For My Own: A Contemporary Christmas Anthology

by Alison Packard, Shari Mikels, Kinley Baker

  He swatted at her, but she jumped out of the way before he made contact with her thigh. “Naughty girl.”

  “I think you like me that way.”

  “You’re very correct in that.”

  Coming back over to him, she snuggled in beside him on the couch, tucking herself in against his side. “You still haven’t told me what you’re planning on saying at the news conference.”

  “Just before I got to your mom’s house, I got a phone call from the high school. I got the job. They didn’t make me really even do an interview. I talked to the principal over the phone and she transferred me over to the athletic director. He hadn’t been in, but when he called me back, he’d remembered me from back when his team played against mine during high school. That was it.”

  Rachel practically jumped on him with the hug she gave him. Man, she was strong when she was trying to squeeze him to death. “I’m so incredibly happy for you!” She punctuated each word with a kiss on his face and lips. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “I was having too much fun getting your goat.”

  She slapped at his chest. “This is incredible. So when do you start?”

  “When school starts back after the new year. That’s part of the reason why I ended up buying so many new clothes. I know I’ll need some, but I don’t really want to wear a tie every day.”

  “Gah. I thought you were doing all that just to piss me off even more than I was already getting.”

  “That was just bonus.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. As she drew it back in, he snagged her mouth with his own, running his tongue along hers, letting the emotion of the day wrap around them through their kiss.

  When she pulled away, her eyes were dilated. He was ready to pick her up and carry her to his room, arm be damned.

  “I think you definitely need to do a fashion show for me.”

  Um...that wasn’t what he was expecting to hear from those wet, swollen lips he’d just kissed.

  He shook his head in confusion. “Why?”

  “Trust me. You want to do this.”

  He would do anything for her, whether he understood why he was doing it or not. Willing down his arousal, he stood, leaned over her and kissed her quickly on the mouth. “You got it.” Grabbing the shopping bags, he headed to his bedroom to change clothes.

  The first outfit was the mustard-yellow sweater and dark gray pants he got for the news conference. When he went back out to the family room, Rachel stood and came over to meet him.

  “Aren’t you supposed to stay seated during a fashion show? I’ve never been to one, but I’m fairly certain that’s one of the rules.”

  “That’s why this is a private fashion show,” she said as she ran her hand across his chest.

  “Oh.” Oh.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I like this outfit.” She strolled around behind him, her hand still trailing along his body. “I like the way the sweater hugs you but isn’t too tight.”

  He swallowed hard, fighting to stay still.

  “These pants nicely hug all your...curves.” She ran her hand along his ass. He almost jumped when she pinched him. Hadn’t been expecting that.

  Making her way back to stand in front of him, she placed both hands on his shoulders and gently ran them down his arms. Her hands came back up, then traveled down his chest again to his stomach.

  How far was she going to take this? Because he’d go as far as she wanted to.

  She made her way across his stomach and down far enough to brush the tip of his erection with the back of her hand. Again she briefly touched him, before turning her hand and running her palm down his length.

  Leaning in close while squeezing him, she whispered, “I think we need to get you out of these clothes. The fashion show is definitely done for now.”

  Needing no further encouragement, he quickly shucked his clothes and stood before her completely naked.

  “Is this what you had in mind, sweetheart? I don’t think I should be the only one naked here.”

  “We’ll get to me. I want to stare at you for a while.”

  Kevin didn’t think he could handle waiting awhile to get his hands on her. “Why don’t I help you out of your clothes while you stare all you want?”

  When he didn’t get a no, he reached for the hem of her shirt. And when she still didn’t try to stop him, he slowly lifted the shirt, revealing bits of skin and her pretty peach bra, one inch at a time. He tossed her shirt to the couch and briefly noted that they were still in the family room instead of his bedroom. He’d rectify the situation soon enough.

  “Damn, you’re beautiful.” She ducked her head slightly as the blush spread across her face and down her neck.

  He knelt before her and got rid of her shoes and socks before undoing the snap and zipper on her jeans. Feeling like he was unwrapping a new present every time, he slowly lowered her jeans over her hips and down her legs, having her hold on to him while she stepped out of them.

  Standing before him was a beauty dressed only in a matching peach bra and panty set.

  “Have you looked your fill?”

  “Never,” she whispered.

  “I like that answer, because I feel the same way about you.” He took her hand. “I want you in my bed, Rach. Not just tonight, but from now on.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Damn straight, we will.”

  After leading her into his bedroom, he stopped her before they got to the bed.

  “I want one more mental picture of you looking like this.”

  He ran his hands along her skin, across her stomach, along her spine. Unhooking her bra, he slid it down her arms until her breasts were completely bared to him. Leaning forward, he closed his mouth around one nipple, soothed it with his tongue and sucked on it slightly. The quick intake of breath and the jerking of her hips told him Rachel enjoyed that.

  Not wanting to leave the other breast feeling neglected, he kissed his way across her chest to the other tip and plied it with the same attention.

