Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

“That’s not true,” I try to defend. “Gary at the post office is a dick.”

“That’s because you didn’t get him a gift last year for Christmas.” She scoffs. “He’s the only mail carrier we have, and you didn’t tip!”

“Of course I did, I…” I stop talking because I’m trying to think if I really did or not.

“See?” Her heels wobble again, and she starts to fall. “Shit.”

I grab a hold of her just in time, but in the process I slip in some of the wet snow. My arms go around Tinsel, and I press her against the brick wall of the alley between Jingle Bar and the barber shop. It’s dark in this little strip of space, but there’s enough light that I can see her looking up to me and just how close we are.

“Maybe if you stop yelling at me long enough, you’d see how much I like fighting with you.”

Her breath tickles my lips, and I smell the citrus of the lime and the tang of the shot she took. The moment stretches so thin that I can feel her heartbeat against mine as I lean closer. Can we have this stolen moment? Can we have just one kiss? The thought of doing this and losing her forever is too painful. She’s had too much to drink, and I know she’d regret it tomorrow. I won’t let this happen and drive a wedge between us.

“Come on, sweetheart,” I say as I lean back and tuck her loose curls behind her ear. “Let’s get you home.”





CHAPTER 5





TINSEL





A groan leaves me as I start to wake. I’m so happy I don’t have to work today because there’s no way I could go in. How many shots did I have? Could I still be drunk?

I rub my eyes, thinking that this is all Jack’s fault. He was the reason one shot turned into two and then three. Wait, I think there might have been another three after those. When will his existence stop bothering me?

“Frostie, I’m going to need food.”

“Your donut is on the nightstand.” My eyes fly open at the sound of Jack’s voice.

What. The. Hell.

He’s standing at the end of the bed, and it’s then I notice that the bed isn’t mine. I open and then close my mouth because I have no idea what the hell happened.

The night before comes rushing back to me, and I remember Jack made me leave the bar. I thought he said he was taking me home? What changed? I whimper when I suddenly remember that I threw up in his fancy Mercedes.

He stands at the end of the bed with his arms folded over his chest glaring at me. He’s already dressed in slacks and a button-up shirt. I wait for some snide comment, but nothing comes; however, he looks pretty pissed off at the moment.

“Where am I?” I glance around the room.

I’m in a giant fluffy bed that resembles a cloud. As I take in the wooden log walls, I quickly put together this is Jack’s house. I’ve never been here, but the beautiful cabin he had built sits up higher and off to the side of his resort overlooking the town. He had it built a year ago when before that he was staying at the resort.

“You’re in my bed.” He drops his arms only to run his hand down his face. “Would you please pull the sheet up,” he grumbles, and I glance down to see my bare chest.

“Ah!” I scream before yanking the blankets over me and falling back on the bed to cover myself completely. The only clothing left on my body are my panties. “Why am I naked?”

“Because I had to clean you up, and you refused to put one of my shirts on.”

He cleaned me up? Again, my mind flashes to the night before, and I remember Jack carrying me into his house and straight into his bathroom where I’d thrown up again. He held my hair back with one hand as the other rubbed my back. Did he kiss the top of my head? No, I must be making that part up.

Then I remember him using a wet cloth to wash my face and making me brush my teeth. Oh god, he even made me drink water and take something to help prevent a headache. It might have worked because my head isn’t pounding although I’m exhausted.

“You want to put the shirt on now?” He pulls the blanket down just enough to reveal my head.

The shirt hangs from his hand, and I snatch it from him. He smirks, and a growl erupts from me.

“Easy, love,” he teases, and my breath catches.

Did he call me love? No, I had to have misheard him. My brain is still foggy from all those shots.

“I’ll be in the kitchen. You’re going to need more than your morning donut.” With that, he turns and leaves me alone in his bed.

Quickly I sit up and pull the shirt over my head before I climb out of bed. My eyes linger on it and I wonder if he slept in here with me. Everything is fuzzy after the bathroom, and now that I’m thinking about it, I’m in dire need of it.

“Oh that’s bad,” I mutter when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I grab the toothbrush I used last night and clean my teeth before I wash my face. Any makeup Frostie put on me is already gone since Jack washed it off. I remember sitting on the sink while he gently washed my face, and he was so sweet.

I rub the center of my chest because there’s a weird sensation burning there. Totally heartburn or what I’d guess heartburn feels like. The urge to get the hell out of here hits me hard.

In the bedroom, I can’t find anything of mine—no purse or my clothes. The donut sits on the nightstand, and that has to mean he went to town to get it? Does Frostie know I’m here? She has to know, or a search party would’ve been launched.