A Hot Holiday Collection

Prologue

PROLOGUE

SAWYER

C hristmases with my family were like a Hallmark movie, so it was bittersweet when my two older sisters got married and spent every other holiday with their in-laws. This was an off year for us, so my parents had decided to take a cruise. They would have stayed just for me, which was ridiculous, so I drove them to the airport myself and sent them on their way. They’d also invited me, but that was never going to happen. I loved my mom and dad, and I was happy that they were still so in love after thirty years together. They set an amazing example for us, and I envied their relationship, hoping I’d have that with someone someday. However, there was only so much PDA and poorly veiled innuendos that my sisters and I could take. I didn’t need any more images scarring me than I already had. I preferred to think of my conception as immaculate, and they made that really fucking hard to do.

So with the holiday approaching and no one to spend it with, I threw myself into work. My best friend and business partner, Jesse Blake, kept harassing me to come with him to see his family for Christmas, but I told him I was content to stay home and get ahead on our current and upcoming projects.

We co-owned JS Construction, a business we’d started our senior year in college when we decided to buy a house and flip it. The job had been fun, and we’d worked seamlessly together, so when that was done, we moved on to the next and the next after that. Three years ago, we formed an official company, and we’d made a name for ourselves, which led to having a waiting list of customers who wanted first dibs on our completed projects. Our buildings were usually sold before we could put them on the market.

A year ago, we’d expanded into new construction, bringing on an architect and managing crews to build custom homes. But flipping houses was still our passion and what Jesse and I spent the bulk of our time doing. Despite managing a growing company, we still made time to do the hands-on work we loved.

Which was how Jesse found me a couple of days before Christmas—on my back, fixing a leaky kitchen sink.

“Last chance, dude,” Jesse announced as he appeared out of nowhere, startling me and making me whack my head when I tried to sit up.

“Motherfucker,” I hissed as black spots danced in front of my eyes for a few seconds. When my vision cleared, I scooted out from under the cabinet and glared at my friend as he laughed hysterically. “Last chance to kick your ass?” I muttered, gingerly touching the injured area to check for blood.

“That was the best Christmas present you’ve ever given me,” Jesse chortled.

Grunting, I climbed to my feet and turned on the faucet to check the pipes. “Is there a reason you’re here? Other than to be an annoying shit?”

“I’m trying one last time to get you to come to my parents’ house for Christmas. I don’t know why you’re being so damn stubborn and insisting on being alone. And don’t give me any more bullshit about not wanting to intrude. My parents love it when we have visitors. They are ‘the more, the merrier’ type. My sister usually brings a college friend or two, but she’s coming alone this year. So it would actually be helpful to have you there to eat leftovers. My mom cooks too much ‘just in case’ someone needs a place to go at the last minute.”

My stomach growled thinking about the homemade meal, as opposed to the pizza I’d been intending to order.

“Eating is always the way to your heart, isn’t it?” Jesse smirked. Then he brought out the big guns. “My sister is an awesome cook, especially baking. And I asked her to make Lebkuchen.”

Son of a bitch . He had me, and his smug expression said he knew it. Lebkuchen, or Gingerbread, was a German dessert—and my favorite. My grandmother had immigrated from Germany as a teenager, and she’d made the cake-like cookie every Christmas. Then my mom kept the tradition going, especially since they practically made me salivate. They were hard to find, so I ate my weight in them at Christmastime.

“Fine, fine. I’ll come with you,” I grumbled. “But I want cookies to take home with me.”

“Done.”

I began packing up my tools while mentally planning what to bring and how I would manage to find presents for his family in the short time I had available.

When I finished, we walked to the door together, and Jesse waited while I locked the door and set the alarm. “I’ll head home and grab a bag,” I told him as we crossed the lawn to our cars. We’d had to park on the road in front since the garage was filled with tools and materials. “Send me their address. I need to stop by a mall and?—”

“I’ve got you covered,” Jesse said with a grin and a careless wave of his hand. “Just in case I managed to talk you into it, I have presents for you to give everyone.”

