by Amanda Rose
God, he smells like home and comfort. Warm, inviting, and almost impossible to resist. But I know it's all an illusion, a mask of seduction.
“How many girls have gotten that line?” I ask, scooting away from him. No matter how hot the attraction between us burns, at the end of all of this fake fiancée business, he'll want nothing to do with me.
“I don't use lines, never needed to. Women throw themselves at me. So why bother? Not that I blame them. I am rich and gorgeous,” he says, a sinful smirk slowly creeping onto his handsome face. He runs his hand through his luxurious wave of chestnut hair.
“So humble.” I give him a look. “And I thought you were the nice one,” I say, shaking my head. His smirk just gets a little more wicked.
“Whatever gave you that idea? I'm definitely on the naughty list.” The way he says naughty is so unbelievably sexy, I feel almost paralyzed by the unexpected onslaught of hormones that flood my body. I can see in his face he recognizes the effect he's having on me. He looks like a predator sensing the moment to strike. Hudson moves slowly towards me, his muscles coiled tightly like a panther.
“You're having fun with me, though, aren't you?” Hudson asks, smiling. “Lounging with your new fiancé in this cozy limo, sipping champagne, the warm glow of Christmas lights reflecting off the newly fallen snow.” He pauses to give me an exaggerated wink, like even he knows how ridiculous he's being. “Can you think of anything that could possibly make this evening any more …”
Suddenly he's there and his warm masculine scent is enveloping me. My heart is racing as his fingertips trail their way up my thigh, towards the hem of my skirt; my breath quickens.
I need to distance myself from him. If I don't … I'm not sure I'll be able to resist the pull of snow and seduction that is overwhelming my body.
“Fun,” he finishes.
Sex. The sound that just oozes from his mouth and into my psyche is pure sex.
I know exactly what it would be like to feel him above me: passionate, loud, quick and violent. But fun. So different from his brothers. Gabriel would be slow and cruel, a blissful agony. And Whit … I can just imagine how it would feel to yield to his quiet strength, to melt under the rhythm of his powerful hips.
I want it with a need so strong I panic. My brain scrambles to find a way to break the tension. I just need moment of clarity, so I can think about this.
“Hot chocolate and Christmas music?” It just pops out of my mouth.
Hudson throws his head back and laughs, a dark dirty chuckle. Even his laugh is like a siren song of temptation.
“You sound just like my brother, Jack. He loves this holiday shit,” he says leaning back into the supple leather, a big smile on his face.
“I like Jack already,” I reply, smiling back at him. Now that the moment has passed and I can think somewhat rationally, I know that as much as I want to, having sex with Hudson is a terrible idea. A little voice in my head says at least tonight it would be. “Let's go get him,” I say. I mean, I should probably meet him sooner rather than later. The better I know these guys, the easier it'll be for me to convince their father that I really want to marry all five of his sons.
Hudson raises his eyebrows in surprise.
“What? He's my fiancé isn't he? Call him,” I say, trying to defend my suggestion that we invite another man on our … date? Can this even be called a date? A business meeting? Technically this is, but it just feels like more than that.
“As loathe as I am to share a woman like you with my brother … if it had to be someone, I'd want it to be Jack. ” Hudson tosses me a saucy wink that tells me he isn't done flirting, and types something into his phone. “I just let him know we're on our way.” He slides the phone back in his pocket, giving me a smoldering look. “Now, let's get you that hot chocolate and Christmas music. You deserve to have everything your heart desires. Lucky for you, while you are mine you'll want for nothing. I mean”—he flicks his eyes down in the direction of his cock before looking me straight in the eyes—“nothing is off-limits.”
The come-on is so ridiculously over-the-top I can't help but laugh. He doesn't seem in the least offended or embarrassed, the exact opposite actually—like I'm a challenge. Hudson's not used to people resisting his powers of seduction. Quite frankly I'm surprised I've managed to make it this far, not that anyone could blame me. Next time a man as rich, charming, and handsome as Hudson Northington is throwing himself at you like this, I'd like to see you resist.
“Christmas music?” I say, changing the subject.
