Intrigued: The Dark Christmases

by Arkadie, Z. L.

  I was on my way to do just that when I saw Jasper. He was standing in close proximity to a woman wearing a red dress. She had auburn hair and killer curves. Has he already replaced me that fast? His blue-green eyes settled on her face. Those eyes were gentle but intense, making sure they didn’t miss a word her mouth spoke. I didn’t want to look any longer. I had to rip my gaze off them and pretend as if they didn’t exist.

  A man with a familiar face stepped in front of me, blocking my view of Jasper and the woman he was grooming to be his next fuck.

  “Do I know you?” the guy asked, grinning.

  “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “Yes, I do. Do you remember me?”

  I couldn’t recall where I had seen him before. The guy was just as tall as Jasper and nearly as handsome with tousled hair, a sexy five o’clock shadow, and bright hazel eyes.

  “You were Bryn’s college roommate,” he said, graciously providing a hint.

  I leaned back and garnered a better look at him. She’d had so many guys coming in and out of her room, but there was only one I had shared a few conversations with.

  My face lit up. “Dale Rumor?”

  He opened his arms. “Good guess.”

  “Oh my God,” I said as we hugged.

  At least I knew who Bryn had been having sex with earlier in her bedroom. His face beamed with the postsex glow. However, I wondered why she was keeping him a secret. Instead of questioning him about his involvement with the current lady of the manor, I decided to play along.

  I leaned back to get a better look at him. “You look so Chris Hemsworth meets David Beckham.”

  “Wow, that good, huh?” he said, joking.

  I nodded emphatically. “Yeah, that’s pretty good.”

  We laughed then decided to get something to eat. As we walked, we talked about what we were doing these days. I noted that he’d read both my books. That factor could’ve been a clue that he was in on whatever Bryn was truly cooking up under the guise of “writing the family memoirs.”

  After selecting our food, we found a cocktail table and sat. Dale revealed that he’d clerked for an appellate court judge in Washington, DC, up until eight days ago. He’d decided the law wasn’t for him. Instead, he was heading out to Los Angeles to start a career in television and film. Apparently, he’d written a screenplay about a powerful family like the Christmases. AEE, one of the most popular cable networks in the world, was interested in turning his story into a prime-time television series.

  “You know, I can always use an advisor like you on my team. That book you wrote on the Howsleys… Shit, that was an epic takedown.”

  I smiled tightly.

  “You don’t agree with me?” he asked, perhaps reading my expression.

  I shrugged indifferently. “Sure.” Then I shifted abruptly in my seat. “But why are you here in Rhode Island? Did Bryn invite you?”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, how did your radar land on the Howsleys?”

  I narrowed an eye suspiciously. “Interesting that you asked me that, counselor.”

  “Why is that?” he asked with a straight face.

  “I never said. My source was deep background. I’m pretty sure I mention that in the book.”

  He smiled lopsidedly. “You did. I just thought I could get you to tell me anyway.”

  I folded my arms tightly across my body and opened my mouth to ask him what the current nature of his association with Bryn was.

  “Dale,” Jasper said as his hand came crashing down hard on Dale’s shoulder.

  Dale twisted his body to see the man standing behind him. He then stood to shake Jasper’s hand. “Jasper, good to see you.”

  “What are you doing here?” Jasper was smiling, but I could tell his inquiry wasn’t meant to make Dale feel welcome.

  My gaze captured Bryn walking into the ballroom and linking arms with a handsome man with dark hair. Perhaps he was her lover and not Dale. When I turned back to set my attention on Dale, Jasper had shifted his position so I had to look around him to see Dale.

  “Do you have a minute?” Jasper asked.

  “Um…” Dale leaned to the left to see me sitting behind Jasper.

  “I want to talk to you about the Carmichael Trust case.”

  Dale smiled at me timidly. That was definitely his way of letting me know he was still interested in continuing our conversation. “Ah, yes, that. Well, you know I left Justice Nylander’s stable.”

