“Ruby?” Harrison called. He set his guitar by the door like he always did but today he had a couple of bags in his other hand.
With the openness of the apartment, it didn’t take him long to see my holiday surprise. “Holy fuck,” he gasped.
I turned around and looked at him over my shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Rockstar.” I shook my ass and the small bell I had put on the bow jingled.
He dropped the bags that were in his hand and slowly made his way over to the tree. “Damn, Vixen. You were busy while I was gone.”
“I just got the feeling you like Christmas and I wanted to make this one a little special for you. A little Ruby flare.” I shook my ass again and laughed. “Bow included.”
“And I thought I was amazing for picking up Chinese and grabbing a couple of presents for you. You outdid me, Vixen.” He made his way over to me and twirled his finger. “Spin for me, Vixen.”
I slowly turned and I felt his eyes eating me up. The candy cane striped bra and panty set I had spotted in a store window was the perfect pairing to the bright red bow on my ass.
Harrison whistled and shook his head. “Pretty sure I need to take a picture of you so I never forget this moment.”
I felt a surge of sexiness and bit my lip. “Better get your phone out.”
Harrison pulled his phone out and held it up to me. I turned, my ass toward him and looked over my shoulder. “Fucking shit,” he growled. His phone clicked when he took the picture and then he tossed the phone on the couch. “Now I need to unwrap my present.”
He stalked toward me and wrapped me up in his arms. “Does this mean you like your present?”
His mouth devoured mine in answer. “You can bet your bow covered ass on that, Vixen.”
Phase one, success.
*
Chapter Sixteen
Harrison
Butt bow will always be number one.
“I brought dinner, but I’m not sure how good it is anymore.”
Ruby grunted and patted me on the chest. “I’m sure whatever it is will be fine.”
“It was when I walked through the door three hours ago. Now I’m not so sure.”
“Three hours?” she gasped. “We couldn’t have been in here for that long.”
I chuckled and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “Three hours and twenty minutes, Vixen. Hell of a long time to unwrap my present.”
“That’s because you enjoyed your present three times. You’re insatiable,” she sighed.
“You complaining?” I drawled. I had taken her three times, but each time she was more ready than the last. Besides, it would have been rude of me not to show her how much I liked what she got me.
“No, just starving now.”
I slapped her ass. “Put my shirt on and meet me in the kitchen.” I rolled out from under her and snagged my sweat pants from the floor.
“Where did those come from?” she asked.
“Pretty sure I left them in here a couple of nights ago.” I pulled them up my legs and pointed to the kitchen. “Get your sexy ass up and something to eat.”
She grunted and propped her head up with her hand. “Can’t a girl get some dinner in bed?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Not today, Vixen. Meet me in the kitchen.” I padded down the hallway and listened to her grumble as she got out of bed.
“I put a bow on my ass, and all you do for me is tell me to get my butt out of bed.”
Her voice faded when I reached the doorway and grabbed the bag of food I had dropped there. “Huh, how do you feel about ordering pizza?” I called. The subs I had grabbed from the deli were now mushy and warm.
“Um, I doubt there is a pizza place open on Christmas Eve,” she laughed. She walked toward me with my AC/DC shirt on hanging to her knees. “Let me see what you got. If it’s that bad I can make something here.” She peeked into the bag and cringed. “Oh, man. I totally would have chowed down on a Dusty’s sub.”
“I’d get us fresh ones but they were closing as soon as I walked out with these.”
She grabbed the two bags of chips and held them up. “We at least have these. I’ll see what I can scare up.” She waltzed into the kitchen and tossed the chips on the kitchen island. “Your second present is under the tree.”
I looked at the tree and saw three boxes sitting underneath it. “Damn, Vixen. Pretty sure you just gave me the best present ever. You didn’t need to do anything else for me besides the bow on your ass.”
“Open the small one right now. The other two are for tomorrow.” She giggled and opened the freezer. “Looks like it’s hot dogs and tater tots if you’re good with that.”
“Sounds like a gourmet meal right now.” I grabbed the small box and gave it a shake. “You really didn’t need to get me anything, Vixen.” She was all I wanted for Christmas and she had come through with that gift three times already and it wasn’t even officially Christmas.
“Open it,” she called. “It’s something I saw when I was out and I thought of you.”
I peeled off the paper and lifted the lid off of the box. “Damn,” I whispered. I pulled out an ornament of a guitar and smiled.
“It seemed like the perfect ornament to put on the tree. There should be a hook in the bottom of the box.” She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a pot. “Do you like it?”
She was too far away to be having this conversation. She should have been in my lap when I opened it so I could have showed her just how much I liked it. “Second best present I’ve ever gotten, Vixen.”
She stuck the pot under the water and looked at me with a smile. “I’m assuming my butt bow was number one?”
I hung the guitar on a branch in the center of the tree. “Butt bow will always be number one,” I laughed.
“You do have two more presents under the tree,” she called.
I eye the two boxes, each bigger than the one I had just opened. “Nah, you can’t fit in them so I know they aren’t better than the butt bow.”
