Page 27 of Hot Chocolate & Hitmen

“What are you hiding, Mr. Secretive?” I ask, arching a brow and trying to peer around him.

Teddy’s grin is positively wicked, and when he steps closer, I swear my pulse doubles. “Just a little something for our Christmas angel,” he teases, his voice dripping with amusement.

I can’t help the blush that blooms across my cheeks at the nickname, heat prickling my skin as his words sink in. Before I can say anything, he reveals what he’s been hiding–a pair of sprigs of mistletoe, tied with bright red bows.

My lips part in surprise, a scandalized laugh escaping before I can stop it. “Mistletoe?” I ask, my voice breathy.

Teddy cocks a brow, his heated gaze settling on me with deliberate intent. “Oh, I’m sure we can come up with a few ideas on how to use it.” His words send a low hum of anticipation spiraling through me, lighting me up from the inside.

“But,” he adds, holding the mistletoe just above our heads with a playful smirk, “maybe you’d like to do the honors first?”

My heart pounds when I meet Teddy’s eyes again, the weight of his gaze drawing me in, making it impossible to resist. “Well,” I murmur, tipping my chin up, “itistradition…”

That’s all the encouragement he needs. With a low growl, Teddy tosses the mistletoe over his shoulder and closes the distance between us in one swift motion. His hands find my waist, pulling me flush against his solid body, and before I can even take a breath, his lips are on mine.

The kiss is electric. His hand tangles in my hair, angling my face just the way he wants, and the way he deepens the kiss makes my toes curl. Heat floods through me, every nerve lighting up as I melt against him, his woodsy scent wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

Without thinking, my fingers slide beneath the hem of his shirt, seeking out the warm skin and hard muscle that lies beneath. He makes a rough, approving sound, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. His large hand presses into the small of my back, pulling me even closer, and I can feel the hard evidence of his arousal through our clothes.

When we finally break apart, it’s with reluctance, both of us panting, our breaths mingling in the charged air between us. My lips tingle from the intensity of the kiss, and I can’t help the dazed smile that spreads across my face.

“Well, would you look at that,” Key’s voice cuts through the haze, his tone laced with playful mischief. “It’s still hovering overhead. Looks like another round might be in order to please the Christmas plant gods.”

I barely have time to register his words before he nudges Teddy aside, taking his place in front of me. His hands slide around my hips, and the teasing glint in his eyes makes my pulse skip.

His kiss is different–softer at first, teasing, like he’s coaxing me into a playful dance. But it doesn’t take long for it to deepen, his lips moving against mine with growing urgency. My knees threaten to buckle, and I clutch at Key’s broad shoulders to keep myself upright. His tongue slides against mine with a confidence that leaves me breathless, like he’s daring me to keep up.

Just when I think I might lose myself completely, he breaks the kiss with a final nip at my lower lip, his eyes glinting with the promise of more to come. “That’s just a taste,” he murmurs, his voice low and full of heat.

Before I can catch my breath, two strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back against a hard, familiar chest. Atlas. His low voice rumbles against my spine, sending a shiver down my body.

“My turn.”

His large hand cups my jaw, gently but firmly turning my face towards him, and the moment our eyes lock, I feel my breath catch. The hunger in his gaze is unmistakable–dark, possessive, and filled with raw intensity. He traces my bottom lip with a calloused finger, his touch sending sparks skittering across my skin.

Atlas claims me with a kiss that is pure, unbridled passion. There’s no hesitation, no teasing–just him, taking what he wants. His kiss is a blazing conquest, staking his claim with a heat that leaves me dizzy as he fists my hair, angling me forcefully where he wants me. I grasp at his arms, trying to stay grounded, but it’s impossible to think, impossible to focus on anything but the taste of him, the heat of his body, and the overwhelming sensation of being utterly consumed.

When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless, my body tingling from head to toe. I can’t tear my gaze away from Atlas’s dark, lust-blown eyes, and for a moment, the world seems to stop, suspended in the charged air between us.

Then, a sharp crack splits the moment like a thunderclap. I jump, tearing my gaze away from Atlas to see the shattered remains of a ceramic Santa at the feet of none other than Jason.

A very pissed off Jason.

Oh, tinsel tantrum...

Chapter Eleven

Istare in shock and disgust as Grace kisses each of those bastards under the mistletoe. An ugly snarl twists my lips as I watch her willingly melt into their arms after everything they’ve done.

Rage builds in my chest when the biggest thug—Atlas or whatever his name is—grabs her and shoves his tongue down her throat. She looks so small and fragile next to his hulking frame, the sick excitement on his face triggering me.

It makes me see red remembering how we used to be before Grace got it in her silly head to ‘fix’ things between us. If she had just kept her mouth shut and done as I asked, we wouldn't be in this mess. I never wanted her opinion. I just wanted her obedience.

These violent mobsters–or whatever they are–don’t care about her dreams or feelings. They just want to get their dicks wet and then throw her away like trash. A naive idiot like Grace will probably fall for their pretty words, though.

I can’t hold back anymore and turn to run away when I accidentally knock something over, and it shatters on the floorat my feet. The noise is impressively loud, finally separating the knot of tangled limbs that is the cause of my ire.

Grace jumps at the sound, her eyes popping wide with surprise before they land on me. Her pretty lips pull down in a displeased frown, as if I'm the one doing something lewd and distasteful.

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