Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Pierce

I sit in the back of the cab as a light sprinkling of snow starts to come down. I really hope it doesn’t delay my flight. I don’t hate Christmas, but it’s not my favorite time of year either. It only serves as a reminder of what is missing in my life.

Which brings my thoughts back to Brynn. Not that she’s been far from my mind since our meeting last night. And then again earlier today.

I see now why we were at the same hotel with rooms next to each other. The reservations for us were probably made at the same time when Mancini Advertising booked our trips for the interviews. I looked like an idiot when I ended my interview with Enzo Mancini and stood there slack-jawed, staring at Brynn. It wasn’t my finest moment.

Of course, I knew there would be other interviewees, that I wasn’t the only person Mancini Advertising had reached out to. News traveled fast after I left my professor position at the university. It would be nice to be close to my cousin again—I’ve missed him over the years. Which is one of the reasons why I said I would spend the holidays with him this year since I was already in America.

Brynn Russell.

There she is again, sneaking into my thoughts. She seems so different, but not at the same time.

As the snowflakes melt on the windshield, and I watch the people walking along the sidewalk, my mind goes back to that first night we met.

My mate noticed her first, and he still argues to this day that I stole her from him. He’s probably right, but I don’t care. She was worth the last six years of razzing from him, even if I only had her for such a short time.

She went so willingly to the table after I asked her to join me for a more private conversation.

Her infectious laugh, the way her body swayed closer to mine to hear me better after the pub got busier is still crystal clear in my memory, as is the ease and trust she had when I asked her to go for a walk and let me show her what I loved about London.

At first, we were walking six inches apart, but the distance shortened as the minutes turned to hours. When I finally took my hand out of my pocket and slipped it into hers with the excuse of guiding her away from a family coming toward us, she never said anything when I didn’t release it.

She talked about her family, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t jealous someone else had it so good but, instead, glad that she had them since they clearly meant a lot to her.

It started to sprinkle, but we continued our walk. I’m pretty sure she didn’t want the night to end as much as I did. When the rain really came down, I pulled her under the small awning of a store.

Our bodies were pressed together, and when she laughed, I looked down at her, admiring her beauty. She was so damn beautiful, I didn’t understand why she’d accepted my invitation in the first place. She was completely out of my league.

Her eyes locked with mine, and her laughter died. We were tucked away, sheltered from the sheets of rain coming down around us. I took my chance and lowered my head, hoping like hell I wasn’t alone in this thing between us. I had never felt a connection with someone so quickly or so strong.

Her tongue slid across her lips, and I stopped an inch away.

“This okay?”

She nodded, fisting my jacket in both her hands, tugging me the rest of the way to her mouth.

I stepped into her, my hands cradling the sides of her head, my thumbs running along her cheeks. She slid her tongue into my mouth first, but I deepened our kiss while the thrill of exhilaration raced through my veins. Finally, I knew what she tasted like, and I only wanted more. It wasn’t enough.

I pressed my body against hers and slid my thigh between her legs. She ground against me and reached around my neck, her fingers running through my hair and up the back of my head. The sound of the raindrops pattering to the ground fell into the background, replaced by the sounds of our heavy breathing and moans.

I stripped my mouth off hers, and my lips fell to her jaw. “Come home with me,” I said in way too desperate of a voice.

Her body stiffened under my hands. “I…”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” It took every ounce of my willpower to step away from her, giving her space. Why would she come home with me? She didn’t even know me.

She stumbled forward from the abruptness of my movement but straightened quickly. “It’s just, I don’t…I mean, I don’t know you and…I want to, though.”

I took her declaration as an opening to maybe. I knew I was a good guy, that she could trust me, but she didn’t know that. Taking her hand, I flipped it palm up, dug into my pocket, and put my wallet in it. “Go ahead. Take a picture of my license, send it to your mum.”

“We’re not involving my mom in this.” She giggled, then stared at the closed wallet.

I watched her tits rise and fall with her deep breaths. I waited, leaning against the brick wall across from her. I was antsy, and for the first time in a long time, I thought maybe I wasn’t going to get what I wanted. That I’d be the polite guy, walk her home, and hopefully if I was lucky, we’d exchange numbers. Maybe I’d get the chance later on to woo her. I was willing to wait as long as she needed. I just didn’t want that night to be the only time I saw her.

Her gaze floated up to mine, and the corners of her lips tipped into a smile I hadn’t seen from her yet. She cupped my wallet and held it out for me to take back. “You should know that one of my brothers is an army ranger and can hunt you down while you’re sleeping and cut off your balls.”

Taking my chances, I stepped back into her space. “Noted.”

She rose up on her tiptoes, but I snaked my arm around her waist, pulling her into me. My lips fell to hers because I needed another fix, and she met my tongue stroke for stroke.

She closed the kiss and drew back. “I thought you were taking me to your place.”

“I want to, but I’m having a hard time stopping myself from kissing you.”

She giggled and pressed her lips to mine. I looked lame in my attempt to keep on kissing her when she stepped out into the rain and onto the sidewalk. “Easy fix. You can’t kiss me until I’m in your apartment.”

The rain made her long chestnut strands darken and stick to the side of her face. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, letting the droplets rain down on her face.

At that moment, I knew she was one of those people who might come in and out of my life but would never truly leave me. That I’d remember that moment until my dying breath.

I stepped out of the alcove and took her hand, flagging down a hackney.

Fifteen minutes later, I finally had her in my place, and I wasted no time pressing her back to the door and devouring her mouth once again.

The memory comes to an abrupt halt when the Uber parks along the curb at my cousin’s brownstone. There’s a wreath on not only the front door, but on every window, and it makes me think I have the wrong place. Garland is woven through the black wrought-iron railings that lead up to the door. And are those fake reindeer at the base of the stairs? As an adult, he’s never been that into Christmas, especially after what happened to him all those years ago.

I step out, and the driver retrieves my suitcase from the boot.

Walking up the steps, I spot elf figurines on the other side of the door and the welcome mat reads “Merry Christmas from the Wainwrights” with their names on stockings. So I suppose I am in the right place.

I press the doorbell, and “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey plays.

How clever.

My cousin opens the door. “Pierce,” he says with a smile.

Behind him, all I see are more Christmas decorations.

“Are you sure I’m at the right house? It looks like Christmas threw up around here.”

He chuckles and steps aside, inviting me in. “Yeah, well… things change. Come in and tell me about the interview.”

I wheel in my suitcase and leave it by the door. I can tell one thing for sure—my cousin has built a home with his wife. I push aside the envy quickly taking me over so I might enjoy my time here rather than focusing on what I don’t have. But damn it all to hell if Brynn hasn’t made all that hope resurface.