McKenzie's Turn to Fall: A Holiday Romance

by Harlow James

  “And do you believe her?” I ask, curious about how he feels about the comments she made.

  “I want to. So fucking badly, Mac.” His lips find mine and steal the breath from my lungs. Dylan kisses me with so much promise, I feel my knees buckle out from beneath me.

  “Me too, Dylan.”

  “Now then. I know this is your first night here, and I had wishful thinking about christening my bed with you,” he says, pulling back from me slightly. “But I am so freaking full right now, I don’t think I could have sex if I tried.”

  I throw back my head and laugh loudly, loving his honesty. Once my laughter subsides, I find his gaze again. “I agree one-hundred percent. If it’s okay with you, I say we cuddle really hard and pass out. The tryptophan is kicking in.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Once we brush our teeth and change our clothes, Dylan and I snuggle into his bed, falling asleep comfortably in each other’s arms. It’s the most intimate thing we’ve done so far—yes, more intimate than sex I might argue.

  Because it’s normal. Comfortable. Loving and natural, and everything I never knew I wanted more than anything else.

  Chapter 17

  McKenzie

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Brooke says over the rim of her margarita glass. It’s Friday night and happy hour is upon us once again.

  “Just got a lot on my mind.”

  She raises one brow at me and takes a long drag of her drink through the straw. “I’ve noticed you haven’t sent me any more progress on your story in a few weeks.”

  Three weeks to be exact. The same amount of time that has passed since Thanksgiving. But I don’t need to let her know that I’m clearly aware of that fact.

  “Well, I had edits come back for a book that’s releasing next month. And my agent signed me up to do a few anthologies that I agreed to, so I’ve been brainstorming…”

  “And you’re avoiding typing the end on your book based on Dylan because you don’t know how it ends, right?”

  I sigh, slumping back in my side of the booth. “God, it’s scary how well you know me, Brooke.”

  “That’s why I’m your best friend.”

  “I know,” I agree, shaking my head at her. “But you’re right. I don’t know how to end it.”

  “Well, I will say that what you have so far is incredible, especially that Nutella scene.” She starts to fan herself and then freezes, widening her eyes. “Oh my God! Is that based on you and Dylan’s…”

  “SHHHHH!” I spit at her across the table as I see people start to stare at us. “Jesus, keep it down, will you?”

  She leans over the table, eyes growing bigger by the second. “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Um, well, not exactly…” I switched the peanut butter for Nutella, but pretty much every other detail remained the same.

  I should be embarrassed for including real encounters of my sex life—but I’m sorry, that night was just too hot not to share. Don’t worry though, my characters did it in the kitchen instead of bed and in different positions so it’s not exactly the same.

  “God, now I want to go home and slather Travis’s dick in Nutella.”

  “Brooke!” I swear, I might have to invest in a muzzle for my best friend. A filter won’t do anything at this point.

  “Come on. I have a man at home now too who needs to be pleased. You can’t honestly say you don’t think your readers might pick up one of your books and not try some shit out, do you?”

  “I honestly never thought about it,” I reply, but then shake my head, trying to refocus the conversation back to the first topic. “Can we get back to my problem now, please?”

  She nods, taking a drink of her strawberry margarita, and then smacking her lips. “Right. So what’s the problem?”

  Pulling a big sip of my mango margarita, I contemplate how to explain my frustration. “So, I’m basically writing this book that is based off of how Dylan and I met, right?”

  “Yes, I’m aware. I’m also aware you haven’t told him that yet.”

  I wince at her words, one-hundred percent guilty of her accusations. “Yeah, about that…”

  “You need to tell him, Mac. Before you get too far in.”

  “That’s the thing, I am too far. I’m way beyond falling, Brooke. I’m head over heels for the guy and everything has been perfect.” I huff out a harsh breath and then sit up taller. “The story is missing conflict. You know, when either the heroine or hero messes up, there’s a miscommunication, they break up for a while or even years… you know the drill.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of how romance novels work.”

