His For Christmas (2 page)

He stepped close and aligned their
bodies with one hand while he fondled her bottom with the other. At
last, he slid in, loving the way her eyes rolled to the back of her
head in response.

“Hang on sweetheart.”

She wrapped her arms around his
neck and together they moved. The initial pace was slow and
sensuous but it wasn’t long before the pace no longer satisfied and
their need exploded. His body ground into hers and she pressed
back, lifting her legs to better clasp his hips.

When at last through his fierce
pounding, he felt her internal muscles ripple then squeeze his cock
rhythmically. He groaned and let go, following her into an orgasmic
oblivion.

Derek slumped against her and
Anabelle sighed. “Now that’s definitely a way to keep your
girlfriend happy.” She patted his cheek lightly. He turned his head
and kissed her palm.

“Did you like that sweetheart?”
His heart still thundered in his chest.

“If I liked it any more than I
did, I’d be dead.”

He chuckled, in complete
agreement.

A knock on the door made them
freeze.

“Derek, you need to get out
here.”

Anabelle and Derek frantically rearranged
clothing to its rightful place, wiped away evidence of their
afternoon delight and walked out of his office. Derek whistled
tunelessly and held Anabelle’s hand in his while they channeled
peace and serenity but Dani was too accustomed to their frequent
disappearances and rolled her eyes.

“Please. I don’t know why you two bother
acting innocent in front of me.”

Anabelle’s pink cheeks filled him with a
cocky sort of joy. The instinct to claim her as his was
overwhelming. He bent to steal another kiss her but Dani snapped
her fingers in his face.

“Focus, loverboy. You had your fun already so
say your goodbyes. Your presence is needed in the
workshop
.”

He raised an eyebrow at her and from the look
she gave him back, he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

Despite Dani’s glower, he pulled Anabelle
aside and kissed her, taking his time. “I’ll see you tonight,
sweetheart.”

“Okay. Do you need any help?”

“No he doesn’t,” Dani said and put her body
in between them. “But I do. I’m thinking about buying new bedding
for Christmas and I need your opinion. What do you know about
Egyptian cotton?” She led Anabelle away while he headed to the back
and whatever chaos the girls had left.

“What the—“

The model he’d finished not an hour ago, lay
on its side, broken bits of wood, clay and glass surrounded it.

“I didn’t do it.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t. You did it.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Uh huh.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Uh huh.”

“Girls!” The girls jumped at his raised voice
and two sets of chocolate brown eyes, so like his turned to
him.

“What happened?”

The girls looked at each other, then at him.
Esme’s lips started quivering then Alex did the same. In the next
instant, pitiful sounds of little girls crying filled the studio.
Derek sighed because although the details of how it happened were
unclear, the result
was clear
…weeks of work had been
demolished.

With slumped shoulders, he walked to his
nieces and held them.

“I’m so sorry, Uncle Derek.” Alex hiccupped.
“I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to see it closer. It looked so
pretty.”

“Me too.” Esme added.

“It’s okay.”

“Do you still love us?”

He swallowed at the pathetic brown eyes Esme
turned to him.

“Never gonna stop.”

“You sure, Uncle Derek?” Alex took off her
glasses and wiped her eyes. “I’m so clumsy. Janie told mommy she
should send me back for a refund since I’m defective.”

“Ignore your sister honey, she’s twelve.
Sarcasm is her weapon of choice.” He wiped a tear that slid down
her soft cheek. “You are perfect, Alex, in every way.”

She burrowed in his arms.

“I love you, Uncle Derek.”

“Love you too, kiddo.”

Minutes later, Alex perked up the way she did
when she got a bright idea. “We can help you fix it, can’t we
Esme?”

“Yep, yep, we sure can.” Esme’s golden brown
pigtails bounced as she nodded.

He looked at the debris on the floor of his
studio and winced. He walked closer, picked up the shell and set it
on the table. The frame was skewed, affecting each floor. All the
little details were either cracked, chipped or had fallen. Was it
even possible to fix in the short amount of time left? Christmas
was a week away and he had other deadlines as well as assorted
family events lined up.