Bringing up the idea of cheerful (and chaste) holiday music is the only defense I have against the onslaught of unbearable desire, swirling through my body like the fresh flakes of snow outside the limo's windows.
Hudson and I spend the short fifteen minute trip to pick up Jack arguing the merits of classic Christmas songs versus peppy pop covers. As we pull up to the curb outside of a sprawling old Victorian, he tells me he prefers instrumental versions of the songs best. I don't get a chance to tell him how incredibly wrong he is because the limousine door opens, letting in a gust of frigid winter air.
The man that climbs in after it, is anything but frigid.
No, he's beautiful and white-hot.
“Ms. Winters, I hope Hudson has been treating you better than Whit and Gabriel did this afternoon.” How does he know about that? His voice is smoky and masculine and dripping with the same arrogant swagger that all the Northingtons have, but the sound is more upbeat and cheerful than his brothers'.
He climbs in, and even though the limousine is quite roomy, he sits right next to me. The scent of peppermint and cigarettes faintly surrounds him. Fuck. He's gorgeous, and he smells so good.
Handsome modelesque features and full lips perfectly complement his pale skin and mussy white blond hair. It looks so soft. I resist the urge to run my fingers through it. The smile he flashes is big and open and genuine, giving a carefree boyish quality to a very masculine face. He may be gorgeous, but his eyes are out of this world. They're an unbelievably vibrant shade of candy-apple green, impossible to resist as they narrow mischievously in my direction.
This guy, he lives life, enjoys it to the fullest.
The hard planes of Jack's chest and the generous swell of muscles on his biceps are easily visible beneath the white fabric of his button up. He notices as my eyes trail down his body and linger for just a little longer than is appropriate. He cocks one eyebrow at me before chuckling. The sound ignites something inside of me and wetness blooms between my thighs. The overwhelming sexual desire that subsided during the Christmas song debate is back and more intense than ever.
“Here I was, all concerned about my new fiancée being trapped in a limousine with this guy, considering he flirts like a romance novel billionaire cliché,” he says, gesturing in Hudson's general direction.
“Ha. If anyone is a romance novel cliché, it's you,” Hudson replies. Jack ignores the comment, keeping his bright green eyes locked on mine.
He slides off the seat and elegantly drops to one knee at my feet. I open my mouth intending to ask exactly how he knew I'd accepted their proposal. Instead, I just sit there like a friggin' idiot with my lips slightly parted, mouth hanging open in shock.
Jack leans forward, completely invading my space. This is the kind of pushy behavior that had me so pissed off in the first place. But for some reason, when he does it, my heart thunders in my chest. He is so close that our noses are almost touching, and I can't smell anything but the comforting tobacco and peppermint scent of his skin.
Jack Northington holds my gaze and stares into the depths of my eyes as if he is searching for something beyond physical. Like he is getting to know the deepest, most private parts of my soul with only a look. There is so much kindness in him, but also a passion. Heat. Intensity. After a short time, he smiles and leans back. Making passionate love on a rug inches from the open flames of a roaring fire, that's him. Transcendent. Powerful. Life altering. But I have to be car
eful not to lose myself completely for fear of getting burned. The sultry sound of his smoky voice brings me back to reality.
“Is this what you want? Because my brothers have a history of convincing people to do things they shouldn't,” he says with genuine sincerity. Looking up at me expectantly, he takes my hand with the engagement ring in his. His thumb absentmindedly circles the delicate white gold band. Where he touches me, my skin tingles. Jack's not going to move until I answer, is he?
I throw Hudson a quick look, silently asking for his help. All I get from him is a wicked smirk and a shrug of his muscular shoulders. My stomach is in knots and I feel tongue-tied, panicked, like some hormone ridden teenager. Why is this is so hard all of a sudden? It's not like this is a real proposal or anything. Because it feels like one? A man that makes your heart race is on one knee and a beautiful elegant ring is on your finger … I get control over my emotions and libido. This is a business arrangement, nothing more.
“Y-Yes,” I manage to stammer out. Jack leans down without taking the rich green of his emerald eyes off my face. He kisses the diamond ring with a sensual brush of lips.
