Falling In

by Lydia Michaels

  His words reassured her. She understood the desire for privacy. “Well, you said she has a boyfriend. I don’t think Jamie’s the kind of guy to poach.”

  Lucian’s head jerked with a short bubble of silent laughter. “Baby, Jamie and I are very similar. If there’s something we want, we go after it. It doesn’t matter who’s guarding it from us. Once we set our sights on it, it’s already considered ours. And we always get what we consider ours.”

  “Well, what about Antoinette’s boyfriend? Surely Jamie wouldn’t fight—”

  “Antoinette’s boyfriend couldn’t kill a spider. He’s a tissue. Jamie would destroy him if it came to that.”

  ***

  Christmas Eve morning Lucian woke Evelyn up by gently making love to her under the covers. They held each other close, tucked away from the chill in the air, and he rocked into her with such intense tenderness she was off balance for a good part of the morning.

  Lucian laid out clothes for her to wear, a thick cable-knit turtleneck sweater, long johns, thick wool socks, and new fur-lined boots. When she met him downstairs, he was dressed much the same in boots, a heavy sweater, and rugged jeans. He looked like a lumberjack. He looked delicious.

  His broad arms spread, holding out a puffy down coat for her. Evelyn slipped her arms in and he zipped it tight. As he placed a wool cap over her head and wrapped a cashmere scarf at her neck, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  They went out front. Expecting to see Dugan, she was surprised when Lucian unlocked the passenger door of a luxury SUV for her and got behind the wheel. “You drive?”

  His eyes crinkled. “Of course I drive. Buckle up.”

  She snapped the buckle and watched as Lucian navigated his way through the back roads. He drove like he did everything else, in complete control. They listened to carols on the radio and Lucian quietly sang along with the chorus.

  “You know all of them,” she said and he glanced at her without fully taking his eyes off the road.

  “All of what?”

  “The carols.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “I don’t.”

  Sometimes she felt like her background was a piece of Swiss cheese with great big holes in it, while Lucian’s was some expensive aged kind that had been around long enough to see everything. Rather than comment on her lack of holiday experiences, he simply placed his hand on her knee and rubbed and tapped with the beat of the carols.

  They pulled up to a small shed with a large sign and an enormous wreath on the peak. Lucian parked and smiled. He pointedly glanced at the sign and then back at her. She looked at the letters, wishing she could read and then shook her head.

  “It’s a tree farm,” he said.

  “A tree farm?”

  “Yeah. They grow trees. We’re going to pick out our Christmas tree.”

  Her cheeks rose as her grin bloomed. “Really?”

  “Yup. Come on.”

  They went into the shed, which was actually a store. A man in a heavy flannel jacket handed Lucian a receipt, Lucian took her hand and led her to the back of the store. They stepped out a set of double doors and Evelyn gasped.

  An elegant open sleigh with a single horse hooked to it awaited them. The horse drew her near, his glossy black coat tempting and stunning. Clouds of moisture formed in the air in front of the animal’s large snout. Its eyes seemed so alive behind the dark side blinds. His nostrils were huge. Heavy harnesses connected to his shoulders, and his mane was a glorious shade of black. She stepped close, needing to touch him to know he was real.

  His pointed ears twitched and he whickered, his harnesses pulling, the creak of the leather pronouncing their weight. He was incredibly strong and likely the most impressive living thing she’d ever seen. He reminded her of Lucian.

  “Shh,” she soothed as she reached up a steady hand.

  His wild eyes watched her, but he stilled as she petted the side of his mane.

  “You’re quite handsome,” she whispered to the impressive beast.

  Turning to Lucian, who was watching her with a soft smile on his face, she asked, “What’s his name?”

  “Pegasus.”

  “Hello, Pegasus.”

  Snow crunched as Lucian quietly approached. “He appears as charmed by you as every other male that crosses your path.” His hand smoothed over the powerful neck of the horse.

