A Perfect Holiday

by Riley Murphy

  “Open.” He did. “Now suck.”

  The husky way she commanded sent a thunderbolt of lust straight through him and when he tasted chocolate then skin? He opened wide and latched on. Sucking. Suckling hard until her hands cradled the back of his head and she drew him closer with a deep sigh.

  Too soon she wanted to end it as she tugged on his hair and shifted. Loathe to give up his treasure he followed her as far as he could, forcing her to make the break in contact. When she finally pushed him away his mouth disengaged with a pop.

  “Wow, someone likes chocolate.” She shimmied off his lap and announced, “My turn.”

  The cool substance hit his chest and he jerked. Immediately he knew it was the can of whip cream they’d brought down from his place. Damn. The continuous line she squirted from center chest to abdomen, stopping right at the waistband of his boxers, was probably all squiggly and uneven so he tried to concentrate on that instead of how she was going to erase it.

  “Yummy.”

  Her hot wet mouth, with those pillow-plump lips, went to work. She licked, sucked and laved the cream off him, alternating between sensual flicks and erotic swirls of her tongue. She used her mouth like a vacuum while she pressed her nose into his skin. The heavy sound of her breathing against him had him rock hard and ready, and the closer she got to that waistband, the stiffer he became.

  She was at his navel. Descending lower and lower still. Her hands kneaded his hips and when she dipped down and caught the banded elastic and pulled back to expose him, he hissed in a breath.

  “Sidney.” He let go of the chair back and pushed the makeshift blindfold up on his forehead before he shot a look down. “What are you doing?”

  He almost laughed. She had his boxers sandwiched between her teeth while she gazed up with a frown. He tried to pull the waistband away, but she refused to let go.

  “Darlin’, I think it’s my turn now, isn’t it?”

  Her shoulders drooped and she let go of the fabric with a purposeful snap. “Party pooper.”

  Now he laughed, “You’re incorrigible. Come here.” He pulled her up on his lap and took hold of her chin, angling until she looked him in the eyes. “For my turn I want to stretch you out on the table. I’m going to take this,” he held up the can of whip cream, “and I’m going to draw one big V. Starting at your right shoulder and angling in down to your center. Then I’m going to go to your left shoulder and do the same until the line ends right in a point between your legs. Then I’m going to lick and suck it right off you. Clearing every square inch of it from you until you have better cream for me to eat.”

  Not even a blush as she stared at him without speaking.

  “What do you say?”

  She blinked and then flashed that killer smile. “Yeah, it’s your turn all right.”

  By the time he was through with his turn Sidney was so hot she forgot about turns. All she wanted was him inside her again. She pulled his boxers aside and climbed on his lap. She’d never been so horny in her life.

  He was sculpted and hard. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him and the sight of his washboard stomach still made her toes curl. But the smutty words he whispered in her ear? Unmitigated heaven.

  “I love your tight little pussy. That’s right, come on. Show me how much you want it. Let me see.”

  He squeezed her ass, pulling her closer and she groaned.

  “Easy there, darlin’. I’ve got you.”

  And he did. He held her up until she was fully open over his hardness. Waiting for her to get set with her hands on his shoulders and her knees clamped against his outer thighs. With a good grip on her hips he lowered her. God, he eased her so slowly onto him she closed her eyes and bit her lip from crying out. The pressure as he impaled her was the sweetest burn she’d ever experienced.

  “Relax. That’s right.”

  “Riker…”

  “Move your hips, honey. A little—yeah just like that. Fuck.”

  She did as he told her and with every forward flex his cock touched that part of her that came to life. Quivering. Vibrating. Taunting her until all she could do was moan.

  “I love feeling your heat this way.”

  “Riker?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Don’t stop.” She wound her arms around his neck good and tight. “Don’t ever stop. Oh. Oh. Yes. Mmm…”

  “Darlin’, I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.”

  That was the last thing Sidney heard. Her breath caught and her pulse raced as she ground down on him. Over and over. Until her inner muscles contracted just before they let go and she fell apart all around him in the best way imaginable.

  “Jesus. All that wet heat. So fucking good.”

  She had barely returned to the moment when instinct kicked in. She pushed down hard, meeting his final thrust with one of her own. His growl, that was a half-grunt of satisfaction as he came, rang in her ears and made her smile. She liked pleasing him, especially when he pleased her first.

  Once her breathing returned to normal and she decided her legs were strong enough to support her she moved to leave him, but he wouldn’t let go.

  “I like you on my lap.”

  There was a gleam in his eyes. It turned them dark and intense. Watchful. This didn’t look like a guy who’d just been pleased. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing I can’t fix.”

  He anchored a hand in her hair and was still rock hard as he pushed up deep. “Ooh!”

  “I want to see you come this time. I want you to look me in the eyes when your body melts over me. God, I’m addicted to that.”

  He worked his hips now, brushing the tip of himself against that tender spot inside until she quaked and shook and cried.

  “No, don’t close your eyes, darlin’. I want to see your need. That’s right.”

