Once Upon a Holiday

by Beverly Jenkins

  Men leave.

  That was just a fact of life. She pulled at the thin chain around her neck and played with it all the way to the airport. She told herself not to think about Montel—but of course she sat smiling, replaying that little quickie in her office. What had she been thinking? What if Mia had walked in? “You got to pull yourself together better than that,” she told herself, but then went right back to smiling.

  When Candace was dropped off, she had forty minutes to get through security and race to the opposite end of the airport. So of course she was running toward her gate and yelling at the top of her lungs. “Hold the plane! Hold the plane!”

  The ticket agent at the door glanced down and tapped his watch.

  “Thank you. Thank you,” she said, handing over her ticket.

  The smiling man scanned her ticket and gestured her through. “Enjoy your flight.”

  Candace raced down the ramp and was greeted by the two airline stewardesses. When she stepped onto the plane, she finally exhaled a relieved breath. People were still trying to shove bags into the overhead compartments in coach. She headed toward the front of the plane as she tried to read the aisle numbers in first class. When she finally reached her seat, she received the shock of her life.

  “Candy, you made it,” Montel said, smiling. “I was just beginning to worry that you weren’t going to make it.”

  Chapter 4

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Candace snapped as she snatched off her shades.

  Montel only laughed at the silly question. “What does one normally do on an airplane?”

  Candace glowered.

  “Well, besides that.” He jiggled his brows.

  “I wasn’t thinking…” She glanced around and saw the door being closed. “Why are you on this flight?”

  “Do you need any help with your bag, ma’am?” a handsome passenger said from behind her.

  She smiled, but before she could answer, Montel had popped out of his seat. “I got that for her,” he said, snatching her leather carry-on bag from her hand and then shoving it into the overhead bin.

  Candace had to move back, but then accidentally stepped on the handsome stranger’s foot, and they both went tumbling backward into a vacant seat behind her.

  “Whoa,” Mr. Old Spice said when she landed in his lap. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

  Candace wiggled around a bit too much while struggling to get back onto her feet, and the result was her feeling something that she didn’t necessarily want to feel. “Oops. Oh, my goodness.”

  Montel reached over and pulled her out of the stranger’s lap. “Are you finished flirting now?” He shook his head and turned back to his seat.

  Candace frowned and rubbed her arm. The man had almost yanked it out of its socket. She glanced back at Mr. Old Spice as he climbed out of the seat and started making his way back down the aisle. “Thanks again for your help.”

  “Not a problem.” He smiled but then glanced nervously over at Montel. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your boyfriend.”

  “He’s not my—”

  “Ma’am, if you could take your seat,” the flight attendant said. “We’re getting ready to take off.”

  “Yes, honey,” Montel patted the chair next to him. “Have a seat.”

  Candace glared at him as she dropped into her seat. “I’m still waiting to hear what you’re doing on this flight.” She settled her purse and laptop bag underneath her seat.

  “Business. What else?” Montel shrugged and then picked up a magazine from the seat pocket in front of him.

  “You’re meeting a client?” she asked skeptically.

  “Something like that.” He turned his dazzling smile on her. “Why? Do you have something else in mind that you’d like to do?”

  Candace ignored his come-on and started grilling him. “You said that you were worried about me. You knew I would be on this flight. How?”

  “Let’s just say I have my ways.” He winked.

  “You’ve been spying on me,” she accused.

  “Absolutely. The name is Starks. Montel Starks.”

  “Whatever, Agent 007.”

  “I was thinking something more like Agent 69.”

  Candace rolled her eyes. “Figures.”

  “Besides, I hear that Paris is lovely this time of year. After I conclude my business, what do you say you and I find a nice little room somewhere and have another one of those scorching international affairs that are all the rage. Bora-Bora part deux.”

  Candace frowned and shivered as if the mere thought gave her the heebie-jeebies.

