Under the Mistle-Foe (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

REMY

My body was moving as soon as the words left my mouth. I pulled Jett with me, not giving him a chance to refuse. We passed Nick on the way, who was standing there watching the entire thing with a conflicted expression.

Poor man.

He’d been one of the last customers at the diner today, along with Kaysen. Kaysen had somehow wiggled his way to Nick’s table and had started up a conversation.

I’d been in the back making sure everything was ready for closing time, and before I knew it, Kaysen had declared the three of us were joining trivia night at The White Elephant, claiming it’d been busy at the tree farm lately and he needed a night to unwind.

I knew refusal was pointless—and at least he had the decency to let me run home to wash away the grime from the day first. Nick must have also sensed how pointless it would be to object since he’d followed us all the way here without a word of complaint. And now here he was, watching me cause a scene in the middle of town.

Looking over my shoulder, I found Nick had turned his sight on the person who was with Jett. The stranger caught my eye and shot me a grin before walking over to Nick.

What a prick.

Why did Jett have to let himself be dragged around by him? He was a big guy with bulging muscles that looked super hot in the tight black tee he was wearing tonight. His arm tats were on full display.

Pretty ink for a pretty man.

And that thought came completely out of left field. This wasn’t the time to ogle Jett’s looks, regardless of how nicely he’d dressed up tonight. I needed to…what did I need to do?

Why was I acting like a jealous boyfriend who’d caught their partner on another date when Jett was just my friend? He could hang out with whomever he wanted. But if he wanted to hang out, why didn’t he just hang out with me ?

It wasn’t until the cold outside air hit me that Jett finally spoke up. “Remy, what the hell?”

He covered his bare arms with his hands, already shivering. That instantly sent a bucket of cold water over my sizzling emotions. “Shit, Jett. I’m sorry. I’ll get your jacket.”

The words had barely left my mouth when Kaysen came bursting through the front door right behind us.

He had an armful of clothes and a gleeful smile as he strode toward us. “Thought you guys might want these,” he said and handed us our jackets. “Also, I’m heading out. Nick said he’s gonna stay a bit longer with his friend, so you don’t have to worry about us. Thanks for tonight. I had a lot of fun!” He practically squealed the words as he walked away.

And when Jett wasn’t paying attention, Kaysen quickly made the call me gesture with his pinky and thumb. I would be doing no such thing. He probably just wanted to gossip, which I would not indulge him in. At most, I’d send him a thank you text for the jacket, because I wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place if it wasn’t for him dragging me here .

If I hadn’t come to this stupid trivia night, then I wouldn’t have had to see Jett with him . Then I wouldn’t be feeling all these confusing, terrible things that had my chest tightening with need.

But then…if I hadn’t been here to stop Jett, then who knew what he and that other guy would have done together? Not that it was any of my business, but it was my business because this was Jett .

The same person who’d been circling around me for the past ten or so years. I thought I’d shaken him off after graduating high school, but he’d somehow found a way to crawl deeper into my thoughts since. The same person who was now still shivering and watching like I was a loose cannon ready to go off at any moment.

I needed a goddam smoke. I patted my pockets for a cig, but Jett reached out his hand to stop mine.

“No, you don’t get to do that. You can’t just drag me away from my date, then take a smoke break like you were the one who’s been wronged.”

Fuck .

So that had been a date. Why did that realization sting more than it should? Now my mouth felt even drier. The craving itched at my skin.

Jett pulled something out of his pocket, quickly unwrapped it, then stuck it inside my mouth. Artificial cherry filled my taste buds.

Is this how Jett will taste if I kiss him ?

“If you’re not going to say anything, then I’m going home,” Jett said before I could dig deeper into those inappropriate thoughts. I shouldn’t be like that toward a friend. I’d certainly never had thoughts like those toward Kaysen, but with Jett…it somehow felt right .

Especially when he pulled a scarf from his pocket and wrapped it around himself all casually. How did he not expect me to feel some type of way when he was on a goddam date and had brought my fucking red scarf with him? I was in a daze as I watched him bundle himself up until he was just a head peeking through the thick fabric—a very handsome head, but still.

When he finished, he looked at me expectantly, but I was too caught up in my revelations. Had Jett Davis always been this hot? Sure, I knew he was handsome and charming—the entire town fucking knew it—but handsome didn’t always mean attractive to me.

Jett let out a huff, frosty cold air trailing in his tracks as he turned and walked away.

“Wait,” I called out, hurrying to catch up with him.

“Why? So you can continue to glare at me? No, thank you.”

I rolled the candy in my mouth as I quietly followed behind him. The sweetness did surprisingly more to help me calm down than I thought it would. Which was very helpful at this moment since I didn’t want to annoy Jett any more than I had, and I was sure he wouldn’t be too happy if I’d pulled out a smoke right about now.

“How long are you going to follow me for?” he snapped over his shoulder.

“Until you talk to me.”

That had him spinning around and pointing a finger at me. “Oh, don’t you dare put this on me. I’m not the one standing there all silent and broody and staring at me like I’m gum under your shoe.”

“That’s not?—”

“Isn’t it?” He jabbed me in the chest. “If not, then what’s the big deal?”

