A Very Merry Christmas

by Lori Foster, Gemma Bruce

  She pushed up to one elbow. “I had no idea…” Her words trailed off into nothingness.

  “You’ll like it, Marci, trust me.”

  “Somehow I’m not as sure as you.”

  Moving closer to the bed, Ozzie clasped her ankle and said, “I’ve never hurt a woman.”

  “I know you wouldn’t on purpose, but…” She raised a brow at his erection.

  Half-laughing, Ozzie used his hold on her ankle to open her legs a little, then he stretched out over her. He cupped her face and looked into eyes round with uncertainty. “We’ll be a perfect fit.” His voice turned gruff with need. “I swear.”

  She nodded, but said, “It doesn’t seem…” Rather than finish that thought, she cleared her throat.

  “Seem what?”

  A frown marred her brow. “Why didn’t you tell me that you…?”

  She wasn’t finishing her sentences, and Ozzie managed another laugh. “That I wear a magnum extra large condom?” Her skin was so soft, he couldn’t stop stroking her cheeks. “Yeah, that’d be a conversation topic, wouldn’t it?”

  “Magnum extra large? That big?” She nodded. “I rest my case.”

  Done with the chitchat, Ozzie kissed her gently on the lips and said, “Open your legs more, Marci.”

  As if preparing for the unthinkable, she slowly sucked in a deep breath, and her legs parted more so that he naturally settled closer. His chest pressed her soft breasts, his erection nudged against the notch of her open legs.

  It wasn’t close enough.

  Watching her, Ozzie reached down between them and parted her soft sex. He didn’t enter her yet, he just rested against her. “Okay?”

  With his weight on her, she squirmed, and said, “Oh.”

  He pressed firmly against her little clitoris, and every movement she made stroked her along the ridge of his erection.

  Softly, he asked, “Feel good?”

  She licked her lips, and nodded.

  “How about this?” Shifting the smallest bit, he rocked forward and back, and was rewarded with a groan and the bite of her nails on his shoulders.

  “That’s what I thought.” Cupping her breasts in his hands, Ozzie kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’ll fill you up, honey. And you’ll hold me so snug. But I won’t hurt you. You’re almost ready for me. Can you feel how wet you’re getting?” He continued to move gently, holding himself in check to keep from rushing her. “Wet enough that I’ll go right in. And you’ll like it.”

  “Osbourne…” Showing blatant need, she held his face and kissed him deeply.

  From the very first time he’d seen Marci Churchill, Ozzie had felt drawn to her. Deep down, he’d known how perfect it’d be with her.

  Now he also knew that he loved the taste of her, her scent, the feel of her skin and hair. Her openness and sexual honesty.

  Marci was a little nuts, but not in a mean-spirited way. She’d focused on his size, but without lascivious glee. How could he keep himself distant from her, when on every level, she touched his heart?

  Marci was special, and he needed their time to be special, too. While Ozzie let her control the kiss, he teased her erect nipples with his thumbs and continued that subtle body friction, back and forth, wetter and hotter with each stroke.

  It seemed he’d been denying himself for a lifetime, and if she didn’t accept him soon, he’d embarrass himself. That thought no sooner entered his brain than she hooked her legs over his hips, wrapping herself around him.

  Out of desperation, Ozzie took that as an invitation to proceed.

  He drew back, and this time when he came forward, he sank into that wet heat.

  She broke the kiss with a gasp, her eyes closed, her lips parted. Watching her, gauging her every reaction, he pressed in farther. Her nails scored his shoulders, but he didn’t mind.

  “Easy,” he whispered, feeling her clench tight around him as he worked beyond the natural resistance of her body. He kissed her again, stifling her groan, holding her still as he squeezed in deeper and deeper. He wanted all of her. He wanted to bury himself in her.

  When her legs dropped to the side of him, her heels bracing against the mattress, he raised his head to look at her. She appeared dazed and excited, and very accepting.

  “A little more,” he encouraged.

  Her breathing turned ragged, and her slender frame went taut.

  He slipped one hand beneath her hips, tilted her up, and her body welcomed the rest of him.

  Marci arched into him.