  Montel rocked his head back as a deep rumble of laughter shook his entire frame. “So now you’re just going to sit there and front? All right. I’m gonna let you have that. Candy. But know this—” he leaned so close that his fresh breath and seductive cologne started to lull her into a trance “—what happened in your office was just a sample of what I intend to do with you on this trip. You still want me. You’re sitting there glaring, but your body is definitely calling my name.”

  Candace fluttered her long lashes, and she launched into her best Southern belle voice. “Oh, my. What a mighty big ego you have, sir.”

  “You know that’s not the only thing big on me, darling.”

  “Oh, God.” Her eyes rolled. “Do women really fall for that cheesy-ass line?”

  “You tell me.”

  Her eyes snapped back up. “I was drunk.”

  “And you’re a lousy liar,” he volleyed back and then whispered, “I’ll let you in on a little secret on how a man can tell whether a woman wants him.”

  “This should be interesting,” Candace said, folding her arms.

  Montel lifted a finger and then tapped it against the side of her neck. Candace sucked in a breath at the touch of his hand.

  “This vein right here is connected to your heart muscles and whenever your heart starts racing, this little baby right here starts pulsing like crazy. And this sucker hasn’t stopped jumping since you sat down.”

  Candace swallowed but refused to give up ground. “You know what else gets my heart racing? Anger. Now remove your hand.”

  Montel laughed but did as he was ordered. “As you wish.”

  During their little spat neither one of them noticed that the plane had already taken off until a small “ding” alerted them that they were now free to walk about the cabin.

  “I need some air.” Candace hopped up from her seat and made a beeline to the bathroom. Montel’s annoying laugh trailed behind her as she continued to roll her eyes. “Pompous ass.”

  Once in the tiny bathroom, she drew in a couple of deep breaths and tried to steady her nerves. “I must’ve pissed somebody off in a past life.” Candace shook her head and then stared at her reflection in the small mirror. Curious, she leaned forward and stretched her neck up to check out this damn vein Montel was referring to, but she couldn’t see a damn thing. “He probably just made it up.”

  One thing he didn’t make up was that there was definitely something still between them. If that little quickie in her office didn’t prove it, then the fact that naked images of him kept flashing in her mind had to mean something. She had been ignoring it for a while, but it was clearly getting harder to do. Even now, it had been a good five minutes since he’d touched her and her skin was still tingling. “Pull yourself together, girl. And keep your legs closed.”

  Just as she said those words, that damn naked image of Montel all hot and sweaty flashed across her mind again. Her knees weakened on the spot. “I don’t like him. I don’t like him.”

  Knock. Knock. “Ma’am, are you almost done in there?”

  “Damn.” Candace preferred to remain in the bathroom over the entire Atlantic Ocean than return to her seat.

  Knock. Knock. “Ma’am—?”

  “I’m coming. I’m coming.” She drew in a deep breath and unlocked the door. “Sorry about that,” she said to an elderly, cherubic-looking gentleman who coul
d’ve easily passed as a department store Santa Claus.

  “No. Sorry I had to rush you out but I’m at an age when the bladder says you have to go—it usually means pronto.” His laugh even sounded like a “ho, ho, ho” as he squeezed past Candace.

  She smiled and wondered if the older gentleman was actually going to be able to fit into the small compartment. When she heard a small “click,” she glanced back and saw the man had indeed managed to pull off the impossible.

  “There you are,” Montel said, pulling off a pair of Bose headphones. “I was beginning to think that you were sucked out of the plane or something.”

  Candace didn’t dignify that statement with a reply and instead opted to pull out her laptop to get some much-needed work done. Maybe if she just ignored Montel, he’d pick up on the hint and leave her alone.

  “Ah. The silent treatment.” He laughed and shook his head. “I’m disappointed in you.”

  Candace clenched her teeth, determined to ignore his unsolicited commentary.

  “I’ve always pegged you as a fighter. Someone that wasn’t afraid of anything—or anyone.”

