That Snowy Night (Into The Fire Book 11)

by J. H. Croix

  I caught her hand where it rested on my chest between us and flattened her palm over my heart, holding it there. My heart thumped hard and true.

  “You don’t really know me,” she said, her voice soft. Her mouth twisted to the side, and sadness shadowed her gaze, dark clouds drifting through.

  “Maybe I don’t know all the details, just as you don’t know the details of my life. I’m not asking you to make promises. I just don’t want to go into this under false pretenses.”

  The air surrounding us shimmered, weighted with years of desire and brushed with hazy memories colliding with the present and creating sparks. Delilah’s lips parted with a soft breath before she nodded.

  As she had aptly pointed out, there was much I didn’t know about her. Yet I knew she was the kind of woman who held her cards so close to her chest, sometimes she didn’t even play the hand. I felt a hint of victory at the flash of desire reflected in her eyes. I leaned forward to catch her lips with mine. We seemed incapable of anything other than hot, wild, and wet kisses because what I meant to be a brief touch instantly morphed when her tongue darted out to tease mine.

  The elevator dinged, indicating someone was pushing the buttons on the outside. I tore my lips from hers and eased her down slowly. “Let’s get to the room,” I murmured, reaching for her hand and holding it tight as I tapped the button, and the elevator doors slid open.

  We filed out quickly, and a group of skiers spilled in behind us. Our footsteps were muffled along the carpeted hallway as I all but ran to our room. Delilah kept pace with me easily.

  The second the door closed behind us, Delilah turned to face me, tugging her hand free and sliding her hands up under my shirt. My breath hissed through my teeth. My girl might be prickly and guarded, but when she decided to throw herself into something, she was all in.

  The feel of her palms on my skin spurred me on. We wasted no time, our clothes coming off in a tangle as we made our way to the bed between stumbling kisses and even a giggle from Delilah when she lost her balance as she tried to kick one of her boots off. I thanked the stars the lodge had recently added a small store that sold travel items. I tossed a condom on the bed from the small box I’d purchased earlier.

  I was down to my briefs when I looked up and saw her sifting her fingers through her messy hair. The sight of her struck me hard, right at my core.

  Delilah was breathtaking. With her glossy, almost black hair that she didn’t even bother to style, her rich green eyes, and her bold features, high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and dark brows that arched slightly. She exuded strength with only her full lips softening the clean angles of her face. When she was younger, she had a softer look to her, yet she was even more beautiful now. To me.

  I’d never seen her bare naked, and she wasn’t quite there now, but I’d seen her in a bikini almost every day for those two weeks of camp. Still, my memory had been veiled and gauzy with time washing away its crispness. She’d filled out more, her breasts generous and her hips flaring out. She had a soft curve to her belly, and I wanted to kiss it. Her legs were long and muscular. Her eyes met mine when they traveled back to her face.

  She had one hand curled over the edge of her panties, and I shook my head. “Not yet,” I said. “Come here.”

  She didn’t hesitate, closing the distance between us and stopping in front of me where I stood at the foot of the bed. My arousal filled my boxer briefs, making them tight. I knew it was obvious, and I didn’t give a damn.

  “So, tell me—honestly, this time—did you ever wonder?” I asked.

  Delilah’s eyes searched my face. Her teeth sank into the corner of her bottom lip, denting it and making me want to dive back into the warm sweetness of her mouth.

  She nodded slowly. “Of course, I did. Just so you know, if you ever sent me a letter, my parents got evicted from our apartment while I was at camp, so I never got any mail from there.”

  I filed that tidbit away in the parking lot of my mind to ask her about later. I had only a sketch of her life but sensed it hadn’t been easy. “I did send you a letter, and I wondered why you never wrote back.”

  Her shoulders rose with a breath, falling slowly as she let it out. “They lost my luggage on the way back, so I didn’t have your address either. I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

  I recalled asking for her phone number so we could text, but she didn’t own a phone. I was starting to grasp just how little she might have had.

