XOXO, Winter

by Bloom, Nikki

  It didn’t take very long for the door to creak and for Reed to appear by the opening.

  “Why are you up?” I asked.

  “I could ask the same of you,” he countered.

  “Well, I needed to do a bit of studying but I’ve seen been distracted.”

  “Do you want me to help?”

  “Depends, how much do you know about organic chemistry?”

  “I know my way around an alkaloid or two.”

  “Are you being serious? Because if you could help me figure this out you would be a real life saver.”

  “Let me take a look.” He took my textbook. As he did so, our fingers brushed together and a breath-taking zap of electricity coursed through my arm, raising goosebumps along the way. I think he felt it too because he looked at me with this strange excitement-filled expression. “Mind if I sit down?”

  “Not at all,” I responded. The plushness of the bed made it so our bodies gravitated toward one another. Our shoulders touched and the contact was enough to send my heart racing. What was it about this man that made my heart beat so?

  He focused on my study material while I focused on studying his features. He really was one of the most handsome men I had ever laid my eyes on. I leaned forward without even being conscious of what I was doing.

  Heat radiated in the space between our bodies. I no longer wanted that space to exist. So, I destroyed it with a kiss.

  18

  Reed

  I was surprised by the suddenness of the kiss. I had honed my attention on her phone screen that I hadn’t even noticed what she was doing until she was already upon me.

  Her lips were as sweet as honey and as soft as a feather.

  She kissed me with a certain shyness, like someone unsure. Fearing she would pull away from me, I dropped her phone and rested my hand on the small of her back. She positioned her hips in my direction, making it even easier for me to slide her a little bit closer. My other hand found a home in the tangles of her hair.

  The kiss intensified as my tongue lined her bottom lip, asking for entrance. To my pleasure, she parted her lips. Immediately, our tongues started to dance. They did the tango until we were both winded from holding our breaths for so long. Even though it was agony for me to do so, I released my hold.

  Our lips came apart, but our foreheads remained locked. I tried to look her in the eye, but she avoided my gaze. “Winter?”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I should really go back to studying.”

  “I’m confused,” I said.

  “I shouldn’t have done that.” I could see the turmoil on her face and the mental war she was having with herself. “I’m sorry.”

  “Please, don’t apologize.”

  “I… I…” She paused to wet her lips. “It just…happened.”

  “And I didn’t mind that it happened.”

  She blushed darkly. “Really?”

  “Really,” I agreed. “And if you ever want to kiss me again, you hardly need to ask–”

  “This isn’t an open invitation to–”

  “I know. That’s why I’m giving you the control. If you want to instigate something with me, then that’s your decision. If you rather keep things friendly, then that’s also okay.”

  “Why are you so understanding?”

  I cupped her cheek against my palm. “Because everyone deserves to have their wishes respected. If you want space then that’s what I’ll give you.”

  She was quiet for a little while before she picked up her phone. “Do you think we can actually do a little bit of studying? I really want to do well on this upcoming exam.”

  “Of course,” I said. Sensing that she wanted some distance, I pulled up a chair. Our knees would occasionally bump together but that was the extent of our intimacy for the rest of the night. I will admit that it was killing me inside, but I meant what I’d said – I would respect her wishes no matter the cost.

  About a half an hour later, Winter started to yawn.

  “Maybe you should try and get some sleep,” I suggested. “You aren’t going to remember any of this if you keep dozing off.”

  “Let’s at least get through this section,” she insisted. “I think I have enough energy–”

  Yawn.

  I shook my head and turned off her phone. “You really need to get yourself some rest. Overworking yourself like this is only going to make it easier to burn out, and then at that point, you’re screwed.”

  “I don’t want to admit it, but you have a point.”

  “I have the day off tomorrow so I’ll help you move your belongings from your apartment and then with any time we have left over, we can keep studying until you’re comfortable with the material.”

  Winter nodded. “It means a lot to me that you’re willing to take time out of your day–”

  I silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. “Stop it. You don’t need to keep thanking me for every little thing. You deserve all the attention in the world.”

  She looked up at me from underneath her eyelashes, making my heart melt. I dared to kiss the top of her head before laying her down.

  “Goodnight,” she said as I approached the door.

  “Goodnight,” I returned before clicking off the light.

  Instead of returning to my bedroom, I went down to the bar and poured myself some blue-label whiskey. The drink was exactly what I needed. It soothed the aching I felt in my chest. You wouldn’t believe how incredibly hard it was to keep myself from Winter. All I wanted was to take her in my arms and spend the night sleeping by her side but that would definitely be crossing the line for her. If I wanted any chance of being with her then I needed to take things slow – excruciatingly slow. But however long it took, it would be well worth it, in the end, to be able to call her mine.

  I tipped back the glass and finished my drink. I left it on the counter and headed up the stairs. Halfway, I heard a scream followed by some whimpers. I broke into a sprint and found her curled up in a tight little ball, sweat covering every inch of her body.

