Hot & Heavy Halloween (Hot Holidays Book 1) Read online

  Tom was Nicole’s high school boyfriend. He cheated on her as soon as she went away to college. Every now and then, she liked me to put him down, especially when I was being dominant. It was like cuckolding a guy who no longer existed in her life. She found it hot. I didn’t. He’d been out of her life for years. Why keep bringing him up?

  “Sure,” I said, my interest in our game starting to wane. This had happened more than once—starting out hot and heavy and then slipping out of my grasp, leaving both of us unsatisfied. But there were only a few medical programs in the country Nicole had been accepted to, and all were at least three hundred miles away, so until she finished her coursework at Eastern University and completed her residency, this would have to do.

  “What now?” she prompted.

  “Stick a finger into that hot hole of yours,” I said.

  Nicole’s pussy was slick. I was relieved because it often took quite some time to get her wet. Once in a while, I wondered how long it had taken Tom. I pushed this thought aside, seeing Nicole in all her splendor as a quiver went through her body when she felt the finger slide inside her. She pushed the digit deep into her pussy.

  “Now, move it back to your clit,” I whispered.

  This time Nicole was more forceful, rubbing hard at her clit. Oh damn, she really needed this, I thought. She’s been stressed, and so have I. She needs this more than me.

  “Think about that sensation,” I said, again holding off touching myself. “That’s me, licking your clit so hard, you come in my mouth.”

  A moan escaped Nicole’s lips. “Oh, Liam!” she cried out once before a wave of wetness gushed from her pussy.

  I waited until her orgasm overtook her entire body. Then, I groaned, “I love it when you say my name. Now, take a breath, and then, you tell me what to do.”

  “Oh, my gosh, I wish I could, babe,” Nicole ripped the wig from her head, destroying the fantasy. “But I lost track of time, getting changed and everything. I have to go. Study group is in ten minutes, and then there’s the party later, so I won’t be able to call again.”

  “Wait. Seriously? You’re just going to leave me like this?” I pointed to the thick pole still jutting out in her direction.

  She licked her lips. “I wish I could help, but Marty and Sara are coming over in like five minutes and I don’t want to be caught in the middle—”

  Her words cut off as a knock sounded on her door. “That’s probably them now. Shit!” she swore. I didn’t mind swearing, but when it came from Nicole’s mouth, I always found it annoying. She rarely talked dirty in bed, even when I asked. But in life, Nicole got stressed out over every little thing, and then, she had a mouth like a trucker.

  “Shit!” she repeated. “I’m coming,” she called to her friends. “Just have to get changed.”

  “I wish I was coming,” I said.

  “I know, baby. Sorry.” She snapped the computer shut, and I was left staring at a blank screen, wondering whether I should take care of myself or forget the whole thing.

  Fifteen minutes later, I emerged into the living room, where my roommate Oliver was still playing videogames. “She leave you with blue balls again?” Oliver’s eyes didn’t move from the screen.

  “Yeah,” I admitted.

  “Gotta dump that chick, man. What’s she got, like, two years of school left?”

  “Two years of classes, and then three to five years of residency.” I plopped down on the couch next to him.

  In an unprecedented move, Oliver actually paused the game and put the controller down. “You cannot go through seven more years of this, man.”

  “I know.” I ran my hands through my hair. “But I love her.”

  He shook his head, picking the controller back up. “You did love her. Maybe. Now, she’s just a hot face on a computer screen. You might as well be watching porn. You guys talk for what, like twenty minutes. Then, you spend the rest trying to pretend like you’re screwing, when we both know you haven’t seen each other in person or slept together since July, and you won’t be together again until….”

  “Thanksgiving,” I sighed.

  “Exactly. Four months with zero meaningful contact. And then her family’s there and your family’s there, and you’ll barely have any alone time together. How many times have you slept together in the past year?”

  “Since she went away for school?” I had to think about it. The fact that I could count was problematic in and of itself. “Not counting the summer?”

  “Counting the summer,” Oliver said.

  Damn. “Twice at Thanksgiving, once at Christmas, once over Spring Break, and five times over the summer.”

