Straight Up [Frostbite Falls Christmas 4] Read online

  Frostbite Falls Christmas 4

  Straight Up

  Victoria Willis always gets what she wants. Everything except Sam and Trevor Sullivan. After an explosive night under the Fourth of July fireworks, they've done everything they can to avoid her. But in Frostbite Falls you can't escape Victoria forever. Especially when she has a plan. Which she most certainly does, for this year's Christmas ball.

  Sam and Trevor Sullivan moved to Frostbite Falls six months ago to take over their uncle's feed store after their own business failed. They can't afford to have anything get between them and success this time, even Vic Willis. No matter how sweetly she comes apart beneath them.

  But when Victoria propositions them at the ball, they can't deny her. Which ends just as explosively as that Fourth of July night. There is no denying the pull between them, but can the amazing Victoria Willis settle for two screw ups like them? Or are they doomed to fail her, just like they have everything else?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 31,461 words

  STRAIGHT UP

  Frostbite Falls Christmas 4

  Willa Edwards

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  STRAIGHT UP

  Copyright © 2017 by Willa Edwards

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-883-7

  First Publication: December 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  For all the planners out there—especially the party planners—this holiday season wouldn’t be the same without you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Willa Edwards has dreamed about being a writer since she was four years old. When she picked up her first romance novel at fifteen she knew she’d found her place and she’s never looked back.

  She now lives in New York, where she works with numbers at her Evil Day Job and spends her nights writing red-hot tales of erotic romance. When she's not at her computer, you can usually find her curled up in bed with her furry baby, her nose pressed to her e-reader.

  Willa loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her at [email protected] or visit her on the web find out more about her current projects at www.willaedwards.com.

  For all titles by Willa Edwards, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/willa-edwards

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Landmarks

  Cover

  STRAIGHT UP

  Frostbite Falls Christmas 4

  WILLA EDWARDS

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Victoria leaned back to look at her cousin. Besides the scowl on her face and her arms crossed over her chest, she looked gorgeous. Riley’s long blonde hair lay in soft waves down her back. Her eyes looked twice as blue with the dark eyeliner and bright shadow. The gold dress fit her like a glove. Even Victoria was proud of what she’d accomplished with the raw materials before her.

  She’d done a lot of makeovers over the years, but transforming her tomboy cousin into a bombshell might be her crowning achievement. Riley was going to set those boys of hers on fire. As long as her two best friends had dicks, no way one of them wouldn’t make a move today.

  She glanced over at Grace and Lydia through the floor-length mirror. They both looked just as gorgeous as Riley—without anywhere near as much intervention needed from her. A comment here or a request there and the two of them had come to the party in perfect form.

  Lydia’s gorgeous body was detailed in the skin-hugging red dress, setting off her deep green eyes. With those model good looks of hers and her sweet demeanor, no man in Frostbite Falls wouldn’t be falling at her feet. Grace had even provided a little help with her nudging—though Grace had no idea she’d been playing right into Victoria’s plan—but with only a few words the wheels were turning in Lydia’s mind. All she had to do was point Lydia in the direction of the bar, and she’d spend the whole night with some guy, or more than one, hanging off her. Maybe she’d even get lucky and one would take her home.

  Victoria had no idea who Grace had been texting earlier this evening, but she’d seen that twinkle in Grace’s eye. There was definitely someone special out there. Victoria had been friends with Grace most of their lives. She knew that secretive sly smile that curled her lips when she looked at those texts. It only surprised her that Grace hadn’t revealed her mystery man.

  Grace wasn’t a big secret keeper. Not just from her but from everyone. Grace wore her heart on her sleeve, which made them an odd but compatible pair.

  But Victoria would find out soon enough. With how Grace looked in that curve-hugging green halter—that Victoria had convinced her to buy—there was no way whoever she was texting would be able to keep his hands to himself.

  Her plan was falling into place better than she’d anticipated. The three of them looked drop-dead gorgeous tonight. The men of Frostbite Falls would be stepping over themselves to dance with them. They’d be so busy fighting off advances from every man in their vicinity to notice anything else going on at the party.

  Which was just what Victoria needed.

  “There’s something missing.” Victoria used the same accessing eyes she did when picking items for her store when staring at her cousin. Riley looked gorgeous, there was no denying that, but still… “It doesn’t look complete.”

