CHAPTER ONE
AUBREY
THE FORCE of his tackle knocked the wind out of me.
Jax Stonewood wanted a reaction from me. I was brought up to never give one though. At fifteen, in a household where restraint was a key to survival, I had a pretty good handle on how to control myself when someone surprised me.
I controlled my desire to look at the boy who sat on top of me, ready to smash a snowball into my face.
I took my time looking up at the clouds and the snowflakes dancing around instead. They glittered and sparkled, mingling wildly. With liberty. And a freedom that I envied.
“Aubrey, I thought I told you the last time it snowed that face washes are a tradition if you get caught on Stonewood land,” Jax said.
Finally, I turned my gaze toward him. “Don’t you dare.”
He smirked, one of his dimples revealing itself. Even catching my breath while lying in the snow, my heart still somehow melted.
Jax freaking Stonewood. My walking, talking sex-on-a-stick neighbor always warmed my blood even though I’d never admit it. Jay, his younger brother by two years and my senior by one, did little to nothing for me, but he was my best friend.
“Jax, come on, man. Mom said if you facewash anyone else, she’ll lock your ass in your room for the rest of winter.” Jay sounded out of breath, like he’d run up right beside us.
I wanted to thank Jay for coming to my rescue but couldn’t take my eyes off of Jax.
I never could.
The three Stonewood boys moved in next door four years ago, and our quiet, undisturbed block morphed into a revolving hangout for kids our age. The Stonewoods drew attention, and I didn’t have much choice joining in when Jax and Jay tackled me one day to steal my candy. Their older brother, Jett, couldn’t be bothered with their antics.
I admit, I cried to my mother, and they ended up having to apologize.
Jax and Jett tolerated me tagging along when they were in the neighborhood. After all, I was the homeschooled girl that their little brother had formed a bond with. Maybe the bond formed because we were close in age or because Jett and Jax left out their little brother a lot. Either way, it just happened.
Over the years, my crush for Jax just happened too.
Even right then, knowing he was going to smash snow in my face, I thought winter couldn’t have agreed with him more. His normally broody, calculating eyes glittered like the snow with mischief and fun. The cold reddened his cheeks just right, and the wind tousled his dark hair to look unruly. The wind, the cold, the snow loved him like everything else in the world.
The only people immune to his charm were his family, and I appreciated that Jay tried to shield me from it. “You know Mom’s not kidding either. She’s going to be pissed if she finds out you facewashed Brey.”
Instead of Jax acknowledging his little brother, his eyes stayed on mine. Then, they moved to my hat. With the hand that wasn’t holding snow, he ripped it off. “What’s with you and this bun all the time?”
I started to wiggle under him. “Let me up. My clothes are getting soaked from the snow.”
“Right.” His eyebrow quirked. “I guess I can’t mess with your pretty little face.”
Mystomachdropped.
Hewas teasing me. I knew that. None of the Stonewoodboys saw me aspretty. I'd seenthe girls that paraded around them andin comparison … Well, there was no comparison.
They were tall. I was short.
They wore shirts that showed off their cleavage. I didn’t have any cleavage to show off.
They were women. I still felt like a girl.
I wanted to believe him if just for a second though. I wanted him to want me even though I knew he was older, hotter, and had much better-looking options to choose from.
That thought ignited my temper.
I bucked under him, trying to get him off. His smirk thinned, his blue eyes darkened. His head tipped closer, and I felt his breath on my lips. I could smell the mint of the gum he always chewed. He stared at my lips and then glanced back at me, like he was assessing everything in me, figuring out what made me whole. For a second, I thought he might even lean the extra whisper closer to touch my lips with his.