Nina asked suddenly, “How about I make us a real dinner tonight, since I don’t have to work?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’d like to. I have this huge gourmet kitchen, and I never cook anymore.” Plus, for the first time in a long time, the house was beginning to feel like home. With the open floor plan, Nina could prepare dinner in the kitchen and still enjoy the fire and tree.
If they ever started decorating it that is.
When Nina finished her eggnog, she was feeling pretty good. She had occasional drinks with her friends from work, but she’d done a lot more drinking back in college than she did these days.
She giggled. “I’d better bring down some of the boxes from the attic before I get too happy.”
Josh grinned. “Do you need my help?”
“I think it would be more of a pain for you to have to try to go up and down the stairs. There are only about ten boxes, from what I remember. Why don’t you drink a little more eggnog?”
Josh grinned. “Don’t mind if I do. I’m starting to get a little slap happy myself. I used to be able to handle my alcohol pretty well, but I’ve spent most of my time as a patient and in rehab during the last six months.”
Nina walked up the staircase laughing. She rarely went upstairs, so she’d forgotten how light and bright it was in the small family room overlooking the living room. She made her way through the hallway, opening the door at the end. When the house had been remodeled, a new staircase had been added for easy attic access.
It was funny, she realized walking up the stairs, this wasn’t going to be as difficult as she thought after all. When she’d packed up the house before leaving for nursing school, she’d sorted everything by rooms and labeled it all clearly. Nothing had been touched since then, except for the kitchenware and family china that she’d pulled out last fall when she’d returned home.
That’s right, she’d also brought out some pieces of furniture her mother had loved. There was the china cabinet in the dining room that a couple of Jake’s employees had come by to help her move downstairs, as well as the rocking chair that’d belonged to Nina’s grandmother.
All the Christmas decorations were piled high in the corner just as Nina had left them after Mom had passed away, which was the last time she’d celebrated Christmas. Without checking the labels, she picked up a couple of the boxes, and carried them out from the attic, depositing them at the top of the staircase leading down to the living room.
She made five more trips, pulling out the remainder of boxes. There were a few other things, some outdoor decorations and a large antique Santa and sleigh. But everything had apparently belonged to her grandparents, and the wiring was faulty in the reindeer accompanying the set. Maybe she’d look into having the set restored. She didn’t have a whole lot of family mementoes, after all.
Nina made one last stop, walking into her old bedroom and pulling out a shoebox from inside the trunk laying at the foot of the canopy bed.
Another fifteen minutes later, Nina laid the shoebox on the end table downstairs after piling all the boxes near the tree.
She smiled, looking at Josh, who was smiling too. Ralph was sneaking up with his nose zeroing in on the snacks spread on the coffee table.
Nina wasn’t surprised when Josh called him out. “I know you’re there, Ralph.”
Sitting down, Ralph smiled.
“No. You’re not allowed people food,” Josh said firmly. “Then you’ll be expecting it all the time.”
Ralph sighed deeply, hanging his head and dropping onto the floor dejectedly.
Nina giggled.
“I’m drinking my third eggnog, I sure hope my stomach doesn’t curdle.”
She giggled again.
“Before we get to decorating the tree, is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?” she asked.
“What’ve you got?” Josh asked with a grin.
“We could have something that would be simple for me to fix like steak, cause I have a grill feature on my stovetop, or there’s meatloaf or chicken and rice. I could even cook a pot roast, if that’s what you’d like?”
“Would the pot roast be too much trouble?”
“Not at all. I thought for sure you’d say steak.”
“Weirdly enough, that’s actually something I eat a lot of—steak and potatoes. I guess it’s a guy thing,” he said. “Quick and easy to order when you’re in between assignments.”
“Would you like potatoes with the pot roast?”
“Sure. Let me help you in the kitchen before I drink too much eggnog.”
“Don’t you mean rum and eggnog?”
“Nah. I cut out the rum with my third. I noticed I wasn’t very steady on my feet, so what would you do with me if I fell flat on my face?”
Nina kept smiling, as she went into the kitchen and began pulling potatoes from the bin. Digging into the freezer for the roast, she slipped it into the microwave and set it to defrost. By the time she had the potatoes and vegetables chopped, the roast would be thawed enough to be thrown into the pot.
It was easier for Josh to just sit and keep her company while she chopped and diced and added the seasonings with the roast. Soon, she had everything combined in a large pot simmering on the stove.
“It’s a little faster than a crock pot,” she said, as she and Josh returned to the living room.
Soon, they were sorting through the boxes she’d brought down from the attic.
Handing over an open box to Josh, she asked, “Tell you what. Do you think you can handle adding these hooks I bought for the ornaments as you pull each of them out from the box?” It was filled with a bunch of inexpensive red and green glass globes that either she or her mom must have bought years ago on sale after Christmas.
“Sure. What are you going to do?” Josh asked, dropping into the recliner near the tree.
“I’ll add the lights first. I need to go into the garage and get a ladder. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to reach the top of the tree though.”
