“You think we can get home okay?”
I love that my home is her home. That we’re going to the same place. And although she might not end up in my bed tonight, I’ll still know she’s in my home. That she’s there with me is enough. “Yeah. We’ll just have to take it slow.”
Quickly, we bundle up and lock up the gym. I hold the door open for her, before running around to the passenger side of my truck. I’m suddenly cursing the fact that I don’t have a bench seat. Making sure the truck is in four-wheel drive, I put my flashers on and pull out onto the road. Reaching over, I lace her fingers with mine and rest our combined hands on my lap.
“Don’t you need to have both hands on the wheel?” she asks. I can hear the tension in her voice.
“Will you keep yours right here?” I ask her.
“Yes.” No hesitation.
I bring our joined hands to my lips, kissing the back of hers, before placing it on my thigh. I release my grip and place both hands on the wheel. This is going to be a long drive. I just hope that by the time we make it home, she’s still willing to pick up where we left off. Regardless, I plan to steal a goodnight kiss. Anything more is just a bonus.
Chapter 8
Hollis
I’m a box of nerves and anticipation as we head back home. Well, to Colton’s place. The house I’m staying at. Renting.
Whatever.
Part of it is the hum of sexual tension filling the vehicle. My hand is still tucked on his thigh, and it takes everything I have not to slide it along the cotton of his Nike joggers. Maybe even angle it upward until my fingers brush up against the very cock that was pressed against my ass just a bit ago.
The other part is because of the weather. I can barely see where we’re headed. My entire body is tense, but Colton just seems as cool as a cucumber. He threw it in four-wheel drive before we pulled from the parking spot and has been expertly driving the snow-covered streets back home.
“You’re really good at this,” I whisper, my eyes riveted on the roadway in front of us.
“Good at what?” he asks, glancing my way for a second.
“Driving in snow. I’d be a terrified wreck right now,” I confess, realizing that moving to the Midwest may not have been my brightest idea.
Colton shrugs. “I grew up here, so the snow doesn’t bother me. But I will admit, I haven’t really driven in it in a while. It’s kinda fun,” he says, glancing my way again with a boyish grin. One full of mischief and excitement.
“Kinda fun?” I’m slightly stunned by his statement.
I’m even more stunned when he pulls into the superstore parking lot and stops the truck just off the deserted roadway. He pushes down the lever that controls the four-wheel drive and gives me another one of those ornery grins. Then, without so much as a word of warning, he guns the gas and turns the wheel sharply to the right.
We spin, and a piercing scream rips through the truck cab. One hand reaches up and grabs the handle over the door, while the other grabs the dash in front of me so hard, I’m sure there might be nail marks. At this point, I’m just praying to God and anyone who’ll listen I make it out of this truck alive.
When the truck comes to a sudden stop, I realize the scream is ripping from my own mouth, and I clasp it closed. Well, as tightly as I can, considering I’m panting like a dog in July. “What the hell was that?” I holler, my eyes wide as they meet his playful ones.
“That was fun, Hollis. Admit it.”
The fear I felt mere moments ago is quickly swept to the side by something that feels a lot like joy. Suddenly, I find myself smiling back at him from across the truck. “Can we… do it again?” I ask, not sure why I’m so nervous.
“Damn right, we can,” he says before throwing the shifter back into Drive. “Hang on.”
And just like that, we’re spinning in the empty parking lot, doing donuts in the freshly fallen snow. I’m still hollering, but this time, it’s more out of enjoyment than fear. I realize quickly that I trust him. I trust Colton to not wreck and kill me while spinning circles in the empty lot.
When he stops, my smile matches the ear-to-ear one on his gorgeous face. We’re having fun. Something that’s both as surprising as it is comforting. “Okay, your turn,” he says, throwing the truck back into Park.
Wait. What?
He just smiles and unbuckles his seat belt. Before I know it, he’s already throwing the console up and sliding my way. “Yep, you heard me. You’ve never driven in the snow, right? Your information when you filled out the rental application said you were from California, so something tells me playing in the snow isn’t exactly a regular activity for you in the winter. Am I right?”
