Page 103 of The Christmas You Crash

I text Aaron and ask him to bring my bags down from the room, so I can spend every possible second with Lexi. The wind howls as we huddle against the back of the bus. No one’s out yet, and Coach is always the last to board, so we have a few minutes before we need to break apart.

Lexi’s back is against the bus as I kiss her. Her little gasps and soft moans have me hard as a rock, and even though I shouldn’t, I press my knee between hers. And just like that first time at the cabin, she grinds against my thigh. She drives me wild. If we had time, I’d sneak her into the hotel and up to my room. But we don’t.

There are a few whistles as the first couple of my teammates make their way out of the hotel and over to the bus. They make kissing noises as they load their bags into the compartments behind us. It makes Lexi blush the most intoxicating shade of pink as she pulls away.

“I should go.” She blinks up at me, her swollen lips tilted in a sexy smile.

“Yeah,” I say. But I don’t let go of her. “Fuck, OTG, what are you doing to me?”

She giggles. “I’d say sorry, but I’m not. Besides, I don’t think I’m doing anything to you that you’re not also doing to me.”

“Who’s doing who?” Griffin waggles his eyebrows at us as he approaches with Maddox, Sebastian, and Logan. “What’s up, HCB?”

Lexi rolls her eyes at Griffin. “HCB?”

“Dude,” I warn.

Griffin ignores me. “Yeah. We needed a code name for you, and your boy wouldn’t let us call you OTG, so we came up with our own acronym.”

I laugh when she smacks me on the chest with the back of her hand. “You told them about that nickname?”

“Sorry, Oscar. It just kinda slipped out.”

The guys laugh when Lexi pinches the bridge of her nose. “And what, exactly, does HCB stand for?”

“Hot Cross Buns, obviously,” Griffin replies. As if that should be completely obvious. The rest of the guys try to hide their laughter. They fail miserably.

“Hot Cross Buns?” Lexi screeches.

“Sorry, Lexi.” Bash has the good sense to look apologetic. “If it makes you feel any better, Griffin’s first choice was Sexy Lexi, but Ryder vetoed that.”

“Oh my god,” Lexi says, shaking her head. She’s smiling, so I know she’s not actually pissed. I’ll still hear about this later, I’m sure, but she’s more amused than annoyed. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Couldn’t have Coach hear us talking about you with the rookie,” Maddox offers. He glances over his shoulder, making sure the coast is clear. “And speaking of Coach, you two should probably say goodbye. He’ll be out here soon.”

I hate this. The sneaking around. I hate that I can’t claim my woman in a public way yet. I’m going to talk to Coach this week. Enough is enough.

Lexi’s sigh only hardens my resolve. “You’re probably right. I’ll see you guys this week, right?”

“That’s the plan,” Maddox says. “Isla and my sister have been bugging us to give them a reason to see you again.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to seeing them too.” She turns her attention back to me. “I’ll head over to your place tonight after I unpack and get a shower. Miss you already.”

“God, you two are nauseating,” Logan grumbles. I’m pretty sure someone smacks him upside the head, but I don’t see it. I’m too busy kissing the woman I’m in love with.

She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her body flush to mine. Our tongues brush and tangle, and by the time I pull away from her, we’re both panting. Pressing my forehead to hers, I open my mouth to finally say those three little words. I don’t even care that the guys are standing around us.

A deep, booming voice steals the words right out of my mouth. “What thefuckis going on here?”

forty-eight

LEXI

Every musclein my body tenses at my dad’s harsh tone.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Ryder’s spine straightens, and he shifts, positioning himself in front of me. A buffer to protect me from the red-faced anger of my father. The other guys lose their good-natured goofiness in an instant and take an unconscious step closer. I’m surrounded by a wall of six-foot men and their impressive muscles. It’s sweet and comforting, but I know they won’t keep my dad from saying what he’s going to say.

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