When Snowflakes Fall

by Tara Wyatt

  “Only if you promise to clean your room tomorrow.”

  “But Dad, it’s like, not that messy.”

  “I’ll take that change back, then.” Luke held out his hand.

  “Okay! I’ll clean it tomorrow.”

  She bit her lip, smiling at the exchange. It was wonderful, watching him in full-on Dad mode. Wonderful, and a total turn on.

  He took the tray, handing one cup to Ethan and offering one to her before picking up his own. “Cheers. Here’s to . . . trying new things.” He tapped his cup against hers, and then she watched, transfixed, as his lips puckered and he blew the steam away before he took a small sip. She did the same, savoring the sweet flavors of apple and cinnamon with a hint of maple as they mingled on her tongue.

  The tree-lighting ceremony began, and Ethan ran ahead. Luke once again took her hand and they moved forward, closer to the towering Scots pine in the middle of the plaza. The mayor and his wife took the stage, welcoming everyone. A local band began playing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and the happiness and holiday spirit were almost palpable, hovering over the crowd like fairy dust. Lights around the stage flashed, and suddenly, the Christmas tree came to life with twinkling red-and-white lights. Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Christie found herself leaning into Luke, sighing contentedly. He slipped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into him as if she’d always belonged there.

  And to think she’d come to the parade on a whim.

  Chapter 4

  December 7

  Christie smoothed the front of her red-lace shift dress, not because it was wrinkled, but because she needed something to do with her hands. Picking up her phone, she read Luke’s text again.

  Pick you up at 6. Can’t wait to see you. Been thinking about you all day.

  A nervous thrill shot through her as she slipped into a pair of black pumps and heard Luke’s truck in her driveway. It was 5:58. She flung open the front door before he even had the chance to knock, and belatedly realized that her enthusiasm was probably making her look like a huge dork.

  “I heard your truck, and . . . hi.”

  He dipped his head and grazed his lips across her cheek in a soft, tantalizing kiss. Oh, God, he smelled so good. Like warmth and aftershave and man.

  “Hi.” His eyes roamed over her body, and their blue depths darkened. “Wow. You look . . .” He ran his thumb over his bottom lip. “Incredible.” Pure, raw lust crackled over her skin under his approving gaze.

  “Hi. I mean, thanks.” She blushed and ducked her head. His low chuckle forced her to look up again.

  “You don’t need to be nervous around me.” He pulled her coat down off the hook on the wall by the front door. Striding over to her, he held it open, and she turned so that she could slip her arms into the sleeves. “If anyone should be nervous, it’s me. I haven’t been on a date in . . . well, in a while.” He pulled the coat over her shoulders and her eyes fluttered closed when his hands dipped into the collar to scoop her hair out. He swept it over one shoulder, and bent his head. His lips were so close to her ear that she could feel the heat from them on her skin. “So be gentle with me.”

  She turned to face him and arched a teasing eyebrow. “You seem to be doing just fine.”

  He winked. “The night is young.”

  Oh, was she in trouble. Luke was sexy and funny and charming, and he smelled so good that she wanted to rub herself all over him like an affection-starved cat. She knew that sleeping with him would not be wise. She also knew that she really wanted to sleep with him. Her stomach did a slow, lurching turn at the thought of sex with Luke.

  Oh, yeah. She was definitely in trouble.

  The drive had barely begun before Luke pulled the truck into the parking lot of a small restaurant in a cute brown-and-gray house. “I thought you might like it here. They serve a lot of Southern food. I hope that wasn’t presumptuous of me.” He cocked his head, looking at her.

  Something tightened and squeezed in her chest at his thoughtfulness. “Not presumptuous. It’s thoughtful and sweet.” Just when she thought she couldn’t be more attracted to him, he blushed at her compliment.

  A smile twitching at the corners of his mouth, he slid out of the truck and came around to her side, opening the door for her. “Hang on to me. I think the parking lot’s a bit slippery.” Luke offered her his arm, and she wrapped her hands around it, marveling at the impressively hard muscle beneath the layers of fabric. Instinctively, she flexed her fingers into his bicep and he looked down at her, a crooked smile emphasizing his dimples.

