Sleigh Bells in the Snow (O'Neil Brothers 1)

“I was injured rescuing a litter of vulnerable puppies from a river.”

“Really?” She glanced up and the dangerous glitter in his eyes gave her clues as to exactly how he was feeling.

“No, not really—” he spoke through his teeth “—but this isn’t a good time to confess all my misadventures. Kayla—”

“Mmm?” She teased him, took her time, explored him with her fingers and her tongue until finally, when his breathing was shallow and uneven, she dropped to her knees and took him in her mouth, sliding her lips over his silken hardness, taking him deep.

She heard him groan her name, felt the shudder pass through his body as she used her tongue and her mouth, touching and tasting until finally he muttered something unintelligible and lifted her to her feet.

They hit the bed together, rolled, her on top then him on top, his fingers hard on her flesh as he spread her thighs.

She was ready, so ready, but still he postponed that moment, drawing his tongue over her, driving her higher, closer, until her hips shifted against the sheets and her hands clutched at his shoulders. His muscles were pumped up and hard, everything about him completely, aggressively masculine as he used his wickedly expert hands and mouth to seduce her until she was weak with wanting.

“Jackson—” his name left her lips like a plea “—I want— I need— You have to—” The words were as messed up as her thoughts but he knew what she wanted and gave it to her, his mouth on her, his tongue on her as he explored her with erotic precision and a skill that had her sobbing with desperation.

Swamped by exquisite sensation, she felt herself rush toward orgasm, but this time instead of letting her reach that peak alone, he eased away from her briefly, reached for the protection he’d almost forgotten the first time and then drove into her with a smooth thrust that took him deep.

She gasped his name, felt the hardness of him, the thickness of him pulse inside her and felt control slipping. She opened her eyes and stared into the fierce blue of his, and what they shared in that single look was as intimate as the physical connection that throbbed through both of them. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply and then they were moving together in a perfect rhythm, his hand locked in her hair, eyes on hers, inseparable as they took the same wild ride through the storm. It was intense and primitive, her need for him so fierce she thought she’d burn alive with the heat of it. Orgasm ripped through her, and she cried out, consumed by it, the spasms of her body rippling down his shaft and taking him with her. They kissed right through it, mouths fused, bodies slick with sweat, her gaze locked with his the whole time so they didn’t just feel what they were doing to each other, they watched it happen.

And afterward they lay, bodies entwined, not moving.

When she’d recovered sufficiently, Kayla tried to pull away only to find herself locked against him.

“You’re not going anywhere.” His eyes were closed and her hand was on his chest. She felt the steady thump of his heart beating under her palm.

“I need to—”

“I know what you need to do, but you’re staying here.”

“I was going to say I need the bathroom.”

“You were going to say that, but then you were going to run.” His eyes were still closed. “And I’m not letting you do that. Not this time. You’re going to stay right here and then perhaps you’ll discover the world doesn’t end if you wake up in my bed in the morning. Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

Frustration mingled with panic. “You manipulated this evening. You did it on purpose.”

“I planned the part in the forest. The rest just happened.”

She sat up, spooked by feelings she had no idea how to handle. “No, it didn’t just happen.” She turned to him, accusing. “You did this. Magical sled rides through the forest, a hot tub on the deck, skiing, snowmobiling—you were trying to make me fall in love with Snow Crystal.”

“Of course. You were supposed to fall in love.”

With the place, yes, but not with the man, she thought desperately. Never with the man.

He was someone who believed in bonds, ties, families—all the things she would never allow herself to believe in ever again.

And yet, even knowing that, she was lying here next to him. Again. She’d never been this intimate with a man. Never shared so much.

“Are you going to lie down or am I going to do my caveman thing and haul you back down here?” His tone was mild but the hand on her shoulder was strong. Reassuring. She tried to ignore the lazy stroke of his palm over her bare flesh.

“I can’t do this—”

“All I’m asking you to do is lie down. Is that so hard?”

“That’s not what I mean—”

“I know, but it’s enough for now.” He drew her into the circle of his arms and held her there. “You never just live in the moment. You’re always ten steps ahead, panicking.” His fingers stroked her hair gently, and she closed her eyes because it felt good and that terrified her, too.

“I never imagined it could be like this. And I don’t mean the sex, although that was good—”