Holiday Temptation

by Donna Hill

  “You really came all this way just to shop in the Spice Market?”

  Kyle shrugged. “And to get away from home for a bit,” he said. He looked over at her and shrugged. “Family issues. I needed a breather.”

  Miranda eyed him with a hint of wariness. “When you say ‘family issues,’ you don’t mean between you and your wife, do you?”

  “No, no, no,” Kyle said with a laugh. “Not married. Never have been.” He chuckled at her visible sigh of relief, but then sobered. “My dad and I got into it over Thanksgiving. I decided it would be better to skip Christmas with the family this year and let things cool off a bit, you know?”

  Kyle was proud of the way he was able to speak with such nonchalance, as if it wasn’t killing him inside, thinking about his brothers and sisters gathering at their childhood home, just outside of Chicago. As if the fight he’d had with his dad was some insignificant thing that would soon blow over, instead of a dispute that had created a chasm between them that grew more and more as each day passed.

  “So, did this trip do the double duty that you’d hoped it would? Giving you some inspiration for new beer flavors, while also taking your mind off your troubles from back home?”

  “It did so much more than that,” Kyle said. He set his wineglass on the table and captured her hand, placing a gentle kiss across the backs of her fingers. “It gave me an unexpected gift when I looked up from a bushel of tea leaves and spotted one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  Her cheeks instantly turned a lovely shade of red, and all Kyle could think about was how other parts of her body would look with that same blush.

  “And to think that I nearly skipped the Spice Market yesterday.”

  “Did you?”

  She nodded. “I told you that it was more of a gag with the Turkish Viagra. The only reason I even had time to visit is because I finished up my shots from Pierre Loti Hill earlier than I’d first anticipated.”

  “But didn’t you have a meeting with one of the shopkeepers there?”

  “It was a last-minute thing,” Miranda said. “She wasn’t even supposed to be in town this week.”

  “That seals it,” Kyle said. “There’s no longer a doubt in my mind that this was fate. We were meant to meet.”

  “I’m not a big believer in fate,” she admitted. “But I’m not sure there’s any other explanation.”

  “I won’t accept another explanation,” Kyle said, placing another kiss on her fingers. “It was meant to happen.”

  She leaned over and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Well, if the Fates did have something to do with it, I owe them one,” Miranda whispered against his neck.

  Once they were done with their meal, Kyle took her hand in his again and refused to let go. They were treated to a traditional Anatolian belly dance show, but if someone were to ask him about it, Kyle wouldn’t have been able to recall a single thing. He only had eyes for Miranda.

  Thoughts of leaving tomorrow crept into his mind, despite his attempts to shut them out. If she didn’t have to head home as well, he would have changed his flight to a later date. It would be worth it—whatever the cost—to spend just one more day with her.

  Instead, he would make the most of these last few hours.

  After the show, they moved to the bow. The frigid wind coming off the water cut through him, but the beautiful lights of the city more than made up for it. Kyle stood behind Miranda and wrapped her body inside his jacket. He tucked his chin against her neck and pressed a trail of light kisses along her jaw.

  “I’ve thanked you for today, haven’t I?”

  “More than once,” she said, a smile in her voice.

  “It’s still not enough. Today has been the best day I’ve had all year. Being in this beautiful city with one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on? It’s more than I could have ever hoped for.”

  She looked back at him over her shoulder. “If your beer-making skills are even close to your skills at being a charmer, you and your friends are going to make a ton of money with this new business of yours.”

  Kyle barked out a laugh. “It’s true. Today has been amazing. And it’s all thanks to you. I thought this would be the worst Christmas on record, but you’ve managed to turn it into one of the best. It’s just too bad it has to end before Christmas Day,” he added.

  “At least we had today,” she said.

  Kyle hesitated a moment, then decided he had nothing to lose. He placed his lips against her earlobe and whispered, “There’s still tonight.”

