This Christmas: Bestselling Author Duo J.L.Beck & C. Hallman writing as

by Jenna Reed

“Nope,” Laura snaps and halfway pulls Jake out of the hot tub. They scurry through the cold winter air and into the house, leaving Jonas and me alone. Though it’s colder than a witch’s tit out here, the air couldn’t be anymore electric between us.

  “Why didn’t you trade with Darla?” Jonas asks his words bridging on curiosity.

  Oh, shit. That’s a good question? Why didn’t I? I could’ve gotten rid of him. That’s what I wanted, right?

  “I don’t like Darla, and I don’t ever want to give her what she wants. She’s used to getting her way, and sometimes it’s nice to show her you can’t always have what you want.” That’s not a lie.

  Biting my lip, I ask him a similar question, “Why didn’t you offer to trade with her?”

  “’Cause I’d rather sleep with you.” His words shock me. Especially since they have two meanings. I know he meant, sleep with me, as in the same room, but his words have me fantasizing about a different kind of sleep entirely, one that involves a lot less clothing.

  I feel my cheeks heat, and it’s not because of the hot water I’m sitting in.

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t offer because I would rather sleep in the bathtub than in a room with Darla.”

  “Wow, and I thought I was your least favorite person in this house,” Jonas laughs. When the last chuckle runs through him, he turns to me with a somber smile. “Hey, I wanted to say sorry, for you know… being such an ass to you when we were younger. I was a total jerk, and I really don’t have an excuse for it. I’m just sorry.”

  “Oh,” I say surprised because that’s literally the only thing that comes to my mind right then. “Ah, okay… I don’t really know what to say to that. I definitely didn’t think you would apologize or even care,” I keep nervously rambling on, “anyways, I appreciate you apologizing and—” Jonas cuts me off then, his lips gently pressing against mine.

  I’m so shocked, I forget to close my eyes for the first second. His lips colliding with mine awakens so many feelings inside my body that for a moment, I’m simply overwhelmed. A bolt of electricity ripples through me, and I feel like I’m buzzing.

  Then his lips start moving against mine, and my eyes flutter shut. My body melts into his touch, and when his hands find my hips, and he pulls me onto his lap, I let him. In that moment, I want nothing more than to sink into him, to become one.

  His fingers trail along my back and shivers run down my spine. One of his hands makes it all the way up to the back of my head, where he cradles me. Deepening the kiss, he holds my head in place, his fingers tightening in my hair, pulling on the strands. The moment my scalp stings from the pull, I am reminded of how he used to pull my hair when he was sitting behind me on the bus. How he tossed a toad at me and told me I was ugly. Every little bad thing he ever did to me appears in my mind.

  As if someone poured a bucket of ice water over my head, I snap out of it. Pushing against his shoulders, I shove him away and climb off his lap. Water sloshes outside the tub as I move away from him. His eyes are wide like he doesn’t understand why I suddenly stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks his voice deep, and honeyed. It sounds like a sin, but I remind myself in an instant that this is nothing. Jonas is all games, all torment and pain.

  Shaking my head, I get out of the water, ignoring the cold air that bites my skin. I dash into the house without even grabbing my robe. Leaving a trail of wet footprints behind, I run through the house, hoping that no one sees me. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I just let Jonas Wilder kiss me, and even worse... I can’t believe that I liked it.

  6

  Jonas

  “Merry Christmas, Jonas,” Anita smiles as she hands me a gift wrapped in festive wrapping paper. I set my cup of coffee down and take it from her, feeling horrible that I didn’t get anyone else anything.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything,” I tell her.

  “I know I didn’t, but that’s not the point. I wanted to.”

  “Well, thank you.” I set the gift down at my feet and watch as she hands out all the other presents. My eyes instantly gravitate toward Hannah, who is sitting on the couch stuck between Darla, Laura, and Jake. There’s a scowl on her face, and her arms are crossed over her chest. She looks like the unhappiest person in the room.

  “It’s Christmas, turn that frown into a smile, Hannah,” Anita scolds. Hannah perks up then, plastering a fake smile onto her lips.