  “It’s okay,” I said, stepping closer. “I’ve decided it was meant to happen this way.”

  She took another step, closing the last bit of distance between us, her nipples teasing me through the black lace of her bra as they brushed against me when she leaned up and slid her hand around the back of my neck. I needed no convincing. My mouth was on hers in a hot second, devouring her. I wanted to feel all of her all at once, but it wasn’t quite possible. I made do with sliding my hand down her back to cup her lush bottom, savoring her low moan when I gave it a little squeeze. When I nudged my knee between her thighs, a wash of satisfaction rolled through me when I felt the damp silk against my leg.

  Blazing a trail of kisses down her neck and savoring the salty tang of her skin, I murmured against her as I teased my fingers between her thighs. “You’re soaked, Delilah. Is that all for me?”

  She gasped when I nipped lightly at her skin just below the base of her throat. I teased my fingers over the wet silk, pressing lightly over her clit, swollen enough to be obvious even through her panties.

  “What do you think?” she teased in return.

  I chuckled, feeling goose bumps rise on her skin under my lips as I made my way down between her breasts. “I vote yes,” I said right before I sucked one of her tight nipples into my mouth. She cried out, spearing her fingers in my hair as I swirled my tongue around it before turning my attention to her other breast.

  Seeing as I hadn’t expected to see Delilah ever again, all my fantasies about her were blurry. Having her here in my arms—a living, breathing flame with her skin dewy and every sound she made driving me wild—I lost all ability to orchestrate this.

  I needed her bare naked and tangled up with me. Only then might I be able to shackle the lust driving me with a force that couldn’t be denied.

  Lifting my head, I flicked the clasp between her breasts, almost groaning aloud when her breasts tumbled free, her nipples rosy and damp from my attentions. She gave her shoulders a little shimmy, and the bra fell to the floor beside us.

  Lifting her, I set her hips on the bed, then leaned my hands on either side, my face no more than an inch away from hers. “Now’s your chance,” I said, my voice husky with need.

  “My chance for what?”

  I didn’t miss the subtle shift of her thighs and imagined her folds sliding back and forth because she was so fucking wet.

  “To tell me you don’t want this.”

  Her thighs shifted again, her eyes holding mine as she shook her head.

  “Is that a ‘no, you don’t want this,’ or ‘no, you don’t want to take that chance’?”

  She lifted a hand, tracing her fingertip over my lips. “Back to your earlier question, I’m soaked for you.”

  Fuck me. I didn’t think it was possible to have the upper hand with Delilah, not when I was all but a slave to my need for her, but I didn’t care.

  I gave her a fierce kiss before pressing her thighs apart and coming down on my knees in front of her. The silk of her panties was drenched when I trailed my fingers over it. Watching her face, I savored the sight of her biting her lip when a little whimper escaped as I hooked my finger in the edge of the silk and pushed it out of the way. Her pussy was pink, wet, and glistening.

  I didn’t wait, leaning forward and licking her folds as she cried out sharply, one hand fisting the comforter and the other clinging to my hair. I sank one finger and then another into her slick channel as I tasted her very essence. She was so responsive, gasping loudly and murmuring my name raggedly as her chann
el clenched around my fingers.

  In a matter of seconds, I could feel her racing to the edge as the tremors increased in intensity. I swirled my tongue around her clit and sucked it lightly. Her entire body went taut. “Alex!” she cried, yanking my hair hard enough it stung a little. I couldn’t have cared less. I welcomed the pain.

  Lifting my head, I let myself soak in the sight of her. Her skin was dewy, and her breasts rose and fell with every ragged breath. Her eyes finally opened, her gaze dark and hazy.

  “I need you inside me,” she said flatly.

  Now, that was a program I could get with. Rising, I shoved my briefs down and reached for the condom I’d tossed on the bed while she shimmied out of her panties and kicked them free from her ankles. I rolled the condom on before lowering a knee to the bed.

