by Jenny Plumb
He rifled through his bag and threw her a pair of what she needed. “By the way? Every smack was well deserved and you know it.”
“Maybe.” She grinned.
“There are plenty more where these few came from, so you better behave.”
She mock saluted. “Yes, sir! So we’re going to pretend to be a couple for the whole time we’re here then?” Candy asked. She tried to keep the excitement from her voice. She had to wonder how far that would go, the staying fake bit. Her backside was prickling and she was embarrassed to say it was turning her on. If they did pretend, would this lead to something real? She could think of worse ways to spend Christmas than with this man, sharing a bed would undoubtedly be even better.
“Yes, I guess we have no choice. You better check yourself, little girl, or there’ll be more spanks where those few taps came from.”
Oh my, her tummy just did a complete flip. “I think you should kiss me,” she said, smiling at his shocked look. “We don’t want to look like a pair of strangers that have never been affectionate in our lives, do we? It’s just practice.”
“I have a feeling I’m being lead up the garden path, but there’s some sense in what you say. Come over here then.”
Candy took a step towards Rowan and happily allowed herself to be drawn into his arms. When his lips met hers, they were soft and gentle, but the light stubble that was sprinkled across his chin was a tiny bit scratchy. She did love kissing a man with stubble. When her lips parted, inviting him in, his tongue found hers and the dance of who’s on top began again. So far, both were winning, until Rowan gave her bottom a giant pinch. “Oi!” she yelped.
He kissed her neck and chuckled. “I think a nice cool swim would hit the mark right now.”
“You sure you’re decent?” She didn’t have to look to feel how aroused he was.
“I will be. You do know this could be dangerous territory we’re going into here, don’t you?”
“Let’s just take it for what it is now, hey?” It was complicated that’s for sure, but so far her Christmas was looking up.
Chapter 4
They walked towards the pool area where Rowan could hear kids laughing. That made him happy. There should be children at Christmas; it was what made it happy and fun. Of course little people were the biggest spotters of bullshit ever, they would have to be super careful. He took Candy’s hand and wasn’t entirely sure it was for show. There was some comfort in the small hand being enclosed in his. It was a shame he had marked her and she had to wear his pants. The bit of her that was showing off her bikini was damn hot, but he had a feeling the bottom half would be even more grand. “Hi ya,” he said, as the family all called their greetings.
“Auntie Candy!” the kids all yelled.
“Are you coming in?” Jack asked.
“I sure am, in just a second. Would you like to meet my new friend?”
“Nanny said he was your boyfriend.” Lydia said.
“Did she now?” Rowan answered with a grin, giving Candy’s hand a squeeze. He was going to hell anyway for all the lies he was telling. If he was going to put on a show, it may as well be a good one. “Then it must be so.”
“You talk funny,” Hunter said.
Rowan chuckled. The six year old likely lived in a very small world where everyone talked the same way he did. “Do I? I hadn’t noticed,” Rowan said riffling the boy’s head.
Becca was seated under an umbrella, cuddling her two year old son on her lap. “Hi,” she said shyly.
“I’m so happy for you!” Andy squealed. She wrapped her arms around her sister, giving her a tight hug. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Rowan grinned, turned to Candy and waited for her answer. This was her idea after all. Of course he could have come up with an answer easily. ‘Liar, liar pants on fire’ came to mind. “I’ll let you tell it,” he said with a grin.
“We met at work. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight or anything, but we got there in the end.”
“Careful, you don’t want to blow me head up with your compliments,” Rowan pretended to frown.
Candy ignored him. She pushed her way through the pool gate and then let it go.
“F— damn, I mean geez, my toe.” He hopped up and down holding his foot, which made the children laugh and not only the children. He pulled his errant, fake girlfriend in for a hug or more something to hold himself upright on. “You did that on purpose!” he hissed.
“What gives you that idea?”
“Watch yourself, mind, you might just get what you’re looking for. I don’t mind an audience, do you?”
“You wouldn’t,” she whispered.
“How do you feel about taking chances?”
“Are you okay, my love? I could get a band aid.” She smiled sweetly, too sweetly.
“I’ll survive.” He limped around behind her, smiling and shaking hands as he was introduced to the rest of the family.
“Where are Rach and Charlie and the gemstones?”
“They’re not here yet, which is really odd. They’re always the first ones here. It’s not like Rachel to take her chances on the last accommodation being available. She usually wants first dibs.”
“She gets Mum and Dad this time,” Andy said with a grin.
“What’s wrong with getting a spot in the house with your mam and daddy?” Rowan asked. “It looks like a lovely house.”
“Nothing at all, if you don’t mind them dropping in at any time of the night or day to see how you’re doing or to ask if you need anything.” Candy answered.
“I personally love the invitation at six AM to do yoga,” Will said.
“It’s none of us, so we don’t have to worry.” Thomas said. “I made sure we were up here good and early.” He placed a hand on his son’s forehead. “He should probably go down for a nap now, do you want me to take him?”