Wide-eyed, I just stare at him as he moves to sit right beside me.
“This is the perfect place for you to practice for a bit. I can teach you how to drive in snow with and without four-wheel drive.”
“But… what about your truck?” I ask.
Again, he just smiles. “As long as you don’t wrap it around a light pole, it’ll be fine, Hollis. My girl is used to getting down and dirty in the winter weather,” he states, tapping the dashboard with his palm.
I swallow through my anxiety and unbuckle my seat belt. “Are you sure?” I croak over my too-dry throat.
“Positive. I’ll just show you the basics since it let up for just a few minutes. Then, we’ll get back home,” he says, his eyes boring into mine, “and finish what we started.”
Oh, boy.
My heart is pounding, and my palms are sweating. I’m not sure if it’s because of the driving in the snow bit or the after with Colton.
Carefully, I move, trying to stand up and shift myself over his body. He slides under, while I move over, and there’s no denying the bulge in his pants that rubs against my ass. When I finally get to the driver’s seat, I buckle up, pulling it as tightly as I can. There’s a slight tremble to my hands as I reach up and place both hands on the wheel. Ten and two. I’m gripping that wheel like it were my first day of driver’s education.
“Okay, let’s leave it in two-wheel for now. I want you to get a feel of the roadway and how the truck handles. Each vehicle is different, Hollis, so just remember to go slow and take your time. Only drive as fast as you feel comfortable going.”
I nod, staring out at the lazily falling snow and the unplowed lot.
“Go ahead and put it in drive.”
I reach over and slide the shifter into gear.
“Now, gently press on the gas.”
I do as instructed, my hands death-gripping the wheel, as I let the truck slowly crawl forward like a turtle. I’m not even sure the speedometer is moving.
“You do know the gas is on the right, right?”
“Don’t use your sexy charms right now, Colton. I’m concentrating,” I tell him, my eyes locked ahead.
“Sexy charms, huh?” he asks, the humor evident in his voice.
And then, he leans over and moves my way. “Hey! You’re not buckled in!”
“You’re not going fast enough to register speed. I think I’m in the clear from potential accidental injury,” he says as he reaches over and swipes a strand of hair off my forehead. I look his way—Jesus, he’s gorgeous—and then focus back on the path in front of me.
“Stop trying to distract me,” I chastise.
Why is it suddenly so hot in here?
“You’ve been distracting me since the moment I first laid eyes on you,” he whispers, just before his lips graze across my jaw. A shiver slips through my body, though I don’t think it has much to do with the temperature.
Pressing the brake, I turn and look his way. His full lips are so close, close enough that I could move just a hint forward, and they’d touch mine. But I don’t. I stay right where I am, barely breathing. Our eyes remain locked, and so much passes in just a few moment’s time. I can see his desire, his lust for me. I can see his playful side and a hint of danger. But most of all, I see the man I want to get naked with, a long-forg
otten hunger hitting deep in my gut for the first time in longer than I care to admit.
He’s been a craving I can’t seem to fight.
His throat bobs as he swallows hard. “You ready?” His voice is husky like it was raked over gravel.
“Ready?” I ask, not really sure what he’s talking about.
Suddenly, a smile so devastatingly handsome spreads across his face that my panties practically explode. I’m so distracted, so lost in the depths of his blue eyes and the familiarity and comfort in that very smile that I almost miss his movement. I almost mistake the touch of his boot against mine as something sexual.
Only, it’s not.
Oh, no.
That touch hurtles my blood pressure into stroke level and my heart rate toward another medical emergency as he hammers down the gas pedal, catapulting us forward into the gray dark of night. He spins us to the right, his laughter drowning out by my bloodcurdling screams. Colton reaches for my hand and moves it under his, the warmth of his touch only offering slight relief in this traumatic situation.
When we stop, he looks at me eagerly, like a kid on Christmas morning. “See? Isn’t that fun?”
“You and I have way different ideas of fun, buddy.”
