Page 9 of Let it Snow Queen

A man’s voice from over my shoulder startled me. “Aye, and we’re gettin’ more within the hour.”

I whipped around. Gallow was in red flannel.Red flannel. I suppressed my swoon. His red hair was bright against the surrounding white; I guessed mine was too.

He continued, clutching two heavy loads of gear on each shoulder as if they were nothing but feathers. I bit my lip, and his green eyes flicked to notice.Good. I internally danced.He did call me pretty yesterday.Maybe he was just as attracted to me as I was to him. Honestly, I was incredibly attracted to all three of them, not that Koji was even a player in the game. And not that my morals would let me entertain starting something with men who destroy forests. No way.

Then I noticed Gallow’s broad chest and thought,Well, maybe I can fantasize a little.

He continued, “It’s nasty out there. We barely made it back now that the melted snow is icing over. Plus, more is coming to cover. That means—”

“Mean’s were fucking screwed. And stuck with each other.” Koji stomped past, carrying his deconstructed tent. He made a point to stop and pointedly direct that last statement at me. I narrowed my glare. “Goodie.” Then I remembered the date. Christmas was in twenty days. I couldn’t miss Christmas with Declan. “Wait, we’ll be out of here before Christmas, right?”

Koji rolled his eyes and continued toward the cabin.Ass.Gallow answered, “Not sure . . . depends on how high the high temps can get. Even then, there’s a lot of shade with all these trees.”

Shit.

Fox and Gallow exchanged looks before Fox asked, “Do you have Christmas. . .plans?”

I hadn’t told them about Dec or my family. “Yeah.”

For some reason, their expressions dropped slightly. Gallow followed Koji’s path in the snow. “I’ll do everything I can to get you out of here.”

That didn’t sound encouraging. He sounded . . . hurt.. Even Fox followed behind without saying anything to me.

After getting changed and heating some soup over the fire, it was only Fox and me again. Gallow went to chop wood—really wished I could have tagged along to witness that. But I was too sore and cold for another wilderness trek. And Koji, completely ignoring me, left to search for a cell signal. He needed to talk to his overlords, his investors, and his fellowtree-burners.

There had to be a loophole. Some way I could stop him . . . I mulled it over in my mind when I realized Fox had been outside for a while. Once I’d stoked the fire into a nice blaze, I cleanedmy dish and shrugged my coat back on. It was twilight, and the orange and purple haze made the snow look neon in its light. Snow pushed off the roof enough to make me wonder what was going on. When I inspected, Fox caught my gaze and waved. “Come check out the view from here,”he said, waving me up.

I crunched through the snow and climbed the ladder, grabbing Fox’s hand. He intertwined his fingers with mine and helped me over to the chimney. He let go, gently putting my palm against the brick. My heart dropped at the loss of contact. It was then I realized I wanted to keep holding his hand. I smiled in surprise.

He nodded, and we sat down in the warm, dry nest he’d made. I leaned against the chimney, and he sat beside me, his shoulder and arm against mine. The contact was small, innocent, and exhilarating.

I dared a look over and up at his arctic eyes. “You’re warm,” I said.

His eyes dropped to my mouth. To read my lips . . . I knew . . . but it stirred heat in my lower belly all the same.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer into his embrace. My heart beat wildly in my chest as his fingers twirled through a ribbon of my crimson hair. Before I knew what I was doing, I put my palm over his knuckles as they idly swirled through my locks. He stilled and used his other hand to cup my chin, bringing my attention back to him. The silence between us was comfortable and gentle. His touch said more than a million empty words my ex ever uttered.

His forehead dropped to mine, and I felt my breathing quicken.

I allowed myself to trail my fingers along his sandpaper jaw. His eyes drifted closed at my exploration. When he opened them, his gaze was dark with longing. His grip tightened around me, pulling me in. His lips pressed against mine in a firm andclaiming kiss. My body answered automatically. My breasts were begging to be pressed against him, to feel him. His palms inched under my shirt, as if he could read my mind, and skimmed the soft waves of flesh on my sides. My tongue grew hungrier just as his lips parted mine, the taste of him invading my mouth. I’d always had to endure several minutes at least of Declan’s dad having no clue what to do with me. He’d either kiss too long or not long enough. I always felt like I had to lead sexual interactions. But not with Fox.

