Christmas Wishes (novella)

by Cahill, Rhian

  “I can’t let you do all the heavy lifting.”

  “Why not?” Dean arched one eyebrow. “I’m a big boy; I can take it.”

  Talli couldn’t help but smile when he tried to flex his biceps only to make the boxes in his arms wobble. He did some quick juggling and, with a sheepish grin, managed to not drop any of her expensive cameras.

  “I’ll go put these away and grab the rest.” Dean turned and headed down the hallway.

  She stood, feet planted firmly on the floor, and watched her best friend walk away. His jean-covered butt hitched up and down as his powerful legs carried him along the hall. Helpless to stop herself, Talli ogled the tantalizing view as it disappeared into the back of her studio. Damn. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how he walked? With loose hips and smooth strides, his long legs ate up the ground with effortless motion. A sound from behind snapped her out of her reverie and she spun around to discover Nick from the café next door.

  “Oh, hey, Nick. You’re here late.” Talli glanced at the clock on the far wall. Yep, five-twenty was about two hours past close for her friend.

  “Ahem, yeah, I, um…” Nick looked flushed, his cheeks were pink and a sheen of sweat coated his top lip.

  It wasn’t like Nick to struggle for words. “Is something wrong?”

  “What? Oh, no, I just wanted to know if you wanted to grab some dinner and maybe catch a movie.” Nick’s face turned a deep red.

  Was he asking her out on a date?

  “Sorry buddy, Talli has a date for dinner already.” Dean stepped up behind her and cupped her shoulders with his hands.

  “Oh. I didn’t realize…” Nick’s eyes widened as his gaze bounced from her to Dean. Talli realised he thought she and Dean were together.

  “It’s not–” Dean’s fingers dug into her flesh causing her to suck in a breath. What the hell was he doing?

  Chapter Four

  Dean clenched his jaw and tried to keep a rein on the green-eyed monster riding his back. He wanted to punch Nick in the nose. Not that the guy had done anything inappropriate at all. He’d only asked Talli out, which wasn’t really a punchable offence. Unless you currently lived in Dean’s world where it seemed just looking at Talli could get you beat up.

  “I’ll, um, just…” Nick glanced anywhere but at Dean. “See you later.”

  “See ya. Have a good weekend.” Dean grinned as the other man left. His smile didn’t last long.

  Talli spun around, placed her hands on his chest and shoved hard. “What the hell was that?”

  “What?” He folded his arms across his chest and stood his ground.

  “That, that, whatever the hell that was.” She tipped up on her toes to get right in his face. “You acted like we were going out.”

  “Are we or are we not having dinner together?” If he played this right he could convince her he’d done nothing wrong.

  “Yes, but–”

  “So I told the truth.”

  “You said it was a date!” Her warm breath fanned over his face, her lips centimetres from his, and he wanted to lean forward and kiss her.

  “It is a date for dinner.” Dean could see her frustration increasing.

  “But it’s not that kind of date.”

  “What kind?” He tried for a confused look.

  “Argh.” Talli threw up her hands and stormed off. “I’m going to check my voice mail while you bring the rest of my stuff in,” she yelled as she disappeared into her office.

  A chuckle escaped before Dean could stop it. Luckily Talli didn’t hear. With a smile on his face he made his way back to the car for the last of her equipment. And to add a little insurance to the evening, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the pizza delivery joint they used when at Talli’s. Order placed, he pocketed his phone and collected the remaining bags in the trunk.

  Throwing the two backpacks over one shoulder, he nabbed the handles of the plastic bags in one hand and slammed the lid closed with the other. Mr. Lewis down the way waved and Dean reciprocated. As he turned back to Talli’s shop, movement in the café next door caught his eye. Watching him from behind the front window was Nick. The other man stared at him, disappointment written all over his face, but Dean couldn’t find it in him to feel sorry for the guy. Not when it meant he had Talli to himself for the evening.

