by Piper Rayne
Belinda
I’m stress eating. After two hours of nonstop kids, lifting them onto Santa’s lap and then lifting them off, all while holding a cheery smile, I’m exhausted. Everything aches. Including my cheeks. Man, smiling is hard. Especially when you’re trying to reassure a parent that their kid isn’t an asshole.
Exhaustion is the first reason I’m stuffing my face blindly at the snack table. The second—and let’s be real, the main reason I’m eating my feelings—is because Luke, still dressed as jolly ol’ Saint Nick, is surrounded by groupie elves. And Amelia.
God, that woman is relentless.
Since his beard is still in place, I can’t read Luke’s face. He seems to be lapping up all the attention and isn’t looking around for someone to save him. He’s totally forgotten about me.
It’s torture to watch. Soul-crushingly horrible but I can’t look away. I need to see this. To remind myself for the millionth time that we’re just friends. It would be a Christmas miracle if an inappropriate thought crossed his mind about me.
I reach back for another jelly-filled cookie. They’re store-bought but I’m desperate. My eyes never leave Luke. I watch Amelia’s hand grab his bicep and squeeze. Rolling my eyes at the way she’s fawning all over him, I take a large bite of cookie and try to hide my snarl behind chewing. I really need to look away, find something else to—
I stop chewing when the flavor of jelly registers on my tongue. Oh no. Oh fuck. I glance down at the cookie and see the color of jelly. Shit.
Spinning, I drop the half-eaten treat and reach for a napkin, disposing of what I hadn’t swallowed into the thin sheet. How could I have been so stupid? Maybe I’ve realized my mistake in time. I feel…
Tingling begins to break out on my hairline. My tongue feels heavy in my mouth.
Panic fills me. I can’t focus. I need to do something but all I can think is that my throat is going to swell up next. A whine leaves me as I pull off the elf hat that is suddenly making me extremely hot.
“Belinda? Bee! What’s wrong?”
My hands shoot out, twisting in Luke’s red coat. “Apricots,” I grunt.
His brow furrows in confusion for a second before his eyes flare with understanding. “Someone help! She’s having an allergic reaction! I need a first aid kit over here,” Luke yells out. “I got you, Bee. I got you.” The dizziness overtakes me. There’s a muffled crash and then everything goes black.
Luke
“You’re so pretty,” Belinda chirps from the passenger seat, her body slumped over in an odd position. Her glassy eyes blink slowly at me. “Like, really pretty.” Christ, she was high as a kite.
When she went down, bringing one of the dessert tables with her, I swear time stood still. There had been a look of such…fear on her face seconds before she passed out that I was sure the image would stay with me for years.
I know it was an allergic reaction to an apricot jelly cookie, but my heart still feels like it’s in my throat. For a moment, I truly thought—
Her hand grabs my arm. “I think snow is pretty, too.”
I nod, wanting to grab her hand and hold it in mine, but I need to pay attention to the road. The snow is falling fast, a storm on the horizon, and visibility is getting harder with the fading light. Her hand falls onto my lap, dangerously close to my dick. It hasn’t gotten the memo that she’s hurt, the bastard. He’s begging for attention. It’s wrong of me, but I leave her hand there, needing her touch.
I wasn’t a man who scared easily but Belinda freaked me out today. All I wanted was to get her home and feeling better. When I carried her to my car, I debated on where I should take her. After this traumatic experience, I think she’d like to be in the comfort of her apartment.
The situation could have been a lot worse. Because the event was for a local kids group there had been a doctor on location. He’d been the one to jab an EpiPen in Bee’s thigh. While most of her swelling went down within fifteen minutes after injection, the hives on her chest and arms were still visible. I was ready to take her to the hospital to be monitored for the night, but the doctor had assured me she would be fine and would probably prefer to be home in bed. He’d sat with me in the back room with Bee still held tightly in my arms for another ten minutes before I believed him. She was breathing normally, her pulse had evened out and she was semiconscious. High out of her mind.
