Home for Christmas Series Box Set Duet

by Di Jones

  “I was hoping I’d be with you.”

  “I was hoping that too.” He kissed her then led her to the master bedroom. “How about I leave you to settle in? The ensuite has everything you need, and you can hang your clothes here.” He gestured to the large built-in wardrobe. “I’ll go downstairs, unpack the groceries, and open a bottle of wine.”

  Fifteen minutes later, after taking a quick shower and changing, Harmony found Emery in the kitchen. “Wow, you cook too. What are you preparing?”

  “Easy peasy. I’ve just put a pizza in the oven. Not up to your standard as it’s pre-made, but we can cook properly tomorrow night.” She took the glass of wine he extended to her, and they clinked glasses. “To our weekend together. Hopefully the first of many.”

  Emery’s attentions, the wine, and the fire he lit warmed Harmony’s body, mind and heart, and it wasn’t long before they sat together on the couch, dinner already eaten, cuddling. Emery had turned the lights off, and as the fire crackled and shadows played over the walls and ceiling, they turned to each other, their lips joining. Their kiss was long and sensual, stirring the longing that had been simmering in Harmony for the past weeks.

  Emery’s hands traced the curve of her face, stole down her neck and softly played across the rise of her breasts. She moaned into his mouth, and just as she wanted to scream at him, let’s go to bed, he broke the kiss, stood up, and offered his hand.

  He led her upstairs, and once inside the bedroom he stood before her, kissing her, their bodies inches apart. She savored the intimacy and the separation: every nerve in her body was heightened. As their mouths softly explored each other, her hands stole down his chest, to the place where the hem of his sweater and jeans met. His kiss became more urgent as she slowly undid his wide leather belt then as she accomplished that and undid his fly, his fingers found their way under her top. She stepped back and he pulled it over her head then unclasped her bra. Finally his hands caressed her breasts.

  “God. I want you,” he breathed. “Let’s get into bed.”

  They undressed quickly. Emery pulled the covers back and they drew close in the cool, soft sheets of the massive four-poster bed. Then Emery bent over her, his mouth on hers, his hands roving her body until yes, they were there, and she gasped in pleasure.

  All I want now is Emery inside me. She took hold of him, felt his desire was as strong as hers, then without any niceties, she pushed him back against the pillows and straddled him.

  He filled her, stretching her in that exquisite way she remembered, and as he began to move under her, she couldn’t contain herself, and rocked against him, bringing them both close to the point of no return.

  “I’m coming,” she breathed. Her spine stiffened and swirls of silver flashed before her eyes. With one hand he teased her nipples and with the other he held her cascade of hair back.

  “I want to look at your beautiful face,” he told her as her orgasm tore through her body. He held her to him then as her breathing steadied, he reversed their positions, cradling her and kissing her.

  “Your turn,” she whispered.

  “Ladies first and second.” He parted her legs then he was above her, coming inside her slowly. At the same time, his fingers stroked her, and when she thought she was coming down from her high, her body wanted more. He slowed, and as he did, her crescendo rose, and so it went on, until finally Emery let go and they came together.

  Afterwards, they lay in each others’ arms, stroking and kissing, but remaining silent. There were no words Harmony could say. All she could do was trust that their coming together was more than sex, that it would be the same as it had been years before.

  The following day they got up late and left the house hand in hand. They walked to the cafe in town, ordered bacon and eggs for brunch, and ate in a leisurely fashion, holding hands over the table and leaning in for quick kisses. After that they strolled around the stores and the park. Finally they made their way home in the mid-afternoon sunlight.

  “Today feels like I always imagined it would if we were—” she stopped, embarrassed.

  “Spending the weekend together?” He laughed and pulled her into an embrace, stopping on the street corner to bend down and kiss her. As his lips met hers, her mouth parted, and even though the air was cold, heat seared in her core. She remembered their passion the night before, and clung to him, savoring his kiss, until he pulled away.