  Lips that I kissed.

  A part of me knows that I’m the cause for that look. I never should’ve kissed her, or even agreed to come here. I knew right away that it was going to be a mistake, and still, I did it.

  The need to see her after all this time was too strong, the offer to stay here too good to pass up on. Lost in thought, I almost miss when everyone starts to rip into their gifts. Darla squeals when she finds out she got a gift card to one of her favorite shoe stores.

  “Aunt Anita, thank you so much.” She jumps off the couch and wraps her arms around her, hugging her so hard, I swear, Anita is losing oxygen.

  Laura is next, revealing beneath the wrapping paper a personalized wine set. Jake opens his gift, which is a gift card, and then all eyes are on Hannah, who unwraps her gift slowly, her eyes twinkling with actual excitement as she does.

  She reminds me of a small child so excited to see what Santa brought in the morning. With the wrapping paper pulled away, a set of books come into view.

  Her eyes grow to the size of the snowman cookies in the kitchen, “Oh my god, Mom, you didn’t… I don’t even know what to say.”

  My gaze drops from Hannah’s shocked face and down to the gift in her hands. It’s a Harry Potter book, but judging by the way she’s acting, it’s not just any book.

  “Of course, I did, sweetie. You love reading, and the Harry Potter books were what started your love affair with fiction.”

  “Yeah, but how did you get these signed?” Getting up, she sets the books down on her seat like they’re newborn babies and walks over to her mother, wrapping her arms around her.

  “Oh it’s nothing, you know I do anything to see you happy,” Anita says.

  Our eyes collide as she hugs her mom, and I can’t help but smile at her. At her love for reading, at how beautiful she is. When everything settles back down, I open my gift, which is a do it yourself beer making kit. I was just talking about doing this right before we came up.

  Smiling, I turn to Anita, “How did you know?”

  “Oh, I have my ways,” she giggles and turns to Jake, giving him a wink. All I can do is laugh. I sip my coffee and watch as everyone finishes opening up their gifts. Deep in my soul, I feel as if I’m home as if I’m surrounded by the family I was meant to be a part of. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents, but they aren’t always about for the holidays.

  After a short while, everyone filters out of the room, everyone but Hannah and me. Snowfall picks back up outside again, and I peek over at Hannah, who is nose deep in her brand new books. She’s so damn adorable, it should be illegal.

  “Stop staring at me,” she mumbles under her breath, her gaze colliding with mine. Instantly, I can feel her lips on mine again. My cock starts to grow hard at the thought of doing that all over again.

  “I’m not staring at you,” I reply, sipping at my coffee. I should really switch to whiskey. It’s already the afternoon, and everyone else is drinking and singing and eating.

  “You’re looking in my direction,” and just like when we were kids, she sticks her tongue out at me.

  “It’s a free country, and why stick your tongue out at me? Is that supposed to scare me?”

  “No, is your face supposed to scare me?” she taunts back. Her antics might be to irritate me, but they have the opposite effect. Instead, they make me smile, and smile I do, from ear to ear.

  “I mean, if I bother you so much, then why do you stare at me all the time?” I shrug, deciding to play along with her little game. Her cheeks flame and she knows that I’m right. I’ve caught
her staring at me more than once since our little kiss.

  “I really don’t like you…” She growls, slamming her book closed. With a heated glare in her eyes, she stands and walks over to me. “And if you ever kiss me again with those ugly lips of yours, I will…”

  “Goodness gracious children, why don’t the two of you just bang already? That’s the only way this is going to end,” Hannah’s grandma yells loud enough that the whole house can hear, and I can’t help myself. I start laughing, and so does Hannah. I’m not sure why, but the idea seems hilarious, especially since she couldn’t even stand kissing me.

  “I’m not kidding, bang and I promise all your problems will disappear,” she waves her hands in the air like she’s doing some type of magic.

  “Okay, Grandma,” Hannah snorts, “did you get into Mom’s wine again?” She walks over and wraps an arm around her, guiding her back into the kitchen.