  “So, I don’t know what the conflict is. And I think it’s largely because there hasn’t been any with Dylan. Everything is so flipping perfect with him, about him, that I don’t know how to make him the bad guy in the story.”

  Brooke rolls her eyes at me and then leans forward slightly over the table. “Look, Mac. Sometimes conflict doesn’t need to be big and story altering. Sometimes it can be just a simple mistake, a miscommunication between two people that isn’t long or drawn out. Sometimes people don’t want drama in their romance, but a little reality never hurt anyone. The truth is, people sometimes just make honest and stupid mistakes, and newsflash, no one is perfect. I know you think Dylan is, but I’m sure he has his flaws just like everyone else.”

  I chuckle, stirring my drink with my straw. “Well, the man can snore, that’s for sure. And he picks his teeth with a toothpick for far too long after he’s eaten…”

  Brooke laughs. “Is that all?”

  I shrug. “Honestly, yeah. Other than those two small things, the man is incredible. I still can’t believe he saw me and chose me.”

  Brooke juts her bottom lip out at me. “Mac, it makes me sad that you don’t see your own worth.” She reaches for my hand and I meet her half way. “You are one of the strongest and bravest people I know. You quit a corporate job making over six figures a year to write romance novels full time. I could never do that.”

  I force myself to keep eye contact with her as she continues.

  “You moved to a town where you only knew one other person, albeit was me, but still. You did it! You constantly push yourself to do more and be better. You have the biggest heart I know of anyone, which is why I think you believe in love so hard and have no trouble selling it. You make people fall in love with your characters and stories time after time.”

  “Brooke…” I start, fighting the tears building in my eyes.

  “But don’t you think maybe it’s your time to fall?”

  “Fall?”

  She nods slowly. “Yeah. Fall in love. Let yourself accept a man that has clearly been nothing but honest with you from the get go. And listen,” she states as she brushes her bangs to the side. “I know this story has slowly started to mimic your own, but no one says it has to be completely real. Make up something small that could be believable enough to happen, break the two of them up for a few days or maybe a week, and then put it all back together again like Humpty Dumpty and call it a day.” She ties a bow in the air with her hands and then says, “Voila!”

  One errant tear slips down my cheek as I swipe it away quickly. “You’re right. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She squeezes my hand as I try to get my emotions under control, but a voice to my right surprises me.

  “Why are you crying?”

  I look up and Dylan is standing over me, still in his uniform from work. His hair is a mess, matted by sweat, and his shirt is unbuttoned, revealing his chest covered in one of his signature white tank tops beneath his entirely white uniform. Why the butchers at The Castle Market wear all white has never made since to me, because, you know… blood.

  “I made her cry,” Brooke interjects as Dylan slides into the booth beside me, pulling me into his side and planting a kiss on my temple.

  “You should beat her up, Dylan. She’s just a big bully,” I fake pout as I flash a wink across the table at my b
est friend.

  “Uh, I never condone hitting women. But I will give you a very stern talking to if it comes to it.” He’s trying to be serious, but Brooke and I just start laughing at him. His fingers grip my chin, directing my face over to him now as his blue eyes sparkle in the light hanging over the table. “You sure you’re okay?”

  I nod, offering him a soft smile. “Yeah, I am. These are happy tears.” Pressing a simple kiss to his lips, I force myself to pull away from him so I don’t get carried away. “How was your shift? You’re off early.”

  He runs his hand through his hair and then tosses his hat on the table. “Yeah. Marsha let me go since the work was done and I’ve been putting in extra hours the past month or so. But the good news is she hired a new butcher who starts next week. So I’m taking the entire week of Christmas off for vacation. I’d say I’ve earned it.”

  Elation runs through me. “Of course you have. I’m happy for you, babe.”

