Lovers by Christmas: (7 page)

“I was.” He sighed. “You took a chance when you married me. I know that. No matter what anyone says, you’ve got me wrapped around your finger. No matter who I brought to parties before you, you’re the last woman in my life. Period.” He paused, and Thea could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “Unless you want to give me a few little girls so I can surround myself with as many beautiful females in my life as possible. That
is
the dream, you know.”

“A few?” Ashtyn beamed. “When we do decide to start, let’s try one and go from there.”

“Two.” He kissed her cheek. “With blonde hair, blue eyes, and the brains to knock everyone dead. Like my wife.”

She moaned as he moved to her earlobe. “Oh, Neil, I love you…”

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Neil crooned.

“Only with words.” Then she whispered, “Show me.”

By the sound of Ashtyn’s gasp, her husband was doing just that. Thea looked away, flattened her back on the wall and slid around the corner to give them total privacy; she’d find another entrance.

It was difficult to witness such a scene and not yearn for another love of her own. A love like that. Passionate. Needful. Strong. The kind that wouldn’t fold under outside pressure. She was in love once, and she could love again, but with someone like Kenner? He was so unlike any man she’d ever been with, she wasn’t sure.

The urge to give him a second chance overwhelmed her as she re-entered the main room.

“More champagne?” asked a passing waiter.

“Yes.” She grabbed a glass and took two big swallows, then two more. She needed liquid courage if she was going to face him again.

***

Kenner pretended to listen to a conversation about football, tightly fisting his hands in his pockets.

This was hell. Christmas party hell.

When he’d turned around at Meryl’s request to meet Thea, his heart had jumped in his throat. At that moment, he thought the universe was laughing at his expense. After all those nights he went to the lounge, he’d shockingly found her at this party.

What were the chances? When he’d remarked to Meryl about the changes, he had no idea the interior decorator she’d had hired months ago would be the woman he’d dreamed about for a month straight. He never put the connection that
her
Thea could possibly be
his
Thea.

Although, she was anything but his right now.

Christ Almighty, he wished she was. The dress she wore fit her like a glove, snuggling her hips and showing off just the right amount of creamy skin in the front and back. His cock had jumped at first sight, while his chest ached in longing.

He made a mental note to strangle Rory the first change he got. Although he concluded his bartender-friend was probably just trying to deflect a future stalker, he wished the guy had been around to tell him a mysterious woman had come by asking for him.

He’d learned tonight that her eyes were, in fact, gray. Brighter than standard gray, the rim around the irises darker than the inner color. He’d looked into them so many times that night, but had never quite seen the entire beauty and depth in them, but he had seen something real and honest.

Or at least, he thought he did.

He’d dared her…he’d stood there and more and less thrown his heart on table, and dared her to say she didn’t feel anything that night, and she told him she didn’t. Anymore. His jaw clenched as he remembered how clear she’d made it he was the only one who was obsessed with their night together. The only one who believed a connection like that could lead to a relationship.

The two men flanking him laughed about—something. Politely, he excused himself to go to the bar for a drink and burn off this fiery disappointment. Usually he stayed the whole night, but now he didn’t think he could stay more than a few minutes before going home.

He ordered a shot of whiskey and tossed it back when a voice spoke behind him.

“You lied to me.”

He froze, straightened, and turned to see Thea. “I—”

“How could I know you would look for me?” she asked in a helpless manner. “You lied to me about being an advertising executive.”

The relief she’d come to him almost made him grin, but he didn’t. Her confronting him about his made-up job meant she needed a reason to confront him again. “I did lie. How could
I
know you wouldn’t act like most women when I told you I was a doctor? The kind of woman that turns me off?”

She lifted one brow. “You could’ve told me and found out.”

Touché. “I didn’t want to chance it. I just wanted you so badly. As soon as I asked you to come home with me, I planned to tell you in the morning, but when I came back, you were gone.”

She briefly glanced down before meeting his gaze again. “Despite what you might think, I don’t pick men up in bars and spend the night with them. I was out of my element, and I freaked out. I thought leaving before things got weird was what you were supposed to do the morning after.”

The tension in his stomach eased. “For normal people, yes. You and I are not the norm.”

“Oh?” She swallowed.

Her explanation made sense and he understood why she left. Of course he wished he could go back and actually stay in bed
before
picking up breakfast, but it was too late for regrets. He stared into those smoky gray eyes, yearning to pull her in his arms, and end this madness. “We were not the typical one-night stand pair. It wasn’t a drunken evening of sloppy sex because we were both horny and looking to hook-up.” He stepped forward, and the back of his knuckles brushed on hers, causing an electric current inside him to burn for even more closeness. “Thea. I have never felt that way with anyone before.”

With their gazes locked, neither moved, and after several seconds, she said, “Me either.”

“I’m sorry I lied. I won’t do it again,” he vowed with deep sincerity.

“I lied, too. I thought we were just…flirting, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Like I said, I went back, but when he told me I wasn’t something special…I believed him.”

“That kid wouldn’t recognize what special looked like if his life depended on it. Thank God we were both here tonight. Someone up there wanted us to meet again.” He shook his head, could feel the warmth of her face as she gazed up at him. It was a shame they had to suffer these weeks without each other, but it didn’t matter at this point.

By now, they were so close, they were practically in each other’s arms. With one glance, anyone at the party would see he and the interior decorator were getting quite friendly for having “just met.”

God, he couldn’t take it. He had to kiss her, hold her. He twined his hand in hers, pulled her through the crush, and out the doors to the veranda that led to the gardens. Once they were down the steps and walking through the intricate maze of lush landscaping, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere private.”

