by Kaylee Ryan
He grunts, gripping my hip and holding me tightly against him. “Breakfast. Shower. Get Milo.” His words are clipped, edgy as he continues to hold me perfectly still, as if having me pressed to him is causing him pain.
Not the bad kind of pain, mind you.
Oh, no. The good kind.
Ignoring his silent pleas, I wrap my palm around the hand he’s gripping my hip with and press back with my ass. He moans in my ear, nipping at the lobe, and sending me orbiting into a frenzy of desire and need. Lifting my leg, I sling it back and over his outer thigh. He takes his hand and mine with it, and slips them under the waistband of my pants. Big thick fingers slide against my clit, teasing until I’m practically riding his hand.
“Colt,” I moan, “I need you. Please.” I recognize the fact that I’m begging.
“I’ve got you, Holls,” he grunts, my heart skipping a beat at the sound of the nickname. With deft fingers, he discards my pants, and rips my panties tossing them to the side.“No. Inside me. Now.”
He stops the assault with his fingers, which is both heaven and hell. I need more. More Colton. He’s able to turn slightly and grab the open box of condoms on the coffee table. One handed, he pulls one out and rips the package with his teeth. He has to pull his other hand out from under my neck so he can sheath himself, but the moment the protection is secure, Colton slides his arm back underneath me.
“Come here,” he whispers, hitching my leg over his thigh. He presses against my entrance from behind, lining our bodies up as best he can. Then he pushes forward. That delicious tightness and subtle burn sweep through my blood as a sigh slips through my parted lips. “Is this what you wanted?” he asks when he’s completely buried inside me from behind.
“God, yes. That.”
Colton slowly eases out before thrusting forward, filling me completely. As his pelvis starts to move, his hand comes around and rubs my clit. Sparks of need ignite through my blood as he drives me closer to release. His lips are everywhere: my neck, my shoulder, my ear. His cock moves easily within me, guiding me, step-by-step, to the orgasm he’s promising.
“I want to feel you come, Hollis. Come on my cock,” he demands, as if he has complete control of my release. I detonate, blinding white light filling my vision as I cry out his name.
Colton grunts and presses his mouth to my shoulder. He shudders before flexing his hips and stilling, filling the protection with his release. “Christ,” he whispers, his warm breath tickling my neck.
“Mmhmm.” I can’t seem to form words.
He gently eases out of me, my body missing him already, and holds me against his chest. “I have an idea. Why don’t you go take a shower and get ready for the day while I make us some breakfast?”
My heart cries a little with happiness. Mostly because I wasn’t quite sure where this would really go afterward, but breakfast is good, right? I mean, I know we talked about moving forward last night—err, early this morning—but I know a lot can be said in the heat of the moment. Maybe he didn’t really mean to advance so quickly now. A change of heart would be normal, right?
“You’re thinking again,” he whispers, kissing that place between my shoulder and my neck.
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, his right hand moving to cradle my head as he holds me.
“Ummm,” I start, but stop. I know I just need to say it. Rip off the Band-Aid. “I wasn’t sure what’s next. I mean, we had fun, but is that it?”
“Is that it?” he parrots, his body stilling against mine, a touch of panic on his gorgeous face. “Is that what you want? Last night when we talked—”
Swallowing, I realize I already know the answer. I place my finger on his lips, cutting off his words. “No.”
Colton seems to relax instantly. “Good. Tell me what you want.”
Sighing, I turn so I’m facing him. His jaw is covered in a thick stubble, even thicker than it was coming in yesterday. Something tells me this man could really grow a beard if he wanted. I can’t help but run my fingers over his jaw as I lock my eyes on his. “I still want to see where this could go.”
My words are barely out, and he’s smiling that breathtaking grin I’ve come to love. “Yeah? Good, because I’d really like to see where this goes too.” He places a chaste kiss to my lips. “I meant it last night, Hollis, I like you. I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“But now you’ve had me,” I tell him.
