Her fingers reach down and play with my balls as I slide my hand down her stomach, over her hip bone, and slip it right between her legs. I press two fingers inside her wet opening and she arches her back a little. And when I glance up at her face, she’s got her eyes closed and she’s biting her lip.
I want to wait. I want to explore her body and play with her pussy forever.
But she takes that decision away from me when she maneuvers her legs over me and takes over, becoming the bossy bride she was always meant to be.
She rubs her pussy over the top of my cock as she holds my face in her hands and kisses my lips. Then she reaches down with one hand, slips my cock inside her, and begins to move.
It’s a slow rocking motion. And her breasts slide up and down my chest as she sinks down on my cock.
I give up. Hell, I give up. I smile and let her have her way.
No words are said as we make love.
They’re just not necessary.
Time passes, or it doesn’t.
Memories are made or maybe remembered.
Love is long and lasts for moments that drag on forever.
Happiness is found and all our mistakes are forgiven.
When I wake up, I’m alone and Miles is standing over my naked body holding a sterling silver tray in one hand and matching silver tongs gripping a small white towel in the other.
And somehow… this seems right.
I chuckle and stare up at him through one half-cracked eye. “Miles, my man. What’s up?”
“I have a lemon-scented hot towel for you, sir.”
I point at him. “You’re even cooler today than you were yesterday, you know that, Miles?”
“I do, sir.”
“Hey!” I sit up. “What happened at the poker game?”
“I didn’t play, sir. I helped the Kraken plan the wedding.”
“Aww, shit. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, sir. It was my pleasure. And exceeding expectations is part of my job description.”
“But the trip was my Christmas present to you.” I swing my legs over the side of the bed, grab the towel and wipe my face with it, then look up at him. “Now I’ll have to think of something else.”
“I have a request, sir. If you’re strapped for ideas.”
“Hit me, Miles. I’m all ears. I can’t fuckin’ wait to hear your request.” I peek at the spread on the silver tray, then take a small bowl of Barbie and Ken rolls and pour them into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully as I try to imagine what kind of present Miles would be interested in. A nice watch? A new suit? A crazy Vegas wedding for himself and Christopher?
“I would like you to kill someone.”
I spit out the half-chewed cinnamon rolls and start coughing. He slaps me on the back and gives me a minute.
“What?” I finally manage to croak.
“Kidding.” He flashes half a smile. “We both know you’re not the killer in the family.”
I point at him again. “You’re a dick, you know that, Miles?”
“I do, sir.”
“Seriously, what do you want for your present? I’m kinda rich, so don’t be shy. But I’m not gonna kill anyone. I really don’t have it in me.”
“Of course not, sir. I would like for you to help out Mr. Dumas. He’s in a spot.”
“Jack?”
“No, sir. Alonzo. He’s in some trouble and requires assistance. But he won’t ask. He can’t tell Tony what he’s been up to because he will never hear the end of it, his father is busy with other things, Luke is in the middle of a blissful sexual threesome, Johnny doesn’t like him, and while Joey did build his current life on a bed of lies, he’s not really the man for the job. So that leaves you.”
“Wait.” I put up a hand. “What the fuck are you talking about? What job?”
“Alonzo, sir. He’s having… girl trouble.”
I bark out a laugh so loud, Miles takes a step back. “Alonzo needs my help with a girl?”
“He does, sir. When I signed on to work for Miss Dumas, now Mrs. Boston, I signed on to take care of her whole family. And I have noticed that Alonzo is struggling in the love department. He has trouble opening up and I feel like you have mastered this particular skill. At the very least you are the first to make it official.” He stops and smiles.
I wait for more info, but he seems to have finished his little speech.
I let out a long breath. “Miles?”
“Yes, sir?”
“I feel like you’re not quite grasping the meaning of the word ‘present.’ When a billionaire offers you the gift of your choice you ask for… I dunno. A fancy car, or a racehorse, or hell, a Fabergé egg, if that’s your thing. You do not ask him to give his brother-in-law love lessons.”
“I understand, sir.”
“OK.” I nod “OK. Then… what kind of present do you want?”
“I would like you to give Alonzo love lessons, sir.”
“No, Miles! My man. That’s not—”
“Knock, knock!” The pocket door is sliding open as these words come out of Emma’s mouth. “You awake, Mr. Boston?”
“Hey, Mrs. Boston,” I say, smiling up at my wife. “I’m up.”
She glances down at my morning wood and chuckles. “I can see that. But Christopher tells me we’re about to land, so get dressed. It’s Christmas! And I have a very, very special present planned for you.” She waggles her eyebrows at me.
“Oh!” I laugh. “OK, then! I’ll be right out.”
She closes the door and I turn back to Miles. “Miles, don’t ask me to do this. That dude hates my guts. Like, he seriously planned the skydiving hoping I’d die. Or at the very least be seriously injured. I’m really not the man for the job.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Great. So what can I get you?”
“Love lessons for Alonzo, sir.”
I throw up my hands. “That’s not how you play!”
“I know, sir. You’re the expert. That’s why Alonzo needs you.”
“How do you even know he needs me?”
“I spy on him, sir.”
“Wait, what?”
