White-Hot Christmas

by Serenity Woods

  Merle arched her back, pushing against him. His arms held her tightly, his fingers relentless, and she knew he wasn’t going to let her go until she came. The thought was enough to make her orgasm bloom, and she gasped as she felt her thighs and stomach begin to tighten.

  “Neon…”

  “I know, I can feel it. Come for me, baby.” He deepened his thrusts and she cried out as the wave swept over her, her internal muscles tightening in exquisite pulses, and then she felt him shudder and knew his own climax had taken him, and his palm pressed against her warm folds, pulling her against him as he swelled, hot and hard, inside her.

  Afterward, he turned her into his arms, holding her tightly as her breathing began to slow. She nuzzled into him and he smiled, stroking her hair back off her forehead, kissing the top of her head. Suddenly he felt guilty for taking her right there, in the middle of the forest. Yes, it was exciting, but she deserved more than a quick shag because he felt horny. He wanted her in a bed where it was comfortable. He wanted her where she could lie back while he pleasured her, and not have to worry somebody was going to come around the corner.

  “Come on.” He took her hand and led her slowly back up the path. They threaded through the walkway to the car, and he opened the door for her, getting in the other side.

  He reversed out and set off back to town. Merle sat quietly, humming to herself, sleepy and relaxed, and he reached out and held her hand, wanting to touch her.

  He put some music on the iPod and they drove listening to it for a while, not speaking, although he didn’t let go of her hand, and his mind was whirring. When they reached the main road, he put the car in park and turned in his seat.

  “Do you want to go home yet?”

  She checked the clock on the dashboard—it was nearly three o’clock. She shrugged. “I’m not desperate, but I don’t mind if you want to—you must be tired. I haven’t forgotten you were on nights yesterday.”

  “Nah.” He smiled. “I only need four or five hours’ sleep. Okay, I’m taking you up to Mangonui. There’s the best fish and chip shop in New Zealand there, and beautiful views. I’ll continue your education on the Northland.” Seeing her smile and feeling a wave of happiness, he turned the car left and headed up toward Doubtless Bay.

  As they drove, he asked her to tell him more about the subjects she taught at university. He’d sensed earlier she didn’t want to talk about her mother or her responsibilities back home, but he did want to know what she was interested in. She told him about the digs she’d trained on, and her favourite historical sites. She seemed thrilled when he revealed he had a secret fascination with armour and weaponry. They spent a pleasant half an hour or so talking about medieval wars and battle tactics, and the benefits of the longbow over the crossbow. It was not a conversation he could recall having had in the past. Nor could he imagine having it with any other woman. That thought made him frown.

  Before long, they were pulling into the harbour where he parked right on the waterfront. They walked up to the fish and chip shop and he bought them hoki and chips and squid rings and prawns and a heap of other stuff, and laughed as she tried everything, grease running down her fingers and chin, squealing as he squirted her with lemon.

  Afterward, they walked slowly past the shops back to the car, and when they got there, he put his arms around her and kissed her languidly, the sun warm on them, the smell of salt in the air.

  He pulled back and looked at her. She sighed happily, smiling at him, reaching up to smooth a lock of his hair he realised must be sticking up. He turned his head and kissed her palm.

  “Stay with me tonight,” he said before he could change his mind.

  She looked up, her blue eyes wide. “Really?”

  “Really. I want to make love to you slowly, lying in a soft bed without the risk of stones digging in my back. I must be getting old.”

  She blinked slowly. “Make love?”

  He hadn’t used the term before. It was the first time one of them had admitted they were doing more than having sex. His heart rate increased, but he decided to play it light. He didn’t want to scare her off. “Well, you know, shag, screw, fuck. It’s not like we’re engaged or anything.”

  She laughed. “How could I resist such an invitation? Okay, Mr. Romantic, you’ve won me over.”

  He tightened his arms around her. “Good.” He kissed her again. Why did he feel such a surge of pleasure at the thought of taking her home?

