A shiver runs down my bare arms as I watch snow covering the streets of Chicago through my window. The snowplows have already taken to the roads, and crews are working to clear paths along the sidewalks.
It’s a week before Christmas, and the weather has taken a turn for the worse. If we’re lucky it might even reach zero degrees today.
I sigh, my breath fogging the glass. This will be my first holiday alone. My parents are on vacation, I have no siblings to speak of, and my fuck buddy-slash-boyfriend, Robert, recently decided to call it off.
“Listen, Scarlett,” he said. “You’re great and all, and damn if you’re not an amazing fuck…but I’ve met someone.”
My stomach flipped the moment he uttered those words. I told him he didn’t need to say anything else, and I thanked him for his appreciation of my skills in the bedroom.
So much had been left unsaid and undefined between us. We had no rules. I guess if we never set boundaries and I constantly gave when he constantly took, then, yeah… How could it have lasted?
I scrub his rejection from my memory and refocus on the scenes through the window. Across the street, a man is taking out the trash. He slips on the ice a little but recovers before fully wiping out. I’m hurting too much inside to reach for empathy, or even vague interest.
I slide a single digit across the glass, leaving a streak. The gathered condensation streams down the window, and it immediately reminds me of a particular time in the shower at Robert’s place. He had me pressed against the glass wall, forcing rivulets of water to the shower floor as he pounded into me.
I always let him control. I loved it, until I didn’t.
With a sigh, I lower my gaze back down to the street and frown. A man leaving the coffee shop across the way looks familiar. I swipe more condensation from the window and squint.
It’s Robert. And he’s with his new woman.
After a brief online search that I still regret, I stumbled across her.
Selene.
Her blond hair peeks out from underneath her cap as she walks. She has a slender build, and the leather boots on her feet make her legs look that much thinner.
Beside her, Robert’s long trench coat flows out from between his legs as the wind catches it. His dark-brown hair looks almost black in the evening light.
I miss him already. I hate that I do. Then, just as I’m about to turn away from the window, Robert tilts his head up, and his eyes meet mine.
I quickly turn away.
Fuck, did he see me? He probably thinks I’m spying on him. Well, he is in my neighborhood! What did he expect to happen?
With a huff, I walk across my small apartment toward my kitchen and pick up my favorite coffee mug. Filled with the blood of my enemies is printed on it, and a little part of me wishes it were true. It was a gift from a coworker a few years ago. She knew me well.
I busy myself with making a fresh cup of tea, but my thoughts keep drifting to Robert.
He really thinks he can bring his latest fuck toy into my neighborhood and I won’t see him?
Steaming tea in hand, I settle myself back in my living room and start scrolling through social media on my phone. Most of my friends are heading out of town to visit their families, while others are praying their boyfriends will propose over the holiday.
Ugh, no.
I blow on my tea and sip it slowly when a new group text comes in from my best friend, Rebecca. Our mutual friend Lexi is on the thread too.
I need a girls night! Let’s hit the bar down on 21st. See you at 9:00?
I draft a reply.
Hell yes, you have no idea how much I need this tonight.
I hit Send just as another message arrives.
And it’s not from Rebecca or Lexi.
It’s from Robert.
My stomach flips, and a sudden reflux of anxiety shoots up my throat. I stare at his name on my phone, and I’m tempted to just block him. Instead, my fingers deceive me and tap on his text.
Are you okay?
I groan with a sigh.
I start to write back Fuck off and die, then reconsider my words. Instead, I give him something nice. I remember my mother once telling me, Never let them know they hurt you. Never give them that power.
Thanks, Mom.
I’m fine.
A moment later, the ellipsis bounces as he types.
I saw you in the window.
Well, it is my window, in my apartment, just across from the coffee shop where you were at. How could I not see you? What do you want?
I miss you.
I stare at my phone, dumbfounded, then laugh out loud.
You miss me? You made it pretty clear how you feel about me. It was casual until it wasn’t.
I didn’t realize that you would get hurt.
My mouth drops open, and I’m once again struck by the audacity of this man.
There’s a lot you don’t realize. There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Now do me a favor and stay out of my life.
I stare at the message for a moment longer, and when I’m sure he won’t write back, I feel somewhat satisfied. I was able to get in the last word, at least. Does this new lover even know who I am? Or that he’s texting me? Not if she’s anything like me, I suppose. A side piece. Always in the dark. Easily disposed of.
“Fuck this.” I toss my phone onto the couch. Grabbing my chai, I head to the bedroom and decide tonight is going to be one to remember. And maybe one to forget, once and for all.
I leave my car with the valet, tip the driver, and quickly head inside. I’m wearing my hair down, and it sways against my backside. The music reverberates gently against the outside walls as I step up to the entrance of the bar.
The nightclub is one of the elite places to hang out in Chicago, serving the Wall Street type and the rich and famous. It’s a posh spot many frequent and some hope to get into one day.
Lucky for me, I know the bouncer from our middle school days. Tony hasn’t changed that much, believe it or not. He’s still sporting a smart-ass smile and hands like mitts, ready to dole out a lesson to anyone who needs one.
“Hey, Scarlett,” he says with a smirk. “How many tonight?”
