Winter Heat

by Kennedy Fox

  He nods. “I think I know what you’re trying to say. Come on.” He holds his hand out for me. “Let’s grab some food for the road, and get out of here.”

  I place my hand in his and ignore the way my palm tingles, allowing him to pull me from the seat I’d resolved to sleep another night in. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” I ask him.

  “Not at all. Besides, can you imagine the hell Charity and Brody would give me if they knew I left you here on your own when I’m going your way?”

  “Where are you coming from?” I ask, being nosey. Silas is a firefighter for our hometown.

  “Let’s grab some snacks, and I’ll tell you on the way. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” With his hand still clasped around mine, he has his bag thrown over his shoulder, and grabs my carry-on with the other, leading us away from the car rental terminal. His tall frame leads us expertly through the crowd to the nearest shop.

  He releases his hold on me as we both grab random snacks and place them on the counter. By the time I dig into my purse for my wallet, Silas is already passing the cashier cash from his. He hands me the bag with a smile, grabs my luggage, and laces his fingers through mine, leading me back to the rental car lot. My hand tingles from his touch. He’s flirted with me in the past, but this is new. Not that I’m complaining.

  The snow is falling, casting a thick white blanket over Michigan and its roadways. Silas doesn’t seem to mind as he navigates the rental SUV with ease. “Is this thing four-wheel drive?” I ask.

  “Yep. I looked at the weather and called ahead to reserve it.” He glances over briefly before placing his focus back on the road. His eyes are dark green, so much, in fact, it almost appears if they are contact lenses. They’re not. I asked him when we first met a few years ago.

  “I should have thought of that,” I mumble.

  “You had no idea your flight was going to be canceled.”

  “And you did?” I ask him.

  “My flight was due to leave today. So, yeah, I knew that there were delays from yesterday’s inclement weather and took a wild guess that with this”—he points out the front window of the SUV—“things were not going to be much better today.”

  “So, where are you coming from?” I ask.

  “Thought you’d forgot about that.” He chuckles.

  I turn to look at him, and those damn dimples are making another appearance. “Sordid affair?” I ask. My voice is teasing, but my heart squeezes in my chest at the thought.

  Silas has always been an untouchable fantasy for me. He’s this rugged, handsome, outgoing guy. I’m just me, plain-Jane Callista. I have mouse-brown hair and brown eyes. Sure, I’ve been told I’m pretty, but the women I’ve seen Silas with, I’m not on that level. I’ve harbored a crush on him since the moment we met about five years ago, when his best friend started dating my sister.

  “No. Nothing like that. I was… working,” he says, not giving me any information.

  “You’re a firefighter.”

  “I am.” He nods.

  “It’s the middle of winter in Michigan. There are no forest fires.”

  “There are not,” he agrees.

  “Come on, Taylor,” I say, calling him by his last name. “You have to give me something.”

  “I have a side gig.”

  “A side gig?”

  “Yep.” He pops the p, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “And that gig would be?”

  “Okay, no one knows this, so you have to keep it between us. Although, soon, the cat will be out of the bag.”

  “The suspense is killing me,” I groan, and he laughs. “Out with it already.”

  He holds up his pinky. “I’m going to need some reassurance.” He wiggles his pinky finger.

  “You want me to pinky swear?”

  “You’re damn right, I do.” He holds his hand out over the console, waiting on me to link my pinky with his.

  Not only is it an excuse to touch him, but I get insider information, so of course, I wrap our pinkies. However, he surprises me when he moves our combined hands to his lap, lacing his fingers through mine and resting them on his thigh. I should say something about him needing both hands on the wheel to drive in this storm, but he seems to be navigating fine with one, and he’s holding my hand like I’m his and he’s mine. It’s something I’ve imagined a million times, so yeah, I’m gonna keep my mouth shut.

  Chapter Two

  SILAS

  Her skin is so fucking soft. I’ve done well over the years to keep my distance. That doesn’t mean I haven’t wanted her from afar. It would be awkward as fuck if we dated and it didn’t work out. Her sister is now married to my best friend. Brody and I have been thick as thieves since pre-K. No way am I taking a chance on fucking that up. But here, in this vehicle, just the two of us… I can’t seem to resist her.

  “You know what this means, right?” I give her hand a gentle squeeze where it’s resting on my thigh.

  “W-What?” she asks, clearing her throat.

  “Pinky swears are sacred. You have to take this to your grave.”

  “You said the cat would be out of the bag soon,” she reminds me.

  “I did. However, until that happens, this is between us. You and me.” My heart does this thing where it feels as though it’s flipping over in my chest at the thought of anything between the two of us, even my silly secret that will soon be out for all the world to know. Right now, though, it’s just a few select people, and Callista.

  “Silas,” she moans my name, causing my cock to twitch. Did I mention I’m wearing sweatpants? Thankfully, I’m driving, but all she has to do is glance at my lap, and she’ll see all too clearly what she does to me. “The suspense is killing me. Out with it.” She laughs.

  I love to hear her laugh. “I was at a photo shoot.” I don’t look over at her, instead choosing to keep my eyes ahead.

