Page 6 of A Very Snowed In New Year
Piper couldn’t help but glance around to admire this gentleman’s behind in the mirror. His IQ may have classified his intellect as very superior, but his butt was perfect beyond measure. Visibly hot in black slim-fit tuxedo pants, no less?! How had this beautiful man achieved the immaculate #bubblebuttgoals balance of firmness, roundness, and loft? Was he born this way, was he an athlete when he wasn’t serving refreshments, or did he have a strict regimen of squats and lunges with the specific intention of shaping his glutes? Itwas a mystery that Piper was determined to get to the bottom of. * LOLOL I crack myself up.
“Would you do me the honor of dancing with me when you’ve returned from the ladies’?” Sherlock inquired. “Or were you simply venturing to the rear hallway in order to peruse the selection of hot cross buns?”
“Yes,” she said, grinning demurely.
Sherlock held out his hand, but just as Piper was about to take it, the very well-dressed owner of the Holy Grail of Butts himself stepped between them.
“This…is problematic,” Declan Cannavale, Esquire, said. “Even though she is now an adult woman, I’m going to need you to sign this affidavit attesting to your good intentions regarding my niece.”
“Ahh,” Sherlock said sarcastically, “an American attorney. What a delight.”
“If you’d rather deal with someone who hails from the British Isles, might I suggest we take this outside?” Nolan Cassidy said menacingly, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his very attractive forearms.
“Let me guess,” said the detective, “you’re a former boxer and you have a very particular set of skills—skills that make you a nightmare for men who want to dance with this achingly beautiful young lady.”
“Yeah,” said Billy Boston, getting all up in the Brit’s pretty face, “and I know a guy who’ll kick your ass if you lay a hand on this emotionally mature adult woman. It’s me. I’m the guy.”
Finally, Eddie Cannavale himself stepped in. “Do we have a problem here? Is Lord Nevergonnagetit of Keepyourhandsoffpipershire about to get his comeuppance?”
Sherlock eyed him and in an instant he was able to deduce three things about this exceptionally good-looking man. “You are the groom, your bride has a crush on me, and you docrunches like your job depends on it, which means you are an actor by trade. Here’s an exciting role for you—I’m casting you as the one man here who is not foolish enough to attempt to come between myself and Piper.”
Piper looked around at these five exceptionally hot alpha men. She didn’t hate that Declan, Nolan, Billy Boston, and Eddie cared about her so much. She kind of loved it, actually. But what if they were protecting her from the love of her life?
Eddie studied Piper’s expression, considering what to do. He was an actor, so he understood motivations. He could see that his sister-in-law’s niece was highly motivated to put her mouth on this Englishman’s mouth. And so he came to a decision and said, “Stand down, gentlemen. Stand down.”
Declan, Nolan, Billy Boston, and Eddie took three steps back. Sherlock was cockblocked no more. He held out his hand to Piper once again. This time, she placed her hand in his, and he led her to the back hallway.
They ran to the quietest, darkest corner they could find. As soon as they reached that quiet, dark corner, Sherlock pressed Piper against the wall and hovered over her. His lips grazed her cheekbone, oh so delicately, but she felt it like a lightning strike everywhere.
Hope bloomed in her chest and desire pulsed between her clenched thighs. She was feeling things she had never felt before. All over. Was he The One? Was her HEA happening IRL RN?!
“Sorry about those guys,” she said in a hushed voice. “They’re kind of overprotective of me. I don’t know how to get around it.”
He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “I’ll take the case.”
“Good.” She was trembling all over. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Believe it, my dear Piper. It’s happening. I’m here. And if I’m not mistaken—and I am never mistaken—you are arousing deep, positive human emotions in me, believe it or not.”
“Well, you know what they say…when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
He curled his index finger beneath her chin and tilted it up, that tiny, monumental bit. “True. I will now investigate your lips with my lips and eventually I will continue my investigation on the inside of your mouth with my tongue, my darling, but when you are ready and when you willingly, sexily give me your consent…I shall be thoroughly inspecting your knickers.”
THREE
Holden
HOLDEN OUT FOR A HERO
What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?
Why didn’t I just leave this with the cab driver? It’s probably some horny teenage girl’s diary. The back of the cab smelled so fucking good when I got in, I guess I just assumed the notebook belonged to an aromatic, sexy, wise goddess. I was drunk on perfume molecules. It was like walking into a French bakery that rents itself out as an exotic brothel at night. I was into it.
But I am not into whateverthisis.
All I needed to do was get away from that gang of girls that was following me, get to Sienna’s place, have going-away sex, go away, and then never see her again. But no. I had to be a hero and decide to return a total stranger’s lost journal. Why? Is it really because it looks like the kind of journal my little sister writes in, or is it because I don’t even want to see Sienna for the going-away sex?
Thank God my phone starts vibrating before I have to answer that question. It’s my agent calling from LA. From her cell phone. It’s dinnertime for her over there, and she should still be on her Christmas break, so it’s probably urgent. I stay in the lobby instead of taking the elevator up to my parents’ floor and accept the call. “Hello?”