“Wow, that’s big of you,” Candy said, not even bothering to try and hide her disdain for her sister’s husband.
“Thanks,” Becca said. “I’ll stay out here and watch the other two.”
After Thomas left with his sleepy son, Candy turned to her sister. “What’s up with him being so helpful?” she asked. “Normally he would tell you to take him inside.”
“He’s always been helpful,” Becca said quietly.
“He’s never given me that impression.”
“Things have been much better, I’m feeling more relaxed now. I mean it had to happen eventually with the boys getting older. In fact, next year, I’m going to go back to work and the boys are going to day care. Well, not Hunter. He’ll be at big school.”
“Whoa! How did you get Thomas to agree to that?” Candy asked.
“Candy,” Rowan said. “Is it necessary to hound your sister with so many questions?”
“Yes, it is as a matter of fact.” Her look told him to mind his own business, but then she realized she was supposed to be treating him like he was her partner. In that case it would be his business, not much really, but a bit. She softened her tone. “I just want to know what caused this change in Becca and why she’s getting her way suddenly.”
“What are you talking about?” Becca asked.
“It’s never been a surprise that you let Thomas make all your decisions for you.”
“Is that what you think?” Becca asked. “Candy, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Is that why you don’t like Thomas much?”
“What do you mean?” Candy asked. “I’m always polite to him.”
“Families aren’t polite, that’s the point. Honey, when I gave birth to Tommy I had three kids under four. I was tired and probably a little depressed. Thomas was helping me. I could barely function without him reminding me what I was up to next.”
“Oh, I thought he was being controlling.”
“If you really thought that you should have asked me,” Becca said.
“I think this is where you say: Sorry, I misjudged the situation,” Rowan said with a grin.
Candy glanced at Rowan. He was loving that she had gotten the situation so wrong; unfortunately he was right, again. “Sorry Bec, I was wrong. I’ll talk to Thomas at some point and explain.”
“Thanks,” Becca said and then turned to Rowan. “Our little sister has some stuff to learn in the relationship department. She might just need a patient teacher.”
“I can be patient if I have to.”
What did that mean? Candy thought. When she turned to check out the look on his face, he winked.
“If it’s warranted,” he said with a grin. “How about a swim, miss? I could do with some cooling off. No one should be this hot at Christmas.”
Wasn’t that the truth? “Last one in!” She ran and dove into the water, allowing the coolness to soothe her as it washed all around her.
Rowan came up right next to Candy and couldn’t resist wrapping himself around her. The effects of the cool water wore off immediately and once again he was hot.
It was midway though the afternoon when Rowan and Candy woke up from a nap. Persistent knocking had pulled them out of their slumber. “Are you decent?” Caroline called before barging right in.
“We’ve brought you some lunch.” Jack said.
“Oh Christ,” Rowan said, under his breath. He pulled the sheet up to cover himself. It appeared that his little lad had stood up to greet everyone.
“Mum, Dad!” Candy yelled. “What’s the point of knocking if you’re just going to barge right in?”
“You haven’t eaten anything. The rest of us were up at the house and you didn’t join us. We thought you might be hungry.”
“We just had a nap,” Rowan tried to explain. “We were tired, from the trip and the swimming and the sun.” His face flushed guiltily, even though he’d done nothing to be guilty for, hence his stiff friend.
“You don’t have to explain,” Candy said.
“I want to explain.”
“No, no, no need to explain anything.” Jack said, dropping the tray on the small round table and backing out of the cabin. “You two come up when you’re ready. Take all the time you need.”
“Really, there’s no rush,” Caroline said, following her husband with a grin. “You two finish what you were doing. The rest of us will be there.”
“I’m sorry!” Rowan said when they’d gone. “I know I agreed to go along with everything, but I can’t help but feel awkward. I’ve never encountered parents that were so, sort of open about sex.”
“I know they’re a bit full on but you get used to it.” Candy rolled over and smiled. “What were you thinking about?”
“Huh? When?”
“Just before they woke us up? What were you thinking about?”
Rowan closed his eyes. This girl, this family, all of them, they would be the death of him. Just Candy asking and bringing the memory back to the forefront of his mind had made him erect again and he was right there, next to her in the bed.
“That’s right, ooh but that’s lovely. Right there.”
She was running her tongue along the tip of him. Taking the head in her mouth while she licked down the shaft. “Is this how you like it then, Rowan?”
“Yes, yes, like that.”
Her small fist was wrapped around his cock, her fingers sliding up and down from the base where his balls met his cock to the tip where she slipped the entire knob into her mouth…
That’s when the knocking had started and brought him back to the here and now. He squeezed his hand over his manhood, begging it silently to go down, but it seemed that Candy had other ideas. Her smaller hand slipped under his and gently touched his hardened cock. With that one small movement any hope of his erection becoming flaccid disappeared. “Candy, no,” he said. It was a useless statement really, because every other part of his body apart for his common sense, was wanting to say, ‘Candy, yes.’ Yes, wrap your mouth around me or better still, climb on up here and let’s have a ride. But there was the common sense part. “Oh Candy, this is not a bright idea. There’ll be no going back from this if we start.”
