Read Online From Winter's Ashes: Girl Next Door Crime Romance Series - Book Two by Amy Leigh Simpson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amy Leigh Simpson
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asked for it.
Finn was trapped. Over the course of the evening he’d taunted Joselyn, gambling with her obvious disdain for him, knowing it was a sure thing. He never imagined she’d fold.
But he’d miscalculated. And now he was trapped. Literally ensnared in Joselyn’s web when she’d fallen asleep, nestled under his arm.
Okay. So, it didn’t start out that way.
It started when she’d relented and picked option number two. The snuggling, Die Hard option. Only, it wasn’t much like snuggling. More, Joselyn jabbing her elbow into his side as she leaned into him about an inch. Maybe that was what the ice princess deemed snuggling, and it was fine by him because he’d only been slightly serious about the options he’d presented. After all, if they had a prayer of pulling this thing off they needed to work on their believability. But now …
He looked down at Joselyn. His arm was draped around the back of the couch. Her bony shoulder and elbow had been the only points of contact during Die Hard 2 . But then she went and fell asleep, and in doing so, she folded into him. Her head finding its way to the front of his shoulder, eyes fluttering gently with each steady breath.
It seemed harmless enough until she resettled and nuzzled closer. Her slender hand drew up and came to rest on his chest. One long, slender leg hooked around his thighs, making every inch of him from neck to knee her body pillow.
Something sparked along his nerve path. A sort of tingling awareness radiated from the cool touch of her spread palm. And it wasn’t the first time he’d felt it.
When she’d helped him off the ground he couldn’t seem to let go of her hand. It was as if a thousand volts zapped it in place.
And let’s not forget her seductive performance at the hospital and the brain-scrambling effect it had on him.
No, let’s.
He’d written it off as a fluke. Now, he was less sure.
When he attempted to wriggle loose she clamped on tighter. So he tried to find something else to watch. Tried to think of anything but the feel of her magnificent body wrapped around his. But every time he touched her, liquid fire squirmed beneath his skin. It was … disturbing. Wrong. And it didn’t make any sense.
He hated Joselyn. Feeling something for her would only further break what was already broken. The past couldn’t be undone, which meant they didn’t stand a chance.
Besides, Sadie was the real reason he’d volunteered for this ridiculous charade. Tonight was an important step. It took real courage to believe in second chances, and Finn would do anything, including snuggling up with the enemy, if it meant protecting his sister from any more heartache.
And, yeah, maybe he had something to prove to himself too. Maybe that’s why he’d volunteered. If he could keep this little nightmare safe, perhaps he’d quiet his too. But he had to stay focused, alert, tuned into every threat, every inconsequential detail. He wouldn’t fail at this. It was time to reclaim himself.
But even with that thought in his head, his eyes grew heavy, his head dipped, and something sweet filled his lungs. What was that? She smelled like … Christmas. For some hideous reason it drew him and he was the helpless passenger of a drive-by sniffing. Bending his neck, his mouth made contact with the silky softness of her lustrous hair. Mmm. He hummed under his breath. The aromatic blend of sugar and peppermint seduced his higher functioning until he was incapable of doing any more thinking.
And ironically, the last rational thought he recalled traipsing through his mind was that thinking was overrated.
Something thrashed against his chest, startling him from a rare, peaceful sleep. His eyes jolted open to find … Joselyn. On top of him. Her face pressed against his neck, fingers twisting the sides of his shirt, hips unnervingly aligned, and her whole body convulsing with hysterical tremors.
Taking more stock of the situation he noticed that their legs
Finn was trapped. Over the course of the evening he’d taunted Joselyn, gambling with her obvious disdain for him, knowing it was a sure thing. He never imagined she’d fold.
But he’d miscalculated. And now he was trapped. Literally ensnared in Joselyn’s web when she’d fallen asleep, nestled under his arm.
Okay. So, it didn’t start out that way.
It started when she’d relented and picked option number two. The snuggling, Die Hard option. Only, it wasn’t much like snuggling. More, Joselyn jabbing her elbow into his side as she leaned into him about an inch. Maybe that was what the ice princess deemed snuggling, and it was fine by him because he’d only been slightly serious about the options he’d presented. After all, if they had a prayer of pulling this thing off they needed to work on their believability. But now …
He looked down at Joselyn. His arm was draped around the back of the couch. Her bony shoulder and elbow had been the only points of contact during Die Hard 2 . But then she went and fell asleep, and in doing so, she folded into him. Her head finding its way to the front of his shoulder, eyes fluttering gently with each steady breath.
It seemed harmless enough until she resettled and nuzzled closer. Her slender hand drew up and came to rest on his chest. One long, slender leg hooked around his thighs, making every inch of him from neck to knee her body pillow.
Something sparked along his nerve path. A sort of tingling awareness radiated from the cool touch of her spread palm. And it wasn’t the first time he’d felt it.
When she’d helped him off the ground he couldn’t seem to let go of her hand. It was as if a thousand volts zapped it in place.
And let’s not forget her seductive performance at the hospital and the brain-scrambling effect it had on him.
No, let’s.
He’d written it off as a fluke. Now, he was less sure.
When he attempted to wriggle loose she clamped on tighter. So he tried to find something else to watch. Tried to think of anything but the feel of her magnificent body wrapped around his. But every time he touched her, liquid fire squirmed beneath his skin. It was … disturbing. Wrong. And it didn’t make any sense.
He hated Joselyn. Feeling something for her would only further break what was already broken. The past couldn’t be undone, which meant they didn’t stand a chance.
Besides, Sadie was the real reason he’d volunteered for this ridiculous charade. Tonight was an important step. It took real courage to believe in second chances, and Finn would do anything, including snuggling up with the enemy, if it meant protecting his sister from any more heartache.
And, yeah, maybe he had something to prove to himself too. Maybe that’s why he’d volunteered. If he could keep this little nightmare safe, perhaps he’d quiet his too. But he had to stay focused, alert, tuned into every threat, every inconsequential detail. He wouldn’t fail at this. It was time to reclaim himself.
But even with that thought in his head, his eyes grew heavy, his head dipped, and something sweet filled his lungs. What was that? She smelled like … Christmas. For some hideous reason it drew him and he was the helpless passenger of a drive-by sniffing. Bending his neck, his mouth made contact with the silky softness of her lustrous hair. Mmm. He hummed under his breath. The aromatic blend of sugar and peppermint seduced his higher functioning until he was incapable of doing any more thinking.
And ironically, the last rational thought he recalled traipsing through his mind was that thinking was overrated.
Something thrashed against his chest, startling him from a rare, peaceful sleep. His eyes jolted open to find … Joselyn. On top of him. Her face pressed against his neck, fingers twisting the sides of his shirt, hips unnervingly aligned, and her whole body convulsing with hysterical tremors.
Taking more stock of the situation he noticed that their legs
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