He turns me and moves so he’s hovering over me. “And I just want more,” he says softly, before claiming my lips with his own.
*****
Tina:I miss you.
Me:I miss you too. How’s work?
Tina: Busy, which is the only reason why I haven’t flown there to see you. I can’t believe you’ve been gone a few weeks already. How’s the weather in Missouri?
Me: It snowed last night. We lost power.
Tina:Yikes! What did you do?
Ummm… things I probably shouldn’t spell out in a text message. I decide to go with the PG version of last evening.
Me:Well, I ended up hanging out with Colton.
Tina:The former military, single-dad thing is hot. You know that, right?
Uhhh, yeah! I’m not dumb or blind.
Tina:Seriously, please tell me you’re banging the hot guy next door!
Me:Tina! I can’t believe you said that.
Tina:Yes, you can. That’s why you love me. My inappropriate dirty talk.
Me:That’s it exactly.
Truth be told, I miss the hell out of my best friend. I’ve always been more of a loner, working from home, and enjoying my quiet time. When I met Tina, she barreled into my life at a coffee shop, insulted the book I was reading and hasn’t left my side since. She’s the most loyal, trustworthy person I’ve known. Well, until Colton. That’s why it pains me that she doesn’t know everything. That I’m holding out one big piece of my life from her.
Colton too.
Tina:Anyway, I gotta jet. I’ll text you tomorrow.
Me:Sounds good.
Tina: Make sure you suit up before you go to the races, Hollis. *insert devil emoji* *insert eggplant emoji*
Me:You’re horrible.
Tina:Don’t think I didn’t notice how you didn’t deny it. Hooker.
Me:*insert shocked face emoji*
Tina:Hey, don’t feel bad. It takes a hooker to know a hooker. Tootles! *insert heart emoji*
Me:*insert kissy face emoji*
Just as I set my phone on the chair, a knock sounds at the door separating my place and his. After breakfast, we both got ready for the day, and since the gym is closed because of the weather, he left to go get Milo. He invited me to come with, but I used the work excuse to stay behind. I really do have to work on the gym’s new site, but I also received two more inquiries via my own website. I wanted to pull as much information on their businesses as I could before offering them my package details.
One time, when I first went out on my own, I received an inquiry and sent them all my information. I found out after I started digging that the company didn’t exist. The email address was a dummy account, and my correspondences went unanswered. The next week, Arrow Media, my biggest rival in the web design business, went viral with their brand-new packages and rates. Turns out, they were the exact services I offer, just a few dollars cheaper. To a small business, a few dollars adds up, and while I saw a steady increase in inquiries, I saw a decline in the ones who actually purchased a package.
The result was a complete overhaul of my services and the costs associated with them, as well as a better system for dealing with customer inquiries.
“Hey,” I reply as I open the door, a smile instantly spreading across my face.
“Hello. So, after Milo’s nap, he reminded me he hasn’t played in the snow, and well, he’s ready to go make baby snow angels. He also told me he’d rather you go out with us, since you’re much prettier to look at than I am.”
I smirk back at the sexy man who’s wearing winter weather gear and holding a baby in a snowsuit. “He said all that, huh?”
“Word for word,” he confirms. “My dad bought him a baby sled with a little seat, and I’m thinking since the sun’s out and it’s about thirty degrees warmer than it was yesterday, today would be a great day to go for a ride on the sled. You in?”
The rest of my work is completely forgotten after that invitation. I reach forward and tap Milo’s little nose. “I wish I could, but I don’t have any snow boots yet.”
“I have some extra ones. They’ll be big, but if you double up on socks, I’m sure it’ll work.”
I squint my eyes and glance down at his feet. He’s wearing camo snow boots and thick, insulated overalls. “Umm, Colton, I don’t know if that’ll work. What size of shoe do you wear?”
“Eleven.”
A bubble of laughter spills from my lips, which makes Milo smile and start to kick. “Eleven? Colton, I wear a seven. There’s no way your shoes will fit me. I’ll probably walk right out of them.”