I didn’t like the idea of my gifts being so impersonal. That wasn’t how I was raised. But considering I only knew his family through his stories and had a limited amount of time, I didn’t have room to be picky. “Thanks.”

Jesse shrugged and opened the driver’s side door of his blue Audi. “No problem. You get to wrap them, though, including mine.” He didn’t wait for a response before sliding into the car and shutting the door.

I lifted my chin at him as he drove by, receiving the same gesture in return. Then I headed home to my condo to shower, change, and pack a bag. Most people thought it was odd that I didn’t live in a big, beautiful home.

Sure, I could afford it, and yeah, I could flip a house or a mansion for myself, but why the fuck would I want to live alone in a huge place? I’d only use a fraction of the space, so I might as well live in a place that was all I needed and no more. A house was on my to-do list eventually, but there was no rush. Someday, when I had a wife and kids, it would become a higher priority.

It took a little over an hour to reach the Blake household, and I couldn’t help smiling at the plethora of ridiculous Christmas ornaments all over the lawn. The house glittered with so many lights that I couldn’t tell what color the exterior was.

I parked out front, grabbed my bag from the trunk, and strolled to the front door. Before it even opened, I smelled the scents that sent me back to my childhood Christmases. And reminded me that I was starving.

The door opened before I had a chance to get to the top of the porch and ring the bell. A woman took a step outside while looking back behind her, and her foot missed the first step. Since she wasn’t expecting the steep drop, she stumbled forward, her arms flailing as she tried to keep her balance, but the momentum carried her forward. I grabbed the railing with one hand and reached out my other arm to grab her before she went flying down the stairs.

When I caught her, I curled my arm to bring her against my body while I steadied us both. Her soft body fit perfectly into mine, and to my utter shock, my dick stirred for the first time in…I wasn’t even sure how long.

“Oh, crap! I’m so sorry!” the woman cried as she clung to me even tighter. “I should have been looking where I was going, but I was in a hurry, and I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes.”

“Are you okay?” I was trying to focus on whatever she was saying, but her vanilla and ginger scent—so similar to my favorite cookie—was overwhelming my senses, and I was growing harder by the second.

“Yes.” Her voice was breathless, and it only made the desire curling through me begin to sizzle.

I was worried she’d notice my condition and didn’t want to send the poor woman running from the perverted stranger who popped a woody. So I carefully pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length until I was sure she was steady on her feet. Her long, straight, light-blond hair had fallen in her face, so she quickly brushed it back before beaming at me with sparkling, chocolate-brown eyes. As the light caught it, I noticed a pink sheen to some of the strands, but it disappeared quickly, and I had to wonder if it had been a trick from the Christmas lights. Her plush lips curved into a beautiful smile, accentuating her heart-shaped face.

My eyes did a quick scan of the rest of her body, and my mouth watered at the sight of all her curves. Luscious tits with nipples pebbled in the cold and begging to be sucked on. A thick waist that was the perfect size for my big hands to hold while I guided her up and down on my cock. Wide, round hips made for having babies and for me to grip while I fucked her from behind. I could tell her thighs were strong enough to lock around my waist and keep her from falling while I took her up against a wall. And…I had to bite my tongue to keep from licking my lips when I thought about what she would taste like between those pretty thighs. I had no doubt her flavor would be sweeter than Valentine's Day chocolate.

Fucking hell, Sawyer. Get a damn grip on yourself . Apparently, being celibate for a long time meant that when my libido woke back up, it had reverted to being a horny teenager. But my adolescent lack of control aside, my adult brain was screaming one thing.

Mine.

“Thank you,” she said in a husky voice that sounded like sex and whiskey.

“You’re welcome,” I replied with a smile. Then I cocked my head to the side and winked playfully. “Now that our bodies are acquainted, perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I’m Sawyer. I work with Jesse.”

