Page 10 of Christmas of Convenience

“Not good. I’m still in Kansas. They delayed me at first, and then they canceled. Everyone loves Christmas Eve snow though, right?”

“Shit! That sucks. Ugh, I’ll come home the first second I can. We—”

“No, you aren’t. You’re living for both of us right now. Get off the phone with me and put your lips back on that man.”

I drag in a deep refreshing breath, letting the cold air cycle through my lungs slowly. “I can’t. I’m getting too wrapped up. He’s like… not just hot. He’s nice and smart and thoughtful.And… like… he’s actually got a good head on his shoulders. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, but I need to get away from him.”

“Oh damn. You’re actually falling for him.”

“I don’t know if I realized how much time we’d have together.” Though the clouds are blocking the sun, the sky begins to darken. “Shit, this eclipse thing is about to happen.”

“So, get back in the truck and see what magic happens. I’ll be fine. Margo and I are going to open gifts, make cookies for Santa, and binge old holiday movies. You and I can celebrate when you get back.”

I feel so bad for Heather. I feel even worse now that she was on her way and the snow stopped her. No one wants to spend Christmas alone.

“I’ll FaceTime you in the morning. You can say hi to my pretend boyfriend.” I glance back at the truck, expecting to see Sam, but the truck is empty, and I don’t see him anywhere, though the snow is falling pretty heavily right now. Maybe he walked into the woods to take a piss, or maybe he’s making a call on the other side of the truck. Either way, I don’t like not knowing where he is.

“I love you,” Heather says, “now let me go. I want you to get out there and—”

Sam’s giant frame is suddenly in front of me, standing in the flurry of white like a yeti that I want to pick me up and take me back to his cave.

He takes the phone from my hand, looking at the name on the screen before talking. “Heather? Jen is going to have to call you back in a bit.” His tone is deep, dark, and brooding as he ends the call, opens the truck door, tosses my phone inside, and backs me up against the seat.

Whatever’s happening right now sends a shiver down my spine then up again. I’d say it was the blistering cold, or the way the wind whips my hair, but I’m sweating again.

His hand lifts to the side of my face, and he stares toward me with dark, delicious intent as his lips narrow toward mine. “You’re taking too long.”

I’m not sure what I expected an eclipse to be like. I’ve never seen one before, but like the moon passing over the sun above us, I let go of inhibition and black the hell out.

Chapter Four

Sam

What the fuck am I doing? I don’t do this shit. I don’t get lulled in by pretty lips and thick hips. I don’t let my feelings get in the way of rational thinking. I don’t fall for someone because of an afternoon of random conversations. Hell, I don’t have random conversations, and I don’t fall for anyone.

That said, right now, under the cover of relative darkness, beneath the falling snow, I’m no longer a man. I’m a creature. A creature, desperate to sink into this pretty little thing and call her mine. A creature desperate to devour her under this snowy moon covered sun. A creature desperate to keep her safe from everything and everyone… except for me.

I lean her back up against the truck, tangling my tongue with hers, kissing her neck, swallowing every impatient moan that slips from her lips.

Her phone falls onto the snowy mound of ice outside the truck. I should pick it up, but I can’t bear to tear myself away from her touch. I lift her inside the truck, standing before her as heat pumps out around us.

Fucking hell, every part of this is wrong. The part where she’s too damn young. The part where she’s not staying. The part where we’re clearly under some kind of fucking spell, but I can’t stop myself.

Touching her is like touching everything I’ve ever wanted. She’s soft and sweet, mouthy but nervous, and gorgeous in every way I crave. Her thick hips. Her heavy tits. Her pretty little nose. Her big, brown eyes.

I growl as I tangle my hand in her long dark hair.

She tilts her head to the side slightly as though she’s inviting my kiss and I accept her invitation, breathing in the soft, delicate scent of her perfume as I suction my lips against her silky-smooth skin.

My hand is lost, digging between her thighs, brushing against her little cotton panties.

“You’re soaking wet. Can’t fake that, can you?”

She stares toward me, wide eyed and blinking. For a second, I wonder if I’ve gone too far. Maybe she is pretending to be into all this. She paid for a fake man, not to be fingered during an eclipse on Christmas Eve, but here I am, acreature,acting on instinct, desperate to taste her.

Her lips glide against mine and I’m lost, thumbing against her hot, soaking panties, desperate to get inside and show her what she’s done to me.

Slowly, her hand moves across the bulge in my jeans and her gaze meets mine. “I wouldn’t think you could fake something like this, either, could you?”

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