Winter Heat Page 5

  “Hey, Cole!” They yell, and I wave hello before Sarah pushes me from their view.

  “Your parents still love me too,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her to the passenger side.

  “You seem to have that effect on people.” She glances over at me with a popped brow, then continues, “I haven’t celebrated this holiday in years. I usually do the news the next morning, so I tend to go to sleep early,” she tells me.

  I laugh. “All I know is you deserve to be kissed at midnight. Sets the foundation for the entire year,” I say matter-of-factly as we park on the street.

  When we walk inside, music floats through the air from a band playing on the small stage. It’s an intimate setting, the lights are low, but people are packed in the room. We go to the bar, where I pull out a stool for Sarah, then sit next to her.

  “Want a drink?” I ask as the bartender sets down napkins in front of us.

  “Vodka and tonic with lime,” she says, and I order a beer. Moments later, our drinks are placed in front of us, and I pick mine up and take a sip.

  Sarah turns and smiles at me, placing her hand on my thigh. I think about the past week we’ve spent together and grin. “I kinda want to dance,” she admits, biting her bottom lip. “After I finish my drink.”

  “Deal.” I finish my beer at the same speed as she does, then pay our check. Sarah stands and reaches out her hand, pulling me toward the crowded dance floor.

  We mosey in, and I place my hands on her hips, and she wraps her arms around my neck. Not able to hold it back any longer, I dip down and slip my tongue inside her mouth. Our bodies keep moving to the beat, but all I want to do is leave and be alone with her until the clock strikes midnight.

  As if she reads my mind, she whispers, “Let’s get out of here.”

  I create some space between us so I can meet her emerald green eyes. “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want to waste the remaining time I have with you, Cole.”

  She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I interlock my fingers with hers, and we climb inside the truck. Moments later, Sarah’s moving closer to me, and before I realize what’s happening, she’s straddling me with her fingers threaded through my hair.

  “Fuck, baby,” I whisper as she grinds hard against me. I feel like ravenous teenagers again.

  “I need you right now, Cole,” she demands, and I slip my finger under the fabric of her dress, immediately feeling her pussy.

  “No panties?” My eyes widen, and I grin. “You little vixen.”

  “Just takes more time to remove them,” she says before she nips and pulls my earlobe into her mouth. Sarah’s hands slide down to my pants to undo the top button, then she unzips them and pulls out my dick. I’m hard as a goddamn rock.

  Moments later, I’m inside her and we’re fucking as if our lives depend on it. As she bounces on my cock, I adjust the top of her dress and take her nipple in my mouth. The windows grow foggy, and I grab her hips, slamming my dick inside her.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she moans. Her hair flies in her face as she desperately cries out, begging for relief.

  “I love you, Sarah,” I admit as she rides me hard. I grab her ass cheeks, and she pants out her response.

  “I love you too,” she says, then groans. I place my thumb on her clit and gently rub circles. It takes no time before she rides her release, and I spill inside her.

  “Fuck, baby,” I whisper.

  “And just think, we have three more hours until midnight,” she says, pressing her lips against mine. “Now take me to your house, and let’s make the last hours of the year count.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice,” I say.

  The mood on the way to the airport is somber, but I try to keep the conversation light because I can tell she’s upset too. It was never easy watching her leave, and this time is no different. We knew it wouldn’t be.

  “I’m going to miss the fuck out of you,” I tell her as we make the final turn.

  Sarah lets out a calm breath. “I know. Me too. But I’ll be back in two weeks for my interview.”

  There’s a weight on my shoulders so heavy that when I pull into the drop-off area, I feel as if I can’t breathe. It brings back too many memories, and while I know it’s different now, there’s still the chance she may not get the job. Though they’d be stupid as hell not to hire her.

  I park, and we sit there in silence for a few seconds.

  “I love you, Sarah. I love you so damn much,” I admit, and she leans over and presses her soft ruby lips against mine.

  “I love you too,” she whispers into my mouth when she pushes away.

  I instantly miss her being so close. Threading my fingers through the loose strands of hair that fall in her eyes, I tuck them behind her ear.

  “I’m going to get the job. I just know it,” she encourages. “Then we can make up for lost time.”

  “I’m taking that as a promise, sweetheart,” I say with a smirk.

  “A promise wrapped with a guarantee. And if—for some reason—I don’t, we’ll make it work. I’ve realized that what we have is so damn special that it can’t be replicated. I’m yours, Cole. Always have been and always will be,” she says, then looks down at her phone to check the time. “I should get going, even if I don’t want to.”

  “I know, baby. Please travel safe and text or call me when you land,” I remind her.

  “I will,” she confirms, then reaches for the handle. I grab her suitcase from the back seat of my truck and walk inside with her. When we make it to security, Sarah turns, wraps her arms around my neck, and twists her tongue with mine.

  “Spending Christmas with you was the best time I’ve had in years. I love you,” she repeats. “I can’t say it enough.”

  “It’s a Christmas I’ll never forget. I love you, too. This isn’t goodbye, it’s a see you again soon,” I say, brushing my lips across hers one last time.

