Free Winter Kisses (A 3:AM Kisses Novella Book 2) by Addison Moore

under a space heater outside the café.
    I give a little squeal and head on over.
    “Look who decided to roll out of bed?” Baya pulls up a seat for me as I join them. It’s freezing out, after all it is December and the threat of a serious storm is hovering above us.
    Baya slides over my bag. I pluck my phone out and clutch it like a missing child. There’s a text from Mom.
    Christmas Eve, my house. Don’t bring the twerp.
    I slip the phone back into my purse, lest Roxy see that my mother has resumed the name-calling.
    My mother never was one to mince words. I have a feeling even if Ryder and I never split, she still wouldn’t approve of him. She’s made a hobby of nitpicking at my life decisions ever since I quit working for her dance studio years ago. Izzy is still there. But, then, if she praised me like she does Izzy, I’d probably still be there too.
    “So?” Roxy stirs her coffee before plucking out the svelte red straw. “Did you roll out of bed alone ?”
    “Of course, she didn’t.” Baya plucks at my pillowy sleeve. “It’s obvious we’re witness to the walk of shame.”
    “Is this true?” Roxy wants to hear it straight from my lips.
    Of course, Baya is much quicker to believe me. She doesn’t know all the gory details of what happened last year, and Roxy, unfortunately, does.
    “It’s true. But we didn’t quite go all the way.” I throw in that last part in a weak attempt to save face. After all, I did threaten to slit my own throat should I ever find myself horizontal with Roxy’s brother again.
    I shoot a quick glance out at campus as a heat wave from last night’s lovemaking rolls through me. I can still feel his tongue lashing me in places I’ve only dreamed of for the entire solid year.
    “Told you.” Roxy jabs her straw at Baya. “They’re not like the rest of us. They’ve got some serious underlying issues they can’t get past.” She shakes her head as if she’s glad she’s not me, and she should be.
    “We tried to go all the way, but we were lacking in the protection arena. You know what they say, especially in December, wrap your member . We’d like to hold off on the breeding until sometime after graduation.”
    “You’re back together?” Roxy’s mouth falls open, and she’s quick to slap her hand over it.
    “No.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I mean, yes. We still have some kinks to work out, but I think maybe this time we can get there.”
    “That’s great!” Baya pulls me into a spontaneous hug. “I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to meet him. He seems like a really nice guy from what I can tell.”
    “Ryder is the best.” Roxy presses her lips together like she might cry. “So, these kinks…do they involve my mother?” Roxy knows full well they do.
    “I’m sorry.” I glide my hand over her arm. “But things have to change, or I just can’t be a part of Ryder’s life.”
    She glances down at the table, mournful as to what it might mean.
    “Look”—my heart starts racing, and it feels like I’m right back at that party last Christmas Eve—“she doesn’t have to like me. She doesn’t even have to acknowledge my presence when we’re in the same room. But if I’m going to be with your brother, I need her to respect that and not throw other girls at him. And, if I had my way, she wouldn’t badmouth me either.”
    “I guess that won’t be a problem now.” Roxy pulls her sweater over her fingers and shudders at the idea.
    Roxy and I let the silence bleed in and as we gaze morbidly at one another. We both know Ryder made some veiled threats about cutting his family out of his life if we ever got back together. He made them last year and hinted at it again this morning.
    “What’s going on?” Baya waves her hand over our faces like she’s trying to pull us out of a trance.
    “Nothing’s going on.” I let out a sigh, and a plume of fog expires from me. “I’m not trying to destroy your family, Roxy. I promise you. That’s