“You really should loosen up a bit.” Her fingers did a flickering dance, making him shudder with pleasure. “There’ll be no going back from what, Rowan?”
He didn’t know the answer to that question or any other at that moment. She kneeled up and her face was very close to his. “Give over, Candy, you’re making it hard.”
“I know,” she giggled.
“You’re being bold, you are. That’s not what I meant and you know it.” His hand clapped noisily off her behind, which he now realized must be naked. She’d come out of the bathroom wearing a long tee shirt and he’d assumed she’d put some knickers on underneath or he probably wouldn’t have laid down for a nap with her. Instead of the slap catching her and waking her up from the bad idea, it seemed to spur her on. Her lips brushed against his, a teensy bit of tongue begging to be let in. That was it, that was all it took. He flipped her and she fell happily beneath him spreading her legs as he lowered himself onto her, into her, taking what she was offering and what he suspected they’d both been wanting all day.
They lay breathless in each other’s arms and Candy was almost scared to look Rowan in the face. She did throw herself at the man, but he hadn’t exactly put up much of a fight. Besides, why shouldn’t they enjoy what they had going on here? They’d had fun. “I don’t know what to say,” she said finally. “Sorry, not sorry?”
Rowan laughed nervously. “I’m not sorry either,” he said. They lay there for a long while.
“Scared to move?” Candy asked.
“Kind of like. What happens when we leave this bed?” Rowan traced small circles on her arm as they chatted.
“I don’t know.” And Candy didn’t know. Then it hit her – nothing different had to happen. She turned over so she was facing him. “I think we should just be what we are at this moment. Let’s not think about what happens when we leave here or when we go back to work. From now until Boxing Day, we are what we are just now at this minute.”
“A real couple?”
“For now, a real couple for now.”
“So we’re not really lying any more.”
“No, not really, I guess.”
“Okay, tell me Candy, would you able to point me to the nearest Catholic church?”
“You want to go to church? Now?” What kind of man wants to go running off to church straight after having sex?
“Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, I have to ring Mam and that’s the one thing I won’t lie about.”
“Then we’ll go,” she said.
“You’ll come with me?”
“We’re a couple aren’t we?” she asked, happily meeting him when he came in for a kiss. There was a part of her that wished she could see what Christmas was like with his family. For some reason, she really would love to make this Christmas just a little like it would have been if he were back home in Ireland with his family.
“Can I join you?” Rowan asked. “I mean, we’ll be quicker getting ready to join the house than if we shower separately.”
Candy said nothing, but stepped to the side to make room. Her mile wide grin was very telling, though she didn’t care. “Did you lock the door though this time?” That was an afterthought. It wouldn’t surprise her at all for one or both of her parents to come looking for them again.
“That I did, I’ll not be caught twice.”
“They didn’t catch us actually doing anything.”
“And they won’t. Turn about and I’ll do your back.” He soaped her up with fragrant shower gel and his hands ran all over her.
His lips were on her shoulder, then the back of her neck. Candy couldn’t help it, she pushed back against him, a low guttural sound escaped as his hardened member pressed against her soft flesh. “Rowan,” she whispered. Her nipples peaked painfully as they begged to be touched.
As though he’d read her mind, his hands cupped her breasts, while his knee edged her legs apart. “Lean forward,” he growled. His hand slapped
her over and over, but not like before.
This was not soft, but not hard either. It was filling her with the most exquisite tingles that made her whole body quiver. Once again he was inside her. It was Rowan that wanted her this time. She pushed her arse back against him, impatience pushing her. “I want it too,” she said.
He slammed into her from behind, slapping her behind and taking her hard as the steaming water pounded them.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Candy asked Rowan as they walked up to the house hand in hand.
“You can.”
“I’ve never ma— had sex in the shower before. Not with someone—” She stopped herself just in time, or so she thought.
Rowan stopped in his tracks. “Oi there, finish what you were going to say.”
Candy thought she’d stopped herself in time, but obviously not. “You were the first person I’ve ever had sex with in a shower.”
“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I could have sworn you were about to say that you had played in the shower with someone, yourself.” He grinned, happy to be the one this time, that was enjoying her discomfort.
“What are you saying? I don’t say anything of the sort.”
“Now who’s the prude?”
“Hush, the kids will hear you.” Saved by the bell as the kids all came running out of the house to greet them.
He pulled her to a stop. “You don’t have to keep saying having sex instead of making love. I like it better I think,” he whispered.
Candy was speechless.
“Auntie Rachel’s here,” Lydia said. “But she didn’t bring Crystal and Topaz. She’s all alone. Now I’m the only girl.”
“Seriously? They must be going to be along in a while. Maybe they brought two cars.”
“Nope, she said that Uncle Charlie could rot in hell.”
“That isn’t a very nice thing to say,” Candy said.
“I didn’t say it, she did. I was just telling you.” The little girl looked put out by being told off by the fun auntie that was always nice.
