Jolie moaned, lifting her hips, urging Thad to explore her more thoroughly, to plunge deeper. He was being so gentle right now—which was lovely—but she wanted more. Needed more.
He moved in between her parted legs, drawing her knees up and bending them so that she was completely open, completely exposed. “I bet you taste sweet, too.”
He rubbed his cheek along her inner thigh, stubble abrading the sensitive skin there, and Jolie groaned. She shut her eyes and arched, overcome by the sensation of Thad’s hot breath on her most intimate place. When he flicked her clit with his tongue, her hips bucked against the firm hold he had on her.
“Open your eyes, honey. I want you to watch.”
It took effort to open because what he was doing felt so damn good. Licking and sucking, using his tongue to penetrate. Jolie could hardly stand it. But when she finally managed to force her lids open to the sight of him lying between her thighs, his dark hair brushing her belly, his mouth moving back and forth, Jolie lost it.
Orgasm came hard and fast and she grappled for his shoulders, needing him to stop, needing him to keep going.
Thad sat up so that he could finger her while she came, pressing down on her clit with his thumb, magnifying her orgasm in a way that was wonderful and new. Just when the pulses were about to abate, he leaned in again and sucked, nice and hard, and Jolie shuddered with one final, massive aftershock.
Before she fully touched down again, he crawled up on top of her, kissing her breasts, her neck, her lips.
“Is this too much?” he asked as he fit himself between her thighs, the head of his cock pressed firmly between her damp folds.
“No.” She wrapped her arms around him, feeling both spent yet still in need of more. “It’s not too much at all.”
With a groan he adjusted his hips and thrust.
Oh!
She threw her head back. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe it was too much because she had never felt so much. He stretched her in a way she’d never experienced before. It was as if, finally, her body had met its match.
“You feel so good.”
Good didn’t quite describe it. Every withdrawal awoke nerves that Jolie had never known she had. Every thrust could be felt up inside her abdomen, sending wonderful tension into her chest and up into her throat as if the connection was deeper and more profound than any other.
And when Thad shifted, dragging one of her knees up and pressing it against her chest as he increased his tempo, Jolie was overcome with the sheer wholeness of Thad inside her. So full she couldn’t imagine not having him there and how empty she would feel when he was gone.
“Thad.” She panted his name. Pleading. For what? She didn’t know exactly.
“Baby.” The word was rough and ragged and Thad pressed down on her shoulder, giving him better leverage to thrust deeper and harder, just the way she loved it.
Could she come again so soon? Jolie had never done it before, but when Thad drove up into her she felt the orgasm building like she hadn’t the first time, as if it started from her toes and ran up along her legs, gaining momentum until it pooled in her abdomen, growing and mounting. Three more quick thrusts followed by one hard one and Thad grunted loud and low, holding her hips flush. She’d never felt a man ejaculate before, but with Thad she did. His body pulsed right from the base of his cock. The pulses mimicked her own orgasm, so that Jolie couldn’t tell whether the wonderful throbbing sensations were his or hers.
“Damn, girl,” Thad murmured as he collapsed on top of her. “That was something else.”
It was something else, and Jolie held on to him with arms and legs, because she wasn’t ready to let him go.
However, a pounding on the outside door forced her to slacken her grip. Thad cursed softly under his breath and rolled off her. He grabbed a robe from the back of his bedroom door, shrugged into it and left the room.
“You going to help with chores today or what?” A deep voice floated in from the open doorway.
“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”
When Jolie heard the door close, she scooted out of bed, looking for her scattered clothes, feeling shy all of a sudden as she pulled on her panties and turned her back to the door to fasten her bra.
She felt his presence behind her. Felt his warmth as he leaned down close to her ear.
“You okay?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
With gentle hands on her shoulders, he turned her to face him. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t regret it?”
“No.” And she didn’t. Not one bit.
He smiled. “Good. Because if it wasn’t for chores, we’d be doing that again.”
* * *
SHOWERING AFTER CHORES gave Thad time to think about Jolie—more specifically, her gorgeous body pressed against his, her mouth drinking from his, her long, delicate fingers caressing his face. It wasn’t good to be thinking about Jolie so much. He soaped his chest and under his arms, glancing down at the result of his thoughts.
“Sha...” Jolie Duval was trouble and he’d be best to stay away. He should have heeded Gloria’s warnings.
But the woman was temptation incarnate and he’d never been good at abstaining.
Thad finished showering and dressed quickly, his hair still damp as he met Curtis outside the bunkhouse. The two of them walked over to the big house together, Curtis his usual silent self. Though the man wasn’t much for chatter, Thad could tell he was pissed. Couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t like Thad to bugger off and spend the whole day playing hooky. Not that he regretted it. Hard to regret something that felt so damn good.
