12 Naughty Days of Christmas 2018

by Isabella Kole

  Finally, they were home again. The dogs were in the back yard and Jonathan even unloaded her sled and put it in the shed. Kelly plopped on the couch, closing her eyes.

  “You should change,” Jonathan said.

  “I like the way I am,” she snorted, intentionally misinterpreting him.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Yes. About that, we are going to talk, but not now. You need to get dressed into something warm and dry. You need to take some Tylenol, and then you need a nap. In that order.”

  She held out her hand and he gently tugged her to her feet; then he proceeded to undress her. She didn’t object, but was a willing ragdoll in his hands. Off came the snow pants, sweats and long underwear, until she was standing in only her bra and panties. Kelly shuffled into her bedroom, pointing at a flannel nightgown on the floor amid the refuse of every outfit he’d seen her wear that week.

  He hadn’t known she was a slob. He slipped the nightgown over her head and upraised arms. Then she leaned against his chest, her eyes already closed. He scooped her up and tossed her playfully on the bed. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled in beside her and pulled the covers up over them both.

  She shivered, but her cold fingers found their way beneath his sweater to stroke his warm skin. And then she fell asleep.

  Thoughts swirled through Jonathon’s mind. Nice thoughts, wicked ones. Erotic ones. This lovely, obstinate, impulsive woman asleep in his arms hadn’t just slipped into his heart. She’d taken it by storm and conquered it, and she’d done it effortlessly. She hadn’t flirted. She hadn’t flaunted. She’d simply been herself, and he adored her for it. But she was far too reckless! How was he to keep her safe without squashing her spirit? He didn’t know yet, but he’d have to do something soon, or her next trip to the emergency room could be her last.

  He thought back to his parents and their petty squabbles. They’d argued about silly things, inconsequential stuff, while ignoring the bigger issues and it had driven them apart. He hated it that Kelly had pretty much done the same thing. It wasn’t that she’d gone mushing this morning, knowing he wouldn’t approve, but that she’d snuck out. She hadn’t talked to him about it, which would have been the mature thing to do. She’d assumed how he would react, and so she’d simply avoided him. And that type of behavior would ultimately destroy a relationship. He had to make her understand that, right now, at the beginning, if they were to ever have a hope of making this work. Suddenly he knew just how to do that. She’d either accept his decision, or they’d walk away from each other.

  Still, lying in her bed with her snuggled into his side felt wonderful. It brought out every caveman protective instinct, almost overriding human reason. It was like she was part of him, Adam’s rib, that she was exactly where she belonged. He tightened his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

  Her cool fingers moved, drawing a small circle on his chest.

  “Good afternoon, sleepy head,” he said.

  “Hmm. It felt good to sleep, but I suppose I should get up,” she murmured.

  “We should talk.”

  She stiffened and would have pulled away if he had let her. “Jonathan, there is nothing to talk about.”

  “Fact: you thought I wouldn’t approve of you going mushing today, so you avoided me and went anyway. Correct?”

  “I took the dogs out because they needed to go. I just wanted to avoid a confrontation. And I did feel better.”

  “It wouldn’t have had to be a confrontation if we had just talked,” Jonathan insisted. “Communication is vital in a relationship, but you didn’t even allow me the curtesy of talking about it. I could have looked at your wrist, and maybe even offered to come with you, to help you.”

  She breathed in deeply and let it out. “I’m sorry,” she said then. “I guess you’re right.”

  “I had an interesting conversation with Zeb while we were out on the trail. He thinks you’re too reckless as well.”

  “He thinks all my dogs should be obedience trained. They’re not show dogs, they’re athletes! I don’t have time to teach them all to lie down and play dead, and it’s not going to make them run faster.”

  “Zeb called ‘whoa’ and his entire team came to a full stop. He got out of the sled and didn’t have to tie it to a tree to keep them from bolting. They were perfectly obedient. They weren’t jumping up and down like crazed lunatics.”