  “Nine times in a year. That’s it. Nine.”

  “And the stuff online,” I grumbled.

  “Doesn’t count. She was in town most of the summer. The fact you only had sex five times from May to July is ridiculous.” Oliver leaned in toward the screen. I wished he could have given me even ten minutes of his undivided attention. This was my life we were talking about—three years of my life. I couldn’t just throw all that away on a whim.

  “You don’t even have a girlfriend,” I countered.

  “And yet, I have the freedom to find one or hook up with anyone I like at Becca’s tonight.”

  “Becca’s,” I huffed. I stood up and moved to the kitchen.

  “Just because you had a bad time last year doesn’t mean it’ll happen again this year,” Oliver said. “Aw, man. I just lost my last life!”

  Good. I thought, meanly. I smiled, grabbing the kale and spinach from the fridge.

  Oliver came over to join me. “I can’t believe you’re going to drink those.” He pointed at the vegetables as if they were poison.

  “It’s part of the program. Juice twice a day. Lean protein three times a day. How do you think I got these?” I pointed to my abs.

  My chubbier roommate rolled his eyes. “The fire department doesn’t need you to have rock-hard abs, Liam. They just need you to--"

  “Climb flights of stairs wearing heavy equipment, drag hoses, raise and extend ladders, bust open doors, and rescue people, which means picking up and carrying out anyone trapped inside, no matter what their weight,” I finished for him.

  In an act of defiance no one cared about, Oliver grabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard. “Living with a hero sucks.”

  I laughed. “I’m not a hero… at least not yet.”

  “Yeah, but you will be.”

  “And you’re a millionaire. Who cares? We all have our strengths,” I said.

  Oliver grimaced. He hated when I talked about money. “A bit more than a millionaire, but who’s counting?” He popped a handful of chips into his mouth, but didn’t stop talking. “You know what? Don’t break up with Nikki.”

  “She hates being called that.”

  “I know. It’s so weird.”

  “Anyway, why the sudden change of heart?” I pressed the spinach through the juicer.

  “Because…” Oliver munched away. “If you’re single, that means I have to compete with a Superman with abs of steel. If you’re taken, I might actually stand a chance of finding someone tonight… someone who doesn’t know about my bank account.”

  I rolled my eyes and took a swig of the green stuff, which I was trying to convince myself I enjoyed. “Oliver, you’re not a bad looking guy. And, you’re a tech genius who’s sold at least three apps.”

  “Five,” Oliver corrected me.

  “You should hire Jim. That guy is an amazing personal trainer. Look what he’s done with me in just three years.”

  “Maybe,” he said with a look on his face that promised he’d never do it.

  “Oliver, to be honest, I think your biggest problem is you’re just a little lazy.”

  “I’m not lazy. I’m bored,” Oliver retorted. “I made enough money to quit that awful IT job, and now I don’t know what to do with myself.”

  I laughed. I still worked part time at SeeTech Industries, in the IT job where O
liver and I met. It paid the bills while I finished the firefighter program. Until I did, the firefighter/EMT gig was strictly on a volunteer basis. “It’s not a horrible problem to have, you know,” I reminded him.

  “It is. My life feels pointless sometimes.”

  “Well, if it helps any, you may be right about Nicole. Our relationship feels just as pointless.” I slugged down the rest of the juice.

  “Because of the—"

  “No. It’s not the sex. Well, at least, not just the sex. It’s like you said. We talk for fifteen or twenty minutes, and that’s it. It’s not like when we were in school together, going to classes, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the cafeteria. We shared a life back then.”

  Oliver munched away, considering. I was starting to envy that bag of potato chips. I hadn’t had any carbs in two weeks. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. Oliver’s grey eyes met mine as he grew more serious. “Liam, have you talked about moving?”

  “We talked about it. But my job is here.” I shrugged.

  “You can train to be a firefighter in any town, though.”

  “And my family is here, and my friends. And Nicole’s family, too. I’m not going to uproot my life when her long-term plan is to move back after med school.”