  She shifted back as I rose over her. “Hold on,” I murmured, trying to ease my weight down carefully.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” she gasped roughly.

  I couldn’t hold back the huff of laughter that escaped. “Don’t worry, we’re not stopping. I just want the best way to see you come on my cock.”

  Delilah bit her lip when I rolled us over, resting my back up against the pillows. She got right with me, straddling my thighs, her breasts brushing against my chest as she lifted her hips slightly.

  “We can go slow next time,” she murmured as she reached between us, positioning my cock at her entrance.

  When I felt the kiss of slick arousal from her pussy, my head thumped against the headboard, and I grabbed her hips tightly. She sheathed me slowly in her core, her snug, clenching heat nearly pushing me over the edge instantly. When she sank down fully and I was buried to the hilt inside her, she lifted her eyes.

  It felt as if a bolt of electricity passed between us. Being inside Delilah was like coming home. Nothing had ever felt so right in my life.

  Her eyes widened before she settled her hips again, rocking slightly. “Alex,” she breathed.

  “I know.”

  Chapter Eight

  Delilah

  As I stared into Alex’s dark eyes, my heart was thudding so hard and fast inside my chest that every beat echoed throughout my entire body. The slick fusion of our joining felt almost surreal, primal, and elemental.

  It had been a while—quite a while—since I’d had sex. Alex was thick and long, stretching me enough that it burned slightly even though I was no virgin.

  Tears stung the back of my eyes as emotion crashed over me. There was desire, and then there was this—this fierce, epochal intensity I felt with Alex.

  Alex held still, the feel of his fingers pressing into my skin about the only anchor in the storm of sensation and emotion swirling within me. He eased his grip on one hip, his hand sliding up my side and his thumb briefly teasing my nipple, tight and achy. Then he brushed my hair away from my face.

  “Delilah,” he murmured gruffly.

  Although I felt as if I were spun loose inside, when I looked into his eyes, there was a sense of settling, an ease and a rightness to this moment. Leaning forward slightly, I pressed my lips to his, just a brush of a kiss. Electricity sizzled between our lips, and his hand laced into my hair. His tongue teased mine, slow and sensual, as he rocked his hips, seating himself more deeply.

  I gasped when my clit pressed against his pelvis with just enough friction to send a sharp burst of pleasure spinning through me. He leaned his head back against the headboard when I broke away with another gasp.

  His gaze was heavy-lidded, containing an intensity that set my heart pounding even harder. His hand slipped free from my hair to grab my hips again as I surrendered to the urge to move.

  Rising up, I then sank down over his length again, sheathing him inside my core and crying out as he rose to meet me. I was so close. Each time I rocked into him, the pleasure rippled through me like a wave rolling into itself. I felt myself tightening and heard him murmuring my name.

  “Come on, baby, let go. I need to feel you fly apart.”

  He reached between us, teasing his fingers over where we were joined. The wave crashed, wracking my body with pleasure as I shuddered around him. I felt him tighten, his hand gripping my hip as he cried out my name in a rough shout. I felt the heat of his cock pulsing inside me as I collapsed against him, his arms coming around me and holding me close.

  As I gradually caught my breath, I felt the beat of his heart against mine. I was spent and utterly sated. Pleasure pinged through me in tiny aftershocks. I didn’t want to move. Ever.

  After we untangled ourselves, Alex sweet-talked me into taking a shower with him. Not that it took much effort, mind you.

  I fell asleep with one of my legs tucked over his, and his arm wrapped around my shoulders, holding me tight against him.

  Chapter Nine

  Alex

  The lights outside the windows illuminated the falling snow at the ski lodge. Delilah laughed at something before pausing to take a sip of her wine.

  “I’m going to run to the restroom,” Delilah said when she set her glass down. “Be right back.”

  The moment Delilah was out of earshot, my sister caught my eyes. “Delilah is awesome, and you are whipped,” Holly said with a wide grin, her brown eyes sparkling.

  “Oh, he’s not just whipped,” Nate added. “You, my man, are seriously falling for her.”