“Why’d ya do it?” The question confuses me. I dart a quick glance her way, and see Belinda’s head is thrown back against the headrest and her eyes are closed. I’m not sure if she’s talking to me or dreaming out loud. “Why’d you do it, Luke?”
“Do what, Bee?”
“Break my heart. Then disappear.” She makes a humming noise. “You just…poof”—her fingers come up, making an arch before bursting away—“went away.”
Her words hit me hard.
I had been a coward. Plain and simple. I hadn’t been prepared for the woman she’d become and on the night she was referring to, Brendan had warned me away from her when he caught me staring. All the feelings I’d had for her got twisted up and pulled apart, all because I didn’t want to upset a friend. But I knew I had walked away from something great.
It hurt me to know how deeply she felt about me. If I was being honest with myself, she was the reason I decided to take the new security job here, closer to home.
My feelings for her had only grown stronger with distance.
The job in Austin had been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And while passing it up would have been stupid, leaving without talking to Belinda had been an epically dumb move. I’d built a name for myself while I was away, now I need to lay it all on the line for a future with Belinda. I had always been hers. Now I had to make her mine.
Thank goodness this is the season of miracles. I am going to need all the help I can get.
The car descends into silence, the only noise the crunch of the tires beneath the snow and Belinda’s soft snores. Turning into her apartment building, I park as gently as I can and carry her inside. Her head finds the nook of my shoulder and she snuggles in, arms wrapping around my neck instinctually. Pride spreads through me.
Getting to her floor and into her apartment proves to be a challenging balancing act. Not wanting to put her down, I dig through her purse, my arm and abs burning at holding us upright. When I finally find her keys, hidden away in a side pocket, I let us in and kick off my boots. I pad farther into her place, trying to find the light switch with my elbow. I am not prepared for what appears.
“Whoa.” That one simple switch flip activated Christmas within the apartment. Belinda really went all out this year. Having an apartment to herself allowed her to decorate every inch of the space.
Shaking my head, I head in the direction of Belinda’s room. It looks like every square inch of the apartment is covered with some kind of holiday decoration. The hallway is lined with fake garland and blinking lights.
She doesn’t stir as I lay her on the bed. Methodically, not thinking about what I’m actually doing, I start to take off her winter jacket and boots. Each item falls to the floor with a thud. I pause, wondering if I should take off the elf costume as well. The weird suspender things can’t be comfortable with so many buttons.
Gritting my teeth, I go for it. She’s wearing striped tights and a long-sleeved top underneath. It should be fine. It wasn’t like I was stripping her bare. I was just helping to make her comfortable as she slept off the allergy meds. That’s what I keep telling myself, but my hands shake as I shimmy the tiny shorts down her legs.
She moans. She fucking moans as I pull the last bit of material off and she snuggles into her bed. Sweat breaks out along my brow. She looks so beautiful against the dark green comforter. Her skin glowing in the dim light.
I need to get out of here. I’m only so strong. And a big part of me wants to curl up next to her and hold her through the night. I can’t do that yet. I still have a big secret to tell her and a past to make up for.
With one last look, I back out of the room and head toward the blinding twinkling lights that wait for me in the living room. Shrugging out of my jacket, I pull my phone from the front pocket and check to see if Brendan has responded to any of my calls or messages. No one could find him at the event when Bee had her allergic reaction, and I tried to get in touch with him to let him know what was happening.
A sadistic part of me is happy Brendan never picked up. It meant that I could be the one to watch over Bee. I could stay by her side and soak in more of her light and goodness. I need more of that in my life.
Shooting off one more text to let him know that everything is fine, and where to find us, I place the phone on the kitchen table and grab the street clothes I shoved in Belinda’s bag. I change quickly, coming back into the main space and take in the room again. The space does look spectacular. There’s a wall of hanging twinkle lights, a small Christmas village on two levels of her bookshelf and the area under her window has been made to look like a fireplace. It’s the tree though that holds my attention as I go closer to take in all the decorations. Memories come flooding back of Babcia and Belinda stringing cranberries and popcorn together, all of us sitting around the tree when I came over for Christmas movie night. I rub at my chest, feeling content.