  She stepped back. Pegasus’s feet were covered in white fur that resembled snow boots. The sleigh was as sleek and black as the horse drawing it. A driver sat perched in the front seat, wearing a top hat with a sprig of holly tacked in the brim.

  Lucian directed her to the rear. There was a black leather upholstered bench seat and a red fleece blanket draped over the back. As she stepped up her gaze fell on a single red rose sitting on the bench. Her cheeks pulled tight as she reached for it. There was a note attached. She unfolded it and tried to read it, but couldn’t. It didn’t matter. It was still the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. She knew it was from Lucian because at the bottom of the note she recognized the signed L.

  Evelyn clutched the rose in her hands and faced him. “Thank you.”

  He kissed her temple and they settled into the seat, tucking the blanket over their knees. Her heart raced.

  “Ready, sir?” the driver called over his shoulder.

  “Ready,” Lucian answered as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. Sleigh bells jangled as the sleigh lurched forward. They moved swiftly over the icy ground. Wind pressed into her cheeks and she shut her eyes, breathing deeply of the fresh air.

  As they rode, they passed many displays of lighted Christmas scenes. Although it was daytime, they were still beautiful. When they crossed through a field, the tall pines became denser. They followed a narrow trail, and then the land opened up and they faced a nursery of young evergreens. The driver pointed out trees that he thought were notable, and Lucian did the same. She never had a Christmas before, let alone a Christmas tree, so Evelyn simply sat back and let the men decide.

  Lucian had the driver pull over by a tall Douglas fir. “What do you think, Evelyn?”

  “It’s perfect.” It was. She remembered seeing an enormous tree when she was a child outside of Mackles’ department store. It was tall and full and as soft as this one.

  Lucian reached in the back of the carriage where a chest was stored and removed a saw. She was completely impressed as he sawed through the trunk. The driver tossed a rope over the top of the tree to direct it away from the sleigh as it went down with a soft thump. They wrapped the branches tightly with rope and secured the tree on a board. The tree was towed behind the sled back to the store, and the men attached it to the top of Lucian’s SUV. It was perhaps the most magical afternoon she’d ever had in her life.

  That evening after the servants moved the tree to the foyer, boxes were placed all around and she and Lucian decorated it. Each ornament was made of glass or crystal or some other fragile material. They reminded Evelyn of jewels. They were beautiful.

  Carols played, but other than that the house was quiet. “Where is everybody?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t even seen Lucy in some time.

  “They went home to be with their own families. They won’t be back until the first. What? Why are you laughing?”

  She pressed her lips tight, but her amusement was impossible to disguise. “Lucian, you’ll starve. How are you going to make it a week without people waiting on you hand and foot?”

  He smiled and grabbed her by the waist. His fingers dug into the tender, ticklish skin at her side and she squealed. “It just so happens, Ms. Keats,” he said, pressing his lips against her neck. “I’m a wonderful cook.”

  His mouth sealed to her throat and his hold gentled. Her body went slack in his hold as he kissed her. Breathlessly, she wh
ispered, “I doubt there’s anything you don’t do wonderfully.”

  He gazed at her. Twinkle lights reflected in the black of his eyes. Evelyn’s lashes lowered as he pressed his lips to hers, and her body sang as he deepened the kiss. He lifted her off the floor and she held on to his shoulders, legs wrapped tight around his hips, as he carried her up the stairs, never once breaking the kiss.

  Fingers tugged at buttons and zippers until they were both naked. Lucian kissed her with such passion, she slowly melted into a puddle of wax. His palms turned her hips until she faced the tall post of the four-poster bed. He guided her hands above her shoulders and pressed his fingers over hers until she was holding on to the post.

  His mouth traced the gentle curve of her neck. The heat of his tongue trailed down her spine. She yipped when his teeth pinched her ass, but he soothed away the bite with languid kisses.

