My nerves are on edge. Last night, I was gruff and pretended to bury myself in work on my laptop to avoid her. I can’t believe I touched her thigh yesterday in my office. I fucking flirted with her.
So wrong.
And now…now I’m going to be stuck in this house with her.
Alone.
I glare out the window at the shiny layer of ice that now coats everything. Trees, the ground, my truck. The wind howls, promising more icy terror. Mocking me. Reminding me I’ve fucked up and my punishment is to be trapped inside my house with a tempting vixen. I’ve already made the appropriate calls canceling school today. Normally, I’d enjoy the day off and lounge around the house watching ESPN and shit.
Today?
I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Her alarm starts buzzing from my room and it makes me aware that I’ve been standing here for an hour glaring out the window contemplating my situation. When she doesn’t turn it off, I let out a frustrated growl and walk into my bedroom. She’s buried under my covers and if I were a lesser man, I’d crawl under there with her. My cock twitches at that idea and I let out a groan.
She stirs and I start to retreat.
“I’m up,” she grumbles as she slaps at her phone.
“Go back to sleep,” I bark out, a little harshly. “School’s been called. Everything is blanketed in snow and ice.”
She sits up in bed. “There’s more snow? Like enough to build a snowman?”
Before I can answer, she flies from the bed and runs past me. Her scent swirls around me and my cock is wide fucking awake now. The fact I’m wearing sweatpants does nothing to hide my arousal. She lets out a loud shriek that has my lust-filled thoughts quickly switching to ones of alarm.
“What’s wrong?” I bellow as I follow her into the living room.
I find her staring out the window with her palms on the glass. Her dark hair is down and slightly tangled. She’s once again wearing nothing more than a tank top and some frilly looking panties. Her tanned legs are for my visual tasting. But it’s her round, juicy ass that looks downright delectable.
“Can we build a snowman?” she asks as she bounces on her toes. Her ass jiggles, making my cock painfully hard.
“No,” I snap. “It’s twenty-three degrees out there.”
Her head turns and she regards me with a pout of her plump lips that does nothing to help the state of my cock. “Please, Adam.”
I position myself behind the sofa so she doesn’t see how my body is responding to her. “No.”
Her shoulders slump and she walks away from the window. If I’m not mistaken, her bottom lip wobbles as though she might cry. Guilt surges through me. She makes her way back into my room and climbs back in bed. I can’t help but follow after her. Leaning against the doorframe, I watch her lie back on the pillows and begin texting.
Dammit.
I’m really not good at this shit.
Running my fingers through my hair, I leave her be to go make breakfast. Hopefully bacon and eggs will draw her out of her pouty mood. But breakfast comes and goes. And when I ask her to come eat, she says she’s not hungry.
The wind doesn’t let up and the snow continues to fall. It looks cold as hell out there. Which it makes no sense as to why I’m giving in.
“Elma,” I bark from the doorway.
She arches a brow but doesn’t look up from her phone.
“Fine.”
“Fine what?” Her nostrils flare, but she doesn’t look up at me.
“Fine. We’ll go build a damn snowman.”
Her squeal of delight catches me off guard. But what really throws me off is when she launches herself from bed and flies into my arms. On instinct, I hug her to me and inhale her hair. I’m shocked still for a moment, but then my body heats as I realize how perfect our bodies meld together.
“This is the best day of my life,” she murmurs, her breath tickling my neck.
My cock hardens against her stomach and I’m flooded with embarrassment. “Good,” I choke out. “Be ready in ten minutes and we’ll go play. I saved you a plate of food. We’re not going anywhere until you eat, though.”
She pulls away, her cheeks blossoming red, and bites on her bottom lip. “Yes, sir.”
Fuck, she’s driving me mental.
I give her a clipped nod before bolting from the room before I do something stupid like kiss her sweet mouth. My dick aches to do other things, but I can’t go anywhere with her. Just being alone with her in this house is damaging to my psyche. While she dresses, I rummage around in a duffle bag I’d filled with my clothes until I find what I need. Quickly, I dress in the bathroom, then wait in the living room for her. When she emerges from the bathroom, I growl.
“No.”
“What?” she asks, her lip curling up slightly.
I wave at whatever the fuck she’s wearing and shake my head. “Absolutelyfuckingnot.”
“What’s wrong with this?” She huffs and puts her hands on her hips, accentuating the curves there. “I’m covered.”
“First of all,” I grumble, “you’re not covered. I can see your bra through your sweater.” And fuck if her tits don’t beg to be sucked on. “And those tights?” I shake my head in horror. “You’ll freeze your ass off. Literally. But secondly, where the hell is your coat?”
At my question, her haughty expression falls and her eyes well with tears. The pretty browns look more like melted chocolate now. Why does she have to be so beautiful?