  “Then, you’re going to have to cut the cord,” he said.

  “And dump the smartest, hottest girl I’ve ever dated?” I asked.

  “You forgot kindest and sweetest,” he countered.

  I ignored this. Nicole was ambitious. She wasn’t the type to make a guy breakfast in the morning or hang around the house all day baking cookies. But, her ambition was one of the things I liked about her… at least, when we were in college, that had been true. Thinking about it now, I didn’t like the way she talked about her classmates. Always things like, “Marissa couldn’t even answer a simple anatomy question today” and “James said the dumbest thing in study group.”

  “So, Becca’s party?” Oliver brought me out of my thoughts.

  “She got drunk and barfed all over my costume last year,” I reminded him.

  “That is true,” Oliver said. “But, I kissed a sexy nurse during Spin the Bottle, and I got to second base with a sexy cop in the closet.”

  “I can’t believe she still plays those games.” I stole a potato chip.

  “I saw that,” he laughed. “Come on, Liam. The games are fun. The girls are hot. And I already bought a costume.”

  “I didn’t.” I took another chip.

  “Slap on your helmet.”

  “And go as a sexy fireman?” I smirked.

  Oliver chuckled. “If you have a big enough ego to call yourself that, I guess I can’t stop you.”

  Katie

  When we walked into the costume shop, we were greeted with a warm, “Emma! So glad to see you again. Are you here for the wigs this time, or the prosthetics?”

  “Ooh, or the electronics,” another voice sounded from the back. “Remember last time? Those motorized articulated wings were awesome!”

  Amber and I turned to Emma and gaped. Her face grew pink with embarrassment.

  “Come here often?” I asked.

  The manager, a big burly man wearing what looked like a pair of clown pants, stepped out from behind the counter. “She comes in at least once a week. Emma is one of our best customers.”

  “Do tell,” Amber quirked an eyebrow at her. “Do you have some extra-curricular activities we don’t know about?”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t picture my shy, ebony-haired friend hooking up and role playing with random guys. And I knew she didn’t have a boyfriend because she complained about being single nearly every day.

  Emma’s cheeks went from pink to crimson as if she knew what we were thinking. Before she could say anything, the manager slapped her on the back. “You mean you don’t know?” he chortled. “Emma here is a Cosplay queen! Builds all her own costumes—”

  “And wins nearly every time,” the assistant ran out from the storage room. “Hi, Emma.” He gave a shy, embarrassed wave.

  “Hey, Ethan.” Emma looked down at the floor. “We’re not here for Cosplay, today. Just a costume party.”

  “Something more low-key, then?” Ethan was kind of cute, in a geeky/nerdy way. And he was clearly interested in Emma. I wondered if she was just too timid to do anything about it.

  “Something very low-key,” I agreed. “I’m not much of a costume person.”

  “And I already have something at home,” Amber pushed herself forward toward Ethan. She looked annoyed. Probably because she was used to being the hottest girl in any room, and that meant she got the most attention. Today, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Okay,” Ethan said, clearly puzzled at Amber’s awkward flirting. He glanced away quickly and zeroed back in on Emma.

  “Looks like you have this taken care of, Ethan. I’m going to restock the makeup kits before the rush tonight. Halloween’s Wednesday, and every year it’s the same story. The store’s dead all month long. Then, every night this week, five o’clock comes around and every parent who forgot to get their kid a costume comes running in. Everyone waits until the last minute, even though we’re open just about every day of the year.” The manager left, shaking his head.

  “I might just get a pair of cat ears or something,” I told Ethan.

  “If you’re going to do that, you have to get a cute dress to go along with it,” Emma insisted. “And, Ethan, I was thinking about a Super Mario costume for myself.”

  “A sexy Super Mario?” Ethan looked a little too eager. I could see little beads of sweat forming on his pale forehead.

  “Umm…” Emma stammered, not knowing quite what to say.

  “Of course, she needs to be sexy,” Amber supplied for her. “I’m going as a sexy huntress. Katie, apparently, you’re going as a sexy cat. Very original.” She rolled her eyes. “And Emma will be a sexy Super Mario… though I can’t quite imagine what that would look like.”