  “He’s also retired,” Kelly said defensively. “He has a lot of time to waste.”

  “Training a dog is not wasting time! If you want to continue to mush, you are going to have to invest more time in obedience training.”

  “Says who?”

  Jonathan rolled out of bed and helped her to her feet. She was stiff and unwilling, but he tipped her chin until she looked at him. “I say. I care about you, a lot. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I feel something between us, something powerful. And so, I’m going to give you what you deserve – a good spanking – not for mushing today, but for not talking to me. Then I’m going to make you dinner, and we’ll watch a movie. Tomorrow, we are going to talk again, and then we’ll see where we are in this relationship.”

  “What!” Kelly took a step back, but he held her good wrist firmly.

  Jonathan sat on the edge of her bed and guided her over his knee. Curiously, she didn’t struggle. Her thin nightgown wouldn’t have offered much protection, but it was easily lifted, revealing a skimpy pair of satin panties, which he left in place. Raising his arm, he brought his hand down sharply, smacking the satin panties again and again.

  Kelly gasped, and then she struggled. She tried to twist out of his grasp.

  He caught her legs between his and held her securely, never missing a beat as he continued her punishment. “You need to talk to me, Kelly,” he said, raining down smack after smack. “Together, we’ll work with your dogs. I’ve never had a dog, but always wanted one. We’ll take them to obedience classes together, until they are the best trained dogs in Kalamazoo. And you’ll never get hurt while mushing again.”

  “You can’t know that,” she blurted, still spirited even while trapped in the ignoble position. “Accidents are just that – accidents!”

  “But the ones that are preventable are ridiculous.”

  “Okay! Okay! I get it! Now stop this! Stop it now!”

  “I’ll stop when I’m ready, when I think you’ve learned this lesson.”

  “I have! Don’t go mushing without your permission! Stop!”

  Jonathan growled. He tugged her panties down then, noting the pink color and warmth of her bottom. The next few swats were stinging. “This is not about getting my permission, and you know it! This is about not sneaking around behind my back, but talking to me like a grownup.”

  “If it’s about being a grownup, then why are you treating me like a child?”

  “Because you’re acting like one.”

  Then the fight went out of her. She stopped squirming, stopped arguing, and just accepted the next few smacks. Jonathan figured he’d finally gotten through to her. He helped her up, then tugged her onto his lap. He held her tenderly, swaying a little as though rocking a child, and kissed her forehead.

  She snuggled in like she had while under the blankets and sniffed.

  He felt her tears dampen his shirt, heard her sniff again. He tugged a tissue from the box on her nightstand and handed it to her.

  She gave a blow, wiped her eyes, and then snuggled some more. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Sorry for what?” He had to know if she really understood.

  “You’re right. I avoided you to avoid a confrontation. I didn’t want to argue with you. I never thought about just having a conversation. You seemed so bossy in the bar that first night, that I didn’t think you would really hear me.”

  “We’re still just getting to know each other. I was pretty bossy that night. Frankly, I was surprised you even wanted to see me again. But there is a difference between me – your doctor, and me – your boy
friend. As your doctor, I had a right to give you orders regarding your wrist. As your boyfriend, there can be more give and take in our conversation. Trust me, talk to me, and I promise to listen to you. Okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Now, how about some delivery pizza and a Christmas movie?”

  “You really don’t cook? Come on, it’s the new thing. All guys cook, and most are pretty good at it.”

  He stood, never putting her down, instead carrying her to the living room. He sat on the faded green couch liberally covered with dog hair and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pressed the speed-dial code for his favorite pizzeria. “Well, I’m a good doctor, I’m good looking and I’m a pretty great catch as it is. If I cooked too, it would make me damn near insufferable.”

  Kelly giggled, as he’d intended. “Okay. I’ll give you a pass on that one, as long as you’re willing to eat out a lot. I don’t mind cooking, but it does get tiring.”

  “Deal.”

  He spent the night then, their first night together, but hopefully, only the first among many.