  “What? Like a firemen’s calendar or something? You went all the way to Michigan for that? And how weird is it that we were both traveling to Michigan at the same time?”

  “Not for a calendar. And finding you today, well, that’s my good fortune.” I give her hand another squeeze, and I can see her squirm in the seat from the corner of my eye. Interesting. Maybe I’m not the only one who’s affected.

  “What kind of photo shoot?” she asks, ignoring the second half of my statement. “The photographer in me can’t resist the details.” She chuckles.

  “Nosey Nell,” I tease her.

  “Hey.” She reaches over and lightly smacks my shoulder with her free hand. “Curious Callista,” she counters.

  This time I do glance over at her, and the smile on her face makes her brown eyes sparkle. “Well, curious Callista, I was at a photo shoot for a book cover.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, her head whips around, and she stares at me. I can feel the heat of her stare. I know she’s waiting for me to elaborate. Honestly, it was with Callista in mind that I agreed to do the shoot in the first place.

  “Start talking, Taylor,” she says, excitement filling her voice.

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “Use your words, Silas!” she says, bouncing in her seat. “Who’s the author? What book? Why didn’t you tell me?” She fires off questions.

  Callista is a reader. She and her sister are forever going on about the books they read, and the leading men in them. Brody actually gets jealous over a fictional character, and I sit back and laugh at the three of them. However, when an author reached out to me on Instagram, Callista was my first thought. I stalked the author online to see how she presents herself to her readers, and it wasn’t until I heard Callista and Charity talking about the author as being one of their favorites that I messaged her back and agreed to do the shoot.

  “Silas.” She leans over the console as much as the seat belt will allow. “You’re killing me here.” Her breath hits my cheek, and all I would have to do is turn my head and lean in just a tiny bit to press my lips to hers.

>   “Sasha Knight.” I let the name of the author roll off my tongue. Callista gasps, falling back into the seat. She tries to pull her hand from mine, but I’m already addicted to the feel of her skin against mine and hold strong.

  “No way. Nope. That’s not funny. Don’t play with me like that. You know she’s my favorite author. You do know that, right? We talk about her. Surely you remember hearing that name?”

  She’s rambling on and on, and I can’t wait to tell her that man she’s been gushing about for months, the one she can’t wait for his story, well, I’m him. At least in regard to the cover. That was the first question I asked when I messaged Sasha back. Which character am I going to be representing? She was surprised by the question, but after I explained the women in my life are obsessed with her work, and the next character, she laughed and said it was both of our lucky days. Mine because I was indeed going to portray the very character that Charity and Callista have been begging for, and hers because I agreed to the shoot.

  “Silas.”

  “I do know that she’s your favorite. I’ve heard you and your sister talk about her and her books more times than I can count. I do pay attention, babe.” The term of endearment rolls off my tongue.

  “Well… good. Okay. Now, do you know who? Which book?” She’s leaning over the console again as if she’s afraid I’ll whisper the answer, and she might miss it.

  “Dean Chandler.”

  Another gasp, and this time she does pull her hand from my grasp. “No.” She uses both hands to turn in her seat.

  “Don’t sit like that,” I say, glancing over. “The roads are slick as hell.”

  “You’re navigating us just fine.”

  “Callista,” I growl. “It’s not safe.” She doesn’t move, so I signal to move to the side of the road, putting the SUV in Park, and hitting the button to turn on the flashers.

  “Why are we stopping?”

  I point at her sitting sideways. “It’s not safe for you to sit like that. We’re going to stop until this conversation is over, so I know when we’re back on the road, you’re safe.”

  “I have my seat belt on.” She pulls the strap from her chest as proof.

  “I’m not taking any chances with you.” Best friend and her sister aside, I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to her.

  Her eyes soften, just a fraction of a second before she waves her hand in the air. “Back to Sasha.” She grins. “How did this happen?” She bounces in her seat. I can’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. I can only imagine this will be an exact replay once we get home, and she’s able to tell Charity.

  “It was kind of a fluke thing. I don’t really know how she found me. I posted a pic of me in my fire suit on Instagram, and she commented and sent me a private message.”

  “I need to see the picture,” she says, grinning.

  I’ve known her for years now, and I’ve never been able to deny her anything, just like the night of Brody and Charity’s wedding reception. Callista was out on the dance floor doing the chicken dance with the kids. All it took was a smile and the crook of her finger for me to leave my seat, my beer, and my sanity and join her in the ridiculous dance. It made her smile, and that was all I needed.

  Reaching for my phone in the cupholder, I swipe at the screen, pull up my pictures, and hand it to her. “This is the picture she commented on.” I watch as she stares at my phone and bites down on her bottom lip. Fuck me.

  “Shirtless,” she says with a nod. She stares for about four more heartbeats, and yes, I counted before she pulls her gaze from my phone and back to me. “Did you meet her? Sasha?”

  “No. She was on a video call during the shoot, but she wasn’t there.”

  “I can’t believe you’re Dean,” she muses.

  “You’ve been holding out on me,” I tell her. Reaching over, I tuck her bangs behind her ear.