  Shivers scattered up her back and over her breasts as he continued to kiss her everywhere with those soft lips of his. She was wet and needy. Her breathy moans whispered through the room. He licked at the backs of her knees and ran the tips of his fingers over the swell of her hips. His eyes caressed her right alongside his fingers and mouth.

  When he had her truly trembling with need, he turned her toward the high bed and planted her palms on the edge of the mattress. Her feet were nudged apart and his finger trailed down her spine. She arched with his touch, completely under his seductive command.

  He filled her in one hard thrust that had her up on her toes. It was intense, but not what she would consider rough. His body blanketed hers as he took her from behind, possessed her. His cock sank deep into her sex and his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight. Fingers grazed her swaying breasts, and her nipples sent shock waves to her center every time he pinched the tender tips.

  She was grateful Lucian had taken her to visit with Dr. Sheffield. The birth control she was now on was a forgotten matter she wouldn’t have to readdress for another year. The doctor had inserted something inside of her that pinched for only a minute, and now they were safe to touch each other freely and as often as they pleased.

  Lucian drew her hips back forcefully, possessively. He owned her body in that moment, and she never enjoyed surrendering more. Slow, deep thrusts filled her and soon she was crying out her release. He withdrew and her sex was suddenly lonesome and cold.

  The mattress pressed into her back as she was lifted and turned. Lucian raised her ankles and kissed the soft spot just below where his thumbs held. He pulled her legs into a wide V, and she was full once more. His gaze never left her, and she felt as if he were looking into her soul.

  His dark throat worked and his jaw ticked as he filled her with his hot release. Her body was no longer her own. Her body felt free and cherished, as did her mind. A tremor of fear slipped past her contentment. This feeling she kept hiding from, the one that kept chasing her thoughts into corners, was becoming too big to ignore. It made her want to place distance between Lucian and herself, yet at the same time, the thought of even a brief moment without him terrified her. Giving up Lucian, she feared, would be worse than living without air.

  ***

  Evelyn awoke to something tugging at her hand. Turning, she blindly felt for Lucian, but his side of the bed was cold. Something tugged at her finger. As she rubbed her eyes, she heard the quiet hum of Christmas carols. She could smell the piney fragrance of the tree from downstairs and the trace of fresh-brewed coffee.

  There was a thin, red satin bow tied to her ring finger. The ribbon hanging from it pulled taut and her finger pinched. She stood. Inching one hand over the other, she followed the red ribbon trail out of the bedroom. Once she reached the hall, she unraveled the ribbon from where it looped over the clawed foot of a chair and discovered a note. Evelyn collected the slip of paper and followed the ribbon farther down the hall.

  The carols grew louder, but still remained only a soft part of the background. She discovered one note after another, wishing more and more that she could read just one of them. When she approached the top of the stairs, she found Lucian sitting in a chair that had been moved to the foyer. He wore a satin robe and held the other end of the long ribbon. Smiling, he gave the ribbon a tug.

  He was like no one else in this world. Common sense told her nothing lasted forever, and sublime happiness only meant the sadness that followed would hurt all the more. But Evelyn recognized how happy she was and pushed away her ever-present trepidation.

  As she stepped off the bottom stair, she gathered the bundle of ribbon and walked to Lucian. He tugged until she leaned down and kissed him. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  He took her hand and traced a finger over the bow. “Just what I wanted, already wrapped for me in a pretty bow.” He undid the bow and pulled her to his lap. He kissed her soundly and left her dizzy. “Now that I’ve opened my present, which I cannot wait to play with all day, how about you open yours?”

  She tilted her head and he tipped his chin, gesturing toward the tree. She swiveled in his lap and gasped. Boxes and boxes of beautifully wrapped gifts covered the skirt of the tree, spilling onto the floor.

  “They’re not all for me . . .” Evelyn said, a bit overwhelmed by such grandeur.

  “Of course they are. I had twenty-two Christmases to make up for. Come on.” He pulled her to the floor and she sat paralyzed. There was just so much.