  Shrugging it off, he offered a wave and headed back inside. He used his foot to unlock the doorstop for the security gate and pushed it shut. There was no point locking it until after the pizza arrived. For safety, he closed the glass door and turned the deadbolt. With the shop secured, he headed towards the back and the big room Talli used as her work area. The studio was broken up into sections, the entry area where customers browsed through portfolios or waited to be photographed, the two set rooms, Talli’s office, and finally the large open room where she kept all her equipment and did the bulk of her behind the scenes work.

  Proud and happy Talli had attained her dreams, he surveyed his surroundings. They’d built most of the place together, he with his carpentry skills and she as his labourer. She’d designed the layout and he’d help with electrical and plumbing placement. The fact she’d deferred to his superior knowledge while not compromising on what she wanted only endeared her to him more. He loved her. Had for years, without acknowledging the depth of the emotion. His love for Talli had grown from their friendship until now, when it was too big to contain under that label.

  In that moment Dean finally gave everything he felt free rein and accepted the truth. There was no turning back. She’d either love him in return or he’d have to walk away. He couldn’t stand to see her find happiness with another man. He’d been a fool for so long and he didn’t plan on being one anymore. After tonight they’d be a couple or life as he knew it would be over.

  “Hey, you all right?”

  Dean turned his head to find Talli standing in the doorway to her office watching him. “Yeah. Why?”

  “You’ve been standing there, still as a statue for a good five minutes. What were you thinking about?”

  It was on the tip of tongue. Three little words. Eight letters. But if he said them everything would change. He wanted one more night of Talli before he stepped off the edge and voiced what was in his heart. So instead of revealing his vulnerability, he gave her another truth.

  “My Christmas wish list.”

  Her eyes widened. “What did you wish for?”

  “If I tell you it’ll never come true.”

  Talli laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No. I wouldn’t joke about a Christmas wish.” He started towards her with the aim of cutting the conversation short by heading into the workroom to unload the rest of her gear.

  “Oh, c’mon.” Unfortunately, she followed him down the hall. “You can tell me.”

  “The only person I’ve ever revealed a wish to is Santa and last time I looked you weren’t old, fat, or bearded.” He glanced over his shoulder and sized her up from head to toe. “Nope, definitely not Santa.”

  “Not even a hint?” She was right behind him as he put the rest of her equipment down.

  “No.”

  “Please.” Talli batted her long lashes over her melted chocolate-brown eyes and Dean felt his insides clench.

  Dean shook his head.

  In response Talli wrapped both hands around his biceps and snuggled into his side, her breasts crushing against his arm. “Pretty please,” she begged.

  Heat swamped him. His heart galloped into overdrive and pumped lust-laced blood through his veins until it pooled in his groin. He had to get her off him before he did something stupid like pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. If it wasn’t Talli plastered to his side, he’d think she was attempting to use her sexual appeal to get want she wanted. But this was Talli and the woman didn’t have a flirting, sex kitten bone in her body.

  “How about this?” Dean lifted his arm to put some space between them. “We’ll both write our Christmas wishes down and seal t
hem in an envelope only to be opened after the twenty-fifth.”

  Her bottom lip protruded in an exaggerated pout. “But I don’t have a wish.”

  “Then you’ve got until after dinner to think of something.” He managed to untangle his arm from hers. “I ordered the usual before I brought in the rest of the gear.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes.” He tweaked her nose. “I told you I was starving. Now, how about I help you pack all this away while we wait?”

  “Nah, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ve got a christening slash wedding on Sunday, so I kept Saturday free this week.”

  “Who christens a kid at a wedding?”

  “Parents who forget that marriage is supposed to come before the baby.” She smiled before turning and leaving the room.

  Dean followed her back to the office where everything had a place and was in its place. “Does this room ever get messy?”

  “No, the only room where I allow chaos is the workroom. Even then I know where everything is at any given time.” Talli sat behind her desk and flipped open a file. “How long before dinner gets here?”

