Gathering her gifts for TJ in his arms, Trey stepped from the room, hanging his head. “I don’t even know his birthdate. What the J stands for in his nickname. What his first word was. When he started walking. Kelly, I’ve missed so much of his life.”
If she didn’t know better, Kelly would think her heart was breaking. The moment between Trey and TJ had been so poignant, she almost felt like an outsider looking in. Then his sorrowful words had put the nail in the coffin, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, but I did try to find you. I really did.” As she placed a hand on his arm, Trey refused to meet her gaze.
Instead he stiffened beneath her touch. “I’m here now. And I won’t ever let him down—” his head rose and determination sparked in his eyes, “or you.”
God help her, but she believed him. Wiping her remaining tears away, she cleared her throat. “Let’s get back to wrapping, so we can get some sleep before he wakes.”
“Why don’t you carry these?” He placed the gifts in her arms. “I’ll come back and get the other things in the closet.” Then he picked up the rocking horse and train set and moved down the hall.
Walking into the living room, he headed straight for the tree and knelt to place the presents beneath it before he disappeared again to retrieve the other items. When he returned he settled on the floor and began to rip open the train set.
“September eighth,” she said.
“What?”
“TJ was born on September eighth. He was eight pounds, four ounces, and twenty-one inches long. The J in his nickname stands for Jamison. His first word was Momma. And he’s been walking for the last four months. He’s a big boy, measuring above average in weight and size on the charts the doctors use to gauge a child’s growth process. Other than the occasional cold and earaches, he’s been a healthy child.”
Trey looked up at her. “Thank you.”
Kelly moved in front of him and he slid his arms around her hips, resting his cheek against her belly. She cupped his head, running her fingers through his hair as they shared a quiet moment.
“Let’s finish up here,” she suggested, releasing him as he eased back on his haunches. “I’ll do the wrapping while you put the train together. I’m not real sure how TJ will act tomorrow morning, but if we find he’s into tearing the paper off the presents, we might want to put your family’s items up high.”
“Good idea. I’ll load them in the truck after you’re through.”
Then they both went about doing their assigned tasks.
It was almost midnight when the last gift was wrapped and loaded into Trey’s truck. Kelly took a moment to look at the star-studded sky. Clouds smothered the moon and she prayed it wouldn’t rain. The last thing she wanted on Christmas Day was for TJ to be locked inside. He’d go stir-crazy and take everyone with him.
A niggling of unease slid over her skin. What was Trey’s family like? Would they turn up their noses over a child born out of wedlock or would they welcome TJ into their folds because he was one of them. She could live with however they treated her, but TJ was just a child.
Trey eased up behind her, circling her waist with strong arms. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a shower. Want to join me?” he whispered wickedly against her ear.
“Love to.”
It seemed so normal for him to take her hand in his and lead her back into the house. After locking the door and turning off the lights, they walked side by side down the hall, stopping before the spare bedroom he had placed her bag in. She glanced at him a little confused.
“I’m moving your things into the master bedroom. Any objections?” he asked.
She shook her head. No objections at all.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, returning with her suitcase.
Kelly wet her lips. “I didn’t ask what I should wear tomorrow.” The last thing she wanted was to be under- or over-dressed.
Laying the suitcase on the bed, he turned and took her in his arms. “Whatever you want.”
Her palms rested on his biceps. “Not good enough. I need an answer.”
“Why don’t we talk about that tomorrow.” He unfastened the sash to the robe. The ends fell apart and he ran a finger between her cleavage and down her abdomen to the nest of curly red hair at the junction of her thighs. “Right now I have other things on my mind.” He cupped her mons, inserting a finger deep inside her before he used his free hand to push the wrap from her shoulders. As her arms eased to her side, the material fell to the floor, pooling at their feet.
“No fair.” Pressing her hips against his jean-covered arousal, she rubbed herself wantonly over the bulge. “I’m the only one naked.”
“I can remedy that oversight.” Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he peeled it up and over his head. Plucking the button free, he released his zipper and it made a wispy sound in descent.
Kelly smiled. He wore no underpants. His erection arched, firm and ready, against his belly. “Mmmm. That’s better.” Her fingers closed around him and she squeezed.
“Darlin’, if you do that we won’t make it to the shower.”
“Then I suggest you get a raincoat and follow me.”
“Raincoat?”
Her grin widened. “A condom, big boy.” She gave him another squeeze, releasing him before she walked into the bathroom, leaving him behind.
Trey really did have a beautiful house. His bathroom was no different. The entire area focused on a tub big enough for two. Artificial plants gave it a tropical atmosphere behind a window that was guarded by a block fence outside. Behind her were his-and-her marble counters and sinks. A small room with a door hid the commode, while the glass shower was to the left of that. She stuck her hand inside and turned the faucets on, regulating the temperature. By the time the water was warm, Trey joined her and he had donned the condom.
The second she stepped into the shower, her back was pressed against the cold marble, forcing her to gasp at the chill. Weaving their fingers together, he raised their hands above her head before he pressed his warm body to hers. His eyes simmered with desire as he lowered his head.