  He kisses me again, this time lingering much longer than I did before, causing Brooke to clear her throat at us. “Me too, which means we have an entire week to spend together.”

  “What are we gonna get into?” I ask as my entire body lights up with the thought of getting to spend even more time with Dylan, especially this close to Christmas.

  Brooke chokes on her drink. “Um, I think Dylan is planning on getting into you, Mac.”

  The snort that leaves my mouth is neither clean nor classy. “Jesus, Brooke.”

  She just shrugs. “I can’t believe you expect anything less of me at this point.”

  Dylan laughs and then nuzzles my neck, making his way up to my ear before he whispers, “She’s not wrong, you know.”

  And the redness of my cheeks instantly matches the hue of Brooke’s margarita.

  ***

  “I’m starting to understand the magic people speak about at Christmas time.” Dylan’s arms encase me from behind as we wait among the crowd at the town hall for the annual Christmas tree lighting.

  “What do you mean?” he asks, his lips dangerously close to that spot just below my ear that makes me wet for him almost instantly.

  Turning in his arms to face him, I notice how red his cheeks are from the cold. The chill in the air bites my skin as well, but I know that later, Dylan will warm me up, so the sacrifice is worth it.

  “I don’t know. I’ve just never really been into Christmas, especially as an adult. It’s another family oriented holiday that my parents never made that big of a deal. We kind of just went through the motions because that’s what other people do. But it wasn’t this joyous couple of weeks leading up to a house full of family and trading gifts. We never went to Christmas tree lightings, for instance,” I say, waving my hand behind me at the tree that’s still not shining yet. “But there’s something about being here with you that makes it all seem more…”

  “Magical?” he finishes, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Yeah.” My lips find his and we press our bodies together, creating a fire between us that helps heat me up from the inside out.

  “The holidays are always better when you have people to spend it with that you care about. Don’t get me wrong, my family can drive me nuts sometimes—the bickering, the jokes, the noise. But when it comes down to it, I don’t know what I’d do without them, and for some reason the holidays always remind me to count my blessings. I think that’s true for a lot of people.”

  God, this man is one in a million. So honest, so forthcoming about his opinions and thoughts, so loyal and loving to those close to him.

  I am so in love with him.

  I’ve been dying to tell him, but I also don’t want to be that girl—the one that says it first, so the guy feels obligated to say it back, but then he doesn’t right away, so then you freak yourself out, thinking you said it too soon. And then you become angry and do that passive aggressive thing where you act like everything is fine, but it’s really not, until you explode and then the entire relationship falls apart.

  Yeah, I don’t want to be her, not that I have any experience with that or anything.

  “I really love your family, Dylan.”

  He kisses me again, giving me a soft swipe of his tongue before pulling away. “They love you too. They’re already buzzing about you coming over for Christmas. Which, by the way, they aren’t exactly sure what to get you.”

  “Well, I could always use a new beanie…”

  He cuts me off. “You can’t be serious, woman. I’ve seen your beanie collection. You are fine.”

  I fake annoyance and then turn around again in his arms, glancing down at my watch, noticing there’s only a few more minutes until the tree is supposed to light up.

  “I don’t know. I’m a simple girl. I like wine. I love sweets. Scarves are a nice addition to a beanie, especially in this weather.” My body shivers at that moment just as Dylan tightens his grip on me. “Oh, and I love notebooks! As a writer, I can never have too many of those.”

  I feel Dylan’s chest bounce against my back from his laughter. “I’ve noticed that too.”

  The few nights that Dylan has spent the night at my house, he’s seen me scribble notes randomly in notebooks. I have a few strategically placed for when inspiration strikes, like the one in my purse he saw me writing in long before he ever said hello. His favorite is the one I have in the bathroom. Some of my best plotting goes on in the shower, thank you very much, so it never hurts to be prepared.