  His breath lodged in his lungs as he ticked off five agonizingly long seconds before Miranda turned to face him. A sliver of doubt crept in as her gaze roamed his face, and some of the boldness he’d been feeling trickled away.

  Kyle lifted his shoulder in the most nonchalant shrug he could muster, and said, “A nightcap seems like the perfect way to end such an amazing day.”

  Miranda’s eyes brightened with the sexy smile that stretched across her lips. “If it’s the kind of nightcap that lasts for hours and requires no clothing, then yes, it seems like the perfect ending to our day.”

  Knee-buckling lust rushed through his bloodstream, gripping his stomach. “Yes.” He swallowed past the desire clogging his throat. “That’s exactly the kind of nightcap I was hoping for.”

  * * *

  The ten minutes it took for the boat to dock felt like a lifetime; the fifteen-minute cab ride to his hotel—an eternity. As he ushered Miranda down the hallway toward his room, Kyle’s body hummed with the need to get them both out of their clothes in the quickest way possible.

  When he reached the door, he stopped to take a breath. He needed to calm the hell down. Pouncing on her like a horny teenager on prom night was not the lasting impression he wanted her to take from this evening, but his grip on his control slipped away with every second that passed.

  Kyle’s fingers shook as he tried to slip the flat keycard into the electronic lock and completely missed the slot.

  Miranda covered his hand. With a throaty chuckle, she said, “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Yes, you are,” Kyle said, trailing his eyes up and down her body. “I plan to take you places you’ve never been before.”

  The lock disengaged and they barreled into the room. Clothes flew in all directions, landing haphazardly about the room. Kyle’s entire body hummed in anticipation as he watched Miranda strip out of the dark blue jeans that had driven him crazy all damn day. His eyes followed their descent over her hips and down her smooth legs. Once the jeans were off, she went for the hem of her sweater, pulling it over her head. The turtleneck followed.

  As she stood before him in white cotton panties and a no-nonsense bra, Kyle thought she looked better than any supermodel who’d ever strutted across a catwalk in skimpy lingerie.

  “You’re a goddess,” he said, striding up to her and clasping his palms around her waist.

  He dipped his head and took her mouth in the kind of kiss he’d wanted to give her from the minute he first saw her, his tongue thrusting past the seam of her lips with quiet force. He didn’t know what it was about this woman that made him want her with a ferocity unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. She stoked the fire burning in his belly, sending it from a smoldering ember to a blazing flame in mere seconds.

  Slow down, Kyle warned himself. If the next few hours were all they had together, he wanted to last the entire time.

  He smoothed his hand down her flat stomach, caressing her soft, unblemished skin. “I knew your body would look amazing, but it’s even better than I’d imagined.”

  “Don’t you think it’s time I get to see how your body looks?” Miranda asked, tucking her fingers just inside his waistband.

  Kyle made quick work of shucking the clothes from his body, and flinging them on the room’s lone chair. But he didn’t stop at his outerwear the way Miranda had. Their time was limited, and he was ready to take this to the nex
t level. Besides, it wasn’t as if his boxer briefs were doing a good job of concealing the erection straining to break free.

  He pushed the cotton material down his legs and tossed them with the rest of his clothes; then he picked Miranda up and carried her to the bed. He placed her gently in the center of the mattress and followed her down, covering her body with his. He lifted himself up on his elbows so that he could look down at her.

  “I just remembered yet another reason why this has to be fate,” Kyle said. He reached over and grabbed the wallet that he’d tossed on the bedside table. He pulled a string of three condoms from it. “I put these in here at the very last minute before I left Denver. I haven’t had use for them in months, but something made me do it.”

  “Hmm,” Miranda murmured. “I think I’m starting to like this fate thing.”

  Kyle lowered his mouth until his lips brushed against hers. “Like it? I freaking love it.”