  They got in the car and he drove them back along the state highway, holding her hand all the way. They sang to songs on his iPod. He felt ridiculously happy.

  As they got nearer to Kerikeri, Merle frowned. “I’ll have to get some things from Bree’s.”

  “What do you need? Don’t worry about clothes. You won’t be needing those.”

  She nudged him. “Don’t embarrass me.”

  He laughed. “How can I possibly embarrass you after what we’ve done?”

  “I don’t know. You have a special knack.” She sighed. “I wish I could sneak in when she wasn’t there. She’s going to love this.”

  “Jake said they were meeting friends at five. They’ll probably be out.”

  “Good. We’ll go in and out, black ops.”

  Shaking his head, laughing, he took the turn-off for Bree’s house, and before long they were pulling in the drive. Bree had given Merle a key and she let herself in. Following behind her, Neon heard her rustling in her bedroom, packing a small bag. Then she came out. “I’ll leave her a note,” she said, finding the back of an envelope and a pen. She wrote, Staying with Neon. See you later. Stop smiling. BTW you owe me two hundred dollars.

  His smile faded. “Two hundred bucks? What’s that for?”

  “Oh, I loaned her some money a few days ago.” She smiled. “Come on.”

  He followed her back out to the car, aware she was lying and was referring to the bet Jake had told him about. Was that all what this was about? Winning a bet with Bree?

  Suddenly he remembered the bet he’d had with Jake. He hadn’t thought about it all day, but the memory of it made him uncomfortable. He couldn’t possibly be angry with her for doing the same thing.

  She slid in the car beside him with her bag and clipped herself in. He did the same. She glanced across at him, but he didn’t say anything as he started the engine.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” He started to reverse.

  “Neon.”

  He stopped and looked across at her.

  She frowned. “What’s up? Have you changed your mind?”

  He studied her. Her eyes were carefully guarded, the way they were when her mind worked furiously, trying to puzzle him out. She had only been joking around with her sister. What the hell was wrong with him?

  He smiled. “Of course not.” On impulse he leaned across and kissed her. Her mouth opened under his, her hand coming up to slide through his hair, and he thought of how she’d welcomed his touch in the forest, how she’d blushed when he whispered to her some of the things on his mind. Nothing mattered but these four days, nothing else was important, not Bree or Jake, not their parents, not Ella or anyone else from their past. It was just him and her, enjoying the moment until it was time to move on. Suddenly he was desperate to take her to his house, to get her on her own, on his territory.

  “Come on.” He drew back. “I’m going to take you home.”

  Chapter Ten

  Neon drove along Bree’s road, halfway along taking a left turn into a quieter lane that wound toward the inlet. Merle glanced across at him and he smiled, and she felt a wave of relief. Back at Bree’s house, she’d been sure he’d had second thoughts about inviting her back, but it seemed his doubt had passed.

  He slowed down and turned in to a long drive that meandered past an orchard filled with mandarin trees and then curled around in front of a long, low house.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  He parked and turned off the engine. “About six months. I ha
d a flat in town before but it was quite small and…I like space.”

  She got out, immediately smelling the lemon trees surrounding the property, and followed him up to the front door, carrying her bag. He opened the door and indicated for her to go in before him, and she walked into the house.

  It was light and airy, the pale walls and light-coloured furniture adding to the feeling of space. The living room housed a sofa and chairs and a huge TV. The kitchen was brand new, and she could see bedrooms along the hall. The floor was polished wood, and the walls held several large, colourful abstract paintings.

  She walked around the living room while he shut the door. She ran her fingers along the bookshelves, seeing books about rugby, surfing and history, especially the First and Second World Wars, and then bent to examine his DVD collection, smiling as she saw the seven seasons of The West Wing all lined up at the front.

  She continued her perusal, aware he was watching her. An acoustic guitar stood on a stand by one of the armchairs. “You play guitar?”

  “No, I like looking at it.”

