Page 13 of Warming Up Coco (Santa Daddy)

“I’m sorry for being… difficult,” I rasped. Difficult was an understatement, and we both knew it. Having her so damn close, her scent and warmth were too much. Shit, even the soft sound of her breathing had me on edge. I was close to coming out of my skin.

As I stood at the door of the cabin with Coco and her big brown eyes that sparkled as she stared at me with innocence and temptation all at the same time, all I wanted to do was toss her over my shoulder after kissing her like she belonged to me.

Not yet,a voice whispered in the back of my mind.

I had to win her affection first.

I needed her to know how I felt when it came to her. I had to do right by her if I wanted us to last. I wanted nothing less than forever.

“Difficult?” She smirked, giving me a glimpse of dimples at her cheeks I hardly ever saw.Oh yeah, Coco Sanchez is mine. For always. My endgame.

“No offense, Mr. Star, but you can be a lot more than difficult.” Jesus, even the sassy attitude she tossed my way made it hard for me to focus.

“True, but—" She shivered again, and I scowled. “Shit, you’re cold.”What the hell have I been thinking?Talking outside with her when all she was wearing to protect herself from the low temperature was my hoodie. Her teeth started to chatter, and I opened the door. “Let’s warm you up, Coco.” I nodded, silently inviting her in.

When she brushed past me, I had to stifle the groan that threatened to escape. I loved the way her body felt against mine. Shutting and locking the door with my back to her, I tried to find some kind of control. Something to hold on to so I didn’t royally screw up. Remind myself of why I’d told myself throughout the last year I had to keep my hands off her.

When I glanced at her over my shoulder, all those reasons and excuses no longer made sense to me. Who the hell was I kidding? They had stopped making sense a long time ago.

“Oh, wow,” she gasped. “This place is incredible.” She smiled, and my feet moved on their own accord. I didn’t stop until I was right in front of her, so close she had to tilt her head back, especially since she was in flats. “Lucas?” she whispered my name, and my hands left my side and took hold of her hips. “What are you—"

My jaw clenched. There was so much I wanted to tell her. More than apologies and begging her for forgiveness for the way I’d acted the last year. But I couldn’t string two freaking words together. A deep sound vibrated inside my chest, and I felt heat between my pecs. My eyes dropped to find her hand there.

She wasn’t pushing me away.

The tips of her fingers stroked my chest. Up and down with a soothing touch. Almost like she could feel how tormented my thoughts were. How torn I was.

“Why are we here, Lucas?”

“I told you work and—" I started to say, but the words quickly died on my tongue. We both knew I was full of shit.

“The truth,” she whispered. I opened and shut my mouth.

I hadn’t expected her to touch me, to make a move and put me on the spot.

Fuck.

“The truth is I brought you here to get you away from the city.”

“Why?”

“Because…” My jaw clenched almost painfully. One of her hands rose and cupped my face.

“Why did you want to get me out of the city?” Her voice was soft, and I felt like a goddamn fish out of water. Every answer that came to mind felt like too much. Like it had the possibility of scaring her away.

To claim you.

To mark you.

To make you mine.

Everything was too extreme.

“I’ve been an asshole,” I started slowly, “a jerk of a boss and wanted to take care of you.”

“Like a vacation?”

“Hmm,” I grunted, knowing very well this wasn’t what that was.

---