“Well, I might be able to hold the ladder steady while you do it.”
“Alright. Let’s see how it goes.”
An hour later, Nina was hooking the last ornament to a branch on the tree. She and Josh had sorted the boxes together, and when Nina had run across a large envelope containing several handmade ornaments she and her mom had made together, Nina had begun to cry.
Josh had comforted her, wrapping his arms around her.
So far, it’d been a magical day, and Nina never wanted it to end.
Nina reached for the box containing the tree top star.
“That’s where it went,” Nina said excitedly.
After pulling the star from the box, she tugged out the case she must have hidden underneath the last time she’d celebrated Christmas with her mom.
“What is it?” Josh asked curiously.
Josh had to have heard the melancholy in her voice.
She handed over the small case “Here. Go ahead and open it.”
Lifting the lid of the box, Josh obviously recognized what was inside by its shape as he touched it. “The Purple Heart?” Josh said in hushed tones. “From your dad’s service? That’s pretty amazing, Nina.”
“It was awarded posthumously. I put it away because it was such a part of my mom. They were so much in love, and she never really moved on, even when the cancer was in remission.”
“You never had a childhood either. Did you? I remember thinking that we were kind of alike while we were growing up.”
“But unlike you, Josh, I have a lot of happy memories. My mom and I were so close.”
“Yeah, I could tell,” Josh answered softly. “I barely remember my mom. Dad never said a word about her, and I was always afraid to ask because of his temper.”
Nina knew there was probably more to the story, but this wasn’t the time for talking about the past. It was all about their future, and they weren’t going to bring up anything else today that might sp
oil it.
Ralph stood up from his bed watching worriedly as Nina climbed the ladder. When Josh handed up the star, they laughed when she nearly lost her balance trying to attach it to the top of the tree.
Ralph finally laid back down on his bed once Nina was on level ground.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. Nina brought out a bottle of red wine she’d been saving, and they sat and ate at the kitchen island while Nina admired the tree.
Nina laid out some other decorations she discovered in another box while they continued listening to Christmas music after dinner—a ceramic Santa, a plastic wreath she remembered her mom had always hung on the back door was laid in the middle of the kitchen island with a Christmas candle inside. And there was a music box that her father had supposedly bought for her mom when he’d found out she was expecting Nina.
At Josh’s urging, she opened the shoebox, and started reading some of the stories she’d written in small notebooks that’d been tucked inside.
“I’m going nuts, Nina.” Josh said, nearly an hour later. “ I’m just itching to have a pencil in my hand and draw that dragon that you wrote about. You’ve described him so well, I can see him perfectly in my mind.”
“You never know, Josh. You might be talented enough to draw without your sight. You might want to try it sometime. I’ve heard about people being able to do it.”
“Hmm,” he answered. “That’s not such a bad idea. Maybe I’ll pick up some drawing supplies after we get all this other stuff resolved.”
Josh finally sighed. “How about we take a look at a few of the things that Luke’s been hanging onto for me?”
Nina was surprised. “I thought about that, but I was afraid there might be some painful memories in there that you might not be ready for.”
“I’m thinking Luke would’ve only saved what he thought I’d want to keep.”
Standing, Nina walked through the kitchen and into the mud room, bringing back the box she’d left on the bench near the door.
Josh smiled wryly when she placed it on his lap. “That’s alright, Nina. Go ahead and open it. Luke already told me that he left an envelope labeled with your name on top inside. He was laughing when he said it, so I gotta admit I’m curious.”
She settled on the couch beside him, reaching for the box and opening it up.
And yes, there was an envelope laying right on top with her name on it, so she looked inside.
Nina stilled, staring at the sketches Josh had drawn.
“Uh, Josh.” Nina swallowed. She’d never imagined...
“What is it?” he asked, looking concerned.
“You were drawing pictures of me?” she asked in a husky voice.
Josh grimaced, and then cleared his throat.
“Uh, yeah. What pictures are you looking at?”
“The ones where I’m naked,” she answered dryly.
Coughing first, Josh went quiet, looking extremely nervous.
Nina grinned. She’d let him feel uncomfortable for a while. Her eyes went wide shuffling through the rest of the drawings because he was an amazing artist. “The weird thing about it is, they’re pretty darn accurate.”
Josh grinned, sliding closer. “That’s good,” he whispered softly. “Because I have those pictures of you memorized in my mind. That’s how I see you, Nina.”
“These are a lot more beautiful than I am, Josh.”
“I doubt it.” Reaching down, Josh pulled the pictures from her hands. Feeling around for the coffee table first, he laid them all on top.
He pulled her into his arms, and cupping her chin in his hands, he tilted her face as a small smile curved the corners of his mouth. “Guess what? I think I’m ready. How about you?”
“Yes,” came from her mouth as a whisper as his mouth descended on hers.
Nina’s hands went to his shoulders, clinging to him for support. His mouth was hard and demanding, but oh so incredibly sweet.
“Nina,” he whispered, pulling away slightly and going silent.
“What?”
