Her Plus One: Stand-alone Friends to Lovers, Military, Boy Next Door, Home for the Holidays (Pine Haven Holiday Romance Book 1)

by Jenn Sable

  Her fingers brushed over mine briefly, and her musical giggle caused warmth to flood into my chest. I wanted to hear it again. I wanted to hear it with her face pressed close to mine when she was breathless from me kissing her.

  "Get in here; it's cold."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  I stepped over the threshold of her little cottage and was immediately captivated by the smell of cinnamon, apple, and firewood. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of her house. Although the bungalow looked positively tiny from the road, it ran deep, and the rooms were spacious.

  The great room stretched across the side of her house, and bookcases banked a vast stone fireplace, large windows ran along the front and back walls. The room was painted a deep midnight blue that gave it a magical quality, just like its owner. A sizable cream-colored couch floated like a cloud in front of the fireplace, heaped with soft throw blankets and all sizes of autumn-inspired pillows.

  I immediately imagined Melissa wrapped in one of the throw blankets, waiting for me, soft and naked underneath.

  "What do you think?"

  If only I could tell you.

  I swept my gaze across the great room, then locked my gaze with her warm-brown eyes. "I think it screams Melissa."

  Her brow shot up, and her smile was curious. "What exactly about it screams Melissa?"

  My lips twitched, and I turned so I stood directly in front of her. Soft heat emanated from her body, and it melted my brain. "For one, it's warm."

  Her soft gasp went straight to my crotch. My voice turned husky, and the air seemed to thicken around us. "It smells nice. Like something I want to eat."

  My eyes trailed down her neck and traced over the bit of exposed collarbone, and settled on the soft dip above her sternum. I wanted to run my lips along it and whisper against her skin how much I adored her and how seeing the smallest bit of her moonlight-pale, soft skin made my shaft start to thicken.

  I felt my eyes start to darken with desire and loved how her breathing grew erratic under my gaze. The swells of her breasts pressed against the material of her fuzzy sweatshirt with each inhale, luring the primal animal within me.

  Fuck it.

  "It's a mixture," I reached out and gently twisted a lock of her hair around my fingers, "of beautiful, dark elements."

  The silky stands slid away, and I rubbed the back of a knuckle along her ethereal cheek. "And light ones."

  Her lips parted, and her bottom lip hung heavy like a ripe plum that needed to be plucked. I knew that if I traced my thumb over it, I'd lose my battle with my inner animal. I'd have her pressed against the wall and take her mouth with mine until she was breathless.

  I dropped my hand and shoved it in my pocket. Melissa blinked as if she were coming out of a daze and gently shook her head. She looked up at me and licked her lips. I watched her pink tongue glide along her full lips.

  “Are you hungry for cake now?”

  I arched a brow, and her cheeks flamed a rosy hue that juxtaposed her milky skin, and it made me smile. There’s no hiding your blush from me, sweetheart.

  “I’m starving.”

  Chapter 5 - Melissa

  I tried to act normal as I walked through the great room with Clay trailing behind me, but I was on the verge of a hot flash, a panic attack, or an orgasm. I wasn’t sure which, but I knew one of them was imminent. I felt his eyes on me every step of the way. From our brief encounter in the tiny foyer, I was surprised I hadn’t spontaneously combusted when he slid the back of his finger down my cheek.

  One finger down the cheek, and my crotch melts. It’s been a very, very long time since a man has touched me. Oh, my God! I haven’t shaved down there in . . . weeks? Let’s get real, months! Gah! The only regular part of shaving down there is a few swipes to keep my bikini line in check. Dammit! I have to be the only woman in the world who invites a man over to her house late at night, beckoning him with dessert and flirty texts, then gets into extra-baggy clothes and decides not to even glance at her nether region.

  I bit my lip and looked over my shoulder at Clay. His silver eyes immediately captured mine, and a slow smile spread over his lips. The hot, melty feeling that washed from my breasts, down my stomach, and pooled between my legs from earlier came roaring back.

  I am so screwed. No, actually, I won’t be! Not tonight anyway. Would it be rude if I asked Clay to sit a second and wait until I wrestled my lady V into shape?