“I spy on all of you, sir. My organization is… equipped for such things.”
“What organization?”
“Jesse!” Emma calls from the middle cabin. “We’re landing!”
“Coming!” I stand up and start pulling on my pants, then direct my attention back to Miles. “Like… the Worldwide Butlers’ Club?”
“Precisely, sir.”
“That was a joke, Miles. Who do you work for?”
“Jesse!”
“Jesus Christ, Emma. I’m coming!” I point at Miles. “We’re not done here.”
“We are, sir. I’ll forward you all my info via email. Merry Christmas.” Then he walks to the door, opens it up, and slides it closed behind him.
I let out a long breath. Alonzo?
Nope. I’m gonna go buy Miles a nice watch and call it good.
I find my shirt and shoes, finish getting dressed, and then join Emma at the breakfast table just as we begin our descent.
“Quick,” she says, pointing to the table. “Eat. Because once we land, we have things to do.”
“What things?” I ask, grabbing a piece of toast and shoving it in my mouth. “What does the Dumas family do on Christmas Day? Oh, do we get to have a make-up dinner because we missed last night? God, I hope so. I’m starving.”
“Mmmm… no,” Emma says, shrugging her shoulders up to her ears as she grins big.
“Sailing? Diving? Water-skiing? What else do you guys do? Oh, I know—fishing. Are we going fishing?”
“Nope.” She’s still grinning like a mad woman.
“Then why are we in a hurry?” I look down at the breakfast. I could eat this whole table, that’s how hungry I am.
“You’ll see.” And just as she says that, the jet lands and we brake hard. “But I’m gonna need you to put these on.”
I glance at the headph
ones Emma is offering me. “What?”
“Just put them on. And this too.” She opens one closed fist to reveal a blindfold.
“Mrs. Boston,” I say.
“Mr. Boston?”
“What the hell are you up to?”
“You’ll see. Just put them on. Trust me, you don’t want to ruin this surprise.”
“It’s a Christmas present?”
“Yes, it’s a Christmas present.” She shakes the headphones at me.
“Is it a Lamborghini?”
“No.” She chuckles. “We already have one of those.”
“Hmm. Is it… a sex toy?”
“Jesse Boston!”
“What? That’s what people use headphones and blindfolds for, right?”
She gets up out of her seat, even though we’re still taxiing, and walks around the table, slips the blindfold over my eyes, and slaps the headphones over my ears. Then she pulls one away from my ear, leans into me, and whispers, “Do not even think about peeking, mister.”
“Bossy,” I say.
She lets the headphone slap back against my head and music starts to play. Classical music with the volume turned way, way up. So I literally cannot hear a damn thing.
Once the jet has stopped, she leads me out. It’s a little chilly this morning in Key West, and I suddenly hope we’re not going diving. I hate being in the water when it’s cold.
Emma leads me by the arm. I try to pay attention. Try to figure out where we’re at. I’m pretty familiar with the Key West airport. We fly in to the jet club a lot. But I can’t, for the life of me, figure out exactly where we are in the club without eyes and ears.
She’s probably taking me to the marina. I bet there’s a yacht involved. Maybe she didn’t buy me one, but she knows how much I love sailing.
Or maybe we’re going back to her parents’ house for a huge reception. I can see Emma wanting total control over the wedding reception since her bossy mom and Kraken Karen actually did get their way in all things Baby Boston wedding.
Or maybe… she’s taking me to a five-star hotel and when she takes this blindfold off, she’ll be standing there in kinky lingerie, ready for another wedding night?
I like all these ideas as she puts a hand on my head, indicating I should duck and get into the waiting car. I’m actually pretty excited about this little surprise she’s cooked up.
Then the car is moving. But… the drive is kinda long. And there’s a lot of traffic because it feels like every minute or so we stop to wait at a light.
Where the hell are we?
Finally we stop and I’m helped out of the car. Emma’s hand finds mine and we’re walking again. Definitely outside. And it’s not Key West. I know this for sure now. It’s cold.
But pretty soon we’re inside again. Then we’re on an elevator.
I think I’ve been a good sport so far, but now I’m dying! Like… dying to know what the hell is happening. Because it’s Christmas and if we’re not in Key West—holy shit. My new mother-in-law is gonna kill me if we don’t show up for Christmas.
Missing Christmas Eve for a crazy wedding she planned? Yeah, New Mom is all over that. On board, as they say. But missing the day?
Nah. I’m dead. I’m so dead when we get back in Key West.
Then we stop. I reach for my blindfold, convinced it’s time. But Emma’s hand stops me. Then she lifts one headphone away from my ear and says, “OK. We’re here. Are you ready for your Christmas present, husband of mine?”
I grin like a kid. “So ready. Hit me, Emma. Hit me with your best shot.”
She giggles. “I’m starting to think you have a thing for Pat Benatar.”
“I have a thing for you.”
“OK. Here we go.” She lifts the headphones off my head, then whispers, “Take off your blindfold.”
For a moment I’m super nervous and I hesitate. Because something about this place feels… familiar. And then… I know.
I know where we are.
I lift the blindfold up and off, holding it tight in my hand.
And I just look around in wonder.