  “Winter, you’re having a nightmare.” I tried to nudge her back into consciousness, but she screamed once again – louder this time. “Winter!” I said a little louder. “You’ve got to wake up. It’s just a dream.”

  Timber was by my side, scratching at the bed. As soon as he barked, she sat as straight as a board, eyes wide.

  She trembled and fell into my arms. “Hey, it’s okay, nothing’s going to happen to you. I’m here. It was just a dream.”

  I held her close until she was calm enough to pull away and wipe at the tears in her eyes.

  “What happened?” I asked, keeping my voice as soft as I could.

  “I had a bad dream.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.”

  I sighed. “You know, Winter, it’s never a good thing to keep things bottled up.”

  19

  Winter

  Iris was the only person I had ever really opened up to. Everyone else, I separated by the walls I built. Reed, however, was quickly learning to take that wall down, brick by brick; he was getting closer and closer to seeing who I truly was and it terrified me. What if he did not like what he saw?

  “I’m not forcing you to tell me anything. I just want you to know that if you need someone to listen, I’m here to do just that.”

  He joined me on the bed and kept my head on his chest so I could hear the steady beating of his heart. The regularity of it helped to calm my nerves.

  “I’ll be honest with you, Reed, I don’t exactly trust men. Most of the time, they tend to make me feel unsafe.” It wasn’t something I had ever really expressed in words before. “I’ve always worn this hardened exterior where I pretend I can fend for myself, but Victor proved to me how easy it truly is for someone to overpower me.” I shuddered at the thought. “And that’s what I am scared of the most.”

  “Did something happen in your past that made you feel this way?” he asked as hi
s fingers ran through my hair.

  “I don’t know. Maybe my parents’ divorce had something to do with it, but I don’t really want to make excuses for myself.”

  “I’m not asking you to. I just want to better understand you so I can help you get through this.”

  “And then there was Victor. I blamed myself for his breakup with Iris. He had made her feel happy once and I just felt horrible for ruining that.”

  “She’s better off without him.”

  “I know.” Nervously, I toyed with the very edge of his shirt. At first, I wasn’t even aware of the fact that I was doing it. “In any case, all I’ve ever experienced were bad experiences. Not once have I had a successful relationship and it’s starting to try on my trust. How am I supposed to believe someone’s being authentic when I’ve seen how often it is that people change?”

  “I guess every relationship is a leap of faith,” he said. “You take a risk and hope that it pays out, and if it doesn’t, you have to pray you have the strength to move on.”

  “I don’t know how much strength I have left…”

  “Plenty.”

  “How do you know?”

  “You’re one of the strongest women I know. You went through a traumatic experience, and somehow, you still laughed at the end of the day–”

  “Yeah, but if I wasn’t nearby that police station, then there was no telling what would have happened. Victor could have–”

  “You’re right, but the point is that nothing happened and you’re safe now. There’s nothing for you to be afraid of, okay?”

  The emotion that had welled up inside my chest suddenly came to a breaking point. A choked sob escaped my lips as I buried my face against his chest. I wanted to hold back my tears but they flowed like a flood.

  Reed held me even closer, rubbing my back. I was grateful for his presence more than I had ever been for anyone else.

  “Hey…” Gently, he lifted my face off his chest and held my cheek in his hand. He wiped away the last of my tears with his thumb. “I can’t bear to see you like this. No girl this beautiful should suffer this much. The men of your past might have been royal jerks, but that doesn’t mean the men of your future will act in the same way. Not everyone is the same, you know. Just like you’re different from any woman I have ever met, there will come a man that will change your perspective.”

  I listened to his words and knew he was right – that I had already found that person.

  It’s too soon, nagged that voice. You barely know who this man is.

  But the heart wants what the heart wants.

  “I don’t want to live the rest of my life all alone,” I started. “But, at the same time, I don’t want to fall for someone and have him break my heart because I’m not sure whether I can recover from it this time around.”

  He raised his other hand, framing my face with both his palms. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much given the amount of time that we’ve known each other, but if you’re willing to believe me, I’d just like to say that I would never do anything to hurt you. And should you let me, I will do everything in my power to protect you.”

  “Reed…”

  “I might sound like a broken record, but you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and all I want to do is make you happy because when you smile, it lights up the entire room.”

  I placed my hand on his chest and felt his heart thumping against his chest.

  Our faces gravitated together, and I could feel the pressure of his breath against my lips. It sent a tingle through my spine and settled at the back of my neck. His hand settled there next and it felt like I was burning up as our noses touched. I held my breath, lungs aching.

  “If you’d let me, then all I want is a chance to prove that sometimes fairytales really do come true.”

  He waited to see what I would do.

  My mind told me no, but my heart was screaming yes, yes, yes.

  So, I took that leap of faith and kissed this man, promising myself that I wouldn’t hold back any longer. I wanted him and I had every right to have him.

