That’d be a sucker’s bet because you sure as hell could.

  I kept that tidbit to myself and spoke through a yawn. “Go before I’m too tired to kiss you goodbye.”

  It took an extra fifteen minutes before we made it anywhere close to the door. Hell, it was ten before we even made it out of the bed. But by the time we’d gotten to it, I’d steeled my spine.

  And my heart.

  “Have fun today,” I whispered.

  “Can I come over after?”

  God, he’s not gonna make this easy on me.

  “Don’t you leave tomorrow?”

  He lifted his chin. “I’ll check out of the hotel today, go to the airport from here.”

  I should’ve said no. I really, really should have. We’d had one night of sex, laughter, and companionship. One perfect night.

  Why risk ruining that?

  Well, because when it came to Eli Becker, I was greedy.

  That was why, rather than take the clean break, I nodded.

  He grinned like I’d just agreed to give him my liver and my kidney. Then he wrapped me in his arms and kissed me stupid.

  Stupider.

  Tearing himself away, his expression was the perfect mix of happy and turned on. “Cutting out of the reception ASA-fuckin’-P and heading over here.”

  I laughed. “At least stay for your speech.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Reaching past him, I opened the door before one of us changed our mind. And then we both froze.

  Literally.

  The heavy snow from the night before hadn’t just continued, it’d grown heavier. I could barely see my car, let alone the road. Wind blew, sending snowflakes in through the doorway to land at our feet.

  “Oh crap,” I whispered. “The storm must’ve hit early. There’s no way you’ll make it into town.”

  A stoic Eli looked out into the winter madness. “Nope.”

  “You’re gonna miss the wedding.”

  “Yup.”

  “Your cousin is gonna kill you.”

  “Yup.”

  “You’re gonna have to stay here with me.” Gusting snow was soaking through the heavy socks I’d pulled on, but I barely noticed. My focus was on Eli as I panicked for him. “I’m so sorry.”

  Kinda. But, also, not really.

  He shifted us away from the door and slammed it shut before pushing me against it. After a long moment, his face split with a massive grin. “Why? This is my fuckin’ Christmas wish come true.”

  Eli

  Posey blinked up at me before raising a brow. “You hate weddings that much?”

  “No,” I half-lied. “I’m not even thinking about the wedding.” That part was the full truth. “I wanted more time with you.”

  And that might have been the most honest thing I’d ever said in my life.

  While Posey had slept in my arms, I’d been awake, trying to figure out how to make that time happen. Inviting her to the wedding or coming over after. Rescheduling my flight or skipping it to grab a later one. Something. Anything. For just another few hours.

  I used to roll my eyes at my Hyde brothers, not getting how they could fall so hard, so fast for their women. Not saying I was talking love after a couple days, but I did know there was something there with Posey.

  Something different.

  Something special.

  Something I was desperate to explore.

  And Santa, that ruddy-cheeked bastard, must’ve decided I was on the nice list because I got the only thing I wanted.

  Pretty Posey.

  She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to my jaw. “Looks like you got it. Now what’re you gonna do with it?”

  I pressed in tight so she could feel my intent. Before I could do more—like drop to my knees to feast on the breakfast of fuckin’ champions—my phone began ringing. There was only one person who’d call at the ungodly hour.

  Shit.

  This is gonna be bad.

  “Gimme a minute then I’ll show you.” When I pulled my cell from my pocket, she tried to move away to give me privacy, but I tightened my hold. Seeing my cousin’s name on the screen, I connected the call. “Hey.”

  “Bad news,” Hutch said by way of greeting. “We’ve gotta postpone the wedding. Everyone is snowed in. Caterers. Staff. Hell, even the priest.”

  “Babe,” Kelsey sniffled in the background, “don’t say hell when you’re talking about the priest. We don’t need more bad luck.” That was all I could understand before she began sobbing.

