A Marine for Christmas (Hearts Ablaze: Men in Uniform)

by Jameison, Makenna

  “What’s upstairs?” she challenged, knowing for the first time this afternoon that she was the one in control.

  “A bed.”

  He took hold of her hips, guiding her closer to him, and in a moment his hot mouth was once again on hers. The tongues intertwined and soon he was raising her sweater up and over her head and then desperately caressing her full breasts as she fumbled with the zipper on his jeans. They stumbled backward again, bumping into a low-back leather chair to the left of the sofa. “On second thought, this will do.”

  He gripped her shoulders and turned her around, bending her forward over the back of the sleek leather. He cupped her breasts as he stepped even closer, and her heart pounded in her chest. The leather felt cold against her bare skin and was in stark contrast to Jason’s heated flesh. “Trust me,” he whispered. She could feel his erection pushing up against her, and she felt a throbbing in her sex as she was suddenly desperate for him to take her. Jason gripped her hips in his strong hands, tilting her to meet him. The tip of his erection was pushing up against her wet entrance, and in one single, powerful thrust he was pushing inside her, filling her up with his immense girth.

  She gasped as her walls clasped around his manhood. What had been amazing earlier was unbelievable in this position. Jason began to thrust inside of her, pulling her hips back to meet his every movement. She closed her eyes, lost in the moment as Jason took all control, filling her up again and again. She was powerless bent over like this, and she gasped as he seemed to know just how to make her once again come undone. A moment later his fingers slid to where their sexes joined, and she moaned as they teased her swollen nub. “That’s it,” he murmured, seemingly more to himself than her. He caressed her there as his thrusts continued, and as the heat surged through her, she lost all control and once again screamed out his name.

  Jason grew even harder and released as well, holding her to him as he gave one more final thrust. “Amy,” he said reverently. “You have no idea how God Damn sexy you are.” He helped her stand up and then pulled her into his arms.

  She collapsed against his muscular chest and let him hold her, still in a daze from the powerful orgasm she’d just had. There was no way sex with him—with anyone—could get any hotter than that. He knew just what to do and exactly how to please her. She relaxed into their embrace, loving the feel of his skin against her own. A moment later Jason tipped her chin up toward him, cupping her cheek as he gently bent down and kissed her lips. “Now let’s go upstairs.”

  ***

  The next morning Jason blinked as he awoke, feeling the warmth, soft skin, and curves of a woman nestled in his arms. Amy’s small body was tucked so neatly into his own, it was as if she was made to be his. His head was beside hers, his arm across her, cupping one breast, and his growing erection was pushed up against her bare bottom. Hmmm, he would have to do something about that.

  Amy stirred beside him, and he whispered huskily into her ear. “I could get used to waking up beside you every morning.”

  “Mmm hmm,” she mumbled, turning over in his arms. “Oh,” she said, glancing down at his hard length. “Looks like you’re already awake.”

  “I couldn’t help it. Amy, you are so damn sexy….” He rose up, balancing his weight on one arm, and leaned down to kiss her. Desire filled his blue eyes, and she felt a stirring of her own as he slid his hand across her chest, caressing and squeezing her breast. “Let’s see if we can get you caught up….”

  An hour later they’d both showered and dressed and were sitting at Jason’s kitchen table. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything better to offer you,” he said, pulling frozen waffles from the toaster. “Next time I’ll make you breakfast.”

  “These are fine,” she said. “I have plenty of food at home anyway.”

  “Oh, I see. You’re not here for breakfast, so you were just using me for my body last night.” He flashed her a wicked grin, and Amy blushed despite herself.

  “Hey, I’m just teasing,” Jason said, walking over and planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

  “I know,” she said, pulling him back for another quick kiss.

  He met her gaze for a moment. “I like having you here in the morning.”