I look past him and see my girls. “They’re already inside, so just me. Thank you.”
I give him a quick peck on the cheek, and he nods me through.
“How does she get in, and we still have to wait?” screams a woman in line.
I cringe because I know, from experience watching Tony lay down his own version of the law, that that sort of behavior is not tolerated. I don’t need to see this exchange. Instead, I beeline it for Lexi and Rebecca, who are sitting at the bar, martinis in hand.
Rebecca sees me first. She smiles, and her brown eyes widen.
“Finally!” she yells out.
Some others around the bar turn in her direction.
By way of a greeting, I slip off my furry winter coat and toss my hair dramatically.
Lexi rolls her eyes as she leans in for a hug. “I see you’re wasting no time pissing off every girlfriend and wife in sight. Must mean you’re feeling better.”
I grin to hide the truth—that I’m far from okay. “I think you’re the one turning heads, tonight. You look hot!”
“Is that the part of you who hasn’t been laid in too long talking?” she returns.
“The sex-deprived Scarlett is out to play tonight, but sorry, I wouldn’t fuck you. You’re my friend. Besides…” I pause as the bartender sees me at the bar. He holds up a hand, and I nod. “The mind is a dark and twisted place. Mine has whips and chains. That might be too much for you.”
Rebecca laughs as I slip into the seat between them.
“Could I watch if you did?” asks a man next to Lexi. “I’m into whips and chains.”
All three of us lean over. We’re being propositioned by another Wall Street mongrel—gray suit, gold watch, and fake tan.
We lean back together, and I turn to Rebecca. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
“Not long at all,” she says. “Just enough to get our first cocktail before you walked in.”
“Perfect.”
I smile and cross my legs, enjoying the feel of my silky dress against smooth skin…but wishing it could be someone’s hands over me instead.
The bartender walks over and smiles when he approaches. “Scarlett, right?”
I nod. “One extra dirty martini, please.”
“Coming up.”
“Dirty martini, huh? You drink those when you’re pissy. Did you hear from Robert?” Lexi manages to call out the truth despite the mask I’ve been determined to wear tonight.
I slide my credit card across the bar. “He showed up on my street with his new plaything. Literally strolling her around right outside my window.” I shrug as if not to care. Because I shouldn’t. “And I guess he saw me.”
“Were you watching them or something?” Rebecca asks.
“I didn’t mean to. I recognized him, and before I could look away, we locked eyes.” I sigh and take the martini the bartender pushes in front of me with one hand, and then my card, which he pushes with the other.
“No charge. Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar.”
The man in reference gives a subtle wave. I smile and lift my drink in thanks. In the few seconds I allow myself to look, I notice he’s not like a lot of the other clean-cut finance guys around here. He’s dressed well, but his soft-brown hair is grown out, nearly hitting his shoulders.
He looks like a surfer. I wonder if he’s a local.
I break my silent assessment of him and sip my drink. Extra dirty, just the way I like it. Somehow the first sip combined with the heavy throb of the club music has me wanting to take another look.
I have all night to work the room, but something about him makes me look back. He’s staring at me when I do.
If he’s not a local, it’s not complicated. He could be here on vacation, eager to make a memory in the city. I could take him home with me tonight, no strings.
“Scarlett?” Lexi’s voice breaks me out of my trance.
I sip my drink and continue my story about Robert, which is feeling more like ancient history with each passing minute.
“So, I backed away from the window, then the fucker messaged me.”
“Oh, my gawd!” Rebecca’s voice shoots up an octave. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. He wanted to know if I’m okay.” I gesture with air quotes and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
“What did you tell him?” Rebecca asks.
“What do you think? I told him to fuck off.” I casually twist my glass by its base. Looking over at my benefactor at the other end of the bar, I decide to play with fire.
I blow him a kiss and mouth Thank you.
He nods his head in return, then taps to his glass for another.
Glancing at my drink, I down the rest of it and push it away with pouty lips.
He chuckles. He calls over the bartender and sends down another cocktail.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Lexi murmurs.
“What? Jealous?” I stand and make my way over to the DJ, who’s getting ready to set up. “Any requests?” I call back to my friends.
“‘S&M’ by Rihanna,” Rebecca shouts.
I grin. “Well, who’s being daring now?”
I hand over a twenty to the DJ and request the song and a few others. When I return to the bar, my heart sinks. My good-looking vacationing surfer has disappeared from the bar.
Where did he go?
I look to my left and right, and just as I’m about to give up on the search…
“Looking for me?”
His voice is deep, gravely.
I turn around, and it’s him.
His subtle cologne heightens my fuck-me-now hormones, and I feel my pussy grow wet just standing near him.
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring you the drink personally,” he says, handing over another dirty martini.
His voice is seductive.
I stare at the playful curve of his lips, imagining his mouth on my tits, then between my legs. My eyes trail down his chest to his abs. What I wouldn’t give to have him naked right now.
“Where are you from, surfer?” I ask.
“Surfer?” His brows rise.
“You look different from the normal crowd here. Are you visiting Chicago?”
“You always make big assumptions about people you just meet?” He hands over my martini with a smirk.