  Kelly eased out from under Jonathan’s arm, trying not to wake him. She’d waited as long as she could, but she simply had to run to the bathroom, and the dogs were pawing at the string of jingle bells hanging from the back door – one of the few tricks she’d taught them, their way of letting her know they needed to go out. She padded barefoot across the cold linoleum to take care of both tasks, then climbed back into bed.

  Jonathan pulled her in close, her backside nestled against his thighs, her head just beneath his chin. It was sweet and comforting for several moments, until she rubbed her cold bare feet against his legs. Then he cried out, gave her a shove and she landed on the floor with a thump.

  “What did you do – run barefoot through the snow?” he complained.

  She crawled on top of him, pinning his shoulders down playfully. “Yes, of course. I had to see if you had any life left in you. You sleep like the dead.”

  “Do not.”

  “Do to!”

  “This is mature.”

  “I never claimed to be a grownup,” Kelly said with an eloquent shrug of her shoulders. “Kids have more fun. What do you want to do today?”

  “Besides putting some socks on those ice cubes? I’m pretty much where I want to be,” Jonathan said.

  “No, no, no! There’s too much to do! We should take the dogs out again. And maybe go to the movies? I have to work tomorrow, and I don’t want to waste a single moment of the weekend.”

  Jonathan sat up, plumping the pillow behind him. He gazed at Kelly thoughtfully, pensively.

  She swallowed, wondering if this was point where he dumped her. She knew it – he was too good to be true. It had all just been a fling for him. She should have protected herself better. He probably had a girlfriend, or a string of girlfriends. Or maybe he realized that she was just too immature to be his girlfriend. She felt tears well up and her throat constricted. She turned away, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She had some dignity, after all. But she didn’t have much in the luck department.

  “Hey, hey,” he said, cupping her cheek and guiding her to look at him. “What’s up? Where did this come from?”

  She blinked, wiping the traitorous tears with the back of her hand. “Nothing. I, uh, I have morning allergies,” she lied.

  “It wasn’t in your medical file,” he said gruffly. “You want to rethink that answer, before I give you a spanking for lying?”

  “Okay! You’re going to dump me, aren’t you?” she blurted. “And it sucks! But I’ll be fine, really. Right as rain. So, go back to your bimbos and don’t worry about it.” She tried again to pull away, but Jonathan had a solid grip on her wrist.

  “I’m not going to dump you! Where did you get that idea from? I thought I made it clear yesterday that I think we have a chance at a relationship here. That’s why I spanked you. I wouldn’t have bothered if I were going to just dump you anyway. I care about you.”

  “But when I talked about doing something this afternoon, you pulled away. Like you didn’t want to do anything with me,” she whispered.

  “I was thinking about my Little Brother, and wondering if I should introduce you to him yet, or if it was too soon.”

  “You have a brother?”

  Jonathan nodded. “Sort of. I volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club, and I “adopted” a little brother. He’s Hispanic, ten years old, and the oldest of six kids. They only live about a mile from here, actually. I’ve never brought a girlfriend to see him, but I usually hang out with him on Sunday afternoons. So that’s what I was thinking.”

  “A little brother, not a girlfriend. That’s so sweet.”

  “So, do you like basketball?”

  “I like to watch it just fine. I’m too short to be any good.”

  “True. You probably aren’t any taller than he is!” Jonathan teased. “But he manages to sink quite a few baskets.”

  “Tell you what,” Kelly suggested. “Why don’t you spend the afternoon with your little brother, and I’ll do some laundry and housework. But when you get back, I want to go get a Christmas tree. Maybe you could bring your little brother along, and we can get one for his family too?”

  “Perfect! Now, let’s do something about those cold feet of yours, and crawl back under the covers for another ten minutes.” His eyes grew languid, sexy. Kelly had a good idea that he wasn’t interested in going back to sleep.

  “Ten minutes, huh? Is that all the longer it will take?”

