Page 15 of The Christmas You Crash

She’s a bit of a contradiction. Prickly and sweet, fiery and sad… I’m not sure which is the real Lexi and which is the mask. I’d like to find out, though. I’d also like to wrap my fist in her pretty blonde hair, press her full breasts into the shower wall, and explore every inch of her. But that can’t happen.

Even if Lexi was interested, she’s off-limits—something I’ll need to keep reminding myself.

By the time she reappears in the kitchen, wearing another pair of ass-hugging red leggings with snowmen all over them and an oversized white Henley that slides off one shoulder, I’ve got a huge stack of pancakes and a pan of eggs ready to go. Lexi closes her eyes and inhales, giving me a moment to study her face. She doesn’t seem to be wearing any makeup, except for maybe a light coat of mascara. Her pale skin is dewy and smattered with freckles across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Cheeks which are stained with pink as they’re pushed up with a smile.

“That smells so good,” she practically moans. I have to adjust myself.

“Good.” Hopefully, I don’t sound as turned on as I feel, but I know my voice is a bit more gravelly than usual. “Want to get the movie queued up and ready? I’ll get all of this plated.”

“Sure.” The scent of orange and vanilla overwhelms even the sweetness of the pancakes as she flits past me to grab the bottle of maple syrup and a few napkins. She smells amazing.

Ass swaying as she walks, Lexi sets the syrup and napkins on the coffee table in front of the couch, carefully adds a few more logs to the fire, and turns on the TV. I remind myself to focus as I plate up our breakfast. After bringing our coffee and the salt and pepper grinders over, I grab our plates.

We settle down on opposite sides of the couch. The softclinkof silverware hitting ceramic punctuates the opening narration ofElf. I can’t help stealing glances at Lexi as she chuckles around a mouthful of pancakes. A small smudge of chocolate dots her lower lip, and I have to tell myself not to reach over and wipe it away with my thumb.

That would be weird. It would cross a line.

It’s all I can think about.

So, I look past Lexi and focus on the snow-white world outside the French doors leading to the back porch. It’s reallycoming down now. Heavier than it was yesterday, even. As if it’s noticed my attention, a gust of wind whips the falling snow into a little snow-nado.

Lexi notices the direction of my gaze and sucks in a breath. “Wow. I hope the wind doesn’t pick up any more than this. We definitely don’t want to lose power when it’s this cold outside.”

Eyes wide, I turn to her. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”

“Nah.” She waves a hand dismissively. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

I’m not as convinced. And when I pull my phone out of my pocket to check my weather app, my chest constricts. We’re under a blizzard advisory. It could still shift, so we miss the worst of it, but it could also leave us smack-dab in the middle of a shitstorm.

Worst-case scenarios tumble through my head in quick succession. “Where does your dad keep the firewood?”

“He’s got some in the garage,” she says, like she’s not worried at all. “And then there’s a big pile on the side of the house.”

Lexi gives me a funny look when I set my half-eaten plate on the couch and stand. But now that I’m thinking about it, I need to check how much wood is being stored in the garage. If we lose power, we’ll need to ensure we have plenty of dry wood on hand. Right now, having a fire lit is cozy and gives off extra heat. But if the wind kicks up and knocks out our electricity, it will be the only way to keep warm.

She catches my hand. “Hey. What are you doing?”

“Just checking the garage,” I tell her. “I’ll be right back.”

“Ryder.” She tugs at my hand, and I stumble, my ass hitting the couch. “Hey, it’s going to be fine. Eat your breakfast, and then we can check, okay? You spent all that time making yummy food. At least eat it while it’s hot.” She gifts me a soft, encouraging smile, and some of the tightness in my chest eases. “Seriously. We’re good. Eat your food and watch the movie withme. Then we’ll both get dressed in something warmer and make sure we’re well stocked.”

I’m still itching to get up and take care of it right this second, but I also don’t want to disappoint Lexi. Especially since we’re getting along. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. It’ll be fine.”

She smiles broadly at me when I settle back into the cushions and grab my plate. “This is great. Thanks again for making breakfast.”

“It’s the least I could do,” I reply. We stare at each other for another moment before returning our attention to Will Ferrell and his yellow tights. It takes a bit, but eventually, I relax and laugh along with Lexi. The sound is loud enough that I don’t even notice the wind picking up outside.

“I’m stuffed.”Lexi pats her flat stomach before grabbing our plates and bringing them to the kitchen. She turns the water on hot and squirts some dish soap onto a scrub brush. It’s all so easy and domestic, and something about it hits me right in the chest. “Oh, wow. That’s a lot of snow.”

The thick, white powder has created a drift that would reach above mid-calf against the back door. It has to be at least seven or eight inches of snow, and that’s under an overhang. Without the movie to distract me, I’m right back to worst-case scenarios. Checking the weather app doesn’t help. That blizzard advisory has turned into a blizzard watch. Still not as ominous as a warning, but it tells me we’re in for some serious accumulation.

“I’m going to get dressed in something warm and check on the wood.”

Lexi’s lips pinch into a straight line. “Yeah, I’ll come with you.” She’s no longer feeling so unconcerned.

Five minutes later, we’re both wearing several layers of pants, shirts, and heavy coats. Lexi has a pair of snow boots on, but I only packed my stupid sneakers. She frowns when she notices my footwear.

“I think my dad left a pair of boots here. What size shoe do you wear?”

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