Lightly, he smoothed his mouth over hers, sucking first on her top lip and then the bottom before sliding his tongue along the seam, parting her lips to slip inside. With the skill of an expert, he caressed her mouth from side to side, flicking his tongue against hers. She loved his tenderness, even the taste of his bitter beer. But there was something more drugging that was uniquely him. Or maybe it was the heat of the water or the sultry air that made the gorgeous man’s kiss heat her blood and her mind scream for more. He thrust more firmly against her tongue, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, and their tongues began to take on the rhythm of their bodies, moving slowly against each other.
Breathless, he broke their caress to kiss a path over the vulnerable line of her throat and down to the beginning swells of her breasts. With hot, wet caresses, he made her globes grow heavy with need, her puckered nipples screaming for his touch.
As streams of water sluiced over them, Kelly arched into him. She needed him inside her now. Yet he took his time licking and teasing, torturing her with long, slow strokes until she felt hot and achy with a need building out of control.
Releasing her hands to grab her ass, he raised her against the wall. Her legs went naturally around his waist, and she locked her ankles to keep from sliding down his wet body. His erection nudged her opening and she squirmed against him.
“Now, Trey. Fuck me now.”
His hips shot upward. Steel wrapped in velvet parted her swollen folds as he filled her completely. A firestorm of sensations snapped through her like a whip. She braced her head against the wall, reveling in the fullness, the way he fit perfectly.
And then he began to move.
A deep growl rose from his throat as he looked down where their bodies united. “You feel so good.” For the longest time he watched his cock slide in and out of her pussy.
When he raised his gaze, their eyes loc
ked and held. His were so intense she could feel their heat, their desire. He seized her mouth and kissed her roughly.
His hunger tore through her as he crushed his hips to hers. Bouncing against the walls of her sex, tremors splintered through her body. Her skin felt too tight. She wiggled against him, squeezing her inner muscles. Her orgasm rose from out of nowhere and shattered. No warning, no subtle buildup, just a tidal wave that surged through her. She cried out, jerking with the violent spasms that shook her.
Groans and moans filled her ears.
His? Hers?
Did it matter?
As the aftershocks of her climax began to subside, her senses returned. A cloud of steam rose around them, water pelting their skin. Trey released her legs and she found herself leaning against the wall just to keep afoot.
Placing his forehead against hers, he smiled. “You wore me out. Let’s wash up and get out of here.”
As he removed the condom and disposed of it, she grabbed the bar of soap and rubbed it all over before handing it to him. In less than five minutes, they were both standing on the bath mat drying off.
After hanging up her towel, she slipped into the bedroom to retrieve her toothbrush and paste, returning to find Trey already brushing his teeth at the sink that clearly was his by where bottles of cologne and aftershave and a razor sat. As naturally as if she’d been here before, she moved to the other sink. Trey waited for her to finish and together they walked into the bedroom.
Lifting her suitcase off the bed, Trey placed it on the floor near one of the dressers. “I’ve got a couple of things in this one, but I’ll move them tomorrow and you can have all the drawers.”
“Okay.” She knelt, going through the suitcase until she found her robe. Then she picked up Trey’s on the carpet where it had dropped when he undressed her, placing both of them at the foot of the bed just in case TJ needed them during the night.
Tearing the covers back, Trey held them for her to climb into bed, and then he followed, pulling the sheet, blanket and comforter around them. He wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled into him.
The last thing she remembered was the kiss he placed against her lips as he whispered, “Merry Christmas, Kelly.”
Chapter Nine
Something jarring bounced on the bed, waking Trey out of a sound sleep. If he didn’t know better he’d say that was his son’s giggle he heard at the foot of the bed. Drowsy, he pried his eyes open to see the dark-haired toddler take another jump, but this time landing directly on his slumbering mother. The impact squeezed an “ooof” from her, but instead of being angry, she smiled.
“You little rascal.” Kelly hugged TJ to her. “How did you find me?” He rattled off a stream of gibberish that must have made sense to her, because she nodded like she understood. “That’s what I thought. You’ve been up exploring, which can’t be good.”
When she turned to look at Trey, his heart stuttered.
Damn. The woman was even beautiful with her hair mussed, her eyelids heavy, and her voice deep and throaty.
“Morning,” she said, patting TJ’s back. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, darlin’.” He wanted to kiss her, but the squirming bundle she held stopped him.
“Momma, down,” TJ cried.
Trey stretched, sitting up against his pillows. “So, no morning quickie or lying around until noon?”
“Not unless you want the entire house torn up.” Kelly released TJ and he swung around, landing on his belly. Crawling backwards, he hung over the edge of the bed. With a burst of laughter he let go and tumbled to the floor on his butt, popping back up on his little legs to run lickety-split for the door.
Without hesitating, she wiggled from beneath the covers, grabbing her robe off the bed and pushing her arms into the worn silk. “I better go see what damage he’s already wrought.”
Grabbing his robe, he tightened the sash and followed her.
“Oh my.” She pinched her lips together as if to hide the laughter that twinkled in her eyes. “It looks like he already found the presents.”