  Ozzie held perfectly still.

  Sweat dampened his shoulders, and he felt his muscles quivering with the restraint. His cock throbbed and pulsed with the need for release.

  Through clenched teeth, he whispered, “Talk to me, Marci.”

  Instead, she moaned, not a moan of pain, but one of acute pleasure. Her arms went around his neck, her legs wound tight around his hips. She opened smoky blue eyes, and murmured low, “Osbourne…”

  He was a goner.

  Sealing his mouth over hers in a voracious kiss, he began thrusting, hard and fast, just as he’d warned her it would be.

  Unfortunately, she liked it enough that her internal muscles clamped around him, and she made small sounds of rising satisfaction that sent him right over the edge.

  He left her mouth to growl, “Sorry, so damn sorry…” and he came in a blinding rush that wiped all coherent thought from his mind.

  Marci held him, caressed him, moaned with him, and when the storm finally passed, she hugged him and put small, sweet kisses on his shoulder.

  Lethargy held him for long minutes. In Marci’s embrace, he basked in the afterglow of release, the complete elimination of tension and the relaxation of every muscle. It had been a long night and a frustrating morning. The day had passed into afternoon and he was suddenly so tired he couldn’t see straight.

  He was just about to doze off when Marci let out a shuddering, soft sigh. Ozzie returned to the here and now with startling speed.

  Oh, shit. Talk about blowing it.

  With much effort, he rolled to the side of her and tried to gather his wits. After that disappointing performance, he didn’t want to look at her. And with the way his legs still trembled, he wouldn’t even be able to make it up to her until he got some sleep.

  But he wouldn’t be a coward. He’d apologize. He’d man-up and promise to do better next time. Soon. Like in a few hours.

  Raising himself on one bent arm, he looked down at her, and was surprised to see her smiling at him.

  What the hell did she have to smile about?

  Ozzie frowned. “You okay?”

  The smile widened. “I’m terrific.”

  He glanced down over her naked body. Her legs were still parted, and one of her socks had fallen off, leaving a small foot bare. Her silky skin looked rosy. The light brown curls between her thighs were damp.

  Hell, maybe he didn’t need to sleep after all.

  He reached for her, and a distant bark carried over the wind.

  Groaning, he flopped back on the bed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The dog must have finally seen my car. He’s on his way in.”

  She crawled over the top of him and propped her pointy elbows on his chest. “That’s a problem?”

  “It’s just that he likes a lot of attention when I first get home.” Ozzie put both hands on her bottom and patted. Damn, but being this close to her felt nice. Talking with her was nice.

  Having sex with her had blown his mind.

  “You don’t like to give him attention?”

  “I do.” Her disgruntled frown eased. “But a sexy broad has pretty much taken all my steam. I’m beat.”

  “Oh.” Her lips curled again. “I can take care of him.”

  That smile was starting to get to him. “Let me up, woman, or we’ll be taking part in naked wrestling with a wet dog.”

  She moved off the bed, stood before him beautifully nude, and stretched. Without a speck of mod
esty, she bent and picked up her sweatshirt, then shrugged into it. “It’s chilly in here.”

  Ozzie still felt like a furnace, but he said, “I’ll adjust the heat.” He scooped up his jeans and then caught her arm. “Bathroom is this way.”

  Leading her out of the bedroom and a little way down the hall, he said, “Wait here. I’ll be right out.” He closed the bathroom door on her, rid himself of the condom, and splashed his face.

  God, he wanted to sleep for a week, but it’d seem pretty crass to bring a woman in, do a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, and then leave her to her own devices.

  He was such an ass.

  He pulled on his jeans and when he stepped out, Marci was peeking into the next room down.

  “That’s a guestroom. Granny’s room is at the end of the hall, with a sewing room in between. When I get to renovating, I plan to connect the bathroom and my bedroom, and turn the sewing room into a guest bath.”

  She trailed her fingers along a ragged piece of flocked wallpaper in the hall. “This place is huge.”

  “And run-down. Granny didn’t take much to change.” He gestured for her to use the bathroom. “Make yourself at home. I’ll go down to greet Grimshaw. Join us when you’re ready.”

