A McKenzie Christmas
Page 1
McKenzie Brothers
Book 5.5
Lexi Buchanan
A McKenzie Christmas Copyright © 2015 Lexi Buchanan
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
Published by HFCA Publishing House
http://www.lexibuchanan.net
Editor: Sirena Van Schaik
Editor: Nadine Winningham
BETA Reader: Emma Clifton, Lynne Garlick
This book is a written act of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-1517774509
Other books by Lexi Buchanan
Bad Boy Rockers
Sizzle
Spicy
Sultry
Savor
Sinful
McKenzie Brothers
Seduce
The Wedding (Novella)
Rapture
Delight
Entice
Cherished
A McKenzie Christmas (Novella)
De La Fuente Family (McKenzie Spinoff)
Love in Montana
Love in Purgatory (Jan 2016)
Jackson Hole
From This Moment
When we Meet
New Beginning (2016)
Holiday Season
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Lawful
Gia 0.5 (Novella)
The Club
One Dance
Standalone
Educate Me
Rose and Jacob
28 Days ~ a romantic suspense (coming 2016)
Contents
Chapter 1 ~ Michael & Lily
Page 9
Chapter 2 ~ Sebastian & Carla
Page 31
Chapter 3 ~ Ruben & Rosie
Page 49
Chapter 4 ~ Lucien & Sabrina
Page 71
Chapter 5 ~ Christmas Eve
Page 87
Chapter 6 ~ Christmas Day
Page 105
Chapter 7 ~ Ramon & Noah
Page 109
(WARNING – M/M Sexual Explicit Chapter)
Epilogue ~ Twenty-Five Years Later
Page 119
Sneak Peak
Page 125
Chapter 1
Michael & Lily
Michael pulled Lily into his arms when she appeared after putting Sirena, their two month old baby, in her bassinet. “I talked to Sebastian and we’re closing McKenzie Holdings on the twenty-first until the fourth of January.” A grin split his face when she looked up at him in shock. “I don’t want to miss anything and I want to be around to help you with the children.” He caressed her face before he captured her hands and, with a slight tug, had her resting against his chest.
The fire in the hearth gave off a warm glow as the wood crackled and made the room cozy. That was one advantage to having an open fire and Lily loved how she felt romanced when Michael got the fire going. He always did it just for them.
The knowledge that her husband still wanted alone time with her, and that he would think of doing something she loved, gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. Oh, she knew he wanted to get lucky, but that could happen anywhere in the house with them. She just loved the romance behind the thought.
“You’re okay with having me underfoot?”
Lily leaned into her husband and kissed him. “Of course I am. I love having you home with us. You should know better than to ask.”
“You were quiet so you had me worried.” Michael slowly caressed Lily’s hip as she settled against him.
“I was thinking about how much I love you,” she admitted. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and our children.”
“I love you too, honey.” He wiggled his brows. “I have plans for you, Mrs. McKenzie.”
Lily grinned. “Is that a fact?”
“Hmm.” Michael nuzzled the curve of Lily’s neck and teased her with his mouth. “Don’t you want to know what those plans entail?”
Lily gave a sexy laugh. “I think I have a very good idea.”
Michael’s fingers massaged and caressed Lily until she was sprawled out beneath him on the sofa. The hard ridge of his arousal pressed against her core and set her on fire.
Her husband only had to look at her to spread a liquid fire throughout her body. She was one lucky lady.
As her arousal grew, her nipples hardened, and she felt dampness on her breasts as her milk started to leak. That was the only drawback to breastfeeding; her breasts were always full of milk for Sirena and it leaked heavily when she was aroused.
Michael shifted and captured her mouth with his as his tongue swept inside. His hands played along her hip and stomach, teasing her until she writhed under him, begging for him to fill her up. As she reached up to trace a path under Michael’s shirt, Sirena cried out from her bassinet.
Michael sighed and dropped his brow to Lily’s chest. “I’ll get her.” He quickly kissed Lily’s lips before he climbed off and made his way to their daughter.
As Lily straightened and rearranged some of her clothing, she watched Michael as he gently lifted Sirena into his arms. The little one had only been asleep thirty minutes, but, even from across the room, Lily could see her chomping on her fists as she looked for milk.
The bassinet had been set up against one wall in the living room so that she was close to her parents until they went to bed. Michael would then carry her upstairs and place her in the crib.
Carrying her over, Michael sat next to his wife and tried to cradle his wiggling daughter. She wouldn’t settle and wanted something that Michael couldn’t give her.
Lily knew the routine, Sirena wouldn’t settle for the night until she’d nuzzled on her mother a few more times. Usually around eleven, Sirena would have her last feeding of the night and then was settled until six the next morning. She couldn’t complain really because she did get unbroken sleep.
Opening her shirt, she unclipped her bra and revealed an engorged breast with milk leaking. She felt like a faucet with no off switch sometimes.