  He growled, rolling over to pin her under him. “Hmm. Is that a challenge? I don’t need to be at Alberto’s until noon. We’ve got about five hours to fill. I bet you wear out before I do!”

  “Not me! I’m youthful,” she said, giggling as he rubbed his whisker-covered chin against her neck. “I have more energy than any ten year old. You’re the old man here!” She didn’t really mind that he was several years older than she was, but it was fun to tease him.

  Before long, though, his kisses grew more passionate, and the teasing became lovemaking. Then snuggling, a short nap, some more kissing and passion. She couldn’t remember the last time she had stayed in bed that long when she wasn’t sick – or if she’d ever done it. Something told her that she’d just begun a new Sunday morning habit.

  Chapter 4

  The basketball soared, arced, then dropped through the hoop. He’d won again. Jonathan had tried not to cream his little brother, but Alberto just didn’t seem that into the game today. Something was up. He had tried the direct approach of asking him, but Alberto just shook his head and said everything was fine. Jonathan rubbed his shoulder as though it was starting to hurt. “Do you mind if we quit for today?”

  Alberto shrugged. “Okay.”

  Now that wasn’t like him at all. Alberto loved basketball, but more than that, he loved the time he spent with Jonathan. It was always “Just one more! One more, please?” And he’d look at Jonathan with those big brown eyes and the innocent look and Jonathan would cave. It was time to bring out the big guns. “How about we get some ice cream?”

  For a moment, a spark of excitement filled the boy’s eyes, but then he looked down. One little hand swiped at his face and his shoulders began to shake. The kid was crying. Jonathan dropped the basketball to put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Alberto hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry, Jonco,” he mumbled, using a favored nickname. One of his younger siblings couldn’t quite say “Jonathan” and it came out sounding more like “Jonco.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for feeling sad,” Jonathan said quietly. “We all have off days. Come on, dry your eyes and tell me all about it over ice cream. Nothing seems so bad when you have hot fudge.”

  The boy nodded, sniffed, then straightened his thin shoulders. He forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, nodding his agreement.

  Jonathan brought the basketball back to the attendant and signed them both out of the youth club. The Dairy Queen was close enough to walk to in the summer, bu
t the temperature was dropping and a cold wind had moved in. He’d drive them today.

  Before long they were sitting at their favorite booth in the small franchise on Cork Street with brownie fudge sundaes in front of them. Alberto dug into his with normal kid enthusiasm. Whatever was up with him, it hadn’t affected his appetite.

  He wasn’t forthcoming with information, though, so Jonathan began the game of forty questions. “So, how’s your mom?”

  “She’s okay, I guess,” the boy said, licking hot fudge sauce from his knuckles.

  “And Maria?”

  “Fine.”

  “Lucia?”

  “Fine.”

  Jonathan went down the list. Alberto had four sisters and a baby brother. All of them were “fine.” Finally, he asked about the bastard of a dad the boy had, an alcoholic who had a tendency to be rough when he was drinking. Jonathan had been surreptitiously studying the boy for any sign of abuse, but hadn’t noticed any suspicious bruises.

  “He’s in jail,” Alberto blurted. He went back to eating his sundae, but the tears started again. Jonathan pushed a few napkins towards him. “And you miss him?” he coached.

  “No! I’m glad he’s in jail. I wish they’d keep him this time. But Mama’s worried about money. I said I’d get a job, but she won’t let me. But she said we won’t have Christmas this year. It’s okay, I mean, I’m big now, and I don’t mind much, but I feel bad for the little ones.”

  A stone settled in Jonathan’s stomach. He pushed the rest of his sundae aside. There were programs – Toys for Tots and such. But it was too late. Christmas was just around the corner, and most of those programs had already collected and distributed their bounty. Jonathan would make sure that Mrs. Sanchez signed up for federal assistance, but it would be weeks before she got anything, especially with many offices being closed or operating with fewer staff over the holidays. Jonathan could offer to buy presents for the entire family – but that was only a patch on the wound. He knew that she was very proud and would not want to accept charity.