A Little Bit of Christmas (Crystal Lake 3)

“No.”

“I think you like her.”

“I wouldn’t have brought her here if I didn’t.”

“I think you like her, like her.”

His eyes found Chess again, and his heartbeat nearly doubled in speed when she caught him looking his way. A soft smile played around the corners of her mouth, and all that hair hung down her shoulders. God he loved her hair. He wanted to caress it away from her face. Dive in for a kiss.

Blue was right. There was something here, more than just a casual hookup. But what that something was, he had no idea.

“It doesn’t matter,” he murmured. He had no time to explore this. He had a life that didn’t involve Crystal Lake or a woman he just met. And after tonight, that life wasn’t waiting on him anymore. He had a job to do, and he’d be leaving town.

“It should matter.” Blue frowned and poked him in the ribs. Hard.

“Hey.” He rubbed the spot.

“Just promise me that when you realize how much it does matter, you’ll do something about it. Because if you don’t, it will be too late.”

Chapter Eleven

The moon was out when they left his sister’s house. Its beams reflected off the snow, leaving swaths of twinkling diamonds, and they drove down River Road surrounded by a winter wonderland. For a Southern boy like Cash, he didn’t mind the cold so much when he got to see it like this.

Chess stared out the window, no doubt enjoying the beauty, and for the moment, he was content to let the radio fill up the silence between them. As they were leaving, Blue had pulled Chess into a hug and told her she hoped to see her again. It was a nice gesture, but Chess had been quiet ever since.

There wasn’t a car in sight as they came into the town proper. When he pulled up to the stoplight at the main intersection downtown, he glanced over and caught Chess’s eyes on him. It was a long, measured look, one that started a fire deep in his gut.

A slow steady beat began in his chest, and every part of his body tightened. He k

ept his hands on the steering wheel—it was that or sink them into her hair and draw her close. He didn’t say a word. He couldn’t tear his eyes off of her.

When a horn sounded behind them, Cash glanced into the rearview mirror and slowly accelerated. They crossed over the bridge and drove past the park. There, Santa and his reindeer were lit up in flight, as well as angels and trees that cast golden circles of light. He spotted an elderly couple holding hands as they stopped to admire the nativity scene by the pavilion, their dog running around them, barking and jumping crazily.

When they pulled into the motel parking lot, he took the spot in front of Chess’s unit and cut the engine. All he heard was his heart pounding inside him, and it took some effort to get his shit together. He felt like the dumb teenager he used to be, running on emotion. Yet, something was going on. Some invisible thing that was tied to both of them. He knew Chess felt it. She didn’t have to say a word.

He knew.

She didn’t look his way, didn’t say a word either. Instead, she opened the door, slid from his truck, and Cash was right behind her. He followed her to her room and then inside, closing the door behind him.

Still, there were no words.

He could have taken some time to look around her room, to note it wasn’t much different than his had been, save for the garbage bin overflowing with empty whiskey bottles, and a pink fur jacket slung over the chair. But he didn’t take his eyes off Chess. That damn invisible string again.

He looked at her, breath ragged, body wound so tight he should have been bouncing off the damn walls. He stepped forward and reached for her, and Chess folded into him as if her muscles liquefied.

He searched her face and, with a groan, kissed her like he was starving. She bent to him, and damned if it didn’t feel like she was made for him. Her hands were everywhere, tugging at him with a need that matched his own.

His tongue slipped between her lips, and he kissed her deeply, hands roving her body until they settled on the gentle swell of her butt. He pulled her in even closer and felt the heat of her through their clothes.

God, he wanted her.

Cash tore his mouth from his, his breathing hard. She pushed him away, her chest heaving, her cheeks pink, and her lips swollen from his mouth. She tossed her boots, undid her jeans, and pulled them down her legs before stepping out of them. Next came her top. Then her bra. By the time she hooked her hands into the delicate pink fabric that barely covered the flesh between her legs, he was done.

Now she decides to wear underwear.

With a growl, Cash sank to his knees. He rested his head against her belly and inhaled that heady scent that was all women. He yanked on her panties, ripped them off, in fact, and she made an animalistic noise that nearly drove him insane. He grabbed her right hip and held her in place, and didn’t have to coax her to spread her legs.

Atta girl, he thought as his fingers opened her wide. He kissed her wetness and blew on the swollen flesh, and when his tongue dove deep inside, she swore. He kissed and tugged and used his forefinger to bring her to the edge. It didn’t take long because his girl was so damn ready. Her legs were shaking badly, and her hands sank into his hair as he worked her until she shattered against him.