“Ehhh, come on, Hollis. Live a little.” There’s something in the way he says it. It makes me want to throw caution to the wind and do just that: live a little. I’ve been so worried lately, glancing over my shoulder and trying to remain in the shadows, that I haven’t exactly been living much. Only existing.
Deciding it is time to take the bull by the horns—and I’m not talking about Colton and that very impressive bulge in his pants… yet—I shove his hands off the steering wheel. I kick at his boots to get them away from the pedals and sit up straight in the seat.
I got this.
Just as Colton did moments ago, I push on the gas pedal, ignoring that need to slow down that tingles at the back of my neck. Instead, I go. I launch forward, our wheels spinning and the bed wanting to come around to the front. I overcorrect, sending us into a spin, but keep us moving and my eyes on the roadway. I maneuver the truck through the building snow, angling it toward a drift. When we hit that drift, the truck stops, a small gasp rasping from my throat.
“Shit!” I holler, pressing on the gas even harder, yet only spinning the tires.
Colton laughs. “Okay, hold up on the gas. This is a perfect time to talk about four-wheel drive since you’ve managed to get yourself stuck in a drift.”
He goes through the process of engaging four-wheel drive in the truck and tells me to slowly drive forward. I’m shocked at how easily the truck moves through the snow, thanks to four-wheel drive. When we get through the drift, I stop and turn to face him. Colton’s smiling, leaning back in the seat casually, his arm extended toward me on the seat back.
Suddenly, the desire to kiss him is overwhelming, and it takes everything I have not to climb over the seat and sit on his lap.
“You did well today,” he tells me as I put the truck in park. We both look out at the snow, which is starting to fall heavily again, the only sound our mixed breathing.
“I have a long way to go.”
He shrugs. “Maybe, but that’s a great start. At least you know what it feels like to drive in these kinds of conditions, and when to engage the four-wheel drive.”
I glance out again, barely able to see the tracks we made earlier. “We should probably get out of here.”
“Yeah,” he says, starting to slide my way.
After I unbuckle, I shift so my butt is pressed against the dash and try to step over Colton’s legs. His catch on mine, though, and my weight shifts. Suddenly, I’m falling forward, into his arms. The moment his hands touch my face, I’m straddling his lap, and our lips meet in a frenzy of pent-up desire.
His hands slide down my sides and move beneath my coat. Even without his skin touching mine, the heat of his hands sears my flesh. His tongue begs for entrance, one which I readily grant. I rotate my hips, my core grinding against that delicious erection in his pants.
A groan tears from his throat, his head falling back and lying on the headrest. Seeing him so close to losing control has my hips automatically rocking again, my body seeking out the relief only he can provide. Colton grips my hips as he simultaneously tries to still my movements and help guide them to where he craves the touch.
“Hollis,” he whispers, his voice barely a whisper.
I’m so close to losing my own mind, I can barely think straight. All I can think about is the way he feels, the way we feel grinding against each other, desperately looking for release. Feeling more daring than ever before, I slide my hands under his coat, under the T-shirt he’s wearing underneath, and graze my fingers along those very abs I’ve been picturing for days. Weeks, really. Ever since I saw him walk out of his room in nothing but shorts, I’ve imagined touching him. It’s what I think about as I touch myself late at night when he is asleep.
His hands slide up my neck once more and dive into my hair. He moves me forward, our lips meeting once more in a tidal wave of lust. He trails open-mouthed kisses across my jaw and down my throat as he rocks his hips upward, hitting my clit like a bull’s-eye. “Colt,” I gasp, the sensations almost too much.
As his hand glides down the column of my neck, my heart knocks hard against my chest. It’s so loud, I swear Colton can hear it too. He stills, his eyes wide. My heart pounds again, and suddenly it hits me.
That’s not my heart.
Someone is knocking.
On the window.
On the very foggy window of Colton’s truck.
“Fuck,” he whispers as I practically leap from his lap like a hurdle jumper.