Michael placed Sirena into her arms, and she watched as his face softened when his daughter latched on to her nipple with a greedy grunt before she started to nurse. Sirena’s small fist rested against Lily’s breast.
This time around, parenthood was different. Sirena was breastfed at every feeding, but the twins had alternated between breast and bottle to give her a break.
*
“Do you miss being able to feed her?” Lily asked.
Something on his face must have given him away. Because, in truth, he did miss being able to give Sirena a bottle like he had with the twins. But how did he admit that without upsetting his wife? Upsetting Lily was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Michael, it’s okay. It’s written all over your face.” She offered him a small smile. “I struggle to express milk, but I’m thinking about trying a bottle each evening so I can have a little break. I thought you might like to give it to her.”
He nodded. “I’d love that.” He wrapped his arm around Lily’s shoulders and cradled his child in her mother’s arms. “I love you,” he whispered into Lily’s neck.
“I love you, too. Thank you for everything,” Lily whispered as she blinked back tears of happiness.
“Oh, sweetheart. It should be me thanking you.” Michael kissed her on the lips and groaned when the tips of their tongues met.
He craved intimate contact with h
is wife, but since she’d had Sirena, they’d only managed to make love a handful of times, and he was frustrated. Not just sexually frustrated, just frustrated in general.
Michael missed the alone time he used to spend with Lily before the twins arrived. Even after the twins arrived, they’d still managed to get time alone, which wasn’t rushed like it had become. Now that Sirena had arrived, their time together was limited. He knew Lily tried, but her time was always taken up with their children. He didn’t blame Lily and he knew it was just one of those things about having young children, but there were times when he felt lonely.
“You’re frustrated,” Lily observed. “I’m sorry.” She sighed and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “We need some time alone. Just the two of us with no interruptions.” Lily rested her head against Michael’s shoulder. “I miss you.”
“I can’t tell you enough how much I love you, and it won’t always be like this. Sirena is only a few months old, she’ll eventually start to settle earlier in the evening so that you’re not too exhausted to spend time cuddling with me.” Michael smiled, wanting her to know that she would always have him.
“We cuddle now, but I’m usually asleep within minutes of climbing into your arms.”
He chuckled. “If it’s any conciliation, I’m not usually that far behind you. Who knew having kids would be so exhausting?”
They chuckled together as they looked down at their now sleeping daughter. It was clear that Sirena had used Lily’s nipple as a soother.
He was uncomfortable behind his zipper. It was beautiful watching his wife nurse his child, but after, as she pulled the baby from her breast, her eyes dreamy with love and a soft smile on her lips, his heart stopped. The perfection of her skin on her bared breast made his fingers tingle with a desire to touch her. He’d become hard and horny as her eyes met his and a need flickered in her gaze. He’d probably come the minute he entered her with how aroused he was.
“Michael?” Lily pressed a hand against him.
He growled and gasped in pleasure as she stroked him, but he didn’t want to come in his pants, which was the way it was about to end.
“Don’t, babe.”
“But, you’re rock hard.”
“I’ll be fine.” He hoped. “Let’s get Sirena upstairs. It’s getting late.”
He stood and helped Lily to her feet while she cuddled their daughter against her chest.
Michael carried the bassinet upstairs and placed it on the stand in the corner of their bedroom. He watched as Lily bent and placed their daughter inside, who luckily stayed asleep.
*
Lily knew that Michael was frustrated with their lack of sex life since Sirena had been born, and she wished she knew what to do to prevent it from carrying on. She was exhausted on a daily basis with the twins and the new baby. Although she loved them completely, she wished she had energy left for her husband. He understood, but it was hurting her as much as it was him.
While she’d been mulling things over, Michael had gotten ready for bed in his black pajama bottoms before he climbed under the covers. Perhaps tonight she could make more of an effort to stay awake.
She kept her back to Michael and slipped a sexy babydoll nightshirt out of her drawer before she went into the bathroom.
With the door closed, she quickly washed her breasts to make sure there was no milk that lingered and then pulled the nightshirt on.
She turned and glanced at herself in the full-length mirror, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Her boobs looked huge in the outfit as they spilled over the top. They were definitely a lot bigger than before Sirena was born.
Michael loved her boobs, both before she’d had kids and after. He’d spend ages playing with them when they made love. She sighed. It had been ages since she felt close to him, but, hopefully, what she planned was a step in the right direction.
She opened the bathroom door and took two steps into the bedroom and then stopped short when she heard the soft snore coming from Michael. Lily’s eyes fixed on her husband in bed, and her heart sank. He’d fallen asleep.
Before her tears could fall she quickly made her way into the bathroom, closed the door and sat on the toilet seat. As her tears fell she tried to hold back her disappointment, but she felt so alone. It wasn’t Michael’s fault, and he constantly told her he loved her, and that he could wait. She’d just discovered that she couldn’t—she wanted to be with her husband, and not just a quick coupling to slack their lust like it had been lately.