Fox read my mind and body. He instantly picked up on the queues I wasn’t even aware I was giving. Deepening our kiss, he pulled me into his lap. His rough palms worked up my shirt to my breasts as I straddled him. He took them each in hand, feeling, exploring. His calloused thumbs circled my nipples in tantalizing unison. I tilted my head back with a soft moan. His breathless blue eyes scanned me before his lips bit kisses down my neck. My hips rocked slowly, searching and finding his hard length straining against his jeans.

Frigid air hardened my nipples as he took one in his mouth. His warm tongue flicked and swirled. I couldn’t stand it any longer as I reached between us, palming his erection. A soft groan vibrated against my breasts as I undid his pants. Maybe I was being too forward, maybe we were just making out, but I wanted him. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone before.

He stopped, his breath ragged and hair messed up in that sexy way. I was happy to see I was affecting him just as heavily as he was me. His lips parted, and his expression was pained. I pulled back, holding onto his neck. “What’s wrong?”

His grip left my body only to hold up a finger and gesture around it like a hook. They didn’t teach that in advanced sign language, though they should have. I caught the meaning, though, and spoke what I wasn’t sure how to sign. “It’s okay;I’m on birth control. We don’t need a condom. At least, I’m comfortable with it if you are . . . .”

He didn’t let me finish before his kiss enveloped me again. I moaned against him as he felt down my ribs, spreading his fingers across my soft middle. He broke our kiss, and I met his gaze as he held firm over my belly button. His lips mouthed, “Love this.”

I could have come right then and there. No man had ever touched my middle like that, let alone validated it and made me feel so sexy. “I need you now,” I whined.

His grin was lazy and promising as he slipped his hand below the stretchy waistband of my sweatpants. I gasped, letting my head fall to rest on his strong shoulder. Fox spread my pussy with two fingers while the middle slowly circled my opening. He groaned, finding my wetness pooling for him. I bucked my hips, begging for more, and he obliged, inserting a finger into my sex. The feel of him trapped all the cold, wintry air in my throat. With a soft tug, his grip tightened in my hair, pulling my kiss back to his. Just then, his thumb found the apex of my thighs. He was pushing and flicking, applying the most perfect pressure. I swore against his mouth, feeling the tingles of pleasure pricking along my skin. My hips became frantic, but like a fucking pro, Fox kept his rhythm steady and constant. My orgasm built and built until, finally, it exploded. Tilting my head back, I moaned my ecstasy, the sound radiating through the quiet, snow-covered wood.

I hadn’t even come down from my peak before I was palming for his cock. He was unzipped, the soft, thin fabric of his boxers and my pants the only thing between us. With a yank, he pulled my pants over my ass, and I lifted my hips, allowing him to pull them off. He did the same. Leaving his boxers on, he pulled the waistband down below his balls. My lips parted at the sight of him. My mouth watered as I slid down our warm nest on the roof, mounds of snow concealing us from the worldbelow. I wrapped a hand around him, noting that he was so thick my fingertips didn’t touch. God, I loved girth. I sucked his tip between my lips, swirling my tongue along his salty bead of precum. His throat rattled a sound of pleasure as I took him deep. His grip tugged at my hair again, and I met his gaze. He inclined his head, breathing deeply.Oh, he wanted to watch me.

After that amazing fingering, I wanted to give him a show worthy of him. I sucked and moved as I’d never done for anyone, especially my stupid ex. I pulled off with a pop and licked him from base to tip. He pulled me forward again, positioning me back into a straddle. It’d been so long since I’d had sex. Nerves fluttered through me and tensed my shoulders. Fox noticed, of course, and stopped, taking my chin in his hold. He mouthed the word, “Beautiful.” My heart warmed into an inferno of need. I reached down and lined him with my wet and wanting slit. I relished seeing his hooded eyes and his full lips parting as I lowered my hips onto him. He took masterful hold of my outer thighs, taking control of the motion and pace. We groaned and exhaled in unison as my slick walls tightened around him, inch by inch. When he was buried to the hilt, I reveled in the stretch of his thickness. “God, you feel perfect,” I said.