  Riley only crossed her arms tighter around her chest at the declaration, though they both knew she wouldn’t stop Victoria now. Not after she’d gotten this far. And Victoria had held up her end of their deal. She’d promised to not to fix Riley up on another blind date, if Riley allowed her to dress her up for the event. Riley couldn’t fight too hard when she’d agreed to this arrangement. And Victoria followed her word. She definitely wasn’t fixing her up this year. She’d gone another direction instead.

  Victoria turned around, looking back over the bed and the array of shoes across the surface. Half of her store’s inventory was in the room tonight. There had to be something here that would look amazing with Riley’s dress.

  Riley would no doubt prefer something simple, like a plain black pump, but that wasn’t Victoria’s goal tonight. Tonight she wanted her cousin to sparkle. She wanted all the girls to be flashy tonight, so flashy no one would be able to look away from them. Especiall
y the men of Frostbite Falls. And she saw just the right pair that would make every inch of Riley twinkle.

  “These.” Victoria extracted a pair of shoes from the pile on the bed, holding them out before Riley. “You have to wear these. They’ll bring the whole look together.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The outrage in Riley’s voice as she stared at the silver shoes bordered on funny. She fought everything Victoria offered tooth and nail, but god only knew why. They both knew who would win in the end.

  “What? They’ll look perfect with that dress.” Not to mention the combination of gold and silver would make it impossible to miss her. No slinking into the corner this year. Not if Victoria’s plan was to work. The three-inch heels would also make her legs look a hundred feet long. And Victoria had a feeling one leg-man in particular wouldn’t be able to look away from her in those shoes.

  “So will my black flats. They’d go with anything.”

  Victoria only rolled her eyes. “You can’t wear those ratty old things with that dress.” Those shoes had comfort written all over them. Comfortable, common, everyday. That was not the message she wanted Riley sending. She’d never catch either of her boys’ eyes with those shoes. All they’d ever seen her in was everyday comfortable clothes. If there was any way they’d make a move tonight, it wouldn’t be because she looked comfortable.

  “That dress is gorgeous. You look fantastic. The shoes have to match.”

  Victoria placed the heels against Riley’s hip, showing the contrast between the shoes and the dress. “See, they look fantastic together.” The perfect combination of flash and class, the glitter of each sparkled off the other nicely.

  Riley just needed to trust her. Victoria didn’t know much about ranching or riding a horse like her cousin. But she knew how to dress women so they looked fantastic, and Riley was no exception.

  Riley glanced up at her, staring at the shoes against her dress. With a sigh, she relented. “Fine, I’ll wear the shoes. This time.”

  Victoria smiled and piled the pumps at her cousin’s feet. Sure, she would. Just like every time before. When Victoria wanted something, very few people stood in her way. Even Riley. Maybe she’d get there one day. After all, she was a Willis, too. The determination of the Willis family was known through the whole county. Especially when it came to something they loved.

  Victoria was just ahead of Riley in her training. She’d learned at the feet of the master. No one could beat her father, the mayor, when it came to his steely gaze. Not even Victoria.

  “Now what do you think we should do with your hair?”

  Riley clutched at the blond strands, almost like she expected Victoria to yank it out by the roots, when the opposite was true. Her long locks, were one of Riley’s best features. For once, Riley’s lack of attention worked in her favor. Her hair had a natural softness that Victoria envied. The length would bother most women, but since Riley kept it hidden under a hat all day, she didn’t mind it.

  It was a crying shame. Those soft golden curls deserved to see the light of day more.

  “I think it’s fine like this.” Victoria fought back a laugh at the little screech in Riley’s voice. Once she got one of those boys wrapped around her, she wouldn’t mind Victoria’s tactics so much. She should have done this ages ago, then maybe she wouldn’t have to spend so much time fighting with her cousin.

  “I think you’re right.” Her hair did look gorgeous down her back in the soft flowing curls that any man would fantasize about, spreading across his pillow, his bed, his thighs. Exactly the kind of thoughts she wanted Riley to instill in her friends—or any man who might catch her eye. It didn’t matter if it was Jasper and Logan that attracted Riley’s attention, as long as someone did.

  Plus, it was nice to give her a victory. At least a small one. It would make it easier next time. If someone thought they had the chance of winning a battle, they tended to pick which they fought better.

  Riley eased beside her, her shoulders dropping an inch and the tendons in her neck relaxing. “Good.” Her hands folded to her side, playing with the dress now, instead of her hair.

  “Besides, I need to get ready.” She’d been so busy helping everyone else prep for the ball tonight, she’d barely started her own primping. Not that she had much to do. Her dress hung on the closet door, ready to go.