  I shrugged, not feeling any need to argue the point. “I am. I just have to convince Delilah it’s not crazy.” Holly’s eyes were bright. “Are you gonna cry on me?”

  Nate grinned, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “She gets all emotional when it comes to love. You know that.”

  “Do you think she would move here?” Holly asked.

  “Maybe,” I replied, my mind spinning back over the past week. This stolen time over the holidays had blown my mind and heart wide open. What was supposed to be a ski trip with friends and family to enjoy Christmas together had turned into so much more. My nights were filled with Delilah, and I knew I was falling in love with her. I didn’t care if it seemed too soon and too crazy.

  Our waiter paused to check on us, and I looked up to see Delilah approaching. Her dark hair gleamed under the holiday lights strewn about the restaurant. When her eyes met mine across the room, my heart kicked hard against my ribs.

  Hours later, Delilah stood in front of the windows in our room, the snow falling lightly outside. I lifted the sprig of mistletoe that Marley had allowed me to steal from the lodge restaurant. I’d assured her it was for a good cause.

  Stopping beside Delilah, I slipped one hand around her waist from behind, dropping my head into the sweet curve of her neck where I pressed a few kisses.

  “Hey,” I murmured.

  “Hey, you,” she replied, the soft twang in her voice familiar now. I’d fallen so hard for her I didn’t quite know what to do about it.

  When she angled her head back to look at me, I held up the mistletoe. “I think this means you need to kiss me.”

  Her lips curled in a smile as her shoulders shook with laughter. “Since when did you need mistletoe to get me to kiss you?”

  “I was going for the holiday spirit.” I dropped another kiss on her neck before lifting my head to catch her lips with mine, savoring the curve of her smile right before I swept my tongue in her mouth. “Merry Christmas,” I murmured with a smile when I drew away.

  She angled her head to the side, her smile stretching wide. “Merry Christmas.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alex

  January

  “Delilah, it doesn’t have to be that way,” I pressed.

  Delilah’s dark lashes swept up, her clear green gaze searching my face. My heart felt squeezed tight. Although we’d had two incredible weeks together, my girl wasn’t falling for the idea we could make this something more than a vacation fling.

  Her lips twisted to the side, and she lifted her hand, lightly tracing her thumb along my jawline. “Alex, you live here. In Alaska. I live
in North Carolina. Those places are far apart. The past two weeks have been incredible, and I’ll never forget them, but let’s not be ridiculous.”

  I let her bag slide free from my hand. The soft thump of it hitting the tiled floor at the airport felt like an echo to my heartbeat. Stepping closer, I trailed my fingers through the ends of her dark silky hair and slid my other arm around her waist as I brought her body flush with mine.

  “It’s not ridiculous,” I insisted.

  A look I had come to know well passed through her eyes, like shadows blotting out the sun. “I suck at goodbyes,” she muttered. Dropping her gaze from mine, she pressed her forehead against my chest, just above my heart. I felt her hand slide up and down my back, almost as if she was trying to comfort me.

  When she lifted her face again, her eyes were shuttered, her chin set in a stubborn line. “I’ll miss you,” she said simply before she leaned up and pressed her lips to mine quickly.

  “I’ll miss you too.” I tried to hold her, but Delilah was clearly determined not to drag this moment out.

  She stepped back abruptly and grabbed her bag. “I’ll call you when I land.”

  “Delilah—” I began.

  She walked away backward, pressing her fingertips against her lips and blowing me a kiss. “’I’ll miss you, Alex,” she called.

  I began to move in her direction, but unfortunately, I had already walked as far as I could with her. We were just outside the security section at the airport. A somber security agent held up his palm. “Sorry, sir, you’ll need to wait back here unless you’re a traveling passenger.”

  Feeling defeated, I watched as Delilah walked away. The airport in Anchorage wasn’t crowded this morning. It was only a few minutes before her dark head disappeared after she went through security. She never once looked back.