He shivered, running a hand through his damp hair, which was stiffening up in the frigid evening air. It reminded him of Jolie and how she’d nearly frozen to death earlier. Then again, everything reminded him of Jolie. It’d been a long time since he’d been this attracted to a woman.
And the last time had ended badly.
Which was why he was here, so far from home. Why he could never go back.
This was not good.
The door opened as they stood outside the house, stomping the snow from their boots.
“You’re late,” Gloria greeted them, hands on her hips. She had an extraspecial scowl for him.
Damn women and their freaky ability to know exactly what was going on at all times.
He followed her in, hung his jacket in the foyer closet and then all three made their way to the great room, where Gloria turned at the last second. “You even missed the surprise.”
Jolie stood to the side of the room, a glass of wine in hand, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright, wearing the sexiest red dress he’d ever seen. Not that it was low-cut or anything; it was made of some sort of knit material and clung to every blessed curve she had.
He tipped his head in her direction. It’d only been a few hours since he’d seen her—naked—and his body’s reaction to her was instant.
If they were alone, he’d be ready to take her—hard—all over again.
He adjusted his stance, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure behind his fly, when someone clapped him on the back.
“Heya, Thad, how you been?”
Thad turned to find Dillon’s younger brother, Colton, standing there, grinning, his arm around an older woman who Thad had never met before. “This is my mom, Catherine Cross. You should have seen Dillon’s face when we showed up with Sage and Andy tonight.”
So that was the surprise Gloria had been talking about. Dillon’s family was here from Arizona.
“Nice to meet you,” Thad said, giving Mrs. Cross a kiss on either cheek. Standing on the other side of them was Sage, an older woman who hailed from these parts, whom Thad greeted with a kiss, as well. Beside her stood her boyfriend, Andy, who happened to be Gloria’s dad. Thad shook his hand and wished him a merry Christmas.
Because Thad and Curtis were late, the first course had already been laid out. The group of them, thirteen all told, sat down at the big table together.
Like one big family.
If only they knew who they had in their midst.
Jolie took the seat next to him, smiling shyly. Why did that sweet smile heat him up almost more than a seductive one would have? What did that say about him?
Gloria tapped her water glass and stood up. “Welcome, everyone. I just want to say a few words before we start.” Gloria was a tiny woman but she had a big presence, never more so than at that moment. “It’s always been my dream to host big functions like this for family and friends.” She lifted her glass to the guests. “This is such a special time of year and I am delighted that you chose to spend it with us, here at the ranch.” Her chin quivered as she paused to swallow some emotion that came up faster than a summer storm.
Her gaze went to her husband and he reached for her free hand, giving her a squeeze and a nod of encouragement. She turned back to the group, her eyes liquid in the candlelight. “In honor of my late mother, who was of Italian descent, I’ve prepared a traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes. Not easy to come by fresh seafood in the middle of Montana, let me tell you.”
The group chuckled.
“If you’re not a seafood fan, there will be plenty of other things to eat, too.” She indicated the table, piled high with delicious-smelling dishes. “But I just wanted to say how happy I am—how very, very happy Dillon and I both are—that you’re all here.”
When her voice broke, she raised her glass in a toast. “And I’m sorry I’m all emotional, I just never imagined I could be this happy.”
Dillon called, “Cheers,” wrapping his arm around his tiny wife and rubbing her back with a tenderness that Thad had seen between the two right from the start.
Though things had been anything but smooth sailing between these two, that was for sure. In fact, it was a miracle they finally figured things out.
Thad found himself glancing at Jolie.
Why?
Certainly not because he wanted the same thing that Dillon and Gloria had. Jolie was a holiday fling. That was it. End of story.
“Sage,” Dillon said, “would you mind saying the blessing...”
Sage was a member of the Crow Nation, and when she was midway through the grace, which she gave in her own language, Thad heard a sniffle from right beside him. He opened his eyes to see Jolie, head bowed, with tears dripping off her chin. Without thinking twice about it, he reached for her hand and threaded his fingers through hers, holding tightly. He had no idea why she was crying, but he could guess. Hell, it was Christmas and here she was surrounded by strangers. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Besides, wasn’t he feeling melancholy himself? Maybe that’s what this overpowering urge to be with Jolie was all about.
After the prayer ended, she slowly extricated her hand from his and wiped her damp cheek with her napkin. She turned to him and smiled.
“That was beautiful,” she whispered, and the sadness he’d expected to see in her big eyes wasn’t there. Instead, Jolie beamed, like she was one of the celestial beings from the Good Book, who heralded the birth of Christ himself.
How the hell was he going to stay away from her when all he could think about was tempting her into his arms like he was hoping to turn her into a fallen angel?
