Page 85 of Wright Kind of Trouble

“That’s the plan.” He nipped at my bottom lip and then drew me toward the stove, where cream was bubbling in a pan. “It’ll be ready soon. Warmer?”

“Much,” I agreed. “I can’t believe these temperatures. I was hoping for a little snow. Not a full blizzard.”

His eyes went to the windows. “Yeah. It’s really coming down, isn’t it?”

“Guess it’s good we left when we did.”

“Indeed. Just fires, hot chocolate, and David Bowie.”

He pressed a button on his phone, and music filtered in from a hidden sound system.

“A winning combination.”

Chase finished up the hot chocolate, added marshmallows to the top, and carried both mugs over to the hearth. We cuddled up under the mountain of blankets, letting Bowie serenade us.

I took the first sip of my drink and groaned, “Holy shit.”

He smirked and nodded. “I know, right?”

“Have I been living under a rock? I thought hot chocolate was mid.”

“Another recipe from my grandpa. We always made it this way as kids. I can’t even get it from a store anymore because it doesn’t taste right.”

“This is liquid chocolate. Like if I’d fallen into Willy Wonka’s river.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

I drained my drink. Between the hot chocolate, fire, and blankets, I’d finally warmed up. I set the empty cup on the large leather ottoman, took Chase’s out of his hand, and put it next to mine.

He laughed. “I wasn’t finished.”

“Oh well,” I said with a grin.

I slid across the couch and straddled his lap. His hands landed on my ass. I ducked my head into his neck, pressing our bodies together. Just felt his heat and the solidity of him.

“I’m glad you’re not in Breckenridge.”

I laughed softly into his shoulder. “Same. This is way better.”

“You should kiss me now.”

“Forward, Sinclair.”

“You like it, Wright.”

I grinned and kissed him. Oh, he tasted like sweet chocolate. And like coming home.

We should have stayed away from each other. This coming together and falling apart was so hard. I wanted it to stop. I’d never wanted it to be over as much as I did in that moment.

I was twenty-two. I was graduating at the end of the semester. My brothers might flip. Our families would certainly hate what was going on. There were so many potential consequences. But what was the alternative? We couldn’t hide forever. My heart couldn’t take it.

And I was so tired of hiding.

So tired of waiting.

So very, very tired.

I understood now what he’d meant at the beginning. I’d been a teenager. A freshman in college. Naive, young, and inexperienced. I’d had the entire world in front of me, but it’d been long enough to know that I wanted that world with him.

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