All I Want for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance Holiday Collection

by S. L. Sterling

  ME: Sorry about tonight. Hopeing you could give me a hand tomorrow? I'd like to get a tree.

  Almost instantly a reply came back.

  RAY: I know I promised you I would be here for the book drive, but I have to leave town tomorrow. Need those parts for a big repair coming in, it can't wait now. I will text you as soon as I get back. Should be gone about a week or two. Plus, I need time away.

  I felt my heart sink. He had promised, he had promised me he would be here for the fundraiser. Was he doing this to get back at me for treating him the way I had tonight? I swallowed hard and through teary eyes typed my response.

  Me: You won't be here for the book drive? You promised

  Ray: I should be back the day of. Sorry, Cass, I know this isn’t a good time to leave, but I have no choice. You need space, so I'm giving you what you want.

  I was pissed at that comment. Sure, I needed space, but I never said I wanted him to leave.

  Me: But you said you didn't have to go until after christmas

  Ray: Things change, your words. get some rest. I'll come say goodbye before I leave.

  I felt a tear roll down my cheek at how cold his comments were. I threw my phone down on the table and turned my attention to the movie. I really didn't want bad feelings between Ray and me, but it seemed there were going to be. I shut my cell phone off, I didn't want to be bothered by him anymore tonight. Pulling the blanket up around my shoulders, I let my body sink into the pillows. A loud knock on the front door caused me to jump.

  Frowning, I got uncurled from the warmth of the blanket and headed to the door. “Who is it?” I called.

  “It's me, Cass,” I heard the familiar deep voice call. I pulled the door open and was faced with a giant evergreen tree.

  “What the hell?”

  “I got us a Christmas Tree.” Brody poked his head through the only open spot there was and smiled his ridiculous smile.

  I couldn't help but laugh. “This is going to have to stay outside for the night, I haven't got any idea where the stand is or if I even have it anymore.”

  “Nope, I got one of those too, Cass. We're bringing this monster in. Now, if you can just grab the base and pull it in, we should be all set.”

  I bent down and picked up the trunk of the cold tree, and together, we pulled and pushed it through the door. Once inside, we laid the tree down on the floor and shut the door. Brody quickly set up the stand, and we managed to get the monster of a tree set up right in front of the front window. The tree basically covered the big picture window when it was standing up.

  “Think you got a big enough tree?” I giggled, looking it over.

  “I guess I kind of went overboard, but they only had a couple left, so it was this one or a Charlie Brown tree. There was no way you weren’t having a tree this year, Cass.”

  The smile faded from my lips. The last good Christmas had been before Jackson died. Then after Brody left, I swore off the holiday. The only reason I even had anything in the storefront window was the town made it mandatory. As I stood looking at the tree, my vision started to blur.

  Brody stopped pulling the last of the wrap off the tree and looked at me. “What’s wrong, Cass?”

  “I was just thinking I don't know how many decorations I have anymore. I kept a few, but I haven't unpacked half of the boxes I moved here with. Plus, Christmas just sucks now.”

  “So, we get a few things, it's no big deal.” He dropped the twine on the tree in a pile on the floor, grabbed me, and pulled me into his chest. “It doesn't have to suck anymore.”

  I wrapped my arms around him, breathing him in. Why did he always have to be so warm and smell so fucking good?

  “I know, I say that every year, and every year a new reason seems to arise, and I want the holiday to go away and never come back again.”

  “Well, this year it's not going to be that way.” He held me, running his hands over my back. “I tried to wait for you tonight, so we could go and pick this tree out together, but you weren't home when I had to leave to pick my truck up from Ray’s.”

  “Don't worry, it's probably better you went on your own.” I pulled my body away from him and looked into his eyes, “I would have chosen the Charlie Brown tree, anyway.”

  Brody smiled and went back to removing the twine from the tree.

  “I have some wine. Do you want a glass?” I asked, watching him.

  “Absolutely! I'm just going to get changed. Pour me some.” Brody headed off down the hall, and I went to the kitchen to grab another glass.

  I had just sat down and was waiting for Brody to return when I heard another knock on the front door. Walking over, I pulled the door open to find Ray standing there.

  “Hey, sexy,” he said, taking me in. He leaned in to kiss me, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

  “Ray! What are you doing here?”

  “I told you I wanted to see you before I left, something wrong with that?”

  “No, I just figured you would be leaving tomorrow.”

  “I am, but early, so I thought I would come by tonight.” He stepped inside and looked at the huge tree. “I thought you didn't want a tree, Cass.”

  “Well, if you read my message, you would have seen I asked you to take me,” I huffed. “Brody got it tonight on his way home.”

  “I see,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “What's the problem?” I said, reaching to take his hand.

  He looked into my eyes but said nothing. He placed his hand in mine and pulled me against him. He was about to lean in and kiss me when something behind me caught his attention. His expression changed instantly.

  “Ray? What is it?” He didn't answer, just kept his focus trained on something behind me, his grip getting tighter on me. I turned to see what it was he was looking at. Brody stood in the hallway entrance in nothing but a pair of black sweatpants.