  She poked her tongue out at him, walking over to the window. A large area of lawn ran down the hill, disappearing into bush. A few metres up the path, she could see the railings of a swimming pool. “You have a pool?”

  “Yes. Not a big one, but hey, size isn’t everything.” He threw his keys onto a nearby table, smiling.

  “It’s lovely here, Neon, you must be very proud of it.”

  He shrugged, but she could see the compliment had pleased him. He pointed along the hall. “The bedroom’s through there. It has an en suite if you need the bathroom.” He checked his watch. “It’s still quite early. You want to go for a swim?”

  “Oh, I didn’t bring my swimsuit, I didn’t think.”

  He walked over to her, his eyes alight with amusement. “Who needs a swimsuit?” He kissed her.

  “Skinny-dipping? I’m shocked.”

  He laughed and disappeared into the bathroom, then reappeared with a couple of towels. “Come on.” He took her hand and led her out the large glass doors and up to the pool. Merle glanced around. There wasn’t a house in sight. To the south, bush led to the Waitangi Forest. Far to the north up the hill, a line of tall trees hid them from the sight of anyone else. Any place less like England she couldn’t imagine.

  She turned back to the pool, which was a decent size and made of dark blue fibreglass that sparkled in the sunlight. There were steps at the shallow end. The crystal-clear water looked hugely inviting.

  He was already stripping off, dropping his All Blacks T-shirt onto one of the pool chairs. He slid off his shorts, winking at her, and stood there for a moment with his arms behind his head, turning his face up to the sun and stretching, completely naked.

  “Oh my.” She pulled off her own top, sighing. How on earth was she going to make it through these four days without jumping on him every five minutes?

  He didn’t seem to hear her though, and, walking up to the edge of the pool, dived neatly in, surfacing halfway along, swimming to the end in clean, strong strokes. Once there, he turned and rested on the edge, watching her. “Come on, slowcoach.”

  Sighing, she slid off her skirt, doing the same as him, stretching and enjoying the feel of the sun on her body. She felt decadent and naughty standing there naked, but there was no doubt it was a lovely feeling.

  Neon watched the sun glinting off her pale body, wondering why he found her so attractive when she was different from the rest of the women he’d been with. Perhaps that was why. He’d never have thought he’d find such white skin a turn-on. He’d always equated tanned skin with healthiness and usually the thought of the pasty complexions of the cooler climes turned him right off. However, standing there, her arms raised in a sun salutation, Merle looked like a carved statue, her skin white as marble, her beautiful strawberry-blonde hair piled on her head like a Greek goddess.

  “Is it cold?” she said, finally dropping her arms.

  “Nah. It’s like a bath.” He knew she wasn’t the sporty type and wondered if she would be one of those women who had to get in inch by inch, refusing to get their hair wet. But she stood on the edge, her toes curled over the tiles, took a deep breath and dived in nimbly, surfacing and swimming up to him in neat strokes. “You’re a swimmer,” he said admiringly as she touched the side.

  “It’s the one sport I’m any good at.” She laughed, lifting herself in the water to sit astride him and kiss him, then pushing off with her legs, leaving him in the backwash.

  He caught up with her easily, kissing her leisurely, enjoying the sensuality of the water on their bodies. Then they drifted to the side and looked across at the beautiful view of the forest.

  She leaned her head on her arms, droplets of water sparkling on her skin, and studied him, smiling. “No wonder you leave a trail of heartbroken girls behind you, Neon Carter. You’re quite a catch.”

  He smiled. He loved the way she liked to compliment him. “You think?”

  “You’re a surfer, a rugby player and a firefighter, for heaven’s sake. You own your own home, complete with pool. And your body, well… Let’s say there’s no disappointment in that area.” She smiled. “Of course you’re a catch. The woman who manages to keep you is a very lucky lady. I hope she realises how lucky she is.”

  He studied her. Her eyes had turned cool, emotionless, though he now knew that was because she was trying to hide her feelings. “I don’t know. I may never get married.”