  Posey tried again to move, and I shifted my hold to her sexy as hell ass. She rolled her eyes at me, but the heat in them betrayed her real feelings. When she mouthed something about her socks, I gave her ass one last squeeze before releasing her so she could take off the wet fabric.

  “I tried calling your room but didn’t get an answer,” Hutch said. “Take that to mean you found who you were looking for.”

  “Yeah, I’m at Posey’s right now.” I watched her gorgeous face go soft, a sweet little smile curling her fuckable lips.

  “Good for you,” he said without a trace of anything but pure fuckin’ happiness on my behalf. “I’ll touch base when I’ve got an update on what’s happening.”

  “Wait, where is—” Kelsey started before the call ended.

  Thank Christ.

  “Want me to cook us some breakfast?” I tossed my phone down on a little table and reached for Posey, but she dodged my hold.

  Taking a few steps down the hall, she turned and continued backward. “I didn’t get the chance to make a Christmas wish.” She whipped off her sexy sweater and shoved down her sleep shorts, leaving her completely naked. “How about I sit on your lap and tell you what I want?”

  I was already stalking toward her before she finished her sentence, throwing off my clothes as I went.

  Like promised, Posey rode my dick while her sexy voice whispered all sorts of filthy things in my ear.

  “We’ve gotta get out of bed eventually.”

  I cupped between Posey’s legs, feeling her drenched pussy in my palm. She could probably use a break, but until she told me so, I wasn’t volunteering to give it to her.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “To shower. Eat breakfast. Or maybe lunch. Dinner? I have no clue what time it is.”

  After getting off the phone with Hutch, we’d fucked before crashing, waking up, and fucking again. Somewhere in that second round, we’d knocked over her alarm, a glass of water, and whatever else she had on her bedside table. It was a wonder the table was still standing.

  “Got everything I wanna eat right here,” I said, teasing a finger along her slit.

  “That might be, but if I don’t drink some water soon, I’m gonna get dehydrated.”

  “Can’t have that happen. Go shower, and I’ll cook us something.”

  “Sounds good.” She tried to stand, but I tugged her back to kiss her before finally letting her go.

  I sat up and watched her sexy ass sway until she closed herself into the bathroom. Pulling on my boxers, I went into the kitchen to see it was almost two in the afternoon.

  Shit, I need to feed my girl.

  My girl?

  Fuck, I sound like Jake. Or Kase or Lars or Nox.

  That didn’t stop me from smiling as I pulled out the stuff to make caprese BLTs. I was plating them up with chips when Posey came out dressed in leggings and a sweater that hung off her shoulder. As soon as she was within reach, I hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

  Even when we weren’t fucking, I was touching her. I had to.

  I couldn’t get enough.

  She grabbed her plate. “This smells amazing.”

  Pressing my lips to her exposed shoulder, I breathed in. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  “I thought you were going to join me in the shower,” she admitted, more than a hint of disappointment in her sexy voice.

  “Wanted to.” I dragged her hand down to the front of my boxers so she could feel how badly. “Really fuckin’ wanted to. But if I did that, we wouldn’t eat anytime soon.”

  I let out a hiss as she grabbed my cock through the fabric and batted her pretty eyes at me. “I don’t see the problem.”

  It took all my control, but I encircled her wrist and pulled her hand away. Not before pressing it harder against me, of course. I wasn’t a fuckin’ saint.

  “Food first,” I muttered.”

  “Let’s watch a movie while we eat.” Not waiting for my response, Posey headed for the living room, assuming I’d follow.

  She assumed correctly.

  Chapter 10

  Posey

  Lustful Cupcakes

  “I’m gonna throw that fuckin’ thing into the snow.”

  Damn.

  Things were just getting good.

  Not the movie. I had no clue what was happening with that. After we’d finished eating the delicious sandwiches Eli had whipped up, neither of us had paid it any attention. Even before that, my focus had been on the ever-present tension that crackled between us.

  Our make out session was getting good. Eli had pulled me to straddle him, and his hard-on had just forced itself out of the waistband of his boxers.

