingsley and I was cuddled up with Jason, like, twelve hours later. Plus, Kingsley told me that he isn’t comfortable with me hanging out alone with Jason anymore. I’m, like, the worst girlfriend on the face of the planet and I feel crazy guilty and I don’t even know how that happened.”

  Christie put her coffee down and took a deep breath. When she looked back up at me, it was with sympathy and pain at the same time. “Oh, honey, it is not good to start a relationship with rules like that. If Kingsley wants to be with you, then he should trust you.”

  “I want to tell him to trust me. But then, as soon as he was unavailable, I turned to Jason. I mean, he’s my friend and that’s it. But what if Kinsley takes it a different way?”

  “Like what? You and your friends had a dramatic day and your guy friend was there for you. I think the question you should be asking is why you turned to Jason and not Kingsley.”

  I sat there and pondered this. I didn’t even text Kingsley good night. Then again, he didn’t text me either. “I think I turned to Jason because he was there. Besides, Kingsley was on call last night with the fire department. I knew he couldn’t be there for me even if I wanted him to be.”

  “Did you text him or anything?”

  “No, but I figured he was probably at a fire or something.”

  “So nothing happened with Jason besides sleeping and cuddling?”

  “Right.”

  “Well, do you think there is a reason for Kingsley to be jealous of Jason?”

  “No. I want to be with Kingsley. Jason is just my friend. Besides, Jason has Janice and he cares about her too much to consider something else.”

  “What would he be considering?”

  “You know, possibly having something with me.”

  “And why would he think that was a possibility?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t led him on or anything so if he thinks something more could happen, then…”

  “Then what? We talked about this. He has feelings for you and I don’t think you’re as innocent as you think in the feelings department.”

  “Fine, I had feelings for him. You’re the first I’ve admitted this to. Hell, it’s the first time I’ve even said it out loud. But it doesn’t matter. He has Janice.”

  “What if there was no Janice?”

  “It doesn’t matter, there is. Kingsley is good to me and I want to be with him.”

  “There is something to be said for fighting for your man.”

  “I am, I’m fighting for Kingsley because he is my man and I want to make it work.” I nodded and took my phone out to text him. “He doesn’t need to know about Jason, but I do need to see him today.”

  “Good. I mean, if that’s what you want to do.”

  “It is,” I told her, but she didn’t look convinced. Luckily, she let go of whatever was bothering her.

  “Anyway, tell me something about you. What’s going on with your boyfriend? When are you going to see him again?”

  “Um, hopefully soon. He has a break from school coming up so he’s going to be out to see me.”

  “It’s nice that you’re making this relationship work long distance.”

  “Our families have been friends for years so he’s kinda always been around. But it’s nice to have a little distance every now and then. That whole absence makes the heart grow fonder crap.”

  “So, is he the one? I know you kinda mentioned that before.”

  “I mean, it’s still the plan. But I don’t know. He is such a nice guy and very good looking. My parents would be so excited if we got married. I feel like my mom is planning the wedding in her head already. But sometimes I wonder if this is enough. You know?”

  “I do, but if your parents like him, maybe there is a reason for it. I doubt they’d want you to be unhappy.”

  “Right, and I think my parents do know me
pretty well, but I never really dated before this. They didn’t let me. I mean, obviously, I had some boyfriends that I kept quiet, but nothing too serious. Frankly, I almost wish I could have some more time to play the field, or at least to pick my own man.”

  I was about to respond when Kingsley texted me. He was heading to the station because there was a fire and he was called in to help. He didn’t know what time he would be done, but he guessed it would be a couple of hours.

  “Well, I won’t really be able to see him. He’s at a fire.”

  “So? Stop by the firehouse in some sexy lingerie.”

  My mouth dropped open. There was no way I could do that. “Um, I don’t even own a piece of lingerie. I have, like, a million pairs of underwear, but they’re all…practical.”

  “All right, that’s a problem. Let’s go.” Christie got up and motioned for me to join her.