“You never know,” she sang out. “That big one could have another bow in it.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Is that possible?”
“You’ll have to wait and find out in the morning.”
“Damn, Vixen,” I turned around. “You’re a damn tease.”
She shrugged and set the pot on the stove. “You know you like it.”
“I do. But I also get to be a tease, too.” I strode over to the other two bags on the floor and pulled out two wrapped boxes. “You don’t get to open these until we get to my parents.”
“What?!” she squawked. “That’s not fair at all. I already gave you two presents.”
I shrugged and set the presents under the tree.
“And now you are going to put them under the tree to taunt me the rest of the night?” she scoffed and threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t believe this.”
“All's fair in Christmas presents, Vixen.” I folded my arms over my bare chest and smiled.
“Are you sure there isn’t a way I could convince you to let me open one of those?” she batted her eyes and hitched up the hem of my shirt she was wearing.
I rubbed my chin and hummed. “You do know I am a leg man, Vixen. Are you using my weakness against me?”
She slowly walked toward me and worked her shirt up her legs, revealed her stomach, and tugged it over her head. “What about now?”
“You really want to know what is in those boxes, don’t you?” I laughed.
She shrugged and laid her hand on my chest. She was gloriously naked and I was using every inch of myself control to not touch her. “Using the present you gave me, against me now?”
She licked her lips. “Just a peek?”
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest. “Not a chance in hell, Vixen. But you’re more than welcome to try and tempt me all night.”
“Man, you are a tough cookie,” she pouted.
I pressed a kiss to her lips. “You’ll g
et it tomorrow, Vixen. You’re like a kid begging for Santa Claus to come early.”
She pouted out her bottom lip. “Fine. But for the record I don’t like surprises.”
“It’s a Christmas present, Vixen. They are supposed to be surprises.”
She pursed her lips. “What time are we going over to your parent’s?”
“Around noon.”
“And what time do we open presents.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Not till after we eat. It won’t be till three or four that you get to see what is in these boxes.”
“Well, I gotta assume it’s not a bow to put on your dick or anything like that since your parents are going to be there.”
I threw my head and laughed. “Damn, Vixen. You just ruined my surprise for tomorrow night.”
She slapped my shoulder and smiled. “If you do that I’m pretty sure I will laugh my ass off.”
“Come on,” I chuckled. “It’s gotta be the same as you putting a bow on your ass.”
She shook her head. “Try it, Rockstar. But I’m pretty sure you didn’t laugh when you saw the bow on my butt.”
I snaked my arms around her body and grabbed a handful of her ass. “Nothing about this ass makes me wanna laugh.”
She looked over her shoulder into the kitchen. “Well, why don’t we eat and then you can show me just how much you like my butt.”
I pressed a kiss to her neck. “You got a fucking deal, Vixen.”
*
Chapter Seventeen
Ruby
Because it’s pie.
“What if your parents don’t like me?”
“They don’t like me either.”
I glared at Harrison. “That really doesn’t help. Besides, you know they love you. They just aren’t fond of the band.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” he scoffed. He threaded his fingers through mine and squeezed gently. “They’re gonna love you, Vixen, and if they don’t then you can just hang out in the shed with me and my cousins.”
“But I wanna hang out with you in the shed even if they do like me.” I didn’t want to be left alone with Harrison’s family, even if they did end up liking me.
The door swung open and Harrison’s brother stood there with a shit eating grin on his face. “You two gonna come in? Mom and Dad are about to break their necks trying to catch a glimpse of you two out the window.”
“Darius,” a woman scolded from inside the house.
“You got the beers open?” Harrison asked quietly.
“You damn well know it,” Darius laughed
“Language,” a low voice yelled.
“Not even in the house yet and you’re already getting me into trouble.” Darius shook his head and held open the door.
Harrison stepped through the door and followed closely behind.
“I was wondering when you two were going to show up.” A short woman with light blonde hair bustled over from the window in the living room and wrapped Harrison up in a hug. “You always have to be the last one to show up, Harris.”
“Ruby and I slept in and then we did our own little Christmas this morning,” he explained.
That wasn’t entirely true. We did sleep in, but Harrison still didn’t let me open the presents he had bought me.
Harrison pulled me to his side. “This is Ruby, Mom.”
She clasped her hands in front of her and sighed. “I just love your name, dear.”
“Oh, ah, thank you.” I held my hand out to her and she brushed it to the side.
“We hug here, honey.” She wrapped me in a hug and I heard Harrison chuckle. This was his mom that didn’t like Harrison and his brother were in a band?
“You are so screwed,” Darius laughed
“Darius, can you please not cuss in front of Harrison’s friend? I mean really,” his mom tsked. She grabbed my hand and patted it with her other hand. “Why don’t you come and help me in the kitchen.”
“Ahh,” I hesitated. My eyes connected with Harrison’s and I lightly shook my head. I was nowhere near ready to be separated from Harrison.
“Why don’t I show Ruby around first and then we can come into the kitchen, Mom.”
