by V. Theia
He knew it might jeopardize their relationship if she went back to Russia. She had spoken little about it. She was a vault surrounded in walls; he gleaned from the few things she’d let spill that it wasn’t safe for her back there. He didn’t even know yet if a father of her kids was in the picture.
A crying Marianna put shards in his chest.
Before he could stop himself, he tipped up her chin and crushed her lips under his. Swallowing her gasp, she softened in seconds. Her mouth was sweet, lush, and so damn hot. She slipped her tongue between his lips, nothing shy in her flirtation as she sought solace in their kiss. It was a bold, insistent demand, and Tag was all too happy to provide.
“You’re too good at that,” she sighed dreamily.
“Yeah? I thought I was being a dirty pig taking advantage.” He joked to make her laugh, which she did. He skimmed his lips along her soft cheek. “Will you give me these next few days, darlin’?”
Give him two days to shower his girl in Christmas.
It was, probably for the first time in his life, important to Tag.
His girl had seen the worst this world offered.
Seeing Marianna so happy last night while she spoke with her kids decorating the tree and how excited Lily was because Marianna had sent her a star. Damn, that kid was cute. He knew then, he’d do anything to keep her in that mood. Even throwing himself into a holiday which usually passed unnoticed.
“Okay.” She agreed. “But I won’t sing or eat cranberry sauce.”
So fucking happy.
Her moan of pleasure, when he squeezed her hips, pooled every drop of blood down to his hard dick. For weeks he’d fucked his own fist, so he could be a decent guy around her and not act like a rutting pig.
But her moans did a number on him.
In his excessive lifestyle, waiting wasn’t something he was used to.
His sexual appetite needed feeding.
And there was only one woman on his menu.
Want.
Hunger.
Need.
Not a lot in this life was worth waiting for.
And then along came Marianna.
The one woman who could make him patient.
Didn’t mean he’d be a gentleman while he waited. He was far from that.
He finger-fucked and ate the orgasms out of her as often as he could get into her panties. Even this morning, carrying coffee and cinnamon donuts, he was at her apartment explicitly to make her come. She was so dazed and sleepy his girl.
Only after two orgasms did he let her have the coffee.
Tag wasn’t decent.
But he was patient.
A champion could work toward winning the best prize of all.
Climbing back into her seat, he clipped her in and then groaned when Marianna put her hand on his thigh.
Good girl. Get me, I’m right here.
Christmas waited for no horny biker.
He put the truck in drive and took off.
Making his woman happy was his priority.
TWENTY-TWO
“Her Christmas elf wore denim and was a little bit dirty.” - Marianna
That morning, she watched him decorate a 9-foot Douglas fir tree, with all the skill and patience of an interior decorator, Marianna had to stop from sitting on his face.
Biker mode. Hot.
Cage fighter. Hot. Hot.
Tree decorator. Sex soaking hot.
“You have hidden talent, Prince Charming.” She remarked with a soft smile touching her lips when he turned his devastating aqua eyes on her.
“You gonna help or just stare at my ass the entire time?”
“Oh, I am very comfortable here, thank you. Please continue.”
He laughed dirty.
He’d done an outstanding job to bring Christmas to life.
His living room looked incredibly cozy. Knowing he’d done it all for her had to be the sweetest thing of all. Tag’s enthusiasm was infectious, and she wanted to make the effort for him too.
She watched him with womanly awe for something she craved.
The moment they’d arrived at his house, he’d treated her like royalty.
They cooked lunch together, and then he made a run to Paige’s bakery to pick up a box of goodies. Marianna wasn’t much for sweets, so she watched him inhale most of the cakes. He hadn’t left her out though, he’d brought her English cheese scones.
She followed a recipe to make Eggnog. Tag swore it was the best he’d ever tasted.
And then he’d hauled in a tree from the back of his truck and the day morphed into something magical. She couldn’t help herself, Marianna got pulled along in whatever Tag wanted her to experience.
“What do you think?” He asked over his shoulder, resting hands on his lean hips.
She was curled up on his couch, feet tucked under her butt, watching him as if she’d never seen this man before. As though she’d never kissed him, tasted him, felt his hands roughly handling her body.
If things were different, she may possibly watch this man doing absolutely anything for the rest of her life.
“I think it is beautiful. The most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen. You might have a new career ahead of you, Luke, if cage fighting doesn’t work out.”
The air caught in her lungs when he started across the living room toward her. A rolling walk that was sexy and very masculine.
He didn’t stop until he was towering over her and then he reached down, used her hips to pull her to her feet. “C’mon, Anna. Wanna give you a kiss under the mistletoe.” Yeah, he’d hung some of that too and made Marianna roll her eyes at his cuteness.
“Aren’t you taking this festiveness too far?” She protested, not too much.
“Is it making you happy?”
It was. She couldn’t deny it, and nodded.
And he smiled. “Then it’s not taking it too far.”
The kiss was sweet and over too soon.
His dominant energy preceded him.