  “Not soon enough.” With a grin, she takes her suitcase, and I watch until she fades out of sight.

  On the way back to my truck, I replay all the memories we’ve shared. We’ve grown so much, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the way I feel about her. Once I’m inside and crank the engine, I reach inside my jacket pocket and pull out the black velvet box. Popping open the lid, I look at the ring that I’ll hopefully be slipping on her finger the next time she’s in town.

  While I have some planning to do to make sure she gets the proposal she’s always deserved, I can’t wait. Sarah Rose will eventually be my wife, and I can’t wait to start my forever with her. I have no doubt she’ll say yes.

  About the Author

  Brooke Cumberland and Lyra Parish are a duo of romance authors who teamed up under the USA Today pseudonym, Kennedy Fox. They share a love of Hallmark movies, overpriced coffee, and making TikToks. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day in 2016, they decided to collaborate under a pseudonym and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make you blush and your heart melt. Happily ever afters guaranteed! View our full reading order here.

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  Prologue

  THREE YEARS EARLIER

  I clutch a glass of water in my hand, hitting the switch to the light, engulfing me in darkness again. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust before I pad back to my bedroom.

  Aside from the subtle creaks in the floor with each step I take, the house is silent.

  I’ve hardly slept a wink all night. After tossing and turning, I had ambled out of bed for a quick drink. Anything to take my mind off the weight of this weekend.

  Anything to get my mind off Merric.

  I sigh, setting down the glass on my nightstand and pull back the comforter. My knee is pressed against the soft pillow top mattress,
about to dive back in, when the sound of glass shattering forces my body to freeze.

  I half-expect to look down to find my glass of water broken, spilled at my feet, but the sound is too far away for it to be the case.

  My breath catches tight in my throat, waiting for another sound to break the stillness. My eyes dart over to the nightstand, seeing the glass of water gleaming like crystals in the moonlight. I wrap my arms around my body, my heart beating frantically while I try to piece together what I should do.

  The sound of a man groaning follows. It’s a deep, throaty noise, and it sends shivers down my spine. Only this time, the sound isn’t too far away.

  I tiptoe over to the window, pulling back the curtains a sliver, to spot my stepbrother Merric lying on his side in the middle of the sidewalk. After he presses his palms against the cement to push to sit, he brushes his hands off.

  I drop the curtain, letting it fall back against the window as I race down the hallway. Turning the deadbolt on the front door, I quickly pull it open to find him still seated on the ground. He shakes his head, looking disoriented at the realization he just fell.

  “Are you okay?” I whisper-shout.

  He winces when his head snaps up to look at me. His hand reaches for his neck, letting out a deep moan.

  Merric’s been distant from me the entire weekend. We’ve hardly said two words together since I got into town. Although, it’s not anything new from how he’s treated me in the past.

  I don’t blame him for not being up for conversation. When we had gotten word his father had a heart attack and wouldn’t make it, we both flew back home to Richmond.

  Although my dad hasn’t been around much since my parents divorced, I couldn’t imagine ever losing him. I can’t even say how I’d react to the news, especially so suddenly.

  My eyes focus back in on Merric, to where his large frame nearly takes up all of the sidewalk.

  “You should go back inside,” he grumbles under his breath.

  My heart aches for him. I wish I could crack this shell he keeps up, closing himself off from everyone around him.

  Broken glass covers the ground between us. Judging from the wet asphalt and the strong stench of liquor, I’m going to make a wild guess he tripped and went down with a bottle of vodka.

  My stomach rolls at the smell. My mind flashes back to the night I got hammered drunk with a group of my friends at a party. I woke up the next day with the hangover of a lifetime. Karma came back to haunt me when I started my first shift at Whiskey Barrel. All was fine and well until a waitress dropped a bottle of vodka a few feet away from me. It was the reminder I needed to never let myself get so drunk again.

  Merric attempts to press his hands against the ground again. His body sways as he tries to climb to his feet. I take a step toward him before he curses at me under his breath to back up.

  “You’re going to end up cutting yourself. Stay back.”

  He holds himself there for a moment, his ass in the air before he stands upright. A proud grin breaks out across his face, and I can’t help but do the same at the sight of his smile.

  I chuckle. “Well, looks like you’ve had a good time tonight.”

  He nods, winking at me, holding his fingers up in a mock salute. “You. Are. Riiiiight,” he slurs, each word spoken pointedly.

  This side of Merric totally contradicts the man I’ve known him to be. There’s a part of me that wishes I could see this side more often, although with less alcohol involved.

  The smirk on his face and the glimmer in his eye is completely different from any way he’s ever looked at me before. The heat behind it has warmth spreading throughout my body.

  “C’mon.” I extend my hand toward him. He pauses briefly, eyeing it before letting whatever held him back go. He sidesteps the broken glass, stumbling before he reaches out, accepting my hand.

  “We’ll pick it up in the morning. It’ll be fine,” I reassure him. His warm fingers slip into mine, squeezing them lightly.