  * * *

  Anticipation hummed throughout Miranda’s entire being as she held Kyle’s gaze. He levered himself up on one arm, rolling the condom over his erection with his other hand. Once covered, his fingers caressed her inner thigh, trailing along her skin before he pushed her legs apart and wedged himself between them.

  Her stomach clutched with need as he slowly drove into her body. The twin moans they both released resonated through the air like a melody.

  Miranda clutched his back, sinking her fingers into his skin, holding on for dear life as his hard length settled inside her, filling every inch of her.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” Kyle breathed against her jaw as he trailed his tongue along her skin. He dipped his head, pressing gentle kisses down the column of her throat and along her collarbone. He kissed his way down the valley between her breasts before closing his lips around one nipple and sucking on the erect nub until it glistened. Everything inside her swam to that point of sensation. The pleasure intensified with every pull of his lips, the suction sending a lightning rod of desire straight to her soaking-wet core.

  Miranda locked her legs around him, urging him to move faster. She captured his head and brought his mouth back up to hers, thrusting her tongue inside, savoring his spicy flavor. She wanted all of him. She craved what he gave her, not just physically, but mentally.

  Kyle had taken this day—a day she dreaded like no other throughout the year—and made it magical. He was like a balm to a festering old wound.

  “More,” she moaned against his lips.

  With every delicious slide of his cock, her focus on the tragedy of this day melted away. She wanted to return the favor. She needed to give him everything he was giving her, and more.

  Miranda unlocked her legs and pushed against his chest with gentle insistence, urging him to flip over. Once on top, she straddled his hips, and then, taking his latex-covered erection in her hands, guided him inside once again.

  Kyle’s eyes closed, his head rolling back. A deep groan tore out of him as he lifted his hips and drove his thickness inside her. Miranda couldn’t deny the rush of power she felt at the knowledge that she could elicit such a strong reaction in him. Bracing her hands against his shoulders, she pumped up and down his length, rising until her body nearly released him before plunging down again. He felt so good inside her she could barely stand it, yet she never wanted this to end.

  “Faster,” Kyle urged with a shaky breath. He grasped her hips, his fingers biting into her skin. He guided her motion, quickening their pace, lifting her up and down with increasing speed while his hips bucked, pumping like a piston.

  The sensation started low in her belly, building with each second that passed, until she erupted with the violent orgasm that tore through her body.

  “Oh, my God,” Miranda cried out. Her limbs continued to tremble as she collapsed onto Kyle’s chest. She remained there for several moments, listening to the rapid beat of his heart and relishing the feel of his erection still filling her.

  Goodness, she’d needed this.

  She wasn’t aware of just how much she’d needed it until this very minute, when she realized that she never wanted to break this connection. To be joined with another human being in such an elemental way. She missed this feeling. She craved it. Relished in it.

  But she also knew it was only for tonight.

  The sobering thought proved a catalyst for Miranda to finally lift herself up from Kyle’s body. She flopped down next to him on the bed and pulled the sheet over her lower half. She was too exhausted to worry about covering the rest.

  Kyle took full advantage, bracing his hands on either side of her shoulders and dipping his head to capture her nipple again. Miranda released another moan.

  “What are you doing?” she purred.

  “Having dessert,” he whispered, his warm breath sending chills along her skin. Her back bowed off the bed as she thrust her nipple higher into his mouth, mesmerized by the attention he lavished upon her.

  “You taste divine,” Kyle said as he moved to the other breast. He rolled his tongue around the tip, laving the protruding nub, soaking it with moisture. He stopped abruptly and looked up at her. “I’ll bet another part of you tastes even sweeter,” he said.

  Miranda’s stomach clenched at the hungry look in his eyes. When he started a path down her abdomen, she just knew she wouldn’t survive the onslaught of sensation that was bound to take over.

  Kyle flattened his palms against her inner thighs and spread her legs open; then he dipped his head and licked at her soaking-wet sex. Miranda’s legs began to tremble as his tongue became more insistent, lapping with wildly fierce strokes. When he closed his mouth over her mound and sucked hard on her clitoris, her entire body went up in flames.