  Jasper’s strong hand came down on Dale’s shoulder. “That’s okay. I’m sure you can lend me some perspective.”

  “Sure. I could call you after the—”

  “How about now?” Jasper asked.

  “Now?”

  “I won’t be available after the holidays, so now. I promise I won’t take too much of your time.”

  Dale looked at me and raised a finger. “I’ll be back. But just in case our paths don’t cross later, which I’m going to make sure they do…” He took his wallet out of his pocket and handed me his business card. “Let’s grab drinks or dinner sometime.”

  I glanced up at Jasper, who was looking at me as if he were gargling vinegar.

  “Why not? Sure,” I said with Dale’s card pinched between my fingers.

  Jasper’s posture was rigid as he put a hand on Dale’s shoulder. “We can talk in the cigar lounge.”

  Dale stretched his bottom lip squeamishly. “You mean the cigar lounge?”

  Jasper glanced at me uncomfortably. “It’s only cigars, leather chairs, and people talking.”

  Dale studied Jasper with a narrowed eye as though he were assessing his credibility. Finally, Dale nodded, and I watched the two of them walk out of the ballroom. However, the fact that Dale had been squeamish about the cigar lounge wasn’t lost on me. I was also curious about why Jasper had made it clear that there would only be cigars and conversation. I was certain Jasper was worried I had read between the lines. He was right to be concerned, because I had. If there weren’t merely cigars and conversation, then what other delights did the cigar lounge have to offer?

  I had been so consumed in Dale and my conversation that I hadn’t realized I’d eaten most of what was on my plate. I only had one fresh salmon pastry puff left. As I popped it into my mouth, I caught sight of Bryn and her date. It was time to meet the mystery man. I stood, grabbed a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter, and headed toward the couple.

  Then out of nowhere, William stepped in front of me, appearing as grim as usual. “Excuse me, Miss Holly, could you follow me, please?”

  I leaned away from him, frowning. “Follow you where?”

  “Mr. Christmas asked that you meet him in a quieter setting.”

  I felt my grimace grow more intense. “Which Mr. Christmas?”

  “Mr. Jasper Christmas,” he said so low that I could barely hear him.

  * * *

  A black car with tinted windows was waiting for me at the back of the house. I could barely see it under the cover of night. William instructed me to walk down the steps and get into the back seat. I did just that. I had planned on asking the driver where he was taking me as soon as I got into the back seat, but there was a dark-tinted window separating us. Even after I knocked a few times, the glass did not roll down.

  We hadn’t driven off the property, though. I kept my face close to the side window, trying to see as much as I could in the darkness beyond the tinted glass. I noticed the path that I had run that morning, the snow-covered grass, and the field of trees. The car, already moving, slowly came to a halt.

  “Ma’am, please continue to walk down the path between the lanterns,” a man’s voice said through the speakers.

  At first, I saw nothing, but then lights illuminated a familiar path.

  * * *

  I opened the guesthouse. Even though the fireplace brewed, it was still cold inside. The atmosphere in general felt as though no one had been in the guesthouse since Jasper and I had abandoned it. Why am I here in the f
irst place? It wasn’t as if I didn’t know what Jasper wanted. He’d seen Dale and me together and had become jealous. Perhaps that was why I felt as though I were still alone in the house. Suddenly, exhaustion struck me, and I folded my arms tightly around me. My day had been long and definitely arduous, even though it had its high and low moments. Suddenly, two arms wrapped me up from behind, and something hard ground into the top of my ass. I didn’t have to turn around to see who it was.

  “Jasper?”

  “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled. Then he spun me around to see his beautiful face.

  “Do what?”

  “What you were doing with Dale?”

  Gosh, I wanted to make out with his mouth. “Do you mean talk to him?”

  “You took his card in front of me. Do you still have it on you?”

  I looked down at my beaded cocktail purse. Then I closed my eyes and sighed gravely. “Damn it. I left it on the…” But then I remembered that I had absentmindedly stuffed it in my bosom. So I reached in and pulled it out. “No, it’s here,” I said, holding up the card.

