Page 26 of The Christmas You Crash

“Then, what’s the problem, OTG? We’re both adults and nothing’s going to happen. It’s survival 101 when you’re stuck in freezing temperatures.” He shrugs. Like this is just the way it is. Like he’s some survivalist who has casually shared body heat with a virtual stranger millions of times.

He’s probably not attracted to me the way I am to him. That’s why this is such a non-issue for him. He looks at me and sees his coach’s daughter. An average-looking woman with an unhealthy obsession with murder podcasts who left a little drool stain on his sweatshirt. Obviously, he’s not thinking about getting in my leggings. He’s only snuggling with me now to share body heat. This will be fine. I can keep my wandering vagina under control. This is fine.

I do my best to look nonchalant when I shrug, but if his quiet snicker is anything to go by, I don’t succeed. “Sure. Totally. Survival 101. We’ll just drag a mattress in here if we have to.”

“You’re being weird,” he says, smirking.

“You don’t even know me,” I retort. “Maybe this is me being normal.”

Ryder’s lips press into a hard line and his nostrils flare as he tries to hold in his laughter. I know he’s trying not to laugh,because his stupidly hard body shakes and his stupidly pretty eyes dance. “Whatever you say, OTG.”

“Stop calling me that!” I shout, throwing my hands into the air in exasperation.

“So cute and grouchy,” he says, chuckling.

I try to growl again but end up sounding more like a pissed-off kitten than a ferocious beast. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

No. I don’t.

thirteen

RYDER

Being snowedin with Lexi Cross is pure and utter torture.

She’s off-limits. I know this. Although Coach seems like he’s not the best father, he’d still kick my ass if I crossed the line with his daughter. When push comes to shove, all dads are protective of their little girls, right? And even though Lexi clearly doesn’t need anyone to fight her battles, I’m still fairly certain Coach would punch me in the face if he found her wrapped in my arms with her ass pressed against my very hard dick.

It took some convincing to get her to pull a mattress into the main room with me last night, but after twenty-four hours of no heat or power to the cabin, she eventually caved. Besides, we’d spent most of the day cuddled together for warmth, so what’s the big deal about sleeping next to each other for the same reason?

Turns out, the big deal is that Lexi has zero inhibitions while she’s sleeping. She was like a heat-seeking missile. As soon as she started snoring away, her body pressed itself to mine. Her legs tangled with my legs, her hand found its way beneath the hem of my hoodie, and she nuzzled against my neck. Her lips were practically pressed to my skin as her warm breath fannedacross my collarbone. She must have turned over during the night, because now I’m the big spoon, and it’s impossible not to notice how perfectly she fits in my arms.

It doesn’t matter that she fits perfectly in my arms. It doesn’t matter that she’s funny and sweet or that being so close to her yesterday nearly drove me to madness. None of that changes the fact that Lexi Cross is forbidden fruit and I don’t think she’s into me.

The woman in my arms lets out a soft groan and shifts in her sleep. Her round, perfect ass grinds against my dick, and it’s all I can do to hold myself still. Biting my lip, I keep my own groan contained. I want to press myself into the curve of her ass. I want to slip my fingers beneath her shirt and play with her pretty, perky breasts.

Fuck. This is torture.

“Mnff,” she mumbles incoherently. Then her ass does a little wiggle.

Lexi’s head is pillowed on my left arm, but I use my right hand to grip her hips and hold her still. She grumbles something else, still half asleep, and tries to wiggle again. This time, when I grip her hip to hold her still, she ends up pressed against my hard-on. Lexi stops moving and her body goes rigid.

“Quit squirming,” I murmur in her ear. My voice comes out raspy and thick, and Lexi shivers against me.It’s probably just from the cold.

“Um…” She giggles, but it sounds nervous. “Could you let me go?”

I could, but I don’t want to. My fingers release her, and I lift my hand away from her hip. “Sorry. You were…” There’s no good way to finish that sentence.

Lexi lets out another nervous laugh and scoots away from me before turning around. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are hooded, and she’s pulled her bottom lip taut between her teeth.

She looks like sex and bad decisions.

We stare at each other for a moment, both lost in our heads. Me, thinking about how this must be close to what Lexi looks like when she’s freshly fucked. With her tangled hair, pink cheeks, and hooded eyes. Lexi is likely thinking about how she wishes she was tangled up with someone else.

“Morning,” she finally says. She sounds shy, and her voice is slightly raspy from sleep. She’s cute as hell. Which means I need to distract myself before I do something I regret.

“Good morning,” I reply. Then my stupid hand reaches out to tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear without my brain’s permission.Right. Time to get up. “Uh, looks like our fire died. I’ll get another one started.”

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