“I don’t know, girls.” He thought of the
vintage like platinum diamond ring in his dresser drawer, the other
present he planned to give along with the model dream house. Now
that plan was a bust. “Maybe we should go shopping instead.”

Both Alex and Esme wilted, their tear
streaked cheeks and misery squeezed his heart, and he felt bad for
them.

“It’ll be fun. We’ll give her the model dream
house for Valentine’s day instead.”

They didn’t look convinced. “Come here.” Alex
walked towards him; her pace turtle-like, a far cry from her usual
exuberant bounce of golden retriever excitement. Esme shuffled
close and he pulled them into his arms. “It’s okay. I forgive
you.”

The forgiveness released a flood of new tears
as they burrowed as close as they could. He rubbed their backs and
made nonsensical soothing noises.

“Everything okay?” Dani stood in the doorway,
looking miserable. “I’m so sorry. I was in the kitchen for not even
five minute—“

“It’s fine.” He nodded, not waiting a third
crying female on his hands. “I think a trip to Charlie’s Decadent
Den would be fitting.”

Alex and Esme’s heads came up at once, a
glimmer of excitement sparkled in their eyes. “Really?”

“Really.” It was official…he was a sucker.
“Dani, can you take them? I’m going to see what I can salvage.”

His sister nodded. “Come on little monsters.
Let’s get some cupcakes because I’m in the mood for Lemon Coconut
Crunch.”

The girls rushed to Dani’s side. But before
they left, Esme ran back to hug him. “We’re really sorry, Uncle
Derek.”

Not to be outdone by the cuteness of Esme,
Alex ran back as well but in her exuberance, she ended up tackling
him instead.

“Dang, girl, you’re strong.” He knew she
liked showing off her strength.

She grinned, her newly grown front teeth
disproportionate against the background of baby teeth that hadn’t
yet fallen out. The result made her look a little buck toothed but
she was still beautiful to him.

“We’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

He rumpled her hair. “Yeah. Yeah. Get out of
here. And don’t forget to bring me back a cupcake.”

“I think we should make it up to Uncle Derek
somehow.” Alex licked her Bunny Loving Carrot Cupcake, her favorite
so far.

“How?” Esme was focused on the sprinkles on
top of her Classic Vanilla Cupcake. She was still a baby and didn’t
like anything that wasn’t chocolate or vanilla.

“I have an idea but we’re going to need
adults to help.” They looked over at Aunt Dani, their favorite
sucker. She was talking to Charlie, Anabelle’s best friend, at the
counter.

Aunt Dani was always good for assistance, no
matter what their plan was. She was the best aunt in the world and
Alex was super glad she lived at the farmhouse with them.

“I like Anabelle and I think she’ll be
another great aunt, don’t you?”

Esme nodded, her pigtails bobbed with
enthusiasm. “She’s nice and smells pretty.”

“I think we should plan a wedding party for
them. I think it’ll make up for our oopsy. And I know Uncle Derek
really likes her, they’re always kissing and hugging. I heard him
tell her that he loves her so I think he’ll like our surprise.”

Esme grinned. “Me too.”

Alex shook her head, “Personally, I don’t get
this love business. Except for Uncle Derek, I will never love a
boy. Not even when I grow up, I don’t care what adults say. Boys
are yucky with a capital Y.”

“They’re not all bad.”

“That’s because you like Clay.”

“He’s my bestest friend at pre-K. He gave me
an Ariel necklace last week. She’s my favorite princess.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Clay is a cute kid
now, but wait until he gets my age. Eight-year-old boys are gross.
They pick their noses right in front of you, write their names in
pee and have ‘who can eat the fastest’ contests. Last week, Kevin
Campbell shoved his peas, meatloaf and mashed potatoes in one huge
bite and started talking to me
with his mouth open
. He was
spitting out food.” Alex shuddered.

“Ewww. How do you know they write their names
in pee?”

“Davey.”

“Yuck.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“Don’t have to tell you what?” Aunt Dani sat
in the chair next to them with a half eaten cupcake and a small to
go box.

“That Davey Booth is gross.”

“Aw, he’s a cute kid and I think he shows off
because he has a crush on you.”

