“I’ll give you whatever you want.” Another circle, this time with just enough pressure to jack my body temperature to the next level. “In time, I’ll give you everything. But for now, I’ll settle for making you come so hard, you’ll forget everything in the world but me.”

  Wrapped up in one another, I do exactly as he says. I forget what day it is. Where I am. That the man who kept me warm all night, who currently has his hand down my pants, works halfway around the world, and when he isn’t, he lives in New York City.

  I have no idea what will happen after this. I should care. It’s in my nature to care.

  But I just don’t.

  I’m going to do something that isn’t me. Hooking up with someone I only met last week online might be reckless to some. It normally would be to me.

  But the man traveled for more than twenty-four hours. He skipped Christmas with his family. He drove a compact car through a snowstorm. He wrapped that car around a tree.

  All to meet me. To see me in the flesh.

  I’ll offer up my flesh to him on a Cookies for Santa platter at this point.

  He rolls me to my back. “Spread.”

  I let my knees fall to the sides, and he takes my mouth. His hand dips farther between my legs, not teasing any longer. His thumb takes control of my clit, which becomes the motherboard for the rest of my body.

  Thoughts dissolve.

  Stars explode.

  Oxygen evaporates.

  I pant, moan, and shake beneath his touch.

  He takes my mouth again with such force, my moans feeding his drive. His body covers mine, his cock replacing his hand as he presses into my core, driving me wild despite the layers between us.

  Damn the invention of clothes.

  He’s breathing hard despite the fact he hasn’t come. The evidence is still pressed to my sex. “Did that warm you up?”

  When I open my eyes with nothing in my view but him, caging me, and looming over me, I admit, “My nose isn’t frozen anymore.”

  “Nothing on you is frozen, hacker. If this is how we’re forced to keep each other warm through the blizzard, I’ll happily stay forever.”

  I hitch my leg and pull my foot up over his firm ass to hold him tight, because I want more.

  But before I have a chance to say anymore, my cell rings where it’s sitting on the coffee table. Logan starts to reach for it, but I stop him. “No, I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

  He ignores me. “Someone is calling you on Christmas during a blizzard. I doubt it’s a client. You don’t want anyone coming to look for you. Selfishly, I don’t want anyone to come looking for you.”

  He’s right. And the last thing I want to explain to anyone is who Logan is or why he’s here.

  I barely glance at the screen before pressing the button to answer, and I’m glad I did. Logan stays where he is as I greet my father. “Hey, Dad.”

  “Cell service has been spotty. I’ve been trying to call you for an hour.”

  I look up at Logan and smile. “I’m good. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas. Your mom is having a fit with you being there by yourself. You okay?”

  Logan’s lips hit my neck as I speak. “Yeah, I’m good. No need to worry about me.”

  “As long as you’re staying warm.”

  Logan makes it hard to even my tone. He palms my breast and runs his lips across my collarbone. “No problem staying warm. Plenty of wood.”

  With that one word, Logan presses his groin into me again, and I grip his shirt. I’m not sure if I’m holding him to me or pushing him away.

  “This is supposed to go on for a while. Could add up to a couple of feet of snow. Keep your fire going. They’re working on getting the power up.”

  I nod—as if he can see me—and keep my answers short and simple. “Okay.”

  My dad pauses. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, no. I mean, yes, I’m fine. Just woke up, that’s all.” Logan peeks up at me and grins. And if what he was doing to my body wasn’t enough, that grin is so uncharacteristic of him, it takes my breath away.

  “Okay. When I can get over there, I’ll plow your drive.”

  Cold air hits my skin. I look down and Logan’s playful grin is gone. He’s pushed my cardigan sweater to the side and pulled my tank down, exposing my breast, as his expression turns hungry, taking in my body.

  Warm lips and tongue capture my nipple, and my head hits the throw pillow. I pull in a shaky breath. “No hurry, Dad. I’m fine, really.”