Softening my tone, I say her name, “Elma.”
A tear streaks down her cheek and she drops her arms to her sides. Once again, I feel like a prick. Her father has all but abandoned her here and I’m being an asshole. I step over to her and bring my finger beneath her chin. When I tilt her head up, her black eyebrows are crushed together and her bottom lip pokes out. She’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her and I mean it. “I’m not good at all this. It’s just really cold out there and I worry.”
Her lips quirk and she gives me a shy smile. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I laugh and love the way her eyes light up. “Don’t get used to it,” I tease, my thumb running along her jaw. All it would take would be for me to lean in and kiss her supple lips. One tiny kiss and I’d be so far down the rabbit hole, I’d never climb back out.
My palm slides to the outside of her neck because the urge to touch her is winning out over my sane thoughts. “Where’s your coat?”
She frowns and breaks eye contact. “I don’t have one. We don’t really need them in Florida.”
A growl rumbles through me. I really am an asshole. Breaking from her intoxicating presence, I storm over to a closet. I rummage around and find my warmest coat. When I offer it to her, she beams.
“Thank you.”
I stare at her for another beat before scrubbing at my jaw with my palm. “You ready to go freeze our asses off, snow girl?”
Holy shit, it’s cold.
Playing outside when it’s cold as fuck is not my idea of a fun time but seeing her bright smiles, her rosy-colored nose and cheeks, and hearing her adorable laughter has me here for the duration. I’m staring at her pitiful snowman when something hard hits me on the side of the head.
“What the—”
Another icy and painful blast hits me in the face.
“Snowball fight!”
I watch her run as fast as her short legs will carry her, her head turning back every so often to see if I’m following. My heart races and my blood burns as it rushes through my veins. The very idea of chasing her sets my soul ablaze.
“You better run faster than that, sweetheart,” I bellow. “I’m going to get you!”
She squeals and it echoes off the trees. The storm is in full force and I’m worried that things will get worse before they get better. All worrying thoughts dissipate, though, when she stops to lob yet another snowball at me.
It hits me hard in the center of my chest.
This girl should be playing softball or some shit.
I limp, thanks to the cold bothering my injury, quickly through the snow and she doesn’t get far from me. With a growl, I tackle her into the snow. We both go down hard and I briefly worry I might have hurt her. But then she’s giggling and screeching as she tries to get away.
“Let me go,” she cries out.
I grab a handful of snow and smash it against her face, reveling in her laughter. She squirms and fights me until she’s on her back. I pin her in the snow and hold her wrists so she can’t throw any more snowballs at me.
The snow begins falling heavier, blanketing her hair and face. The tiny flakes land on her eyelashes and she blinks them away. With my gloved hand, I release her wrist and then set to dusting away the snow. She lets out a soft, husky sigh that has my dick at attention.
“You caught me.” She smiles at me. An angel. Perfection.
“I’m not letting you go.”
Her eyes widen at my words and I want to reel them back in. I meant literally, but then I let my mind wonder so many what-ifs that will get me in some serious fucking trouble.
A shudder ripples through her and her teeth begin to chatter.
“We’ve been out here too long,” I say, my voice strained.
She nods but seems reluctant to want to get up. It takes everything in me not to press my lips to hers. Instead, I pull away and help her up. The wind howls and pelts us with more snow and ice. Like the fool that I am, I tug her into my chest and wrap my protective arms around her to shield her from the storm. She’s stiff at first but then hugs me back. With her ear pressed against my chest, all is right in my world.
She’s a teenager.
Your friend’s daughter.
Worse yet, she’s your student.
A groan rumbles from me.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, her head tilting up.
I’m once again struck by her exotic beauty.
Kiss her.
Fuck, how I want to.
Her lips part and her brown eyes twinkle with anticipation. My hands cup her cheeks of their own accord. Touching her feels right. It shouldn’t, but it fucking does. She flutters her eyes closed before letting out a tiny sigh. I lean forward and run my cold nose against hers.
“Adam,” she breathes.
A plea.
She wants me to kiss her.
Fuck, how I want to.
“Elma…”
She stands on her toes as if to reach me easier.
One kiss.
Just one little kiss.
It’s just us. Two people. A man and a woman. Easy.
But then I begin to wonder what an outsider would see. Would they think I’m taking advantage of her?
Mateo would beat my ass to a bloody pulp.
I can’t fucking kiss her because if I do, I won’t stop. I’ll take and fucking take until I own every part of her.
“Oh, sweetheart,” I mutter before tilting her head down. I kiss her forehead instead.
A tiny sound of irritation escapes her.
“We need to get you inside,” I say in defeat.
Crack!
A limb nearby, heavy with ice, careens to the forest floor. It’s then I hear more cracking. Fuck. Things are about to get more interesting.