  Heat radiates up my arm; the calluses on his fingers incite thoughts of all the places he could touch me. It sends shivers through my body, and I’m grateful Merric is too intoxicated to notice.

  He trips a bit as we make it to the stairs leading up to the front of the house. I pause, taking the first step, holding my arm out to help him.

  “Like you could do anything to support me. If I go down, it’ll be on you.”

  Arousal pools in my belly, my cheeks flush from the proximity to Merric and the weight of his words. I don’t think he meant how they came out, but I purse my lips together to hide the desire showing on my face.

  “What?” His brows furrow in question. His confusion looks almost painful.

  It takes a second for it to click. You can see the process of him replaying the words in his mind. His eyes go from squinting to wide before he stares down at my lips.

  “Why did you look like you liked the sound of that?”

  “Let’s get you inside.” I change the subject, once again holding my arm to him.

  He ignores my invitation, instead wrapping his arm around my shoulders, leaning into me. I inhale his scent, and it’s all I can do to focus on helping him into the house, not wanting either of us to fall.

  When we make it to the top of the stairs, he doesn’t move to let go. We continue through the front door toward the room Merric stays in when he visits.

  “Are you coming to bed with me?”

  I laugh, shaking my head. “No, I just didn’t want you to fall again. You’d probably take out a wall in here if you did.”

  He mumbles and nods in agreement, seemingly trying to come up with something to say to argue my point before deciding on, “You’re right about a lot of things tonight.”

  He pulls back, dropping his arm from my shoulder to look down at me. His body sways slightly, his eyes losing focus before staring into mine. A small light at the end of the hallway illuminates the space enough for me to make out his expression. One thing you’d quickly learn about Merric is how he keeps his cards close to his chest. It’s hard to get a read on him or know what’s on his mind.

  With a small chuckle, Merric says, “I’m probably going to regret this in the morning.”

  For a second, I think he’s talking about the drinking, then his hand reaches down between us to lace with mine. Before I have an opportunity to question it, he’s taking a step back to lean against the wall, pulling me with him.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he murmurs, his other hand reaching to grip my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Is this wrong? Is this not what you want?”

  He spreads his legs apart, giving me space to step in closer. My heart slams in my chest, beating wildly. My fingers grip the front of his button-up shirt, needing something to hold onto, wanting to keep myself anchored to him in this moment.

  He’s still wearing the dress slacks he wore to the funeral earlier. My body is pressed against him, and I swear I can feel his arousal growing between us. I rub my legs together, and the slightest of movements causes Merric to groan.

  “It’s not wrong,” I whisper. “I’m here, Merric. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He grunts, his fingers digging into my hip, the other tangling into my hair, pulling me into him. Desire burns in his eyes. The heat in his stare is so intense, I have to remind myself to breathe.

  When he leans in to kiss me, I lose all sense of reality. Right and wrong. Good and bad.

  Nothing in this moment matters but me and Merric. When his lips connect with mine, I tell myself there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to live in this moment with him forever.

  He breaks our lips apart, his forehead pressed against mine, and we struggle to catch our breaths.

  “I’ve never craved someone as much as I do you,” he moans.

  I reach my hand up, dragging my nails through his hair, pulling him back to me. This time when he kisses me, I tell him without words he’s not alone.

  We’re engulfed in sin
together, and Lord help me for loving how good it tastes.

  Chapter One

  “C’mon, you stupid… piece… of crap!” I huff an exasperated sigh, tugging the suitcase out from beneath the pile of clothes and boxes stacked in my closet.

  I’ve never claimed to be the most organized person in the world. Speaking truthfully, I’m the complete opposite. I’m always losing things, waiting until the last minute to get anything done, and I’m usually the last one to arrive. I’m constantly in a rush. I’m a mess of chaos, and most people in my life have come to accept that it’ll never change.

  This is precisely why I have no time to be dicking around right now. I’m running late, and I don’t have the time to spend digging out my suitcase. Merric will be here in less than ten minutes, and I can picture the fury on his face when he finds me not ready to leave.

  Sweat drips from my brow, using my hand to fan my face. The heat in my dorm room is set ten degrees higher than it should be, adding to my frustration.

  I heave the suitcase on my bed and toss in everything I’ll need over the next week, from my makeup bag to my toiletries, extra clothes, and a few pairs of shoes. I almost forget my dress shoes, adding them to the pile.

  Supermarket Sweep is airing old episodes on Netflix, and somehow, over the sound of cheering, I’m able to hear the distinct yet muffled sound of my phone ringing.

  “Shit… where are you at?” I blurt out to no one but myself. I lift the blankets and suitcase on my bed, running my hand over my mattress, feeling around for the vibration. It’s about to hit my voice mail when I spot it between my bed and nightstand.

  I swipe the screen to answer. “Yellow?”

  “Oaklyn? Are you all right?”

  “Hi, Mom, nice to hear from you, too. I’m fine.” Gripping my shirt, I shake it, trying to create some airflow to cool me off.

  “You sound like you’re out of breath. Were you jogging? You do realize Merric is going to be there soon, right? Did you even start packing yet?”