  “The sky,” he said, and she looked upwards to see large black clouds gathering.

  The snow started to fall. She held her arms out, catching the soft crystal-like shapes that reminded her of spun sugar. The flakes drifted onto her face and melted immediately, leaving her bare skin wet.

  “Come on,” Emery said as she stared up at the sky in wonder. Every year at the first snow she felt like a kid again, remembering the first time she’d seen it and the surprise she’d felt that the sky was raining fairy floss. “Harmony, there’s going to be a storm. Hurry up.” He pulled her hand and as the sky darkened and the snowflakes became heavy, cold and dense, they hurried the four blocks to his house. Before they’d reached his front gate their shoulders were carpeted in white and by the time they reached his front porch the cold had penetrated Harmony’s winter jacket, leaving her shivering.

  Emery fumbled with the key then once inside he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. As his tongue danced with hers she shivered uncontrollably.

  “Let’s get you out of that jacket and get a fire lit. I can feel the temperature dropping, even in here.”

  Harmony got out of her jacket, and went upstairs to find a warm sweater, while Emery lit the fire. By the time she came back downstairs, the wood was just starting to burn, and the smell of pine filled the air.

  “Feeling warmer now?” he asked, moving across the room towards her. He rubbed his hands on her back then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body.

  “Yes. I’m feeling warm, comfortable and loved.”

  His eyes fixed on hers then he drew closer, his lips slowly brushing her mouth. She opened her mouth and his tongue melded with hers as if searching for answers. As his kiss deepened she could feel his ardor growing.

  Hers too—fire was moving from her lips down through her breasts and to the spot between her legs, and she quivered at the thought of what they’d done to each other the night before.

  Emery pulled away first. “It’s a shame to waste this fire,” he said in a low, husky voice, “but I think we should go upstairs.”

  “Me too.” She took his hand and as they mounted the staircase her whole body screamed for what lay ahead.

  He dove into bed first, watching as she undressed slowly for him. “You’re so sexy,” he told her then as she slid in facing him, he kissed her mouth, so softly and slowly she shivered in anticipation. “And you taste so good.” He moved his face down to her breasts and his tongue teased them into soft, pink peaks. He shifted position again. “Everywhere.”

  She held her breath and sank back onto the pillows, as every cell in her body screamed Yes! His tongue slid over her, and tiny electrical pulses fired across her body, readying her for what lay ahead. She parted her legs and he moved down, his thick hair tickling the inside of her thighs, a prelude to the exquisite pleasure of him licking her in the most private place. She bit her lip, overcome with lust, and seconds later an electrical current exploded in her core and her mind went blank. Bliss overtook her as his tongue stroked, then lapped, ratcheting the pleasure. She gripped the side of the bed, wondering if she could withstand the waves engulfing her. Just as she thought she was about to explode Emery moved. No. Don’t stop. Not when I’m so close to coming again.

  His finger rubbed her nub, bringing her back to that nirvana, then he pushed inside her, taking her, slowly, rhythmically. His eyes shone down on hers, watching as he pleasured her. She groaned with wanton abandon, excited at his appetite. He drew his hands underneath her hips, and went deeper. His heart beat erratically, he grunted and his spine sti
ffened. She could feel him holding back, but they were both beyond control. As her body pulsed and arched, he slammed into her with a shout and for a moment she didn’t know who or where she was. As her heart slowed, he wound his arms even tighter around her, then his weight was fully on her, and slick with sweat they curled up and slept.

  Hours later they padded down to the kitchen. “Let’s not make dinner. I’d rather save my energy,” Emery told her with a grin.

  “We’ve got to eat. How about an omelet?”

  She cracked eggs into a large bowl and whisked them with cream, salt and pepper while he grated cheese and cut thick slices of whole wheat bread for toast. Once their supper was made, they brought it back to bed on trays.

  “Movie?” Emery asked, and when she nodded he turned on the TV.