With Belinda still sleeping off the medication she was given, I’m at a loss for what to do. There’s no way I’m leaving. Belinda and I need to have a serious conversation and I really don’t like the idea of her waking up alone after such a dramatic afternoon.
Maybe making dinner would relax me. That idea crumbles around me when I yank her fridge door open and see bare shelves. There’s no actual food. All she has is a couple sticks of butter, eggs, a small bag of bread and what looks like yogurt, but I can’t be sure. Of course she would have baking staples but no actual food. I grin.
Reaching for my cell, I pull up my favorite food app and scroll through the options. All the delivery times are over an hour’s wait. Weird. Rounding the small love seat in the living room, I go to the window and curse when I see the snow. It has not let up and is falling faster than before.
Knowing that the weather is complete shit makes the wait time a little more bearable. By the time the food gets here I’ll be starving. I should have eaten more at the event, but Amelia kept hounding me and finding ways to corner me away from everyone else. The first couple times I politely excused myself but after that my patience was shot. I had no time for women who liked to play games or demean others for fun. The way she treated Belinda today, taunting her with an old childish nickname, was unforgivable. I’d tried to get Belinda’s attention when I became surrounded, but she never picked up on my signal for help.
I decide on pizza, thinking that even if it arrives cold the meal will be good. Reheating pizza isn’t the worst thing in the world. And on a night like this, a hot, comforting meal was needed. When that’s done, I collapse on the sofa, thinking I’ll turn on the TV and get lost in a show. Something sharp pokes me in the side as I try to get comfortable.
Her Kindle. I smile, liking that Belinda is still an avid reader. Pressing the device on, I tap the screen to go into her library. Wow. There are some steamy covers here. Intrigued, I tap on a title that is marked “read” at the top. Bringing the book back to the first chapter, I begin to read. I intend just to see what she’s reading, but I get hooked. Kicking my feet up, I settle in and lose myself in a fictional world.
Slice of Heaven
Belinda
It’s the uncomfortable heat that registers first. Blinking one eye open, I squint into the dark room. There’s barely any light except for a small beam coming through the bottom of my bedroom door. Slowly, I begin to move, hoisting myself over and onto my back. That small move makes cool air hit my face and neck. Sweet relief.
My fingers tangle in my hair as I push the sweaty strands off my face. Grimacing, I angle my head down and see that I’m still wearing my elf costume. Well, not completely. Those wedgie-inducing overalls are blessedly gone. But no wonder I’m sweating buckets, these tights are thick.
I can recall only bits and pieces of how I got home. To my utter embarrassment, I remember what led to me eating that damn apricot cookie and the resulting chaos. Luke had come to my rescue, again, and made sure I got the care I needed. He’d even driven me home. A twinkle of a memory plays across my mind. Did I say something inappropriate in the car?
I think about it for a couple seconds before dramatically throwing my hands down on the mattress. Oh, for fudge’s sake, who cares? It couldn’t have been that big a deal if I couldn’t remember. And it definitely couldn’t be as idiotic as having an allergic reaction at a kids’ Christmas party. Cookies are my life. How could they betray me like that!
Reluctantly, I push myself up, needing to use the bathroom. A dull pain shoots across my head—an effect of the drugs, no doubt. I’m lucky I don’t feel more hungover. The apartment is quiet, nothing but the faint sounds of my upstairs neighbor stomping around. My lips turn down in a small frown. I was hoping, I think, that someone would be here. Making sure I was okay.
Urg, I’m really feeling moody. The drugs they gave me were really drudging up weird emotions. I was fine on my own. The doctor at the event had helped me and given me meds. I also have a cosmetic bag full of allergy pills that will demolish any lingering side effects of my earlier episode. Everything is fine.
