Love for the Holidays (five book Christmas bundle)

by Noelle Adams

  “Right.” But even as relief flooded into her heart, Laney wasn’t so sure that either of them was being totally honest on that point.

  Kyle just wanted her to stop thinking. Giving her the t-shirt was risky, but she accepted it as he intended. There were never any hidden agendas with Laney, something he appreciated even more after living with Crystal. There weren’t any promises of a future life together, either, but he didn’t need to live like a monk anymore. Two years was more than enough time for soul-searching and penance. As long as Laney was close enough to touch, to breath in, to taste like his goddamn last meal, he would take whatever she offered and not ask any questions about what it might cost him when she inevitably left.

  The neatly painted red and white barn was built on a slope, running away from the house, so the closest door opened into the top floor. Kyle knew that Claire had sold her herd of sheep after her husband passed away, and leased her fields to neighbours for crops, but he didn’t know what she had stored in the barn. Stepping inside, he was surprised to see a speedboat on a trailer bed.

  “Mom said there was a boat in here, but I thought she meant a canoe or a rowboat.” Laney whistled, walking around to take in the length of it. “Want to get in?”

  Kyle grinned and offered her a hand as she jumped up on the trailer. “You going to be okay in that dress?”

  She winked. “You might need to give me a little boost.”

  He joined her on the trailer, close enough to feel her breath warm his face as she looked up at him. “Hold on tight,” he whispered, cupping her waist in his hands. She was feather light, the warmth of her slim frame and her fragile scent more of a strain than the effort it would take to lift her. With a quick count to three, he had Laney up and scootched back so she was sitting on the edge of the boat, her knees at his chest.

  “Do you like my tights?”

  He slid his hands down her calves and into the top of her sheepskin boots, admiring the narrow ankles and subtle curves more than what covered them, but he knew how to answer this question. “They’re keeping some of my favourite parts nice and warm.”

  “Not all of your favourite parts,” Laney said with a wicked smile, lifting her skirt just high enough to extend an invitation.

  Kyle curved his fingers up over her knees, across the tops of her thighs until he found a knit edge and the soft, smooth skin above. He sucked in a quick breath as his brain translated to his cock. Warm. Open. Inviting. He splayed his hands wide, his wrists on the elastic top of the sock stockings, the tips of his fingers grazing the lace edge of her panties. “These are the best tights ever,” he said, his voice rough with intent. “Lean back.”

  She shook her head and reached down to toy with his belt buckle, pressing her breasts into his face in the process. “Come on up here and I’ll hop on for a ride.”

  Kyle stilled her hands and smacked her lightly on the hip. “Sorry, sweetheart. I really wasn’t planning on this. I don’t have a condom.”

  She groaned and pressed her forehead against his. He could practically hear her thought process and he needed to put a stop to it. Way too tempting. His cock twitched and his heart rate picked up. He was a bastard for even considering it.

  “Kyle,” she whispered. “I have an IUD. I know it’s stupid, but…”

  “That should be the end of the sentence, Doctor.” She bit her lip, then his ear, and it was his turn to waver. Definitely a bastard. “I haven’t been with anyone in two years. Had a full check up in the summer.”

  “This would be my first time ever without a condom. I know it’s reckless, but I trust you.” She brushed her lips against his. “Be inside me. Please.”

  He held her face against his, deepening the kiss. She tasted like berry jam. He was going to hell, and she tasted like goddamn fruit. With a ragged breath, he gave her a little push to move into the boat.

  “Besides, it’s cold.” She swung her legs into the boat and, after pausing to divest herself of her underwear, she moved over, making room for him to join her on the bench seat. “This way we can share body heat.”

  He was more than ready, and he knew that Laney would be too, so Kyle pulled her into his lap and under the warm cover that her dress provided, he unzipped and fisted his erection toward home. Don’t get carried away. Maybe an amazing five star resort. Better than home, but you can’t stay forever. She was slick, and her folds parted readily for him. He didn’t enter her right away, wanting to steal a moment of anticipation, and she twisted her hips trying to capture the head of his cock. He chuckled and reached between them to stroke around her clit, earning a whimper of appreciation. Her hips jerked wildly, achieving what her deliberate wiggling only teased at. Home.