There was no need to communicate his intention of controlling every breath she took today. It was an absolute given because he kept surprising her with his thoughtfulness.
How could she resist him, knowing he was making Christmas for her?
His gorgeous face and steady gaze kicked her heart against her ribcage. It tapped out of sorts, making her feel not quite her put together self.
The lovely biker was seducing her with Christmas.
She could be as sneaky too and do something lovely for him. And she knew just the thing. Once Marianna found his favorite pie recipe online, she pushed him out of the kitchen.
“I can’t have you around licking spoons.”
He smirked. “Think it’d turn you on? I already know my tongue does it for you, Anna.”
Wicked boy. She turned crimson.
Capturing her around the neck, he kissed her deep enough to make her forget her name.
“I’ll be out back finishing something.”
And then, alone in his kitchen, she made him a shoofly pie.
“Ready for your Christmas present, darlin’?” He asked later. Snowflakes dusting the top of his ball cap. Marianna frowned. No one said presents were involved.
“Don’t look like that.” He grinned, making her belly flip over. “I made you something. Come look.” His offered hand got Marianna moving across the living room. Unable to refuse him anything.
It was going to be a problem.
But now, she felt a flutter of excitement.
Outside, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sitting on a tarp under the carport roof was a four tier bookcase with twelve shelves, cubby holes included.
Marianna’s heart pounded out of her chest.
“You… you made this for me?”
“You mentioned you love reading, and your place doesn’t have a bookcase.”
“Luke, it’s…” she was at a loss for words.
He rubbed a hand around the back of his neck. “If I’d had more time this week, I
could have made it fancier.”
“Luke, stop. It’s perfect. I can’t believe you did this for me. It’s beautiful.” Marianna couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She was so overwhelmed by his gesture that she flung herself into his arms before she realized. “Thank you very much.”
“Merry Christmas, darlin’.”
“Can we take it home now?” Eager to see how it looked.
Tag got a look in his eyes that once again made her feel funny inside.
“Go get your coat, I’ll get this in the truck.”
He carried it up the stairs and into her apartment like it didn’t weigh more than a potato. Marianna fussed him through the doorways, so he didn’t scratch her gift. “It’s okay if I get banged up, just not the bookcase, huh?” He gruffed.
“Da.”
“Cruel woman, now tell me where you want it.”
The moment it was sitting up against the far wall in her living room, she rushed through to the bedroom to grab her books.
Displaying her set of Goodwill books proudly on the middle shelf. She grinned at him over her shoulder. “Oh, I love it so much.”
“Five fucking paperback books, darlin’?”
She frowned, not understanding the scowl on his face.
“All you have is five books?”
“I read at the library.”
“Shit. This thing is useless to you.”
“No. Luke. I love it very much. It’s the nicest thing anyone has given to me. It means more to me you made it because you knew I would love it.”
“This won’t do.” He grunted and grabbed her hand.
It was assumed they were going back to his house, but he took a turning that led them in the opposite direction.
Content to sit smiling over her bookcase, she laced her hands together until Tag reached over for one to hold.
“What are we doing here?” She asked, confused. Looking through the windscreen to the large chain bookstore.
“Getting you some books to fill that case.” He revealed.
Round-eyed, Marianna climbed down from the truck and fitted her hand inside his on autopilot. “No. That is too much. I will fill it, eventually.” She tried. “They had a lot of books at the Goodwill.”
“Anna, five books are pitiful for a woman who loves fucking reading.”
Cords and wiring inside her snapped.
He dropped his head, putting her up close to blueness. Tag looked adorable with snowflakes dusting his light hair. “Christmas gift part two means we’re heading in, and you’re gonna pick all the books you want. I mean it, you don’t have to choose between. You like it, you get it.”
Slightly shaken by his declaration, she bit on the corner of her lip and asked, “what if it is many dollars?”
Tag pulled open the door, ushering her in before him, turned on so hard by his manners. “You want thousands, we’ll get you a thousand bucks worth of books. Now get your little dancer butt inside before this snow pisses on us anymore.”
Marianna poured over the romance section first, touching the books, running her fingers over the spines. She read the blurbs, oohing over the covers. But she couldn’t let him buy her books. She decided she’d choose one to appease him and then they’d go home.
Tag had other ideas.
Every time she showed even the slightest interest in a book, he snatched it from her and piled it in his arms. Only when he couldn’t carry any more did he prowl to the front of the store. He came back pulling a red wagon they set out for customers to use.
God, he looked adorable. This big, beautiful bear of a man pulling a wagon full of books behind him. Marianna had stars in her eyes watching, so did every female in there too.
“Luke, it’s too much.”
His warm lips pressed to her overheated forehead. Was it crazy to want to crawl into his shirt because he smelled incredible? “Which section do you wanna hit next?” He didn’t let her choose, taking her hand, he led her on. They ended up in the children’s section. “Get a lot for when the kids are here.”
If it were possible to weaken from sweet words, then Marianna was.
Taking the initiative, she pressed into him and hugged him tight. “You are a very nice man, Luke.”