“Well, longer hair, tan, middle of winter here in the Midwest.” I raise a brow, taking a sip of my drink. “Tell me I’m warm.”
He chuckles and shrugs slightly.
“Exactly.” I beam and step a little closer, taking all of him in.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” he asks.
The music starts, and the song is sexy, suggestive. He dares to slip an arm around my waist.
“Scarlett.” I step closer to him, resting my free hand on his chest, roaming over the contours of his muscles. He’s strong. His pecs feel chiseled.
“Mmm, beautiful. Just like you.” He looks into my eyes. “Jace.”
“I’ll take this.” Rebecca relieves me of my glass and winks.
Thank you, I mouth and give my attention back to my beautiful stranger.
“Jace? Is that short for something?” I move my hand up around his neck and press my body against his.
Jace moves his hand down over my ass and squeezes me closer. “Almighty, your majesty, and sometimes, oh, God.”
“What?” I blink before realizing he’s made a joke. I laugh, and he winks.
“No, just Jace.”
“Okay, then, Just Jace. Big plans tonight?”
He shakes his head, never taking his eyes off me. “I had no plans other than turning in. But if there’s an after-party you’re suggesting…”
I shrug slightly and perk the side of my mouth in what I hope looks suggestive. “There might be an after-party, if you play your cards right.”
“Well, how am I doing so far?”
“I’d say you’re headed in the right direction,” I answer.
He chuckles and touches my chin to tilt my face up. His lips are full and so utterly kissable from this vantage.
I need to feel his mouth on mine, and without hesitation, I grip the back of his neck and tug him down to me.
Jace doesn’t put up a fight, either. He sweeps his tongue into my open, eager mouth, letting me taste the red wine that’s mingled with his.
That quickly, I’m ready to end this tête-à-tête and bring him to my place for a night I will not soon forget to help me get over a man I no longer want to remember.
After I finish my martini, Jace and I spend a few songs on the dance floor. It’s foreplay on steroids, because I wanted him badly before we even stepped out here.
When I can’t take it anymore, I bid farewell to my girlfriends, intent to bring him home with me. We drive separately, and Jace steps through the freshly fallen snow to meet me in my building’s garage.
He stomps his feet a few times, then approaches. “Nice car,” he starts and takes my hand in his.
“Thank—”
“Come here.” He pulls me in front of him, then presses my back to my car.
His lips are on mine, and I fist my fingers in his jacket. He presses his hardened erection between my stomach and pelvis.
I gasp.
He slips a hand around the back of my neck, then slides his fingers into my hair, and I gasp again as he tugs my head to the side.
He moves his lips over my neck and his hand inside my coat, over my dress, grasping my breast.
My nipples harden even more against his palm.
“I want to fuck you,” he whispers in my ear.
“I’d say do it here, but my neighbors might get jealous when they hear you yelling my name.”
A guttural growl emits from him, and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve heard in a long time.
“Then let’s take this inside.” He moves his mouth to mine again, and this time I bite down on his bottom lip.
“Fuck,” he growls. “All right, take me inside.”
We step into the main atrium of the building, and I lead us to the elevator. As soon as it dings and opens, I’m grateful no one is inside. We rush in, and I quickly press for the tenth floor. Right as the doors close, Jace has me pinned against the elevator wall.
“Ever have sex in one of these?”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
The elevator stops on my floor, and the door opens.
“Follow me,” I tell him.
As soon as we’re inside my condo, I immediately kick off my stilettos. My height drops by a few inches, and I look farther up at Jace.
He grins and toes off his shoes.
He closes the distance to me, and I’m back in his arms. God, he smells so good. The moment his lips are on mine, it turns into a frenzy of who can get clothes off the other person the fastest.
I pull at his belt while he’s unzipping my dress. The garment falls to the floor, and I’m left in my bra and panties.
Jace takes a step back for a moment, then bites on his knuckle. “My God, woman. You’re incredible.”
“Get naked,” I tell him. “You have too much on.”
He doesn’t argue. He loses his pants and socks and, kind of like me, is left in his boxer briefs.
I need to touch him, feel his skin against mine. We’re back to each other instantly. I roam my hands over his sculpted chest and abs, which are so defined, I want to run my tongue all the way down along every ridge until I reach his cock.
“Are you okay?” he mumbles against my lips. “I felt you shiver.”
I didn’t realize I shook. “Your hands are cold.”
“I can fix that real quick.” Jace runs his hands over my ass, then quickly lifts me in the air.
I yelp and wrap my legs around his waist, gripping his hair and pulling his head back.
He groans, and his brown eyes gleam with pleasure. “Where’s your room?” he almost begs.
I let go of his hair long enough to point the direction, then replace my grip.
He grunts his response and walks toward my darkened room, illuminated only by the streetlights outside.
We fall onto my bed, and I tighten my legs around his waist while he feathers kisses from my lips to my neck.
He moves his hands to my breasts and kneads them greedily through my silky bra. The material is thin, and he pinches my erect nipples through it.
I grind my hips against him, and he thrusts back against me in return.
The dance between us is frantic and somehow in sync, our needs perfectly matching each other’s. He tosses my bra away, and I arch into his touch as he gives my breasts his full attention. His fingers tease one nipple while his tongue swirls my pebbled flesh of the other.
