Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

CHAPTER 10





JACK





“You’re coming, aren’t you?”

“What?” I turn around to see Emily standing in the door of my office and blink away visions of my cock buried inside Tinsel. “Oh, the cocktail party.”

“Are you okay?” She frowns at me, but I wave her off.

“Just distracted. I’ll swing by for a minute or two. I’ve got some things to take care of tonight.” The main one being to track down Tinsel and make good on my promise for avoiding me.

“All right, I’ll see you in there.”

After Emily leaves, I force myself to concentrate and finish up the last things I needed to do before leaving. My mind is so distracted with thoughts of Tinsel and how I’m going to make her mine. She’s so damn skittish about letting this happen, but I plan on proving that this is the only path she can take.

How else am I supposed to live my life without her? There’s no part of my future where I don’t see her in it, and now that I’ve had a little taste of her, I want the whole fucking thing.

Halfway down the hall, I can already hear the music from one of the party rooms. We have a few that we rent out for weddings or events, but every week, we have a mixer. It gives the people from out of town a chance to meet some locals and let loose. I’ve been told they can be a lot of fun, but I’ve never stayed to find out. I swing by to only check in on things.

It looks more crowded than usual, but then I remember it’s the tourist season. This is when we get the big rush for the holidays, and tonight is at its peak. Walking through the packs of people, I say hello to a few locals and a couple of return guests I remember. By the time I get a break in the crowd, I see the bar ahead and decide having a drink might be exactly what I need.

As I move closer, an older couple ahead of me moves to the side, and standing there is a woman that has dangerous curves written all over her. The tight navy dress is cinched tightly at the waist and around her ass, an ass I would know anywhere.

Tinsel turns around and leans against the bar but doesn’t see me yet. It’s a good thing because I’m standing there staring at her and drinking her in. The top of her dress is a corset that has her tits trussed up like an offering to the gods.

“Fuck me,” I whisper to myself, because seeing her like this literally takes my breath. Her hair is pulled to one side, and the line of her neck makes me want to sink my teeth into it.

Did I suddenly become a vampire?

I stare at her for so long my eyes dry out, and I have to blink a few times to clear it away. Was I so worried that she would disappear if I closed my eyes? Maybe. Deciding that I can’t stand the distance between us a second longer, I make my way over to the bar and crowd her space.

At first she’s shocked, and then she looks around to see who is watching. I don’t give a fuck if this is televised. She knew what she was doing when she put that dress on.

“You’re pushing me,” I say through clenched teeth, and then I hear the bartender clear his throat.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She takes the champagne from him and brings it to her lips while her eyes stay on me.

“That’s the thing, love.” I put my hands on either side of the bar with her in between them. I’ve blocked her from the crowd in the room, and the only thing I see is her. “You know what I’ll do when you push me to the edge.” Bending down, I put my lips to her ear. “And you like it.”

Her breath catches, and I watch the swell of her breasts rise and fall. I lick my lips as I stare at them, and I don’t miss the way she watches me. The heat coming off of her could warm me for eternity, and I’d still want more.

“You’re wrong.” She says it with a straight face, and I smile my best cocky grin at her. That’s when I see the flash of anger that I love so much.

“Liar,” I say, and she turns to take a drink of her champagne. “Finish that,” I tell her, and she narrows her eyes.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She takes another drink and gives me a side-eye. “Why?”

“Because as soon as the last drop of that is on your lips, I’m going to drag you into my office and fuck that dress off your body.”

The champagne flute pauses at her lips as her eyes widen. I can practically hear her heartbeat as I lean close and inhale her sweet scent. It’s so perfectly Tinsel that I’m conditioned to get hard every time I smell her.

“What if that’s not what I want to do?” She can’t look at me as she asks the question because we both know it’s bullshit and she’s stalling.

“I don’t remember asking.”

Normally, this would be the point where she jabs back at me or tells me she’s going to write me a ticket for something indecent. I expect her to get loud and push me away, but she does none of that. Instead, she keeps her eyes lowered as she drinks the last of the champagne and places the flute on the bar.

“Look at me,” I say to her, and it takes a moment before her eyes find mine. When she does, her lips are parted and glossy like she’s just run her tongue across them. “You knew what you were doing when you walked in here with that dress on. Don’t be surprised by the consequences.”

With that, I grab her elbow in a possessive hold and cut through the crowd. There are people along the way who try to talk to us, but I ignore every one of them. I’ve waited years to have her and I’ll be damned if I’m waiting any longer.