Tangled in Tinsel (a holidates series)

It’s almost pitch-black sans the glow from the one strand of Christmas lights we left on, coupled with the wink from the sun as it starts to rise. The fire went out ages ago, but our den of sin has kept me warm. I take a quiet deep breath, feeling too much.

It’s officially Christmas Eve.

I anticipated feeling down after missing the kickoff of my family festivities. But that’s not what I feel because last night left its mark.

After Eleanor and I watched one of our favorites, she made Jace show her his tattoos. She’s such a whore. But the guys indulged her, making both of us laugh. They even sat and listened as we speculated about who’d get the sloppiest at Christmas dinner this year—our train wreck of an uncle or our grandmother who still wears six-inch heels at the age of eighty-five. The more she drinks, the more she leans until she’s the living embodiment of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Nobody knows how she doesn’t topple.

Even with all the embarrassing stories, the night was perfect, actually better, because the moment I ended the call, I was fucked, twice.

I smile thinking about it. And thinking about how much we laughed. It was a ridiculous amount. If this were a movie, this would be when they cut to the flashback showing us throwing popcorn as Alec hauled me into his lap to use me as a shield.

We’d be a replica of happiness. The kind of couple goals everyone hides on their secret Pinterest boards. The only difference is that my photo has four guys.

Another long breath breezes past my lips.

“Fuck,” I whisper, staring at the tiny bulb of blurred-out light, adjusting my head closer to Cole’s arm.

Jace’s arm slips around my waist, his naked body flush with my back. His deep voice whispers from behind, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Why are you up?”

I roll over. Our faces are so close that it’s almost hard to focus on his.

“Hi,” I whisper dreamily.

He smiles, rubbing his nose against mine before pulling back.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.” I grin.

“Oh, come on, I may not have history with you, but here’s what I know from this weekend. When you’re nervous, you ramble.” I chuckle, snuggling closer as he speaks, even though my arms are folded against my chest. “And when you’re thinking, you’re quiet, you lock yourself away with your thoughts. But wild thoughts are always going on inside that mind of yours—they’re practically written all over your face.”

“No, they aren’t.”

He smirks. “You, cutie, are an open book.”

A small frown grows on my face. “That’s funny. My whole life, I’ve been told the opposite. My sister always says I’m unreadable.”

Jace kisses me sweetly. “Then I’m happy you let your guard down. Because you’re pretty fucking amazing.”

One kiss turns into another, then another, until he pulls away just as breathless as I am. His eyes are shining back to mine. He’s looking at me like I’m Christmas morning as he exhales my name.

“Sammy.” His hand sweeps over my cheek, cradling my face. “What are you doing to me? My head is fucked-up over you.”

I blink. Trying to swallow all the words I haven’t said. The feeling that’s been growing inside me to tell them what I wish could happen between us. Even in my best efforts, those words stay settled on the tip of my tongue, brimming.

“Mine too,” I answer honestly, still managing to deceive him.

Jace’s fingers weave through my hair as he runs his other hand down my body, hitching my leg over his hip. I can feel every inch of him pressed against me, wanting me as I want him. But we lay there silently looking at each other until his perfect lips part.

“I want you…I—” He exhales, then pauses, closing his eyes.

I finally understand what “waiting with bated breath” means because there’s more to that sentence. And it’s making everything feel like the edge of a cliff. Just say it, Jace. But instead of finishing that sentence, he kisses me.

He presses his lips to mine, and I take it. Because we both know that we aren’t something that can happen in the real world. We are only for sexy magical weekends packed with long snow days. And that’s that.

So when Jace opens his mouth again, I seal it to mine. Saving us the regret as I grind into him, moaning as his hand covers my breast.

“Fuck me,” I rasp. “I want you inside of me, Jace.”

“Samantha,” he growls, moving his mouth along my jaw.

We’re writhing against each other as another hand squeezes my ass, and I feel a hard cock grind against it.

“Cole,” I say in a whoosh of breath, feeling Jace push his dick inside me.

Cole growls in my ear, “Looks like I woke up just in time to fuck this sweet little ass again.”

“Yes, please,” I rasp.

Jace’s hips thrust forward slowly, savoring every second of our connection as I wrap my arms around his neck, not wanting to let go. Because I’m going to have to. Whether it’s today or tomorrow, I will have to let go of this tiny slice of heaven and go back to the real world.

My eyes are closed, and my body is already damp with sweat because I’m sandwiched between Cole and Jace. They take turns kissing my neck and shoulders, their hands running all over my body. I feel Cole’s cock begin to rim my ass, and desire takes over. My back arches, jutting my ass toward him as Jace slides his cock in and out in a torturous tempo.

“Pull out,” Cole grunts.