I gasp and tighten my fingers in his hair. I suddenly need him everywhere at once. The sensations are overwhelming and addictive. The more we discover each other, the more I crave.
Jace shifts his body weight to the side and slides a hand between my legs, over my lace panties, with an electric touch that sends a jolt to my toes.
He slips his fingers underneath the material and glides it across my slickened pussy. He touches my clit and massages it slowly, purposely, in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated so damn much.
My need for him skyrockets. A sound escapes me…something between a gasp and a moan. My back arches off the bed when he fingers me harder.
“Jace…yes.”
“You like that, baby?”
“No talking,” I warn him. “Just doing…that.”
I feel him chuckle. He rubs my clit a little more vigorously. The need to come is building faster than I can comprehend. His fingers are magic. I never want this to end.
When he stops suddenly, I start to sit up.
He uses his free hand to push me back to the bed, slipping two fingers inside my pussy as he does.
“Oh,” I cry, melting back onto the bed.
Jace does the come here motion with his digits, and he’s not gentle about it.
My begging becomes nearly unintelligible. I might be praying, because holy one-night-stand, this man is going to make me come hard and quick and, if I’m lucky, many times tonight.
“I’m coming!” I scream as the rush of my orgasm builds and explodes in seconds. Without realizing it, I’m moving my hips against his hand, needing more.
He returns attention to my clit with his thumb and kneads it with pure aggression. He flicks my nipple with this tongue, then nibbles the taut skin.
“Jace!”
The moment I open my eyes again, our gazes lock. I reach for him, and our lips connect, fusing us together with wild lust. He continues to fuck me with his fingers, and I curse and moan against his lips.
“Fuck, Scarlett,” he growls. “I want to taste you.”
“Oh…fuck, yes,” I whimper in return.
Jace quickly moves down my body, pulls my panties off, and tosses them over his shoulder, ridding himself of his briefs a second later. Through the fog of my intense orgasm, I take advantage of the moment and focus on his cock.
Hell yes.
He pushes my thighs as far apart as they will go, then licks his lips, his half-lidded gaze still locked on mine.
My pussy pulses in anticipation.
“Oh, shit,” is all I manage to get out when he lowers down and sucks my clit between his lips.
He rolls his tongue over my sensitive bud, flicking it relentlessly before pushing his fingers back inside me, drawing more pleasure out of me than I ever thought possible.
“God, you’re so good at this,” I moan as I fist my hands into the comforter.
Jace growls against my pussy, and the vibrations cause me to buck my hips. He readjusts himself closer to me and buries his face with even more force.
“Please, don’t stop. Don’t fucking stop!” I scream, grinding my pussy against his face as he flicks his tongue and sucks my sensitive bead between his lips.
My body begins to shake as a new orgasm rises inside me. My breathing becomes ragged. When he growls against me, the vibrations add to the decadent thrashes of his tongue. My hips buck, and I grab a handful of his hair.
“God!” I shatter, giving in to the biggest orgasm of my entire fucking life. If Jace knows it, it’s not cause to stop.
“Jace,” I whimper and push his head back.
He sits back on his heels and swipes a hand down his face, looking down at me like a prize. His eyes meet mine again as my chest heaves.
He moves up my body and looks into my eyes. “You okay, beautiful?”
“No one…ever…” I shake my head and let out a laugh mixed with a sigh. There’s another part of me that wants to cry, because the way Jace plays my body is the release I’ve been craving…the connection I’ve been missing.
Maybe Jace senses it, because he lowers himself beside me. “Take as much time as you need.”
I raise my brows, sensing a degree of cockiness with the offer. “No breaks. Come back over here and fuck me.”
He grins and covers my body with the perfect weight of his. “Yes ma’am.”
Then he’s pushing inside. I gasp as he fills me, marveling at how perfectly we fit.
And in that moment, everything changes…
When I realize no one compares to Jace.
The next morning’s sun spills in through my bedroom window, which does nothing to warm the chill on my skin. Inside or not, it’s still winter-cold in Chicago, and the drafty windows of my apartment building won’t let me forget it.
I stretch, taking note of fresh soreness in my back and between my thighs. I’m…very sore. I grin, knowing exactly why I’m aching, and think of Jace. The bed is empty of him, though. He must have slipped out at some point during the night. Back to wherever he came from, no doubt.
I won’t have to worry about seeing him traipsing up and down my street with some other woman, at least. And I’ll always have the memories of how damn good every second of last night was.
I stretch and sigh again.
I could bask in the warm buzz of replays from last night for hours, but I need to get myself ready for the day, and that includes a very large cup of coffee. An hour later, I’m showered and dressed in one of my favorite outfits—a fitted blue blouse and skinny dark denim jeans, paired with my suede winter boots.
As I’m making my bed, I discover there’s a note on my nightstand. I’ve never been left with a Dear John letter in my life. I’m not sure if I should laugh or feel offended.
My name is scribbled on the front. Unfolding it, I find Jace’s handwritten message.
You’re amazing, Scarlett. I want so much more.
~Jace
I run my fingers over the letter, visions of last night rushing through my mind one more time, and I feel my body heat rise.