  “I like it, too,” she said, slightly surprised by her admission. Wasn’t it just a week ago that she’d told her friends she was swearing off men for a while? Jason finished making the coffee as Amy glanced outside. She was happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds. “I wonder if the schools will be closed tomorrow,” she mused.

  Jason looked toward the windows from across the room. “It doesn’t look that bad.”

  “No, but trust me. They close the schools here for anything.”

  “The base will be open I’m sure,” he said, his voice deep. He frowned as he opened the cupboards. In a way it felt like just like that he was back to business—back to the stoic, serious Marine he’d been before.

  Her cell phone beeped from the other room, and she went to retrieve her purse from where she’d left it yesterday afternoon.

  As she glanced down at her phone, she saw a text from Beth.

  Power’s still out!

  You guys want to come over? Amy typed back.

  Maybe later on. Heading out to breakfast now.

  Amy thought for a moment and then quickly sent her friend another message.

  Is it okay if I bring a guy to Thanksgiving?

  Yes!!!

  Amy laughed as she walked back into the kitchen. A little over-eager, perhaps? She knew Beth just wanted her to be happy though.

  Jason was setting two coffee mugs on the counter. “Everything okay?” he asked, glancing back at her.

  “Yeah, that was just a friend of mine. She lost power in her condo yesterday, and they still haven’t gotten it back.”

  “That’s crazy. It’s not even snowing anymore. Is she okay?”

  “Oh yeah, she’s fine. And as for the delay in restoring her power—well, that’s life in Virginia for you.”

  “I hope everything gets back in order soon. Both for your friend’s sake and everyone else around here. I need to get to work tomorrow and finish up a few things because I’ve got a plane to catch Tuesday afternoon.”

  “You’re leaving?” Amy asked, her heart sinking.

  “Yeah, I’m going to California for Thanksgiving. I’ll be staying there a week.”

  “Oh,” she said quietly, feeling slightly stunned and more than a little bit foolish. Why had she assumed he’d want to spend the holiday with her and her friends? Because she’d spent one night with him? It’s not like they were dating. I mean hell, technically that hadn’t even been on one single date. The night he drove her home from the restaurant was accidental, the evening at the art gallery was a bust. Did she really think that just because she’d slept with him he’d forgo seeing his family in California and spend the time with her instead?

  “So, do you take cream or sugar? Or just black?” Jason asked, turning toward her with a steaming cup.

  “Just black is fine,” she muttered, reaching for the mug he offered without meeting his gaze.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, sure,” she said, hoping he couldn’t detect the hint of sadness in her eyes. A moment ago life had felt perfect, and now suddenly she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. “You know, I should probably get going,” she said, setting the mug down on the table without even taking a sip.

  “Go?” Jason asked, looking surprised as she turned back around. “But we didn’t even have breakfast yet.”

  The uneasy feeling in her stomach was growing. If she didn’t leave soon, she was afraid she’d start to tear up right in front of him. It was ridiculous, really. Why had she assumed anything at all? Swallowing as she walked across the room, she refused to meet his gaze. “Yeah, I think it would be better if I just left.”

  “Look, Amy, if I did or said anything to upset you, let me know,” he said, catching her arm.

  “No,
it’s nothing,” she said, shaking him off as she walked down the hall and grabbed her coat from the chair. “Where are my boots?” she asked, frantically looking around.

  “Amy, please,” he said. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I told you; it’s nothing.”

  Jason sighed as she sat down and pulled her boots on. “Did something happen when your friend called?”

  “Beth? No, she just texted me to see how I was. Well, I did ask her if I could bring a date to Thanksgiving dinner. But apparently you’ll be gone all week, so I guess there’s no sense in inviting you. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d be around—that was my own fault.”

  A flash of understanding crossed Jason’s face. “Amy, I’m sorry. I made these plans months ago. Of course I’d love to spend the holiday with you, but I have to go to California. I promised my son I’d be there.”