  “Here,” he said, placing a small box in her lap. “Open this one first.”

  She hesitated. “Wait. I have something for you too.”

  Slipping off his lap, she returned to the bedroom. She quickly used the bathroom and went to her bags stowed in the closet. There, inside her small, rumpled sack sat his gift. It was not enough to fill beneath a tree or even weigh down a single branch, but it was what she could afford and she put a lot of thought into it.

  Her lips thinned nervously as she made her way back down the grand staircase. Lucian looked up, his expression curious and adorably childlike. He smiled. “You got me another gift?”

  He’d worn the belt she’d purchased often. This was nothing as extravagant, but she hoped he’d like it all the same. She handed him the small box. “It’s nothing special.”

  He took the package and glanced down at it then back to her. “Of course it’s special. People don’t give me things often. Your thoughtfulness is a gift in itself, Evelyn.”

  She lowered her gaze, his praise warming her heart. “Open it.”

  The sound of paper tearing played over the soft hum of carols. He lifted the lid and stilled. “Oh, Evelyn.”

  “I saw it at a pawnshop months ago and asked Dugan to pick it up for me. It isn’t new, but I liked it and thought you would too.”

  She held her breath as he lifted the vintage pocket watch out of the box. It was scratched and slightly tarnished, but it still told time. She wanted him to always remember their time together, even if a time came when they were no longer a part of each other’s lives.

  “It’s beautiful. I love it.” His expression was sincere. As a matter of fact, he seemed beyond moved by the gift.

  “It really isn’t much.”

  His gaze shot to hers and his brow lowered. “I think it’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever given me. I’ll keep it with me always.” He pulled her to his lap and kissed her. Tucking the watch into the silk pocket of his robe, he leaned over and handed her the gift she’d left on her chair. “Here. Open it.”

  Her fingers trembled as she carefully undid the tapings. She had never unwrapped a present before. It made her sad to destroy such lovely coverings. Some odd hoarder part of her personality that she didn’t know she had wanted to save every bit of paper and tuck it away to look at on rainy days, memories of brighter times.

  Once she had the box opened she peeled back the tissue and pulled out a canvas bag. “It’s a bag.”


  “A new bag,” Lucian stated the obvious. “You can finally get rid of that ratty old thing you take everywhere.”

  She appreciated the practicality of the gift. When the time came, a new bag would come in handy. She tried not to overanalyze the fact that Lucian had just given her a gift that would only be used if they separated.

  “Thank you.”

  “Here, do this one next.” He seemed to enjoy giving the gifts as much as a little kid opening them.

  The next was a gorgeous sweater, after that, a pair of sapphire earrings. She didn’t mention that her ears weren’t pierced. They were as lovely in their velvet box as they would be on her lobes.

  The morning continued in the same pattern. She’d open a gift, thank Lucian, and then she’d find another in her lap. She simply couldn’t comprehend such generosity and indulgence. The pile never seemed to end. She’d been given clothes, gowns, shoes, jewelry, an iPad, perfume, expensive soaps and lotions, a robe, and more. It became so overwhelming, she lost track.

  She peeled back the paper of a heavy box and lifted the lid. Books. Her smile trembled nervously and Lucian said, “It’s Henry David Thoreau. Walden is by far one of the most eloquently written pieces of literature I’ve ever read. I think you’ll like it.”

  It was simply too much. Her eyes stung and she blinked. “Oh, Lucian . . .”

  “What’s the matter? Have you read it?”

  Emotion choked her. She worked to make her voice audible. “No,” she whispered. “I’ve never read it.”

  He pulled it from her lap and placed a thinly wrapped package in her lap. “Open this one.”

  Her fingers trembled. She didn’t want to open any more presents. As the corner tore and the pretty paper was spoiled, she stopped. She just couldn’t do anymore.

  “Evelyn?”

  Lifting her brow, she looked at Lucian apologetically. “Can we stop for a while?”