  “That would be a waste. Don’t you think you’ll get back with Ella?”

  “No…” He drew out the word vehemently, making her laugh. “God, no.”

  “Have you ever lived with anyone?”

  “I’m guessing you’re not including Jake.”

  “I was referring to the female half of the species, yes.”

  He brushed a couple of leaves off the tiles. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged. “I guess I’ve never met anyone I’ve wanted to do that with.”

  “What’s the longest relationship you’ve had?”

  He turned to study her. “Six months. Not a great track record, I know.”

  “When did you break up?”

  “Oh, over a year ago.”

  “So she never came here?”

  He started to smile. “No. I’ve never brought a woman to this house.”

  She looked surprised. “Why not?”

  He glanced over at the house. “Don’t know. It’s my place. I’ve never wanted to share it with anyone before.”

  He looked back at her. She wasn’t smiling now. She was frowning. Had that remark upset her? Was she worrying he was getting all serious on her?

  “Of course I’m expecting you to sleep in the garage.” He caught her by the waist and brought her legs around him. “I’ll stick a mattress there and a bucket in case you need it during the night.”

  She started laughing and he kissed her. He was curious now. “What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Have you lived with anyone?”

  “No.”

  “What’s the longest relationship you’ve had?”

  “Same as you, I guess, about six months, but it wasn’t serious.” She didn’t elaborate.

  He kissed her again. “He must have been mad to let you go.”

  She shrugged. “He didn’t seem bothered at the time.”

  Neon shook his head, puzzled. “But you’re, like, the perfect woman. What more did the stupid bastard want?”

  She burst out laughing. “Nicely put!”

  “I’m just saying…” He frowned. He wouldn’t think about some other guy kissing and touching his Merle. That way led to madness.

  Hold on, his Merle? When had she become his Merle? This was only a temporary situation. She was on loan to him—he had to remember that.

  She sighed now, running her wet hands up his body. “I’ve never swum naked. It’s a lovely feeling.”

  “And it looks g
reat. I love the way these things float.” He cupped her breasts in his hands. “At least if you ever fall over the side of a boat you won’t have to worry about drowning—you’ve got your own water wings.”

  “Neon!”

  He laughed, wrapping her in his arms. He had all night to play with her and couldn’t believe his luck.

  They swam for another half an hour and then got out and went indoors. She grimaced at her reflection. “I might have a quick shower and get the chlorine out of my hair.”

  “Sure. I’ll have a half-hour run, if you don’t mind.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “After night shift and a swim? Aren’t you knackered?”

  He laughed and smacked her butt. “No, not yet. Don’t worry—there’ll be plenty of energy left for later.”

  “Where do you run?”

  “Oh, I’ve got a treadmill and a few weights in the spare bedroom. I’ll only be half an hour.”

  “Okay.” She kissed him and walked off into the bedroom. He sighed. He had to wear off some of his energy or he’d be pestering her all night.

  Merle took a long, lukewarm shower and then pulled on a light white camisole and a floaty pink skirt before coming out, dragging a comb through her tangled locks. She could hear the running machine still going and walked through to the spare bedroom to see how he was doing. She stood in the doorway, watching him for a while. Facing away from her, he had both of the large glass sliding doors open to let in the cool air, and he wore buds in his ears, his iPod attached to his hip. He ran at full speed, a deep V of sweat staining the navy T-shirt he’d put on, his strong thigh muscles bunching and straightening as he pounded the surface.

  She glanced around the room, seeing a bench for lifting weights and lots of different dumbbells, realising for the first time how much physical work he had to do to keep in shape for his job.

  He’d slowed the machine now, so she turned and went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, extracted a bottle of spring water and poured a glass, filling it with ice. She took it into the spare room and leaned against the doorpost. He lay on his back on the bench doing chest presses, pushing up the bar with what looked like extremely heavy weights, straightening his arms easily.