I swirled the lollipop with my tongue, all while studying Jett. What was the big deal indeed? Because no matter how dense I was, there was no way to deny these BIG feelings brewing inside of me.

Feelings that told me that maybe I didn’t see Jett as just a friend . He’d somehow crawled his way to my heart. And what the fuck was I supposed to do about that when he most likely didn’t feel the same? He wouldn’t be going on dates with other people if he had.

“You’re doing it again,” he grumbled.

“Doing what?”

“Giving me that look .” Jett flatted his palm against my chest like he wanted to push me away, but I covered his hand with mine to stop him.

“I promise whatever you’re thinking, that’s not it. Far from it, actually.”

He stared absentmindedly at our hands on my chest like they were foreign objects before meeting my eyes again. “Yeah? Well, are you going to share with the class?”

He licked his lips. My eyes instantly zoning onto his pretty pink tongue and the slow swipe over those plump lips.

“I want to kiss you.” The words were out before I knew it. We stared at each other, both of us with wide eyes. “Shit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I said, trying to salvage the situation, if it even could be saved. Jett hadn’t been too happy with me to begin with.

Jett nibbled his bottom lip. There was obvious conflict in his dark expression. And just when I thought I went and fucked it all up again, he said, “Then do it.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

The first touch of our lips was awkward. Our hands were still squished between our chests, and the little white stick pressed stiffly against the corner of our mouths.

But then his lips parted, and his wet tongue teased the seam of my lips for entrance. My body sprang into action, releasing his hand so I could snake my arms around his body. His tongue met mine, swirling around the lollipop as I pressed it into his mouth.

Cherry filled my tongue again, and while I thought the artificial flavor was just okay earlier, tasting it again in his mouth? That had to be the best thing ever. I finally understood why Jett was obsessed with these things.

I wanted more. Our tongues battled fiercely as we passed the candy between our mouths, working together to fill every single one of my senses. My hands wrapped around him, moving down until I cupped his firm ass. His hand snaked under my clothes. A shock of cold stirred me on as his icy hands shifted around my stomach and wrapped around my back.

God, had a kiss ever felt this good before?

I was on overdrive, craving him, wanting more. Our lower bodies ground together, feeling so good against my erection. He was hard too, thank fuck, and while I’d never been curious about what another man’s dick felt like, I wished I could feel his against me without all these layers between us.

A low moan passed through Jett’s lips as my hips rocked into him with need. He was so fucking hot. Hot enough to melt the cold wind brushing past us and make us forget we were still in the middle of town apparently. That was until the sound of a loud bark startled me into biting hard down on the lollipop, breaking it with a crack.

Half of the candy fell into Jett’s mouth as he pulled away. The rest swirled in my mouth in search of a lingering taste of him. The lollipop didn’t taste nearly as good without his tongue feeding it to me.

Jett coughed, an awkward sound to fill up the silence between us. “How was that?” he asked, voice all deep and raspy that made my insides feel like goo.

“I could tell ya, but it’ll cost three kisses,” I replied, faking seriousness in this vital negotiation. Anything to get his mouth back on mine.

Jett narrowed his eyes at me, and I was just about to tell him it was a joke when he took a step closer to me and placed the gentlest peck on my lips. “What about one as a down payment?”

The words passed through his lips to mine as I tried chasing him for more kisses, but his strong hands pushed my chest away. I groaned in frustration. “That wasn’t nearly enough, and isn’t that answer enough to your question?”

“No.”

“No?” I thought our bodies were already doing more than enough speaking for the both of us, but Jett apparently didn’t think so.

“No, because if you don’t make things clear, then my fantasies are going to go wild, and you’re not going to like it if they do.”

Did Jett have fantasies about me? I hoped he did.

I pulled him back into my arms. He felt so right there, all bulky muscles hard against me.

I pressed a kiss on his cheek. A shudder passed through him, and his stubble scratched against my skin from the movement. It was a new sensation, but not one I disliked. If anything, I found it hot as fuck to know this man who could probably bench press me was so pliant under my touch.

Leaning close to his ear, I whispered, “If I tell you I really, really liked kissing you”—he sucked in a breath—“will you tell me about these fantasies of yours? How will you know I won’t like them if I don’t know what they are?”

After I finished speaking, I took a step back to watch his reaction. His eyes were dilated as he looked at me. He shifted from one foot to the other, then started. “I…” His voice cracked, and he licked his lips before continuing, “I’ll think you liked kissing me and w-want to be my boyfriend. ”

His cute little stutter had me thinking he was nervous about telling me this when all he’d said was something so innocent and so…good-sounding.

I’d dated a few times in the past. It was always the women who would initiate it, and I never saw a reason to refuse, even if I didn’t have particularly strong feelings toward them.

I just thought there was something wrong with me, a loose screw that’d come undone after seeing my dad lose my mom, which had me incapable of feeling so much toward another person. But I’d been wrong, because what I felt for Jett was leaning a little too close for comfort.

And if I was willing to date the others, then why wouldn’t I want to date someone I actually liked?

In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it was the best idea ever.

“Sounds good to me.”