Author Jennifer Armentrout writing as J Lynn’s FRIGID, in which two lifelong friends, a guitar-strumming bad boy and a cautious bookworm, find themselves snowed in together over winter break and can no longer ignore the red-hot chemistry between them, that can melt snow but may also destroy their friendship
Coming August 2013
Spencer Hill Press
This is a New Adult novel (NA)
Digital will release in August 2013
Print in November 2013
Teaser 1:trong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I was pulled off the stool and my surprised shriek was cut off when my back hit an immoveable wall of muscle. I wasenveloped in a bear hug that smelled of the outdoors and light cologne.
Only one person in this world gave me hugs like this or felt that hard… that good.
Kyler’s deep voice rumbled through my body. “When did you get here?”
My feet still weren’t touching the floor. “A little bit ago,” I gasped out, gripping his forearms through his sweater.
“What the hell? Have you been hiding from me?”
Paul leaned back against the bar and grinned, but it was strained. Not that I could blame him. Kyler kind of always busted in and took over every situation. “I haven’t been hiding,” I told him, flushing when my eyes met Paul’s. “And can you put me down?”
“What if I don’t?” he teased. “You’re so little I could put you in my pocket.”
“What?” I laughed. “Put me down, you idiot. I was having a conversation.”
“Sorry, Paul, I’m stealing her.” Kyler backed away, giving me no choice, because there was no way I was breaking his hold. He turned, dropping into a chair nowhere near the table he’d been at, pulling me into his lap so I was sitting sideways. He looped his arms around my waist. “I’m not happy with you, Syd.”
I arched a brow as my heart rate picked up. He was the only person who called me Syd; the only person I let call me that without kicking them in the shin. “Really? Over what?”
“You’re talking to that douche.”
“What douche?”
He leaned in, resting his forehead against mine, and my breath stalled in my chest. Why must he always get so damn close? And he really, truly, always did. “Paul.”
“What about him?” I put my hands on his shoulders to push back, but his arms tightened, holding me in place. “Are you drunk?”
“Am I drunk? Aw, now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings, Syd.”
I smirked. “You don’t have any feelings.”
“Now. Now. That wasn’t very nice.” His impossibly long lashes lowered, shielding his eyes as he lifted his head, rubbing his cheek along mine. My fingers dug into his shoulders as desire twisted tight in my center. “I have all these feels, Syd.”
It took me a moment to respond. “You’re so full of it.”
He rubbed his cheek against me like a cat seeking a belly rub, and I fought the urge to purr. “I’m full of something.”
“Piss and vinegar?” I suggested as I desperately tried to ignore the way my pulse pounded in all the right places.”
He chuckled deep in his throat as he leaned back against the seat he took hostage. “Back to the serious nature of our conversation.”
“Which is: why are you playing Santa right now?”
Kyler’s lashes lifted and his eyes drilled into mine. “Hmm, now that sounds interesting. Have you’ve been naughty or nice this year, Syd?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My cheeks burned as his gaze turned knowing.
“I know what you’ve been.” He kissed my forehead. “You’ve been nice.”
My shoulders slumped. I didn’t want to be nice. I wanted to be naughty like Blondie. When she’d been in his lap minutes before, I doubted Kyler had been teasing her. Maybe I should scoop some ice up and see what he did, except that would require me doing so out of a random glass and that was just gross.
Teaser 2***
As soon as we stepped outside, harsh wind smacked me in the face. I gasped. “Holy crap, it’s cold as balls out here!”
“Balls are not cold, Syd. Trust me,” said Kyler. “Didn’t I say you should wear a coat?”
“Bah!” I pulled free and started stomping through the fresh snow that had fallen since we went in. It was only a couple of inches, but I was kicking it up everywhere. “We should have driven down here.”
“You wanted to walk.” He pulled his hoodie over his head. “Here—put this on.”
I shook my head and started down the hill, but Kyler sighed as he stepped in front of me, his jaw set in a determined line. “Lift your arms.”
“What if I say no?”
His lips twitched as he held his hoodie out. “I’ll hold you down and dress you.”
That kind of sounded fun. Actually, Kyler holding me down and undressing me sounded even better. I sighed, completely lost in the fantasy. We could be like snow bunnies getting it on.
Kyler stepped closer, tipping his chin down. “What are you thinking about?”