  “Mel?”

  I slowed. “Yeah?”

  Clay rubbed his hands slowly together, and for the first time, I noticed that he had another shirt draped over one forearm. “Do you mind if I step into your bathroom and clean up a bit? I came straight from Leona’s garage here, and I’d love to at least wash my hands and change my shirt.”

  Yes! Take your time!

  I summoned my most innocent look, eyes wide and round, mouth flat. “I just stocked the guest bathroom. Hop in the shower if it would make you feel better.”

  His brows lifted, but his eyes never left mine. “Really? I don’t want to overstep and make it weird.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. We’ve already passed weird. So, we might as well go for the gold standard of awkward.”

  His laugh was deep and genuine, and the warmth of the sound washed over me, making me tingle.

  “Well,” his voice grew low and gravelly, and the tingle wrapped itself around my hips. “If you want to make it really weird—”

  I stopped and slugged him on the arm. “You’re such a flirt.”

  His eyes shimmered. “How did you know I was going to flirt? Maybe I was going to say if you want to make it super weird, I could just eat my cake in the shower.”

  I pressed my lips together. “You weren’t going to say that.”

  His smile oozed sex appeal, and his eyes turned into molten silver. “Maybe, maybe not. Where’s your guest bath? I promise to be fast.”

  I laughed. “No, really, don’t rush. Follow me.” I led him through the kitchen connected to the other side of the house, where two bedrooms and two bathrooms were nestled side by side. We first passed the master bedroom, still loaded with unpacked boxes. It looked like you had to play a game of Tetris with the boxes to walk through it.

  “So, that’s where the queen of the castle sleeps, huh?”

  I laughed. “Eventually. I’ve actually been sleeping in the guestroom and using my master bedroom as a box-holding space. I’ve wanted to move the boxes upstairs to the open lofted area, but I haven’t had time yet.”

  Clay nodded. “I can help you with that.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’ll drag Tess over to help me if I need it. I don’t want you to think that I’m only hanging out with you for your mechanical knowledge and strong arms.”

  He smirked. “It’s not a problem. I like being here with you, and I like helping you. Plus, you haven’t begun to see what I can do with these arms.”

  I smiled over my shoulder and pushed open the guest bathroom door. Clay stayed out in the hallway but leaned against the doorframe and watched me as I pulled a towel and washcloth from the linen closet. I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear, unused to being in an intimate space with a man, let alone a dropped it gorgeous, single one.

  "Okay, you're all set. Extra towels are next to the sink. The left knob is for hot water, and the right is for the cold. Twist to the right for on and the left for off. Pull the faucet hickey up for the shower to start."

  Clay pushed away from the door frame and nodded. "Thanks. I'll just be a minute. Then we can tackle that chocolate cake."

  As soon as I heard the shower start, I raced into the master bedroom and tore the lids off boxes. I frantically looked for the electric shaver my Aunt Eve bought me one a few years ago when I complained about shaving in the shower taking too long. I used the thing one time but, for some reason, kept it around.

  Having no luck with the boxes, I ripped open vanity drawers and stifled a cheer when I found it lying all by itself in an empty drawer. I paused
and listened closely to make sure the water I was still running in the guest bath, then leaped into my master bathroom, dropped my flannel pants, wiggled down my black underwear, and attacked my wild curls.

  The buzz of the shaver vibrated loudly. A humorous giggle erupted from my throat when the shaver's engine whined as I swiped a horizontal line off the top. The hum of the motor whirred, sputtered, shook, then died. The razor blades ground to a halt. Shit!

  I pushed the on/off switch back and forth, nothing. Really? I used this thing once!

  The click of the guest bathroom door startled me, and I dropped the shaver, causing the piece of plastic that covered the batteries to bust off and one of the batteries to pop out.

  "Everything okay in there?"

  Abandoning the shaver, I wrenched my underwear up and pulled my flannel bottoms back into place before I answered. "Yes! Everything's fine. You weren't kidding when you said that you would be just a minute."

  I heard the smile in Clay’s voice. “Long showers are typically frowned upon on base, the hot water eats up a lot of energy from the generators.”