  “Wait for me! I’ll only be a second.” And sure enough, she was in and out of the bathroom in a flash. Bare-assed and beautiful, she darted into his bedroom to retrieve her panties and jeans.

  They were halfway down the stairs when he heard the clicking of Grimshaw’s nails as he raced over the kitchen floor.

  Ozzie stepped in front of Marci. “Brace yourself.”

  A second later, tongue hanging out one side of his mouth, eyes wild with excitement, Grimshaw skidded around the corner. He saw Ozzie, and he howled with berserk rapture before pounding up the stairs in a blur of black fur.

  “Oh, Osbourne, he’s beautiful.”

  Ozzie sat on a step so the dog couldn’t knock him over and then Grimshaw was in his lap, wiggling and licking to the point that Ozzie couldn’t help but chuckle. He tried to get around Ozzie to inspect the newcomer, but his paws were frosty with snow and he was slobbering, so Ozzie played defense for Marci.

  He should have known it wasn’t necessary. With no hesitation at all, she sat down beside him and let Grimshaw shower her with affection.

  Turning her face, she avoided a doggy lick on the lips, and laughed. “You’re a wild one, aren’t you?”

  “He’s always like this,” Ozzie told Marci.

  “He’s relieved that you came back.” She stroked the dog as he moved back to Ozzie’s lap. “With the way your grandmother passed so suddenly, he’s never certain if you’ll leave him, too.”

  Ozzie froze at that awful thought. He hugged Grimshaw close and frowned at Marci. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  She smiled at the way Grimshaw rested his head on Ozzie’s shoulder. “Losing your grandmother has been really hard on him, and adjusting to your schedule isn’t easy, either. She didn’t work, did she?”

  “No. She didn’t have to. She owned the house and had enough in the bank to live off the interest.”

  “So she spent most of her time here with him.” With Grimshaw quieter now, Marci studied him. “She died in her sleep?”

  “Yeah.” How the hell had she known that?

  Ozzie had the weird suspicion that she was reading the dog’s mind. He shook his head at himself.

  “Granny wasn’t sick or anything. I spoke with her every day. One day she told me she was feeling tired, so she planned to go to bed early. She was always so full of energy, it worried me, so I told her I’d come out after work. When I got here that next morning, she was gone.”

  “Whenever she went into town to shop, or whenever she had an appointment, she took Grimshaw with her. He wasn’t left alone very often. That’s why he runs the property, to keep busy, to try to find someone to keep him company.” She scooted closer and held Grimshaw’s face up to hers. “Poor baby, you’re lonely, aren’t you?”

  Fury, fueled by guilt, rushed through Ozzie. “I have to work and I have to sleep.”

  “Oh, I know that. But he doesn’t. He’s just a dog. All he knows is that his days are suddenly long and empty.”

  “So what the hell would you have me do?”

  She put her arms around Grimshaw and hugged him tight. “You need to get him some permanent company.”

  Ozzie stiffened. “Uh…permanent company?”

  Did she mean herself?

  Was it such a repugnant idea?

  Marci nodded. “A friend to be here when you’re not.” Looking up at Ozzie, she stared him in the eyes. “I could make a really good suggestion, that is, if you’re interested.”

  And then she started smiling again.

  Five

  Osbourne looked like he’d swallowed his tongue. Why, she didn’t know. He obviously loved animals, and he had a big heart, so why would he be so stunned at her suggestion?

  “I don’t know about this, Marci. To be honest, after our discussion, I hadn’t expected you to push like this. I mean, why would you even want to, after that less-than-perfect performance of mine?”

  What in the world was he talking about? “Your performance?”

  “Well…yeah. I pretty much molested you.”

  Realization dawned. “Oh.” She grinned as pleasurable memories swirled through her, then she sat up away from the dog. “Your, er, performance seemed pretty perfect to me.”

  “Perfect?” If anything, he went more rigid. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Not at all. I liked it that you were all wild and out of control and turned on. It was exciting. You’re exciting.” Then in a whisper, “I’m sorry if I was a little precipitous in my reactions. But there were…sensations I’ve never felt before. And I’ve wanted you a very long time.”