  He rocked her on him, over and over again and when the adrenaline climbed and her pulse beat a rapid staccato in her ears, she didn’t look away as she sighed and sighed some more until she came all over him. Hot. Wet. Silky. Only then did he pull her in. Haul her up and hug the hell out of her as he whispered against her hair, “So beautiful. So very beautiful.”

  Sidney was still feeling that way as she stretched awake the next morning. Reaching out, she put a hand on Riker’s back, ready to stroke him, when she heard the knock. An ugly intrusive sound that chilled her to her good-girl bones. Oh my God. Her parents were here.

  Chapter Ten

  “Riker. Wake up. You’re going to have to hide in the closet or something.”

  He lifted his head and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Closet? What time is it?”

  “My parents are at the door.” She sprang out of the bed and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. Without pausing she wrapped it around herself, found his pants and threw them to him. “I’m going to close this door. Riker? Are. You. Listening?” That last word came out in three separate syllables. Her heart was racing so fast she kept taking deep breaths to catch up. She was getting so much air she feared she’d start hyperventilating. She needed to calm her ass down. One. Two. Three. “Okay, I get it. You’re not a morning person. Just keep quiet and I’ll send them away.”

  Finally he rolled over. He came up on his side with his head resting in palm and grinned. What did he have to be looking totally amused about? Didn’t he know she’d get in trouble?

  “Morning, darlin’.”

  “You,” she wagged her index finger and paced back and forth, before stopping to stab said finger his way. “You really have no business looking so gorgeous when I’m falling apart here.” She wanted to drag her hands down her face, scream or, okay, even pull a Bewitched moment here and twinkle her nose to get out of this one, but that wasn’t happening. “I need a little understanding and a lot of cooperation. I know you’re probably not used to having to deal with condescension in any form or a silent treatment that goes on for days. Worse? The dreaded looks of total disapproval that takes a good daughter a fucking year to recover from s
o she can get back into dad’s good graces, but that’s what I’m looking at here.”

  His grin didn’t alter. Clearly he wasn’t grasping the seriousness of the situation.

  “Fine. I get that you don’t get it. But work with me here, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  She did a double take. Sure? “On second thought, just stay here and don’t move. I’ll send them back downstairs and everything will be fine. Yeah,” she nodded. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “Sid, go answer the door.”

  She rushed through the dining room, living room and kitchen like a cyclone. Hiding this, tossing that. Kicking a few things under the couch. It wasn’t until she looked around with a critical eye and was satisfied, that she swung open the door. “Dad, I—”

  It wasn’t her dad. It was Martha.

  “Took ya long enough. I got back early and I need my keys.”

  The relief that flooded her made her so dizzy she had to grab hold of the door handle before she blew out a breath. “Sure. I’ll get them.”

  When she handed them over, Martha nodded. “Thanks. Oh, and I was to tell you your parents are waiting downstairs for you.”

  “What?”

  “You’re going for lunch, aren’t you?”

  “Lunch?” She checked her watch and gasped. Twelve-thirty? She just got up.

  “Should I tell them you’re not ready?”

  “No, tell them I’ll be right down. Please,” she added and then slammed the door.

  “Darlin’, you need to calm down.”

  At least he had his pants on. The only way he’d be wearing a shirt was if she reached under the couch and retrieved it. She was pretty sure that was one of the items she’d kicked under there, along with the whipped cream can. “I can’t. You don’t understand.”

  He took a step toward her and she took two steps back, but when her father called her name, they both froze.

  “Sidney?”

  “That’s my dad,” she whispered. This was the calm before the storm, as he sounded as if he was in the courtyard. She spun around and flew out the door. When she got to the railing she spotted him. He had one foot on the first step ready to come up.

  “No, don’t come up, Dad. I’ll be right down.”

  “You’re not even ready. Sweetheart, did you forget we’re going for lunch? I made reservations at the Island Way Grille.”

  “No, I didn’t forget. I’m just running a few minutes behind. Do you want me to meet you there? I could meet you there.”

  Please say yes. Please say yes.

  “No need. We’ll all go together. I’ve got your mom and Ken in the car waiting.”

  When he turned to leave she was so relieved she didn’t even complain over him foisting Ken on her again. She’d had a meltdown when Ken showed instead of dad at the school last week to pick her up when her car was in the shop. Oh, her dad meant well, but that ship with Ken on it had sailed the second he’d gotten home from Belize. It wasn’t just the crying. Ken wasn’t the man for her. When was her dad going to get that fact?

  She ran into her place and managed to finish getting ready in a quarter of the time it usually took her. She had one hand on the door knob as she shoved a foot into her sandal, intent on leaving, when she heard Riker and stiffened.

  “This is it, then?”

  “Riker.” She gasped and let go of the knob. “I thought you went home already. Have you been sitting there the whole time?”

  He was on the couch with his hands clasped and elbows resting on his knees while he stared at her. “Is it?”

  “What? Can turn the lock when you go?” She hated to run out on him like this, but the last thing she wanted was her parents showing up at her door and finding him there. She was almost out of this mess. “I should have been downstairs by now.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I have to go.” As she said this his early words came to her. “What did you mean by, this is it?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Sidney?”

  That was her mother’s voice and she was right outside the door. Shit. “Can we talk about this later?”