  “Oh, God!” Miranda screamed, clutching the sheets in her fists and holding on for dear life as she came apart yet again.

  She remained spread eagle on the bed, unable to move for untold moments. Her lungs hurt with the force in which the breath left her body.

  She watched as Kyle took several tissues from the box next to the nightstand and used them to dispose of the condom; then he came back in the bed, lying on his back and pulling her up onto his chest.

  “Merry Christmas to me,” Kyle said with a laugh.

  Miranda released a tired chuckle. “It’s been a while since I celebrated, but if this is the year I’m going to start again, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the holiday.”

  He trailed his fingers down her hair and along her arm. “Why haven’t you been celebrating Christmas?” he asked.

  Her chest tightened as indecision tumbled through her. Despite what just transpired in this bed, she didn’t know him well enough to share the gory details of her life.

  Yet, it was also a reason that she could tell him. She’d decided that this time with Kyle would be just for today. She would never see him again. Maybe discussing her past with this man who was still a stranger would be cathartic. He’d given her so much already, maybe he could also take away some of the pain that came from holding this hurt inside all the time.

  In the end, Miranda decided against it. Instead of telling him the full truth, she settled for the partial.

  “Work,” she said. “It tends to take me away around the holidays.”

  “But you’ll be with your friend this year, right? The one with the new baby?”

  “Yes,” she said with a sigh.

  Kyle laughed. “Try to contain your excitement.”

  “I am excited,” Miranda lied. It was easier to fudge the truth than to admit that she loathed the holiday season. Needing to take the spotlight off herself, Miranda turned and folded her hands on his chest, resting her chin on the backs of them. “What about you? Was the fight with your dad really bad enough to miss spending Christmas with your family?”

  She caught the hurt that flashed across his face. “Just this morning, I debated changing my flight and heading to Chicago, but I think it’s better if I stay away this year. My dad and I ruined Thanksgiving. I won�
��t allow us to ruin Christmas for everyone.”

  “So you’ll be alone this year.” She knew the feeling.

  Kyle tipped his chin down and looked at her, one brow cocked. “I wouldn’t mind an invitation to Portland,” he said.

  Miranda instinctively flinched.

  “I was only joking,” Kyle said. “Honestly.”

  Miranda knew her nervous laugh did nothing to hide her unease, but his words hit her like a bucket of ice water to the face. Even if it was all in jest, it was probably time she bring this magical night to an end.

  “I should get going,” Miranda said. She began to push herself up from the bed, but Kyle caught her by the wrist and pulled her back down onto his chest.

  “Come on, Miranda. I was just joking. I realize we don’t know each other well enough for me to get an invite to Christmas.”

  “Yes, but I have a lot to do before my flight tomorrow. And you need to get some sleep, too, don’t you? Didn’t you mention that you’re flying out at six in the morning?”

  “I don’t have to sleep at all. I’ve got a two-hour flight to London and then a ten-hour flight back to Denver. I’ll get all the sleep I need on the plane.”

  “I still need to get back to my hotel and pack. It takes a lot to secure all of my camera equipment.”

  “Do you need help?” Kyle asked.

  She grinned. “And just how would I have done it if I’d never met you?”

  He brought her hand to his mouth and grazed the crest of her fingers with his lips. “Thank goodness that’s something neither of us ever have to think about.”

  Then he asked the question Miranda had been dreading.

  “When can I see you again?”

  Her gaze traveled from the desk to the lamp to the floor. Anywhere but to Kyle. She knew she was taking the coward’s way out, but, dammit, he was only supposed to be a distraction.

  “Miranda?” Kyle said, the barest hint of anxiety coloring his voice. “Come on, Miranda. You don’t expect me to say good-bye to you tonight and that be the end of it, do you?”