  There was only so much that fabric and elastic was capable of containing, and his dick was definitely an unconfinable beast.

  I dropped to the side, falling to the couch with a bounce so he could get up to grab his ringing phone. “Hurry and get it so you can come get this.”

  Eli didn’t offer a witty comeback or return my flirting. He just got up and did what I said.

  “Hey,” he answered.

  “Brother,” a low, gruff voice came through loudly, like the man was right in my entryway.

  He must have put it on speaker.

  “Merry Christmas,” whoever said. “Harlow got word at the station about a storm heading your way fast.”

  The door opened before Eli shot back, “You mean this one?”

  “Leave it to meteorologists to fuck up the timeline. Wish I could be wrong all the time and still have a job.”

  “How long did they say it would last?”

  I took advantage of the break, heading for the bathroom. My eyes met his, and he shot me a wide smile and a wink.

  I was ninety percent sure I orgasmed on the spot.

  I made a mental note to refill my water while I was up. I may have been kidding when I mentioned dehydration, but I was beginning to think it was no longer a joke.

  Between my arousal and my orgasms, it was a distinct possibility.

  When I returned to the living room, Eli was sitting on the couch, still talking to whoever. His eyes ran down me before reaching out and yanking me onto his lap. I let out a little yelp and glanced at his phone before doing a double take.

  For one, he wasn’t on a speakerphone call—he was on FaceTime.

  And second, the man he was talking to looked like Jason Momoa, but with dreads and pretty blue eyes. It seemed wrong to describe a badass’ eyes like that, but whatever. They were pretty.

  “Stop checking out Kase, my pretty Posey,” Eli jokingly whispered in my ear—although the way he tightened his possessive hold said it wasn’t exactly a joke.

  “I’m not,” I hissed. I was noticing, in a scientific way, that he was good looking. Not as hot as Eli, but still.

  Eli made introductions, and at my awkward little wave, Kase’s grin grew. “Here I was, worried you were trapped alone for the holidays. Looks like you found a good present under your tree.”

  “Wait, he’s not alone?” a woman said in the background. The camera jostled and then there was a gorgeous redhead in Kase’s lap. She leaned closer to the camera and grinned like she was genuinely thrilled to meet me. “Hi, I’m Harlow.”

  “I know,” I said before cringing. “Eli talked about you all. I’m Posey.”

  “I love that name.” Her eyes went to the top of the screen like she was looking over our head. “Are you at the hotel?”

  “Uh, no,” I said as Eli tilted the camera to give her a better look at my living room. “My house.”

  Harlow and Kase both laughed at the funky deer décor. “This is too good. Hold on.”

  The view jostled, giving me motion sickness.

  “Where you going with my phone, ipo?” Kase called.

  “Be back.”

  There was more jumping around and rustling. Eli was unconcerned, softly chuckling as his lips pressed to my shoulder.

  The image steadied, but rather than showing a pretty redhead or a hot dreadlocked guy, it was aimed at an unbelievably decadent looking tray of cupcakes.

  And Eli was worried about me checking out Kase.

  It’s those cupcakes that are really filling me with lust.

  “Eli has a woman,” Harlow said.

  “Is she on the phone?” another woman asked.

  “Don’t worry, I muted it.”

  She had not, in fact, muted it. For the first time since Eli had pulled me into his lap, I found myself bracing. Actually, I found myself wanting to throw myself over the back of the couch to hide.

  Why else would she have wanted to mute it if she wasn’t about to talk shit?

  I didn’t care if she thought the worst about me. I cared what Eli thought, and he’d shown he was into me.

  He’d shown it by literally being in me as often as he could be.

  But my confidence in myself and Eli’s feelings toward me didn’t mean I wanted to hear nasty insults.

  Before I could speak up to let her know we could hear, Harlow continued talking. “He’s snowed in with her and looks damn happy about it.”

  “At the hotel?”