  He glanced at his watch. “About fifteen minutes maybe.”

  “Okay, enough time to go over Sunday’s schedule and to write those wish lists.” She flashed him a grin.

  Damn. He’d hoped she would forget about that. Holding out his hand, he said, “Give me a pen and some paper.”

  Talli tried to peek at what Dean was writing, but he kept his hand curved over the words and quickly folded the paper when he was done. She still hadn’t come up with a wish. Everything she’d ever wanted was right in front of her. Including Dean. Oh boy. Did she want more from Dean? It seemed like such a silly thing to do. Write his name on a piece of paper and stick it in an envelope. What would he think when they opened their notes after Christmas? Could she live with what that one word would reveal if her wish didn’t come true?

  She’d never been one to shy away from what she wanted, but Dean was different. She kind of had him. Wishing for more had never really entered her mind. Sure, there had been times where she’d fantasised about being with him, except those fantasies hadn’t been solid, only vague acknowledgements of wanting him sexually. And now, after today’s weird sexual sparks, Talli had to wonder if they’d been moving towards this their entire lives. If maybe her wish wasn’t so silly after all.

  With pen in hand, she ripped a sheet from the little message pad on her desk and with sure strokes, wrote Dean in block letters. Holding her breath, she folded the paper three times and slipped it into the envelope next to Dean’s note. Her hands shook as she peeled the strip from the flap to reveal the sticky patch. With the swipe of her fingers, she sealed their Christmas wishes and possibly their fates.

  Talli sucked in a breath and handed the envelope to Dean. “Here, you keep it.”

  “Why don’t we put it under your tree?” he asked.

  “How do you know I even have a tree?”

  Dean laughed. “You always have a tree. As much as you protest about Santa not being real, you always get into the spirit of the season. Take today’s costumes for instance.”

  “Those are for the kids,” she protested.

  “Yeah, mine certainly was for a kid, but you can’t deny you loved every second of prancing around pretending to be Santa’s elf.”

  She sighed. “It’s their smiles. Those innocent eyes that just scream I believe. They get me every time.”

  Before Dean had the chance to rib her further the door buzzer echoed through the building.

  “Saved by the bell.” Dean stood and chucked her under the chin. “Bring your wallet, woman.”

  Talli wasn’t surprised Dean’s thoughts mirrored hers. They’d gotten to the point where they could finish each other sentences, knew what the other wanted before they asked. The more she thought about it the more she realised they behaved like an old married couple without the sex. It wasn’t like they lacked sexual chemistry. It was there, bubbling beneath the surface of their friendship all these years. Until today.

  Today had been enlightening. Talli could no longer ignore the way Dean made her feel. She’d successfully blocked all those complicated emotions in the past and, while she wasn’t a coward, she’d be a liar if she denied wanting to stuff them back under the rug. Making a move on Dean would change everything. Risk everything. She closed her eyes and dropped her forehead on the desk. For better or worse she had to take the next step. Had to nudge their friendship over the line and see what unfolded. Heaviness settled in her stomach and suddenly pizza was the last thing she wanted.

  “Talli!”

  Her head shot up, her eyes opening wide. “Shit,” she muttered as she looked around for her handbag. She’d forgotten the delivery guy had arrived.

  “Talli?” Dean’s voice grew closer.

  “Coming, coming.” Spotting her purse, she rummaged through until she found a twenty. Rushing out of the office, she ran into Dean in the hallway. “Sorry. Here.”

  Dean took the money from her hand but didn’t move away. “You okay?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” Could he read her mixed-up emotions on her face?

  His fingertips brushed the skin beneath her left eye. “You look tired. Why don’t you head upstairs while I take care of the pizza and locking up?”

  Disappearing upstairs for a few quiet moments seemed like the perfect solution. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep.” Dean put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. He gave her a push. “Go, I’ll be up with dinner in a minute.”

  “Okay. The keys are on my desk.”