  “You have a son?” she asked, staring at him disbelievingly. I mean yes, she didn’t know much about Jason. He’d lived across the street from her for months and all she’d known was that he was in the military, polite, kept his yard neat, and drove a black sports car. But during the past few weeks she’d learned a few other things: he grew up all over the world, his parents retired to California, he liked to run, he drank his coffee black—he was amazing in bed. But certainly one of the times they’d been talking and she’d slowly learned more about him he would have mentioned, at least in passing, that he had a son. Why would he keep that from her?

  “Yes,” he said, looking flustered. “I should have told you, but there just wasn’t a great time to bring it up yet. I’m in this custody battle with my ex-wife—”

  “You were married?” Really, the kicks just kept right on coming.

  “Yes.” He looked directly at her, his blue eyes intense. “When Kristin got pregnant, we decided to get married. We were never right for each other, and the marriage was over before it ever really began. But Brian, my son, has been living out in California with her. Now that I’m stationed in Virginia and not overseas, I’m hoping to get partial custody. It’s all up-in-the-air right now. There’s all this legal jargon that’s extremely confusing, and it’s frustrating for me to have Brian living on the other side of the country.”

  Amy stared at him, agape. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I know I should have told you, Amy. Especially before yesterday. But I just wanted to straighten things out first with Kristin—finalize the custody, figure out where everything stands. I still don’t even know what’s going to happen.”

  “You could have told me,” Amy said, shock still reverberating through her body. Everything she’d imagined Jason’s life to be was suddenly completely different. He wasn’t just a single bachelor living all alone. He had an ex-wife. A child. He had a whole other life that had absolutely nothing to do with her or the life he had here.

  “I know; it’s just been upsetting for me, dealing with all this. That’s why I don’t talk about it and hadn’t found a way to bring it up yet. You’ve been a distraction from it all.”

  “A distraction.” The tears welled up in her eyes as she stood from the sofa.

  “No, I didn’t mean it like that. You’ve been the one good thing about living out here. You don’t know what it’s like to never be able to see your own child. Someday when you have kids you’ll understand.”

  “Someday when I have kids.”

  “Well, yes,” Jason said, looking at her curiously. “You teach preschool. I just assumed—”

  “I can’t have children,” Amy snapped, the tears rolling down her cheeks. “So yes, I understand unfairness and frustration. And you still could have told me.”

  Jason looked shell-shocked and then seemed to come to and took a step toward her.

  “Don’t!” she shouted, holding her arms up to warn him to stay back. “Just don’t.”

  “Amy,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

  “I have to go,” she said tightly. “Don’t bother calling me again.”

  Jason watched as she slammed his front door, wondering how the morning could have gone from absolute perfection to this. One minute Amy was waking up in his arms, the next she was walking right out of his life. He rubbed a hand over his face, wondering if he should go after her. He was probably the very last person she wanted to speak with right now. Maybe he should just let her cool down and try to talk to her later on.

  He’d really stuck his foot in his mouth with the children comment, too. Of course he’d assumed she wanted kids—she was a preschool teacher who loved what she did. Leave it to his thoughtless remarks to hit her where it hurt the most. He wasn’t sure how to fix the damage he’d just done. It’s not like he could simply apologize for some mistake he’d made. Brian would still be in his life no matter what happened with the custody hearings. Amy could still never have children of her own. The question was, would Amy be able to accept any of that?

  Chapter 18

  The next few days dragged on and on. Amy’s students were all eager for the holiday, and they spent the week doing special activities. Her heart wasn’t in it though, because she was too distracted over her weekend with Jason. She hadn’t seen him at all since Sunday morning. He’d tried calling her despite her protests not to and had even tried knocking on her door one evening. She’d refused to answer, and he’d eventually just gone back home. She knew he was gone for real now, out in California for his Thanksgiving vacation. Nothing was worse than heading to work every morning and seeing his empty house across the street. If this wasn’t a good reason to never get involved with a neighbor, she wasn’t sure what was. In the future she’d have to only date men who lived far, far away.

