Kissing Under The Mistletoe: The Sullivans (Contemporary Romance) (29 page)

Frustration at all of his grand plans giving
way to disaster had him blurting out in full detail just how wrong
the morning—and his plans for the rest of the day—had already
gone.

Mary threw back her head and laughed. “What a
spectacular mess.”

Though he was just starting to see the humor
in it himself, he needed her to know the truth. “This was supposed
to be the most romantic day of your life.”

Still laughing, she drew him close. “Roses
and heart-shaped pancakes and boat rides are all wonderful, and I
love the care and thought that you put into today, but do you want
to know what I find really romantic?”

He could never think straight when she was in
his arms, and it took all the focus he could muster up to answer,
“Tell me, Angel.”

“First, there’s the way you bring me coffee
in the morning.”

He reminded her, “It’s cold before you can
even take your first sip because I can’t keep my hands off you long
enough to let you drink it hot.”

“See what I mean? Very romantic,” she said as
she nuzzled closer. “And then there’s the way you always give me
the best seat at the movies and have them douse the popcorn with
butter and salt because you know it’s my favorite guilty
pleasure…apart from you.” She gently brushed his hair out of his
eyes. “I love the way you always hold my hand when we go for a
walk, and how you look at me like you can’t believe I’m yours. And
then there’s the fact that every single day we’ve spent together
has been the most romantic day of my life.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She went up on her tiptoes
to kiss him, and a breath before her lips met his, she whispered,
“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

March

Sales of the Pocket Planner had been
spectacular during the Christmas holiday and had kept climbing from
there. While the press was still interested in Mary and Jack’s
fairy-tale love story, lately they’d been even more interested in
what his next brilliant invention would be.

Mary loved watching his brain work as he
focused intently in his office. Despite his heavy workload, he’d
been a wonderfully devoted husband. Still, in the past two months
she’d learned that a little seduction could be a very valuable way
to help Jack’s synapses click back into gear when he got stuck on a
problem.

She was nearly on his lap by the time he
looked up and noticed her. For a moment, his eyes remained
unfocused, then quickly turned dark and heated with desire.

“Just what I needed,” he murmured as he
tugged her onto his lap. “Beautiful inspiration.”

Her short, silky robe slipped open as she
wrapped her arms around him. He traced the swell of her breasts
with his fingertip. “So pretty.” He leaned in to the curve of her
neck and breathed her in. “So sweet.” He pressed his lips to her
earlobe. “So soft.”

Mary had come into his office to tempt and
tease Jack for a few minutes…but within seconds, he was the one
seducing her.

She’d never known husbands and wives could
continue to have such naughty sex, but as Jack stripped her robe
away completely, lifted her up onto his desk and entered her with
one perfect thrust, she quickly—and blissfully—learned
otherwise.

“Now, that,” he said as he gathered her close
a while later and carried her into their bedroom to continue the
seduction started in his office, “is the perfect way to end a
workday.”

She pulled him down with her onto the bed and
agreed, “Absolutely perfect.”

April

The teddy bear was squashed between Jack and
Max as the two men hugged. “Congratulations, Max.”

After Mary congratulated Max, as well, Jack’s
brother said, “I can’t wait for the two of you to meet my new
little boy.” He looked both exhausted and ecstatic as he took them
back into the maternity ward.

As soon as they walked into Claudia’s room,
Ian immediately bounded off the bed and into Jack’s arms. “I’m a
big brother.”

Jack gave the little boy a smacking kiss on
his cute mouth. “Congratulations, Mr. Incredible.”

Ian held his arms out for Mary next. “Baby
Adam is little.”

“Yes,” Mary said as she cuddled him, “and
he’s perfect, just like his big brother.”

Claudia was glowing with happiness. “I’m so
glad you’re both here. We all are.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it,” Jack told her.
When Max had called with the news that Claudia was in labor, Allen
had offered them his private jet for the flight from San Francisco
to Seattle.

Claudia held out the newborn for Jack to
cradle, and Adam gazed up at him with big eyes.

“He’s an old soul, isn’t he?”