  “No. Her house. How romantic, right? And, for once, we’re not the last ones to know,” Harlow said with a squeal. “Yay us. I mean, also yay Eli because Posey is gorgeous—a total smoke show. And he’s so sweet, so yay Posey. I guess yay all around.”

  I nearly melted into a puddle of relieved goo. Flattered and relieved goo.

  “I wanna meet her,” the other woman said.

  “Let me unmu… shit.”

  “Lemme guess, you didn’t mute.”

  “I did not.”

  The screen blurred again, and then it was Harlow standing next to an equally gorgeous woman.

  A curvy, gorgeous woman.

  Not thicc with two Cs like me, but still.

  She wiped her hands on a pink apron that was totally at odds with her rocker look.

  This must be Piper.

  Now I really want those cupcakes.

  “Hey, I’m Piper,” she confirmed, raising a tattooed arm to wave.

  “Posey,” I said back even though she clearly knew.

  “Sorry, Posey.” Harlow blushed nearly as red as her hair. “The guys gossip worse than a book club. I was just excited to have the scoop first for once.”

  “No worries.” I smiled so big, my cheeks hurt. “I’m always happy to accidentally overhear compliments.”

  “Wow.” Piper’s gaze went to Eli, and she gave him a thumbs up. “Good pull, dude.”

  “I’m hanging up,” Eli said.

  “Hold on, Jake is gonna wanna say hey.” She pulled the phone away before calling, “Baby!”

  A few seconds later, a gruff voice came across the line. “You ready to kick everyone out and let me have the sweetness—”

  “We’re on FaceTime,” she rushed out, but her cheeks were instantly flushed and her voice was breathy.

  “Next time, lead with that, sweets.”

  The man—Jake, Eli’s boss—appeared on screen.

  “Is it something in the water there?” I blurted before wanting to choke on the words.

  Eli gave a jealous growl, Jake smirked, and Piper tossed her free hand out as she dramatically drawled, “I knoooow. Trust me, we’ve already suggested they change the name to Hot Dude Garage, but they won’t go for it.”

  “They should reconsider. The brand would build itself.”

  “Think of the merch opportunities.”

  Jake gave his wife an amused smile that was filled with so much love, I felt like a voyeur witnessing it. After a moment, he dragged his attention to Eli. “You good?”

  “Storm blew in early, so I’ll likely be here until New Year’s.” In the little rectangle at the bottom that showed us, I saw his gaze dart to me then back. “Maybe longer.”

  If he was waiting for me to protest, he’d be waiting a while. I hoped the mountain roads were the last to be plowed.

  Maybe sometime the following winter.

  “No worries, Key and Xavier knocked out the Rover yesterday, so everyone is off ‘til the new year. Stay safe, yeah?”

  Eli gave him a chin lift. “Merry Christmas, boss.”

  “Don’t kiss up to me, Piper already said she froze some cookies for you.”

  “That’s ‘cause she likes me more than you.”

  Jake flipped off the camera before Piper shifted it onto herself again. “It was nice to meet you, Posey. I hope you come to visit. Soon. Like, super soon.”

  I couldn’t stop the way my body unconsciously tightened. With my ass parked in Eli’s lap, there was no way he hadn’t felt it.

  “Piper,” he warned.

  “What? I’m just saying, she’d make the perfect keepsake.” Dropping that loaded bomb, she rushed out, “Okay, be safe, Bye-bye.”

  The screen went blank.

  “Sorry about them,” Eli said. “They mean well, but they’re nosy as fuck.”

  “From what they said, the men are the worst,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, we really are a gossipy group of fucks.” He grabbed the remote. “Ready?”

  I nodded and settled in as he pressed play. That time, it wasn’t the sexual electricity or Eli’s mouth that distracted me from enjoying Tom Hardy and his inner monster.

  It was the giant, neon countdown clock that hung over our heads.

  Chapter 11

  Posey

  Where Tacos Roam

  I could get used to this.