Never Christmas Without You

by Nana Malone

  “Well, yeah, flies with honey and all that.”

  She grinned. “Yeah, but sometimes a flyswatter’s pretty good, too.”

  He took a sip of his coffee and grinned into the dark liquid. “So, uh, did you see Alex this morning?”

  “No. You lost your girlfriend?”

  He pursed his lips. When she put it like that, all the irritation came rushing back. But he shoved it away, like he always did. “I’m sure she’s just headed into Los Angeles to check on the gallery.”

  His grandmother nodded. “Mmm-hmm. Can I ask you a question, baby?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why don’t you ever come home anymore?”

  Oh. They were jumping right in, then. “You know why, Grandma.”

  “Well, I can piece it together. But you know, you’ve never actually told me. Just kept saying no when I asked you to come here and instead offered to take me somewhere fabulous. Now, you know how I love to travel, so I’m never going to say no to that. But it would be nice to have you home.”

  “You and I both know that this isn’t my home. I loved my father. I loved this hotel. I loved all the hotels. Every time we got to go somewhere, we’d stay at Morrison, and I’d get so excited. They all felt special. With different touches and different themes. I could never have seen myself doing anything else. This is my birthright. Was anyway. But then Dad was gone, and instead of giving me the opportunity to show him and everyone in the family how much I loved this place and how I could manage it, he gave everything to Martin. The dude who made it clear how much he hated me.”

  “Justin, baby, he doesn’t hate you.”

  “Well, he sure is a good actor, then. He can’t ever resist the chance to twist the knife that Dad overlooked me and didn’t trust me enough with this place.”

  Grandma Lucy slapped the granite countertop with her palm. “Now, that is enough, Justin. If you didn’t know your dad well enough because he was always working, then let me tell you something. Your father loved you. He knew how much you cared about these hotels. But he also knew that you were the kind of person who would bend to make everyone else happy. It’s in your soul. Hospitality was born and bred into you. And he knew that your uncle John, and Martin and Ryan and Chris, would be envious of your position and consistently outvote you since they sat on the board. He didn’t want that for you. And you listen here. The hotels needed a lot of upkeep. Some of them were in debt. He didn’t want to saddle you with that. He knew you had vision. He wanted you to build your own legacy. Your dad knew you were a leader, not a worker bee. He knew that you’d want to come in and change things and do them how you wanted to. He revised the will so that Martin would inherit. He always meant to talk to you after the paperwork was finalized, but then he had a heart attack and was gone. Your father loved you.”

  Justin leaned against the counter and took another sip of his coffee, letting the bitter taste ease down his throat. Along with the bitter pill he was swallowing right now. “I don’t know about that, Grandma.”

  “I know my son better than anything. You were all he cared about. When he and your mom quit, he worked hard to keep you in a lifestyle that would make you miss her less. Because he never got to choose, he wanted you to have the choice. If you wanted, you could work at Morrison Hotels. Sooner or later, you’d be in charge of everything anyway because you’re that brilliant. Martin and your uncles would all be forced to take a back seat.” The knot in Justin’s belly tightened. Had he been looking at everything all wrong? Had his father wanted him to choose his own legacy? Create one for himself? He’d spent the better part of the last three years angry at him for cutting him out of the only thing that he’d ever wanted to do. But if he’d stayed, he never would’ve opened his own hotel. He would’ve been too constrained trying to keep up the Morrison name and everything it stood for. Out on his own, he’d been able to create something wonderful. That was all him, but that was also part Morrison. Was it possible he might be wrong about his father? About his family? Maybe Alex, too. Last night had felt too good to give up. Last night had been something special.

  “You have a lot to think about, baby. But remember, he loved you, like I love you. Maybe even more. Because, if I had my way, I’d have kept you here. But that’s my selfish reasoning so I can see you all the time.”

  “You wouldn’t have to keep me here, Grandma. I would be here all on my own.”

  “It’s nice to hear that. And I’m so glad that you brought Alex, because I adore her. She’s great. And funny. And did you know that child always has to paint on something? Yesterday while you were in Los Angeles, I showed her the watercolors I keep in the back shed. Before I knew it, she’s painting me a landscape.”

  Justin laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like her. One time, I caught her using strawberries and raspberries as pigmented colors for some painting she was doing.”

  His grandmother patted his arm. “You did good. She’s beautiful and smart. Sweet. And clearly is in love with you.”

  Heat flamed his skin. She was not in love with him. Alex didn’t do emotions. “Not sure about that.”

  She patted his arm. “You go on, finish your coffee. I need to go get something I put in the den last night.”

  “What is up, Grandma?”

  “Hush up and drink your coffee. At least you can enjoy for the both of us.”

  He finished his coffee, and his mind stayed on Alex. And his father. Maybe it was time to reevaluate some things.

  His grandmother came back in a couple of minutes, smiling like the Cheshire cat. “Okay, now I’m going to give you this. But you in no way have to use it. I have met that girl, and she’s not exactly the old-fashioned-ring kind, but she still might appreciate this.”