  “Of course, honey, and I’ve got another bottle calling my name.” Shaking my head, I remain sitting by the window, watching the snow fall, wondering if maybe Hannah’s grandma is right. Maybe one hot romp in the hay would do us both good?

  Day gives way to night, and after a hearty dinner, we all retreat to the living room. Christmas music blares from the TV, and I find the tension between Hannah and me has evaporated. She still taunts me, and every time she gets up for a new drink, she intentionally walks past me swaying her ass in a way that beckons my cock toward it. Laughing and singing and drinking, we all become one. With each drink I pour myself, I start to wonder more and more if she’s thinking what I’m thinking? Getting up for another beer, I make my way into the kitchen, colliding with her small body as she’s exiting.

  “Watch it, hunk of beef?” She smirks.

  “Did you just call me a hunk of beef?” I lift an accusing brow.

  “I sure did.” She sets her wine glass down on the island and narrows her gaze, mischief flickering in the depths. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m reaching out to her, my fingers skating over her skin, before sinking into it to tickle her. As a kid, I remember tickling her so bad she peed her pants. Maybe we can relive that moment?

  “Oh my god, no Jonas…” She squeals at the top of her lungs as I tickle her sides. She tries to escape me, but she’s trapped between the counter and my body.

  “Take it back. I am not a hunk of beef…”

  “But you…” I tickle more, giving her a stern look as she smiles, happiness pouring out of her like an overflowing sink.

  “Remember that time I made you pee your pants?” I tilt my head to the side and pin her with a stare.

  Her face turns serious for half a millisecond, “Jonas, I swear to God,” she barely gets the words out before I’m on her again, tickling her until she’s red in the face, with tears streaming down her cheeks. She laughs so hard that she even snorts a little when she sucks air back in, which only makes her laugh even harder.

  “Oh, god, oh, god. Okay, okay, you’re not a hunk of beef.” She pants, finally, and I pull away, a smirk on my face. Touching her skin and being close enough to smell her sweet scent has encompassed me. I want her more now than I did ten minutes ago.

  It must be the alcohol.

  “Good, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” I’m proud of my win as I grab another beer from the fridge.

  “Bet you can’t shotgun that beer?”

  “Do you know who I am, Hannah?” I tease.

  “Do you know who I am?” She teases right back, and I’ll be damned if this doesn’t feel a little bit like flirting.

  Grabbing a knife from the counter, I stab into the beer can and bring it to my lips before it can spray all over the kitchen. The cool liquid fills my mouth instantly, and I suck, swallowing every last drop till I crunch the can and bring my gaze back to Hannah.

  “Do that a couple times, and you’ll be on your ass.” I burp.

  “You’re disgusting…” Hannah snarls her nose, and she looks so cute. I want to kiss her again, run my fingers through her hair, feel every inch of her body beneath mine as I move in and out of her.

  “Let’s do shots,” Hannah impulsively says next, heading to the cabinet to grab some shot glasses. Oh, god, does she know what she’s doing to me, to us?

  “If you wake up in the morning and say ‘it’s all your fault, Jonas,’ I want you to look back on this moment, ’kay?”

  “Psssh, shut up and help me find the shot glasses, hunk of beef,” she snickers, looking at me over her shoulder.

  “Oh, you’ll pay for that…” I growl, smiling the entire way over to her.

  I help her get the shot glasses out of the cabinet, and she sets them on the counter before turning to grab a bottle of spiced rum.

  This close, I can feel the heat of her skin against mine, and I wish we had less clothing on.

  She fills each glass haphazardly, leaving drops of rum on the counter as she goes to the next glass. When she’s done filling them, she shoves one at me and says, “Bottoms up,” before downing her own.

  I grin and bring the shot to my lips. Squeezing my eyes shut, I down the shot, letting the burn resonate through me and warm my body from the inside out.

  “Pussy,” she teases, “why did you have to close your eyes?”

  “Not all of us are professional drinkers, sweetheart. I’m not much for liquor.”