“Oh! Sawyer! I’ve heard so much about you. It feels like we’ve already met. It’s kind of crazy that we haven’t. You’ve been my brother’s best friend for years, and?—”

Whatever she was saying faded as everything inside me froze, and dread trickled through me like ice, putting out the fires that had been building. “Katie?” I croaked.

“Yes! Sorry! I meant to say that, but I got caught up in—anyway, that’s me.”

This was Jesse’s little sister. The one he described as “the life of the party.” He’d told me enough stories over the years that I felt like I knew her too. According to him, she was wild and a little flighty, unsure of her direction in life, and more focused on a good time than her future. Definitely not someone ready for a serious, long-term commitment. Not that I’d been considering that seconds after meeting her. Liar.

“Katie, what the fuck is taking so long?” Jesse’s grumpy voice preceded him as he appeared in the doorway. We both turned to look at him, and I took an instinctive step away from his sister even though I hadn’t been suspiciously close to her.

“Language!” someone yelled from inside.

“Sorry, Mom!” he shouted back.

“Yeah, Jesse, stop fucking swearing,” Katie snickered.

“Would you grow up?” he asked with a sigh, but the twinkle in his eyes said he was teasing.

She stuck her tongue out at him, then spun back around and skipped down the steps. “Nice to finally meet you, Sawyer!” The light caught her hair, and I noticed the pink shine once again. Was her hair pink?

“Um, you too.” I ascended the rest of the stairs, and Jesse stood back to let me in.

“I see you met my little sister.” I tried to read his tone and see if he suspected the filthy things I wanted to do to her, but thankfully, he sounded normal.

“She tripped, and I caught her,” I explained unnecessarily. Off to a great start, idiot .

“Figures. That girl can’t stand on her own two feet”—he rolled his eyes—“unless she’s dancing on a table.”

I nearly choked but managed to keep my tone even when I replied, “Pardon?”

Jesse laughed and took my coat and bag, setting them on a bench in the entry before walking away with a beckoning gesture. “She went to one of those country places where you can dance on the bar. I haven’t the first clue how she did that without falling off, especially after a couple of drinks.”

“You let her do that?” I asked, puzzled at why he wouldn’t have snatched her down and made her leave. I chose to ignore the jealousy burning in my gut.

Jesse shrugged. “First of all, nobody ‘lets’ Katie do anything. That little rebel did a high dive off a cliff just because I told her not to. And second, as long as she didn’t break any bones, I didn’t see any harm. It’s not like she was pole dancing at a strip club. I put a stop to that the second I found out about it.”

My mood darkened with every story Jesse told me about his sister, but it was Christmas, and I was spending the holiday in someone else’s home, whom I was meeting for the first time. I’d met his parents several times over the years, but somehow, his sister and I had never crossed paths.

I told my dick to back off, then grew some balls and put on a show of the carefree, fun-loving friend.

I was restless, and after rolling over and punching my pillow for the umpteenth time, I finally grabbed it and threw it across the guest room. Sleep was eluding me, and I was trying not to examine why even though I knew.

It was the day after Christmas, and I would be leaving in the morning. My parents were back in town, and we’d planned to have a family dinner and exchange presents. But for the first time, I wasn’t eager to see them. All I wanted was to go home and drink until I finally fell asleep.

Sleep had eluded me for most of my visit with the Blakes. I tried to tell myself a million different lies, but the truth was, I hadn’t been able to relax knowing Katie was sleeping a floor away.

And when I did finally succumb to exhaustion, I woke up sweating and hard as a fucking rock from the erotic dreams I couldn’t get rid of.

After spending the past five days with Katie, I wasn’t sure Jesse’s view of her was wholly accurate. She often seemed to be scatterbrained, rambling on about things and losing her train of thought while talking to me. But I’d noticed her talking to someone else a few times, and she’d been quite eloquent and thoughtful.

She was a riddle that I couldn’t solve. The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn’t get her off my mind. And my desire for her had only grown stronger.