  She was tight, hot, and impossibly soft. He was gripped in a velvet sleeve lined in the most addictive substance known to man, and as Kyle drove his hips up and into her he knew he’d never get enough of Laney. He needed to deal with that thought, but this wasn’t the time, not when he was half out of his mind, lunging toward a hard orgasm, desperate to take her with him, make it good—no, amazing—for her so he’d get to do this again. Over and over they ground against each other, her fingers replacing his as she climbed the peak. And then she was clenching him, her pussy spasming around his cock, her hands in a death grip on his shoulders, her thighs tight around his hips, and he jerked too, coming inside her.

  They clung to each other for a long moment as their breathing returned to normal. He couldn’t get over how simple and easy this still was between them. No, scratch that. This was its own thing. There was no comparing it to the past. “That was unbelievable. Fast, but wow. You felt amazing, Laney.”

  She rewarded his compliment with an uncharacteristic blush that tugged at his gut, reminding him again that she wasn’t as worldly as she played at. “Better tuck yourself away before I get up, wouldn’t want my favourite part of you to get cold.” And just like that, she was back to business.

  At his the truck, Kyle squeezed her hand and gave her quick, hard kiss that left her lips numb and her heart racing. “I’ll make dinner tomorrow night. Come over around six. And Laney … I’d like you to stay for the entire evening. I want more than a stolen moment.”

  Eleven

  Boxing Day started with Pilates, Evie pushing them extra hard because of the bread pudding. Laney was still waiting for her mother and sister to say something, anything, about Kyle’s visit. She hadn’t told them that she was going out that night, and once the boys disappeared to build a Lego fortress, she bit the bullet.

  “So about Kyle’s visit yesterday,” she started, rolling her exercise mat up to keep her hands busy. “He stopped by to invite me over for dinner. To catch up. Tonight. And I’m going.”

  Evie raised both eyebrows, as if to say, riiiiigghhhht, but she kept her lips shut and for that, Laney was grateful. Claire just nodded sagely, as if this had been her grand plan all along, but she too kept her silence.

  “I’m sure I’m going to regret asking, but you seriously don’t have any questions?”

  “Oh Laney, I have a million questions,” said Claire. “But asking them won’t change anything and I’m not sure you have the answers yet. I’d think you must be nervous?”

  She wasn’t. She considered Kyle’s question from the day before. More of a command then a question. The directness of what he had said surprised her, and she hadn’t answered right away. Instead she unzipped his fleece sweater and pressed her face into his neck, feeling the warmth transfer from his skin to hers. It was a reasonable request, one that he wouldn’t have to ask of any other date. But it was more than she’d ordinarily give of herself, and Laney didn’t care. She’d leaned fully against the wide, hard planes of his chest, acknowledging that she did want more. And there was no reason to hold back when they only had a few days. They should embrace the possibilities of a fling, the freedom of zero expectations. She’d nodded her head against his body and then turned without a word and fled inside before she said something smart-alecky that might ruin t
he moment.

  “Why would I be nervous?”

  Evie and Claire exchanged silent looks.

  “Hello? Evie, what’s Mom alluding to?”

  Her sister shrugged. “Oh, you know. Kyle’s always loved you, he’s the only man you’ve ever loved, yadda yadda yadda. Potential for great messiness. That kind of thing.”

  Laney sighed and plunked her butt down on the couch next to her mother. “I promise you, Kyle and I are on the same page about that. We both want to move forward in our lives. And we want very different things. No one is going to get hurt.”

  Claire cocked her head to the side. “Just how much have you two been talking? That’s some pretty heavy subject matter.”