  “Wait, where are we going?” I asked as I chased after her.

  “Shopping. It doesn’t matter who you’re doing, you need to look good doing it.”

  Chapter 10

  I’d never been so embarrassed in my life. Christie shoved me into a dressing room and insisted on grabbing things for me to try on. They were skimpy, lacy, and I would never be caught dead in any of them.

  “Christie, you need to go easy on me. This is too much,” I begged when she handed me a black teddy with a matching thong and dark patches over the breasts. The rest was completely see-through. “I’m not on this level yet and my thighs will never be on this level. I think my ass would eat these panties.”

  “Okay, give me a second. I’ll try again.”

  I sat down on the little seat in the room and anticipated the worst. Surprisingly, I was actually impressed with what Christie brought. She handed me a pair of grey boy shorts that had lace connecting the sides and a black lacy tie up the front. They were subtly sexy. There was a matching bra with lace all over it and a see-through band. Sending her out of the dressing room, I took my clothes off and slipped into it. As I looked at my reflection, I instantly felt sexier. This was a new feeling and I kind of liked it, but more importantly, Kingsley was going to like it.

  “How does it look?” Christie asked while shaking the curtain.

  “Um, I actually think I’m gonna buy it.”

  “Really? I’m coming in.”

  “Wait, what?” I asked, but it was too late. Christie walked into my dressing room and took a good look at me.

  “Dang, girl, Kingsley is one lucky man.”

  “Thanks. I feel good in it.” I looked in the mirror again, turning around to stare at my butt, surprised that I actually liked how pronounced it looked in the boy shorts.

  “Let’s get it and get you all sexy so you can drop by the fire station. Maybe you can meet up with Kingsley and give him a little taste.”

  “I think I will.” I changed and headed straight to the cash register.

  As we headed back to the car, my secret weapon in hand, I had a little bit of a panic attack. I’d bought lingerie. There was only one reason for a girl to buy lingerie and I didn’t know how I felt about that.

  “What’s wrong?” Christie asked, noticing my silence.

  “Actually, I think we should return the lingerie.”

  “Why? You just said you loved it.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for what it means. I’m still a virgin,” I told her as I turned around and started to walk to the store.

  Christie grabbed my arm and stopped me. “Okay, just because you bought it doesn’t mean you have to have sex tonight or tomorrow. You can keep it until you’re ready. It made you feel good, right?”

  “Yeah, it did.”

  “Then keep it. Wear it under your clothes when you want to feel confident. Wear it to sleep to have sexy dreams. Who cares? Lingerie is supposed to make you feel even better than you look. Come on, I’m going to unlock the car. Climb in the back and put the underwear on.”

  “No, I’m not changing in a car. Anyone could be walking by.”

  “Oh, don’t be so innocent. The windows are tinted so no one is gonna see you. Just put it back on and if you don’t feel more confident, sexy, or even a bit more relaxed, then we’ll return it.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled, and slid into the back. I put on the bra and panties while covering myself the best I could. Once I pulled my clothes back on top of the lingerie, it was almost magical how I instantly sat up a little straighter. They were like magic lingerie. I climbed out of the car and smiled at Christie. “You’re right, I love the way I feel. I think it’s something to do with the lace. I’ve never worn it before.”

  “Work it, girl. Besides, you don’t have to have sex if he sees you in it. You could just have some fun.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. But then again, at the festival, I had this feeling when I was with him. What if he’s the one? What if this is the guy I’ve been saving myself for? He really seems to care. If I want to make this work with Kingsley, maybe I need to give us a shot. Maybe this is what I need to do.”

  “As much as I’m all for sex, you don’t want to just do it like that. Is that how you want your first time to be?”

  “No, it’s coming out wrong. I just mean that it might help our relationship move further and prove I’m serious.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  We got in the car and, as she turned the heat on, I smiled at her. “We’ve done a lot up to this point and it feels amazing. I think I’m ready. Besides, isn’t this what you do in college? Try these things out?”