  That little gem got under her skin. “Am I supposed to be afraid of you and this weird psychobabbling you’re doing?”

  Montel tossed up his hands. “I’m just calling it like I see it, Candy.”

  “Allow me to call it like I see it too, Monty. You’re an asshole. This whole suave James Bond bullshit is just that—bullshit. And frankly, I don’t have time for it. I’ve put up with men like you my whole career. You think you can have anything and do anything you want just because you’re handsome and mildly charming. Well, I got news for you. I’m not going to just melt out of my panties and lay back so that you can screw me out of everything I’ve worked damn hard to get. Got it?”

  Monty’s smile never faltered. “I think I got a hard-on. Does that count?”

  “Grr. You’re impossible.”

  Montel tapped the center of his neck. “Buh-bump. Buh-bump.” He winked at her. “No need to fight the inevitable. You and me.”

  Candace snapped her laptop closed. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She jumped back out of her seat and grabbed her things.

  “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Montel laughed and plopped his headphones back over his ears. “Buh-bump. Buh-bump.”

  “Keep dreaming.” Candy went in search of a vacant seat on the plane. It was either that or risk catching a case on the friendly skies. “Excuse me. Is anyone sitting here?”

  The Santa Claus-looking gentleman glanced up and smiled at her. “No. No. Please, have a seat.” He moved a newspaper out of the way.

  “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I really appreciate this.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He smiled. “Did you and your boyfriend have a little fight?”

  “Please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That man is not my boyfriend.”

  “Pity. You two make a beautiful couple,” he said cheerily.

  Frowning, Candace glanced back over her shoulder.

  Montel smiled and thumped his finger against his neck.

  “Good Lord, give me strength.”

  Montel eased back into his seat, shaking his head at Candy’s antics. She could run, but she sure as hell couldn’t hide. He was going to make damn sure of it. Who knew that this was how it would all play out when they met two years ago…

  Christmas 2008…

  Bora-Bora was a blast. Montel was living it up with his best friends and business colleagues, Robert and Fred. They were gambling and drinking more than what seemed humanly possible when the finest woman any of them had ever seen was at the craps table with a raucous crowd gathered around her. She wore a short, shimmering silver dress that showcased a pair of legs that had him and his partners drooling. It was clear that she was on a hot streak, so Montel approached the craps table anxious to ride the wave. When he managed to work his way next to her, her beauty took his breath away.

  He stacked an impressive amount of high dollar chips on the “pass line” and caught her gaze to let her know that he was putting his faith in her hands. She quickly glanced over at him, smiled and then rolled the dice. The dice settled on a two and a five and a cheer went up.

  Montel doubled his money. He left his pile of chips on the table to let it ride. His new good-luck charm rolled a couple more sevens, winning him a massive amount of money before he cashed out. The very next roll, she threw snake eyes and crapped out. But the connection had been made. Between dice throws, her eyes kept creeping over to him.

  A few minutes later, Candy ditched her sister, Christine, and headed to the casino’s hot club, Lava. Montel and Candace were in their own world, grinding on the dance floor and giving each other a peek of what they were working with. Montel definitely liked what he saw and was mentally peeling Candy’s clothes off.

  After a few more drinks, he and Candy were laughing and stumbling into his bungalow on stilts that hovered over the water. There was a nice cool breeze drifting in from the private deck that overlooked the lagoon, but neither he nor Candy were interested in the view.

  “I don’t normally do this,” she said, slipping her arms around his neck and then nibbling on his lower lip.

  “Mmm-hmm.” Montel’s arms went around her waist while his hands dipped lower to squeeze her thick ass. Baby was a brick house from head to toe.

  “I don’t,” she insisted, shifting her lips to his lower jaw. “I’m usually this…very professional and…very conservative businesswoman who busts men’s balls all day.” She giggled.