I let the note fall back to the stand with a sigh.
“No number or anything.” I shrug. “My luck. Best fuck of my existence, and he gets away with only a first name.”
* * *
Standing in line at the local coffee shop, I study the menu as if I’ll diverge from my norm. I’m too distracted with memories of Jace and our wild night to get creative with my order anyway.
The shop is busy for a Saturday morning. A few patrons sit and read the paper, some college students gather in study groups, and a few couples seem to be enjoying their morning together.
“Hi,” I start when the barista makes eye contact. “Sugar-free vanilla latte, almond milk, please.”
The cashier nods, and I step to the side, which causes me to bump into someone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry—”
“Well, look at you. You’re just glowing.”
I hold my breath in momentary shock at the sound of Robert’s voice. How long has he been standing here, watching me?
His dark hair looks perfectly messy, just the way he styles it. His long black coat is turned up around his collar, and the dark sweater he wears gives him a mysterious look. That might fool other women, but not me.
“Good morning, Robert,” I manage to get out in a calm tone.
“Scarlett,” the barista calls out.
I’ve never been more grateful for a java delivery.
Facing him once more, I raise my brow. “Where’s your little whor— Lady?” I take a sip of my latte.
“Whore?” he accuses. “You are in a mood, aren’t you?”
I roll my eyes and turn away from him, ignoring the jab. I don’t have time for his games. Beelining for the door, I’m barely outside when Robert grabs my arm, whirling me around.
“Aww, baby, I’m only kidding.”
I jerk my arm away. “Don’t touch me. Baby? You have some nerve. You don’t get to call me that anymore. Fuck off.”
Doing an about-face, again, I start down the sidewalk until I feel his hand on me again.
“Don’t walk away mad. I’m sorry.” Robert pouts his lip in a way that makes him look pathetic. It used to be cute. Now it’s just gross.
“I said do not touch me.” I pull my arm away and put space between us. “What do you want?” I pull my sunglasses out and slip them on my face. “Make it quick. I have a date.” I have no date, but maybe if he thinks I’ve moved on, he’ll leave me be.
“A date? With who?” he asks, his widened eyes betraying his alarm at the news.
“It’s none of your concern,” I return and flip my hair off my shoulder. “Now, answer me. What do you want so we can get this final conversation behind us?”
“Selene accused me of cheating on her with you,” he starts. “Last night, when we came by your neighborhood, she saw me looking at you.”
“I wouldn’t blame her. Especially since you cheated on me with her, and now you’re texting me while she’s with you.”
“Maybe she’s right to be suspicious.” His jaw ticks as he steps closer, invading my personal space. “I still want you. I guess it’s obvious.”
“You must be insane. We’re not getting back together. That has never been on the table.” I backstep, wishing there was more space between us.
“It’s not like I’m married to her.”
He leans in and makes an attempt to kiss my cheek, but I shove him away.
“Robert, stop. Go home.” I turn, feeling disgusted.
Then he grabs me…again.
Wack.
“Ow! Fucking hell, Scarlett!”
My hand stings from the slap I just pelted across his face. “Now maybe you’ll get the picture. No means no, asshole. Go home!”
My eyes burn with tears. I’m enraged by his behavior. How dare he think he can still put his hands on me. How could he expect me to ever take him back?
I can see more clearly than ever that we were never meant to be. I was always a backup plan, and all the girls he dates probably are. Poor Selene already is. I immediately feel sorry for all the women who will fall under his spell, however long it lasts.
“Scarlett, please,” Robert pleads.
The slap obviously wasn’t good enough. Fisting my free hand, I inhale deeply with the desire to punch him.
Then I recognize a familiar scent. And I smile so hard it almost hurts.
“Jace?”
“Hello, beautiful.”
Jace closes the space between us until our proximity is undeniably intimate. His body brushes against mine, and I want to melt.
He’s here by some miracle. An hour ago, I thought I’d never see him again.
He tucks my hair behind my ear, caressing the side of my face as he does. “I was worried when you didn’t show. I was hoping something hadn’t happened to you.”
I don’t understand what he’s saying, but it doesn’t matter when he leans in close like he’s going to kiss me. Instinctively, I tilt my head to meet his lips as they slide across mine. It’s sweet and electrifying at once, deepening at the same time I forget where I am.
I forget everything but Jace. I run my hands up around his neck and pull him even closer. His tongue sweeps across my lips, and a moan escapes between us. I think it’s mine, but I can’t be sure.
When Robert clears his throat, Jace breaks the kiss and pulls me against him in an embrace.
His voice drops to a whisper. “I was going to come back after cleaning up. I was trying to remember how to get back then noticed what was happening.”
I can’t help the giddy smile I give him. “Thank you,” I whisper. Then loud enough for Robert to hear, I say, “I’m sorry I kept you waiting, honey. Are you ready?”
Jace nods and looks up at Robert. “Friend of yours?”
I shake my head. “Not anymore.”
Robert’s face flushes, and his jaw clenches. Maybe he’ll break a tooth.
“Robert, this is Jace. Jace, this is someone I used to see on occasion… Robert.”
Robert offers his hand to Jace. “Pleasure,” he growls.