She shook her finger at Harrison. “You have ten minutes and then she better be in that kitchen with me.” She strutted down a short hallway that I assumed led to the kitchen.
“Dude,” Darius drawled. “She’s gonna put your chick to work.”
“Are you sure Mom didn’t drop you on your head when you were younger?” Harrison asked Darius.
Harrison grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway his mom had just went down. “Uh, where are we going?” I whispered.
‘Tour of the house, Vixen, and then I’m going to do my damndest to keep you away from my mom.”
“She didn’t seem that bad,” I mumbled.
Harrison looked over his shoulder at me. “That’s because she’s trying to be a good host. Just wait until the wine starts flowing and somehow the Wild Preacher’s Club gets brought up. Then you will see just what I’m talking about.”
Dear lord. I didn’t know if this was going to be like the family Christmases I had seen on TV before.
The short hallway from the entryway opens to a wide open living room and a huge kitchen on the other side. There were large exposed wood beams lining the vaulted ceiling and the outside wall had huge windows looking out over a large backyard that backed up to the woods. And there were also about thirty people milling around between the living room and kitchen.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“Pretty view, right, Vixen?” Harrison pulled me to his side and I looked up at him.
“Definitely. A much better view than Jonas’s apartment. But I was actually surprised with how many people are here.”
He winked. “But the company is much better at Jonas’s.”
Harrison gave me a quick tour of the house and then walked me around to introduce me to his family. Everyone seemed to be nice and friendly except for Harrison’s dad. Who would have thought a man of God would give me the cold shoulder.
Lunch was a huge spread of every possible thing and then some. Turkey, ham, prime rib, three kinds of potatoes, mac & cheese, four vegetables, and they didn’t even include the things I considered appetizers.
“Pie?” Darius asked me.
Harrison had managed to get two seats at the table his cousins and bandmates were sitting at. I at least didn’t have to be uncomfortable while we ate. Darius, Malik, and Niko were a riot while Maud kept quiet and seemed to sit back and watch everyone.
“How can you possibly be eating pie right now?” Maud asked.
I had to agree with her. I hadn’t even finished all of my food and I was full.
Darius had ditched his dinner plate and now had a plate with what looked like three different pies, three cookies, and a monstrous piece of cake. “Because it’s pie.”
And now I had to agree with Darius. Pie was delicious. “I think I need to let my food settle a bit.”
Harrison sat back in his chair and dropped an arm across the back of mine. “Why the hell did I eat all of that?” he moaned.
“Because it’s delicious?” I suggested.
“That is, Vixen. And just so you know, mom will send enough leftovers home with us that we won’t need to cook until Monday.”
I shrugged and laid my fork down. “I am more than good with that.”
“Presents!” Harrison’s mom called.
I beamed over at Harrison. “It’s about time,” I whispered.
This morning when we had woken up I had tried again to convince him to let me open at least one, but he stood firm on making me wait. Now it was time to find out just what Harrison had bought me.
We all gathered in the living room, and Niko was tasked with being Santa. He handed out everyone’s gifts, grumbling the whole time. We slowly worked our way around the room until it was my turn to open my presents. I hadn’t expected to have Harrison’s whole family watch me, but tha
t wasn’t going to stop me from opening them.
I quickly ripped the wrapping paper off and tore off the lid.
“Gloves?” Darius laughed. “You bought her gloves.”
Harrison flipped him off. “Would you shut the hell up?”
“Language,” Harrison’s dad called from the couch.
I lifted the gloves out of the box and instantly knew just what they were. “They’re gloves for when I’m on the computer,” I whispered.
“You told me once your hands get cold in the winter when you are working.”
I had, but it wasn’t so he would buy me gloves.
He had listened and got me something I didn’t even know I needed.
Tears clouded my vision and I sniffled. “They’re perfect,” I whispered.
“But they’re just gloves,” Niko insisted.
“I need to find me a girl who is happy with just gloves for a present,” Malik added.
“You’re all assholes,” Harrison said quietly enough so his dad didn’t hear him.
I grabbed the other box that was twice as big. I shook it gently but didn’t hear anything.
“Probably a scarf,” Darius guessed.
Harrison growled next to me and I couldn’t help but laugh. I ripped off the paper and gasped. “You got me a lap desk.” I had always wanted one, but I never wanted to drop the money on one.
“You like it?” Harrison asked.
I nodded my head and beamed up at him. “It’s perfect.”
“Do you have a sister?” Darius interrupted. “I need a girl with low expectations and since you seem to be happy with gloves and desk, I gotta assume if you have a sister she’d be just like you.”
I laughed and Harrison stomped on Darius’s foot. “Do you ever know when to shut your mouth?”
“No, not really,” Darius shrugged.
Everyone shifted their attention to Harrison. It was his turn to open the other two presents I had bought him.
He quickly unwrapped the first and looked down at the blank sheet music I had gotten from the local music store. Except there was one special thing about it.
“Does that say Property of Rockstar on it?” Malik asked.
Kissing the Bad Boy Page 8
