Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 59022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59022 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
His hand finds mine beneath the blanket again as the sleigh pulls to a gentle stop. I realize now that it was snowing where we were. Stetson leans in, brushing a kiss against the curve of my neck, I tilt toward him without thinking. The sound of jingling bells fades; the rest of the world melts into snow and stars.
“I don’t know what this is anymore, it’s like you’re trying to make me forget time exists on purpose,” I whisper.
“Magic,” he says simply. His lips graze my skin, slow and reverent. “Or maybe we’re just creating it ourselves.”
He draws me in for another drugging kiss—slow, unhurried, the kind that steals time and gives it back in pieces. The world narrows to the rhythm of his heartbeat under my palms, to the faint jingle of bells and the rise and fall of our breath in the cold. Snow begins to fall, drifts lazily past us, catching in his hair, melting when it touches his skin. I think the stars might actually be jealous.
Time means nothing here. There’s only the warmth of his arms, the solid weight of him beside me, the pull of something ancient and inevitable weaving through the space between us. The sleigh keeps still, steady and sure, as if the reindeer themselves know not to interrupt whatever spell we’ve fallen under for the second time.
He presses his forehead to mine, his voice a whisper against the hush of winter. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
I nod, barely breathing. “It’s impossible not to.”
He smiles—soft, knowing, dangerous—and for the first time all night, I stop wondering where this ride will end. I just hold on.
An hour later after the hot chocolate is gone along with the cookies I finally ask. “Who decides what’s questionable in a man, I mean when it comes to your sister?” I can’t help but ask.
“Back to that, huh?” He laughs and puts an arm under his neck so he can peer down at me even more. His other arm is wrapped like a vine around my waist, holding my naked body close to his.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I trail my fingers along his muscled chest as I await his answer. I swear on all that’s holy like ten shooting stars race across the sky like they’re trying to make this moment even more romantic and intimate than it already is.
I couldn’t write this if I tried.
Nor have I ever read it in any of the books I’ve edited.
“That is a loaded question…” Stetson says slowly.
“I’m waiting,” I bat my eyelashes at him flirtatiously.
“I don’t want you to judge her,” he says almost defensively.
I burst out laughing.
“Judge her? She must be cool as shit if Santa made house rules because of her… she’s a rebel, I take it?”
“More than a rebel.” Stetson shakes his head and groans. “She’s the pain in my ass.”
Even though he groans, he says it with such love that I know they must have an awesome relationship. Like Ethan and me. If I had a dollar for every time that kid—yes, I still call him that—annoyed the living hell out of me I’d be a millionaire.
“You still haven’t defined questionable,” I remind him as I draw lazy circles along his pec muscles, damn, he eats like a horse and looks like this, it’s honestly not fair.
“If there was a country called, ‘Red Flag’ whose entire population consisted of men with ‘questionable’ characters, my sister would apply for citizenship.”
I burst out laughing. “Yup, we definitely need to become best friends right this minute, I would be right there with her, I mean with the guys I’ve—” my voice trails off.
From the look on his face I don’t think he finds it as funny as I do. Yeah, I need to stop talking.
Present company excluded, most of my past choices probably came from this mysterious country that Stetson’s speaking of as well.
“Frankly, my father and I find it mind boggling that she’s so bad at picking out men.”
My shoulders shake with uncontrollable laughter.
“Why is that?”
“She has uncanny propensity to choose a man with zero moral compass. At this point, we think it’s a gift.” I like this side of him, the stressed-out brother side. Leave it to Stetson to look more worried over his sister’s bad dating habits than a freaking polar bear orgy. Men.
I really do love his sister even more though. I’m already planning to meet her, befriend her, and plan happy hour with her.
“I’m happy you find this amusing.”
“I might have dated a few men from Red Flag as well,” I admit. “Bad boys are their own kind of irresistible and I dunno, sometimes a giant red flag is exciting.”
His eyes narrow into tiny slits. Uh oh, Santa’s heir just lost all his Christmas joy over that statement.
“I’d prefer if we don’t talk about what came before.” He grates out.