by Fox,Cathryn
Did Nick have bondage tendencies? Did she?
Of course, none of the guys she’d been with had ever fully explored her desire or spent the time to understand her needs and pleasures.
Nick tossed a snowball at her, pulling her back to reality. “Hey, what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” When she glanced at him, his simmering blue eyes flitted over her face like he was studying the blush on her cheek, like he knew her every budding fetish.
She shook off the lust, slipped back into her skis and said, “Come on. Let’s get back. I’m getting hungry.” Except it wasn’t food she was hungry for.
Ten minutes later, they neared the mouth of the path and she could see her homestead off in the distance. She stopped to take a breath and from behind Nick put his mouth close to her ear. “Thanks for letting me tag along, Rachel.” The soft warmth of his voice made her weak.
Rachel sucked in air and closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds while she took a moment to formulate a response. “My pleasure,” she whispered, unable to believe how close she felt to Nick, how comfortable he was to be with, and how much fun they’d had together. An invisible tightness gathered around her heart, and she knew she’d gotten in way over her head. Everything from the way he touched her, shared private memories with her, to watching that sexy act with her had played havoc on her emotions.
How could she have let herself fall so hard? Then again, how could she not? He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man, and the truth was, she was already half in love with him before he’d ever set foot in her parents’ home. No wonder she couldn’t carry forth with her plan to seduce Luke.
She did a quick tally. Okay, so it appeared she couldn’t have Nick, yet she couldn’t bring herself to engage in a frivolous affair to help her forget him either.
So what the hell was she supposed to do now?
5
Arms folded, legs crossed, Nick leaned against the living room archway and perused the room. Tonight was Travis Denby’s annual Christmas party and an excited energy trickled though the Reddy house as the clan prepared food and gifts to take to their neighbors. The fresh scent of gingerbread and baked ham casserole wafted through the house, and Nick’s stomach grumbled in response. Bing Crosby crooned in the background and soft firelight danced along the poinsettia leaves lining the metal grate. Nick pushed off the wall, stepped over Murphy as he slept in front of the lively flames, and walked through the old house, examining the photos adorning the walls. From baby pictures right up to graduation, he could follow the progress of each offspring. His glance settled on Rachel’s beautiful smiling face and his heart clenched.
Rachel . . .
Over the last few days, Rachel had gone out of her way to fill his every waking hour with activities that she somehow knew he’d enjoy—activities that Mason wanted no part of because he didn’t quite have a taste for them. From sliding on the duck pond, snowball fights at the park, trekking up to her late Grandma’s cottage with Murphy in tow, to horse-drawn sleigh rides through the wintry trails, Rachel had given him everything he’d missed out on as a child. If she were trying to make this the best Christmas he’d ever had, she was doing a damned fine job.
As he moved through the archway and into the kitchen, something brushed against his hair and he glanced up. Mistletoe hung from every threshold and he couldn’t help but laugh. The good people of Haven really did have an affinity for the plant.
A tap came on the porch door just as Thomas came sauntering down the creaking staircase. Earlier in the evening when he’d come in smelling like wood and chain-saw oil, Margaret had ushered him up to the bathroom to shower and change before they made their way to the Travis’s. Unlike his own father, who’d always reeked of scotch and anger, Thomas was a wonderful man, an affectionate father, and a devoted and loving husband. In turn, it was easy to tell how much Margaret adored him by the way her face lit up whenever he entered the room. Even after all these years, they still acted like schoolkids around each other.
Damned if he didn’t want the exact same thing.
Standing just inside the kitchen archway, his heart lodged somewhere in his throat as he looked around, watching Margaret open the porch door for Buzzy, who came in carrying homemade pies and gifts, followed by Rachel’s big sister, Holly, and her new man. Cole.
This was the kind of family he’d always dreamed of having, the kind he’d missed out on while growing up. From warm cookies and sibling rivalry to Christmas parties and . . . mistletoe. Okay, okay, so he loved all the mistletoe God damn it! So what?
