by Marie Force
He pulled her back against him, pressing his erection against her back. “Any questions?”
“Ah, so it’s like that, is it?”
“Whenever you’re around.”
“I’m around a lot. That must get painful.”
He grunted out a laugh. “Sure does, especially after spending two endless nights without you.”
“You’re kind of being pathetic right now.”
“I can’t help it if I love you so much that being away from you was painful.”
“I love you, too, and I missed you just as much. Stella kept saying it was wicked quiet without you around.”
“I’m not sure if I should be complimented or insulted by that.”
“Probably a little of both.”
“Look at her,” he said of Stella, who was stretched out on the floor reading a book to Savannah, Caden and Callie. “She’s so good with them.”
“They adore her. The minute she comes into the room, the three of them are all over her.”
“We ought to get busy giving her some siblings,” he said.
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. She’ll be the best big sister ever.”
“She will.”
He pressed against her again. “How about we start now?”
Amanda giggled. “Stop it. You’re in a room full of relatives, making a scene.”
“They’re used to me making scenes, and they don’t know what we’re talking about.”
“I bet they could guess.”
“Look at Luc over there with Dani. I’ll bet the farm that he’s trying to talk her into going to bed for the same reason I want you in my bed.”
“You’re embarrassing me, Landon.”
“I can live with that, Amanda. So, bed. Now. Yes? Stella can tuck herself in this one time. She’s a big girl.”
“I’m not going to miss tucking her in on our first Christmas Eve together.”
Landon groaned dramatically. “It’s our first Christmas Eve together, too. Are you going to miss tucking me in?”
“I’ll tuck you in after I tuck her in.”
“Now you’re just being mean to me.”
She lost it laughing, which only made him want her more. He’d never pictured himself being in love with anyone the way he was with her.
When Stella finished the story she was reading to the kids, their parents scooped them up to take them up to bed.
“Thank you, Jesus,” Landon said. “Meet me in bed after you tuck in our girl.”
“Go warm it up for me.”
Landon held out his arms to hug and kiss Stella good night. They’d already read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas as a group and put out cookies for Santa that they’d had to protect from the many dogs in residence that night.
“Glad you made it home for Christmas, Landon,” Stella said with a smile.
“Me, too, sweetheart. See you in the morning.”
Amanda got up to go with Stella to get her and Matilda settled on the sofa in his dad’s home office.
Landon had worried that Stella might be scared sleeping by herself in there, but she’d told them that she’d be fine as long as Matilda was there. He was just glad they weren’t sharing a room with her so they could have some time alone. As it was, he had to wait a good ten minutes after Amanda walked away before he could get up and leave the room without embarrassing himself.
“Going to bed?” Lucas asked.
“Yep.”
“Right behind you, brother. I’m bushed.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“Same to you.”
Landon stepped over Colton and Lucy, who seemed to be inclined to sleep right there in the middle of the family room, and headed for one of the four first-floor bedrooms that’d been assigned to him and Amanda.
Getting to Christmas Eve was always a huge relief to him, having survived another wildly busy season at the tree farm. He gave himself a couple of weeks off from the place before getting back to work there in mid-January. And knowing he had two more days off before he had to be back to work at the firehouse helped to put him in a festive mood.
After stripping off his clothes, he sat on the bed to test whether it was squeaky and was relieved to discover it wasn’t. That was good news indeed.
He was lying on the bed, naked as the day he was born, when Amanda came in a few minutes later.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Landon. What if someone else had come in here by mistake?”
“They would’ve gotten one hell of a show.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a little full of yourself.”
He curled a hand around his erection. “I don’t hear you complaining about what I’ve got going on.”
“You’re like a middle school boy.”
“Duh, you’ve known that since the day you met me. Now get over here and put me out of my middle school misery.”
She made a show out of removing her clothes as slowly and seductively as she possibly could.
Watching her reveal herself to him, he could only marvel at how lucky he was that such a beautiful, sweet, smart, special woman loved him the way she did. And then she locked the door, crawled onto the bed and straddled him, making him feel like he’d died and gone straight to heaven. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
“It’s what you’re always talking about.”
“That’s your fault.”
She raised a brow to call him out on his bullshit, which was one of her many special gifts. “How so?”
He reached up to cup her breasts and ran his thumbs over hard nipples. “You’re so sexy, you make me want you all the time.”
“And that’s my fault?”
“Yep.”
“Good to know.”
“I joke around a lot with you, but you know how much I love you, right?”
“Yes, Landon, I know that, and I love that you joke around with me all the time. You’re very good for my ego.”
“Your ego should be very, very healthy. The one thing I’d never joke about is how much I love you, how much I want you and how much better everything is now that I have you and Stella and Matilda in my life.”