CHAPTER NINE

There was an old gazebo just a few yards past the garden. He knew the couple had recently had it cleaned and repainted, but it was likely off-limits from guests since it wasn’t lit up as usual, and the weather was unseasonable to enjoy a gazebo. Striding in that direction, his heart pounded with the thrill of knowing he’d have Thea in his arms again.

She suddenly dropped his hand, and he turned around, worried she’d changed her mind, ready to convince her—

“They’re slowing me down,” she told him, bending down.

While she worked on the buckle of her strappy heels, she glanced up, and some of her hair had fallen in her eyes. Meeting his gaze, she grinned.

And there it was. The first real, full smile he’d received from her.

As soon as she straightened, heels in hand, he grasped her face and kissed her.

The little noise she gave made him hold her tighter to him. Yes. It was too good not to be right.

The happiest he’d been in weeks, he broke away and searched quickly for the cord for the mini lights. After using the flashlight application from his cell phone to locate the plug, he brushed away leaves and small branches until he found it. Once he plugged them in, a few of the bulbs glowed along the circular ledge in fanciful, dim ambiance. Other than the entrance, the rest of the gazebo was enclosed, so no one would see them.

Thea came up from behind him. “Lovely.”

He brushed the dust off his hands. “Most of the lights are burned out.”

“It’s okay. I can see you. That’s all I need.”

He turned, and brushed a knuckle along her jaw.

She sent a glance behind her. “Someone might see us. Or come to investigate what’s back here beyond the gardens.”

“Then we’ll enjoy it while we can. Are you cold?” He started to take off his jacket.

“Actually, no. I’m one of those rare women who doesn’t get cold easily. I grew up in Nebraska.”

“Really?” He couldn’t wait to hear more about who she was and where she came from. He hung the jacket over the ledge, then took a seat and set his hands at her hips as she stood in front of him. “Come here.”

She hiked up her dress, climbed in his lap, and brushed her nose on his. “Is this real?”

He pulled the straps of her gown down, revealing her black strapless bra. With a groan, he pressed his mouth between her breasts, inhaling the scent of her perfumed skin. “It better be. Or I’ve officially lost my mind.”

She raked her fingers through his hair. “Me too.”

He lifted his face and she kissed him, opening her sweet lips and swirling her tongue in with his. She tasted like warm, sugared champagne and mint. He jerked with ignited passion, his cock hard, ready, but he paid no mind to his baser instincts. The objective here was to just
enjoy
the woman he’d been given a second chance with. But when she began rocking her hips on his, he groaned with need, helpless to ignore it.

He broke away and hungrily maneuvered her bra down. Her dark nipples were hard from the chilly air, but her skin was hot, her breathing labored. He flicked his tongue on one, then gently used his teeth to draw it out. Perfect little woman. His woman.

She gasped and quivered. “I think you should stop. You’re making me hot.”

He chuckled, pushing his hips up and holding her down so she would really felt how hard he was. “That’s the point.”

“Well then…” She carefully climbed off his lap, and he moaned in protest, swiping at the air to catch her again, but she was already out of reach.

“Come back. Please.”

With a lilting, seductive smile, she reached under her dress with both hands, and pulled her panties off, tossing them on his jacket.

He groaned. “Thea…”

Returning to him, she plucked at his belt and unzipped his pants. When she wrapped her hot hand around his cock, he could’ve come right then and there while she stroked it, and teased the head with her thumb. Panting with hard breaths, he toyed with her nipples with his fingertips. Then she lifted, and rubbed his blunt head between her slippery folds.

He swallowed, looking up at her, shaking with anticipation. Keeping her gaze locked with his, she slowly began to sink on him, his blunt head penetrating her entrance. She let out a long cry, and he held back from pushing her all the way down, letting her get used to his size again. Inch by excruciating inch, she lowered and gloved his shaft with her tight pussy. Half way there, she opened her knees more and he filled her completely.

Kenner let out an unstoppable growl, gripping her hips, and throbbing to come. When she began rocking up and down, he palmed her ass and sucked on her nipple. She slicked his cock with her wetness, every stroke of her pussy on him bringing him ever closer to unparalleled bliss. Fuck, she knew how to ride him. Slow and hard. If she went any faster, he’d orgasm in a second.

He rubbed his palms up and down her arms, licking his way up her chest to her neck, the pleasure almost too much to bear. She grabbed his jaw and kissed him deep, giving short, soft feminine noises of increasing pleasure.

They were very quiet, and unless someone happened upon them, no one would hear their lovemaking. Kenner wanted nothing more than to remove the dress completely and take her on the gazebo floor, but that would be going too far. As soon as they were done with the party, he wasn’t taking her anywhere except to his place.

She kissed his nose, eyelids, and the side of his mouths. “Kenner.”

God, he loved to hear his name from her throat, especially with such awe and ecstasy. He’d heard it from other women before, but this time, he really listened, and treasured the sound. She opened her mouth over his, her hips increasing their speed, and the change of pace had his eyes rolling back while he lost all reason.

With their mouths open, each panting for air, everything around them disappeared. It was him and Thea. No one else, nothing else.

Her fingers clenched his shoulders and she let out a stunned cry of anguished rapture, her hips slowing, but she continued stroking his cock. His balls tightened, and the world stopped for a second before the joy-pain paralyzed him, then released, replacing brief sorrow with bright euphoria. He buried his groan in her neck and locked his arms around her, tremors of endless pleasure running through his body.