  I stepped out of the bathroom and did a double-take of the beautiful man who had just stepped out of the shower. He once again stood in the doorway, this time to my master bedroom. Barefoot, with his jeans low on his narrow hips, and a few buttons of his shirt were l left open at the top. The material clung to the muscled curves of his shoulders. I tried not to openly stare at the V of smooth chest skin under his open neckline. He looked like a model with his still-damp hair slicked back.

  "Looking for something?"

  My cheeks warmed, and I cleared my throat, quickly scanning the room until it landed on the bookcase near the door where the small gift sat that Tess gave me before she dropped me off. "Yes, actually. I was looking for Tess's gift. She told me to open it tonight."

  Clay followed my gaze to the bookcase a few feet away from the door to the small, neatly wrapped birthday present. "Is that it?"

  I stepped around a few boxes. "Yeah, I forgot that I put it on the bookcase. Another reason why I just have to get my bedroom organized."

  He nodded. "I got it."

  Clay stepped into the bedroom and walked over to the bookcase, but his hand hovered then landed on the white box of wedding invitations with the silver lettering that read Miss Melissa Monroe and Mr. Michael Grove with a few floating hearts. His brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything.

  Crap. I am failing at life tonight. Tess had questioned me the entire ride back to Pine Haven about the invitations until she was satisfied that I wasn't having a mental lapse and considering going back to Michael. I stepped around another box and reached around Clay and plucked the small, wrapped package off the shelf beside the wedding invitations. "It's this one. Come on, let's go get that chocolate cake." I turned and walked out of my bedroom without making eye contact.

  Clay filled an entire side of my tiny kitchen island. I poured two glasses of water and two glasses of wine. Clay drank half of his glass of water before he sipped at his wine while I pulled out utensils and plates.

  The red ribbon fell away from the dessert box with one stiff tug, and we both leaned forward to peer into the dessert box for the grand reveal. Mable hadn't been kidding when she said she cut two large pieces of chocolate cake. Each piece was enormous.

  Clay glanced inside the box, and his eyes went wide. "You've got a good friend at Viola's. Want to split a piece?"

  "Good idea. Goodness, it's so big that I can't wedge a slice out of the box without ruining it."

  Clay reached over and stilled my hand with his. His hands were almost twice the size of mine, and goosebumps danced up my arm from his work-roughened spots sliding over my delicate skin.

  "How about we use two forks and skip the dessert plates?"

  I nodded and pushed the plates off to the side and handed Clay a fork. "That sounds perfect."

  He glanced up at me. "Ladies first."

  I smiled and forked a bite of decadent, triple-layer chocolate cake into my mouth. I pressed a hand to my heart and moaned as the chocolaty sweetness passed my lips. "Oh yeah, this is the good stuff."

  Clay took a bite and nodded. "It's not as good as your Aunt Leona's hot chocolate, but it's up there."

  I sat my fork down. "She made you hot chocolate?"

  Clay smiled. "Yup."

  I shook my head. "She must really like you."

  Clay shrugged his powerful shoulders. "She knows that I really like you."

  A beat of silence stretched on until Clay looked up and gave me a lopsided smile that made my stomach flutter. "She told me about your nomination for the Community's Talent Gala award. Congratulations, Mel."

  I smiled and shook my head. "Thanks. Did she tell you that Michael Grove is going to host it and that I have to take a date?"

  Clay rubbed a hand over his face. "She told me about Grove. That guy's a jerk."

  "You don't have to convince me. I already know."

  Clayton chewed at the corner of his mouth and looked at me with an intensity in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. "Do you still have feelings for Grove?"

  "What? No. I found him cheating on me in the middle of a New Year's Eve party at his parents’ house as the clock struck midnight. There's really no coming back from that."

  "Jesus, what an asshole. I am so sorry, Mel." The muscles in Clay's jaw flexed.

  "Yeah, that will be the last time I go looking for a kiss at midnight for good luck for the upcoming year." I laughed, but Clay stayed quiet and sipped his wine.

  "So, who do you think you're going to ask to go with you?"

  I dabbed my mouth with a napkin and took a sip of wine. "As my plus one to the awards event?"