  For the first time in my life, I’m thankful my father has a job that requires him to work on holidays. “I’ve got to go. If you can believe, idiots still think they can get out in this weather. People are stuck left and right. It’s like they’re desperate to get somewhere.

  If they’re anything like Logan, I get their desperation. “Be careful, Dad.”

  The moment I toss my phone to the floor, Logan pulls my nipple between his teeth before letting go to move to my face.

  “Now you stop?” I complain. “That was torture.”

  He leans down to kiss me. “The fire needs to be fed. I need to be fed. I’ve also traveled around the world. As tempting as you are, I’m not fucking you for the first time after two days without a shower.”

  I let that thought linger as I reach up and trace his lower lip with my thumb.

  “If that’s where this is going,” he amends.

  My gaze lifts to his dark eyes as my teeth sink into my lower lip. “Then, I guess that means I need to manually light my old hot water heater. I wouldn’t want you to have to take a cold shower.”

  His eyes flare with intensity before he kisses me and rolls. The cool air assaults me as we twist in the comforter. He brings his knees up, my legs part, and his hands land on my ass with a tight squeeze. “This might just be the best Christmas ever.”

  A slow smile creeps across my face, because I agree.

  Chapter 13

  Logan

  Cheers to Gray Sweatpants

  I flip off the water and grab the towel she put out for me. Losing power must not be a rare occurrence in the mountains, because Demi knew exactly how to light the pilot on her water heater. As much as I wanted to wash her myself, I ignored my feelings and let her shower first.

  I’ll never travel again without a change of clothes.

  She dug through a trunk in her basement and found an old pair of sweats that at least aren’t a size small, even though I can tell they’re still too small for me. Biting back a smile, she handed me a T-shirt that shows her support to Free Brittney. She said she bought it oversized to cover her ass.

  I told her there was no reason to ever cover her ass. I’m stealing her shirt for that very reason.

  She laughed and lifted onto her toes to press her lips to mine.

  Then I picked her up and tossed her to the bed before covering her body with mine and decided I’m moving her mattress to the family room in front of the fire. After the long plane ride and sleeping on the floor, my back is a pretzel.

  As tempting as it was to continue how we started Christmas morning, I needed a shower.

  I slip on the wool ski socks that are too small, grab my pink Victoria’s Secret sweatshirt, and run my fingers through my wet hair.

  Everything about Demi’s house is old. But it’s at the top of the mountain—I should know since I risked my life getting here. I’m sure when there’s not a blizzard, there’s a view of the range. But the carpet is worn, the tile is cracked, and I doubt her fixtures look any better when there’s electricity running to them.

  Cinnamon, vanilla, and coffee fill the house as I make my way out of her bedroom and down the stairs. When I round the corner, she’s standing at her old gas stove stirring something in a pot and sipping from a mug.

  I lean against the door jamb and cross my arms. “You’re lucky I’m comfortable in my masculinity.”

  She turns and studies me from head to toe. It’s not lost on me that her gaze hesitates over my cock before it jumps back to my face. She puts her mug to her lips one more time before licking them. “Hey, I gave you everything but underwear.”

  “I know.”

  Her head cocks to the side. “What did you do? Turn your dirty ones inside out?”

  “No fucking way. Do you think I’m barbaric?” I hitch a shoulder. “Commando.”

  Her stare turns into a gape and drops straight back to my cock. And since he has a mind of his own and remembers when I teased him earlier, half the blood in my body rushes straight to him.

  “Demi,” I call for her.

  “Hmm?” She finally looks away from my dick.

  I try not to smile. “You okay?”

  She lifts her mug and doesn’t hide her smirk. “Cheers to gray sweatpants that are too small. Merry Christmas to me.”

  “Are you objectifying me? I feel like you did this on purpose.”

  “Would you rather I have men’s clothing lying around? You’re lucky to have what you have.”