  “Actually, this might be good for you. You can experience it, and hopefully it will bring you two closer.” She nodded and sounded hopeful.

  Christie drove me back to my dorm and helped me get ready to surprise Kingsley.

  ***

  How did I get here? I was sitting in my car, wearing the new underwear and a sweater dress with leggings. Christie tried to get me to just wear a coat, but I wasn’t at that level yet. So instead, my sweater had buttons down the front and Christie decided that the striptease I could give Kingsley with it was even better than the jacket.

  Kingsley had said the fire was going to take a little while, so I took my time getting pretty. I let Christie put a bit more make-up on me than I normally allowed and we curled my hair. I felt a bit like Violet, and even sent her a picture. She was so angry that I let someone else do my make-up.

  It had been about two and a half hours since Kingsley texted about the fire, so I was hoping he would be done soon. My nerves were not going to stay up for a whole lot longer. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait. The firetruck pulled in about fifteen minutes after I did. Kingsley, in all of his glory, climbed out of the truck in his uniform and I about had a panic attack. Some people made jokes about men in uniforms, but I understood it now. There was something about the fireman’s jacket, hat, boots, and pants that had me practically panting. He had some ash on his face but a smile almost covered it. He was in his prime and practically shaking with exuberance. At that moment, he was the sexiest man I’d ever seen in person.

  I opened the door and decided it was now or never. “Kingsley,” I called out to him as he was taking his boots and pants off.

  He looked over to me and gave me a big smile. “Hey, babe, you look amazing.” He pulled me into a hug and gave me a little kiss on the lips.

  “Thanks. I missed you,” I gushed, placing my hands on his chest. “Aww, you looked so good in that uniform.”

  Kingsley bit his lip a little and his eyes seemed to darken. “Oh yeah? Is it working for you?”

  “You could say that.”

  “How would you feel if I said I was a major part of saving someone’s house?”

  “I would feel…” I wanted to say something sexy so I quickly thought over my options. I could say I felt aroused and exhilarated or I felt like falling into his arms so he could ravish me. But I couldn’t do it, and instead I said, “I feel like getting a tour from the sexiest man in the building.” It was close enoug
h.

  “I could definitely do that.” Kingsley reached out to take my hand and I noticed it was shaking like crazy. I fed off his energy but tried not to bounce as I followed him into the station.

  ***

  Before we walked in, Kingsley grabbed a spare t-shirt from his Range Rover. He was pretty sweaty from the fire. I kind of found it hot, but I definitely appreciated it when he sprayed some cologne and covered the weird chemical smell coming off of him. In his fresh fire department t-shirt, smelling like a mix of ocean and fresh air, he looked like he could star in a calendar.

  We walked into the station hand in hand to a loud group of cheers and jarring. Kingsley introduced me to some of the guys as we walked around. They teased him a bit for bringing a girl in, but Kingsley seemed to appreciate the attention. He didn’t let me take more than one step away from him the entire time. We went through the station, stopping in almost every room for Kingsley to introduce me as his girlfriend. I loved hearing that word, but most importantly, I loved hearing the pride in his voice when he said it.

  He was taking me out to show me the truck when I finally felt courage flow through me. It may have been the underwear, hearing Kingsley brag about me, or my hormones kicking into overdrive, but whatever it was, I took hold of it fiercely and tapped Kingsley on the shoulder. He turned to look at me and I motioned for him to come closer. I leaned in to whisper in his ear, trying desperately to sound sexy. “Hey, so this isn’t exactly why I came here. I was hoping we could go somewhere a little more private.” Then I nibbled on his ear.

  “Oh, I know just where we should go.” He kissed my hand and pulled me along with him.

  “This is one of my favorite rooms,” Kingsley told me as he closed the supply room closet.

  “Why?” I asked, a little confused. It was pretty dark and definitely not as exciting as the firetruck.

  “Because there is a lock on the door.” Kinsley reached behind me and turned the lock on the knob. He leaned forward and gave me a kiss.

  “Wait,” I said, pulling away from her for a second.