As Thomas made his way into the kitchen to help the women pack their goodies, Nick searched for Rachel. Through the kitchen archway, he spotted her near the mantel, examining Grandma Reddy’s stone. From the turmoil in her eyes, it was easy to tell how much she treasured Grandma as well as her prized possession. Rachel had told him all about the ruby and its so-called power, but truthfully, while the story was a heartwarming one, he didn’t put much faith in its magical abilities.
His glance raced over Rachel and his entire body shuddered. She was dressed in a hot little black number that hugged her curves to perfection—and she was undoubtedly the most gorgeous woman he’d ever set his eyes on. His gaze panned the length of her, taking pleasure in her lush backside, long sexy legs and . . . bare feet. God, if she didn’t start wearing socks soon she was going to be the death of him.
She darted a quick glance over her shoulder, then carefully gathered the stone into her hand. For a brief second her eyes slipped shut and her mouth was moving, like she was making some sort of secret Christmas wish with it. Which made him wonder exactly what she was wishing for, because despite his probing, she’d yet to tell him.
He made a move to go to her, but Buzzy touched his arm and stopped him. He turned to her. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed as she perused him. “Nick, are you having a nice Christmas?” she asked. “I see Rachel’s been keeping you busy outdoors.”
He shifted under her scrutinizing stare. Now how did she know that? Had she been keeping tabs on them? “Yeah, I’ve indulged in every outdoor winter experience that Haven has to offer.”
“Mason doesn’t seem to mind.” She gestured with a nod to Mason and Jack, who were both laughing over rum and eggnog at the kitchen table.
Nick shrugged. “Why would he?”
She pinched her lips, and little white lines formed around the edges of her crimson-colored mouth. “Those two look good together don’t you think?” She offered Nick an apologetic smile and put a comforting hand on his arm. “Don’t take it too hard, I never thought you two were right for each other anyway.”
Understanding hit like a wrecking ball. Nick held his hands up. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. Mason is my friend, not my partner.” Jesus, just because he’d come home with Mason for the holidays didn’t mean he was gay. He guessed Buzzy had never picked up on the “vibe” thing Mason had talked about.
Buzzy’s eyes widened in delight. “So you two were never partners?”
“Work partners, not lover partners,” he explained, and glanced over his shoulder to see Rachel pulling stockings out of a wicker basket. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to give Rachel a hand,” he said, and made his way past her.
Nick moved in beside Rachel and glanced at the stockings as she hung them one by one, and it was then he spotted one with his name stitched on it.
His entire world shifted and in a soft, barely audible tone, he asked, “Who did this?”
She gifted him with a dazzling smile as she secured his Rudolf stocking to the mantel next to Mason’s. “I did.”
He exhaled slowly, and the sudden urgent need to gather her into his arms and just hold her tight had his head spinning. Emotions clawed at his insides. “Why?” It was shocking how much that gesture affected him and warmed his darkest mental corners. As though moving on their own accord, their hands connected, her fingers curled though his, and he noted just how comforted he felt by her touch.
T
hey stared at each other for a long time, then Rachel broke the silence. Her voice hitched when she explained, “Because I told you, Nick. You’re here with Mason so that makes you one of the family.”
Breaking the intimate moment, Margaret moved in beside them, a tray of refreshments in her hand, and a strange new twinkle in her eyes. “Hey, you two.” They both turned to her and she pointed to the ceiling. Mistletoe hung in clumps above them and when Nick glanced back at Rachel he caught her moistening her lips, her dark eyes flaring hot.
In that instant, the air around them charged. Unable to help himself, Nick grinned and mimicked the kid from the skating pond. His gaze shifted to her lips, and his voice dropped an octave. “You gotta kiss her.”
Sweat collected on his forehead when he pressed his mouth to hers. At that first sweet touch, his heart twisted and his knees nearly gave out. Discretion aside, he pulled her in tighter. Her body molded against his as he stroked his tongue against hers, exploring, tasting . . . needing. As her warm familiar aroma enveloped him, his senses exploded and his cock thickened in his unforgiving dress pants. Oh Jesus . . . She tasted like cinnamon, sugar, honey, and candy.