  Her stomach bottomed out as she imagined telling him about the nude photos of her that had ended up online and the scandal that had forced her out of Tulsa. The stupid, impulsive thing she’d done that marked her as damaged goods, unworthy of this man and his son.

  Damaged goods. God, she hated that there was a part of her that really saw herself that way now.

  She took a breath and reminded herself to relax. It was just dinner. A testing of the waters, nothing more.

  But she wanted more. She had no right to want it, but she did anyway. Shame curled through her, tempering her excitement.

  The small restaurant was cozy and inviting, with deep burnt-orange walls, big windows, and a fire blazing in the fireplace nestled into one corner. A large Christmas tree stood beside the fireplace, decorated with softly glowing white lights and silver and green balls. A jazzy version of “O Christmas Tree” floated through the air, and a warm, fuzzy feeling worked its way through her. It was Christmas, and she was on a date with a mouthwatering hunk, who also seemed to be a pretty amazing guy.

  Correction. Amazing man.

  An amazing man who was helping her with her coat and pulling her chair out for her, his fingers trailing lightly along her arm before he moved around to his side of the table. Finally out of his coat, she was able to fully appreciate just how sexy he looked in a forest green button-down shirt tucked into black dress pants. He’d rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing deliciously corded and powerful forearms that led to thick wrists and those wide, strong hands she’d admired the other day.

  “So your parents are watching Ethan?” She took a sip of the red wine the waiter had just set down in front of her.

  “Yeah, he’s sleeping over at their place tonight.”

  Her eyes widened and a red flush washed over his cheeks. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “That sounded . . . bad. I didn’t mean to imply that I’d assumed that we, or, I mean, that you would . . . Shit.”

  She took another sip of her wine and bit back a laugh. His embarrassment was absolutely adorable and very endearing.

  He leaned his forearms on the table and caught her eyes with his. “He sleeps over with my parents regularly. I want you to know that I didn’t assume anything about us or tonight. Okay?”

  “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. So he’s close with your parents?”

  Luke took a sip of his own wine and nodded. “He is. It’s important to me that he knows there are lots of people who love him, who are there for him. So my parents, my brother, my extended family—he sees a lot of them. I want him to grow up feeling loved and accepted.”

  She didn’t miss the sadness in his eyes as he spoke, and she laid a hand on his arm. “I think that’s amazing. He’s a great kid. You’re obviously raising him right.”

  He smiled, and the sadness slowly vanished. “I’m trying.”

  She waited, wondering if he’d say anything about Ethan’s mom. His ex-wife. An inexplicable flicker of jealousy rose up inside her. But he didn’t bring it up, turning his attention instead to the menu. When then waiter came to take their order, she couldn’t resist the double crust chicken potpie. Luke ordered the rib eye.

  The waiter gone, he sat back in his chair, studying her. “So what made you change your mind?”

  An embarrassed flush crept over her cheeks as she remembered how quickly she’d turned him down when he’d asked her out. After f
ixing a few things around her house free of charge, no less.

  “You.”

  “Oh, come on. I think I’ve earned a little more than that.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. There’s something about you. Like, there’s a . . .” She twirled her hands in front of her, searching for the right word to describe the irresistible pull she had felt toward him since that day at the hospital.

  “Connection,” he finished for her, his voice quiet and his eyes serious.

  She took a sip of her wine and nodded. “Yeah.” A silence fell between them, but there was no awkwardness. Only warmth and promise and the tingle of anticipation. She cleared her throat. “So you really don’t date much? Because you seem pretty good at this.”

  He shook his head, playing with the fork lying on top of his neatly folded cloth napkin. “Maybe I’m just good at being with you.” His eyes met hers.

  “Me?”

  “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we met. It’s a miracle I still have all my fingers.” He leaned forward and caught one of her hands in his. “There’s something about you, Christie.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles, and heat spread over her skin at his touch. “I’m glad I’m getting the chance to get to know you better.”