  Heat shot into his face and he shoved to his feet. Hands on his hips, brows down in a hot glare, he stared at her for what felt like an eternity. “Are you telling me you came?”

  “Osbourne!” Marci covered the dog’s ears, but then thought better of that and stood to face him. In a quiet rush, she said, “We should discuss this in private.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. The dog doesn’t understand us, so answer me.”

  She tucked in her chin. “You don’t know?”

  He brought his nose close to hers. “I was a little preoccupied—and don’t you dare start smiling again.”

  Puckering her lips to keep the smile at bay, Marci stared at his sternum. She absolutely, positively, could not look him in the eyes while discussing this. “Yes.”

  “Yes what?”

  A glance at the dog proved they had his undivided attention. She went on tiptoe and breathed into Osbourne’s ear, “Yes, I climaxed.” And she thought to add, “You were wonderful. Thank you.”

  He clasped her shoulders and brought her into his chest. “You came?”

  She still couldn’t look at him. “Of course I did.”

  Then her feet left the floor and his mouth covered hers, and the dog started barking in glee. By the time Osbourne ended the kiss, she hung limp in his arms.

  His now-damp mouth lifted in a cocky grin. “All right.”

  Marci shook her head at him, totally confused.

  His tone gruff and indulgent, he said, “I suppose you can move in.”

  That brought her gaze to his. “What?”

  “You can keep Grimshaw company.” He lowered her feet to the floor and patted her butt. “We both welcome you.”

  Marci wasn’t at all sure she understood him. Hoping to clarify, she asked carefully, “You want me to move in with you?”

  Now he looked uncertain. “You said you wanted to.”

  “I did?”

  “Didn’t you?”

  She hadn’t. But she loved that idea. Surely, Osbourne wouldn’t make such an offer unless he cared for her beyond the sexual.

  “Marci?”

  She gave a firm nod. “Okay.”

&nbs
p; He groaned in grievous confusion. “Okay what?”

  “Okay, I’ll move in.” So that he couldn’t change his mind, she patted his chest and then hurried down the stairs. “Show me the rest of your house, then you can go on to bed and get some sleep.”

  Both he and Grimshaw were hot on her heels.

  “Damn it, Marci—”

  “You shouldn’t swear in front of the dog. You’re stressing him.”

  “He doesn’t understand me.”

  “Maybe not your words, but he feels your tension.”

  She was almost to the kitchen when Osbourne caught her elbow and spun her around. She landed in his arms, hugged up to his massive chest. “Enough, woman.”

  Loving the way he put things, Marci smiled.

  “And no more of that sappy smiling. It confuses me even more.”

  That made her laugh. “I smile when I’m happy. Forgive me.”

  “You said you had an idea of who should keep Grimshaw company. I assumed you meant—”

  “Myself? Oh, no, I would never be so presumptuous. But that is an excellent idea, and naturally I’d be thrilled to stay here and be his companion.” Even more, she’d love being Osbourne’s companion. However, she still wanted to fulfill her other plan. “The thing is, I also know a dog at a shelter that no one wants, but she’s wonderful and she’d fit right in here. She’s about Grimshaw’s age, and she’s very passive, so Grimshaw could remain the dominant male—much like his owner. She’s used to being kept outside, so all this land will be a joy to her.”

  If anything, Osbourne looked more furious. She worried about that, until he demanded, “What do you mean, she’s used to being outside?”

  Such a wonderful man. He was already worrying for the dog when he didn’t even know her. “Her previous owners kept her chained to an old car in the backyard. When they decided to move, they dropped her off at the shelter.”

  “Bastards.”

  “Yes.” Remembering the dog’s desolation put a very real pain in Marci’s heart. She pressed a hand there and her voice lowered. “She’s not the prettiest dog, Osbourne, but she has beautiful brown eyes and a gentle heart and she wants so badly to find a loving home. All she’s really known before now is neglect.”

  Osbourne’s hand covered hers. “How about you call the shelter and tell them we’ll take her? If the snow doesn’t get too thick, we can go pick her up tonight.”