  “Oh, people dress up as sexy video game characters all the time,” Ethan said. “Usually for Mario and Luigi, it’s something like thigh-high stockings, stilettos, a tight, short jumpsuit that looks like overalls, and a red or green crop-top.”

  He paused, considering. “But, you probably already have the stockings and shoes, right, Emma? And I know you don’t want to buy any premade costume from a bag.”

  Emma bit her lip, looking as if this whole trip was a big mistake. Finally, she found the courage to speak up. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I just need the jumpsuit. Or a dress. Nothing too tight though.” Her hand fluttered over her belly, self-consciously.

  “Same for me,” I said. I wasn’t as self-conscious as Emma, but I didn’t want to totally slut it up just because my boyfriend was out of town. Ben probably wouldn’t mind, but I didn’t need a ton of guys ogling me all night while I was just trying to have some fun with my friends.

  “No problem, Emma.” Ethan smiled. “I can’t promise the same for you, though.” He looked over to me. “The cat costumes were pretty popular this year, and all I’ve got are a few tight jumpsuits and maybe one or two micro-mini dresses… and some lingerie as outerwear, but I’m guessing that’s not what you’re looking for.”

  My stomach fluttered. Maybe I was not as comfortable with this whole thing as I thought. “How about the witch costumes?”

  “Same,” Ethan said. “We’ve got hats plenty, but just the ultra-slutty… sorry, I mean sexy stuff left. And a few plus-size dresses.”

  “That might work—” I started.

  “Absolutely not,” Amber cut me off. “I want a hot squad this year. Last year, you wore an ugly, pasty mask and a black cape that made you look three times your size.”

  “I was a vampire,” I protested.

  “And Becca nearly didn’t let us in,” she reminded me. This was true. Becca took her Halloween parties very seriously, despite the fact that last year, she had been going through a breakup and got so drunk she puked on one of he
r guests. She insisted that people come in costume—good costumes, too. Wearing just a mask or a bit of makeup was not going to cut it.

  Which was how I ended up standing in front of a full-length mirror wearing the tightest jumpsuit I’d ever seen. I looked at my reflection and shook my head. “No way. I am not going out in this. It shows every bump and curve I have.”

  “You look great!” Emma enthused. “Doesn’t she look great, Ethan?”

  Ethan pushed up his glasses and looked me up and down, appraisingly. Now, it was my cheeks that turned pink. “She needs the ears—fuzzy ones probably, and a matching tail.”

  “And boots.” Emma nodded. “Knee-high black ones. What are you, Katie? A size seven?”

  “Six and a half,” I said.

  “Ethan, go grab them from the back, and while you’re at it, can you get me a pair or red Mary Janes? I think my old ones got worn out at Comicon last month.”

  When Ethan ran to the back, I turned to Amber. “Amber, I can’t—”

  “You can. You will. Now, I promised you an hour, and it’s been an hour and a half. I have to do my make-up and my hair, and wax, and everything else.” She tapped her foot. “I’m not waiting around here for you to sigh and moan and eventually do what I want anyway.”

  “Fine,” I relented. “Emma, do you want to invite Ethan to the party? I know he’s busy today, but it probably won’t end until well after midnight. You could—”

  “No!” she practically yelled.

  “He clearly likes you. You’re single. He’s definitely single. What’s the problem?” Amber asked.

  “It’s a long story,” she whispered.

  “Well, if you won’t tell us, I’m going to ask him anyway,” Amber said.

  “My sister Abby dated him,” Emma rasped, her speech growing more and more rapid. “Ethan told me that he liked Abby, but was secretly in love with me. I told him it was never going to happen, seeing as how he was dating my sister, and I’m not a completely cold-hearted bitch.”

  She looked furtively between us and the doorway, as if afraid he would pop back in at any moment. “Instead of moving on or breaking up with Abby in a gentlemanly way, he dumped her, and said, ‘I hope you understand. I like you, but I feel like Emma is my soulmate. I hope we can still be friends.’”