  "Yeah."

  I shrugged. "I'll probably end up asking one of Tess's brothers to go with me. They're all very nice, handsome guys that I know well."

  Clay sat his drink down and leaned forward. "Did you have anyone else in mind?"

  I sunk my fork back into the chocolate cake. "I wanted to ask this one guy who just got back into town, but I don't think he'll be around."

  Threads of silver sparkled in Clay's gray eyes. "Oh yeah? Did you ask him?"

  I smirked and leaned down on my elbows, drawing closer to him. "Nope, it's no use. He'll be in Scotland with his family."

  He leaned in further with a heart-melting smile. "You'll never know if you don't ask."

  I breathed out a shaky laugh. "I certainly don't want his pregnant older sister to fly home and smack me for interfering with their holiday family gathering."

  "So, I take it if this guy was sticking around that you'd ask him?"

  "In a heartbeat."

  Clay's eyes smoldered. "In a heartbeat."

  I cleared my throat. "Yeah."

  His silver eyes captured me, although his eyes never wavered from mine, I felt as though he were undressing me, as though his hands were gliding along my skin.

  My breath hitched when Clay rose from his seat and slowly walked toward me, not breaking his penetrating gaze. He stopped inches in front of me, his fingertips tipped my chin up. "When you look at me like that, it makes me want things."

  I exhaled a shaky breath. "Like what?"

  "Like this." His hand settled low on my waist, right above my hip. He took his time, keeping his eyes locked on mine. When I dropped my gaze to his lips he groaned and tugged me against him. His fingers dug into the back of my hair and our lips collided.

  Clay pressed maddeningly soft kisses to my lips again and again until I squirmed. I pressed my breasts flat against his chest, trying to get closer. My fingers dug into his back, and I felt him smile.

  I swallowed hard. "Please," I whispered.

  His resolve broke. Clay tipped my head back another inch and sucked my bottom lip in between his, running his tongue along the edge until I slid my hands down his back and squeezed his firm ass. His growl rumbled from the back of his throat, and his tongue made a slow sweep of my mouth. He tasted like chocolate and wine, an
d his tongue teased and tasted me as though time didn’t exist, and our life’s purpose was to explore one another. We erupted into a passionate frenzy of gasps, lips, and tongue.

  His long fingers dipped beneath the band of my sweatshirt. I inhaled sharply, not used to the feel of another's touch on the sensitive skin of my stomach. I had to fight the urge to pull away out of the habit of shying away from intimacy, but Clay held me in his steady arms, and I felt safe enough to relax and give into the experience.

  “So soft, so beautiful.” Clay’s voice was Clay smoothed his fingers up my rib cage and ran the backsides of his knuckles over the undersides of my breasts through the thin material of my sports bra. He traced the bottom band, and with a deft move, he pulled it up so that one breast spilled from underneath.

  My cheeks flamed with self-consciousness, but Clay growled like an animal and cursed softly. I could feel his erection lengthening through his jeans against my stomach, and joy surged through me. I wasn’t the only one dizzy with desire. He drew wide circles around my nipple with his fingertips until he closed in, gently rolling my pink areola between his thumb and forefinger. He reached for my other breast and repeated his slow seduction. I was speechless and helpless to do anything but stand still and allow the pleasure to pulse through me.

  I felt incredibly vulnerable showing this tender side of myself to someone after so long, and yet, unbelievably safe in Clay’s arms. He smoothed his hands over my soft globes and held them and supported them and cherished them. Soft moans murmured from the back of my throat, sounds that I did not associate with came from me. It was as though my body was celebrating the pleasure that I had long denied it with a man who I felt deeply connected. I’d known Clay for most of my life and never considered him in this role, and now I feared that I’d never consider anyone else.

  “Hey, you guys!” Clay’s hand immediately stilled, and I groaned.

  “Hey, you guys!” screamed from my phone again.

  Clay’s brows wrinkled. “What is that? Who is that?”

  I dropped my forehead against his chest and giggled. “I’m so sorry. Tess was messing around with my phone’s settings, and now every time I receive a text, my phone screams out, “Hey, you guys!”