  As they sat shoulder to shoulder in bed, eating the simple but delicious supper, her body reawakened sexually, Harmony wondered if she could ever be happier than this.

  The weekend flew past, each moment together strengthening her feelings for Emery. Each time they conversed she respected him more, each time they laughed together her heart warmed to him more, and each time he thrilled her in bed she desired him more. By the time Sunday ended he was seared into her heart, mind and body, the same way he’d been years before.

  On Sunday night she lay alone in bed, tired and sated after the weekend with him. Although she knew she’d sleep better alone, she lay under the blankets imagining his kisses, longing for his fingers working her into a passion, and craving for him to be inside her, making her senseless with love. She tried to sleep, but her body ached with unfulfilled desire, and she knew if she was going to be happy her mission was clear.

  Somehow she had to convince Emery to stay in Lewiston.

  Ten

  Emery

  On Monday morning Emery woke early and lay in bed stretching, remembering the weekend he and Harmony had spent together. Hell, she was hot. The years had done nothing to dampen their incredible sexual chemistry, and nor had they grown apart. If anything, he felt closer to her than he ever had before and his desire for her was stronger than it had been when they were younger. He was a man now, not the boy who’d left in search of himself and what he could get from the world. Now he was a success and he wanted a beautiful, intelligent woman by his side, and Harmony fit the bill perfectly. As he thought about the way she responded when he came inside her, heat washed over him and he grew hard with desire.

  Cold shower, he thought, and rolled out of bed. As he moved toward the bathroom he ran his hands through his hair, starting to think about the day ahead. The main acts were practically perfect now, and today they were introducing backup singers from the primary school—kids that hadn't made the finals but could still sing in the choir and chorus. It would be an exhausting day but would bring them much closer to the end game.

  He grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge, poured himself a glass and swallowed it before taking a banana from the fruit bowl. Then he walked out of the house and put his acoustic guitar in the back of the car. As he drove into Lewiston, he considered that everything in his world was great. The stress that had been accumulating in his body for weeks was dissipating. LA’s pressures were thousands of miles away and he wondered why he’d never come back to his hometown before. It was relaxing here, life was simple and pleasant, and the people were friendly. And there was Harmony… it had been hard sleeping without her last night and he couldn’t wait to see her again this morning.

  He had just pulled into a parking space across from the Town Hall when his cell phone rang. A quick glance at the display told him who it was.

  “Good morning, Carmen. How’s everything going in sunny Los Angeles?”

  The line was crackly, making it hard to hear what she was saying. “Emery …exciting news. You’ll never believe it…wants you…party.”

  “Sorry, Carmen. I didn’t quite catch what you said. It’s a bad line. Who’s invited me to their party?”

  “No, not invited…perform…John…Lakers.”

  Had he heard that right? One of the US’s most well-known athletes, the star of the LA Lakers, wanted him to perform at a party? That would be quite a coup, and Emery loved doing private shows. Not only did they pay amazingly well but him and his band mates were treated like royalty and accorded the privileges of a guest. But when is the party? If I’m going to be back in LA of course I’m interested. Who wouldn’t be?

  “Emery…what’s the long silence for? Did you hear what I said? Are you going to do this Christmas Eve party?”

  Christmas Eve…I can’t do it. His heart sank, but he had his priorities straight. “Wow, Carmen, that is exciting but obviously I can’t do it. I’ve got the Christmas Eve concert here.”

  Even though the line was bad he could tell the silence was deliberate…it was a silence colder and frostier than the weather in Lewiston. “You mean to tell me you’re going to stay in that little town in the middle of nowhere to do a concert with a load of schoolchildren rather than come back for this. Emery, have you gone crazy?” Carmen usually had a low, controlled tone to her voice, but by the end of the sentence her pitch had risen to glass-shattering proportions, and Emery held the phone away from his ear in case she hadn’t finished.

  But she had, and he put the phone back to his ear. “I might have, but if this is crazy, I don’t want to ever go back to being sane. For the first time in a long time, I’m happy. Like…properly happy, the way normal people are.”