  “Sure,” he stood and she panicked.

  “Can you stay here until I get my mom downstairs?”

  He didn’t seem happy about that and she didn’t blame him, but then it was all for nothing because her mom just opened the door and walked in, bumping Sidney aside with the door. “Are you rea—oh!”

  Riker looked like he was going to step forward and introduce himself and that would open a whole huge can of worms, especially since they hadn’t had the opportunity to explore his this is it comment.

  She rushed around the door. “I’m ready.”

  “Great, but who’s this?”

  “I’m—”

  “He’s the guy I called to change that florescent in the bathroom. Remember how I told you it was flickering?” She had a bum light last week and even bought a replacement bulb, but then her dad had suggested she give the old one a tap and when she had, it had suddenly worked. Right now, however, the convenient excuse was a good one.

  “He doesn’t have a shirt on.”

  Sidney stepped between her mother’s line of vision and the vision of Riker standing there scowling. “Well, it is Florida and he’s the condo maintenance guy.”

  Her mother leaned around her and frowned. “What does that have to do with him being half dressed?”

  This. This was the very reason she always strove to tell the truth. She was terrible at lying, but now that she was in deep she may as well drown. “He, ah, was down by the pool and when Dad came to get me and I saw the guy there, I called him up. Where are we having lunch again?” She took hold of her mother’s arm and led her out. They were halfway to the stairs when her mother stopped and shook her head.

  “That’s your maintenance man?”

  “Yes.” She pushed her forward.

  “He looks like—”

  “Mom, watch where you’re going, you’re going trip on the stairs.”

  “So stop shoving. Are you just going to let him stay in your condo? Aren’t you going to lock it up?”

  “Oh, no worries. He’s bonded. It’s required by law.”

  Sidney shot a look over her shoulder and that’s when she saw Riker. All tanned and handsome standing in the doorway. His dark wavy hair disheveled and a day’s worth of stubble covering his jaw made him more handsome in a dangerous sort of a way. Of course, it could have been the look in his eyes that lent to this kind of appeal. His gaze drilled into her, the telling glare in his eyes nearly undoing her. There was no doubt he was furious. She couldn’t do anything about it now, but later she’d explain. Once she understood this knee-jerk reaction herself. She mouthed the words, “I’m sorry”, and when he looked away she felt like absolute crap. She wanted so badly to stay with him, but she knew it wasn’t possible. Right now she needed to be two people. The daughter who went to make her parents happy and the woman who stayed to make Riker happy. Too bad she couldn’t be both.

  “He was a handsome guy, wasn’t he?”

  “Sure.” Sidney was half paying attention as she steered her mother down the steps.

  “And you weren’t—?”

  She heard that. “No.”

  “Oh.” She sounded disappointed. Impossible. “Did Dad tell you that he invited Ken to join us?”

  “Yeah.” She sent furtive glances up, willing Riker to turn. Praying that he’d at least look at her one more time. Stopping on the second to last step, she was going to make an excuse to go back up to talk to him. Maybe she could—

  “Come on, ladies. We don’t have all day.”

  Riker heard her father call and wanted to curse the man. He gauged Sid was on the verge of coming back to him. At least that’s the message he tried to convey with every fiber of his being. For her to stay with him and not to go with her parents, but especially with Ken. He should have asked her. He should have questioned her after he ran into her pr
incipal yesterday and heard that Ken had picked her up. Not that there was anything wrong with remaining on good terms with one’s ex, but going to lunch with the ex and the parents? A little too familiar, if you asked him.

  “I’m coming,” she called to her dad and then mouthed to him what looked like, “Please understand.”

  Oh yeah, he understood all right and the knowledge burned straight through to the pit of his stomach. He didn’t dare speak. Only nodded and when he did, she was gone.

  He raked a hand through his hair and let out the heavy breath he’d been holding. He should have known right from the start that this was the way it was going to end. It was probably for the best.

  Going back inside, he got as far as the dining room table and stopped when he spied his reflection in the mirror. He didn’t like what he saw as the guy staring back at him was scared shitless. Was that why he let her walk away so easily?

  He reached out and took hold of Sidney’s favorite ornament as he thought about how she’d reacted when her parents showed up. About what she’d said. Maintenance guy. That’s what really galled him and he knew why. Once again, he wasn’t good enough. At least this time he’d been warned. She’d flat out told him that she needed to find a guy that fit into her family and what they wanted for her future.

  And that’s not you.

  He let go of the angel and watched it spin. Noting how her purple and white hair looked as if it were revolving like an old-fashioned barbershop pole.

  Bits and pieces of the evening they had eaten dinner at this table surfaced, and then one thing stuck out in his mind. It was Sidney’s comment about friends, “I imagine if I had a group of girlfriends that’s what they’d look like.” He hadn’t really thought about that statement when she’d said it, but now he did. It was the if that bothered him.

  He eyed each of those crazy angels and frowned. There was a reason Sidney didn’t have any fucked up friends. Her overprotective parents made sure she didn’t. But judging by how quickly she’d thrown him to the curb when they’d shown up, she was okay with their interference.

  I wish I could put the guilt aside and please myself. I really do. Just this once. That’s what I want.