  “Meanwhile you look like the Pillsbury Doughboy, you’ve got so many layers on.”

  Her eyes widen. “It’s cold. I’ll freeze.”

  I push off the wall, move to her, and steal her mug. After taking a big gulp, I ask, “Did you make coffee for me too?”

  She lifts her chin to the orange countertop that looks about fifty years old. “I have enough coffee for years, and my new French press came in handy. I’ll pour you a cup. How do you take it?”

  I can’t wait another second. I put her coffee down on the counter and rest my hands on either side of her, caging her in. “Black.”

  “I can see that. People who drink black coffee tend to be intense.”

  “As opposed to you who drinks a little bit of coffee with her sugary creamer?”

  Her smile is sly. “What can I say? I’m not intense. I’m sweet.”

  I press her into the counter. There’s not going to be anything left to the imagination if I don’t get a handle on my dick soon. “Baby, you hacked into my company and my cellphone. I would not call you sweet.”

  She pokes a finger in my chest. “But I told them how to fix it.”

  “You didn’t tell me how to fix my phone. I think you still want to have a peek from time to time.”

  “You figured me out.” She smiles bigger. “I made oatmeal for breakfast. Not very special for Christmas, but it’s the best I can do on the stovetop. I’m saving scrambled eggs for lunch. We’ll have Twizzlers for dessert.”

  I run my hands up her sides before lifting her to the counter. She parts her legs for me, and when I step between them, I hardly feel her for all the layers she’s wearing. I was not kidding about the Doughboy look she’s sporting. With my hands on her layered ass, I pull her to me. “I’m moving your mattress in front of the fire. I don’t want you to get too cold when I give you your Christmas present.”

  “Why would I be any colder than I am now? And you got me a present?”

  I lean in and kiss her. “A big present. But you’ll be naked.”

  She fists my Victoria’s Secret sweatshirt. “I love Christmas. Please keep me warm.”

  “I’ll always keep you warm, hacker.” I dip my hand down the back of her pants and feel her skin-to-skin again. “Now, pour me a cup of coffee.”

  Chapter 14

  Demi

  The Forestry Commission

  Gray sweatpants are a gift to the universe. Especially when they’re two sizes too small and hug every inch, curve, and bulge.

  I didn’t even try to hide it. I ogled, oohed, and awed over the sweatpants display Logan Carpino put on. And after he kissed me crazy on my counter, I got to watch him walk out of my kitchen and could see almost every flex of his glutes—all maximus, medius, and minimus of them. They were beautiful. I thought I was looking forward to my present before, but now I really can’t wait. Getting naked with Logan just jumped to the top of my Christmas list.

  I’ve never had a man surprise me during a blizzard before. Actually, no man has ever surprised me with much of anything before.

  I was not prepared for Logan Carpino. I mean, a woman does a lot to prepare for a simple night out. The level of maintenance required for an overnight guest belongs in an entirely different realm.

  A different universe.

  After this morning, I knew there would be naked fun in my near future, which meant I had work to do.

  And goodness knows, it’s been a long time since I’ve spent considerable time on any of that maintenance.

  I took a long shower and I didn’t apologize for it. I shaved parts that the forestry commission would have deemed unsafe to venture into. My woodlands have been private for so long, there was no need for trimming, thatching, or keeping the underbrush clear.

  The forest has been wiped from the face of my planet. There will be no saving the forest in my future. I wiped it clean out of existence. I even pulled a muscle in the process, but I stretched it out.

  I’m no quitter. The nooks and crannies of a network aren’t the only things I’m good at weaseling my way into.

  But I’m ready—as fresh as the snow falling outside. So much so, I’m afraid to open my back door.

  Not that back door. My literal back door.

  So much snow.

  While I made a fresh carafe of coffee and dished up the least fancy Christmas breakfast in the history of candy canes, Logan did what he promised. Like it was no biggie, he pushed all my family room furniture to the side and dragged my queen mattress in front of the fire. By the time we sat down with our oatmeal, he had it roaring.