  “I know, I’m just as surprised as you. I wasn’t going to go there, but he told me a bit about his ex and how he’s been stuck in a bit of a loop. I have too, in a way, so it was cathartic to compare ruts.” Laney didn’t know how much she wanted to share with her mother and sister, but they had each been through so much more than her, that she didn’t feel right blowing them off once again as if they didn’t get it. They did, absolutely. “There was a guy that I was seeing. I broke up with him just before coming home. I wasn’t as nice to him as I should have been. I’ve just gotten so good at guarding myself that I didn’t notice when I went from being careful to actually using other people. So running into Kyle, and admitting that I had some unresolved issues there…it opened me up to other possibilities.”

  Claire looked piqued, her mind obviously whirling between the possibility of more grandchildren and the likelihood of a once-again broken-hearted daughter.

  “Not with Kyle, Mom. And not necessarily love, but just honest connections with people. I’m really looking forward to having dinner with an old friend tonight, and it’s been way too long since I’ve said that. I just need to meet some new Kyles in Chicago.”

  Evie had been quietly putting away Pilates gear, listening with one ear but trying not to react in her usual big sister way. Laney looked up at her, giving her an official opportunity to comment. Evie nodded and smiled. “Hell, I’d like to meet some new Kyles here, too. I get it.”

  “So…why not with Kyle, then?”

  Laney sighed. “God, Mom, you’re giving me whiplash. There’s too much history. We live in different cities—different countries! We have divergent life goals. Why on earth would you want me to be with him?”

  “Because he obviously makes you happy.”

  And damned if that wasn’t the wildcard of truth. Laney shook her head. “That’s the worst reason I could think of.” She squeezed her mother’s hand and stood up, wanting to avoid the concern she would find on Claire’s face. “I let my happiness be wrapped up in Kyle once before. Never again. Not him, or anyone else.”

  Kyle’s house smelled like oranges and wood fire. She stepped inside, shrugging off her winter coat, and made an appreciative sound that was rewarded with a quick hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

  “Your place is pretty cozy for a construction site.” Laney kicked her boots to the black plastic tray next to the door and wandered into the living room. On the ottoman, a large three-wick candle flickered, bouncing waves of light off the shiny glass tray underneath it. Another tray had been placed on the rug in front of the wood stove, this one holding a bottle of red wine and two glasses. “Why, Kyle Nixon, are you looking to get lucky tonight?”

  She turned and gave him an appraising look, which only lasted a few seconds before they both burst into laughter. Lips still twitching, Kyle waved her toward the couch and poured two glasses of wine. “I’m not looking for anything other than to be a good host, Laney Calhoun.”

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” she murmured, lifting the glass to her lips. After taking a sip, she tucked her feet under her bum and leaned back against the couch. “Where’s Buddy?”

  “I took him to my parents’ farm for the night. He’s not exactly conducive to romance.”

  “You didn’t need to—”

  He shook his head. “I did it for me. I wanted you all to myself tonight.”

  Oh. “I like Buddy.”

  “I know.” Kyle stood a few feet away, arms crossed, an inscrutable look on his face.

  Under his gaze, her skin felt hot and hypersensitive. “Stop staring at me. Do you need any help with dinner? It smells great.”

  He smirked, then moved to the other end of the couch, sitting far enough away to give her personal space. His eyes, on the other hand, never left her face, and she blushed.

  “So…this is really good wine.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Do you remember Tyler West? He bought a defunct winery a few years ago and turned the business around with his brother’s help. This is their first widely distributed vintage.”

  Her eyes widened. “Do you mean Go West Winery? That’s your friend Ty? Wow. Good for him. I read an article about the company a few months ago, but didn’t connect the name. It mentioned someone else, I thought.”

  He nodded. “Probably Evan. He’s more the face of the company. Ty’s all about the grapes and the production process.”

  “I admire that entrepreneurial spirit. I don’t even have the courage to open my own practice, let alone start a company from scratch.”

  Kyle furrowed his brow. “You’re too hard on yourself, Laney. You have plenty of courage. You’ve moved to how many new places, all on your own?”

  “It’s not the same thing.” She shook her head. “I’m talking about taking big risks, laying it all on the line. It’s just not in me to do that.”