His sister-in-law nodded as Max settled
beside her on the bed and she leaned against him. “That’s why we
decided his middle name should be Jack.”

Mary brushed a gentle fingertip across the
baby’s cheek, wonder in her eyes. “Adam Jack Sullivan,” she
whispered, “you’re a very lucky boy to be born into this
extraordinary family.”

Ian tugged her long, dark hair to get her
attention. “Me too! I’m a lucky boy, too!”

“We all are,” Jack agreed.

Ethan burst through the door with a
flustered—and obviously enamored—nurse hot on his heels.

“I’m sorry, but there are too many of you in
here now,” she tried to protest. But when he gave her one of his
lady-killer smiles and said, “Please,” she simply turned beet red
and fled.

“I hear there’s a new Sullivan.” Ethan held
up a bottle of champagne in each hand. “Time to celebrate!”

May

“Can I open my eyes yet?” Mary asked as Jack
helped her out of the car. She knew they were going to be spending
the weekend in Lake Tahoe, but he’d asked her to close her eyes a
few minutes ago so that their final destination at the lake would
be a surprise.

“Soon,” he promised.

His deep voice sent the blood racing through
her veins. With her eyes closed, she was deliciously aware of the
feel of his palm against hers and his clean, masculine scent.

After she’d taken about twenty steps, he
said, “Go ahead, open your eyes. Happy birthday, Angel.”

They were standing just at the edge of the
lake on a private bay full of pine trees. All of the winter snow
had melted by late May, and the lake was a crystal-clear blue. The
blue jays were chirping and the sun was making sparkles dance all
across the surface of the water.

“What a beautiful spot.” When she turned to
give him a kiss, she noticed he had a picnic basket in his hand.
The crowds of famous actors and models with whom she’d celebrated
her birthdays in previous years had nothing on a quiet picnic in
the Tahoe pines with her husband. “Thank you for bringing me
here.”

After they were settled on a soft blanket, he
said, “I’m thinking we should build the cabin right in this
spot.”

She almost dropped the glass of wine he’d
just handed her. “Build a cabin? Here?”

His beautiful grin stole her breath, even
before he said, “It’s ours, Mary. Every last tree and pinecone and
grain of sand.”

Jack knew she didn’t need expensive gifts or
extravagant gestures to prove how much he loved her. Just as she
knew he didn’t need any of that from her. But sometimes, she
decided as she put down her glass then pulled him closer for a
very
passionate thank-you kiss,
extravagant—and decadent—was exactly right.

June

“I know you’ll love California, Mama. Please
come stay with us for a while.” Jack moved behind Mary to massage
her shoulders as she listened to her mother’s stubborn refusal to
get on an airplane for a visit to the United States. Barely holding
back her sigh, Mary said, “Give Papa my love.” When she hung up the
phone, she let the sigh go. “I tried, but she won’t leave home even
for a week.”

Clearly sensing her frustration, Jack pressed
a kiss to the top of her head. “I loved the time we spent in Italy
over the holidays. How about you show me how different your town
looks in the summer?”

Hope leaped in Mary’s chest even as she said,
“But your workload with the new product line—”

“Can wait.”

* * *

A few days later, Jack got to show off just
how far his Italian language skills had come as he directed the
driver from the airport to Rosciano. Six months ago, Mary had been
frightened and wary during this trip. Now, she couldn’t wait to see
everyone again.

She flew out of the cab and into her mother’s
arms, where she stayed for a long while. Finally, her mother drew
back and took a long look at her.

“Love has made you even more beautiful,
cara
.”

“I’m happy, Mama.” Mary instinctively reached
for Jack’s hand. “So happy.”

“Good,” her mother said, then gave a pointed
glance at Mary’s still-flat stomach. “But a baby will make you even
happier.”

* * *

That evening, after the moon had risen, the
air was warm as Mary and Jack climbed hand in hand to the top of a
hill high above town.