Thad turned back to the table and was greeted by a pointed stare from Gloria. So he did the only thing he could do: he lifted his glass and toasted her.
8
Travel tip: when you are out of your element, fake it.
Jo Duval
“YOU’RE LOST IN THOUGHT,” Thad said as he took the seat beside her on the sofa while everyone made their way from the dining room into the great room.
“A little.”
“You thinking of your family?”
She smiled wistfully. “That obvious?”
“Yep.”
She patted her stomach, wanting to change the topic. “I’m also digesting. I am so full.”
Thad’s eyes lingered on her, his smile creeping up at the corners as his gaze drifted up to her face. Instantly, she felt the phantom sensations of their earlier tryst: his body flush with hers, his lips, his touch, his tongue...his body moving inside, making her feel completely full.
It was like he could read her mind because he leaned close and whispered, “Did I thank you properly for earlier?”
“No. You did not.”
“Mmm.” He sat back on the couch, a playful gleam in his eyes. “I thought I did.”
“Nope.”
“I feel like I need to thank you properly, then.”
“Is that right?” Why was it so easy to banter with Thad?
“Don’t you?”
“It would be the gentlemanly thing.” She twisted her lips. “Though based on previous experience, I’m not sure that word accurately describes you.”
He sat up straight, hand to chest. “I’m hurt.”
“Thad,” Gloria said, her voice curt as she approached, carrying a pitcher of punch in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. “Would you mind refilling glasses?” Her smile looked fake.
“Duty calls.” Thad winked and took the pitcher from Gloria. To the room, he said, “Did I ever tell y’all about how my dog Sue outsmarted the biggest, orneriest mountain lion these parts have ever seen?”
“No,” Zak said with enthusiasm. “Tell us.”
Jolie sipped her mulled wine as she listened to the story of the dog, Sue, luring a wild cat into a trap by faking an injury. Based on the way Gloria rolled her eyes, it was clearly a tall tale, though the story did make her smile and gaze lovingly at her husband. Jo scrutinized the interaction between Thad and Gloria, trying to figure out where the tension was coming from. Jolie thought back to when she arrived. The two had seemed friendly enough on that first night, but she’d been so scared by the dogs she might not have noticed tension. She certainly had ever since.
Why?
Puzzled, Jolie watched as Gloria made the rounds with the plate of cookies, so friendly with everyone except Thad. It was like she didn’t trust him or something.
Once done offering cookies, Gloria set the plate down and went to stand beside the Christmas tree. “I was thinking it would be nice if we all shared some of our own Christmas traditions tonight. Last night we celebrated one of Thad’s traditions.” She smiled as she said his name, like she hadn’t just been scowling at him. “Tonight we shared my traditional meal, and now—” she opened her arms wide, as if giving the whole room a hug “—I’d like to celebrate some of yours.”
Oh, shit.
Jolie panicked, avoiding eye contact with Gloria, like she was back in middle school not wanting to be called on by a teacher when she hadn’t done her homework.
Ridiculous.
“Jo? Was there something you wanted to share?”
Seriously?
She raised her head and forced a smile. “Too many traditions to come up
with just one. Can you give me a second?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve got one,” Kaylee said. She got up from the love seat she shared with her husband, Evan, and proceeded to explain to Gloria what she wanted, pointing at the piano and the tree.
After Kaylee finished, Gloria nodded and turned to Dillon to talk quietly to him. Then she asked, “Catherine, you play, right?” She indicated the piano.
“I do,” Catherine, Dillon’s mother, rose from her chair, and Gloria explained what Kaylee wanted.
Moments later, Dillon returned with a well-worn copy of what could only be a bible, which Kaylee paged through while Gloria went and shut off the lights on the Christmas tree. When Kaylee found the passage she was looking for, she moved to the side of the piano and said, “Every Christmas Eve when I was a little girl, my dad would read the story of Christ’s birth and my mom would play the piano and we...” Her voice trailed off as emotion took over. Evan jumped up and went to stand beside his new wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
She beamed up at him, her lips wobbling in the process.
For no reason other than the fact that the moment was poignant, Jolie’s throat constricted as Kaylee began to read in a wavering voice.
“‘In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world...’”
Jolie listened, while moisture pricked the corners of her eyes. She knew the story—who didn’t?—but it was the first time she’d heard it read like this, so softly and with such emotion. When Kaylee came to the part about Mary and Joseph journeying to Bethlehem, she paused, nodding to Catherine to play.
“O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie...” Everyone sang. Everyone knew the words.
Except her.
After the song ended, Kaylee kept reading. “‘Mary wrapped her newborn son in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn...’” She paused again and Catherine started anew.
“Away in a manger, no crib for a bed...” the group sang.
A Christmas Seduction Page 8