  “You had it near my tits?” he roared.

  I jerked my head. “Do you mean my tits? Yes.”

  “They’re mine, and I’m about to show you as soon as I…” He snatched the card from between my fingers.

  With my mouth caught open, I watched him storm over to the fireplace and pitch Dale’s card into the flames. I’d never had a man claim that any part of my body belonged to him.

  “Are you serious?” I asked as he headed back toward me.

  “I am,” he said and reached out for me.

  I stepped back and threw my hands up. “Wait a second.”

  His intense glare smoldered, making my heart bounce like a pogo stick. However, I could tell he had nothing to say. Jasper wanted action. He wanted me. The question was what did I want? Did I want to chastise him for being so jealous and possessive? My body was my own. That card he’d thrown in the fire belonged to me.

  “Do you want Dale?” he finally asked.

  The answer was easy. “No.”

  “Do you want me?”

  Is that a trick question? “Do you mean at this very moment?”

  His narrow eyes flexed. “Whatever.”

  Last night, this morning, interrupting my run, then after breakfast. Jasper and I had fucked three times… and a half. I couldn’t forget that he’d come into my room before the party and eaten my pussy. Why am I so famished for him?

  “Do you want me?” he asked again, his tone insisting on an answer.

  I couldn’t deny the truth. I nodded. And without delay, Jasper mashed his sweet mouth against mine. His tongue swirled around mine greedily. I thought he would taste like cigars, but he didn’t. My feet were swept off the floor, and I was being cradled in his arms. He carried me along the same path we had taken that morning—down the dimly lit hallway and into the same bedroom. Again, he tossed me on top of the bed.

  The look in his eyes said he wanted to eat me alive. He grabbed me by the ankles, pulled my shoes off, and tossed them over his shoulder. I tried not to make it feel so damn recreational. I tried to think of what I could say or do to further my investigation. But my head was stuck in a daze as Jasper unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He freed his magnificent cock, which was rigid and perfect.

  “Damn, I want to fuck you raw,” he said past clenched teeth.

  I felt like a deer caught in his sights. But then I realized I’d better take control of the moment before he took more control of me. “I never had sex without a condom before,” I said.

  His eyes flashed with intrigue. “Neither have I.”

  I was good at discerning the truth from a lie. I knew for a fact he was being honest, especially since each time we had sex, he ripped the condom open as though it were a normal part of the activity of fucking.

  “How about I pull out?” he asked.

  My eyes landed on the tip of his dick, which glistened with Pre-come. For me, condoms weren’t only about getting pregnant. I’d never had an STD in my life. Plus, I remembered something. “When was the last time you slept with a prostitute?”

  “A what?” he groused.

  Goodness, Jasper Christmas had the most intimidating frown. I had to admit I didn’t like seeing it. However, I wasn’t afraid of it either.

  “Prostitute,” I said more clearly.

  “Why the fuck are you asking me if I have sex with prostitutes?”

  It was time to give a little away, to bait my hook and see how much he bit. “I spent some time with Gina at the swimming pool earlier, and she told me the two of you had an encounter.”

  I almost leaned back, waiting for him to roar with wrath. But he didn’t. Instead, he blinked at me without any sort of discernible expression. Then he closed his eyes. “Babe, I haven’t had sex with a woman in a long time,” he said in a tone that was almost a whisper. Then he opened his eyes. “Not before you arrived at least.”

  I swallowed nervously, drenched by his sincerity. “I hadn’t done it in a long time either,” I admitted. “I mean, it’s been years, lots of years.” My eyes veered down to his dick. He had not lost any of his erection.

  “I’ve been tested for every disease in the book,” he said. “What about you?”

  “Same,” I said breathlessly.

  “Then let’s fuck raw.”

  Damn, that sounded sexy. It sounded hot. Explicit. How could I say no? I gulped, feeling my Adam’s apple bob, and nodded as I lifted the hem of my dress.

