Christmas at Evergreen Inn

by Donna Alward

  “Here you go,” she murmured. “There’s an extra throw on the back of the sofa if you get cold.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  He turned around and their gazes met. The alcohol had mellowed her quite a bit, reinforcing some of her barriers but breaking down others. She shouldn’t be staring at him so boldly. She’d deflected his questions but she knew she hadn’t fooled him at all.

  “Lainey?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why aren’t you in the mood this year? The real reason. Because most people at least put up a little tabletop tree or a wreath on the door or something.”

  She swallowed against a lump in her throat. Damn him. He wasn’t teasing now, either, and it made him harder to put off. His dark eyes were soft with understanding, even though there was no way he could know. If he’d just been nosy, she might have been able to brush it off. But instead, it was like he cared.

  “It’s just … well, I don’t know if you remember or not, but last year this time Jason broke off our engagement. It kind of ruined Christmas for me.”

  “Right.” His eyebrows pulled together as he frowned. “Why did he do that again?”

  She shrugged. “He said he’d found someone else. That it wouldn’t be fair…” Her voice wavered and she cleared her throat. “Oh, I’m not getting into the gory details. Let’s just say it tainted my view of the holidays.”

  Todd nodded. “Well, if it helps, I think he’s an idiot. And because he’s an idiot, you’re better off without him.”

  She stared into the fire, oddly touched by Todd’s declaration. “Intellectually I know you’re right. If he was in love with someone else, getting married would have been a disaster. It’s just that in the middle of all the Christmas joy and happiness, I was canceling wedding plans. We were having a Christmas wedding, you know. Everything had been bought. Dresses, flowers, decorations. Place cards had been printed, centerpieces made up, a wedding-night suite booked. And everything had been green and red. Ugh. Anyway, every time I see all the decorations and hear the carols and all that, it brings me down.”

  “Then we need to bring you back up.” He stood back and crossed his arms. “You can’t let one person ruin the most magical time of the year. You’ve got to come out swinging.” It was a declaration, and one that sounded like he was about to do something about her scrooginess.

  Please, no. She just wanted to get through the holidays in peace.

  “Hey, I tried. A girl can only eat so many cupcakes before her pants get a little too tight.” She sighed. “You know what the worst part is, Todd?” She didn’t quite know why she was confiding in him so much, except that maybe she’d had a little too much whiskey and the fact that she no longer felt like she could vent to her girlfriends, who’d been so supportive in the early days. She knew they all expected her to be fine now and had probably gotten sick of her being such a downer. “The worst is that for the longest time I kept asking myself what she had that I didn’t. Was she prettier? Smarter? Funnier? Sexier?” She shook her head. “Man, I sound so stupid saying that.”

  He took a step toward her, uncrossing his arms and relaxing his posture as he turned his back to the fireplace. “Not stupid. Human. You are pretty, and smart, and funny.”

  “Yeah, my door’s being beaten down daily by men looking for the perfect woman.”

  “I didn’t say perfect.” He smiled while the fire crackled and popped. “Know what else you are?”

  She looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

  “Sexy. Sexy as hell.”

  It wasn’t fair how he said those words and her whole body seemed to respond. Darts of arousal shot through her body, centering in her core at the sound of his low, smooth voice. Something was definitely simmering between them.

  “I wasn’t fishing for compliments, you know.” Her voice sounded a little hoarse. She hated that he could have this kind of an effect on her … and loved it at the same time. She’d needed the boost so badly.

  “I know that. I thought it needed saying anyway.”

  He took another step and was really close now, so close she could reach out and press her hand against the breadth of his chest if she wanted. She did want, but fear of making the first move held her back. Her breath was shallow, her body taut with anticipation as he lifted his hand and put it along the side of her face.

  “Todd,” she warned, and made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. They were dark and seductive and oh God oh God oh God.

  “Shh,” he responded. “Let me show you. Don’t move.”

  She didn’t fight it, even though she knew she should. His lips touched hers, gently at first, soft and tasting like warm whiskey. They teased and nipped at her mouth until her lips opened on a glorious, surrendering sigh.

  As soon as she melted just a little, he slid his other arm around her back and pulled her close. At the same time he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers.

  Lainey didn’t think. Instead she disobeyed his order to remain still and slid her hands inside the hoodie, up over the warm, smooth skin of his back. Her fingers played over the firm muscles and she felt them shift as he tightened his embrace. His mouth slid away from hers and swept along the curve of her jaw, right to the sensitive point on her neck, just below her ear. A sound came from her throat, half moan, half gasp, and she felt him smile against her skin.

  “So. Damn. Hot.” He breathed it against her neck as she tilted her head to give him better access, and his left hand slid under her sweater to cup her breast, his thumb rubbing against the hard tip.

  She wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand up.

  As if he read her mind, he moved his hand down, over her hip, and bent quickly to catch her up into his arms. Never in her life had a man done that, and it made her all swoony just thinking about it. But it wasn’t just that. The teasing expression that usually marked his face was gone, replaced by an intensity that made her toes curl. He was 100 percent focused on her, and never in her life had she felt so desired or so desirable.