She tasted like forever.
Some small coherent part of his brain heard Mason from the kitchen, then a click of the door as he made his way out to the driveway to warm up the vehicles. At the sound of his voice, Rachel abruptly broke the kiss. The temperature around them dropped a few degrees as she blinked up at him. Her eyes were dark, solemn, and he spotted a quick flash of angst before she hastily excused herself.
As he watched her dart across the room, his conversation with Buzzy suddenly rushed through his brain, and all the pieces of the puzzle known as Rachel fell into place. Oh Jesus, just like Buzzy, Rachel though he was Mason’s “partner,” as in Mason’s boyfriend, which completely explained her hot/cold behavior toward him. They clearly wanted each other, that feverish kiss had proven that, and both of their reasons for pushing the other one away centered around Mason.
His heart missed a beat. God, he loved her caring, nurturing nature, sacrificing her wants and desires for her brother, like any good sibling would. Honestly, he’d never met a woman quite like her, and expected he never would again.
He loved the way she responded to his caresses, his kisses. He loved the way she touched his heart and understood his every need. He loved the warmth and friendship and intimacy between them, but he especially loved how she went out of her way to give him the Christmas he’d missed out on as a child.
Hell, he loved a lot of things about her, or rather, he loved everything about her.
He loved her. . . .
Oh God, he loved her.
He glanced around, thinking about all the Haven festivities, the smiles, the lively conversation, the kisses under the mistletoe, the laughter, and the love. He wanted all this, but there was only one woman he wanted it with.
Rachel.
She was special and warm and loving and caring. She was fun and generous and kind. . . .
She was home.
The home he’d always longed for, and never thought he’d ever have. Maybe never thought he deserved to have until Rachel had shown him otherwise. Nick felt a strange fullness in his chest and taking a breath seemed almost impossible. What was between them wasn’t about wild flings or sexual affairs. This was about so much more. He sensed she felt it every bit as much as he did and, like him, was trying desperately to fight it. Oh God, he needed to talk to Mason. To confess his feelings. To tell him he was utterly in love with his sister. Nick had tried to keep his hands to himself, not wanting to jeopardize his business relationship with Mason, but once Mason understood that Nick wasn’t looking for a quick roll in the hay with his sister, that he wanted to play for keeps, surely that would change things.
After breaking the kiss with Nick, Rachel threw on her parka and boots and rushed outdoors. Forgoing a drive, she hustled to Travis’s on foot. She was so glad her baby sister, Tori, was coming home tonight because after that powerful, intimate moment, she really needed someone to talk to. Of course, she could always talk to Holly but she was so happy and so caught up in her new man that Rachel didn’t want to bring her down.
Travis greeted Rachel at the door with a big kiss, ushered her cold body into the warmth of his home, and took her coat. Inside the already crowded room, she made her way to the refreshment table, and was sipping on a glass of rum and eggnog when her family arrived. She watched Nick put his arm on Mason’s shoulders, pull him away from Jack and guide him to a secluded spot in the corner. From her distance she couldn’t hear the conversation, but by the look on Mason’s face and the intense way his glance kept going from Nick to Jack to her, and back to Nick again, she’d hazard a guess that it was a pretty serious one.
A few days previous, Rachel had vowed to give Nick the full Reddy Christmas experience, at the expense of her own emotions, that is. For some inexplicable reason fulfilling his lost childhood had become more important than her own well-being. But after that mind-numbing, soul-touching kiss, she knew she was done for.
She was completely and utterly in love with Nick, and any more time spent in his arms would be emotional suicide at best. But how, oh how, could a man who was gay kiss her with such fevered passion?
Feeling achy, hot, and needy, she’d spotted Sheriff Jack coming her way. She drew a rejuvenating breath and tried for casual, despite the turmoil brewing inside her. “Hey, Jack. How’s it going?”
