The Story of Us: Sweetbriar Cove: Book 11
Page 24
Wes had made sure of that.
She hoisted the ice and headed back towards the house, hoping that Wes would have gone inside. But of course, he was waiting for her, standing at the top of the porch steps.
“Let me help you with that,” he said, holding out a hand.
She hugged the ice harder, ignoring the chill. “I’m fine.”
“It looks heavy.”
“I told you, I’ve got it,” Cassie said stubbornly, even as she struggled to keep a grip.
He smiled, and just like that, she saw a glimpse of the old Wes: easy and full of mischief and guaranteed to make Cassie’s stomach turn a slow pirouette. “You haven’t changed,” he said, smirking.
“You have,” she replied coolly.
Wes’s smile slipped. “Just give me the ice,” he said, sighing. “You’ll break something.”
“No.”
Cassie marched up the steps, but Wes stood there, blocking her path. He really had filled out, she couldn’t help but notice. Even under that coat, she could tell his body was distractingly muscular . . .
Wes grabbed the bag.
“Hey!” Cassie yelped in protest and grabbed right back. She tugged, determined. “I told you, I don’t need anyone’s heEEELLLLPPPPPP—”
Her foot slipped on the ice, and she lost her balance. She pinwheeled a moment, clawing desperately for balance, before falling back into a snowdrift with an “OOMPH!”
Wes burst out laughing.
“Gee, thanks!” Cassie muttered, spread-eagled there in the snow. Her cheeks were burning—and her ass would definitely be bruised by the morning.
Oh God, could their reunion get any more humiliating?
“I see you’re still an asshole,” she scowled, trying to scramble to her feet again—and failing. Miserably.
“And I see you’re still a brat,” Wes replied cheerfully. He moved closer and offered his hand to help her up. Cassie reluctantly took it—and then swiped his feet out from under him, pulling him down into the snowdrift right alongside her.
Wes landed face-first in the snowdrift.
“Mneugh!” he made a muffled noise of protest.
“What was that?” Cassie asked, laughing as he emerged with snow in his hair and ice crystals scattered on his eyelashes.
His thick, dark eyelashes . . .
“I said, I can’t believe you just did that!” Wes grabbed a handful of snow and smooshed it into Cassie’s hair. She laughed and grabbed a handful of her own, shoving it down inside the collar of his coat and making Wes roar in wet, icy protest.
“That’s it!” he cried, rolling them over and wrestling her into the snow. But Cassie hadn’t been raised by four brothers for nothing: she shrieked and struggled, managing to stuff a good deal more snow in his face before Wes pinned her hands up over her head, his body holding her in place.
“Say mercy,” he demanded, grinning above her.
Cassie’s laughter slowly faded, leaving her breathless. Wes’s face was just inches away, his blue eyes bright with laughter, his breath warm on her face. The hard length of his body was crushing her deep into the snow, and she felt a sudden magnetic urge to wrap her legs around his waist and bring her lips up to meet his—
“Mercy,” Cassie blurted, flushing red-hot.
“Ha!” Wes rolled away, releasing her, and this time, Cassie managed to scramble to her feet.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
She blinked. Wes was arching one eyebrow at her, looking perfectly at ease—despite the fact he was still lounging in a snowdrift. “The ice?” he reminded her. “It seemed important to you to carry it,” he added, smirking. “I’d hate to take that away from you.”
She scowled. “Knock yourself out,” she managed to mutter before stomping away.
Now she was grateful for the chill, because she needed to cool off, and fast. What was she thinking? This was Wes Banner. Wes! The boy who’d made it perfectly clear she was just an annoyance. The kid sister. The boy who’d delivered her first taste of heartbreak—with a side helping of humiliation, too.
Cassie shook her head, steaming into the house. Whatever had happened between them, it was all ancient history now. It didn’t matter that his smile still made her blood run hot, or that the delicious weight of his body made her feel things that her teenage self hadn’t even learned how to feel back then . . .
She was absolutely, definitely not going to fall in love with him.
Again.
To be continued . . .
What happens next? Cassie and Wes’s sizzling love story is just getting started! Watch the next Kinsella sibling find love in Sweetbriar Cove (and catch up with Luke, Natalie, Jackson, and all your favorite characters) in the next book in the series.
BACK TO YOU is available to order now.
***CLICK HERE to order from your retailer of choice ***
Also By Melody Grace:
The Sweetbriar Cove Series:
1. Meant to Be
2. All for You
3. The Only One
4. I’m Yours
5. Holiday Kisses (A Christmas Story)
6. No Ordinary Love
7. Wildest Dreams
8. This Kiss
9. Always Be Mine
10. Two Hearts (Kinsella Family #1)
11. The Story of Us
12. Back to You
13. One More Night
14. Forever and Always
* * *
The Beachwood Bay Series:
1.Untouched
2.Unbroken
3.Untamed Hearts
4.Unafraid
5.Unwrapped
6.Unconditional
7.Unrequited
8.Uninhibited
9.Unstoppable
10.Unexpectedly Yours
11.Unwritten
12.Unmasked
13.Unforgettable
* * *
The Oak Harbor Duet:
1.Heartbreaker
2.Reckless Hearts
* * *
With Every Heartbeat
* * *
The Promise
About the Author
Melody Grace grew up in a small town in the English countryside, and after spending her life reading, she decided it was time to write one for herself. She published her first book at twenty-two, and is now a New York Times bestselling author, with over three million downloads of her novels to date.
She lives in Los Angeles, writing books and screenplays full-time with the help of her two cats, Bucky and Steve.
Connect with me online:
www.melodygracebooks.com
melody@melodygracebooks.com