  It was time for me to start living.

  20

  Reed

  Things fell into place like chess pieces on a well-played board. Her hands found the edge of my shirt and she lifted it up off my body.

  “Are you sure–”

  “Yes,” she answered as she smashed her lips into mine. There was a hunger behind her kiss that had my pants feeling tight.

  We fell back. She steadied herself by placing her hands on my shoulder. By doing so, her chest was right in front of my face. I leaned forward and nudged against them, but her shirt was in the way of allowing me any real action.

  “It’s time for me to stop running from these feelings.” There was a fire burning behind her eyes. “I felt something from the second I saw you and I’ve been trying to keep it at bay ever since because I was scared, but being scared all the time isn’t any way to live.” She threw off her shirt and exposed her lovely rack to me.

  I bit my bottom lip to keep from drooling.

  “So, tonight, I just want to let all of that go and feel the euphoria that coursed through me when we laid together at the lake.” Our lips came together once more.

  My heart thundered as I flipped us around and took advantage of the position to kiss the side of her neck. She arched her back and exposed even more skin. Every single inch I covered with kisses.

  “I’m going to take care of you,” I whispered against her ear before nibbling on the lobe. I tugged on it until the arch of her back gave me enough space for me to slip my hand underneath and pull her upwards. Our chests collided together as I eased her onto my lap. With a devilish grin on my face, I leaned down and took one of her nipples into my mouth. My tongue was quick to explore every single inch of her glorious flesh.

  Once her nipples were nice and hard, I took them between my fingers and tweaked them until they became even harder.

  “Mmm,” she moaned. “That feels so damn good.”

  “And it’s only going to feel better,” I promised before nipping at her skin.

  Our eyes locked and unable to contain myself any longer, I pushed her onto the mattress. In the blink of an eye, I had her pants flying across the room.

  “That’s better,” I growled as I rested my hands on her thighs, readying myself to dive towards her honey pot.

  “Uh huh.” She shoved me back the other way. “Did you really think you’d be the only person having fun here? Teasing is a game for two and you always get what you give.” Her eyes crinkled with mischief as she loosened the drawstring to my sweatpants.

  She was taking things slow –real slow– and it was killing me inside. I wanted this night to last, sure, but with my cock so hard, it would only be a matter of time before I lost all control.

  “Winter, you’re playing with fire here,” I said, my voice husky.

  “Am I?” she asked, all innocence. “Because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The pants finally came off, boxers along with them. As soon as I was free, my cock sprang forward, as straight as a flagpole.

  “Someone’s excited,” she whispered against my neck as she slowly started to ease her hand up and down my shaft. “I like that.”

  “How could I not? You’re more than a vixen with those good looks of yours.”

  She grinned. “It won’t be my good looks that get you to blow tonight.”

  It was like I was seeing a whole different side of her. Every word she said burned like a smoldering ember. I had tapped into something that I didn’t even know existed.

  Her grin deepened as she leaned down and wrapped her lips around my girth. Her head bobbed up and down at a slow but steady rhythm. The way her tongue danced along my underside, it only worked to drive me insane. It would never be enough to push me off the edge and I had a feeling that Winter knew this all too well.

  She slowed her pace only to add some ball fondling to the mix.

&
nbsp; I groaned, toes curling. “What are you doing to me?”

  She didn’t stop to answer but placed her hands on either side of my hips as she forced my length further and further down her throat. How far could she go?

  Suddenly, just when I felt her nose press against my skin, she pulled away. “I think there’s a better way of going about this, don’t you think?”

  “What did you have in mind?” I asked breathlessly.

  “That special number.”

  “I love the way you think.”

  Without another word, she settled herself on top of me. As soon as she was close enough, I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her against my mouth. I was starving for a taste of her nectar, so my tongue was merciless as it pierced into her mound, tasting her straight from the source. Still, that wasn’t enough. My fingers dug into her ass cheeks, spreading them apart slightly as I strove to push my tongue deeper and deeper.

  I twisted my tongue this way and that in hopes of bringing her towards climax. She was starting to shake. All she needed was that little extra something.

  So, I added my thumb to the mix and it was just what the doctor prescribed. With my thumb moving back and forth against her clit, there was no way she could hold back any longer. She screamed against my cock as a powerful orgasm ripped through her entire body.

  Her juices exploded all over my face and I lapped up every single drop I could get to. When something is this good, you just don’t let it go to waste.

  Having my hunger satisfied, I eased her off my body and caressed her skin with my fingertips. “How was that?” I asked.

  “Oh, we aren’t done here.”

  21

  Winter

  The wonderful thing about being a woman is that once we’ve climaxed, things just get better. Boys are a one and done deal but girls? Each shake of our bodies just made things better than it was before. Sure, there’s the risk of sex-induced insanity but it’s a pretty good problem to have if you ask me.