Irritated, I threw off the covers and yanked a T-shirt over my head before quietly opening the door to my room. It was nearly one in the morning, and I didn’t want to wake anyone, so I silently crept down the hall to the kitchen. I didn’t know what I wanted, so I wandered around, rummaging in the refrigerator and cupboards, hoping to find something that appealed to me.

Suddenly, the kitchen light turned on, making me wince from its brightness.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was awake.” A soft, husky voice floated to my ears, and my eyes were drawn to its owner like a magnet.

Katie stood at the entrance to the room in a T-shirt and sleep shorts. I’d seen women walking around in far, far less clothing, but for some reason, I wanted to order her to change into something that covered more. The thought of anyone seeing all that leg, the way her full tits strained against the slightly tight shirt, the sliver of her soft belly that peeked out from between her top and bottoms…pissed me the fuck off.

I opened my mouth to say something caustic but caught it before I could spew undeserved anger at her. It wasn’t her fault that I couldn’t get her off my mind, couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to taste her, to be inside her, couldn’t help from wanting to tear out the eyes of any man who looked at her.

In fact, I wasn’t sure she felt even a glimpse of what churned inside me. I often thought I felt the chemistry spark between us, but she never said anything or gave me any indication that she’d noticed. It kind of irritated me to think that I might be suffering alone.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I told her gruffly.

“Me either,” she murmured with a sweet smile. “I was going to make hot chocolate. Would you like some?”

I swallowed hard when she walked by, and her scent filled my lungs. “Yes, please,” I managed to rasp. In an attempt to hide my body’s reaction, I padded over to the kitchen table and took a seat.

I watched her as she puttered around retrieving the mugs and putting on the kettle. Her silky hair was loose, and the pink highlights shined under the lights. The color was subtle, but it had been something else I’d chalked up to immaturity when we first met. Eventually, I realized that they were just an outward extension of her happy personality. Not excessive, just fun and beautiful. After a while, they’d just added to her sexy allure.

“I know I said it before but thank you for the earrings and necklace. It’s an adorable set.”

That had been a serious lapse in judgment and had almost blown up in my face. I’d gone with Jesse to pick up a last-minute present, and while he was waiting in line, I’d wandered over to the jewelry counter. I’d wrapped all of our presents, so I knew that Jesse had chosen a set of earrings, small hearts made of rose-gold.

Why I thought it would be a good idea to add to the present still escaped me. But as I scanned the display case, not really paying attention to what I was looking at, something caught my eye. It was a necklace. A delicate, rose-gold chain with two hearts hanging at the bottom. One of the hearts looked as though it had been made to go with her earrings. The other one was a complementing dark brown—similar to the color of Katie’s eyes. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a chocolate heart, but what sold it for me was that there was a chunk missing as if someone had started eating the heart.

I knew it would make her laugh—a sound I’d quickly become addicted to—and I liked the idea of her wearing something I’d given her. So I bought it. When she opened it on Christmas Day, and Jesse saw that I’d added the necklace, he looked at me with suspicion for a moment. Until Katie burst out laughing and showed everyone the silly charm.

Even though I’d almost burned my relationship with Jesse to the ground, I wouldn't have regretted the necklace. The joyful expression on her face, her laughter, and my silent stamp of ownership around her neck were worth it.

“You’re welcome,” I said quickly when I realized she was giving me an odd look. I’d obviously been silent long enough to make things awkward.

“I imagine you’re excited to see your family,” she murmured with a smile as she approached the table with two steaming mugs.

“Yeah. It was easier to survive the holiday without them by being here, but I missed them.”

She nodded and blew on the hot liquid before saying, “Your family is obviously as close as mine. I hope my husband and I are as tight with our kids when they grow up.” Her tone was wistful, and I tamped down a moment of jealousy, wondering who she imagined this husband to be.

I pondered that for a moment and took a sip of my drink, watching her graceful movements and again wondering if I’d been wrong about her. “I don’t think I’ve asked. What are you majoring in?”

“Interior design.”