“Not too bad. You?” He went to work on pouring himself a drink, and glanced over the trays of squares, tarts, cakes, and cookies.
“Couldn’t be better,” she lied. Unable to help herself, her attention strayed to Nick, and her eyes moved over his face. A second later, their gazes met and locked and bombarded her with want. As his visual caress slid over her skin, a shiver worked its way to the tips of her toes. Her focus shifted to the door in time to see Cole’s younger brother, wild man Jacob Wiley—the same Jacob Wiley she’d watched having sex—and Melissa Myers enter. Her jaw slackened. Nick turned to see what had garnered her attention.
Visions of the way Jacob had taken control of Melissa’s satisfaction rushed through her mind and aroused her. Every nerve ending in her body came alive, and her sex clenched with need. Conscious of the way Nick was watching her, she felt color rise high on her cheeks as she pictured his deft fingers tying her up and working her body in such a delicious manner. Her breath grew shallow and her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. Oh God, she couldn’t believe how much she wanted that, craved that. With Nick.
The sound of Jack’s voice brought her attention around to him. “Have you heard about Misty?”
“What about Misty?” Margaret asked as she stepped up beside them and reached for a glass.
Rachel’s father joined in, his eyes moving over the assortment of sweets with longing. “Yeah, what about Misty?”
“She went into early labor.” Jack paused to take a drink. “She was helping the police department hand out teddy bears, and I had to rush her to the hospital in the backseat of my car. It came on pretty quickly.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Is she okay?”
“Oh yeah, she’s fine. Josh arrived at the hospital shortly after we did. He’s with her now.” He paused to tap the scanner at his side. “I’m just waiting to hear more.”
Her mother filled her drink glass with punch, then questioned, “What about tomorrow’s parade, and the display at the department store? Who’s going to step in for the two of them and play Santa and Mrs. Claus?”
Thomas turned to Rachel and flung his big burly arm around her. “I’m sure Rachel would love to do it.”
Her mother piped in. “Oh Thomas, that’s a great idea. Maybe Nick could help out, too.”
“Hello?” Rachel waved her hand. Didn’t they realize she was standing right there? “I’m right here, maybe you should be asking me.”
Her mother’s blue eyes glistened like she knew something Rachel didn’t. “It�
��s a great idea, don’t you think, Rachel? Nick could play Santa and you could play Mrs. Claus.”
Rachel pursed her lips and gave an adamant shake of her head. “Actually, I—”
Nick stepped up behind her and pressed his chest against her back. He deliberately put his mouth next to her ear and the heat of his breath made her quiver and lose her train of thought. Distracted by his close proximity, she fumbled with her words. “I . . . we . . .”
“We’d be happy to,” Nick said.
6
The strangest emotions stole through Rachel as she watched Nick take on the role of Santa Claus wholeheartedly. Just listening to him chuckle jovially and seeing his juvenile antics—honestly, he really was simply a big kid at heart—had her laughing as she watched him, in spite of herself. Seated beside Nick in the department store Christmas display, dressed in her Mrs. Claus outfit, Rachel worked to keep herself composed as she kept his basket stocked with coloring books and candy canes.
One after another the kids came, whispering all their Christmas wishes and dreams to Santa. As the hours ticked by, the crowd began to dwindle and the department store soon cleared of shoppers. Rachel stretched out her arms and yawned when security started making their rounds and Sheriff Jack stopped by to offer his thanks for all their help.
Nick climbed from his big sleigh-like chair and turned to her. “Why don’t you go get changed Rachel? There are a few things I’d like to discuss with Jack, then I’ll come find you.”
Rachel saw the spark in Nick’s eyes and wondered what the hell was going on. Was Nick angry that Jack had been spending so much time with Mason? Or was it something else entirely? Either way, it was none of her business and she was itching to get out of the uncomfortable costume. All that fur around her neck—not to mention the wig—was giving her a rash, and the waistband was so tight it made it hard to breath. Obviously, Misty was a lot tinier than Rachel, or at least she used to be before her belly shook like a bowl full of jelly.