It was true. Two boxes had half their wrapping missing and one of them was for Kelly. The train was knocked off its tracks. On short, stubby legs the little hellcat ran to the yellow-and-red car, opened the door and fell headfirst into it. Instead of breaking into tears, he frowned, tugging on the wheel to right himself. Then his little feet moved, pushing the car across the railroad tracks.
“He loves the car. Lori has one at her house,” Kelly said.
Trey set the train back on its tracks and switched it on. The engine made a chugging sound as it raced around the course, the horn tooting occasionally. The noise must have caught TJ’s attention, because he squealed, crawled out of the car and ran straight for the train. Trey caught him before he barreled into it, and then placed him in the middle so the train could go around him. His laughter was infectious. Both Kelly and Trey joined in.
The boy’s attention span was short-lived, because in less than a couple of minutes, he was up heading for the rocking horse. After several bounces, he moved off it. Like a tornado, he went from one toy to the next, until Kelly sat him down and gave him one of the packages she had brought from her condominium. The child made short order of the paper, unwrapping a fluffy teddy bear. One after another gift was given to him and he relished tearing the paper and looking inside. As Trey waited to see what present he liked the best, his son dove into the mound of paper, twisting and turning and having a helluva time making noise.
“You mean I could have just bought paper and the kid would have been happy?” Trey chuckled.
“Pretty much.” As she started to clean up, she paused when she saw the black leather jacket lying half in and half out of a box. She picked it up. “I’m sorry. It looks like he’s torn open one of your sisters’ gifts.”
“No problem. It’s a gift from TJ to his mother.”
Surprise registered across her face. “What?”
“Our son whispered in my ear yesterday that he hadn’t picked anything up for you.”
She pursed her lips. “He did, did he?”
“Yes. And I think he picked you up a couple more things.” Trey slid his gaze to the other gifts beneath the tree.
A blush spread up her neck, coloring her cheeks. “Trey, you shouldn’t have done this. I don’t have anything for you.”
Trey drew her into his arms. “You gave me my gift last night. I thought perhaps if you like the gifts, maybe tonight we could repeat last night.”
Kelly pulled him to her lips and gave him one of her mind-blowing kisses. His toes curled against the floor as he held her tighter.
A sudden pop and the sound of glass shattering jerked them apart.
Their rowdy son had another bulb in his hand getting ready to chuck it across the room. Judging by where TJ stood and the distance between him and the broken bulb, his son had quite an arm on him.
In seconds, Kelly was by TJ’s side, wrenching the ornament from his clutches. Like before, she firmly shook his hand, reprimanding him. He blinked at her, moisture filling his eyes. But when she released him, his tears dried and he was off like a bat out of hell, flinging himself back into the pile of wrapping paper.
Trey shook his head. “The kid’s all boy.”
“You’re telling me.”
“I’ll clean up the mess while you keep an eye on the wild man.” As he headed into the kitchen, he continued to speak. “I think the sooner we get him to Mom’s and Dad’s the safer for all of us. They have a lot of open space and their house is childproof, something we need to do.”
When he returned to the living room, TJ sat quietly in Kelly’s lap looking at a Christmas book. It was amazing how a child could go from a hundred miles an hour to zero in a flash. While TJ remained intrigued by what she read, Trey picked up the other gifts he had purchased her and set them on the couch beside her. She set TJ on the other side of her, reached for a box and tore the paper. As she slipped the lid off she began
to laugh at the lingerie inside.
Confused, Trey did his best not to reveal his disappointment. “You don’t like it?” The black silky robe that matched the sheer gown inside was friggin’ sexy. She would look drop-dead gorgeous in it.
“No. I mean, yes. It’s beautiful.” When he still didn’t get her point, she lifted the diaphanous gown. “Uhm. I was a little worried about you when you selected the outfit. I mean… It isn’t quite what a man would buy his mother or sister.”
He chuckled then, realizing how it must have looked to her at the mall. “No. I had another woman in mind who I wanted to see in that gown.”
“I can see that.” She reached for the next gift, a much smaller box, and tore it open. “Oh, Trey, it’s breathtaking.” Kelly held up the gold chain he had purchased when she was busy with TJ. It had a gold pendant hanging from it with the word “mom”, a diamond in the middle of the O.
“Let me put it on you.” He moved closer and she turned so he could fasten the necklace around her neck.
She placed her palm lovingly over the pendant. “Thank you.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “It looks wonderful on you.”
The next present was heavy and he hoped she would like it. When she opened the lid and looked at the boots inside, she grinned. “I can wear these riding today.”
“That’s what I thought. I hope they fit.”
“They look like they should.”
As she opened the box with the emerald angora sweater, TJ chirped, “Eat.” He rose to his feet, standing on the couch, and gave a bounce.
“I know we’re supposed to be at your parents for brunch, but I really should feed him. I saw oatmeal in the kitchen, do you mind?”
“Kelly, you don’t have to ask for anything in this house. I want you to feel like this is your home. Why don’t you feed the li’l buckaroo and I’ll clean up in here. Then we can get dressed and get on the road.”
“Do you think the sweater you got me will be okay to wear with black jeans?”
“I think you’ll be the prettiest woman there.”
Christmas Showdown Page 8