  “Don’t,” Jasper commanded. “I’m the one who peels you out of your clothes. Sometimes, I like you to keep a little on. Tonight, you in that dress made my dick twitch.”

  His eyes revealed how badly he wanted me. I was sure my eyes exposed how much I wanted him to have me. Jasper Christmas could do anything to me. He could fuck me until the cows came home. He slid the dress up my thighs, exposing my lower half. After a moment of indulging in the sight of my pussy in my panties, he inhaled sharply. I was extra gratified seeing how the view made his eyes expand and gloss over with lust.

  Striking like a viper, Jasper yanked my ass to the edge of the bed, tugged the crotch of my panties to the side, and pulled my pussy against his dick. His cock journeyed deep inside me, hitting my belly.

  “Ah,” I cried on impact.

  My hips were light in his hands as he indulgently jerked me back and forth against his thick dick. He shifted in and out fast, like a machine set on the highest speed. I whimpered and moaned, feeling him awaken all sorts of sensations. I angled my hips, concentrating as I tried to latch on to the most pleasurable feeling. Then Jasper groaned louder than the previous sounds he’d made and quickly pulled out of me. He took me by the waist and moved toward the headboard as he lay on top of me, pinching his wet, rigid dick between us.

  “You’re too fucking tight,” he said.

  I didn’t know what to say, but apparently, I didn’t have to say anything. He slipped his cock into me again and started shifting in and out of me, sucking air between his teeth, repeating, “shit” in a whisper.

  “I don’t want to come,” he said. “But I don’t want to get out of you. Your pussy’s too warm, wet, and tight. How do I feel inside you, baby?”

  I moaned, aroused even more because he’d asked that question. “Good. Fat and hard.”

  “Oh, shit,” he shouted and pulled my dress up, exposing my belly. He quickly pulled out of me, tossed his head back, and cried out to the Almighty as he came.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It felt as if an hour had passed when Jasper used a warm towel to clean his nectar off my skin. Then he peeled the rest of my dress off and my panties. We had been kissing nonstop since then. I didn’t have a bra on, and that made him even more excited. He told me how much he loved my perky tits and spent a lot of time sucking and biting my nipples, moving back and forth, consuming one breast then the other. He handled my body as if it were his instrument, shifting multiple fingers in and out of me a
s he nibbled delectably on my stiff nipples. So many sensations surged through me, the sort that took my breath away.

  Soon, Jasper’s dick was at attention. He lay on his side, drew me against him, and stuffed his erection into my pussy from behind. His strokes were slow as his hands covered my breasts. My ass was fixed securely to his crotch. He said I was his, and I felt completely possessed by the man in this one-sided and confusing relationship of ours.

  In and out, his large cock penetrated me. I sucked air and directed my pussy toward the action so I could stimulate the orgasm that was brewing inside me.

  “Oh, don’t stop,” I said with a sigh.

  He squeezed my tits tighter. “I want to hear it when you come.” His thrusts turned deep and indulgent as he rolled his cock in a unique way with each dive into my pussy.

  The closer I came to climaxing, the more intense my moans became. The sounds seemed to help me get there faster. I closed my eyes tightly. Jasper kept up the intensity as he breathed heavily on the space between my shoulder blades.

  “Oh my God, I’m coming,” I whimpered again and again. Then it happened. It was so potent that my entire lower half jerked and convulsed as I screamed while bearing the most divine sensation my body had ever experienced.

  “Can I come inside you?” he asked, his breath warming my ear.

  “Yes,” I croaked.

  “Oh,” he yelled as his body quaked with mine.

  Finally, we were still again, but we were famished as if our orgasms had taken all the strength we had to give.

  Then Jasper’s delicious lips kissed the back of my left shoulder blade, which made me shiver since it was an erogenous zone.

  “We’re not done,” he whispered. He kept his dick inside me, and even though it was soft, it felt good.

  It suddenly occurred to me that Jasper Christmas and I were spooning. Our closeness didn’t feel weird, though. On the contrary, it was if being near him was where I belonged.