Val nods, her face falling when she looks at me, but those eyes… they remain sharp and focused. She really knows what she’s doing, but I’m no longer the kind of girl that takes crap from anyone.
“Oh that’s nice!” I say, with a smile of my own, but it’s fake. “It’s good to hear that you met your future father-in-law years back. I mean, you and Knox must’ve been close since he always told me his father was never home when we were dating.”
An awkward and tense silence falls between us. Knox shifts on his feet, Val is kind of glaring at me, but James, he watches me with… a slight bit of amusement mixed with that male dominance that makes a shiver go down my spine.
“If it’s all the same, I really did want to meet you,” James says, stepping closer. I have to crane my neck to keep holding his gaze because as the sharp pain of my sister and ex’s betrayal digs a new hole in my soul, James seems to be the only one that’s keeping me calm.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I totally spaced.” Val scrambles and perks up then. “James, this is my sister, the one I was telling you is a workaholic and has no life whatsoever,” Val sing-songs, annoyingly. “And Nicki, meet James Cross.”
Val’s introduction is biting, but I don’t give a damn because suddenly, my steamy one--well, my two-night stand--is right in front me, towering over me, watching me, taking me in, studying me the way only he does.
I can’t help but catch a whiff of his rich masculine scent that I swear is still on me. I see his large hand rise up, reaching for me and now all I can think is where those very fingers were a few hours ago.
“Hello Nicole,” James says smoothly in that rich baritone that had me curling my toes as he groaned in my ear last night, but the way he says my name… I can’t help but shiver and he catches the tail end of it as he grasps my hand in his. The devil has the audacity to smirk, a hint of humor in his eyes. Urgh.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cross,” I say in a hot whisper, as electricity passes between us. He holds my gaze and I know he knows but can he also sense the anger building up in me?
“No, no,” he purrs with a note of darkness in his voice. “The pleasure is all mine.”
Jesus Christ.
Can this damn earth open up and swallow me whole? What did I ever do to get this double burn of pain, embarrassment and hurt all in one go?
As if I just got burned, I snatch my hand back and take a couple of steps away from James. “I’m sorry, I feel slightly lightheaded.”
It’s then that James moves, as silently as ever and before I know it, he’s right by my side.
“Long night, huh?” he asks smoothly, his rich baritone snaking its way back into my veins like a drug, but I can hear the teasing in his voice. Urgh, I want to punch him or something.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that exactly.”
He smirks, his eyes saying what his lips won’t. Liar.
“Okay, now that we’ve all met, I think it’s time we all hit the road!” Val says, interrupting the moment! “We’re already behind schedule.”
“That’s because Dad disappeared last night,” Knox grits, speaking for the first time as he glares at his father, but James is unperturbed as he looks at me.
“I’m sure you and Val needed some space,” James says smoothly, then his voice lowers and becomes so fucking rough, I can’t help but look at him.. “And besides, I had a problem to take care of, I’m not one to leave important matters neglected in the cold.”
My God!
The canal lust and the intent behind those words. Oh my God! I think I’m wet again. Shit!
I completely miss the way Knox is glaring at his dad or the slight frown on Val’s face. I’m just focused on James, but then I quickly step back, shaking my head to expel this hold James has over me but something tells me he hasn’t begun yet. This is going to be a long Christmas.
“Yay! You’ll love the cabin, Nicole! It’s so huge and gorgeous,” Val says as she quickly grabs Knox’s face and pulls him down for a kiss right in front of me. “I know Knox and I love it so much, especially after the last few days in those rooms…” she trails off and they start kissing again.
My stomach starts to protest as bile rises up my throat.
I don’t think I can do this.
I can’t stomach going to stay in a cabin that Val and Knox made out or fucked in--that’s basically what she’s telling me--let alone spend the next few days in close proximity to this kind of hurt and betrayal. I just can’t.
“You know what…” I start, walking toward my carry on, my mind scrambling to come up with an excuse so I can get the hell out of here. “I think…”
“I’ll carry that for you,” James says smoothly, grabbing my carry-on before I can reach it. When the hell did he get close to me? I strain up and look at him, panic in my eyes. Behind us, Knox and Val are laughing about something as they get ready to leave, but James is watching me. “No running.”
“James…”
“I won’t let you.”
I believe him. I can see he won’t let me go. It’s right there in his eyes and the way his well defined body is curved my way, his gaze tracking every minute twitch and move I make.
“Ready to go, Mr. Cross?” Val says, interrupting the moment.
James and I break apart smoothly, but now, I’m just mad. If he respected me, if he actually cared for his one-night stands, he’d let me leave right now with whatever shreds of dignity I still have because right now, I might as well have the word ‘STUPID BITCH’ tattoed in neon green on my forehead.
“Of course,” James says smoothly, then he opens the front door and looks directly at me. It’s both a dare and a warning. I’m so fucked. “Shall we?” he asks, watching me.
What could I do besides nod mutely like a fucking Barbie doll and pass through the door with my heart in my throat?
The drive to the cabin is even more tense for me on all fronts.
Firstly, Knox and Val are all but dry humping each other in the backseat of the luxurious Jeep. Val’s haughty laugh is grating on my nerves with each mile, but secondly, I’m in the passenger seat, which means I’m so fucking close to the expert, silentky brooding driver, James.
Just last night, in this very car, he was Mr. Cross from the ultra-penthouse that I’d been lucky enough to meet in a lonely bar years later. The same Mr. Cross who couldn’t keep his hands off me the entire drive to his apartment. I remember the way he trailed his fingers under my skirt as he drove and now those expert, deft fingers are on the steering wheel again, But he’s no longer the ultra-rich, steamy alpha, I mean, he still is all that, but he’s more now and I literally have no idea how to react to that
Last night, I was humming with lust and need but now, I’m buzzing with tension, nervousness and a bit of anger.
I can feel his more than occasional glances at me every few minutes but I do my best to stare out the window.
James and I are silent on the drive over, but the pull and tension between us keeps mounting but if there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s the way he leaves me alone and diverts all of my sister’s snarky comments about my life to something else.