Page 31 of Tied Up In Tinsel
She smiled like sin itself. “I think I do. Don’t be shy.” Then, she fucking winked.
That was it. That was the match to the powder keg.
I grabbed her wrists, pinning them high above her head, my weight holding her down as my mouth claimed her nipple. I sucked, bit, teased until she writhed, begging for more. Then I shifted, lifting one of her legs onto my shoulder and plunging into her again—deep, punishing strokes that made the bed rock and creak beneath us.
Her cries filled the room, each one shooting fire straight through my veins. She wasn’t quiet. Neither was I. This was raw, primal, unrestrained.
“God, Annie,” I groaned, burying myself to the hilt.
Her nails dug into my arms, her head thrown back as she moaned, “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”
I was lost. Lost in her body, her sounds, the way she clenched around me like she never wanted to let go. My free hand slid down, finding her clit again, pressing and circling as I pounded into her.
Her whole body arched, her voice breaking as she cried my name, falling apart beneath me. And the second she shattered, I followed—thrusting deep, emptying myself into her with a groan that came from the very core of me.
I collapsed against her, breathing hard, my forehead pressed to hers. For a long moment, there were no words—just the sound of us trying to catch our breath, our bodies slick and tangled, our hearts pounding like they were racing each other.
Annie
I felt lighter than usual this morning—almost chipper, which was saying something for me this time of year.
Normally, the holidays drained me. Too many memories clung to December like tinsel on an old tree—some sweet, some I wished I could box up and never see again. As the days crept closer to Christmas, I usually found myself slipping further from the joy everyone else in this town seemed to wear so effortlessly.
But today was different.
After last night with Brooks, there was a pep in my step I couldn’t hide. My lips had been tugged upward in a smile since the second I woke up. Even now, as I leaned over the counter, kneading dough into a perfect, springy ball, I found myself humming under my breath.
The party was close, and I was definitely feeling the pressure from the mayor. I knew I could prep ahead by making doughs to freeze, stacking the pie crusts, and filling cookie tins. But as my hands worked the dough, my mind was somewhere else entirely.
Onhim.
Brooks had ruined me for any other man, and I was perfectly fine with that.
The thought of his body—strong, cut in all the right ways, those tattoos that looked sinful against golden skin—sent a wave of heat spiraling through me. Not to mention the way he’d touched me. The way he’d made mefeel. My ex-husband had never been generous in that department, never cared about coaxing more than the bare minimum from me. With Brooks, though? I couldn’t even focus enough to count how many times I’d shattered beneath him. Once bled into twice, and then I was greedy for more before I’d even caught my breath.
I bit down on my smile, pressing my palms into the dough a little harder. It was crazy to think having him here, living under my roof, of all things, would bring me peace instead of chaos. Sure, he was here for Ruby, and that was supposed to be the whole point. But why couldn’t I have a piece of him too? A sliver, a stolen taste of something I hadn’t realized I’d been starving for.
This morning had only confirmed it.
Downstairs, as we’d stumbled around the kitchen trying to wake up, I caught him staring at me. That slow, deliberate kind of look that said he wasn’t just admiring me, he wasundressingme all over again with his eyes.
So, of course, I bent just a little further than necessary when I reached for the bottom cabinet.
Just as I expected, he couldn’t resist.
The smack he gave my ass wasn’t soft. It was possessive, and it lit me up like someone had plugged me straight into a string of Christmas lights. I’d nearly melted on the spot. If Ruby hadn’t been down the hall and breakfast wasn’t on the stove, I would have shoved his pajama pants down right there and made the moment memorable.
God, he was gorgeous. Built like a man who not only knew how to use every muscle but also knew exactly how to use the equipment he’d been given. The sheersizeof him—the way hetossed me around without effort—it still made me shiver just thinking about it.
I sighed, the sound dreamy, and rolled the dough under my palms. My ex-husband didn’t even compare. Brooks was on another level entirely. Once you had a man like that, there was no going back.
I let myself hum again, spinning lightly on my heel. The kitchen was warm, the scent of cinnamon and sugar lingering from yesterday’s baking.
I twirled again, just because I could.
“Ugh.”
My brother Ollie’s voice dragged me out of my little daydream. He leaned against the doorway of the ski lodge kitchen, brows raised. “Why are you dancing in silence?”
