Page 2 of Claiming Candy

The girl that I’ve been eying is being led out of my mansion. She isn’t fighting against the two men that are carrying her out. In fact, she seems almost defeated. It makes something in my chest twinge painfully.

The feeling catches me off guard, and my feet pause for a moment. Whatever I’m feeling for this girl is real, not just a passing thought. Then, I’m running toward her, intent on stopping them from throwing her out.

I’m too late. She’s out the door before I get there, and the members of security seem to be congratulating themselves for a job well done. It makes me angrier than it should, and I can’t control my tone when I speak to them.

“What the hell were you thinking?” I snarl, breaking them out of their conversation. The way their faces fall when they see me gives me a sick sense of satisfaction.

“Mr. Frost,” one of the men says, straightening out and pulling his shoulders back. “We were just escorting a thief out. Don’t worry, everything’s taken care of.”

“A thief?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow in disbelief.

“She was taking money from patrons,” the other guard says. “We got all of that back, but she refused to let us search her. She could have stolen something else.”

I grunt, not wanting to believe what they’re telling me. After a beat, I push them to the side so I can get to the door. I wrench it open and the cold winter wind bites into my face. Then, I look around, needing to find this woman before she leaves and I lose the girl of my dreams before I can even say a word to her.

Chapter Two

Candy

When the homeless shelter I’ve been living in asked for volunteers to help out at a charity event that a local tech billionaire was putting on, I jumped at the opportunity. I love helping out and giving back. If it weren’t for the shelter, I’d be out on the street. I wouldn’t have the resources to start getting myself back on my feet.

Now that I’m sitting on the steps of the mansion, shivering in the frigid cold after getting kicked out for a misunderstanding, I’m starting to regret my decision. I could have spent a quiet evening inside, studying for the computer class I’ve been taking at the community center. Instead, I’m stewing in my embarrassment, fighting back tears while I wait for the event to end. The shelter feels too far away to walk, and I don’t have a car.

At least I’ll only be out here for another two hours.

I sigh, pulling my legs up to my chest, tucking my dress under my thighs in an effort to maintain my dignity and keep out the icy wind. I fall back on an old tactic, immersing myself in my mind in an effort to get some comfort. I’ve withstood worse than a little chill before, so I know I’ll be fine.

I’m going over the plans I’ve meticulously made for the rest of my life when I feel a hand on my shoulder. The sudden touch makes me jump. I was so sure that there wasn’t anyone else outside. Plus, it’s so cold that I can’t imagine anyone would come out here voluntarily.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” a man says, his voice warm like a hearth. His big, strong hand doesn’t move from where it rests. “It’s cold out here, would you like to come inside?”

“I–” I start, staring up at him. He’s handsome, maybe the most good-looking man I’ve ever seen. If I had to guess, he’s at least twice my age, but he wears it well. His jawline is mature and clean-shaven, and I think I might see a gray hair or two within his black waves.

It dawns on me that this isn’t just any man. When we had our volunteer briefing, we were shown a picture of our benefactor. The man standing in front of me, touching my shoulder, and inviting me inside is Ethan Frost.

Oh my god. Does he think I was stealing, too? This night just couldn’t get any worse.

“If it’s okay, I’ll just wait out here,” I say, deciding I don’t need whatever lecture he’s about to give me. “I’ll be leaving when the rest of the volunteers do.”

“Leaving?” he asks, and it sounds almost like he isn’t going to let me. His hand tightens on my shoulder slightly. “You don’t have to do that. I want to get to know you better. How about you come inside and warm up? We don’t have to go back to the party. Between you and me, it’s just a waste of money anyway.”

Ethan sounds so genuine that my hesitancy melts. I look into his blue-green eyes, and I see nothing but kindness. There’s a connection between us, something so strong that I can’t ignore it. There isn’t any explanation for it. We’ve barely spoken, and I think if he knew about my background, he wouldn’t be talking to me. But, I figure that I should be allowed to be selfish for once in my life.

“Okay,” I say, smiling when he comes around in front of me to pull me to my feet.

“So,” Ethan says as he walks me back into the mansion, “what’s your name?”

“Candy,” I say, averting my eyes when he pulls me past the security guards that threw me out just a few minutes ago. “And you’re Ethan.”

“I guess my reputation precedes me, then,” he laughs. We go up the stairs in the center of the room, and I can feel the gaze of most of the people in this room on my back. I think I’d stare if I were in their position, too.

“This place is beautiful,” I say, choosing to compliment the house to get my mind off of the prying eyes of Ethan’s guests.

“Thanks,” he says as we walk into a bedroom – it must be his. “My team did all of the decorations. I don’t really like Christmas, so I don’t see the point in decorating for it.”

“You don’t like Christmas?!” I exclaim, dumbfounded. People in our tiny town of Snowbrook love the holiday. “It’s the best time of year. There’s the parade and the festival and all the lights. What’s not to love?”

“I guess I never really got it,” he says with a shrug, motioning for me to sit on the edge of his bed. Once I’m settled in, he parks himself right next to me, our thighs flush against one another. Electricity crawls through my body from the place that we’re connected. “It’s always seemed frivolous to me. Just another excuse to spend money on something pointless.”

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