She went on to tell me why she picked the program and what she planned to do with it after graduation, thoroughly impressing me.

“I hope I’ll find that husband one day, but until then, I’m excited to make my mark on the world. Even if it’s just through the colors of paint on a wall.”

Our drinks were finished, but we sat there for another half hour talking. It was the first time it had been easy and natural. She was still lit with happiness and effervescing charisma that drew people to her like a moth to a flame, but…she was also calm and exuded a confidence I hadn’t seen in her previously. The thought occurred to me that we’d never really been alone together. Would it have been like this? Maybe it had been the people around us that had agitated her, making her lose her center.

I could certainly relate to an extent. Katie had a way of upending my world when she was near. Thinking straight was often difficult, but I had always been on the quiet side and not an outwardly emotional person, so I didn’t appear to be anything but composed.

After a period of silence, I stood and took both of our mugs to the sink. When I turned back around, Katie was standing by her chair, her expression sad and her light dimmer than I’d ever seen it.

“It was really nice to have you here, Sawyer.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Which bothered me more than I expected.

“I know it may not have seemed like it, but I enjoyed getting to know you,” I admitted.

A little glimmer returned to her gaze. “Me too.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I mean, it was great getting to know you, too.”

Silence hung awkwardly between us for a moment before she pivoted and walked toward the door.

“Katie.”

She stopped in the doorway and twisted around to look at me.

I crossed over to her and cleared my throat, shoring up the courage to ask the question that had been burning in my gut since she mentioned it. “Do you have a boyfriend, Katie? Someone you're picturing as the husband in that scenario?”

She smiled, and her cheeks turned pink before she shook her head. “No boyfriend.” After a pause, she continued, “But there are moments when I see what the future Mr. Katie Blake looks like.”

“Oh?” I stepped closer until we were standing toe-to-toe.

Her eyes dropped to my mouth for a second before meeting my gaze again, and I almost groaned when she licked her lips. “Maybe I’ll tell you one day.”

Fuck it . I threaded my fingers into her hair and lifted her face so when I bowed my head, we were barely a breath apart. “Maybe I’ll change it.” Then I kissed her.

Heat exploded between us, the air crackling with electricity, and desire roared through my body. Shit. Shit. Shit . I should never have given in. I had no idea how I was going to stop. My control was at an all-time low, and I was seriously considering fucking her in the pantry a few feet away.

I didn’t know where the fuck I gained the strength, especially with the way her body melted into mine, but after a few minutes of devouring her, I finally pulled back.

Katie’s eyes were wide with shock and burning with need. I almost went in for another taste but let her go instead.

“Why, um, why did you do that?”

I was searching for an answer when I happened to look up and see a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the center of the doorjamb.

“Oh. Mistletoe. Right.” When I glanced at her face, her expression had crumpled, but before I could clarify, she’d whispered good night and was hurrying toward the stairs.

I wanted to call her back, to tell her how badly I wanted her, but our timing was shit. She still had a few months of school, and I had things I wanted to do—preparations I wanted to make—before we took the next step.

“Sawyer?”

My gaze had been on her, but my mind had been elsewhere, so I was surprised to see her still at the bottom of the steps. “What, baby?” Son of a fucking bitch. Did you just call her baby, Ward? What the fuck? Yeah, I was twenty kinds of dumbass.

Katie’s eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. I willed her not to say anything about it, and whether she made the decision on her own or I Jedi mind tricked her, she didn’t comment on my slip of the tongue.

“You can’t change what he looks like.”

“Who?” My brows furrowed, a little confused at her sudden subject change.

“The man I dream about as my future husband. No one will ever be able to change my mind. He’s it for me.” Then she turned and jogged up the stairs, leaving me stunned and speechless in the hallway.

I didn’t know whether to be angry, devastated, or hopeful that she was talking about me. I landed on determined instead. I knew she couldn’t hear me, but I still muttered, “We’ll see.”

It didn’t matter who she pictured right now. When our time finally came, she’d never see anyone else but me for the rest of her life.