Chapter 2

Trevor.

I was trying my absolute best to ignore all the noise my cousin was making as she drove us home. How she honestly managed to harbor so much energy in such a small body never failed to baffle me.

Looking out the car window, I let my thoughts wander, eager to get my jet-lagged body into a nice, hot relaxing shower and warm bed.

"Are we almost there?" I asked Reese for what seemed to be the millionth time.

"Quit being such a three year old, Trev. We'd be there soon." She replied, not taking her eyes off the road.

Oh well. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the seat, taking deep breaths to calm the dull throbbing building up in my temples.

"We're here!" Reese's shrill voice called out not too long after, and I opened my eyes to see a rather posh looking apartment building in front of us.

“Fancy.” I teased with a quirk of my eyebrow.

"Papa just wanted to make sure I was happy." She said with a shrug, killing the car engine. Watching as she grabbed her shopping bags out of the trunk, I offered to help.

"Nah, I'm good." She said, leading the way into the building. She nodded at the guy in the lobby as we walked towards the elevator. We got in and she pushed the button for her floor. I just clutched my luggage tighter, the promise of rest getting increasingly tempting with each increase of the number.

"Amber baby! We're back!" She shouted the moment the elevator stopped, not even waiting for the doors to open completely before bolting out towards a particular door.

"Reese!" The door clicked as someone opened it from the inside. "Hope you didn't forget any ingredients?"

She walked in and continued to talk to the person in the apartment, abandoning me in the hallway. I only stood there stunned for a few moments before shaking my head and walking into the apartment.

Well, damn.

I totally did not expect the sight that greeted me the moment I walked in. I saw my cousin laughing with a girl—scratch that, a goddess. She was kind of tall, taller than my cousin, obviously. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and her pale skin seemed to glow in the sunlight.

I watched her big, round eyes widen imperceptibly as she noticed me, immediately doing a full sweep of me as I took my coat off, making sure to flex as much as I could without making it obvious. I couldn't complain about her scrutiny though, I was doing exactly the same.

The oversized hoodie she was wearing covered up most of her, so I couldn't really check her out, much to my dissatisfaction. However, I was satisfied with just looking at her face for now.

"Amber,” she said, extending her hand for a shake, “it's nice to meet you."

“Likewise.” I replied, taking her hand and biting back a groan at how perfectly her hand fit in mine.

“Your cousin's hot, Reese.” She whispered, but loud enough that I could still hear her. I chuckled a bit at that, and noticed with amusement as color spread up her neck in embarrassment that I heard her.

Walking across the living room, I appreciated the decor and how meticulously everything had been picked out. The string lights and somewhat decorated Christmas tree at one corner added a nice touch of holiday charm, so it definitely looked comfortable enough to be home for the next few weeks.

Which was wonderful, because I really needed the change of scenery after everything.

I went through the corner door I saw, assuming correctly that it led to the bedrooms. Marveling at the sheer size of the apartment, I picked a door and opened it to reveal a spacious bedroom, decorated in neutral shades. I dumped my stuff on the queen-sized bed, passing the window with a good view of the city skyline and headed straight for the very nice bathroom, complete with a giant tub and glass-walled shower.

“Sweet.” I muttered to myself as I turned on the shower, steam filling the room almost instantly.

I took my clothes off and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over my aching muscles. After a few minutes, I got out and grabbed a towel before wrapping it around my waist and leaving the bathroom.

Rummaging through my stuff for something to wear, I decided on a white t-shirt and black shorts, taking full advantage of the apartment's indoor heating. I walked out, hair still damp, towards the living area. The apartment smelled incredible—garlic, ginger and sizzling pork, and a faint note of cinnamon.

Amber was perched at the breakfast bar, chin in her hand, chatting with Reese. She turned when I approached, and her gaze dropped to my arms, then lower, before snapping back up.

“Hey,” she said, a little breathless.

“Hey back.” My eyes went straight to her full lips. Fuck, they looked soft.

“Hope you’re not too jet-lagged?”

“A little.” I slid onto the stool beside her, close enough that our knees brushed. “But nothing a hot shower and a nice bed can’t fix.” I let my voice drop, dragging my gaze slowly down her body before meeting her eyes again.

Her pupils dilated, and a deep blush crawled up her neck and across her cheeks. She turned away fast, but not before I caught the way her breath hitched.

My mind immediately supplied a much better use for that blush—her skin flushed for entirely different reasons, my mouth on her throat, her legs wrapped around me while Christmas lights flickered in the background.

Her laugh pulled me back to reality. Light, a little nervous, and way too sexy.

This was going to be a very long, very tempting Christmas.

Fuck.