  A timer dinged in the kitchen, and Kyle stood up, but before he walked away he pinned her with a hard look. “It’s not such a big risk when you know it’s the real deal.”

  Was he still talking about the winery? Her stomach clenched, and she didn’t know if she wanted him to be talking about her or not. Not. She pushed her hand flat against her abdomen and gave herself a mental shake.

  “I’ve worked at the winery every summer since they bought the place, and never once did I doubt it would be a success.” Kyle continued talking as he moved around the kitchen, pulling a covered casserole dish from the oven and setting out plates and cutlery. “At one point they couldn’t make their mortgage payments, and helping them out was a dead easy decision.”

  So he was still talking about the winery. Laney turned around on the couch to better watch Kyle. He was mashing potatoes now, his light blue dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. She watched the muscles in his forearm flex and release as he worked butter and green onions into the mix in a stainless steel bowl. “You gave them a loan?”

  “More like, I made a small investment in the company. I own two percent of the winery. So even if the wine wasn’t any good, I’d still buy it.” He winked at her, and that clenching started again.

  “You continue to surprise me.”

  “Mmmm? How else have I surprised you?” He tasted the potatoes, and reached for the pepper.

  She pursed her lips, not sure what to say. “You’re still you, but…complicated isn’t the right word. Busy, I guess. You’re much busier than I would have thought. Helping neighbours, investing in a business, renovating your own place. The Kyle I knew would have wanted to spend his summers at the beach and his evenings watching TV or playing video games.”

  He put down the bowl of potatoes and leaned against the island. His face had that carefully neutral facade in place, but she knew the jaw twitch would make an appearance in three, two, one—“That Kyle was twenty two. He was an idiotic kid. I should hope that I’m a somewhat improved model. I’m a man. I don’t shy away from hard work and I like to keep busy.” He turned away from her and filled a small pot with water. “I have goals in life, Laney. I’m not sitting around.”

  She leapt to her feet, her heart in her throat. “I didn’t mean…Kyle, you had goals back then. Big goals. I’m sorry. I’ve offended you.”

  He shook his head. “Now my goals are for myself.”

  She moved around the
island, closing the gap between them, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her face fit neatly between his shoulder blades. While it was an unusual way to assess vital signs, the doctor in her couldn’t help but notice that while his respiration rate was normal, his heart rate was elevated. “I get it. I really do. I said something quite similar to my mom this morning, about me, I mean.”

  Kyle twisted to look at her and Laney eased her grip, allowing him to turn completely in her arms. His gaze was dark and searching, and she apologized again for ruining the mood. He shook his head and traced over her lips with his thumb.

  “You didn’t ruin anything. This isn’t a date, not really. There’s a lot of shit between us, Delaney, and we shouldn’t pretend that there isn’t. I don’t need tonight to be light and breezy, I just need it to be real.” And he lowered his mouth to brush hers, soft and light at first, then hard and demanding, but with restraint. He dragged at her lower lip with his teeth, then smoothed over the swollen crest with the tip of his tongue before pulling back. “I have to put the beans on, can you refill our glasses?”

  She nodded, too stunned to speak, and went to fetch the bottle from the living room.

  Dinner was a gastronomic delight. Braised thick pork chops in an orange and balsamic sauce with chunks of apples and onions, extra-buttery mashed potatoes and green beans on the side. Laney dug in, pausing every few bites to extol the awesomeness of his cooking and butter in general.

  “I took a guess that you’d probably had enough quinoa and tofu over at the farm,” Kyle chuckled as she swallowed more potatoes with a happy groan. “You haven’t turned into a health food nut, have you?”

  Laney shook her head. “I eat salad regularly, I’m not a glutton, but I couldn’t live like my sister does. I’m happy with my padding.”

  Kyle couldn’t see any extra weight, but he knew better than to say anything. He’d seen Evie in her workout clothes, and he knew what Laney meant. They were both slim, but Laney had a softness to her curves while her sister’s beauty was more about strength and definition—she looked like a professional dancer. Laney was the classic portrait of a ballerina, delicate and ethereal.