“You’re not the only single person, Steph.” Jeremy had joined them again. He put his arm around her again as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and they’d been a couple for years, or were even a couple at all.
“Oh yeah, right.” Stephanie shook her head. “Like you’re single.” She raised an eyebrow and laughed.
She stiffened a little and laughed along with her new friend. They weren’t a couple.
She glanced over at Jeremy, who wasn’t laughing, but was watching her with a question in his eyes.
Or were they?
“Sleigh bells ring! Are you listening?”
Even though they were all singing along to the carol, Bella’s voice rang out clearer than the others as the horses pulled the sleigh through the snow. Jeremy was transfixed by Bella’s voice.
Hell, Jeremy was transfixed by Bella.
It felt so right to be with her. He’d been a little worried that it would feel strange to be around all his friends with her considering they weren’t really a couple, but it hadn’t. Not even a little bit. In fact, it had felt absolutely perfect. He didn’t want to think about what those feelings meant. Or what it might mean when the holidays were over and Bella went back to the city. She’d laughed when Steph suggested they were a couple. But that didn’t really mean anything.
It was something they hadn’t discussed yet. And why would they? They’d only been—
“Your voice is amazing!”
Jeremy’s train of thought was interrupted by Stephanie. She’d moved herself to the hay bale across from them and had grabbed Bella’s hand, effectively jerking her forward and out of his arms.
He missed the feel of her next to him, but he couldn’t help but laugh at Stephanie’s gushing.
“Are you professionally trained? You sound like an—”
“Angel,” Jeremy couldn’t resist finishing for her. “She does.” He winked at Bella, who grinned.
“Thank you,” she said to both of them. “I sing in a…well, I…” Her smile twisted into a quick frown before she glanced over at Jeremy and quickly caught herself. “I sing professionally, actually.”
“Well, you’re amazing. Do you have any originals? Or even better, an album I could listen to?”
“Steph, leave the poor girl alone,” Logan called across the sleigh. “We have time for one more carol before we get back to the ranch.”
“How about ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’?” someone yelled. A moment later, the whole group was caught up in the tune, and Bella was once again tucked into the crook of his arms.
It had been a perfect day, as far as he was concerned. The sky was blue and while the sun was out, it had been warm enough for sweaters, especially when they skated on the little rink that had been set up. Now that the sun had gone down, it had cooled off considerably, but Jeremy wasn’t upset about that at all because it meant he could pull up the fleece blanket over their laps and pull Bella even closer to keep warm.
Under the cover, when her hand slipped to his leg and squeezed his thigh, a jolt of desire shot through him. It was all he could do to keep from pulling her up onto his lap so he could kiss her the way he’d been dying to all day, right then and there.
He could wait.
As it turned out, Jeremy had to wait even longer than he’d expected to because when the sleigh ride wrapped up, Levi had a bonfire going in the yard, and they were shuffled along with the rest of them to warm up with a cup of cider next to the fire. It was late by the time they walked through the ranch yard, under the twinkling lights he’d helped to hang, and back into the truck.
“That was a fun day.” Bella sank back against the seat. “But I’m exhausted.”
He tried to hide his disappointment, but obviously wasn’t successful at his efforts, judging by Bella’s chuckle.
“If you’re tired, I’ll take you home, but—”
“But I’d rather go back to your place.”
He turned so quickly in his seat, she laughed again. Harder this time.
“Is that okay?”
For a split second—but only a split second—Jeremy thought about playing it cool. And then his instincts kicked in and he closed the distance between them and did what he’d been wanting to do all day: kissed her hard and without question as to what his answer was.
Chapter 7
Jeremy’s apartment was a third-floor walkup that backed onto the river just off Main Street. It was tastefully, if not simply, decorated and clean. Those were the only details that Bella registered as he unlocked his front door and stepped inside to turn the lights on. He’d barely had a chance to turn around when she was in his arms, kissing him.
Bella had never been shy when it came to men and getting exactly what she wanted. She’d never had trouble feeling sexually empowered and had no problems initiating as long as it meant she’d get what she wanted. Something about Jeremy felt different, though. With him, she’d been a bit shier than she’d ever been. Maybe it was because they’d known each other when they were kids. She’d been his first kiss. Not hers, though. Billy Johnson had been her first kiss in fourth grade. By the time she was sixteen, she’d kissed a handful of boys. Not enough to make her an expert, by any means. But to fourteen-year-old Jeremy, she had been, and she’d enjoyed playing the role of teacher.
Now, though, they were all grown up and there was no doubt in Bella’s mind that the experience level between them had leveled out over the years. Something about that made her a little nervous.
And excited.
She pressed him against the wall and kissed him hard while her hands traveled to his chest.
“This is a very thick jacket.” She struggled with the zipper before he cupped his hands over hers and gently removed them.
“Let me.” He unzipped his jacket, shrugged it off, and let it land in a heap on the floor. “Better?”
“Not quite.” Bella bit her lower lip and once again let her hands roam over his body. This time, her hands slid easily over his thick sweater to the hem, where she could lift it up and over his head.
Damn. He had definitely grown up from the boy he’d been all those years ago.
She swallowed hard and trailed her fingers over the hard planes of his chest. Jeremy shivered under her touch.
“Your hands are freezing.” He protested, but made no move to stop her.
His breathing deepened as his chest rose and fell. His arousal fueled her, and Bella moved her hands to his jeans and the undeniable bulge there. Bella ran her hand over his hardness and Jeremy groaned. “You’re killing me, woman.”
“In all the best ways, though.”
“Definitely.” He bit his bottom lip as she deftly slid the leather from his belt buckle.
Bella took her time unzipping his pants, relishing every moment as she drove him crazier. His breath came faster with every second.
“Bella.” He growled her name like a warning. A warning she had no intention of heeding.
With the zipper finally down, she moved her hands—now suitably warmed up—around to his backside and pushed his jeans to the ground. Jeremy stepped out of them and kicked off his boots all in one move, and then he stood before her naked except for his underwear. Bella took a step back to admire the man in front of her. And was there ever a lot to admire.