  “This is ridiculous…not normal…must come back…”

  “I’m having trouble hearing you, but I hope you can hear me. I’m not coming back for this party, or for anything else at Christmas. There’s no way I’m going to let Harmony, Arnold and the rest of the residents of Lewiston down.” He waited a moment, and she didn’t say anything more, so he decided the conversation was over. “Okay, bye. Thanks for calling.” He hung up, and just in case she did her usual thing and assumed she could persuade him by harping on about it, he shoved his phone into the glove box and locked the car up.

  It was only a dash across the square to the hall, but despite that he instinctively tightened his scarf around his neck. It was hellishly cold and he looked up at oppressive snow clouds. Time to get a coffee now before the weather packs in completely. He quickened his pace, heading in the opposite direction.

  Ten minutes later he returned to the car, grabbed his guitar then headed back to the Town Hall, excited to see Harmony. Today they were focusing on the kids’ portion of the show, and he sighed, knowing he needed to replace Tommy. The little boy wouldn’t take direction, and neither would his mother, who insisted he should be doing a solo as Eliza-May was the problem. What Tommy’s mother didn’t know, but Harmony insisted she had to be told, was that last week he had pushed the little girl over during a theatrical fight in rehearsal.

  Inside the Town Hall Harmony was a sight to see. Despite the fact that they’d only just started working with the kids in the chorus, she had the children moving on cue, and singing like professionals. He stood to the side of the door, wanting to watch her unobtrusively. “Okay everyone. Let’s try Frosty the Snowman next.” The kids launched into it, and Emery grinned as he saw the wince that Harmony tried to suppress. She loved her kids, he knew, but that song wasn’t a great choice for youngsters, even though it was so popular. She needed something more tuneful, like—

  “We’re going to try something else…Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” She blew on the pitch pipe to guide them to the right note, and they started.

  Much better, she’s got it, my Harmony. And so have the kids. He smiled, remembering when he first started singing. He wasn’t much older than these kids were. Passions start young, that’s for sure.

  Once they were all in the rhythm, Harmony joined them, dancing at the front of the stage, and the kids followed along so well that Emery knew they’d been practicing the choreography in class. I can really count on her…she’s professional and leaves nothing to chance. And w
ow, she can control these kids. They’re so well behaved. He was about to go and congratulate her on a job well done when a little boy’s voice pierced the hall. “That’s Emery. Emery Dante.” The boy screeched with excitement, completely sending Harmony’s beautifully synchronized rehearsal into total disarray. As the other kids became rowdy and excited, Emery wondered how she’d ever pull it together again.

  “Kids! Settle down. Right now.” Harmony clapped her hands loudly then within ten seconds the children were all back in position again.

  How does she do that? She’s wasted here…she should be organizing large-scale professional concerts and parties back in Los Angeles, not working in a primary school. And I know just how to get her there…

  “I’m sorry,” a voice said at his elbow. “Aiden idolizes you. He’s seen you on TV and loves it when you’re on the radio…he always dances when your songs come on.” Anita pulled her son forward and Emery bent down to talk to the little boy.

  “Hi, Aiden. It’s nice to meet you. Are you excited about Christmas?”

  The little boy nodded, as star struck as a twenty-five-year-old girl would be.

  “What do you think Santa Claus is going to bring you?” He winked at Anita who grinned broadly.

  “My two front teeth.” Aiden also smiled at him, revealing a big gap where his baby teeth hadn’t formed yet.

  “You don’t want much, do you? Most boys would be asking for a bike, a pogo jumper stick, or a Marvel Heroes set.”

  Aiden hung his head, still too star struck to make eye contact then he tugged on Anita’s hand. She leaned over and he whispered to her so quietly that Emery couldn’t hear what the boy said.

  “Go on, sweetie. Emery won’t mind.”

  Emery looked from Anita to Aiden. “Does he want an autograph?”