“Oh good. I'm really looking forward to getting to know each other a little better. If you'd said no, I'd've been absolutely devastated,” he says, letting his wicked intentions fill every syllable. Picking himself up off the floor, he slides back into the seat next to me.
“Leave her alone, Jack; she isn't interested,” Hudson says. His silken voice no longer has the flirty undertones, instead there is a hint of something else. Jealousy? No. Can't be. I'm sure I'm just imagining it. I look over at him and he is frowning at Jack. When he sees me looking, he flashes me a smile dripping with sex.
“Well, gorgeous, we must have some serious chemistry. Hudson's already trying to go all alpha male on me and we haven’t even fucked yet,” Jack replies. I can tell from his tone, he is half-joking. His primary purpose is trying to get a rise out of his brother, but here we go again. These Northington brothers walk around like the world should kiss their asses. I won't be treated like a toy they can fuck whenever they please.
“Let's get a few things straight. Firstly, if you want to have any chance of convincing anyone—let alone your father—that you are willing to share a wife, then you'd better stop all this stupid sibling rivalry crap and start acting like adults. Secondly, I'm not some contest, some game where you see who can fuck me first. I'm a person with feelings. And for the record, I'm not fucking either of you—period.” I raise my chin in defiance, purposefully moving myself to the other end of the limo. Jack and Hudson look at one another in shock. It's Jack who speaks first, his smoky voice as confident and controlled as ever.
“May I apologize on behalf of my brothers for this afternoon as well as my actions just now? No disrespect was meant; I was simply attracted to you in such a profound way and thought you felt the same. I can't promise I'll stop trying to fuck you, but if I promise to back off tonight, will you stay? I love Christmas lighting, but no one ever wants to go with me,” Jack says, trying to give me puppy dog eyes. It ends up making me laugh because there is nothing helpless about this man. He is all predator, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“Fine. But only if he stops, too.” I cross my arms over my chest in an attempt to look stern; all it does is draw their gazes to my cleavage. Oops. I let my hands drop uselessly to my lap, pretending I can't see their hungry looks.
“Okay. If you really want to torture yourself, I can wait,” Hudson says, giving me one last scorching once-over before he looks out the window. I roll my eyes, but let the comment go.
“It's time to break open the eggnog; we can't look at lights without it,” Jack says.
“I'm more of a hot cocoa kind of girl,” I quip, daring him to disagree. He gives me a sinfully decadent smirk.
“That's only because you haven't had mine.”
We spend the rest of the night driving all over the city, looking at lights and getting drunk on the best eggnog I've ever had. I must admit, looking at Christmas lights from the inside of the limousine is pretty amazing. Neither boy seems capable of completely turning off the flirting, but they try to keep it to an acceptable level, and I appreciate the effort.
The most surprising part of the night is that two sexy billionaires actually make pretty good company. Not once is the conversation awkward or forced. By the time we're ready to call it a night, we're all unconscionably drunk and decide we should just crash at Jack's house. The last thing I remember is the warmth of strong arms carrying me and the comforting brown sugar and vanilla scent of Hudson's skin.
CHAPTER THREE
My dreams are filled with the comforting smells of Christmas and the musky scent of men … of scattered visions of Jack and Hudson holding my hair back as I lean over the toilet, helping me out of the shower, laying me on a bed made of clouds. They kiss my forehead and brush my hair back …
Something smacks me on the shoulder and I'm startled awake. I sit up frantically, trying to figure out where I am. I'm in a large bed in a grand bedroom dripping with old world elegance. There is a fireplace with a mantel covered in holiday decorations on the opposite wall, and on my left is an elegant Christmas tree.
I look down and see Jack is asleep on one side of me and Hudson on the other, both are shirtless and snoring. I'm wearing a long-sleeved red and white sleep shirt. This is definitely not the dress I was wearing last night. I frantically try to remember what happened after we got here, but can't really recall anything substantial.
OMG. Did we have sex?
Part of me wants to wake them up and find out exactly what happened. The other part of me just wants to get the hell out of there before they wake up.