“No, the pleasure’s mine,” Jace returns and shakes Robert’s hand. “Although, I’ll be honest”—he releases Robert’s hand—“she’s never mentioned your name.”
Suddenly the tension fades from Robert’s face.
Jace glances from Robert to me, then back to Robert. “No…” He snaps his fingers a few times and tightens his arm around my waist. “Wait, she did mention you.” Jace looks at me, and I try to hide my confusion but fail miserably. “So, he’s the one. The one you told me about?”
I have no idea where he’s going with this, but I figure I should just go with it.
“Y-Yeah, that’s him.”
“Oh, well, then, I understand what you mean,” Jace says in a low tone like we’re both in on a secret.
“Come again?” Robert asks.
“Exactly. That right there,” Jace accuses with a point of his finger. “If you don’t please your woman, she’ll walk out of your life. Have to make her come again and again. Isn’t that right, honey?”
Robert’s features turn vexed, and he glares at me.
I turn my face into Jace’s jacket to stifle a giggle.
Then I look up at Jace. “I’m ready for brunch. Shall we?”
Jace nods, and we turn our backs to Robert.
“You deserve each other,” Robert mutters.
“I’ll take that as your blessing,” Jace calls back.
At the end of the block, I finally ask the question I’m dying to know. “I thought you didn’t live here?”
“I never said that. That was your assumption.” He winks.
“Wow, and I’m normally such a great judge of character.”
Jace raises his brows. “Yeah, I can tell with Superman back there.”
“Oh, shut it.” I playfully slap his arm. “And thank you for that, by the way. But it wasn’t necessary. I’m pretty sure he was about to give up.”
“Maybe. And I’m sure you can hold your own. But no one’s got the right to grab you like that.”
I glance up at him, touched that his words echo my own feelings and reassured that he seems to be the kind of man who respects boundaries.
I lean closer against him. “Thank you.”
He slows and turns me toward him. “You didn’t deserve that. You deserve so much more.” He lowers his lips to mine again for a long moment, and it’s sweet and hot and panty melting.
He breaks the kiss and I stare into his sandy-colored eyes.
He lifts one corner of his mouth into a grin. “Speaking of more...”
I lift a brow, silently questioning where he’s going with this, though I suspect I know.
He leans in closer and whispers, “Last night was fucking amazing. I want more.”
I close my eyes and pull away from him. I feel the pit of my stomach sink to my feet.
“I-I had a great time too. But is that all you want?”
Suddenly all my doubts rush to the surface, as if Robert’s chased them all my way after our unpleasant run-in. I should know better, though. I was looking for a distraction last night. Something intoxicating but short-lived. And now that I know Jace isn’t in town for just a few nights, I’m right back where I started.
Caught off guard, he backsteps with a confused expression. “I don’t know what you’re saying, Scarlett.”
“Is that all you want? To fuck me again?” I deliver the question point-blank, because why not?
But the people passing us begin to stare.
“Why… Why would you ask that? Did you not enjoy yourself?”
“Of course I did, but that’s not what I asked you.” I sigh, resigned to answering my own question with the truth. Of course that’s all he wants. We met and immediately fucked each other. What else could this mean? How could I expect more from this?
I turn toward the direction of my condo.
Jace follows close behind me. “Did I miss something here? Did I do something?”
I turn and look at him, hands fisted at my sides. “No, I did. And I’m sorry.” I turn and walk away. I have to. If all he wants is to be a fuck buddy, I can’t set myself up with Robert 2.0. I can’t shake the feeling that Jace is different. That we could be different. But I can see now I was wrong.
A single tear slips down my cheek and is immediately cold against my skin.
“Scarlett,” he calls, but I continue walking. His voice begins to fade the more space I put between us.
Turning the corner, I stop and lean against a wall. “What the fuck is wrong with me?” I swipe at my face, waiting for the moment Jace comes running around the corner to chase after me…
But that moment doesn’t come.
And it never will, because I attract those kinds of guys. I continue my walk home and, with a sigh, mentally plan my Christmas and New Year’s alone.
Again.
I spent the days leading up to Christmas eating marshmallows and bingeing true crime shows—the most unfestive content I could find. In a very twisted way, I feel a little bit better about my life.
Things could be worse.
I could still be with Robert.
But things could be better too. I could be with Jace, having all manner of wild sex. But that’s all it would be. Sex and the temporary high that would eventually fade away when he found someone else to tear up the sheets with.
Still, I can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t stop wondering what could have been. Could we have been more than just a hot fling?
A week has passed since our incredible night, but it feels a lot longer than that. I felt more connected to Jace than I ever felt with Robert, and time apart from Jace is crawling.
I push a fluffy marshmallow into my mouth and scroll through holiday movies I have no interest in watching. Hopefully one will put me in the holiday mood.
Christmas Day is tomorrow. Maybe I’ll toast my marshmallows.
You’re amazing, Scarlett. I want so much more.
“My God… That’s my problem. I want more.” I groan and flop down sideways on my couch.
I want more.
Does he want to fuck me more or know me more?
I’ll never know. I’ll probably just perish on this couch, wondering what he meant.
