Page 6 of Once Upon a Frosty Winter

How witty.I gently cup his face and stare down at him. “How could I not look?” I caress his cheek with my thumb. “Your face really is a thing of beauty. That’s too bad.”

“Too bad?” he asks.

I hold his face more firmly and then pull it down while bringing my knee up at the same time. He groans as his hands cup his nose.Fool.Before I can call security, he’s by my side.

“I didn’t see that coming. You’re quite the woman.”

At that comment, I laugh. “Because I didn’t drop my panties for you? Are most of your quickies that gullible?”

“Well, yeah.”

Though I won’t admit it to him, I am tempted. This willing and overeager stranger is exceptionally attractive. It’s been so long… No. My feet come to a halt, and I turn to face him. “Unfortunately, you picked a woman with standards. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“One kiss.”

The nerve. Wow, he’s persistent. “Oh dear. Are you one of those men who can’t accept rejection? Am I a conquest for you now? Listen, I’m having a shit day, and I came out here to be alone.”

“Then one kiss to make you forget how shitty your day has been.”

He is beyond arrogant. The way he’s looking at me has me squeezing my thighs together. This is obscene. I’ve had plenty of people look at me in lust, but this man’s eyes are fixated on me. “I think you need to go. You followed me from the diner, and now you’ve cornered me out here alone. You’re obsessed.”

His deep, hearty laugh has me seeing red. “Aren’t you vain,” he teases. “I came out here to meet… a friend. I’ll admit I was totally eye fucking you at the diner. Walking into you out here was complete fate.”

My eyebrows touch my forehead. “Fate?”

“Yes. Fate. I’m meant to fuck you. This is our meet-cute. Let’s move on to—”

“The fucking,” I finish for him.

His eyes sparkle with hunger as his top teeth sink into his bottom lip.

To be honest, I may not ever come across another man this gorgeous. I wonder if he’s as capable as he claims. I’m in my orchard, far away from prying eyes. Is it suspicious he’s here? Yes. Yet I’m not afraid. I’m intrigued more than anything. Everyone calls me a wicked woman, so maybe it’s time I start behaving like one.

“It didn’t end well for the last man who kissed me,” I warn.

“I bet if I could ask him, he’d say it was worth it.”

Smooth. I walk over to a tree and lean against it. He follows me. What he does next takes me by surprise. Instead of leaning in to kiss me, he reaches around me and unplugs a strand of lights. The cold wire and lights dig into my wrists as he binds them together. My heart is pounding, but not out of fear. Wetness coats my inner thigh from my excitement.

“You’re smarter than you look,” I tell him. “You should fear me.” I highly doubt that’s why he did it, but I like to play into the villainous reputation the town has bestowed upon me.

“You don’t even know me. Not even my name. What makes you so sure that you’re the dangerous one?”

“Because you’re too scared to even kiss me.”

“How do you figure?”

“I’m still waiting.”

Then he’s kissing me hard, proving he’s capable. That he has a right to act like a cocky bastard. I whimper softly against him and tug against the strand of Christmas lights. I desperately want to wrap my arms around him. I need to feel him—all over me.

His voice deepens as he speaks against my ear. “I could fuck you right here, right now.”

I’m not disagreeing or discouraging that, but I can’t let him know how desperate I am for him. My pride won’t allow for that. “You’re not going to do damn a thing unless I know it’ll be worth my time. Strip. Show me what you have to offer,” I demand.

He pulls back as if I dumped a bucket of cold water on him. “You’re serious?”

My shoulders rise and quickly fall—the best shrug I can manage while being tied up. To my utter delight and surprise, he steps back and begins removing his coat and then his shirt to reveal a lean body with an impressive set of abs. He unbuttons his slacks but then doesn’t do anything else. He looks up at me through his dark lashes.

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