Alex jerked back in her chair. “Please, Aunt
Dani. I’m trying to enjoy my cupcake.”

“Okay, okay. I’m just saying.”

“And I’ll ignore any comment involving Davey
Booth.”

“He’s always around the house so you must
like him a little.”

“To play chase with and video games but
sometimes when he thinks he’s
so
smart, I want to punch
him.”

Aunt Dani made a face. “Calm down,
Rocky
. I don’t think you’re mom wants to get a call from his
parents.

Alex shrugged and let it go. “Aunt Dani, we
need your help.”

“For what?”

“Esme and I want to plan a wedding for Uncle
Derek and Anabelle.”

Aunt Dani choked a little and Esme pounded
her back. “A wedding, you say?”

“Yep. Janie watches wedding shows all the
time, so between the three of us, we’re practically wedding
experts.”

“So when will this wedding take place?”

“I think we can do it by Christmas.”

“By Christmas?”

“Yep. It’s doable.”

“You realize Christmas is a week away,
correct?”

“Yes, but if we all work together…”

“Charlie can bake the cake and make it
pretty.” Esme said.

“And Joe can help with Uncle Derek.”

“Mommy cooks really well so she can take care
of the food.”

“What about me?”

“No offense, Aunt Dani, but you don’t cook
very well. So, we’ll need you to help decorate. You made your room
look so pretty so we know you can do it.”

“Sounds like you have everything planned
out.”

“I think so. Are we missing anything?”

“Have you thought about whether or not Uncle
Derek and Anabelle want to get married?”

“Of course they do,” Esme said. “They’re all
the time kissing and hugging. Even you can see that, Aunt
Dani.”

“True.” Aunt Dani looked like she wanted to
say more but she took a bite of her cupcake instead.

“So, will you help us? We feel really bad
about breaking the model dream house and we think Anabelle would
like our surprise.”

Aunt Dani laughed. “Who wouldn’t, sweetie?
Okay, I’m in.”

Alex was so happy. She really did have the
best aunt in the world and pretty soon she would have
two
awesome aunts.

***

“A little to the left.”

Derek moved the tree to his left.

“Your
other
left.” Dani called out as
she stood next to Dylan, his other sister, as they directed him and
Joe in the placement of this year’s Christmas tree.

“Smart ass.” He muttered under his breath and
grunted under the awkward weight. They’d caravanned to and from the
tree farm two hours away so the girls could pick out a tree. In his
desire to appear manly in front of Anabelle, he’d brushed aside the
kid who’d offered to trim and load the tree.

Big mistake as it had probably taken him and
Joe twice the amount of time to load the monster on his roof rack.
Comments and criticisms from the peanut gallery led by Dani hadn’t
helped.

To top it off he’d almost been blinded by a
rogue branch that bitch slapped him when they’d toppled the eight
foot Douglas Fir behemoth from the roof of his Range Rover.

Joe grinned. “I don’t think your brother
appreciates your helpfulness, Dani.”

“Thanks guys. I really appreciate this. I
promised the girls a real tree this year and I know I couldn’t have
managed this without your help.”

Dylan’s words smoothed away his irritation.
She had her arms around Esme and Alex, trying to control their
excitement as they hopped up and down from the sidelines. They’d
been under clear instructions to stay out of the way until the tree
was in place. The last thing he needed was to trip over his nieces
and impale himself on a branch.

“A little more to the left, boys.”

“Looking good.” Anabelle said next to Janie
on the sofa with a bowl full of popcorn in front of them. Plastic
bins of family ornaments were stacked nearby. Tonight the plan was
for dinner and decorating.

“Something smells good.” Joe, the food whore,
had been the first to volunteer when Dylan had requested
assistance, mentioning ‘homemade’ in her invite.

“That’s meatloaf and loaded garlic mashed
potatoes.”

Joe licked his lips.

“We have apple pie for dessert with vanilla
bean ice cream.”

Derek glimpsed drool at the corner of Joe’s
mouth. “Control yourself, man. If she knows your weakness, there’s
no telling what kind of jobs she’ll rope us into.”

Joe made an effort to be cool but Derek
caught the man inhaling deeply when he thought Derek wasn’t
looking.