“No way are you getting out of this, Holls. Milo would be very disappointed if you weren’t to come outside with us.”
Rolling my eyes, I smile in defeat. “Fine, I’ll wear your too-big boots. For Milo.”
“Did you hear that, buddy? Hollis is gonna come outside and play with us.” He bounces his son in his arms as if to cheer. “I’m going to head outside now, so we don’t get too hot in all these layers. My extra boots are by the back door, and there’s a few extra pairs of insulated gloves on the washing machine. Grab whatever you need,” he says before leaning in and kissing my cheek.
I feel a blush tinge my skin where his lips grazed and have to fight from breaking out into a full-fledge crazy grin. You know, the kind that makes people look at you like you’re utterly batshit nutty? The kind that actually hurts your cheeks from smiling so hard.
“See you in a few minutes,” he says, before turning and heading out the back door.
Exhaling, I glance at the gloves he left on the washer, which is right next to a hoodie sweatshirt with Army printed in green and another pair of Carhartt overalls. I grab the warm clothes he left and slip back into my apartment. I throw on a pair of looser jeans over leggings and then slide my legs into the overalls. They’re way too big, but they’re definitely warm, so I don’t complain. Next, I throw on the hoodie over my long-sleeved T-shirt, which is really big, yet comfy, and smells just like Colton. I add a second pair of socks and stuff my feet into the too-big boots. It’s actually a bit hard to walk in them, but it’ll work until I get my own boots. I finish off my outfit with gloves, hat, scarf, and coat, and turn to take in my appearance in the mirror.
I immediately burst into laughter.
I look like a five-year-old wearing her dad’s clothes.
But I’m warm, and that’s the point.
Shuffling my heavy feet, I make my way to the laundry room and out the back door. It’s not nearly as cold as it was last night, with the sun warming the air and slowly melting the snow. A bubble of laughter catches my attention, and I’m suddenly smiling beneath the scarf wrapped around my jaw as I watch Colton pull his son on a little red sled. It has a seat in the middle with a buckle, and with the help of blankets for positioning, he’s reclined in the seat to keep from falling over. His nose is red, but the smile on his face says everything as he reaches for the fluffy white stuff just out of his reach.
I make my way to them, Colton’s eyes dancing with humor. “You look…”
“Like I’m wearing clothes three sizes too big?”
“Amazing,” he answers with a grin as he reaches over and adjusts my hat, pulling it down on my forehead. I’m ready to throw my hands around his neck and plaster my marshmallow man body against his when Milo lets out a screech. “Okay, buddy.” He looks at me and reaches for my hand. “Care to take a walk around the backyard with me?”
And we do.
I walk beside Colton as he pulls Milo on the sled. I fumble with my phone, but I manage to pull it from my pocket and snap a few pictures of Colton and Milo. I’ll have to send them to him later. We walk slowly around the large yard, making new tracks with each pass, but when we reach thirty minutes, Milo is at his max with sitting. He lets out a squeal of annoyance and tries to slip from the seat. “All right, buddy. Let’s try something new.”
Colton unclips the belt and helps Milo sit in the snow. The little guy instantly reaches for it, shrieks of laughter filling the air as he whacks his hands down into the fluffy snow repeatedly. I plop down in the white stuff beside him, fall back and stretch out, moving my arms and legs to make a snow angel. I’ve never made one before, and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I wave my arms and legs, just like I’ve seen done on television or the internet.
When I open my eyes, I realize I’m smiling so wide, my face hurts. Okay, it could hurt from the frigid air, but I’d like to think it has something to do with how happy and free I feel lying in the snow, making my very first snow angel.
My eyes connect with Colton’s, and it takes a few seconds before I realize what he has in his hand. He’s holding his cell phone, angling it down and tapping on the screen. But it’s not at Milo that it’s pointed. No, it’s at me. Something passes between us. Understanding, maybe. Acceptance. Joy. Probably a good mixture of it all.