  “I see how it is. You wanted to come home tonight so the two of you could play house, is that it?”

  “Ray that’s enough.”

  He pushed me to the side and headed straight for Brody.

  “Don't be rough with her,” Brody stated, squaring himself up against Ray.

  “I'll treat her any damn way I want. Let's be clear, Brody, you're not taking my girl, we discussed this already.” His loud booming voice vibrated through the house. He approached Brody, his fists clenched at his side. When he was within reach, Ray threw the first punch, slamming his fist right through the wall behind Brody as he ducked out of the way. I let out a loud scream. I watched as Brody slammed his fist into Ray's stomach, causing Ray to buckle over.

  “I'm not taking your girl, Ray,” Brody said through clenched teeth. “I won't have to because you're going to drive her away yourself.”

  Ray stood up and took another shot at Brody, completely missing again, this time throwing his whole body into the little table that sat at the end of the couch. The table went flying over onto its side along with the lamp and my picture of me and Jackson I still hadn't put back into my bedroom. When it hit the floor, the irreplaceable frame shattered into pieces.

  “GET OUT!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Both men stopped in their tracks. Ray looked over at me and saw the tears pouring down my face, then looked down at the broken frame.

  “Cass, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this.”

  “Yeah, but you did it. Get out, be on your way, I'll see you in a couple weeks.” I opened the door and held it open for him. I'd had enough.

  He looked to Brody, then back to me as he got up off the floor, steadying himself as he walked toward me. He placed his hand on my arm.

  “I'm sorry, please, let's just talk.”

  I couldn't look at him, I kept my eyes on Brody who stood, clenching and unclenching his fists, his jaw tight as he watched every move Ray made, ready to pounce if he laid another hand on me, especially to hurt me.

  “Cass, please.”

  I turned my back to him. “Just go.” I mumbled.

&nbs
p; He stood there for a couple more minutes, taking me in, probably hoping I would change my mind, and when I didn't, he walked out the front door, head hung low. I slammed the door behind him and locked it. I stood staring down at the remains of the shattered frame Jackson had bought me for a wedding gift, something I could never replace. My favorite picture of us lay on the ground, torn.

  I bent down, tears streaming down my face as I picked up all the pieces of the broken frame and placed them into a little bowl that sat on the table.

  Brody

  I didn't know what to say to her as I stood and watched her carefully lay every broken piece, large or small into that bowl. The bastard had out-and-out attacked me once again, for no reason, and after witnessing him shove her, he was lucky to be walking out of here unharmed. Cass stood there, her hand over her mouth, crying at the mess in front of her. I remembered when Jackson had given her that frame. It had been an early wedding gift for their wedding photo, but she had changed the photo up after he had passed.

  I couldn't stand to hear her crying. I knelt behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders, hesitant at first to touch her. I wasn't sure she would even want me near her. She didn't move at first, but then she turned into me, clinging to me like I was the last thing she had in this world. I just held her, letting her cry.

  “I'm so sorry.”

  I pulled back so I could look at her. “What are you sorry for?”

  “Him, all of this. Believing the lies that he told me tonight.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “That you and he got into it down at Carl’s because you were provoking him and spewing horrible things about me.”

  “I see, well that's okay. I'm tough. You, on the other hand, don't seem so tough.” In one quick motion, I picked her up and carried her over to the couch. I placed her down in her favorite spot and picked up her wine glass from the table, handing it to her. I then took the blanket she had been rolled in earlier and covered her.

  Once she was settled, I went into the kitchen and grabbed the bag of skinny popcorn from the cupboard, poured half the bag into a great big bowl, put the kettle on for tea, and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

  “Do you think you could make me a tea, please?” I heard her broken, tear-ladened voice call.

  “Already on it.” It took me a couple of minutes, but I came into the living room carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of tea and a big bowl of popcorn. “Now, I'm going to warn you, I'm a popcorn hog, and you'll have to fight me for it,” I winked at her. Finally, I could see the corners of her mouth turn up into a small smile.

  “I'll fight you for it.” She let out a tiny laugh and pulled her legs up, so she was sitting cross-legged and patted the seat beside her.

  Cass

  The movie played, and we sat side by side, eating popcorn, neither of us saying anything. I could feel the tension leave my body the longer we watched TV. It helped to know Ray was going away tomorrow. I didn't want to see him for a while after all that had gone on tonight. How dare he come and assume like that, then attack Brody because he was jealous.

  When the movie went to a commercial, I cleared my throat, took a sip of tea and asked, “Not that I want to bring this up, but this morning you said you wanted to talk to me about Ray?

  “Yes.”

  “Was it about your split lip?”

  “Yes. I can only imagine what he told you.”

  “What happened, Brody?”

  “I'll have you know he confronted me there. He wants me to leave you alone, in case you couldn't have guessed. He's not as nice as you might think.”

  I was already finding out he wasn't who he had appeared to be. I swallowed hard and took a drink of my tea.

  “If I tell you something, you promise not to get upset?”

  “Depends on what you're going to tell me.” He gave me a small smile.

  “He tried to force himself on me the other night when I didn't want him to.”