  The black lace minidress had caught her eye the second she’d ordered it for the store. And it fit even better than it looked, accentuating the curves she did have, and smoothing out the rest. Paired with some sexy black heels and just enough makeup to bring out her natural beauty, she’d be attracting some male attention of her own tonight. Which was her whole goal, at least from two particular men.

  If she had her way, she wouldn’t be in the dress for long. It was a shame with a dress this beautiful, but it was a price she was more than willing to pay. Especially if the prize was the Sullivan cousins surrounding her naked body.

  “Do you need any help?” Lydia looked up at her with big earnest eyes. She really was the sweetest, most helpful person Victoria had ever met. Victoria would never understand why that asshole had left her, but Lydia was definitely better off. There were already rumors around town that her ex-fiancé, Jason, was cheating on his new girlfriend, Tracey, with some other local trash.

  Victoria cringed to think what the asshole had done behind Lydia’s back when they lived in Boulder. Men could get away with a lot more in a big city, where gossip wasn’t as pervasive. But Jason would learn you couldn’t play those same games in Frostbite Falls. Small-town folks took care of each other. And when you were on the outs with the town, there was no point in sticking around. Victoria only hoped Jason got that lesson sooner than later. The faster he left town, the sooner Lydia would be happy again.

  “No, I just need to get my dress on and I’m ready to go.” A little more fussing with her makeup and she’d be perfect. She’d been planning this night for six months, right down to the tip of her sexy patent leather sandals. All she had to do now was set it in motion.

  “Go enjoy yourselves.” A smile curled the edge of her lips. She planned on enjoying herself tonight. A lot. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Once everything was perfect. Once she’d bait the trap.

  Chapter Two

  “Explain to me why we came to this party again?” Trevor groaned beside him, picking at a tartlet on his plate. Sam wasn’t entirely sure what was in the hors d’oeuvres, but there was something red mixed in with the chicken, and it wasn’t a tomato. That was enough for Sam to pass on whatever it was.

  Sam rolled his eyes. What a baby. “If we’re going to run the shop in town, we need to be a part of the community.” Already they’d received more indirect comments about the changes to the store and their ‘city’ ways to fill a whole grain silo. The last thing they needed was to hear how they didn’t want to participate in or, god forbid, thought they were too good for, the town activities. They’d never have another customer if that rumor spread around town.

  But if he was being honest, that wasn’t the real reason he’d come to the Frostbite Christmas Ball tonight. The real reason was one fiery redhead with enough attitude and sassy to put any man on his knees. The mayor’s daughter. Victoria Wills.

  This was her event. Everyone in town described the party as her baby. She attended to every detail herself. Even now, she walked around the room, smiling and shaking hands, playing the perfect politician’s daughter. The gracious hostess. The last time he’d seen her she hadn’t been the perfect daughter. Far from it. Especially when he’d had his hand down her pants and her lips devoured his.

  He hadn’t known who she was that night. She’d just been another girl in shorts and a tank top at the Fourth of July festival. He hadn’t learned her identity until later, and since then he’d made a point not to be too close to her. To never be alone with her. It was far too dangerous. The temptation dangling there before him, luring him in. The way she’d played with him, responding to every jab and sw
ipe with one of her own.

  Victoria was sharp as a tack and more than willing to show it. He loved sparring with her, the back and forth calling to every urge in his body to respond. It had been downright invigorating. After a shitty couple of months, it was nice to know he still had the mental faculties to keep up with a woman like her.

  “Well, if they demand the whole town come to this party, the least they could do was serve some decedent drinks.” Trevor sniffed at the red bubbly liquid on the table in front of him before turning his nose up at the concoction. Not that Sam blamed him. He hadn’t even gotten as far as smelling it. Just one look at the drink, and the bright red color, he knew the potion wasn’t for him. He didn’t drink anything that wasn’t some shade of brown and came directly from a bottle.

  He’d suffer through all most anything for her. Even spending a whole night in a red ribbon-decked, evergreen-infested ballroom stone-ass sober. Or drinking one of those frilly cocktails with the green leaves on top if she wanted him to. Though he couldn’t imagine why she would. She’d been plenty fine sucking down warm beers with him on Fourth of July night.

  Automatically, his eyes scanned the room, searching for her. He was always looking for her. Always needing to know where she was, so he could make sure to stay away. Far enough away he wouldn’t be tempted not to keep his hands to himself.

  Across the room she smiled at a cute elderly couple, the two of them returning her grin as they shook her hand. She strode so easily around the room. She made it look easy. Flawless. Like everything else about her. From that curve-hugging lace dress down to the tip of her sexy high heels.