Page 10 of A Christmas Collin

It's like the only people who exist right here and right now are me and her. Fuck everyone else.

My tongue slips inside of her mouth, drawing out a moan that reminds me we're not alone.

"Jeeze, you two should get a room," Josh mumbles.

I pull away from Danielle, holding onto her gaze. "Go spend time with your family, Danielle. I'll clean up."

She nods silently and steps back, giving me a shy grin before heading into the living room with her brother. I've never been a slouch. I work hard to fit in any space I end up in, and cleaning up a mildly dirty kitchen is the least I've had to deal with.

It's therapeutic, the simplicity of cleaning up a space that feeds a family—a family that's accepted me twice now. At some point, the chatter between Danielle and her siblings dies down. Once I finish tidying the kitchen and dining room, I step into the living room to see Josh snoring on the couch.

The TV's playing softly in front of him, and I go upstairs. It's like a blast from the past. Faintly striped beige and light brown wallpaper holds up pictures of the Brogan family and their achievements. If I remember the layout correctly, Mr. and Mrs. Brogan's room is at the top of the stairs. The crack in the door shows I'm correct as I spot an empty bottle of wine sitting on a nightstand.

The gritty texture of the walls is familiar, reminding me of how I used to run my fingers along them as I made my way to the room I shared with Josh. We never bonded or became friends. We simply shared a room to sleep.

Tonight, however, I walk by it and stop in front of the door to a bedroom I've never entered … until now.

5

DANIELLE

The soft knock on my bedroom door has my heart jumping to my throat. The room is as clean as it's going to get, and all of my stuff is put away. Still, I feel like it's not enough, and I don’t know where this sudden need to impress Collin came from.

I open the door to let Collin inside, realizing my palms are sweaty, and my hands are shaking. Why am I so nervous?

"Thank you," I tell him, closing the door behind him. "Um, I can grab you some towels if you want to shower. Or if you want to head out, it's still kind of early."

He smirks and begins looking around my room. "Everything in this town closes at ten, Jelly Bean, especially on Christmas Eve. Not to mention the storm coming. I only came up to tell you that I'm heading home. I don't want to make you, Josh, or anyone else uncomfortable by staying here."

No. Disappointment roils in my stomach.

"Please stay," I blurt out, my hands gripping his shoulders to hold him in place. "I want you to stay. You should stay because you're with me. I know it's not real?—"

"This is as real as you let it be, Jelly Bean." He leans down so his face is just a few inches from mine, and my breath hitches. "I still can't believe you did that for me. I'm yours, Danielle. I'm here for as long as you need me to be. I owe a debt to you."

"You don't owe me anything. I just couldn't stand the way they talked about you behind your back. It was Leftie this, and Leftie looks like that. Leftie stole this. I hate that name. I hate what it means." My voice shakes, my eyes welling with tears. These rioting emotions are giving me a whiplash. One minute, I’m lusting after him, and the next, I’m about to burst into tears at how people treated him before.

Collin holds my face, locking eyes with me, his thumb brushing my cheek. "Thank you. I never knew I had an angel on my side."

His fingers slide through my hair, guiding my face close to his until Collin's mouth captures mine. The way his lips press against my mouth, his teeth gently pulling at my bottom lip as his tongue slips inside, makes me clench my thighs together. My tongue chases him, tasting him, savoring this moment between us. It’s like experiencing my first kiss all over again. Explosions in my head and on my skin.

My face flares with heat as my core ignites with desire.

Collin's hand grips the back of my head firmly. His other hand drops to my ass as he walks me backward until I have to sit on the edge of the bed. The drop catches me by surprise, making us both laugh, and I lie back to give Collin room to stretch over me.

Goosebumps trail my skin as Collin's hand lifts my leg around his waist. His body pushes against mine, and I realize I don't want anything else—anyone else—but him. When I think about it, it’s always been him. If I’m being honest, that’s pretty much why I haven’t been in a relationship. I’ve been waiting for him all along.

His hand slips inside my jeans, reaching between my thighs to slide through my pussy lips.

Oh my God.

A moan escapes my throat, and my back arches the moment I feel the pressure of his fingers inside my entrance.

"You're going to wake everybody up, Jelly Bean," he whispers against my mouth before sliding down to my neck. The light pricks of his beard tickle me, drawing another soft moan as the stroke of his fingers has my pussy tightening around them.

"I don't care." Husky breaths against his lips bring him close. He kisses me quietly and makes my skin feverish in the process. God, this is the stuff of my dreams. God knows how many times I lay awake in my bed, wondering if Collin ever thought of me the same way I thought about him.

The force of our kiss draws me closer to Collin. His fingers quicken their pace, like he's beckoning for my climax to coat them.

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