  Brody was quiet, his jaw clenching. “Are you okay?”

  “I am.”

  “Why didn't you tell me?”

  “I didn't want to upset you, so I just let it be.”

  “I see, that’s why you were crying. Cass, if you are going to pursue anything more with him, please be careful.”

  “I don't know what I am going to do.”

  “Well if he keeps this up, I'm probably going to end up in jail, so I hope you figure it out soon.”

  I turned my attention back to the TV. I went to reach my hand into the bowl of popcorn just as Brody went to reach his hand into the bowl. I looked down when our hands hit, noticing how red and swollen his hand was. I grabbed his hand in mine.

  “What is it, Cass?”

  “Your hand, it's all swollen, you need ice.” I handed Brody the bowl and got up from my spot.

  “It's fine, I'm fine,” he called after me.

  I walked to the freezer and took out ice cubes, putting them into a freezer bag and wrapping it in a cloth. I walked back over, sat back down and took his hand in mine, placing the ice bag on the back of it. I sat his hand on my thigh, holding the ice pack there.

  After a bit, I removed the ice and examined his hand, the swelling starting to go down. I ran my fingers gently over the back of his hand and couldn't get the thought out of my mind of what it used to feel like to have his hands on my body, imagining them tracing lines up over my bare legs, to my stomach, and up to my breasts. I couldn't help looking at his strong, broad shoulders and bare chest, thinking about how it would feel to run my hand over him once again.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I jumped at the sound of his low voice, and when I looked up at him, he was watching me intently. I swallowed hard.

  “Nothing, I was just making sure you were okay.” I could feel myself getting warm.

  “Do you normally blush when you wonder if people are okay?” He reached over with the other hand and pushed the hair that had fallen into my face behind my ear, his touch sending a jolt of electricity right to my center.

  “You're beautiful when you blush,” he whispered. Our eyes locked, he slowly inched forward, his eyes running between my eyes and lips. His hand planted on my cheek, he pulled me forward and grazed my lips.

  My lips were on fire, and I pulled away.

  “It's nothing. I'm not thinking about anything.” I jumped up from the couch to take the ice pack to the kitchen. I had to get away from him, I was throbbing. “I think I'm going to turn in,” I said from the kitchen.

  He got up, bringing the bowl and mugs into the kitchen. I couldn't help checking him out again, this time noticing the little spray of hair that ran from his belly button down to the outline of his semi-hard cock in his sweats.

  “You sure you're okay?” he asked, a smug smirk on his face.

  “Yep, I'm good. It's all good.”

  I watched as he turned and headed down the hall to his room. Then I grabbed the ice pack out of the sink and placed it on the back of my neck. I needed to cool down. I got a cold drink of water and stood in the kitchen, letting the room stop spinning.

  18

  Brody

  I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, slowly stroking my cock. I was hard as a fucking rock and had been since I had crawled into bed. When I caught her checking me out, I would have paid to hear the thoughts running through that beautiful head of hers. Although I could guess from the light blush that flushed her cheeks exactly what her thoughts had been. I ran my hand up my shaft, precum dripping at the thoughts running through my head. My thoughts so vivid, I could almost see her lying between my legs while her mouth devoured my cock.

  I froze as soft light spilled out into the hallway. I watched from the darkness, my hand not moving as she tiptoed by my room, carrying her laptop. I frowned and checked the clock. We had gone to bed almost two hours ago. Why was she still awake?

  I squeezed my thick cock, waiting for the throbbing to subside—I was so close and needed to fucking cum.
I decided to wait for a bit instead of getting up right away, just in case she was only plugging her computer in, but after ten minutes, I got up, threw on my sweats, and headed out to the main part of the house. I was still worked up, but I wanted to make sure she was okay. I stopped at the end of the hallway, and what I saw before me didn't help matters. I decided to stay tucked away in the safety of the darkness and watched her for a bit. She had only turned on a couple of pot lights in the kitchen. She sat at the breakfast bar on one of the stools, somewhat facing me, wearing a short, pink and black silk bathrobe, bathed in the light from her laptop. As my eyes washed over her body, she reached down and undid the tie on her robe, letting it hang open.

  I had to blink a couple of times to make sure I wasn't in the middle of a dream. She was naked underneath. She raised her arms over her head, giving a full stretch, her breasts on display. My mouth watered at the sight. I could feel my cock stiffen again, not that it had had much of a chance to go down much.

  I stood there, keeping quiet, watching as she started to type on the keyboard, a sense of peace coming over her face, one I had seen many times. She would type for a bit, stop and place her finger over her lips as she thought about what to type next. Then she laughed to herself and continued to type. I could feel a sneeze coming on and rubbed at my nose to stop it. She stood up and walked over to the fire and threw a couple logs in, turning to face in my direction. Again, I couldn't help checking her out. She went and sat back down, immersing herself back in her book when suddenly, I sneezed. She jumped, looking over in the direction where I was hiding in the dark and scrambled to pull her robe closed. My show had been ruined, betrayed by a dam sneeze. I might as well head out there, she was going to know I was up, anyway. I stepped out of the shadows and walked into the kitchen.