  “Me too, Luke.”

  He smiled wide, his dimples flashing. “So . . . I wanted to ask you. At the parade, when you said that it wasn’t a good idea for you to get involved with a guy right now, what did you mean? Why isn’t it a good idea?”

  Christie opened and closed her mouth, her stomach pushing up into her throat. They were just getting to know each other, and if she told him the whole sordid story right now, it would ruin everything. Now wasn’t the time to tell him. Ignoring the guilt churning through her at her white lie, she smiled. “Oh, only that I’m new in town, still getting settled, and I just broke up with someone a few months ago. That kind of thing.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m damn glad you changed your mind.”

  “So, I, uh . . .” She swallowed, her nerves flaring up at his touch and once again tampering with the connection between her brain and her mouth. “I heard you stole a pig statue once.”

  Really, brain? Eight years of college, and that’s what you come up with?

  He laughed and settled back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “I did. Who’d you hear that old story from?”

  “One of the nurses I work with.”

  He nodded, and she could tell he was remembering. “It was a long time ago, but yeah.” He started telling her the story, and they eased into conversation. She loved listening to Luke, loved watching his face and his hands as he talked. By the time their food arrived, she had tears in her eyes and her stomach hurt from laughing.

  It was the best first date she’d ever been on.

  * * *

  They’d spent hours at dinner, eating, talking about anything and everything, drawing it out over desserts they were too full to enjoy and coffees they were far too awake to really need. Luke couldn’t remember the last time in his life three hours had gone by so fast. She’d told him about growing up in Kentucky, her family, becoming a doctor, and her initial impressions of Cheyenne. He’d told her more about Cheyenne, Ethan, running his carpentry business, and what it was like to have a twin. They’d compared favorite movies, TV shows, and music, finding lots in common, and teasing each other about the differences.

  He pulled his truck into Christie’s driveway just as light, fluffy snowflakes began to fall, drifting lazily to the ground, catching the light of the street lamp nearby. Just like on Saturday at the parade, the temperature had plummeted as soon as the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the digital readout on his truck’s dash indicated that it was only two degrees outside. Funny, he hadn’t noticed the cold as he’d walked Christie back to his truck after their meal. He’d been too focused on the feel of her hands clutching his arm. Immediately, a fantasy of being skin to skin with her, of lowering himself on top of her, had invaded his brain and hadn’t let go, and now he was walking around with a damn two-by-four in his pants.

  He walked her to the door and stood with her on the front porch, watching her for cues as to how he should proceed. She hadn’t taken her keys out of her purse. Instead, she was standing mere inches from him, looking up at him with that sweet, lovely face.

  A tremble ran through her, and with one tiny step, he backed her against her front door. He dipped his head and brushed his lips against the shell of her ear. Nuzzling his nose against the soft, heated skin of her cheek, he pressed his body against hers, and his nerve endings came alive at the contact, despite the layers of clothing between them. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman as much as he wanted Christie right now. Surrounding her, he cupped her face with one hand, bracing his opposite forearm on the door. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, and her eyes sparked with heat. Surprising him in the best possible way, she parted her lips and took his thumb into her mouth. He sucked in a breath as her lips closed around him, her tongue teasing the pad of this thumb, the heat of her mouth in sharp contrast to the freezing air around them. His erection pressed painfully against his zipper, jealous as hell.

  “Jesus,” he breathed, wanting her so much he felt like he was going to burst out of his skin. Needing to regain his quickly faltering control, he slid his thumb free of her mouth.

  “Are you gonna kiss me, or what?” she asked, looking up at him through her lashes.

  “Hell, yes.” He couldn’t get his mouth on hers fast enough, and as his lips connected with hers, every single thought flew out of his brain, replaced entirely with pleasure. Something deep inside his chest relaxed and melted as he took her lips, feeding the slow, burning hunger drawing them together.