  He carried her across the room and laid her gently on the sofa, then followed her down, his weight pressing her into the soft cushions, his hard body sliding against hers seductively. She arched up with her hips, desperate to meet him, and he kissed her again with an urgency that stole her breath.

  And yet … despite the passion that throbbed between them, he made no move to remove any of her clothing. He wasn’t pushing, or rushing, or taking anything for granted, and she found an unexpected sweetness in that. He just kept kissing her, and kissing her, until she thought she might die from the bliss of it.

  Todd. He was everything she’d always imagined he’d be … and more. How come we never dated, he’d asked. Now she was asking herself the same question, because by God the chemistry was certainly there between them.

  She ran her hand over his hip, over the back pocket of his jeans, holding him close. With a growl, Todd reared up enough to pull her partway to sitting and pulled at her sweater, tugging it off with haste so that it was wrong-side out and twisted—and then lying on the floor. So much for not removing clothes. The excitement had her quivering against him. She loved the heat of his wide hand on the skin of her ribs, just below her breasts. The way his thumb grazed the underwire of her bra, then expertly flicked open the front clasp. Still he said nothing, but she didn’t want him to. All she wanted was the feel of his mouth on her, and once it happened she cried out in pleasured shock.

  “Mmm,” he finally murmured against the sensitive nipple. “Sweet. A little salty. So good.”

  She was relatively sure he had her so hot now that her jeans were going to start melting. The air felt blissfully cool on all the spots where he’d kissed or licked her, but she pushed him away for a few seconds so she could reach the hem of his hoodie and pull it over his head.

  Todd Ricker without a shirt on was a beautiful sight. “Oh,” she said, admiring, and ran her fingertips down over his breastbone, over the pebbled nipple and the texture
of the sprinkling of dark hair. He braced his hands on either side of her head and lowered himself so their chests were pressed together and the feel of skin on skin was surprisingly intimate.

  It would only take a minute to take this to the next step. He’d undo her jeans, slide them down over her legs, then remove his own. They’d make love … slowly, then faster as need overtook them …

  Todd began the journey and his fingers found the button on her jeans. And as much as she wanted to, as much as her whole body was crying out for this, it threatened to overwhelm her and she knew they had to stop. What had begun as him proving a point had turned into something bigger than she’d expected. It didn’t matter that she was a grown woman, or that she’d known him for years and had fantasized about this very thing more times than she’d like to admit. The truth was, she didn’t have sex on the first date. If she wanted to prove to herself that she could still feel, still desire, still be desired … mission accomplished. But there was a fine line between where they were now and making a mistake that they’d regret in the morning.

  “I can’t,” she breathed, not wanting this to end but knowing it should. “Todd…”

  “Okay.” He moved his hand, and she thought that was the end. But instead, he simply kept kissing her, kept her senses drugged with him, his taste, his touch, the scent of his skin and the cologne he wore. He lavished attention on her lips, her breasts, all the while rhythmically grinding against her. She was helpless to stop him, and lost herself in the sensations until she could take no more. It was too much, and need took over, pushing all other thoughts from her mind. She ground back, harder and faster, and when he lightly bit her nipple her muscles tightened into a glorious, surprising climax.

  Her eyes were closed. She could hear her harsh breath echoing through the room, echoed by his own as he rested on his elbows, still above her.

  He moved slightly; she felt his lips touch her shoulder in a light, tender kiss. When she opened her eyes, she could see the slight gleam of sweat on their skin. The firelight flickered shadows through the room, setting off the bits of gold in his gorgeous eyes.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, brushing a piece of hair off her forehead and tucking it behind her ear. “So, so beautiful.”

  It was a heck of a time to feel bashful, but she did. Now that she wasn’t lost in desire and passion, modesty came rushing back. She was glad he was still pressed against her so that her breasts weren’t just out there. “You are, too,” she murmured, biting down on her lip. “I didn’t, uh, expect that.”

  “Me either.” He grinned at her. “I was just going to kiss you. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But then … wow. I think I lost my mind.”

  “And took mine with you. About before, I have a thing about…” She stopped. Could she even call this a first date? It almost sounded like she presumed there’d be a second, which she didn’t. They were stuck together during a snowstorm, that was all. They’d had a few drinks. Played around …

  She cleared her throat a little. “About one-nighters.”

  He didn’t seem too upset about it. “Hey, it was probably good you stopped. I don’t have any protection with me anyway.”

  “Oh? I figured a guy like you would always be prepared.”

  He sat up, frowned a little. “A guy like me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Now she was exposed and she hurried to cover herself. But she considered her words before speaking them. “I just meant that you uh, usually have a girlfriend.”

  For the first time that evening she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She’d seen him teasing, seen him so serious and focused on her, but this look was impenetrable. Had she offended him? Or more unbelievably—hurt his feelings?

  “I see.”

  She had offended him. She had enough of her wits back about her to realize that. “That didn’t come out right. Todd, that’s not how I meant it. You just date a lot, that’s all.”