I have got to get out of here. I slowly crawl out of the big warm bed as I try to carefully extricate my self from between the two drop-dead gorgeous men sleeping on either side of me. Somehow I manage.
Quickly, I scan the gorgeous room trying to find my stuff. I don't see my dress or shoes but my purse is lying on a chair near the fireplace. I tiptoe my way over to it and pull out my phone then shut myself in the bathroom.
Even this room is decorated for Christmas.
I end up smiling in spite of myself. I love Christmas. But I think Jack has me beat. His house—what little of it I've seen—is practically made for Christmas, like something out of a book.
I'm not sure what I should do now. It's almost noon according to my phone. I never sleep in this late. Then again, I've never gotten black out drunk before. I know I'm a lightweight since I so rarely drink, but really, eggnog of all things. Lucia is going to make fun of me forever, but I decide to call her anyway.
I need advice.
I pace back and forth, waiting for her to pick up; Lucia answers the phone on the second ring.
“Hey, I was wondering when you were going to call. So. Did you do him?” She jumps right to the embarrassing questions.
“I can't remember?” I whisper as quietly as I can, cupping my hand over my mouth. I really don't want to wake them up. Even though she can't see me, my face is beat red.
“Why are you whisp—” She stops before finishing the question. “You're at his house, aren't you?” Lucia sounds way too excited about the prospect of me having sex. It hasn't been that long.
“Technically, it's his brother Jack's house,” I whisper back. I can feel my blush getting even worse.
“Wait, which one is Jack? Is he there, too?” she asks, and I can practically see her pinching her brow trying to remember who is who.
“A new one. He went lighting with me and Hudson last night.” Trying to find the words to tell her exactly what happened has me realizing exactly how weird of a situation I've gotten myself in right now.
“How did that happen?” She sounds confused.
“I took the fiancée gig.” I sigh; I make sure to keep my voice low.
“As soon as I saw you sucking face with that tall drink of water, I knew you would.” Lucia laughs, and I roll my eyes.
/> “Anyway, Hudson was telling me his brother Jack loves Christmas—which he does. You should see this place; it's magical. And festive. And elegant. There is a freaking Christmas tree in the bedroom.” I end up being slightly louder than I originally intend. I lower my voice again.
“Is he as hot as his brother? If so, you need to make yourself the center of that hunk sandwich,” she says in typical Lucia fashion.
“Yes. Jack is just as out of this world beautiful as his brothers, but that isn't the point. Should I try to—” Jack reaches over my shoulder and grabs the phone out my hand.
“I'll have Natalie call you back in a bit,” he says, right before he hangs up. I turn around to face him. How dare he hang up on my sister.
But words fail me.
I thought he was panty melting in a suit … but shirtless? Wow.
“Out of this world beautiful, huh?” Jack says. The heat in his smoky voice gives me butterflies and sends a violent shudder down my body. I look him up and down. Jesus Christ. If I wasn't irritated by his rudeness I might not have the strength to stand. A shirtless god of sex and sin is standing less than a foot from me. The waistband of his white silk pajama pants is slung low on his hips, giving me a great view of all the hills and valleys on his perfect muscular body. His emerald eyes watch me hungrily. “Quite the compliment, wouldn't you say, Hudson?”
I look up just as Hudson appears. He lifts his elbow up and leans against the doorjamb, an arrogant lazy smirk resting on his face. He looks just like he did last night, all slouchy bad boy swagger … only this time, he's shirtless, too. And the sight takes my breath away. This billionaire bad boy has tattoos—lots of them. I knew it! Yesterday, they were completely hidden beneath his tailored suit. Now they're on full display.
Hudson is tattooed from wrist to wrist, just above the line where his shirtsleeve might fall if he were wearing a button up. His chest and shoulders are a kaleidoscope of color, like a fine painting on the world's most beautiful canvas. I'd have to get closer to know for sure … but it doesn't seem like his tattoos have a theme. The work is exquisite, and it fits together well, but I see hearts, clocks, stars, and even a … Christmas tree design buried in all that ink?