  “What? How have I been holding out on you? This is your secret.”

  “You never told me you were into firemen.” The light pink dusting that covers her cheeks has me leaning in a little closer.

  “Th-That’s all women. Men in uniform,” she says by way of explanation.

  “I’d be happy to model it for you. Shirtless,” I add.

  She swallows hard, and I lean in just a little closer. “W-We should get back on the road. We have a long drive.”

  Shifting in my seat, trying to hide the evidence of my arousal, I lean in toward the steering wheel, pretending to be stretching. “Ready?” I ask, looking over at her. She’s once again facing forward, her seat belt properly fastened across her chest. My eyes travel to where the belt rests between her ample breasts, making them even more prominent. When she clears her throat, I pull my eyes to hers and smirk. “They’re distracting,” I say, not the least bit fazed by getting caught staring at her tits.

  A week ago, I would have been pissed at myself. Hell, a week ago, I would never have let myself get caught. However, in this SUV with her so close, only the two of us, on this snowy trek home, I can’t seem to find the willpower to care.

  As soon as we’re back out on the road, I reach over and lace my fingers through hers again. She doesn’t protest and remains quiet when I rest our combined hands on my thigh. I don’t know why, but I need to be touching her. Maybe it’s because this is my one and only chance. Maybe it’s because I need to feel the softness of her skin to remind me this is real. The girl I’ve wanted for years is sitting right next to me. Now it’s up to me to decide what I’m going to do about it.

  Chapter Three

  CALLISTA

  My eyes are glued to the front window of the SUV. The snow is still rapidly falling, but Silas doesn’t seem to care as he expertly navigates us through the storm.

  One-handed.

  Because he’s holding mine.

  With my right hand, I pinch the side of my leg and jump from the piercing pain. “You okay?” he asks, glancing over quickly before setting his eyes back on the road.

  “Yeah, just a nervous twitch or something,” I rattle off my lame excuse. Reaching into my purse, I quickly type in games for long car rides because this silence infused with all the sexual tension isn’t going to work for the next eight-plus hours. Who knows with this weather how long it’s actually going to take for us to get home to Cedar Rapids. I’ve always been attracted to him, and he’s a flirt, but I thought that’s all it was. I’ve felt this chemistry between us. Then again, it’s never been just the two of us. I’ve avoided that, not trusting myself with him. Until now.

  I search until I find road trip questions, and without thought, fire off the first one. “Would you rather eat out for every meal or cook for every meal?” I keep my eyes glued to my phone, scrolling other questions while I wait for his answer.

  “Cook. I do enjoy eating out, but I don’t keep this”—he takes our combined hands and rubs them over his abs—“by eating junk all the time.”

  Shit. This was supposed to help the sexual tension, not make it worse. I take a deep, even breath to try and quell my reaction to him, and his abs. “Would you rather know how you’re going to die or know how I’m going to die?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  “Hey, I’m not making these up.” I hold my phone in the air so he can see I’m reading from it.

  “Me,” he says, his jaw tight. “I don’t even want to think about a world without you in it.” His eyes are on the road, and his grip on my hand squeezes a little tighter. And the breath in my lungs stalls from his sweet words.

  How am I going to survive this trip with him? My finger absently scrolls, and I read the first question at the top of the screen. “Would you rather be famous or rich?”

  “Neither. I like my privacy, and money doesn’t buy happiness. I make a good living, and that’s more than enough.”

  “You’re not allowed to say neither. That’s not how this works.”

  “Fine. New rule. If I answer, then so do you.”

  “Rich.
Not because I love money, well, I mean, who doesn’t love money? But there are so many people I could help if I had more of it.” I chance a look at him, and he nods as if he accepts my answer.

  I’m scrolling for another question, and my phone rings. My sister’s smiling face shines back at me. I accept the video call and hold the phone up so she can see me better. “Hey.”

  “You were supposed to call me. What are your plans? You can’t spend another night in that airport,” Charity says in greeting. The phone jostles as she places it on the mantel and begins pacing back and forth in their living room, from the looks of the background, and I can see that her hand is resting protectively over her baby bump. She moves in and out of the screen with her pacing and it’s making me nervous.

  “First, sit your ass down. You need to stop stressing. You can’t have my niece until I get home, and I am on my way home. We rented an SUV, well, Silas rented an SUV, and we’re already on the road.”

  Charity stops pacing. “Silas?” she questions, her eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah, it turns out he was traveling as well. He noticed me in the airport, and well, we’re headed in the same direction.”

  “Brody, did you know that Silas was bringing Callista home?” she calls out to her husband.

  A few seconds later, he appears on the screen. “Hey, Cal, and no, I didn’t know.”

  I turn the phone to Silas. “What’s happening, brother?” Brody asks.

  “You know, trying to get home to meet my niece,” he says.

  I turn the phone to the front windshield so they can see what we’re driving in.

  “It’s going to take some time,” Silas says, so I turn the screen back to him. “The roads are complete shit.”

  “I went to the doctor, and no change,” Charity tells us. “She’s not ready to meet us yet, so take your time and be safe.”