  On Thanksgiving morning, she rose early and baked the promised pies for her friends. Normally she enjoyed baking, and for once she wished she’d taken on Melissa’s job of just picking up a few bottles of wine. The last time she’d spent hours in the kitchen she’d even carried over a plate of cookies just for Jason, she remembered sadly.

  That afternoon Amy sat down with her friends to a spectacular meal. Beth and Nick had outdone themselves with a wonderful roasted turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Kara and her husband Aaron had brought over some amazing appetizers for everyone to snack on before the meal, Melissa had brought an entire case of wine, and Amy had baked four different pies. She probably didn’t need that many for their small group, she realized, but everyone could take leftovers home to enjoy tomorrow.

  “Bethie, you outdid yourself,” Nick said as the meal was over. The group sat around the table in Beth and Nick’s condo, sipping on their wine and occasionally glancing over at Kara’s twin girls sleeping beside them. Miraculously they’d gotten both of them down for a nap just before dinner, so Kara and Aaron were able to enjoy their meal in peace and quiet. It was a small break that Amy was sure the two of them appreciated.

  “Thanks, Hon. Next year, you’re in charge of Thanksgiving dinner though.”

  The group all laughed, and Nick looked around sheepishly. “Hey, I helped with all the grocery shopping. And I did an awesome job chopping onions and celery for the stuffing.”

  “Top notch,” Aaron agreed with a laugh. “Now how are you at preparing baby bottles?”

  Everyone laughed again. “That, my friend, is one job I’ll leave to you,” Nick said. “That and the whole changing of dirty diapers.”

  “Oh God,” moaned Melissa. “And to think Michael and I could have been where you guys are next year. It’s awesome that you’re so happy, but I was this close to marital bliss and just like that Michael took it all away from me.”

  “Have you heard from him?” Amy asked.

  “He actually called me this morning, believe it or not. We were supposed to have Thanksgiving at his parents’ house this year, so I imagine he’s still there. His mother probably guilt-tripped him into calling me. I hadn’t heard a thing from him since that afternoon he came over to my place. Remember when I was
late to our girl’s night?”

  The rest of the girls all nodded. Amy thought maybe it would have been better if she hadn’t asked Melissa about him. It turned out she should have just changed the subject from men completely, because the next thing she knew, Beth was asking her about Jason.

  “So why didn’t you bring him along?” she asked, lovingly caressing Nick’s arm and tilting her head toward him as she looked over at Amy. “He would have been more than welcome—I told you that.”

  “Wait—bring who?” Melissa asked, glancing over at Amy.

  “No one,” Amy replied in the same moment that Beth answered “Jason.”

  “Jason?” Melissa asked, puzzled. “Wait—JASON Jason?”

  “Who’s JASON Jason?” Aaron asked, confused.

  “Don’t know but that’s an unfortunate name,” Nick countered.

  “All right, why don’t you two make yourself useful and start clearing the table,” Beth hinted. “The rest of us are in need of a little girl talk.”

  “Yeah, yeah, we can take a hint,” Nick begrudgingly joked, getting to his feet. He picked up his and Beth’s plates, then stacked them together, adding Melissa’s to the pile. Aaron gathered his, Kara’s, and Amy’s plates before following him into the kitchen.

  “All right,” Melissa said after they’d cleared the room. “You’ve been holding out on us, so SPILL.”

  “It’s nothing,” Amy said firmly, shaking her head. “I asked Beth if I could invite someone, and I didn’t.”

  “Well why not?” Melissa asked disbelievingly. “That boy was hot!”

  “He wasn’t honest with me about a lot of things,” Amy said with a shrug. “He wasn’t who I thought he was.” Beth was the only one she’d talked to about Jason. She of course had asked who Amy was bringing to dinner, and the whole sad story came out. She made her promise not to tell the others because she just didn’t feel like reliving it all over again. Yet now, here she was, having to explain away something she was hoping to keep buried.