Page 29 of Home for the Holidays

“It’s starting to snow,” he says.

“It’s December. It snows a lot here.”

It’s the third time in two weeks that he’s dropped by my office without warning. I’m starting to think he’s inventing reasons to come by.

Jake chuckles. “They’re saying a storm is moving in. I didn’t want you to have to navigate the T. Figured I’d come pick you up.”

Oh. I swallow.

“Thanks.” My voice comes out as a whisper.

He crosses the room, then reaches for me and tips my chin up.

“Any time,” he says quietly.

My eyes fall closed. He smells fresh, like his Irish Spring soap, and the now familiar scent of his natural pheromones calms me.

His fingers ghost over my cheek. “Rachel…”

Slowly, my eyes blink open. “Yeah?”

Jake grins. “Let’s go home.”

My mouth goes dry. “O-okay.”

I have yet to spend a single night in the bed he designated as mine. From the get-go, he’s made clear he likes me in his bed.

Waking up in Jake’s arms the last few days has been a blissful heaven I didn’t know existed. I’ve shared a bed with other guys before, but something about the way he holds me like he doesn’t want to let me go makes butterflies erupt in my stomach at the memory.

Last week, he had a day off hockey, so he dropped by the university and we grabbed lunch between administering exams, and when I got home after, he cooked dinner and we watched a movie.

Well. I tried to watch a movie. Every time I glanced over at him, he was watching me.

So I guess it was inevitable that we ended up in bed again, this time with me on my hands and knees as he fucked me senseless.

And the next night, we ate dinner on the couch and then he ate me out until I saw stars.

And the night after that…

We haven’t talked about what it means, though.

He drives with his hand on my thigh. The snow is falling more heavily, so sometimes he needs both hands on the wheel, but as soon as he’s in a steady place, he’s holding me again.

There are groceries in the trunk of the car. Jake doesn’t let me help—he manages to carry all six bags at once… though he does let me punch in the code to open the door.

“You went grocery shopping?” I’d have thought a famous hockey player couldn’t get to the store without being mobbed.

“They’re saying it could turn into a blizzard,” Jake says. He starts unloading the bags. He’s bought staples like bread and milk, and other things like salmon, chicken breasts, and fresh fruits and vegetables. “We shouldn’t lose power, the building is pretty secure, but we might not be able to get out for a few days. They’ve cancelled practice for the next two days, and the game the day after may be postponed.”

“Wow. I hadn’t realized.” I don’t really pay attention to the weather report. It’s cold, it snows, and sometimes there’s freezing rain. I walk the two blocks to the nearest T station, I walk from my stop to campus, and then I walk back. I don’t really go outside other than that. Even on campus, I eat lunch at my desk rather than trekking to the faculty dining hall.

Jake gives me a small smile. “Guess you’re stuck with me for a few days.”

“Oh, whatever shall we do,” I deadpan.

I start unbuttoning my shirt, and he gulps, his eyes glued to my chest. He shakes his head a few times, as if to clear it, then turns to face the other direction.

My good mood falls. Does he not want to have sex anymore? It was the only thing we had going for us, but if he’s not interested and we’re trapped together…