“I love our little family. It’s the best thing to ever happen to me. You’re the best thing. You and Stella…”
He reached for her and brought her down to him for a deep, sexy kiss that had him on the verge of begging her to put him out of his misery. Fortunately, he never had to beg. She knew what he needed and was almost always happy to give it to him.
She raised herself up and came down on him, taking his cock into her tight, wet heat in a slow, sexy slide that had his eyes rolling back in his head.
“Fuck me, that’s so good,” he whispered.
“I am fucking you,” she said with a teasing smile, moving like the sexiest seductress he’d ever seen as she rode him.
“Shit, this is gonna be fast, which is also your fault.”
“How so?”
“You’ve had me primed for hours.”
“Again I ask, how so?”
“By breathing.”
She tweaked his nipples and made him jolt. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Only with you. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. All you have to do is walk in the door, and I’m ready to go.”
“Oh, lucky me!”
“You’re so lucky.”
She laughed and bent to kiss him. “So very lucky indeed.”
Chapter Twenty
“Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you.
Tomorrow I’ll miss you.”
—Paul McCartney
Lucas followed Dani into the room where they were sleeping with Savannah and hoped it wasn’t too much to ask that she’d go down easy so he could have some time alone with his love.
“She’s on fire tonight,” Dani said. “I can’t believe she’s still going with no nap today.”
The minute Dani put her on the bed, Savannah popped up to start jumping.
; Lucas nabbed her out of the air. “Time to settle down, sweet girl. Santa can’t come if little girls are still awake.”
“Santa, Lu.”
“That’s right, baby girl. If you want Santa to come, you have to go night-night.”
“No, Lu.”
“Yes, Savvy.”
“No, Lu.”
Dani covered her mouth to contain the laughter that was trying to get out. After Lu, her nickname for Lucas, no had become their little girl’s second-favorite word. She hadn’t even said Mama yet, but she had no fully mastered.
“Do not laugh,” he said to Dani.
“Trying so hard.”
Lucas walked her around the room for thirty minutes until she began to surrender to sleep. He rubbed her back and whispered to her about sweet dreams and sugar plums and Santa coming on his sleigh to bring good girls lots of presents. All the while, he thought about what he’d been doing a year ago on Christmas Eve. After dinner with his family, he and Landon had gone barhopping with some friends from the firehouse.
How different both their lives were now, and he wouldn’t go back to how it’d been for anything. Having Dani and Savvy in his life was the best thing to ever happen to him. In this coming year, he and Dani would get married and maybe add to their little family. He couldn’t wait for everything they had ahead of them.
When he was sure that Savvy was asleep, he kissed her and put her down in the portable crib. Then he shook out his arms, which were tingling with pins and needles from holding her for so long.
“My hero,” Dani whispered when he joined her in bed.
“I love her so freaking much.”
“She loves you just as much. You’ve got the magic touch with her.”
“Do I have it with you, too?” he asked, cupping her backside to bring her in closer to him.
“Always,” she said, smothering a yawn. She’d been working seven days a week for two months at the warehouse and was off until after New Year’s Day. He’d taken the week off, too, and couldn’t wait to spend it with her.
He kissed her forehead and then her lips. “Get some sleep, love. You’re exhausted.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “You don’t want to…”
“Always,” he said, echoing her comment. “But you need sleep more than you need me tonight.”
“I need you more,” she said, yawning again.
“Sleep. We’ve got a whole week to snuggle.”
“Mmm, can’t wait.”
“Me either.”
“Colton.”
“Hmmm.”
“Colton.”
He opened one eye to his favorite thing to look at—Lucy’s adorable face.
“We need to go to bed.”
“I can’t move.”
“You have to move, or your pregnant wife is going to sleep on the floor, which will make me cranky on Christmas. Do you want me cranky on Christmas?”
“Nope.”
She poked his ribs, and he startled awake.
“Damn, woman.”
“Take me to bed, Colton, or else.”
Since he didn’t want to find out what or else entailed, he forced himself to stand and to help her up, holding her for a second until she was steady. As she reached the last month of pregnancy, she lost her balance more often. “You good, babe?”
“I’ll be better when I’m in a bed.”
Their dogs, Sarah and Elmer, looked up to see where they were going, but decided to stay put next to the fire, where they were snuggled up to Tucker and Tanner as well as George, Ringo, Homer and Horace. There were nearly as many dogs in the house tonight as there were people.
Colton and Lucy said good night to his dad and grandfather, who were enjoying a nightcap before bed.
“Sleep well, children,” Elmer said.
“I’ll let the pups out one more time before I go to bed,” Linc said.
“Thanks, Dad,” Colton said. “Good night.”
“Night, son.”
“Are you feeling okay?” Colton asked Lucy when they were on the way upstairs.
“Other than being fat and my boobs aching, I’m just dandy.”