A massive Christmas tree is in front of the window that has too many panes of glass. So many it looks like a checkerboard. Underneath are mounds of presents, some wrapped for Christmas, some for a wedding reception. And right next to it is the Santa Machine.
The entire dining room is filled with food. Turkey, and ham, and a seven-tier wedding cake. There is a roaring fire in the fireplace and hanging from the mantle are stockings.
A lot of stockings and these stockings have names.
But the names I really pay attention to are written in little-boy cursive with red glitter glue.
Then I look at Johnny and shake my head. “What’s going on?”
I know what’s going on. I just don’t understand it. We’re in the Bossy Building. Up on the family floor. The whole place is decked out for Christmas. Like… I’m starting to think Joey or Johnny ripped off a department store, that’s how huge this Christmas display is.
Johnny lets go of Megan’s hand and walks across the living room, his puppy, Jasper, trotting at his heels. It’s a massive room, filled with couches and chairs arranged into many mini-seating areas. And as he crosses, he passes many people.
All the people.
All my people.
The whole Dumas family. Silvia, Jack, Alonzo, Tony, and Luke.
The whole Boston family. Zach, and Joey, and Brooke, and Huck, and Wald, and even Maisy, and Malinda, and Michael Conner are here.
And Mila. And Diego. And Stephanie and Donny.
And Hannah and Darrel.
Even Natalie and her two boys.
Hell, even Key West Naked Girl is here, standing right between Luke and Zach. Everyone is here.
Johnny finally reaches me. He places both hands on my shoulders, just like he did last night. And he looks right into my eyes. “I know what I said last night. We are allowed to love each other any way we want. And we don’t need”—he pans his hand at the room and all it contains—“we don’t need all this to show that love. But you know what, brother?”
“What?” I whisper, searching his eyes for the answer.
“It’s time we let go of what we missed out on and embrace what we have.”
And that’s when I realize something.
I knew that already.
Chapter Twenty-Two
There’s a long moment of silence when I fear that I’ve overstepped. Jesse left this place. He left the Bossy Building behind and he said he never wanted to go back. All four of these Boston boys left this place and never wanted to come back.
But… why? Why walk away from your home just because that home looks nothing like it should? Why give up on who you are just because it’s hard to define and even harder to understand?
I have been planning this for weeks now. It took me several conversations to get Johnny and Joey on board. But Zach was my ally. Zach was the only way this Christmas present happened. He talked to them for me. He convinced them that this was a good thing and Jesse—hell, all of them—deserve to be here. This is their home. Good or bad, like it or not, this is where they grew up. Nothing can ever change that.
“But you know what can change?” Zach told them. “Us. We can change. We can look for the good in our past instead of the bad. And we can start doing that this year by picking up where we left off and making it better. Even though there’s never been a Christmas tradition at the Bossy, there can be now.”
I was so sure this was the right move.
And then Jesse told me how sad this place made him and I second-guessed.
But by Christmas Eve, it was too late. I had already convinced my parents and brothers that we needed to be here, not down in Key West, for Christmas Day. I had already put my foot down and told them we needed to share this holiday from now on. And even though everyone grumbled about it right up to Christmas week, after that wedding they planned for me, they knew they had to do this.
Maybe A
lonzo isn’t here for Jesse, but he is here for me.
Then I had to convince Mila, Hannah, and Natalie that we’re a family and they had to come too. So they rearranged their holiday—twice, actually. Since I bossed them into this party at the Bossy and my mother bossed them into the wedding in Vegas.
It was a lot of work but it felt right.
It still feels right.
But will Jesse agree?
Johnny withdraws his hands from Jesse’s shoulders and I bite my lip, waiting for Jesse’s reaction. And when he looks at me I say, “Surprise!” in a small, unsure voice.
He takes a deep, deep breath. Then he smiles and points his finger at me. “Well, played, Mrs. Boston. Well played.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. But”—he holds up his hand—“you’re not gonna win this one, you know.”
“Win? What?”
“The one-up Christmas game. Because lady…” He steps forward towards me, turns and places both his hands on my cheeks, and kisses me. And in this kiss he whispers, “I got you a present money can’t buy.”
I giggle into our kiss. “What’s that, Mr. Boston?”
He takes a step back and snaps his fingers. Then Joey is in motion. He darts over to the tree, fishes around for a present, and holds it up like a prize. “Got it!” He beams a smile at me as he hurries over to Jesse to hand it to him.
Jesse takes it. It’s a beautifully wrapped gift. I can’t figure out if it’s a wedding gift or a Christmas gift. The paper is silver with blue bells on it and that could go either way.
Jesse holds it up. “Emma, I only have one regret. Just one. I wish I could’ve been there for the thirteen years I missed with you. And I wish you could’ve been there for the thirteen years you missed with me. So I made you this.”
“Actually,” Huck says, holding up a finger, “this was my idea.”
“Shut up, Huck,” Jesse growls.
Huck puts up surrender hands. “I’m just saying.”
Jesse glares at him. But then he says, “We”—as he looks around the room at our family and friends—“we did this. For you. And me too. So… I hope you like it.”
A Billionaire for Christmas Page 47