Colton adjusts his tight pants and moves into the driver’s seat. I’ve never been so grateful for leaving my clothes on as I am right now. Thank God, we’re both wearing coats, or who knows what state of naked we’d be in right now.
He hits the window button, and the foggy glass of the driver’s window starts to fall. Instantly, snow starts to blow in, and I snuggle into my coat a little more.
“Everything all right here?” And then the cop pauses. “Jesus, Colton Callahan, is that you?”
“Hey, Rusty, yeah, it’s me,” he says to the police officer standing at his window.
Rusty looks over Colton’s shoulder at me and gives a knowing grin. “I just stopped to make sure everything was okay here. There’s no traffic out, and when I saw a running truck in the lot, I was afraid something was wrong.” His smile tells a different story. One that lets me know he hasn’t missed my rosy cheeks and disheveled hair. Nor the way the truck windows were fogged up. Yeah, the cop knows exactly what we were doing in this deserted parking lot.
“All good, man. Hey, it’s good to see you,” Colton says, changing the subject.
“Yeah, it’s been a few years. I heard you were back in town. For good now?” he asks.
“Yeah, for good.”
“Well, happy to hear it, buddy.” Again, he glances over his shoulder my way. “The weather’s getting pretty bad. You may want to think about taking this back home.”
And cue the flaming blush.
“Headed that way now. Thanks, Rusty. Good to see you again,” Colton says as he rolls up his window and shakes the snow off his arm. “Well, that was unexpected.” He glances my way, and we both burst into fits of laughter.
“I can’t believe that just happened.”
He gives me a smirk and buckles up. “Rusty was a classmate. I’m sure half the town will hear all about this by morning,” he says as he puts the truck in Drive.
I buckle up and sit back to enjoy the rest of our drive. As he pulls out of the lot, Colton reaches over and takes my hand, resting it on his thigh once more. I can’t help but smile as he returns his hands to the wheel. I’m more aware of his driving, but not because I don’t trust him. It’s because I’m taking it all in and really paying attention to how he drives and responds to the road conditions. I imagi
ne myself in the driver’s seat, moving us through the snow to get us safely back home.
When he pulls into the driveway, I notice my car is completely unrecognizable. It’s so covered with snow, you can’t even tell what color it is. “Stay there. I’ll help you out,” he says before shutting off the truck. He grabs his duffel bag from the back seat before meeting me around to the passenger side. I take his offered hand and carefully hop out of the truck, wishing like hell I had purchased a pair of snow boots today. The cold, wet snow quickly seeps into my tennis shoes as we scramble for the back door.
Colton lets us in, and we both stomp our feet and shake off the snow. I toe off my wet shoes and set them on the mat by the door to dry. My fingers find my coat zipper as I start to remove my layers of warmth. When I glance at Colton, I find him standing there, his own boots off and his coat in his hand. Without breaking eye contact, he tosses his coat onto the dryer and reaches for mine, throwing it on top of his. Then, he moves, pressing his body against mine, pinning me to the washing machine.
His lips are eager and firm, his hands roaming my back and sliding down to cup my ass. He lifts me easily, my legs wrapping around his waist. Colton wastes no time in moving us through the house to his bedroom.
The moment we cross the threshold, I’m assaulted by his familiar scent. It wraps around me warmly, and full of familiarity, the same as his body is with me in his arms. He continues to move until I’m lying on the comforter, his body pressed into mine. That recognizable ache bubbles to life as he rocks into me, his erection firmly between us.
When he slows the kiss, I use the opportunity to pull my lips from his and slide them across his jaw. The bite of his stubble is like a bucket of gasoline to an already raging inferno. I have no control over my body, over my mouth, which is why it’s so shocking when I say, “We’re wearing too many clothes.”
I’m never the bold one.
His blue eyes burn even darker. “I do believe you’re right.”
He stands up beside the bed and lifts his shirt up and over his head in that crazy, sexy one-handed way that men can do. His chest is chiseled to perfection with a smattering of dark blond hair. I get an unobstructed view of the tattoo on his left arm. It’s some sort of military design with two names underneath.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 63