“You’re not fat. You’re beautiful.”
“I can be both.”
“You’re the most gorgeous pregnant woman I’ve ever seen.”
“You have to say that. You did this to me.”
“I did a rather spectacular job of knocking you up, didn’t I?”
She turned to face him and squeezed his lips shut.
Colton, being Colton, kept talking anyway. “Admit it,” he said, his voice muffled. “No one has ever knocked up anyone better than I knocked you up.”
Lucy, being Lucy, knew just how to shut him up when she’d heard enough out of him. She curled her arms around his neck and kissed him.
That always worked to shut him up. Temporarily, anyway.
He picked her up to carry her the rest of the way up the stairs and eased her onto the bed, landing next to her, all without breaking the kiss that became more desperate by the second. “I thought you were tired.”
“I am,” she said, reaching for him.
Colton loved pregnant Lucy and how she couldn’t get enough sex, no matter how often they did it. That worked for him.
“Hurry,” she said.
He hurried, and when they came together in a moment of heat and need and love so big it threatened to consume him, he gave thanks as he often did for whatever stroke of fate had brought her to him. Making love with his Lucy was a nearly religious experience, every damned time, especially after having been away from her for three endless days and two long nights.
“Missed you so much,” he whispered as he moved in her, careful not to put weight on the baby.
“Missed you, too. Our mountain isn’t the same without my mountain man.”
“I was worried about you up there by yourself.”
“I wasn’t by myself. Sarah and Elmer took good care of me.”
Colton pushed into her and held still while grasping her hips, knowing how that drove her wild.
“Colton,” she said, sounding desperate. “Don’t torture me.”
“Why not? I love to torture you.”
She pinched his butt and made him startle, which got him moving again.
“That was a dirty trick, my love.”
“Whatever it takes.”
“Is this what you want?” he asked, picking up the pace.
“Yes,” she said, arching into him as best she could with the beach ball between them.
“Hold that thought,” he said, withdrawing from her.
“Ugh.”
He carefully arranged her on her knees and entered her from behind.
“Don’t stop,” she said.
“Shhh, we’re not on the mountain.”
“Do. Not. Stop.”
Colton laughed as he gave his love what she wanted, reminding her again to be quiet as they reached a highly satisfying conclusion.
“Was I loud?” Lucy asked as she melted into the bed.
Colton withdrew from her and turned on his side to face her. “Very, but that’s fine. It’s good for people to know how happy I keep you.”
She squished his lips again, making him laugh. “You keep me very happy, but your ego is out of control.”
“Just the way you like it.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I love you, my Lucy in the sky with diamonds, the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“I love you, too, Colton, my mountain man with an ego bigger than the sun.”
“We’re a match made in heaven.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. I say so.”
Since she was already most of the way asleep, he settled for having the last word.
Hunter had trouble winding down from the emotional few days with his family, his mind racing with the things he’d learned about his father’s past. He wanted to know more about the uncle he’d been named for and would ask his dad a
bout him when things settled down.
Megan was downstairs seeing to some last-minute details for breakfast, which she was in charge of. Breakfast for more than two dozen people would be nothing for her, but he was worried about her overdoing it. He was thinking about going after her when she came into the room.
“There you are. I was about to come fetch you.”
“Breakfast is going to be epic.”
“With you in charge, I have no doubt. Now come get in bed with your lonely husband who missed you so much.”
“I’m coming.”
When she snuggled up to him a few minutes later, he felt himself begin to relax. She was usually the fix for whatever ailed him. Why should now be any different?
“I could tell you were stressed when you got home,” she said. “Are you better now?”
“Getting there.” He held her close. “This helps.”
“The trip went well, though, right?”
“Yeah, it was fine, all things considered. It just has me thinking a lot about how you don’t really know people and what they’ve endured. Even the people closest to you sometimes.”
“It’s true. I see your dad every day. I have for years. And I had no idea any of this had happened to him.”
“He didn’t want us to know.”
“He didn’t want you to hurt for him.”
“I suppose.”
“And yet you have anyway, haven’t you?”
“A little.”
“You have the biggest heart, Hunter. It’s one of the things I love the best about you.”
Ready to lighten up his mood, he said, “What are some of the other things?”
“I love the way you take care of me and everyone else you love. I adore your gorgeous brown eyes and your handsome face and sexy body and—”
He kissed her, devouring her lips in a passionate kiss that wiped his mind clear of anything that wasn’t her and them and how it felt to be with her this way. On many a day, even a year after their wedding, he still wanted to pinch himself to believe he’d actually gotten the woman of his dreams to marry him. “Happy anniversary,” he said against her lips. “Best year of my life.”
“Happy anniversary.” She ran her fingers through his hair and gazed up at him with her heart in her eyes. “Best year of my life, too.”
