Page 22 of Holiday Power Play

"Power's out," I announce.

"Ah, shit." Vance pulls out his phone and turns on the flashlight setting. "I'll go outside and look for a breaker box. I'm sure there's one somewhere."

In the brief moment that he opens the door, the howling wind outside blows in more snow than should be allowed. He quickly shuts it behind him leaving Trevor and I alone in the dark.

He turns on his flashlight too and flashes it at me. I cover my eyes as he smiles and moves it around the darkened space.

The light reveals a main living space that has two leather couches covered in an assortment of throw blankets. A wood-burning fireplace. And a small dining table for four. There's a hallway off from the living room that must be where the bedrooms are and a stretch of stairs that lead to the second story.

I pull out my phone to turn my flashlight on as well. But it's dead.

"Hey Sherlock, point your light up there." I motion up the stairs.

"Why?" He says, moving my way. "You scared of ghosts, Lani Banani?"

"My brother's the only one that can call me that and just barely. And no, I'm not scared of anything."

"That's very on-brand for you," he brushes past me and points the light up the steep steps. At the very top is a tiny door that looks like it was created for a leprechaun.

"Creepy," we both say slowly.

"Well, I think we can both agree there's nothing up there for us," he says, stepping further down into the hall and shining down the light down revealing three doors. I notice him hesitate.

"Who's scared now?" I smirk, holding my hand out open for him to pass me the phone we're using as a flashlight.

He doesn't think twice before giving it to me.

I huff out a laugh and keep pushing forward. The first door is a bathroom. One that must've been recently remodeled since it has a big glass steam shower next to a very vintage-looking clawfoot bath.

He sticks his face in next to me and whistles. "Fancy," he says. "I call dibs on the shower."

We move on to the other doors. One is a children's room with two little beds—one in pink covers and one in blue. A lamp on a nightstand between the two is in the shape of a star. Quaint and cute.

The second room is my literal worst nightmare. I shut the door behind me so fast before Trevor even has a chance to look in.

"What is it?" he asks, with an eyebrow quirked up in curiosity.

"Just a room, let's go see the kitchen." I attempt to duck around him and draw his attention away.

"Uh uh, gimme that," he reaches for his phone again, and I jump to try to get it back.

"Trevor, no!"

I wrestle it back out of his hands, and he catches me by the waist and swings me back against the wall, trapping me between his arms.

"Give me my phone, Lana," his voice sounds like a threat, but I know better. The little curve at the corner of his lip gives away his playfulness.

"No," I say again, trapping the phone behind my back. In a panic, I slip it into my pants.

His eyes widen. "Did you just stick my phone in your ass crack?"

The way he saysass crackfilled with so much disbelief makes me burst out into a laugh that makes me bend forward justenough that he reaches behind me and slips his hand into the waistband of my jeans.

"Get your hand away from my ass!" I bark out with a laugh, twisting away from him.

"No,youget my phone out of your ass. You weirdo!" He twists me around, and now my back is to him. I quickly press into him so he can't reach between us and retrieve his precious phone. And as soon as I do, I'm able to feel him hard and excited behind me.

Good God. What is this man packing?

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