Stroking him through the fabric, he sucks in a breath. He may have gotten what he wanted, but now I’m desperate to wrap my mouth around his cock and watch him lose control because of me. My fingers tiptoe their way to the inch of skin above his waistband, playing with the button on his pants. “Don’t you need something?”
Hetsks, laying a firm hand on top of my wandering fingers. “Jo, sweetheart, I got exactly what I need.”
A lazy afternoon finds us lying on the couch watching re-runs ofThe Big Bang Theory, my head in his lap while he threads fingertips through my curls, like he enjoys the texture. Both kids are still gone, leaving the two of us alone all day. I haven’t beenalone with him for this amount of time since he arrived, and I’m thankful for the snow.
“Would you like to go for a walk?” Tyler asks, hand pausing in my hair. “I assume snow happens in Alabama about as often as it does in Texas.”
A walk in the snow does sound nice. Humming my assent, we both stand to layer up for the cold outside. It’s mid-afternoon and some of the snow has begun to melt. If Tyler plans on making it to his apartment, he’ll need to do that before nightfall when the temperatures drop and the melted snow turns to black ice.
The thought of him going back to his apartment sends a pang through me, but I can’t keep him here without a reason to give to Abby and Jay. They’ve already questioned our relationship and they’re not used to a man being around in that role. We step outside and the cold sends a shiver running down my spine. Tyler takes the steps first, testing for ice, then takes my hand, guiding me down slowly. We tread across the lawn and head toward downtown, strolling in companionable silence. At one point, Tyler reaches out, threading his fingers with mine to tug me closer to him. The chill in the air bites at my skin, but with my hand in his, I suddenly don’t feel quite so cold.
I slow in front of my childhood dream house, noticing the for sale sign before peering up at the cheery yellow exterior. It’s a hundred-year-old Victorian with a large front porch, complete with a round turret perched on one corner. Above each doorway are beautiful transom windows, and I know that upstairs there’s a north-facing sunroom with the most perfect light for painting, because of course I’ve stalked it one time or a hundred on the real estate website.
It also belonged to my childhood nemesis, Missy Anderson. We never got along after her twelfth birthday. It was a slumber party where she forced me to partake in a horrifying round with a Ouija board. I swear, to this day, the piece moved on its own. It scared the bejesus out of me and I called my Mawmaw to comeget me. For months after, Missy made fun of me for getting scared so I gave her the cold shoulder the rest of our school years.
Tyler stands patiently beside me, allowing my musings.
“This is my favorite house in Singing River.” I tell him about the slumber party, then proceed to wax poetic about the sunroom and all my daydreams of growing old on the front porch.
Tyler listens quietly, his hand never leaving mine. Then we fall silent, both staring up at the empty house of dreams.
“Anyway.” I sigh. “I hope someone lovely buys it. Hope they wipe it clean with some sage or an exorcism, though.”
Tyler chuckles and we proceed on our path.
Out of nowhere, I’m struck in the back of the head by a snowball, while another pings off Tyler’s thigh. Spinning, I spot Jay and his friends, doubled over in laughter. Tyler looks at me, a challenging glint in his eye and we both crouch to grab a handful of snow, packing it to a ball and take off running after Jay’s crew. When we get close enough, Tyler counts down under his breath and we both fling our snowballs the kids’ way. An athlete I am not, so mine lands about a foot from Jay, but Tyler’s hits him square in the forehead. Jay’s face twists like it hurt.
Tyler gasps and takes off to make sure Jay isn’t hurt. He’s almost to them when Jay’s face turns to a mischievous grin, and he and his friends assault Tyler, pelting him with snowball after snowball. When the assault ends, Tyler is practically covered in wet snow. He raises his hands in surrender and the kids take off down the road, shrieks of laughter trailing behind them until they’re out of sight.
I’m laughing so hard that I’m gasping for breath, but when Tyler stalks my way my laughter skitters to a halt. The look he’s giving me is downright predatory. He stops so close our chests touch, and captures my mouth in a kiss.
Any other day I’d overthink everything about this kiss out in the wide open streets of my town. Today, though, it feels likewe’re caught in the snow globe magic of the day where the world is soft around the edges and I’m brave enough to take what I want from him
He abruptly breaks the kiss, and just as I’m leaning in for more, Tyler plops a huge snowball right on top of my head. I giggle into his snow damp shirt, feeling like a giddy teenager.
“I need to change. My clothes are soaking wet now,” Tyler says, motioning to his torso.
“Well, your apartment is a block away. We can go real quick,” I offer, suddenly feeling nervous about seeing his living quarters. He’s only been with us at my house throughout his time here.
We make the short walk to Old Town Tavern, carefully climbing the metal stairs on the side of the building. The door has a keypad for entrance and Tyler types in the code, swinging open the door and nodding for me to enter first.
You’d think after living here my entire life I’d have been in this apartment, but for some reason, this is my first time. I step further in to take it all in. One entire wall is exposed brick. It’s set up like a studio apartment and I do a lap around. When I turn to comment on how much I love exposed brick, my words die in my throat. I assumed Tyler would have gone to the bathroom to change, but I’m dead wrong. There stands Tyler, his back to me, and he’s shirtless.
Allowing my eyes to sweep over him, I’m mesmerized by the shifts and ripples each time he moves. I couldn’t look away if I tried. Strong planes dipping down to narrow hips. No wonder he was able to toss me onto the counter like a feather. And now I’m thinking about his mouth between my legs again. Never in all the days of my life have I come with such force. The thought has heat simmering in my core and I clench my thighs together.
He’s punching buttons on the thermostat and I realize how cold the room is.
“I think something’s wrong with the heat. It’s forty-five degrees in here.”
Tyler turns, tugging a shirt over his head, and I let out aninvoluntary sigh. This view exposes each and every one of his abs and before I can talk myself out of it, I’m moving closer, lightly running my fingernails across his stomach. His abdomen tightens, and his eyes roam over my face.
Right then, his phone rings from where it lies on the entry table, but he doesn’t move to answer it, instead he stands there holding my gaze, his growing more heated by the second. The ringing stops, but it immediately pings with a voicemail.
Tyler breaks our stare to grab his phone, his face shifting when he raises the phone to listen. I have to wrap my arms around myself to keep out the cold.
“Dammit.” He sighs. “That was Henry. The heat is definitely out and the HVAC company has a list a mile long before they can get here. That is if the roads don’t get slick again.”
Tyler paces the length of the entryway a couple of times. “Penny and Austin aren’t home. I could probably stay there.”
