Page 34 of Chilled and Thrilled

If we were standing, I’m not sure I could keep myself from falling flat on my back at the sweet, vulnerable look she gives me as she says, “I think I’m starting to.”

One hand weaves carefully through the hair at the base of her skull, guiding her lips to mine so I can kiss her with one singular purpose.

Fall in love with me, Sophie.

Any other day, I would be inside her by now, but she’s had a rough few days, and I’m determined to keep my hands off her, at least for now. With reluctance, I break the kiss, gazing down at her as I drag my thumb back and forth over her hip.

“I’ve been thinking,” I begin, a bit concerned I’m pushing my luck and this is too much, too fast, “we should start some new holiday traditions.”

My worries were for nothing, however, because Sophie is glowing. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I roll to the edge of the bed and stand, turning back to pull her up with me.

“What are we going to do?”

“Something we’re both very good at.”

“This isn’t doingwhat it should.” I tilt my head, watching as the small cracker and frosting house before me slumps onto the plate for the fifth time in a row.

Across the table, Sophie isn’t having much luck, either. Not having gingerbread, or any of the ingredients to make traditional gingerbread houses, we raided the pantry and ended up with a jar of frosting, two boxes of crackers, and raisins for decoration.

“You are a literal architect, and I am a literal engineer. What the actual shit. Children do this,” she hisses, scrunching up her nose in impatience.

“I think we’re working with poor materials.” I cast a look around at the assembled supplies, annoyed. “What if we cut slots in the crackers and fit them together?”

Sophie brightens at this suggestion and dives for one of the butter knives I took out for frosting application. The cracker breaks apart instantly and she drops it with a disgruntled huff, casting a look up at me. “Maybe this is the universe telling us to seek new career paths.”

With a sigh, I get up to stretch, peering around the room as if some other potential holiday tradition will make itself known. To my surprise, a pair of slim female arms loop around my middle, hugging me from behind. My heart leaps as Sophie kisses my back and says gently, “Next year, we’ll do better.”

Next year.

I laugh quietly, turning in her arms to face her as hope swells inside me. “Next year, huh?”

One corner of her mouth lifts in a shy, half-smile. “If you still want me by then. And if Honor hasn’t murdered me in my sleep.”

“I will, and she won’t.” I lean down to kiss the corner of her lips and can tell by the way she arches closer to me, that there’s something else on my greedy girl’s mind.

Without explanation, I draw away and take her hand, leading the way over to the couch. Sophie watches as I sit back, her teeth finding her bottom lip as, holding her gaze, I undo the button of my pants and pull them down, freeing my erection.

“Suck my cock, Sophie.”

13

SOPHIE

I’m sure every heterosexual woman on the planet has a different idea of what constitutes the perfect penis, and I’m equally sure that all their perfect penis definitions are wrong. It’s just a fact, because unless they happen to have encountered Bram Vogel’s—a possibility thatpisses me off to an irrational degree—they have no idea what perfect is.

“Suck my cock, Sophie.”

The words go right through me, settling heavy and warm in my center. If anyone else were to take out their dick and say those words, I would probably flip them off and laugh in their face.

For Bram, I get on my knees.

If I’m honest with myself, all that exploring I was thinking about doing wasn’t interesting unless he was the one doing it with me. The boxes I checked, the fantasies I’ve had, it was always Bram. Despite my best efforts, I don’t want anyone else, and what’s really scary, is realizing I don’t think I ever will. After resigning myself to the fact that nothing could ever come of my feelings for him, I’m all but defenseless against Bram Vogel’s tireless campaign to keep me.

Also, I don’t want to resist, and I want all the reasons that I should to disappear.

He lets out a heavy breath as I kneel between his legs, reaching out to grasp the base of his shaft. He’s so thick my fingers barely meet, and the memory of what it felt like when he was inside me makes warmth spread through the muscles in my inner thighs.

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