  “Ladies and Gentleman, are you ready to see our tree this year?” The mayor’s voice booms through the sound system set up around the courtyard the hefty crowd has gathered in. Apparently the Christmas tree lighting is a traditional town event, but I haven’t been in the past two years I’ve lived here.

  Cheers and whistles rings out amongst the people as holiday music starts to play. “From all of us at town hall here in Castle, we want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Help us count down then. Ten, nine, eight…”

  The crowd joins in, Dylan’s voice echoing behind me as we finally reach one and the brightest lights on the biggest tree I’ve ever seen blare into the dark night sky. Giant white orbs gleam from the top to the bottom of the massive noble fir, the noise from the crowd growing louder for a few minutes before audible gasps and murmurs of merriment replace it.

  “Wow,” I whisper, feeling my eyes start to tear as I take in the red and silver balls placed strategically on the branches, the gold ribbon that wraps around the tree in a cascading line, and the blinking white lights that intermix with the solid ones that stay on consistently. A bright gold star shines on the top, casting a glow around it like something out of a movie.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dylan whispers in my ear before planting a kiss on my cheek.

  “One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

  “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, McKenzie.” The sincerity in his voice lets me know he’s not being cheesy this time, so I turn to face him.

  “I’m falling for you, Mac,” he breathes against my lips as my heart beat skyrockets.

  “I think I already fell,” I reply, feeling his grip tighten on my hips before his lips find mine, and Dylan gives me the most meaningful kiss I’ve ever experienced with the only man I want to kiss forever.

  Chapter 18

  Dylan

  By the time we get back to McKenzie’s place, we’re half frozen, but my body is raging with heat—the kind that builds and simmers knowing that the second we’re alone I get to bury myself inside of the woman I love.

  I told her I was falling for her, but was careful not to use the L-word, curious to see how she’d react. But her response was enough for me to know we are on the same page, so I’m thinking on Christmas I’ll tell her how I truly feel, seal the holiday with a memory that we’ll never forget.

  Once her front door is shut, it’s a race to see who can get naked the fastest. Naturally as a man, I have a few less items of clothing to take off, so I b
eat Mac in record time. But the peanut butter hot chocolate we drank at the event has now ran through me and I have to pee before we have sex. I’ve actually had to go for a while, but was holding it until we got back to her place.

  “Where are you going?” McKenzie calls after me as I race down her hallway naked.

  “I have to piss. I’m not gonna last if I don’t!”

  I hear her laughter as I shut the door and do my business, letting out a groan of satisfaction after holding it in for so long.

  When I exit, I see she’s not in the living room anymore, so I head for her room to find her snuggled under the blankets, shivering from the cold.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m freezing. I couldn’t stand out there and wait for you.” Her teeth are chattering as she’s speaking to me.

  I bolt for her bed, launching myself onto the mattress and she giggles as I fight the comforter to join her under the covers. Once I’m safely inside, I nestle my body up next to hers, feeling the icy temperature of her skin, trying to thaw her with my own internal heat.

  “Damn, you are cold.” I rub my palms over her hips and butt, hoping some friction will help warm her up.

  “Ugh. And you’re a freaking furnace. Why are you always so warm?” she whines as she turns and buries herself in my chest, trying to get impossibly close to my body. I can’t help it. I’ve always ran hot, even though I will admit it was ball numbingly cold out tonight.

  “Just know that I’ll always warm you up when you’re cold then.”

  We snuggle in close and relax as our toes defrost. “I like that.”

  After a bout of silence, I reiterate what I said earlier. “I meant what I said, Mac.”

  She peers up at me, reaching up to cup my jaw in her palm. “I know. And so did I.”

  I don’t waste another minute pressing my lips to hers, reigniting that fire that was simmering earlier, dousing it in gasoline so it engulfs us both in flames.

  McKenzie’s tongue still tastes like that peanut butter hot chocolate we had earlier, which basically tasted like drinking a Reese’s. In all honesty, I’m surprised I didn’t jiz in my pants earlier from the taste alone.