“Your mother was quite eloquent today as she
explained how I can be a truly good son-in-law by providing her
with many strong grandsons and beautiful granddaughters. Although,”
he said with a grin, “she speaks pretty quickly and my Italian
still needs work, so I may have filled in the blanks with some
ideas of my own.”

Mary had to laugh at her mother’s new focus.
Now that she’d had the Christmas wedding she’d always dreamed of
for her daughter, Lucia Ferrer was ready for her next big dream to
come true: grandchildren. Maybe, just maybe, Mary hoped, a newborn
baby would convince her mother to finally make the trip to
California.

“I can’t wait to hear what the two of you
came up with,” she said.

At which point Jack brushed the hair away
from one ear and began to whisper his own incredibly naughty plans
for the two of them…in perfect Italian.

July

Jack always felt like a kid again on his
birthday. For weeks beforehand, whenever he talked about the big
day, Mary smiled in a secretive way and zipped her lips shut with
her fingers. Or, if she’d been on the phone with his mother and
he’d walked into the room, she’d abruptly say goodbye and hang
up.

“You’re planning something for my birthday,
aren’t you?” he’d asked.

“Yes,” she’d replied, instead of denying it,
“your mother was telling me how to make your favorite cake.”

He’d tried to get the other details out of
her in the best way he knew how, but even his seductive powers of
persuasion couldn’t get her to spill the beans.

Finally, on the morning of his birthday, she
gave him the tickets to Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, a
world-class track only ninety minutes from their house.

Most people were surprised when they found
out about Jack’s love of race cars but not Mary. She’d simply
nodded as if the final puzzle piece had slipped into place, saying,
“I always knew there was something dangerous about you.”

Jack loved everything about the racetrack.
The smell of fresh burning rubber in the hot summer sun. The thrill
of watching the cars zip by in the blink of an eye. The amazing
skill of the drivers going more than two hundred miles an hour.

He’d never thought to share his love of
racing with his wife, but as soon as she’d given him the tickets,
he found out she’d practically grown up at the Italian Grand Prix
with her father, who had taught her to love the sport.

“Speed. Danger. The thrill of victory.” She
was clearly as excited as he was to get to the track. “What’s not
to love about it?”

He was walking proudly with his beautiful
wife past the gates into the stands, when Mary surprised him yet
again by steering them in the opposite direction.

“You didn’t think
watching
the race was going to be your birthday
surprise, did you?”

Wait a minute. Mary couldn’t have possibly
arranged for him to—

“Mary! It’s been too long.”

One of racing’s greats, Alvin Rusker, gave
Mary a kiss on each cheek.

“I’d like to introduce my husband, Jack
Sullivan. Jack, this is Alvin.”

“Ah,” Alvin said as they shook hands, “so
you’re the lucky man who managed to steal Mary’s heart.” He grinned
at Jack. “Ready to get behind the wheel?”

“Surprise!” Mary said, clearly thrilled with
herself for having managed to keep him in the dark about her
amazing gift.

Jack barely stopped himself from jumping up
and down like a little boy. But before he gave Alvin his answer,
Jack had to pull his wife into his arms to kiss her breathless.

Finally, he turned back to Alvin. “Now I’m
ready.”

* * *

The track was fast, the car even faster.
Every last one of Jack’s boyhood dreams came true as he took lap
after lap in one of Alvin’s race cars.

It was the best birthday he’d ever had. One
full of speed. Danger.

And the thrill of being in love with the most
incredible woman he’d ever known.

August

Mary handed Yvette, Susan and Janeen thick
towels to wrap up in during their break out on the beach in San
Francisco. “You are doing a fantastic job today. I’m very proud of
all of you.”

The girls beamed at her. “Thanks, Mary. And
thanks for thinking of us for this commercial.” Janeen was the most
excited of all of them as she said, “I can’t believe I’m going to
be on TV!”

Georgina called Mary over to take a look at
some of the film they’d shot. “How’s this look, boss?”

Mary grinned after she looked the film over.
“Fantastic, as always.”

“Well, the way you directed the girls a few
minutes ago in the surf was great. This is going to be a top-notch
commercial. I take it you’re enjoying consulting with the ad
agency?”