When I turn my head, I burst into laughter. Milo is lying beside me in the snow, kicking his little legs like he’s running a race. “Milo, are you making a snow angel too?” I ask, crouching carefully next to him and moving his legs and hands until we’ve made a small baby snow angel.
“Buddy, look here,” Colton says as he snaps a few more pictures of us making the angel.
I stand Milo up in the snow and laugh at his eager little shrieks of delight. Glancing up at Colton, I see him still snapping photos. With my right hand, I hold Milo upright, but with my left, I reach for the phone. “Give it to me. I’ll take some of you two.”
His entire face lights up as he hands me the phone and gets down on the ground with his son. For the next several minutes, I take photo after photo of father and son frolicking in the snow. Colton demonstrates the building of the perfect snowball, to which Milo tries to eat. They build a few more and toss them off into the yard. When I slip Colton’s phone into my pocket, and the boys stand up, there’s a gleam in their eyes that gives me pause. Well, to be honest, I’m pretty sure the look in Milo’s blue eyes is because he’s trying to grab the snowball, but the one in his father’s eyes…?
That has trouble written all over it.
Carefully, I take a retreating step backward, followed by another, but Colton advances. I have about a half-second warning before the snowball hits me square in the chest. “What the…”
“It slipped!” he insists, though the sparkle in his eyes betrays him.
“Slipped? Seriously?” I ask, bending down and gathering up a wet ball of snow in my hand.
“I’m holding a baby,” Colton notes, moving Milo and using him as a human baby shield.
“I see that,” I reply, patting my snowball to keep it from falling apart.
“You wouldn’t,” he adds, dancing to the left.
I shrug. “Not while you’re holding Milo.”
Slowly, he crouches down and sets his son back against the backrest of the sled and straps him in securely. Then, he stands up and locks eyes with mine as a seductive smile spreads across his gorgeous face. Suddenly, he moves, throwing his arms around my waist and putting his shoulder into my chest. It’s not hard, but it catches me off guard, especially when he hoists me up in the air, throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
I wail his name, which sounds odd considering I’m giggling too.
“Any final words you’d like to share, Holls?” he asks, dramatically spinning me around.
“Don’t you dare,” I start, but the rest of the sentence is lost when I start to fall. No, not fall, per se, because I’m still in Colton�
��s arms, but we do fall. Together. His body taking the brunt of the weight as we land and roll.
When we stop moving, he’s lying directly on top of me, my head cradled in his gloved hands as our bodies align so perfectly from head to toe. I shiver, but not from the cold snow pressed against my back. I shiver from the desire laced in his eyes, and the warmth of his breath tickling my dry lips.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I whisper, gripping the back of his coat.
“You were going to throw a snowball at me.”
“Allegedly.”
Colton smiles and presses his lips to my own, the heat of his skin against mine a welcome jolt to my senses. He sweeps his tongue inside my mouth, tasting and savoring our connection. A jolt of lightning strikes through my veins as his thumb grazes across the apple of my cheek, his teeth nipping at my full bottom lip.
Milo starts to cry. We both look over as the baby rubs his eyes, a sign he’s done with the great outdoors. With a chaste kiss to my lips, Colton rolls over and gets up, unbuckling the belt and taking his son in his arms. Together, the three of us make our way to the house.
“I have an idea,” Colton says as he shuts the door behind us. “I’m going to get this guy a bottle and down for a nap. When you get warm and dry, come back over here, and I’ll make dinner.”
“Dinner, huh?” I ask, taking off my wet gloves and throwing them on the dryer.
“Steak and baked potatoes,” he confirms as he starts to strip Milo’s winter snowsuit and layers.
“Sounds delicious. Can I bring anything?”
He shrugs out of his own coat while juggling a baby who’s getting more upset by the second. “Just yourself,” he replies, kicking off his boots. He seems to forgo the removal of his overalls, choosing to take care of his son first. “I’m going to get him some food,” he says just before he places a kiss on my lips and turns to leave the laundry room.
