And there’s Vinny, too. I’m stunned that he told me the news in person. He would’ve let me cry in his arms if I needed to and supporting someone through an emotional breakdown isn’t exactly in his wheelhouse.
I don’t know what to make of that.
The alarm beeps on my phone. Time to get ready. I’ve already sent Kristi off to do the same. With any other party, I’d probably have professionals on hand to do hair and makeup if the stakes were high, but that’s not the case here.
Up in my room, wrapped in my robe, I think of my interactions with Vinny as I put on my makeup.
What does he want from me? He says I have nothing to prove, but he was the one who took one look at me and decided who I was from the get-go. What’s changed since then, and is it lasting?
People always say they want to see everything, even the ugly parts, until they’re actually confronted with them.
Besides, it’s not like Vinny is exactly forthcoming about his deepest secrets. Maybe I hide behind my giving, but he’s hiding too.
My own words come back to me. Relationships are worth the mess that comes with them. Spoken like a true hypocrite.
Tonight is not a night for subtlety. I opt for bold makeup: black, winged out liner and scarlet lips. My dress is just as sexy as I remember, and I love the open back. Normally I wear my hair up at these events—I need to project professionalism, but tonight I decide to curl it into loose waves and leave it down.
Since my leopard print Jimmy Choos are sleeping with the fishes, I make do with a pair of lace-up high-heeled booties.
I check myself out in the full-length mirror, and I’m happy with what I see. I hope Vinny will be too. Who knows. Maybe we’ll just have tonight, and maybe that will be enough.
I run into Kristi. She’s wearing the plum colored dress we’d picked out for her. It shows off her hourglass figure and her thick glossy black hair tumbles down to her waist.
“Damn,” I say, drawing the word out as long as I can. “Shit, Kristi. You look incredible.”
She’s wearing earrings that remind me of the chandeliers in the ballroom—shiny and gorgeous. Maybe before long she’ll have a ring to add to it.
All my jewelry is at home or at the bottom of the Atlantic.
Kristi laughs. “Girl, I know. My makeup is fucking on point. I’ve never done such a good cat eye before. The Christmas gods smile upon me.” She folds her hands in prayer. “Or maybe it’s just you. Seraphina?”
“I was born on Christmas,” I say, putting an arm around Kristi’s waist. “The seraphim are angels of the highest order, associated with light, ardor, and purity.”
“What the fuck is ardor?”
“Passion. Enthusiasm.”
“Sounds about right. Could do without the purity though.”
“Me too.”
“So you and Vinny?” Kristi asks as we descend the stairs, my arm still slung around her waist.
“Not sure,” I reply. I can be honest with Kristi, and that feels good.
“He likes you. I’ve never seen him emote until you came around.” We get to the bottom of the stairs and she looks me over. “Girl, if he doesn’t make it happen he’s an idiot.”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling.
“Zippers. Glued. Shut.” She nods fiercely.
“I hung mistletoe everywhere,” I say as we walk to the ballroom.
“There’s that ardor, you minx.”
The ballroom is packed.
I can’t believe it. I thought without my cousins there’d be no one here, but it’s teeming with merry makers. Plenty of people who will spread the word about the inn.
“Free booze,” Kristi says, like she can read my mind. “People love parties. Most people. Not Vinny, maybe, but he’s a weirdo. Don’t know why you like him.”
She grins at me.
“You know,” I say, giggling as we walk toward the bar. “Even Vinny knows Sven’s into you but needs help sealing the deal.”
“God, Sven’s pathetic,” Kristi says, emphasizing the last word heavily. “He’s lucky he’s tall.”
“And kind? And funny?” I say, teasing her.
“Yeah yeah, and good on the water and handsome and all that shit. Let’s get to it.”
We reach the bar and Sven is busy as hell but handling it like the seasoned pro he is.
Until he sees Kristi. He stares, open-mouthed, and a glass falls out of his hand, crashing to the floor.
“Oh shit,” he says. “Shit. Sia, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I say. “She’s a showstopper and it’d be wrong not to notice.”
Sven gawks for another few seconds and the line of thirsty patrons grows.
But they can wait.
“She is,” Sven says, finally. “You are, I mean.” He directs that comment at Kristi. “Wow.”
“You look like you could use some help,” she offers.
“No, I’m fine.”
I’m about to pop him one, but then he pauses.
“I mean, I don’t want to ruin your night, but if you’d like to help, I’d like that. A lot.”
That cheeky grin I love spreads across her face.
