My dream girl, my fantasy, the most untouchable woman to ever walk into my life.
But in this moment, it feels like she’s actually within reach, and for some reason, I find myself swooping in, one interaction at a time, when I know I should be peeling away.
Shocked, I put a little distance between us, wanting to see if she’s coherent, or if the alcohol we consumed is controlling her thoughts. But her eyes are still lucid, and I know she’s serious. Hell, she’s really inviting me back to her place. So the only question is, What kind of invitation is it?
I must be taking too long to answer—she caught me off guard, thrusting my horny fantasies into reality—because her eyes suddenly harden, and she blows past me, heading right for the door and out into the snowy landscape.
Oh no she doesn’t.
She’s not getting away without an answer to that invitation.
Not when I was so close to making a dream a reality.
I quickly toss some money at Barb, who doesn’t even move as the bills float to the sticky bar floor, and then make my way outside into the blizzard, where I can barely see a few feet in front of me. The snow thickens the air like a curtain closing on my unexpected but fantastic night.
In the light of the streetlamps lining the road, I catch a glimpse of Eve power walking through the snow toward a small apartment complex. Her head is tilted down, determination in each step.
Following in her tracks, I jog after her and catch up in no time, no thanks to the insanely large flakes of snow whipping through the air. Something washes over me—the realization that I’m not sure I can end this night without at least knowing what it feels like to have this woman’s lips on mine. Instead of grabbing her shoulder or her wrist to get her attention, I do the only thing that comes to mind: I tackle her.
Right into the fresh powder.
Because I’m a good guy, I twisted in the air, bringing her on top of me rather than crushing her against the ground with my weight, but even as the cold encases our bodies, I make sure to have a firm grasp on her so she can’t escape.
“What are you doing?” she squeals, squirming in my arms.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I ask as snow pelts my face, making it impossibly hard to open my eyes.
“Back to my place,” she grunts, still trying to free herself.
“Without letting me answer your invitation?” I roll her to the side and bury her in the snow. She squeals some more, her face full of shock.
“Reid.” She pushes on my chest. “Get off of me.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I lean down and nuzzle my nose against hers, and her defensiveness starts to fade away as she laughs. I roll us again, and this time she’s on top of me again.
“There’s snow in my pants.”
“Want me to replace it with my hands?” I ask as I reach out, grab a handful of snow, and shove it down her jeans.
“Ah!” she screams, swatting at my chest and shimmying her body up and down mine, doing nothing to calm my erection, which doesn’t seem to be fazed by the cold weather.
Somehow she escapes my grasp and runs down the sidewalk—but not before gathering up a ball of snow and chucking it right at my chest.
Bull’s-eye.
Snow splatters up to my face, but I don’t let it deter me as I swoop in like an eagle homing in on its prey. I run at her, Eve playfully screaming the whole time, and tackle her into the snow again. But this time, I’m not as nice and let her go face first. We twist our bodies around, and she ends up back on top of me. And when she looks down, her face covered in snow, I let out a bark of laughter.
Her eyebrows, eyelashes, hairline, and lips are all covered in the heavy snow, making her look like she was just rescued from the Arctic.
She swipes one hand across one eye and then the other, her eyes on fire, ready to murder. I love feisty Eve, so I brace myself.
“I’m going to get you,” she warns right before scooping up a pile of snow and shoving it up my shirt and onto my exposed skin.
A sharp wave of winter races up and down my abdomen, cooling my raging erection slightly—though not enough because I quickly reciprocate, shoving snow up her shirt, and when my knuckles brush against her bra, I’m aroused once more.
It takes very little, apparently, when it comes to Eve.
“Reid, stop it!”
“You stop,” I shoot back just as she flings snow at my face. She laughs and takes off again.
I’m buried in even more snow, so it takes me longer than expected to get out of the hole we’ve created, and by the time I catch up to her, she’s heading into her basement apartment. Before she can shut the door, I slip inside with her and close the door behind me.
Both covered in snow, we stare at each other, our faces red, our hands frozen, the warm apartment already making the snow fall off us in large, wet clumps.
Her lips twist to the side as she looks me up and down. “I have snow in my crack thanks to you.”
“Better than the stick you usually have shoved up there.”
Her eyes widen, and a rueful smile passes over her lips before she takes a step forward. “Lord knows you’ve tried to pull it out several times with zero luck.”
“Unclenching would help a guy out a lot.”
She rolls her eyes and turns so her backside is facing me. “If you’re so upset about the stick, then why are you here?”
“Uh, because I was invited.”
“I had a weak moment.”
Hands stuffed in my pockets, seeking any kind of pseudowarmth I can get, I rock on my heels. “Look at me and say that.”
Turning to face me again, she brushes a piece of hair that was plastered to the side of her face behind her ear. “It was a weak moment.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Not my fault.” She nods to the door. “You know how to see yourself out.”
“Yeah,” I drawl. “I’m not going anywhere.” I kick off my boots and push them to the side, my socks getting soaked in the puddle of fallen snow. “Sorry, Eve. I’m here for the night.”
Eyes narrowing, she crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re so stubborn—it’s annoying.”
“You’re the one who invited me back to your place. I don’t see how this is my fault. I’m just taking you up on your offer. Now, what kind of food do you have? I’m famished.” I dust the snow off my clothes, every inch of fabric sticking to my skin, and walk to her small kitchen, where I peer into the fridge.
Yikes, she has nothing in here.
“Help yourself. Pretty sure I have a jar of minced garlic and barely a squeeze of ketchup.”
Yup, that just about sums it up.
“Not even eggs? How do you live?”
“Just fine. If you’re hungry, I suggest you put your boots back on and head over to the Inn. Barb will fix you up something really nice.”
“We both know she’s abysmal in the kitchen.”
Eve shrugs.
I take that moment to step out of the kitchen to where she’s still standing in the entryway. I reach for her hips, but she steps away before I can get a firm grasp on them.
“What are you doing?”
Trying to romance you, but clearly I suck at it.
“Dancing?” I reply, wincing at the uncertain question in my voice.