  She moaned softly and slid her tongue against his, her mouth hot and sweet and everything he’d known it would be. Slipping her arms around his waist, she pulled him even closer. He deepened the kiss, lips and tongues melding together, tasting and exploring. God, he could kiss her like this for hours, with her body pressed into his, her soft lips sending spirals of pleasure cascading through him.

  He wove his fingers into her hair, angling her face to deepen the kiss even further. Her fists clutched at his coat, a gasping sigh escaping from her, giving sound to the urgency spreading between them. She rolled her hips against him, and his hard cock twitched, already aching for her.

  Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, tearing his mouth from hers. “We should slow down.”

  “You’re right. We should.” Her eyes locked onto his.

  He meant to move back, step away. Really he did.

  “Yeah. We probably shouldn’t . . .” He dipped his head and kissed her again, wanting more of her mouth. Wanting more of everything.

  After several moments, she broke the kiss, her fast, shallow breaths puffing white around her. “We should stop.” She bit her lip and looked up at him, heavy snowflakes falling around them.

  He pressed his forehead to hers and nodded. “Yeah.”

  She tilted her head up and brushed her lips against his. “Yeah.”

  “I should go.” He pressed her body more firmly into the door and kissed her again, unable to tear himself away from her, hoping that she wouldn’t send him away.

  After a few too-short moments, she broke the kiss again. “It’s . . . it’s so cold out. You want to come inside, get yourself warmed up first?” Her already pink cheeks darkened.

  Hell, yeah, he’d like to get himself warmed up.

  Chapter 5

  Luke followed Christie into her dark house, watching her small figure as she dropped her keys on the kitchen table and draped her coat over the back of a chair. Now that they were inside, she seemed nervous, almost hesitant. There was something sweet about her sudden shyness.

  “Do you want a drink or something?” Her soft voice echoed in the silent, semi-dark kitchen, the only light coming from the street la
mp. Snowflake shadows danced across her face.

  He walked slowly toward her, cupping her face in his hands when he reached her. “I want you.” He kissed her, a soft, sweet, lingering kiss that sent his blood rushing through his veins. He trailed his lips over her neck as he spoke. “I want to touch you and taste you and make love to you. I want to fall asleep holding you in my arms. I want to wake up and make love to you again. That’s what I want. But I’ll go if you want me to.” He pulled back and stroked his thumbs over her cheekbones, and her eyes glittered up at him. He could see the internal debate playing out across her face, lust warring with caution. After a moment, she bit her lip and relaxed into him, as though she’d made up her mind about something.

  “I want you to stay, Luke. Don’t go.” The tremor in her voice almost undid him, it was so raw and fraught with need. He lowered his hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her again. She moaned softly into his mouth and he gripped her tighter, already craving a deeper, more intimate contact.

  Savoring her slim, shapely body, he skimmed his hands up her ribcage and to her breasts, palming the firm, rounded flesh. The kiss deepened, and his hands roamed her body, exploring and discovering. He delved his fingers into her hair, ran his hands down her back and over her gloriously perky ass, then back up to her breasts. The more he touched her, the more he needed to touch her. She felt so incredibly good in his arms, with her hands stroking his chest, her hips rocking into him.

  She pulled away and grabbed one of his hands, leading him down a darkened hallway that he knew led to her bedroom. Once inside, she paused, took a deep breath and turned away from him.

  “Unzip me.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Not needing to be asked twice, he swept her long hair over her shoulder and then pulled down the zipper at the back of her dress until the cheeks of her ass peeked through. God, he wanted to see her, all of her. Her skin glowed in the silvery light streaming in through the window. The dress dropped to the floor, pooling at her feet, and before she could step out of it, he wrapped his arms around her, tracing his lips across the bare skin of her shoulders. With a sighing moan, she pressed her ass into him, and he could’ve sworn he saw stars, he was so hard. He splayed his hands over her stomach, still kissing his way across the deliciously soft skin of her neck and shoulders. She pressed into him again, and his hand dipped lower, slipping under the silky fabric of the sexy red thong she wore. He inhaled a shaky breath and cupped the heat radiating from between her legs.