I gasp at the loss of Jace’s cock as Cole reaches between my legs and gathers the wetness, pushing his fingers inside of me before spreading it back over my ass.

“Relax for him, baby,” Jace whispers into my lips, kissing me deeply as the head of his cock pushes back inside my pussy.

I gasp, feeling like my body is on fire.

Cole’s hand grips my hip, positioning himself behind me, but my eyes spring open. My mouth tearing away from Jace’s as my head shifts toward the opening of our sheet fort.

“Did you hear that? Was that the—”

My eyes grow wide. And all the hands drop from my body.

Jace gently removes my leg as he sits up, mirroring Cole. They’re pulling on their pants as the sound rings again.

Holy hell.

“It’s the doorbell,” I say, almost angry.

Cole hands me his shirt. “Cover up, baby.”

It rings again. And this time, Reed and Alec wake up, hurrying their clothes on and kissing me before they join Cole and Jace at the door. But I’m still sitting in the tent, brows drawn together as I listen to Alec greet the Fire Chief.

I slide the shirt I’m holding over my head, inhaling the scent of Cole as I adjust it over my shoulders.

What the hell is wrong with me? It’s freaking Christmas Eve. And we’ve finally been saved. I can go home and be with my family. Sleep in my own bed. Shave my legs…and my…

I’ll be honest. I’ve been on borrowed time. My well-shorn lady bits were about to turn into a 1970s bush.

Still. I don’t move.

The sheets swish open, Alec’s face coming into view.

“You’re clear. Come on.”

He holds out his hand for me to take, and I do, letting him help me out. But as soon as I’m exposed, four sets of eyes stare down at me, unspeaking.

I swallow, already knowing the answer to my question.

“I take it we’ve been sprung from snow jail?”

Alec clears his throat. “It would seem so. The chief said they’ve finished most of the mountain.”

I’m nodding. But there’s more silence. My fingers find the hem of my shirt…I mean, Cole’s shirt that I’m borrowing because the weekend is officially over. I bite the inside of my cheek before I speak, hoping for a Hail Mary.

“But are the roads still icy?”

Cole shakes his head, cutting me off quickly. “No. It’s all good, Samantha. We can leave whenever we’d like. It’s our choice, now.”

“Oh.”

Right. Our choice…the one we agreed to for the time we were snowed in. God. This is so embarrassing. I must look like an idiot to them, like a lovesick puppy. This was for the weekend. And that’s officially over.

“Cool,” I breathe out, shooting off finger guns. Jesus, not this again. How could I regress this quickly back to the pre-fivesome me? Maybe because I just had Jace inside me and Cole on deck. And now I’m being ejected, tossed back into reality.

I’m walking backward away from them and the tent, unable to shut my horrendous diarrhea mouth.

“The timing is perfect, actually. Because you guys probably have stuff to do. And people to get back to—”

They’re not speaking, just watching me fumble my words. And I don’t stop.

“—I mean, let’s be real. One more day and my parents would’ve probably sent out an Amber Alert. Wanted proof of life. Next thing I know, I’d be on the side of milk cartons. Amiright?”

My legs hit the coffee table, causing me to squeal as my ass hits the top of it before I rebound back to standing.

“Sorry. I mean…the table doesn’t care. You probably don’t either. Jesus,” I breathe out, cheeks red as I smooth my hands over my errant hair.

Reed steps forward, followed by Jace, but I shake my head. “I’m fine. Totally good in the hood. Oh my god, I don’t know why I said that.”

I turn around, mouth dry, cheeks red, hearing Cole say my name. But all that comes out of my mouth is, “Do they even have missing kid pictures on the side of milk anymore? I’m kind of lactose intolerant, so I wouldn’t really know anyway.”

“Samantha,” he presses, forcing me to turn around.

Fuck me. They’re looking at me like they don’t know what to do with me. Fair, guys. Me neither.

“I’m gonna go…change out of this T-shirt…and then head home.” Someone stop me. “Because the storm is over.” Say something. “So there’s no real reason for me to stay.” Just say you want me to.

The last part of what I said hangs in the middle of the room until Cole’s eyes lock on mine.

“You can leave the shirt on the bed.”

I don’t stick around to answer. No, I power walk like a suburban fifty-something in the 1980s back to my fucking room and shut the door behind me.

I lift the phone I don’t even remember grabbing, swiping it open to text my sister.

Me: Good news. I’m free.

Elle: Ha. Free? Put me in your jail. Should I tell Mom to expect four more?

Me: No. The weekend’s over. And so are we.

Bubbles. Then nothing. Then bubbles again.

Elle: FaceTime?

Me: No. I’ll see you soon. Put two bottles in the chiller for me.

Elle: For just you?

Me: Yeah—blackout drunk seems like a real good idea.