  Taking advantage of his thoughtfulness, Talli quickly made her way to the stairwell at the end of the hall. With a sudden burst of energy, she took the steps two at a time. She hit the light switch at the top and headed straight for her little tree. Leaning down, Talli found the wall socket behind the lower branches and flicked the fairy lights on. The bright colored bulbs flashed in a chaser sequence and she stood mesmerised by their twinkling. Snapping out of her trance, she walked across the living room to the kitchen.

  Talli opened the fridge to check she had something cold for them to drink. She kept a supply of soda and juice for the studio, but she often forgot to bring anything upstairs. The shelves were surprisingly full. Satisfied they wouldn’t die of thirst, Talli shut the door and went to her room to get changed.

  She stripped off her shirt and dropped it on the floor by her bed. Her bra went next and she sighed with the freedom of unrestrained breasts. While not small, Talli wasn’t so large that she couldn’t go without a bra on occasions and one of the first things she did every night when she came home was strip out of the constricting contraptions she cursed most days. If it wasn’t necessary for her to present a professional image, Talli would be tempted to go all day every day without a bra.

  Goosebumps sprang up across her chest and her nipples tightened as the cool air from the air-conditioner blew over her skin. Talli unbuttoned her shorts and pushed them down her legs. Stepping out of her pants she walked over to her dresser and yanked open the second drawer. She grabbed a tank top and boxers, her usual Friday night attire, and turned to find Dean filling the doorway to her room, his hands curled around the architrave, his knuckles bleached white with the force of his grip.

  Talli gasped and brought her arms over her torso, the clothes in her hand offering little protection from his probing gaze. His stare unsettled her, but not in the caught-with-her-pants-down terror. The shock of seeing him there instantly disappeared as the thrill of arousal took hold. Dean watched, eyes bright with lust, and she couldn’t stop her body from preening before his hungry gaze. Her breasts grew heavy, the tips pointing hard and straight in his direction, and her pelvis tipped forward, as if in offering.

  Straightening to her full height, Talli tried to brazen it out. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come up. I’m just gonna grab a quick shower.”

  She walked towards him but he didn’t back away and her
feet faltered, her confidence crumbling in the face of the carnal look he swept over her body. From her head to her toes, his eyes blazed a trail as though he’d used his fingers to map her length. Talli swallowed as her heart pounded in her throat, the beat echoing in her ears and buzzing in her veins.

  “Fuck.” The rough curse left his mouth a second before he reached out and hauled her into his arms.

  Chapter Five

  All Dean’s good intention went out the door the second he saw Talli’s naked ass. The lush globes left on display by her flimsy thong panties made his mouth water and his palms itch. He’d tried to back away; he might not have physically taken a step, but mentally he’d reeled himself in and was on the verge of turning around to leave when she started walking towards him. All hope of going slow flew out the window with her first step.

  Her skin was soft beneath his hands as he dragged her closer. His fingers trailed up her arms, over her shoulders, and down her back on his way to cupping that delicious behind. And when he palmed those sweet globes of flesh, Dean’s body and mind hit meltdown. With a growl he crushed her to him, her breasts and their hard nipples pressed against him. Dean couldn’t wait to taste them but first…

  He lowered his mouth to Talli’s. Easing in to give her time to pull away, Dean let his lips rest on hers for half a second before he took what he craved. His eyelids dropped, but he didn’t close them fully; he wanted to watch her, see her reactions as he kissed her for the first time. Her lips were soft, warm, and silky, and already he knew he’d be addicted to their taste when he was done. Not that he’d ever be done. Their breath merged, heating the kiss another notch as he pressed deeper.

  Her mouth clung to his when he changed the angle. She sighed as he licked along the seam; the little puff of air flowed over his tongue to mingle with his own harsh breath. His chest ached, his groin throbbed, and Dean couldn’t think beyond more. Plunging his tongue between her parted lips he lapped at her teeth, tangled with her tongue, and plundered every warm, wet recess he could reach.