  He frowned. “Just because I date doesn’t mean we … ah, hell.” He ran a hand over his face. “Wait, is that how everyone sees me? As some sort of player? Or is it just you?”

  She shook her head quickly. “No, I’m sure they don’t. I don’t. I mean, everyone likes you, okay? No one thinks you’re playing anybody.” She huffed out a frustrated sigh. “Me and my big mouth. Look. I haven’t dated at all since last Christmas, so out of the two of us, you were the most likely candidate to, you know, be prepared.”

  He stared at her for a moment, and then his expression softened a little. “Sorry,” he said quietly, and reached for her sweater. “I guess you hit a nerve.”

  He handed it to her and then grabbed his hoodie. While he was turning it right-side out and putting it on, she reconnected the clasp of her bra in record time, and pulled her sweater over her head. “Let’s just forget about it,” she suggested.

  “We kind of got carried away, didn’t we?” Todd asked. Now that they were dressed, a little of the awkwardness had passed, but not all.

  “A little.” She tried to smile at him. “I … well. Let’s just say today has been full of surprises.”

  He chuckled, the warm smile she liked returning to his lips. “It has been that. And this was a good way to end it, I think.”

  And speaking of ending it …

  “Todd…” Never in a million years had she thought she’d say these words, but they were coming out of her mouth now. “I’m not really in a relationship kind of place right now. So tonight should probably be it for us. I don’t know what you had in mind, and maybe you weren’t thinking of asking me out at all, which means I feel really stupid right now for making that assumption. I just want to be honest, and clear.”

  “As long as you don’t say It’s not you, it’s me, we’re okay,” he replied. “And as long as you don’t have regrets. Because that was pretty amazing.”

  It was. She hadn’t had that many partners but she could honestly say that having an orgasm with her pants on had never happened to her before.

  “Maybe we should call it a night,” she suggested. “Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be another crazy day.”

  She got up from the sofa. There was a certain amount of dissatisfaction in the movement, because what she really wanted was to curl up in his arms, be warm and cozy, and fall asleep. For that reason alone, she needed to put some distance between them.

  “Maybe you’re right.” He smiled up at her. “Should I apologize?”

  She thought about it. “For what? Todd, you were there. Clearly I was having a good time.”

  “If I’d known it would be like that, well, I would have made sure we dated earlier.” His smile was so big now, a dimple popped in his cheek. It should have looked ridiculous and instead it was stupidly alluring.

  She kind of wished he had, too, but what good did that do them now? Maybe in another time, another place, but Lainey wasn’t in that place now.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Maybe put a few extra logs on the fire before you turn in. It’ll help with the heat. Sometimes the baseboards don’t throw as much warmth as I’d like.”

  “You got it,” he replied.

  She had no idea how to make a graceful exit, so she gave a weak smile and disappeared into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she came out he was putting wood on the fire and she slipped into her bedroom and shut the door.

  Once she was in bed she listened to the sounds punctuating the silence. There were the bumps and thumps of Todd getting ready for bed, the click of the light switch flicking off, the muffled sound of him settling on the sofa with his blanket. The wind gusted around the windows, creating a whoosh and rattle that was far from comforting, and the stinging snow pelted against the window as the storm raged on.

  And she was in here, and he was out there, and she was wishing she didn’t care so much about guarding herself that she couldn’t take advantage of a gorgeous, sexy, willing man when she had the chance.

  Chapter Threer />
  Todd rolled over, blinked, squinted, and reached up to rub the grit from the corner of his eyes.

  He was on Lainey’s couch, still in his hoodie and jeans from yesterday, curled up and covered by a thick quilted blanket. The perfect quiet told him that the storm had ended overnight, and sun filtered weakly through the curtains as day began to break.

  He sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

  Last night had been unexpected.

  There was a reason why he’d never asked Lainey out. Even when they were teenagers, he’d kind of felt like she was out of his league. Lainey was just … different. And Todd had always been a little afraid that he’d be shut down if he made a move.

  Then, when she’d come home from college, she’d been joined at the hip with this Jason guy. Even if he’d finally had the courage to ask her out, by that point she was strictly off limits.

  Last night, though … nothing had stood in their way. They’d both grown up. His fast-and-loose days had been over for a while now, and she was most definitely single. Plus she was feeling really down about the holidays, and he’d hated seeing her so sad. In his family the holidays were a time of love and hope and happiness. Instead there’d been this melancholy look in Lainey’s eyes, and when she’d wondered how she’d measured up short he’d given in to an urge he’d had since he was sixteen. He kissed her.

  It was supposed to give back some of her confidence, make her smile.

  Wow, had that backfired.

  It was his reaction that had kept him from falling asleep. From the moment he’d taken her in his arms, he’d known this was something different. Something special that he couldn’t take lightly or laugh away in the morning. Something that had never happened to him before, ever.

  It went deeper than simply fooling around to pass the time. It was stronger than simple physical desire and need. He cared for Lainey. Maybe he always had, which was why he’d never gotten up the nerve to ask her on a date. And why it had taken a couple of whiskeys and a blazing fire to give him the nerve to kiss her like he’d wanted to for years.