“Damn it!” I sit up. Enough is enough. “I’m not this girl. Not anymore.”
Images of Jace move through my mind—the way he handled my body, the way he possessed me, the way he held me, the way he swept in when Robert wouldn’t leave me be.
“We didn’t just fuck, though,” I say out loud to no one. “There was so much more to it. It was as if he knew my body and how to handle me… As if he’s known me for years.”
Sighing, I call it a night.
Tomorrow is Christmas Day, and I intend to spend it at home in a miserable state, maybe with some marshmallows and definitely with some ice cream.
* * *
Christmas Day. The day of family get-togethers, engagements, gifts, and a whole lot of I love yous and eggnog.
I walk to my freezer and pull out my pint of ice cream with a grimace. Fishing a spoon out of the drawer, I come across the spoon that Rebecca had given me as an early Christmas gift. It’s dipped in chocolate with crushed peppermints on it.
“Well, what a lovely little Christmas surprise,” I mutter.
I plop down on the couch in my boy shorts and tank top. My hair bounces in a messy ponytail pulled at the crown of my head. I turn on the TV. Love Actually is on.
It makes me cry every time. I just can’t today.
I scroll through the movie menu until I come across something having nothing to do with Christmas Day.
“Clint Eastwood. Heartbreak Ridge. Perfect.” I lick the chocolate off the spoon and crunch on the peppermint. The condensation from the ice cream tub forms a ring on my glass table.
When all the chocolate has melted away, I use the spoon to dip into the ice cream. Breakfast of Holiday Champions.
Knock Knock Knock.
I almost choke. Who would show up on Christmas? Rebecca? Lexi?
I pull my robe off the couch, fling it around my body, and make my way to the door. The spoon is still in my mouth as I look out the peephole.
All I see is a brown teddy bear.
Furrowing my brow, I call out, “Who is it?”
“Santa Claus,” someone answers in a gruff voice.
I gasp and my heart skips a beat. I quickly unlock the door and yank it open.
Jace.
My eyes widen as I take in the sight of him.
He purses his lips. “There must be something good on that spoon.”
And it’s now I realize I still have that damn spoon in my mouth. Quickly I yank it out, toss it behind me, and wipe my mouth on the sleeve of my robe.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s Christmas, and on the off chance that you didn’t have plans…because I don’t have any… I want to apologize to you for the other day.” He holds out the bear. “Peace offering.”
The bear is bigger than the pillows on my bed and has a red ribbon around its neck with Ho Ho Ho written on it.
I’m speechless.
“May I come in?”
“Oh.” I find my voice and step to the side. “Yes, of course. Oh, God, umm…”
I hurry across the room and grab the pint of ice cream and package of marshmallows. I disappear into the kitchen to hide the evidence of my Christmas morning sugar binge.
Returning to the living room, I find Jace smiling. He’s holding the spoon in his hand and watches me in silence for a moment, like he’s deciding what to do next.
I hope he decides, because I’m too stunned by his presence to know.
“I hadn’t intended to leave things as they were,” he offers.
“What do you intend, then?” Feeling self-conscious, I fold my arms over my robe, covering the silhouette of my breasts. “We had a one-night stand. I knew that going in. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I feel as though I do.” He steps closer to me and hands over the spoon.
I take it and tuck it into the pocket of my robe.
He then reaches for me and brushes a strand of hair from my face.
“Is that what you really thought that was all it was?” he asks me. “One night?”
“Maybe. Probably.” I lower my gaze to the floor.
“I said I want more because I do. More of you. More nights, yes, but more of everything else. I was fascinated with you the second I saw you at the bar. I want to get to know you.”
“You do?”
He smiles. “You have this carefree way about you I find refreshing. And if that fuck-up Richard—”
“Robert,” I correct.
“Yeah, him. If Robert can’t see that, he’s a damned fool.”
I still have no idea what to say. But it doesn’t matter, because before I know it, he cups my face, and his lips are on mine. The kiss is possessive, desperate, heated, frantic. It’s a week’s worth of missed kisses and pent-up attraction unleashed in this one fiery moment.
My legs weaken. I want to melt into him.
Seeming to know this, he hooks one arm around my waist and holds my hip in the other.
“One more thing,” he mumbles against my lips. “I’m not a surfer.”
I smile, and a giggle forms. We break away from our kiss, and this time, it’s me wanting more.
“I want to know everything there is about Jace.”
I have every intention of unraveling the mystery of Jace. But the longing that’s built up the past week is too much to ignore.
“What’s your last name?” I manage to rasp out the question between passionate kisses.
Jace walks me toward my couch, and we tumble down together, ungracefully.
“Kringle.”
I giggle and slap his arm. “Liar.”
He smiles and nips at my lips. “Are you sure I’m not keeping you from anything? It is Christmas.”
We both become serious and stare into each other’s eyes.
“Am I keeping you from something?” I volley back.
He shakes his head. “I’m new in town. I don’t have any family here, and I haven’t made any friends.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer, happier than ever that we have each other today.
“I didn’t have any plans today. Not until you showed up, anyway.”
He cocks a brow. “You mean I got prioritized over your ice cream party you were having in here?”
I blush. “I was…lonely. No one wants to be alone on Christmas. Not really.”