  A rush of warmth suffused his skin the moment his grandmother said ring. From behind her back, she pulled out the tiny blue velvet box. He knew what was in there. Her wedding ring. An emerald-cut diamond in a rose-gold setting, rose gold and platinum wound around each other to form intricate flower patterns. “Oh, Grandma. I couldn’t.”

  His grandmother waved him off. “I’m insisting. If there’s anyone who deserves a ring, it’s that girl. Certainly no one that your cousin Martin has brought around.”

  The guilt wove through him like smoke dispersing. He was a liar. And what was more, now this was going to hurt his grandmother. “Grandma, I need to tell you something.”

  She shushed him. “You hold on to that for as long as you need to. And then, maybe one day, maybe soon, maybe a year from now, you might know someone who would like to wear that ring for a while.”

  Man. He loved his grandma. She was going to be so disappointed when she found out he was a liar.

  Chapter 13

  This was what Alex had always imagined Christmas should be like. Surrounded by family, lots of food, laughter, joy. She spent the better part of the day working with Cassie to integrate the pieces she’d given to Justin into the rest of the collection. Then she did a little shopping. To make sure that she had Christmas gifts for everyone.

  No, they weren’t her family, but Justin was. It was the first time she’d bought him a present instead of making him one. She just hoped she’d gotten it right. Since she’d met him, he’d been completely obsessed with cars. He’d seen every episode of Top Gear ever produced. So she just prayed the present was enough to say thank you for going out on a limb for her.

  Given that it was Christmas Eve, they hadn’t had a chance to address what had happened between them last night. By the time she’d returned from LA, everybody had come in from their day and the kitchen was in full swing. There hadn’t been a single moment to go “Hey, so about all the good sex last night? Was that me? Are we still friends? Did you still respect me in the morning?” No, no time for that. But there would be. Because they couldn’t walk around pretending it hadn’t happened, not that she wanted t
o anyway. Last night was honest to goodness everything she’d ever imagined. She’d hated to leave this morning, but she knew that if she didn’t make it to LA, she’d never get everything set with Cassie.

  “Did you have a great day, honey?” Grandma Lucy asked.

  “Yeah, actually got a lot of work done. It was really good. I woke energized, so it was great to get a jump on the day.”

  “Yeah, the whole ‘early bird gets the worm’ and all that. Just make sure you don’t work too hard so you can thoroughly enjoy yourself. Experience some of our hospitality.”

  Next to her Justin grazed her leg with his. Her body remembered his brand of hospitality. “Yes, ma’am. I’m so grateful. Thank you so much for having me in your home. Especially over the holidays.”

  “If I’d known that you were going to be this fantastic,” Grandma Lucy said, “I would’ve pressed Justin to bring you home sooner.”

  Justin leaned over. “Hey, you want another drink?”

  She shook her head. “I think I’ve had enough for a lifetime.”

  He still hadn’t said anything about what’d happened last night. But he’d been all over her. Pulling out her chair. Making sure to serve her before he served himself. Getting her drink whenever she needed one. All the attentiveness was freaking her out. What did it mean?

  Justin eventually had thrown his arm around the back of her chair, his fingertips playing with the skin on her shoulders, making her crazy. Making her want him again. You’re going to get hurt. Stop getting too attached.

  She needed to get up, find some space. Because if he kept touching her like that, she was going to jump him. And that probably wouldn’t end well for either of them. Who are you kidding? Jumping is great. Until the sex is over. And he realizes he doesn’t want to be with you. And that was going to hurt. “I’ve got to use the ladies’ room.” She pushed her chair back, and Justin and his uncles and cousins all stood. And then they sat when she sashayed out of the room.

  After splashing cold water on her face, Alex found Justin in the hallway, leaning against the wall.

  “I didn’t need an escort.”

  He shrugged. “Part of me was afraid you wouldn’t come back just now, or maybe you were making your escape.”

  Hell. He was upset. She could see it in his face, in the set of his lips. He was still smiling, but the emotion didn’t quite reach his eyes. She should’ve known better. She ducked her head. “I’m sorry about this morning, Justin. I needed some time to process. I did send a text so you wouldn’t worry.”

  “Yeah, unfortunately, I didn’t see your text until after I worried about you for an hour.”

  She flushed. “Sorry about that.” And then she saw the sadness in his eyes. He thought she didn’t want to be there. Damn. “Justin, last night was better than anything I could’ve ever imagined.”

  His lips lifted into a smirk. “So you imagined us together, then?”

  She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “I plead the Fifth.”

  Justin laughed. He strolled over to her and took her hand. Tugged her forward about half a foot. Then before she could gather her thoughts or catch her breath from having him so close, he dipped his head and kissed her.

  It was a sweet kiss, his lips sliding over hers, giving her a taste of the heat. A taste of what they’d had last night. But then, as quickly as he started, he stopped again. “Come on, let’s get back to dinner.”

  “A guy who kisses like that has no intention of taking me to dinner.”

  He barked a laugh. “Okay, so you might be right about that. We’ll make a pit stop, then go back to the family celebration.”

  As he dragged her down the hallway, she pulled back a little. “Justin, wait. We crossed the line last night. I crossed the line. We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen.”

