Chapter 7
EMILY
Donovan and I chatted late into the night, still clad in our costumes.
Neither of us cared that we looked silly.
We were warm and cozy sitting next to the fire Donovan had built while we each nursed a beer.
We’d never sat down, just the two of us, and talked before.
There was always someone around since I usually saw him at gatherings with lots of family and friends.
Even though we’d had very little chance to talk privately in the past, he’d definitely started to take more notice of me recently.
Whenever we were in each other’s orbit, our eyes would meet across the room, and his always lingered for a bit longer than could be considered friendly.
It made my stomach flip and my heart flutter in my chest. He had to know how badly I wanted him, and I suspected he felt the same.
It was time to put that theory to the test. Tempting Santa was the name of the game, and I was about to find out if he was up to play.
I turned, angling my body toward his. Those mesmerizing dark eyes fell to my legs, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. I loved the way his gaze raked over me, and I basked in his perusal.
We talked about anything and everything as we slowly gravitated toward each other. There wasn’t much space separating us when we finally got to the subject of Josh and why I was so upset earlier.
“We had decent chemistry, and I thought there could be something there, but if I’m being honest, I knew he wasn’t the one and that we wouldn’t be long term,” I added with a shrug after explaining the video Shayla had sent me.
“I just wanted to dip my toes into the dating pool. This may sound awful, but he was kind of a trial run.” That sounded so much worse when I said it out loud, as though I was using him.
But I guessed it was only fair since he was apparently just using me too.
It would appear that neither of us got what we wanted, though.
I took a sip of my beer to smother the slight sting that still lingered in the wake of his betrayal.
I hoped he regretted his indiscretion, though I would never know for sure.
After sending him a text informing him we were over, I blocked him on my phone and every social media platform I used. I never wanted to talk to him again.
“Josh is an idiot,” Donovan declared, his jaw hardening.
“You deserve someone who knows your worth, someone who won’t fuck around on you and will put you first.” His eyes softened and dropped to my mouth as he reached up to brush a strand of hair from my face.
I inhaled sharply when the rough pads of his fingers grazed my cheek.
Our eyes locked for a moment, both of us shocked by the electricity surging through our connection. It was a simple touch, a gentle caress of his skin against mine, but it lit my whole body on fire.
We moved at once, coming together in a crash of lips and teeth and tangled limbs.
His hand slid into my hair and cupped my neck possessively.
He swallowed my moan with a kiss, his tongue diving into my welcoming mouth.
My hands found the front of his suit and pulled him to me, silently begging for more.
He granted my wish by pulling me onto his lap, and I was thankful he’d removed the fake Santa belly before we sat down. Because now, I could feel all of him.
Gripping my hips, he ground his erection into my core.
I instinctively rocked against him, eliciting a growl.
It was primal and aggressive, and I wanted more.
My heart rate ramped up when he slid his hands up my thighs, bunching the dress at my waist. In a flash, the green and red material was pooled on the floor, and his fingers deftly worked at the clasp on my bra.
This was really happening. The moment I fantasized about the majority of my teenage years was playing out in real time right here in this cabin.
Cool air whispered across my skin, causing goosebumps to pebble my arms and my nipples to tighten.
“Fuck,” he let out on a long, low groan.
“You are exquisite.” He lifted one hand and gently cupped my breast, rubbing his thumb over the hardened peak.
My hips jerked at the sensation, and his gaze lifted to my face. “You like that, don’t you?”
I nodded, shamelessly grinding against him. He repeated the motion, and I clamped my thighs around his hips.
“Donovan,” I groaned, needy and ready to feel his touch elsewhere.
Another low growl rumbled from his chest. “You’re the only person who calls me that,” he admitted, leaning forward to take one turgid peak into his mouth and sucking. It was true. Everyone else called him Donny, but I’d always preferred his full name. It suited him so much better.
My arms came around his head, and I gripped his short dark hair. After a few languid strokes of his tongue, he released my nipple and cupped my jaw.
“And now that I’ve heard you moan my full name, no one else is ever allowed to use it again,” he declared in a raspy tone. Then he brought his mouth down on mine, and I opened to his invasion. I was a territory ripe for the taking, and he was ready to stake his claim.