  Instead of replying, she refills our glasses. Shoving another at me, she waits till I’m ready to take mine. Our eyes lock, and I swear, I can see every memory we ever shared in her eyes. Why didn’t I ever tell her I liked her? That I wanted her to be my forever?

  “1… 2… 3…” she counts down, her pink tongue fliting out over her bottom lip. Mmm, to taste those lips again. I barely snap out of my fantasy fast enough to take my shot with her. The burn of the rum is a little less the second time around, and as I’m wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, her grandma comes walking into the room.

  “Shots? And you didn’t invite me? I’m wounded. Give Grammy one.”

  My eyes bulge out of my head at her words, give her a shot?

  “You sure?” I ask.

  “Don’t worry about me, boy. I could drink men like you under the table back in the day.”

  A deep chuckle leaves my chest, and Hannah complies with her grandma’s request for a shot. Pouring her a full one and sliding it over to her.

  Hannah giggles, and her grandma winks at me before taking the shot like a college coed. Holy shit. She just took the shot.

  Immediately she starts coughing, and Hannah reaches out to pat her on the back.

  “You okay?” she asks, and as soon as her grandma opens her mouth to speak, something flies out of her mouth, and skids across the counter and onto the floor. For one entire second, I stare in confusion. Was that… no way.

  “Grandma, you spat your teeth out.” Hannah starts to laugh as she walks over to where the dentures landed. I can’t help myself, the laughter inside of me can’t be contained.

  My laughter causes Grandma to start laughing, and together, all three of us laugh.

  Muffled, Grandma says, “Who needs teeth? Get me another shot.”

  Hannah pours us all another shot, and as we take them, I wonder if she’ll remember how much fun we had tonight, or if she realizes how much fun we could have together.

  7

  Hannah

  I wake up slowly and painfully, very painfully. My head feels like it got hit with a baseball bat a few times, and just thinking about that makes my brain hurt even more. I don’t move, not even my eyelids because I know every little thing is only going to intensify the pain.

  I’m never drinking again.

  Of course, I’ve said that many times before. How is it that you always forget how bad this hurts the next time someone offers you a drink?

  Even with my eyes closed, I know it’s daytime because I hear birds chirping outside. Be quiet, stupid birds.

  Ignoring the wildlife and the rest of the outside world, I try to go back to sleep. Wil
ling myself back into a dreamless sleep where the throbbing behind my eyes can’t reach me.

  “Ugh,” someone groans next to me. It takes me a moment before realization settles in. Someone groaned next to me.

  My eyes fly open, and I ignore the pain that comes with that. Despite the fact that I feel like someone just jammed a meat fork into my ear canal, I sit up straight. I scan the mattress next to me and realize that, indeed, someone is in bed with me. That someone being Jonas.

  A scream lodges in my throat, the only thing stopping me from whaling like a banshee is knowing that everyone in the house would come to check to see what’s wrong.

  Jonas turns to face me, his hair sits in a disheveled mop on his head, and his eyes are barely open. My gaze trails down his bare chest, and only then do I realize that he might be naked under that blanket. I scoot a few inches away from him, the soft comforter rubbing against my naked skin… my naked skin?

  “Oh, hell, no!” I yell, grabbing the blanket and clutching it to my chest. “Why am I naked? Oh, god… did I... did we?”

  Jonas props himself up on his elbow, completely unfazed by the situation. His lips tuck up into a sly grin. “What do you think we did?”

  I try to rack my brain, what the hell did we do? My mind is so hazy, I only recall small bits and pieces from last night. Like a thousand-piece puzzle, I try to organize all the pieces, trying to see the big picture. I remember drinking, singing Christmas songs, some more drinking, and then… my grandma losing her dentures? The last thing I remember is dancing and then… nothing.

  “I don’t remember. Are you naked?” I carefully ask.

  “Why don’t you take a peek under the blanket and find out for yourself?”

  “Ugh, you’re unbelievable!” Without looking over to him, I get up, pulling the blanket covering us off the bed as I go. Wrapping it around me, I dash to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind me, I pace across the small bathroom floor and try to recall the events from the night before.