CHAPTER 1
COLE
I swirledthe dark amber liquid around in my glass and checked the overhead monitor for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. Still delayed. I should have known better than to fly through Chicago in December. Actually, I should have known better than to fly anywhere a few days before Christmas, but the thought of spending another holiday alone made me book a last-minute flight to the Bahamas. If I was going to be miserable over the holidays, I’d much rather be miserable while sipping a cocktail on a white sandy beach.
The monitor flashed with an update. Dammit. My flight was now pushed back another two hours. I downed what little remained in my glass and set a few bills on the table. At least now I’d have enough time to head to the airport lounge. I grabbed my bag and made my way toward the throng of people bustling through the terminal.
I hadn’t planned on spending Christmas alone. My son, Ryan, was going to come back to LA for the holidayswith his girlfriend. I’d met Winter on several occasions and enjoyed spending time with her. Probably enjoyed it a little too much. The first time I met her, the curvy little minx took my breath away. Having the hots for my son’s girlfriend wasn’t an option, so I’d shut down the attraction and we’d forged a bit of a friendship.
She was good for Ryan—wise beyond her years with a contagious smile and an incredibly positive outlook on life—and I’d been expecting news of a proposal any day. Instead, he told me he’d broken up with her. Said she was too nice, too happy all the time, too trusting. I wanted to wring his neck, especially when he admitted he’d been seeing another woman behind her back and that was who he planned on bringing home. I told him not to bother. I’d tried to raise him to be a good man, and it hurt to watch him become everything I’d worked so hard to avoid.
Making my way through the crowd of pissed off travelers, I tightened my grip on my bag. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” blared from the speakers throughout the terminal, but the quiet relief of the private lounge was just up ahead. I was so focused on reaching those frosted sliding glass doors that I didn’t see the kid barreling toward me until he crashed into me and knocked my bag out of my hand. It toppled over, along with the kid.
“Hey, are you okay?” I held out a hand to help him back to his feet. He couldn’t be more than eight or nine and had those wheels on his shoes like the ones Ryan used to have.
He stood and popped the wheels back into his soles. “Sorry.”
“You might want to wait to skate until you get where you’re going,” I suggested. “Is your mom or dad around here somewhere?”
“Yeah, she’s in the bathroom with my sister.” The kid gestured over his shoulder.
Good, because a crowded airport wasn’t a safe place for a kid on his own. I picked up my bag and the start of a pounding headache thumped at the base of my skull. “Be more careful next time.”
The kid offered a half-grin. “I will. Happy Holidays.”
“Yeah, Happy Holidays,” I mumbled.
“Looks like someone’s lost the holiday spirit.” I recognized the husky tone before I even turned around to find Winter Fordham standing right in front of me. Barely five feet tall with the kind of curves that a man could get lost in for days, she smiled then awkwardly held out a hand. “Do we shake? Do we hug? I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed to greet my ex’s dad.”
My heart stopped beating as my eyes drank her in. Fuck, she looked good. Good enough to… hell, I wouldn’t let myself go there. She and Ryan might not be dating any more, but she was still too damn young and too damn good for me.
I held out my arms, eager to feel her pressed against me. “How about a hug?”
She wrapped her arms around me and nestled into my chest. “It’s good to see you, Cole.”
“Good to see you too, sweetheart.” I let myself linger a few beats too long, trying to soak in her scent, her touch, and the way she felt in my arms.
She pulled back first and gazed up at me, her eyes the same bright green as the festive holiday wreaths hanging around the terminal. “What are you doing in Chicago?”
“Just passing through on my way to the Bahamas.”
Her brows furrowed and the corners of her lips turned down. “Isn’t Ryan coming home for Christmas?”
“I’m not sure what his plans are. He mentioned coming home, but when I heard about how he treated you…” I glanced down, not sure how to convey my disappointment in how my son handled things between them.
She bit down on her bottom lip. The movement had me wondering what she might taste like if I crashed my mouth down on hers. I needed to get a fucking grip.
“It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Winter.” I reached out and squeezed her shoulder, hoping to offer a little comfort. Heat sizzled up my arm. There was no way to explain the depth of attraction I felt for the curvy brunette.
“It’s not your fault.” She shook her head. “All the signs were there for so long. I should have listened to my gut.”
I should have let it go at that, but I wasn’t ready to let her out of my sight. “How long of a layover do you have? The least I can do is buy you a drink.”
“I don’t think anyone’s leaving soon. I’m supposed to be on a flight to Austin, but it’s been delayed. Hopefully, this storm doesn’t shut down the whole airport.”
“Heading home for the holidays?” I asked.