I make my way to the bathroom to take care of business and have a quick shower. Feeling refreshed and squeaky clean, I put on my fluffy robe and head to the kitchen. I’m desperately craving a cup of Sleigh Ride peppermint tea.
Rounding the corner, I give my Christmas tree a funny look. I didn’t think I left the lights on before I left. Same with the oven light. Huh.
Grabbing the kettle off the oven, I move to the sink to fill it. Wait, do I smell pizza?
“How are you feeling?”
I scream bloody murder and drop the kettle. The loud bang of steel on steel hitches my heart rate up another notch.
“Frigid Frosty, you scared the ever-loving hell out of me.”
“Sorry,” Luke says from over the back of the sofa. “I thought you saw me when you came in.” I watch as he places my Kindle on the coffee table. My hand is clutching the neck of my robe as he saunters over to me, his eyes full of concern.
“What are you doing here?”
Confusion washes over his face. “What do you mean, what am I doing here? You had an allergic reaction that caused you to hyperventilate. Where else would I be?”
My mouth opens but no words come out. He has a point, but still. I’m sure he has better things to do than wait on me. Christmas is days away and I thought he’d be dying to spend more time with his family, not his best friend’s awkward little sister.
“You really don’t get it, do you.” His words surprise me. What am I supposed to get?
“I just—I remember you driving me home, but I thought you’d want to be with family.”
Luke takes a step forward, both of his hands coming to my waist and pulling me into him by the belt of my robe. I’m shocked by the move and rendered speechless when I feel something hard brush my stomach. Was he…?
“It’s not my family I want to spend time with,” he whispers, warm puffs of his breath hitting my cheeks. Slowly, his nose brushes across mine until our lips are only inches away. I look up at him through my lashes, elated and overwhelmed by what’s happening. Luke is holding me, on the edge of kissing me. There are so many questions whirling in my head, but I can only voice one.
“Luke,” I say his name softly.
“Yeah,” he whispers back.
“Are you going to kiss me?”
“Damn straight I am.”
His lips capture mine, taking my breath away. This isn’t some soft kiss either. There’s no hesitation as he takes command, his tongue dancing with mine, pulling more and more out of me. And I give everything I am to him. I’ve waited so long for this and I don’t stop to think of the consequenc
es. I give in.
As I wrap my arms around him, he deepens the kiss. My mouth parts and I slip my tongue in to meet his, the sweet taste of coffee mixed with him has me groaning. I cling to him and I know there is no way I can make it through this night without him. One kiss is all it takes to have me falling back in love with him.
“Belinda,” he says, pulling his mouth away.
“Yes,” I say without question, knowing what he’s asking. He says my name like a prayer, asking for divine forgiveness while creating sinful friction against me. I moan as one of his hands breaks free of my hair and caresses down the front of my robe. Without pulling away this time, he picks me up and begins walking.
“This is crazy.”
“Go with it, Bee.”
My body aches for him in a way I’ve never experienced. The need to touch him, taste him, consumes me and drives my every thought. We don’t make it to the bedroom before he’s pressing me up against the wall. My head falls back, lids heavy with lust as I watch him part my robe.
“I need to see more of you, Bee. Every inch of this beautiful body.” My robe slips down my arms and he helps the rest fall to the floor with a tug, leaving me clinging to him in nothing but my panties. His cock is hard against me, hot through his jeans. I tilt my head to the side to give him more access to kiss my neck, but he does more than kiss. Zips of awareness course through my body when he nips the sensitive area. My hips jerk up, rubbing against him with every pulse.
“Fuck,” he curses into my hair a second before I’m hoisted higher in his arms and we’re moving again. With every hurried step he takes toward my bed, his hard length rubs against my core, sending sparks that have me shaking.
“Luke,” I half moan, half cry. The sensations are too much.
He curses as he falls with me onto the bed. “Fuck. You’re soft everywhere.”
“And you’re very, very hard. Oh!” My teasing remark dies on a gasp when he rips my panties clean off me. Holy hell.