“Snow bunnies,” I replied.
He let out a deep laugh. “Come on, lift your arms and tell me why you drank so much. Please?”
“Since you said please…” I lifted my arms and felt him step forward. He slipped the opening over my head and then moved onto the arms. “I just wanted to have fun.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” He got my left arm into the sleeve and then he started working on the right arm, his brows furrowed in concentration. “But you had fun before without drinking so much.”
“So?” I balled my fist, and he sighed, trying to work the sleeve around it. I giggled as I straightened out my hand. “What’s the big deal?
“There isn’t one.” He tugged the hoodie down and it swamped me, ending just above my knees. “There you go.”
When I looked up, he’d stepped back and he had this strange look on his face—like approval. “Aren’t you cold?”
He shrugged, stretching the material of the black thermal he’d had on under the hoodie. “I’ll be fine.”
I opened my mouth to say okay, but something totally different came out. “I don’t want to be boring anymore.”
“What? Shit.” Kyler thrust his fingers through his hair. “Baby, you’re not boring.”
“Yes. I am.”
His eyes pinched at the corners. “Sydney, you are so far from that. I shouldn’t have said that shit in the car. You’re perfect—”
“Just the way I am?” I finished for him. “Isn’t that from Bridget Jones?”
“Maybe.” One side of his lips tipped up.
“You are such a vagina.”
Kyler nudged me. “But seriously, Syd—”
“I don’t want to talk.” I was suddenly about a thousand times uncomfortable. Walking again, I heard him keep pace with me a few steps behind. “Talk. Talk. Talk,” I muttered.
Snow was starting to come down again, a steady light shower that coated my head and shoulders. I had an urge to tip my head back and catch snowflakes on my tongue, but I ended up throwing my arms out, tipping my head back and belting out, “If you want a woman with a tight little kitty then find one with itty bitty titties!”
Kyler got an arm around my waist, laughing. “God, you are so trashed.”
“You haven’t heard of the song.” I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his waist, but my grip ended up around his thighs. Odd. “It’s by Haven Palen Pole.”
He held me up. “That would be David Allen Coe, baby.”
I frowned. “That’s what I said.”
“Whatever you say.”
We walk—or shuffled along—about a yard and then I walked straight into a post office box. I grunted. “Son of a bitch jumped right out in front of me!”
Kyler stopped, shaking his head. “You are a hazard to yourself right now.”
“I’m fine.” I waved him off, edging around the tricky inanimate object as I shot it a dark look. “I’m watching you.”
“Let me help you,” he offered. “Okay? I’ll get us both home in one piece and keep us far away from ninja post office boxes.”
Sounded like a good plan, but when Kyler wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me, practically tossing me over his shoulder, I was so not expecting that. I let out a squeal and immediately started squirming.
“Behave.” He smacked my ass.
“Hey!”
He smacked it again, and I got in a good punch in the kidneys. My butt was too cold to really burn, but his grunt brought a smile to my face. This whole position though wasn’t real good for the alcohol sloshing around in my stomach.
Kyler took three steps, and I decided I needed to get down. I reared back suddenly and he stumbled to the side. He stepped into a pile of snow that had been cleared away. I wiggled down his front, causing our legs to tangle.
“What are you doing?” he asked, trying to get a grip on me, but I was like a snake!
“Down.” I swung back and ended up taking our legs right out from underneath us. Kyler twisted at the last moment, taking the brunt of the fall in the drift, and I landed on top of him.
Neither of us moved for a second and then his hands clamped down on my hips. Under me his chest started to move slowly and then faster. Loud laughter barreled out of his throat, bringing a happy smile to my face.
I planted my hands on his chest and lifted my head.
He stared up at me, smiling. My breath caught and I felt dizzy. “You’re beautiful.”
Kyler reached up, brushing my hair from my face and tucking it back behind my ear. “I think that’s my line.”
“You think I’m beautiful?”
His gaze roamed over my face like he was committing every freckle to memory. Giddiness swept through me, like I was caught up in a bubble. “I’ve always thought you were beautiful, Syd.”
The world was bright and shiny and new. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he replied, his hand falling away from my hair, back to my hip. “Yeah, I have.”
There was nothing else for me to do. I only had one option. Kyler said I was beautiful and I’d waited since forever to hear him say that.
So I kissed him