  He ran a thumb over her cheek as his fingers played with the ends of her hair.

  “You are the most important person in the world to me. And I don’t know what happened last night. Or what I hope is going to happen in the next couple of minutes. But I know that whatever happens here will not ruin what we have. We are forever going to be friends. I know that because when I thought I’d blown it this morning, all I wanted was you back.”

  “Friends.” She said it slowly and deliberately to make sure she’d heard it right. He wanted to be friends? After everything?

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’m not using you. I’m not going to hurt you. I would rather die. We were the best of friends before we ever did this. And maybe we weren’t supposed to sleep together. It just happened. But now that I’ve had a taste, it’s pretty impossible not to touch you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We depend on each other, and I know that I’m horrible at relationships. Last night, for me, was...” He shook his head. “Incredible. But I promise I won’t touch you. We go back to the real world in a couple of days. But maybe while we’re here, we enjoy the time together. Enjoy us.”

  Something deep inside of her screamed. She wanted more than this. She wanted all of him. But she knew he was right. He was horrible at relationships. And at the core of it, he didn’t think that anyone would love him long enough to stick around, so he dropped women first. And she never wanted to become one of his women. The ones he never called again. The ones he never saw again.

  “Okay, we’ll go back to being friends when we get home. What happens in Catalina stays in Catalina.” It was going to kill her. But she knew he wasn’t the type to settle down. And she was grown enough to know she couldn’t change him. They were better off as friends. But she was selfish, too. She was going to enjoy this time with him. And even though she never let herself care about anyone, she was going to hold on to this and cherish these few days. Forever.

  * * *

  Justin dragged her into an office. After locking the door behind them, he led her to the couch. When she placed a soft kiss on his lips, his whole body tensed. The scent of her perfume intoxicated him. The way her soft fingers brushed against his bare chest made him tingle all over.

  Alex slanted her lips over his again and kissed him. As if he could hear the steel snaps of his control break, he slid his hands up her back and to the nape of her neck. Taking control of the kiss, he angled her head so they fit better. He used the tip of his tongue to tease the seam of her lips until she opened for him. Once she did, he took.

  Years of frustration and need boiled out in the kiss. The other night hadn’t been enough. He wanted so much more from her.

  Justin hiked her dress up and demanded that her tongue meet his. He tasted and teased and sucked on her tongue in a sensual rhythm that spoke of how he was going to ride her. Soft hands caressed his back and clung to his shoulders as her hips rose and descended involuntarily.

  Shit. And he’d thought dry humping as a teenager was frustrating. Clamping both hands on her hips, he held her still and continued to devour her. When she came, he would be inside her. When her orgasm hit, it would be with the slick walls of her sex around the length of him.

  He broke their kiss and traced a path of openmouthed kisses along the column of her neck. His hands controlling the movements of her hips now, he eased her moist heat against his throbbing erection in a pace that he could manage. He tucked her close, then tilted her away, tucked her close again, then away. Over and over he set the new pace, letting her know that he was in charge.

  She tasted sweet and spicy. And her hair smelled like heaven—lemon-meringue pie. With a growl, he shifted their positioning, tossing her beneath him on the couch. With too-rough hands, he tugged at the fabric of her dress, then her panties, and a small tearing sound echoed in the quiet of the night.

  Alex moaned at the sound, and if possible he felt more heat pouring off her already wet center. Her fingernails dug into his back, scoring the skin, and she called out his name. Fire burned where her nails tore fles
h.

  Taking the cue from her, he reached for the hem of her dress and tugged it over her head, baring her breasts to his view. Her nipples were a dusky rose.

  He sucked one pebble into his mouth and grazed it with his teeth. He tugged gently and used his fingers to pinch and pluck the other puckered nipple. When he’d had his fill of one, he moved to her other breast and laved at her like she was ice cream on a hot summer day.

  “Justin, please.” She reached between them and cupped him through his pants. Her eyes flared. “Wow, you’re big.”

  With one stroke of her delicate hand, she had him on the brink of orgasm. Lust raged in his veins, and he couldn’t for the life of him remember why he was supposed to go slow. He burned for her.

  Impatiently, he tugged and yanked off his shirt, then his pants and boxers. But not before pulling a condom out of his wallet.

  After making quick work of the condom, he positioned himself between her thighs again. With wide eyes, she stared up at him like she was holding her breath.

  He stroked her wet slit with the backs of his knuckles, and she rolled her hips into the caress, moaning for him. Her wetness coated his knuckles with her juices. “You’re already so wet.” He stroked again.

  Alex tossed her head back. “Justin, please don’t tease.”

  He chuckled as he slid a finger inside her, reaching into her slick depths. Slowly, he retreated then added another finger. With his thumb, he teased her clitoris by making light circles. Her hips rocketed off the couch, and still he slid his fingers into her.

  When she widened her thighs, he inhaled. He loved her scent, spicy and decadent. He had to taste her. When he lowered his head, she mewled. He deliberately blew a cooling breath over her pussy lips, and she shook beneath him. He licked the length of her cleft and relished her unique flavor. Devouring her. He avoided her clit deliberately. When she came, it would be because he was inside her.