“Just what all guys wanna hear,” he chuckled, fingering through her hair.
She meant it.
He affected her so badly.
Not his generosity. But his heart.
Hers would break over him, she knew it.
But she did nothing in that moment to stop it.
A few hours later, rows and rows of books sat in their new home looking perfect.
If happiness was fleeting, then she was going to hold on to it tight.
Tag hovered in the background later while she spoke to the twins, showing them the beautiful tree, it excited them for Christmas. She was grateful her gifts arrived weeks ago for Santa to deliver.
Strong arms came around her when she eventually said goodnight.
Sagging into Tag’s chest, she let some of her weight go.
“It’s gonna be okay, darlin’. I know it.”
“Will it?”
“Has to be, right?” Lips touched the edge of her ear. She wanted to believe that. She’d reached out several times now to Mister G and got nothing back. Of course she’d been scammed, that’s how her luck went.
Christmas in the Drake household was nothing short of magical.
Marianna got swept up in Tag’s enthusiasm.
They watched movies, eating too much caramel popcorn. She curled up next to him on the couch and they shared different Christmas memories. His didn’t sound all that fun, and her heart hurt to make it better as much as he was doing for her. She stroked his hair while the movie ended.
Tag being Tag, unable to listen to simple instructions, meant he was in and out of the kitchen as she made dinner. “Official taste tester,” he declared.
His touches owned her. Did he know that?
Kisses so soft dropped to her lips.
After she watched him clear two plates of mushroom and cabbage stuffed dumplings with ragu, Marianna presented him with an extra fat slice of pie.
“I think you need to marry me,” he declared, wiping his mouth on a napkin. “That was fucking incredible, Anna.”
Feeding him was a pleasure she didn’t know she wanted every day.
He was extremely easy to make happy. And to talk to. And to be with.
She was stupid to think she could stop from falling for him.
“Go call your kids, Anna, read the Christmas book you got them. This year looks different, but you don’t have to let it stop you from making your memories.”
God, this man was phenomenal.
She rounded the table and pressed a hard kiss to his mouth, leaving him startled.
It was wonderful.
It was heartbreaking.
The moment she disconnected the call, she headed for Tag and climbed into his lap, tears trailing down her face.
“Oh, my darlin’ girl. I got you.”
Taking a fortifying breath, she pulled back slowly, Tag brushed the wetness from under her eyes. “Okay?”
“Da. It was a good call. Just being a silly mama.”
“Never silly. A beautiful mama.”
She could fall in love with him so easily.
“Tag?”
“Yeah, darlin’?”
“In your Christmas plans, does it include getting drunk?”
His grin grew so slow and sexy. “Absolutely.”
So, that’s what she did.
Spending the last few hours of Christmas Eve with an amazing man, drinking wine, sharing more stories.
Falling hopelessly in love.
TWENTY-THREE
“I’ll have a bottle of Red and a biker on a plate.” - Marianna
Almost a full bottle of wine made Marianna bold.
It also made her horny.
Very horny.
Especially while she was in the doorway gawking at
the wide back attached to a very hot man as he stood washing dishes.
Every pulse in her body started hammering.
How could she resist that?
It was impossible.
Her ovaries hurt, and only an orgasm would help. Maybe three or four orgasms. Oh, yes.
The jolt of static electricity was felt when she smooshed herself to his solid back, nuzzling into his shirt.
“Hey, darlin’. I thought you were curled up in front of the box?”
“I was. But I missed you.” She first said in Russian and clicked her tongue when she realized her mistake. Her brain was slower because of the wine.
Smiling against his back, Tag got her meaning when he chuckled and pulled her around so he could press her into the counter using his body.
His big, beautiful, hard body.
She nuzzled the front of him too. Sinking his scent deep into her lungs.
More of her native tongue came out dripping in lust. “Thank you for Christmas, Luke. You’ve made an unbearable time tolerable and I can’t thank you enough for being a kind, generous, lovely man. God, you’re so hot. Do you know how hot you always feel?” Nuzzle. Nuzzle. Sniff. “I could smell you all day. You turn me on so much.”
“Marianna.” He rasped, fisting a hand in the back of her hair. “Are you saying some dirty shit to me in Russian?”
Her eyes flickered closed with his roughness.
His arm slipped around her, a thumb glided lazily over her nape, testing the thump beneath her skin. It was going crazy, like a chased rabbit.
He smelled of earth and sugary spices and masculinity. Underneath a black wife-beater, Tag’s pecs twitched. Each beefy brick of his torso chiseled in a uniform sculpture of strength. Big all over was Tag. And she appreciated every inch of him.
Jesus, the man’s body didn’t know when to quit.
Apparently, hers didn’t either. Given the sudden throb between her legs, there was no point in denying it. She clenched her inner muscles and shivered.
Knowing she could have anything she wanted from him was a heady sensation.
Or maybe that was the wine speaking.
When she inched closer, there was no question about his state of arousal. He was thicker than her wrist.