They needed a night together without any interruptions.
Washing her face and changing into a button down shirt for bed, she thought about everything before she finally came up with a solution.
Michael headed downstairs and wondered why Lily hadn’t woken him up so he could help get the children dressed and breakfast made. Instead, she’d let him sleep in until ten, which had been unheard of since before the twins had been born. He’d obviously needed the sleep, but still…
Downstairs was quiet, although he heard voices coming from the living room, so he changed direction and headed that way.
He felt in his gut that something was wrong between him and Lily. He hadn’t pressured her at all over their lack of time together, whether that was talking or along the more intimate lines. But something wasn’t right and he decided there and then that he would get to the bottom of what was going on. The way to do that was to actually talk to his wife about something that didn’t involve their children, well, not directly involved at any rate.
“Michael, you sleepy head.” His mom shot up from her seat and rushed into his arms for a hug. She patted him on the back. “I can’t wait for Christmas this year with more grandchildren added into the mix.”
Michael smiled at his mom’s enthusiasm, and met Lily’s gaze over the top of her head.
“I’m looking forward to it as well.”
His mom pulled back and smiled. “Go and have breakfast with Lily in the kitchen while I watch these three.”
He didn’t move.
“Go on,” she insisted, and smiled.
Lily took his hand. “Come on. I have your favorite ready to be reheated.”
He could never refuse Lily anything.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” A shadow passed over Lily’s face as she led him into the kitchen, but he wondered whether or not he’d imagined it.
“You went out like a light last night so I thought I’d let you sleep.” She turned and smiled once the microwave started to countdown on the clock. “I knew that your mom would be here soon so I managed.” Lily walked straight into Michael’s arms and held him tight.
His hands caressed her curves, before they settled with stroking her dark curls down her back.
*
Lily breathed him into her lungs and didn’t want to release him when the microwave pinged that their pancakes were ready. So she didn’t. She continued to hold him as he held her, both happy to stand in the kitchen offering comfort to the other.
Unfortunately, Lily’s stomach rumbled and broke the silence.
She chuckled and stepped back. “I didn’t eat with the children. I wanted to wait for you.”
Lily placed the plate of pancakes onto the table and sat beside Michael to eat. They normally sat at opposite ends so that it was easier to supervise the twins, but she wanted to be close to her husband.
She’d already spoken to Pippa about maybe leaving the children overnight sometime soon. Pippa had been giddy with excitement at the thought, but Lily wasn’t too sure that she was ready to part with Sirena. She wasn’t far off three months old, but like with the twins, she felt attached to her and didn’t want her or the twins out of her sight. Pippa had suggested that they all go somewhere together, but that she’d keep the children in the room with her. That idea had sounded good, except it defeated the idea of Mommy and Daddy having some alone time. What she needed to do was go for it, and in her mind she knew that she’d already made that decision because Sirena’s breakf
ast had been a bottle.
“I’ve been thinking,” she started to broach the subject, “that maybe we could have a night away somewhere.”
Michael stopped eating, and looked so damn hopeful that it was all she could do not to laugh.
“Maybe close by, though, in case we need to get back to the children, but I think I can do one night.” Lily met her husband’s gaze.
“Are you sure that you’re ready to leave Sirena?” He frowned. “I remember how it took months for you to let the twins out of your sight.”
“I don’t think I’m as bad this time. I mean, I go shopping without her and the twins, even though I’m only usually gone a couple of hours.”
“This is different.”
“I know it is.” She smiled. “I gave Sirena a bottle while the twins ate their breakfast.”
Michael put his cutlery down. “You did?”
Lily nodded. “I could see your mom itching to do it, but I told her that I needed you to be the first one other than me to feed her.”
Michael scrapped his chair on the floor to get closer to his wife. With her face cupped in his hands, he told her, “If you are serious about a night away, then let me arrange it.”
She nodded.
“I promise we’ll be close to home.” He kissed her on the lips.
“Just give me about a week to get Sirena used to bottles and someone else feeding her. Hopefully, after that, we’ll be good to go.”
“I can do that.”
“Don’t you want your breakfast,” Lily asked, knowing he was too distracted with wicked thoughts. “Michael, they’ll be cold.”
“I’ll enjoy them just the same.”
The rest of their breakfast was eaten in a comfortable silence, while they were both lost in their own thoughts about their night away.
A week before Christmas, and two days before her night away with Michael, Lily dashed around town to finish her shopping for the children. It wasn’t often that she had time to herself. She certainly had her hands full, and had since she met Michael. He was the love of her life and she’d be lost without him. Not a day went by without them telling each other what the other meant to them. Which was why she was happy that she asked him for a night away. It would just be the two of them with no one else to consider. She was nervous about leaving Sirena, but she knew that her youngest daughter, and the twins, would be in good hands with Michael’s mom.