Hesitating, Josh shook his head, and then he kissed her, long, slow and tenderly, like he was never going to let her go.
They finally stopped for air, and pulling Josh’s shirt off from over his head, she ran her hands up and down his back, loving the weight of him in her arms, the way he was touching her.
And the way he was making her feel wanted and loved.
As it had so many times before, the sight of his nearly naked body mesmerized her.
Then Josh was laughing trying to untangle her from some of her clothing as they stood up from the couch. She was wearing a bulky sweater with a thermal T-shirt and he succeeded in pulling them both off over her head at the same time.
But then she found the front of his jeans, and after impatiently tugging down the zipper, his erection thrust into her hands, amazingly hard, and he groaned when she touched him.
Hungrily she wrapped her hands around him, delighting in the thickness and the way he responded as she slowly stroked up and down, cupping him with her other hand.
With a ragged breath, he stopped her, and moaned. “If you keep on doing that, we’ll be done before we even have a chance to start.”
When Nina laughed, Josh grimaced first, and then grinned.
And then after another achingly slow, heartwarming kiss, she reached for Josh’s hand, tugging him through the hallway and into her bedroom, leaving the door open wide so as not to confuse Ralph.
Somewhere between the living room and falling onto the bed, they managed to remove the rest of their clothing.
Then his mouth was on her, sliding up the slope of her breast and closing hotly on her nipple. He sucked strongly at her, making waves of burning pleasure sweep through her, from her breast straight through to her core. Nina whimpered, and then held her breath to hold back the sound. She hadn’t known, never realized what a man’s mouth on her breast could do to her. She was on fire, her skin burning with an acute sensitivity that was both ecstatic and unbearable. She squirmed, clenching her legs together, trying to control the ache that threatened to overpower her.
But then Josh touched her, searching out the depths of her readiness, and shock waves battered her body. Something went wild inside her and she couldn’t stay still. Exploding in his arms, her senses cried out unconsciously, because nothing had ever prepared her for the shattering, mind blowing pleasure Josh was making her feel.
She stroked his muscled back, rubbing her face against his lightly haired chest, tracing the etching of his tattoo with her fingers.
His hands covered her breasts while his mouth covered hers.
“I love to hear you moan,” Josh whispered.
“Well then don’t make me wait any more,” she whispered softly.
“Are we alright without a condom?”
She smiled. “I am. And you?”
“If you knew just how safe you were, you’d probably be laughing,” Josh answered dryly.
“No, Josh. I’d never laugh at you—only with you.” She took in a deep breath. “I’m pretty sure that I’m in love with you, you know.”
“Well, I’m not pretty sure I’m in love with you,” Josh answered.
And Nina stilled.
“I’m positive that I am,” he muttered fiercely, plunging into her with a deep hard thrust.
Nina breathed out softly, “Oh, Josh.”
She urged him closer, wanting to feel him inside of her, the ultimate connection and the bond she’d been seeking since they’d first met.
And now finally, she was feeling their connection was complete.
He made a choked sound and his mouth crushed into hers, as she found herself touching him again, running her hands up and down his back and over his buttocks.
He rode her slow at first, but there was nothing holding her back, and she savored every stroke while he moved faster, deeper and harder until she climaxed, a cry tearing out from her throat.
Without breaking their rhythm, Josh shifte
d his hips, erupting nearly at the same time, hoarsely calling her name.
Finally collapsing with a muffled groan, he gathered her close.
And Nina clung to him. She was at home in Josh’s arms, where she was always meant to be.
* * *
Josh had a huge smile on his face as they laid there afterward wrapped in each other’s arms. Physically, mentally and emotionally, he’d never felt so good. It was kind of scary.
“Nina,” Josh asked. “Are you alright?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so right in my entire life,” she answered dryly.
Josh laughed loudly.
“Me, neither,” he finally said.
He felt her hand running through the hair on his chest.
And he couldn’t believe it, she was turning him on again.
“Uhm.” He tried to speak. “Luke said he told you about our past. He felt guilty speaking with you behind my back.”
“Hmm, hmm,” she answered, her mouth replacing the hand that’d been tickling his chest.
She climbed into his lap, and her hands gripped his shoulders while her mouth descended on his.
Damn, he really wished he could see her. With her full breasts and small waist, Nina was beautiful, he knew by the touch of his hands. She was such a tiny little thing at only five-foot two, and at over two hundred pounds himself, at six-foot two, he’d been afraid of crushing her when he’d come into her.
She hadn’t seemed to mind at all.
He cleared his throat with a hand on her face, holding her back. “And it doesn’t bother you?”
Nina suddenly pulled away from him. “Josh.”
And when she punched him in the shoulder, he grinned.
“Would I be here with you right now if it did?”
“I guess I wasn’t thinking,” he said, cupping her breasts.
She moaned. “Well, good. Now let’s keep it that way.”
Josh barked out a laugh.
But then Ralph began to whine.
“Shoot. When was the last time we took him out?” Nina asked.
Two Hearts Find Christmas (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 5) Page 13