  Montel had a hard time picturing her as she was describing herself. So far tonight, she had been a wild, fun-loving, uninhibited woman with a killer body and a delicious mouth. “Is that right?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She tugged his shirt up from the waist of his jeans and then smiled approvingly at the hard ridges of his six-pack. “My. My. My.”

  While she oogled and ran her hand over his chest, Montel started working on her zipper. He could hardly wait to see her incredible body without the hindrance of clothes. And when she was finally standing before him naked as a jay bird, he was not disappointed.

  Not by a long shot.

  “Merry Christmas to me,” he whispered, filling his hands with her beautiful breasts. His head dipped low and his tongue curled around a hard nipple. He listened to Candy’s breathless sigh and then increased her pleasure by sucking one of her delicious tits into his mouth.

  “Ooh.” Candy’s hand drifted lower until it found his hard dick bulging against the seams of jeans. “My. You’re a big boy.” Her fingers made quick work of his zipper.

  Montel’s ego inflated just as his cock sprung free into her silky hands. “I think he likes you.”

  “Mmm. The feeling is mutual.” Without further ado, Candy sank to her knees and proceeded to torture him with small peppered kisses around the bulbous head of his cock. He ran his fingers through her thick hair while trying to nudge her to open her pretty mouth wider so he could just get straight to the program. But his ebony Venus made it clear that she was in control of the show and continued to rain those small kisses all along his shaft.

  He unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down and pulled his boxers off his hips while he still waited for her to suction his dick into her warm mouth. Her tease continued until he was on the verge of begging. When she finally slid his straining cock into her warm mouth, he actually felt a tear of ecstasy threaten to slide down his face.

  Within seconds, she had a good rhythm, deep-throating so good that he could hear “Here comes the bride” in the back of his head. He stopped her before he totally lost control and laid her down on the bed. “It’s my turn to taste you,” he said.

  “Be my guest.” Candy parted her legs and spread the lips of her pussy so that he could get a good look at her throbbing clit that was glazed to perfection with her body’s natural honey.

  “Hot damn, woman. Where have you been all my life?”

  “Just waiting on y
ou, boo.” She lifted her hips as his mouth came down and his tongue started licking her rich dessert. “Aww, yessss.” She tilted her head back and enjoyed every tingle, shiver and explosion he set off with his talented tongue. But that was nothing compared to what he set off when he climbed up her long, curvy body and hooked her legs over his shoulder.

  He watched her face intensely as he eased the fat head of his cock into her tight walls. Her mouth stretched open at his seemingly endless length, but then those tingles, shivers and explosions were no longer tiny. They were big, huge and then massive while Monty ground and stroked until his body was slick with sweat. “Oh, my God,” he moaned over and over again. There was no doubt about it, she had complete control of her vaginal muscles. With each stroke, she squeezed his shaft tighter and tighter until he was talking in tongues and seeing white lightning bolts behind his closed eyelids.

  Monty didn’t want to be the first one to come, but that was starting to look like it was going to be out of his control. He started groaning loud and breathing fast.

  “Oh, my God…oh, my God…oh my Gaaawwd!” Candy moaned and then started inching up the bed.

  That was music to Monty’s ears. Maybe he could hold out long enough so that they could come together. But it was looking like it was going to be a photo finish when he could feel his nut starting to rise. “Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…”

  “Oh my God…oh, my God…oh, my Gaaawwd!”

  Monty couldn’t hold it any longer. He locked his hands around her hips, held her in place and sped up the tempo of his hammering hips. Candy’s muscles clamped down on his cock as she cried out with her release. But Monty wasn’t through with her just yet. He hopped up from the bed and positioned her in the “standing tiger, crouching dragon” position. It was one of Candy’s favorites, with her posed on all fours and her knees on the edge of the bed, with her tiger, Monty, standing behind her. Candace kept her knees together to narrow her vaginal canal and increase Monty’s pleasure as he eased into her from behind.