  “What made you get into mergers and acquisitions?”

  Just like last night, I’m sitting criss cross, and Logan is stretched out on his side again, propped on an elbow. We’re facing one another, and I’m hitting him rapid fire with questions. With the gray sweatpants situation going on down there, I have to force myself to focus on his face.

  Focus, Demi.

  His index finger traces the vein inside my wrist. “Got a scholarship for my undergrad, but not my master’s. My number one goal was to pay off my student loans, so I took the best compensation package I was offered. Salaries and bonus structures like mine right out of school aren’t typical. I knew they expected grueling hours and a majority of time on the road. But I paid off my school loans in two years and now I’m debt free.”

  “You own your place in Manhattan?”

  His lips tip up on one side, and he shakes his head. “If I remember correctly, you complimented my compensation package. Do you really need to ask that?”

  I shrug and look around at my house that’s lacking in everything but location and view. “I’ve never lived anywhere but Winter Falls. My house wasn’t cheap. I have a mortgage, but most people do.”

  “I work with companies who get themselves in a shit ton of trouble because they don’t know how to manage their money. They’re slaves to their debt. I never want to feel that way. My place might be in Manhattan, but it’s not huge. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the shit, and I love it. I don’t bother with stuff I don’t want and or need cluttering my life.”

  I look down at our fingers that are now threaded. I push up his pink sleeve and study his forearm. The strong arm, veins, and olive skin that got my attention that first day I opened his profile on Force of Nature and he was flipping me off. I can’t look up at him when I add, “Yet, you’re here.”

  “I am.”

  There’s something in his tone, and my gaze travels up. “Why?”

  His lips purse before he shakes his head slowly. “I’m trying to figure that out myself.”

  My insides tighten.

  He grabs my hand and holds tight, his warmth traveling through me. “I mean that in the best way possible. Changing my plans at the last minute, driving through a blizzard, and showing up unannounced at a woman’s house I’ve never met in person is not like me. But something inside drove me to do it.”

  I pull in a breath and try to calm the storm raging within, so wicked, it rivals the one happening outside.

  “There was no option. No choice,” he adds. “I knew I had to be here with you.”

  “How did we end up here? We never should’ve met. You didn’t even put your profile up. I didn’t swipe on it. And really, after what I did, you should hate me. But instead, you sent me Twizzlers and coffee. This shouldn’t be happening, Logan.”

  He tips his head. “It’s fate.”

  “It’s magic.” A smile breaks over my face, and my eyes widen. “The Christmas Spirit.”

  He leans back and pulls me with him. Falling to his chest, he grabs me behind the knees and hikes my legs up his sides. My hair, still damp from the shower, curtains us. “If it was, I’m pissed the Christmas spirit wrapped my rental around a tree and gave me a knot on the head. I was already here—I didn’t need a kick in the ass.”

  I turn his face and lightly press my lips to his temple where the bandage is still in place. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

  He captures my chin between his thumb and forefinger turning my mouth to his. His tongue delves in my mouth, and he grips my hair to hold me to him. There’s a desperation in his kiss, not at all like we’re in the middle of a blizzard, going nowhere fast, and all we have is time.

  No, it’s like he can’t wait another second.

  He pulls me back a fraction and he swallows hard. “From the moment I realized you hacked me, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. First trying to figure you out, then wanting to find you. Then you went from hacker to sweet, and I wanted nothing more than to race across the world to meet you in person. I don’t give a shit what brought us here, baby, I’m just glad it did. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my damn brother and brother-in-law putting me in your path, might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Not that I’ll ever admit that to them.”

  “Serendipity,” I whisper.

  “Baby.” He slides a hand under all three layers of shirts and sweaters I’m wearing. “It was a fluke. I accidentally met a woman who is likely smarter than me, and I took full advantage.”