  Curling his fingers under the sides of her panties, he lowered them down her legs while his fingers trailed along her thighs, backs of her knees and calves. The entire time, he sucked, nipped and licked his way from breast to breast. Nipple to nipple.

  She leaned against him to step out of her underwear, and then she was naked in front of him.

  Rachel as a Christmas gift for him was the most perfect present he’d ever received.

  He brought his hands back up the insides of her legs, loving the softness of her skin and the goose bumps he felt form in the wake of his touch. Reaching the junction of her thighs, he ran his thumbs through her folds and found her slick and ready for him.

  Standing back up, he took her lips in another kiss. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of kissing her. That was one thing he hadn’t done much of with other women, and it was just as special as he’d imagined it would be, especially since it was Rachel he was kissing.

  He lifted her with his left arm. “Wrap your arms and legs around me, baby.” Her heat surrounded him and he walked them to his bed, laying her down gently.

  She scooted up the bed so her head was on his pillow, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen anything quite as sexy. Grabbing a condom from his nightstand, he quickly sheathed himself and crawled over her.

  He lowered one hand to her core, finding the bundle of nerves distended and hard. While nibbling on her breasts and sucking on nipples, he used her arousal to slick over her clit and created a rhythm with his thumb there and two fingers in her channel.

  She began moving her hips and he felt her walls squeeze around his fingers at the same time Rachel cried out. Kevin moved up and swallowed the rest of her shout with a kiss.

  Draping her legs over his shoulders, she was spread wide enough to make room for his body between her legs. He entered her in one surge, her pussy still pulsing from her orgasm. Her heat surrounded him, forcing him to move, to pump his hips.
<
br />   She wrapped her arms around his body, pulling herself even closer to him. He reached between them and rubbed her clit again as he pumped inside, wanting her to climax with him. She was getting close and when he felt her inner walls start to squeeze him, he pressed down on her clit with his thumb and held himself deep as he let himself join her.

  When he no longer had the strength to hold his body completely off of her, he pulled out and dropped down beside her on the bed. He grabbed a tissue to take care of the condom for the time being, and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close.

  Her breathing had already evened out and he thought she’d fallen asleep already until he heard a small whisper, “I can’t believe I’m with you.”

  “I love being with you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rachel hadn’t been this happy in so long, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled so much her cheeks ached. Trying to not be so bubbly around her friends wasn’t working so well.

  Every minute they could over the past several days, she and Kevin had spent time together, running errands and having fun. Her dream came true and Kevin Ganlin wanted to be with her. Just her.

  She’d loved him for forever, and even though she’d always been somewhat in love with him, there’d always been that part of her that believed all the hype and publicity. He’d been honest with her about sleeping with women and he’d given them all up for her, long before she ever knew he wanted her. She had a sneaky suspicion he was in love with her too, and wondered how that would all play out.

  Tonight he was meeting with people about the news conference and he’d invited her to come over with her friends after their shopping trip. She’d had no idea when they’d be done shopping and ready to eat supper, nor how long his meeting was supposed to last. Crossing her fingers he was still inside, she opened the door and led her friends in, Karen right behind her.

  Karen found a table in the restaurant section, a little ways away from the door, but still close enough they could catch Kevin if he was still there and ready to leave.

  “I’ll be right with you ladies to get your drink orders.” Their waitress plopped down four menus and hurried to the back.

  “Where do you think he is if he’s still here?” Toni asked.

  “From what I understand, there’s a meeting room in the back that they can close off for private parties or meetings. That accordion door over there is closed and I bet they’re still meeting.” Rachel tried to discreetly point behind Toni and Sara.

  A tall blonde in a cream-colored sleeveless dress came through the accordion doors, closing them behind her. She held a phone to her ear while she walked toward the front at a fast clip. Rachel and Karen tried not to stare as the blonde slid into a chair at the two-top across from them.

  “Or maybe the meeting’s over and another group has that room,” Karen offered as an explanation for the blonde.

  “Maybe.” But if anything, they’d actually finished their shopping trip earlier than she’d thought they would, and Kevin had told her he thought the meeting could go closer to seven. It was only six now.

  The blonde became a little more animated, and as much as the four of them tried not to eavesdrop, Rachel figured if the chick was talking on her phone in a restaurant, she deserved to have her conversation listened to.

  “...excited to be here. I know he claimed he didn’t want me flying in, but we know men rarely come right out and ask for what they really want.”

  Toni and Sara had their backs to the blonde and gave each other, Karen and Rachel a quizzical look. Karen had a frown on her face before catching Rachel looking at her and smoothing out her expression.

  “Are you ladies ready to order?”

  Karen spoke up. “We need a few more minutes, thank you.”

  “What can I bring y’all out to drink?”

  “Water for all of us, please,” Sara answered.

  Their waitress disappeared again and Rachel fought hard to not listen to a conversation she didn’t want to hear.

  “I’m planning on staying at his house. The news conference is tomorrow and then we’ll be free to pursue what he started that night in New York.”

  Rachel’s blood turned to frozen ice. The hunger pangs turned to nausea, her stomach threatening to heave right there at the table. If she could’ve moved, she would have, but every muscle in her body tensed until she was a statue.