He shifts so he’s above me, grazing his touch over the contours of my face, down to my collarbone.
“You’re not alone.”
“Neither are you.”
The movie is still playing in the background, and Clint’s voice pulls my attention toward the screen. The teddy bear is on the floor with its shiny red bow.
I look back to Jace. “I didn’t get you a present.”
“Oh, that’s not true.” He slowly traces the opening of my robe, loosens the belt like the ribbon on a gift box, and exposes me in my tank and shorts. “Sexy,” he growls. “And without a shadow of a doubt, all I could ever want for Christmas.”
Being under the heat of his gaze is more overwhelming than I thought possible with a man. But with Jace, everything seems to be like that.
“Then you should finish unwrapping me,” I whisper, breathlessly.
He does just that. I’m naked in a matter of seconds. I work on his belt while he’s pulling his shirt off. He pushes his pants and boxer briefs down, kicking off his shoes all at once.
I pull him back down against me. His body is warm against mine, a perfect fit. He slants his mouth over mine, slipping his tongue across my lips. I open for him and shift my hips, signaling how eager I am to feel him everywhere.
“I want to be with you, Scarlett. Just you,” he whispers. “I want to be here. Nowhere else.”
These are the words I’ve been needing to hear.
“I want you too.”
He reaches between us and thrusts, joining us deeply.
I draw in a sharp breath the moment he fills me. No one has ever felt this good, this divine.
He pulls back and gently pushes back inside me, eliciting more of my moans. His breath fans across my lips in a pant with each thrust.
“You feel so fucking good,” he says.
I part my lips and suck in air with each drive.
His mouth is on mine again, drowning the sounds of ecstasy he’s inspiring in me. His movements grow faster, harder. Beads of sweat form on our bodies.
I clutch his shoulders, my whole body tightening against the delicious invasion of his.
“Jace…” I whimper.
He slows his movements, then licks his lips. “I want you to turn over,” he tells me.
I raise my brows. “Oh?”
“Oh, yeah,” he answers with a sinister grin. He pulls free from me and helps shift me into the position he wants.
I peek at him over my shoulder to catch him admiring the view.
Jace runs his hands over my ass a few times, then spanks my right cheek.
I gasp. “Mmm, I love that.”
“Have you been a good girl?”
I bite my lip and smile. “Probably not.”
He grins and spanks the other side. Then he runs his hands between my thighs, and when his fingers find my clit, he moves his digits in a hard, vigorous back and forth motion.
“Oh, shit,” I manage to get out before my body bucks and a sound like a squeal comes through my lips.
He just rubs my clit even faster.
“Are you going to be a good girl now? With me?”
“Yes, yes,” I exclaim, barely able to form words as my body rockets toward an orgasm.
“You like that, baby?”
Something between a shriek and a groan leaves me.
“What’s that?” He massages my clit faster and spanks my ass with his other hand.
“Yes, I like that.”
“Good. Tell me you’re going to be a good girl.”
I grind my pussy against his hand. “I’m a good girl. For you…”
“That’s what I want to hear. Because you know what good girls get?”
I shake my head, lights flashing behind my closed eyes. I don’t know what good girls get, but I want it. I want everything Jace has to give.
“Good girls get to come, Scarlett.”
“Yes,” I shout. “Fuck, yes!”
He moves from my clit suddenly and grabs both sides of my hips. He lines his cock against me and drives in. The sensation of him is almost too much to bear. He thrusts hard again and again, our bodies slapping in the silence of my home.
I grip my couch as he drives his cock, harder, deeper.
“Faster!” I scream.
Jace growls and thrusts, and reaches up and fists his hand in my ponytail, yanking my head back. He gives me what I want, until suddenly we’re both there…
“Scarlett, I’m going to come, baby,” he tells me. He lets go of my hair and grabs my hips again.
My own orgasm rockets through my body, and my soul shatters completely with this man.
“Jace!”
He lets out an enormous growl as he comes. His fingers tighten on my hips, and he thrusts once, twice more until he lets out a long, exasperated breath.
“Damn.”
I let out a soft laugh. “Yeah…. Damn.”
He gently turns me, and we sink to the couch again, hot and sated.
“Merry Christmas, baby.” He presses a kiss to my cheek. “I thought of another present you can give me.”
I hum drowsily and sift my fingers through his damp hair.
“Anything.”
“I want a lot more of this.”
I blink up at him. “Are you trying to make me your girlfriend?” I ask in a teasing tone.
“Hell, yes, but only if that’s what you want.”
I nod. “I want more of this too, but I want to mean something to you.”
“You already do.”
We simply stare at each other for a long moment.
“Then I’ll be your girl as long as you’ll be my guy.” I lean up to kiss him softly.
“Mmm. You’re my naughty girl. That’s what you are.”
I answer with mock offense. “I’m a good girl.”
He shakes his head. “Like hell you are. You’re going to need a lot more discipline before you can call yourself a good girl, Scarlett.”
I squeal when he scoops me up in his arms and carries us toward the bathroom, kicking the door closed behind us.
My Christmas didn’t turn out so bad after all.
Jace and I didn’t have much for Christmas dinner, but we had each other.