  “He hasn’t been with anybody since me. I ought to know since I was the one telling them all he was now taken so they had no chance.” She laughed. “The way I see it, he didn’t want to sleep with me again, because I technically work for him. But now that he’s retiring, we’re free to do something about this spark between us.”

  Toni and Sara grabbed their coats and purses and scooted out of the booth to leave. Not even Karen pushing against Rachel to move her off the bench registered as much as the blonde on the phone.

  “Move it, Rach.” The hissed words in her ear had her turning to scowl at Karen.

  “No.”

  “Now. I will continue talking at you so you can’t hear another word.”

  And she would, too. Rachel knew this. She slowly slid out from the booth, her eyes still on the other woman.

  “Of course he’s fine. Have you seen the asses on baseball players?” A pause. “They’re even better in person and with no clothes on. I can’t wait to have that body all to myself.” Another pause and Rachel slowly pulled her coat on, Karen trying to grab her arm and pull her toward the door. The blonde glanced at her watch. “Look, I’ve got to get back to the meeting. I have to make sure he doesn’t say anything that might ruin future prospects. I’ll call you later when I hope to have news.”

  Rachel acted before she allowed herself to think too hard about what she was doing. As the blonde stood, Rachel walked the several feet between them and got her attention.

  “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear. Were you talking about Kevin Ganlin?”

  The blonde looked startled but recovered quickly. “Yes, I was.”

  Rachel had to know the truth and dove in with both feet. “Did I understand that the two of you are together?”

  “We are.” She gave Rachel a huge smile. “I’m here in town to...let’s say, make things official.”

  Rachel didn’t know whether she was a glutton for punishment, or if she didn’t trust the words. She needed verification and she wished she knew where Kevin was.

  “I’m an old friend of his. Is he around? I’d love to see him.”

  The blonde’s smile fell. “He’s in the middle of a very important business meeting. He won’t have time for old friends anymore.”

  Rachel pushed again. “Have you been in town long?”

  “No, I arrived today. I’m in public relations and do a lot of traveling for my job.”

  Something wasn’t adding up. “Are you Paige?”

  The blonde’s brow furrowed while she studied Rachel. “I am. How do you know that?”

  “I told you. I’m an old friend of Kevin’s.”

  “Kevin has a lot of old friends. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the meeting.”

  Rachel had to push one more time. “Of course. Just one more question.” She paused, not wanting to ask this question, but having to anyway. “You said you planned on staying at his house. How long have you two been together?”

  Paige hesitated. “We haven’t exactly been together for a whole lot of time. He’s a baseball player. That means he’s on the road a lot. And then there was his injury and surgery and recovery time. Now that he’s retiring, we’ll have a lot more time for us.”

  “So you haven’t really been together.”

  Anger crossed Paige’s features. “Honey, once he had me, he was done with everyone else.” She looked over her shoulder. “I have to go.”

  Rachel saw Kevin exit the back room, the accordion door wide open now. Either he was cheating on Paige with Rachel, or he was cheating on Rachel with Paige. Rachel didn’t k
now which one it was and right now she didn’t care. She needed to leave the restaurant in her dust.

  Letting Karen pull her to the door and through it, she looked back over her shoulder at Kevin. Her heart broke into pieces and bile burned the back of her throat.

  He’d had the chance to come clean with her when she’d told him why she and David divorced. Instead, he’d slept with someone who worked for him and he’d kept Rachel hidden from Paige.

  Not everything that Paige said added up, but enough did that Rachel questioned everything she’d been told by Kevin and everything she’d believed.

  Feeling the seat belt pulled across her, she looked up to see she was in Karen’s car and had no idea how she’d gotten there.

  “Okay, ladies. I need orders for McDonald’s because I’m hitting the drive-thru. We’re going to my house to eat since I have a freezer stocked with Ben & Jerry’s. Any objections?”

  Toni and Sara both responded, “No,” and Karen was off.

  Rachel didn’t want to eat. She wanted to be left alone while she processed everything she’d heard. But that wasn’t what happened during heartbreaks. These girls would be there for her. She’d take the time to talk everything out and maybe figure out something other than what her heart was telling her.

  Kevin had slept with Paige and hadn’t told Rachel when he’d had the chance.

  She was supposed to have learned this life lesson already. What was wrong with her?

  * * *

  Kevin had spent the past several days enjoying his time with Rachel. He hadn’t thought he’d ever be happy again, but she changed that.

  He’d dropped her off at the mall where she was meeting with some of her friends before they went out to dinner. She’d talked about getting them to come to the restaurant where he was currently wrapping up his business meeting and he had to admit, the thought of her showing up had him wanting to smile like a fool.

  When he’d first realized some kind of public announcement needed to be made, he’d thought there was no way in hell he’d be able to face his agent, his coach, the team owner and the team manager without a lot of anger and resentment. Rachel had made all the difference in the world for him and he didn’t want to let her go. He’d talked to her about making a possible official announcement about the two of them tomorrow, but she didn’t want to bring their relationship into it and he understood, in a way.