“Yeah,” she says. “I’d like that too.”
His eyes pop out of his head like he can’t believe his luck. I leave them to it and go to find my uncle.
“It’s incredible,” he says. “Seraphina, you’re a miracle worker. I can’t believe you pulled this together so quickly.”
“Thank you,” I say as he puts his arm around my shoulders.
“I had a lot of help. Have a lot of help.” I correct myself. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’ve been taking pictures for the website like you asked,” he says. “Feels good to be useful. I used to take pictures of your aunt’s paintings so we could sell them.”
“Are those around anywhere?” I gasp. “I’d love to see them.”
He looks incredibly happy. “Sure, honey. I’ll find them for you.”
I’m not sure what time it is and wonder if Vinny is actually going to come. I float around making sure everyone is having a good time, and that there’s enough food and drink to go around. The sound system plays holiday music. I’ve set up a playlist that starts with family favorites but slips into slower, more romantic songs as the night progresses.
Based on that I’d guess it’s close to ten, if not a little after. I look over at Kristi and Sven, and they’re getting along quite well. They’re having fun making drinks, and at one point, Sven places a sweet, small kiss on Kristi’s cheek.
Yes. Quite well indeed.
It’s so satisfying how it’s all come together. It’s almost enough to make me forget about Christmas. I walk over to the bay window and check on my reindeer family. They seem to be having an okay time too.
“If you look this stunning from the back, I can only imagine how incredible you look from the front.”
Vinny.
He’d come after all.
I turn around, and he pushes his lips into an ‘o’ and lets out a breath. The smoldering look in his eyes calls back the intensity of his gaze as he’d made me come on the kitchen counter last night.
“Damn. Sia. You’re. You look. I mean.”
He’s wearing dark slacks, dress shoes, and a nice, dark blue button-down shirt. I skim my fingers over the buttons, imagining how it’d feel to pop them open, push the material aside, and press my lips to his muscular chest.
“You look great.” Can he hear the desire in my voice? “Though I miss the pine tree sweater.”
He drags his gaze over my body and then up to my face, lingering on my lips. He moves in closer, sliding a hand over the bare skin of my back, right above the curve of my ass.
“You’re incredible.” He pulls me tightly against him, kissing me.
The party whirls around us, but right now it’s just the two of us, here, in this moment.
The music shifts to Merry Christmas Darling.
“You like this one,” he sa
ys. “I heard you singing it.”
“It’s one of my favorites.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor. I lean against him, his arm draped around my lower back as we slow dance to the music.
“Did I mention I love the back of this dress,” he whispers into my ear.
“It doesn’t have one.”
“Exactly.”
He’s a good dancer, and given the way he touched me in the kitchen last night, I’m not surprised. He leads easily, always knowing which way to move, how to hold me.
We finish out the song and dance to another. And then another. And a few more until suddenly the room is mostly empty.
“I guess it’s late,” I say. I look over at Sven and Kristi. “Let’s send them home.”
Vinny squeezes my waist as I leave. They’re just at the canoodling stage when I get there.
“You two should head out,” I say. “The caterers are going to be here any minute to pick up the glassware, and frankly it looks like there’s not much alcohol left anyway. Take the nice vodka with you.”
“Are you sure?” Kristi asks.
“Please,” I reply. “It’s time to shut down, and people will leave when the booze dries up.”
And I’m right, of course. The last guests file out, and Vinny and I help the caterers load up. They toss the last of the trash out, and the empties into the recycling, and soon it’s just me and Vinny alone in the ballroom. It’s a mess, but I’ll take care of that tomorrow.
Or today. It’s after 2 A.M.
“Thank you. I think it was a success.”
“I’d agree,” Vinny says.
“I know parties aren’t your thing,” I begin.
“Stop. I’m glad to be here with you.”
I slide my arms up around his neck, and he kisses me, practically lifting me off my feet. I should be too tired for this, but instead I kiss him back ravenously, molding my body to his.
“Sia,” he groans, slipping a hand down my back. He stops when he finally reaches the material just above my hips, and then dips his hand under it, squeezing my ass through my panties.
“I want you.” I moan against him. “All of you.” I palm his cock through his pants and he hisses through his teeth.
“Are you sure?”
I pull his zipper down and stroke him through his boxers.
“Yes.”
Condoms.
“Do you have condoms?” I murmur, my hand still teasing his cock.
“Uhn. Fuck.” He grabs my wrist and pulls me into his arms, carrying me out of the ballroom and to his place. He takes me into his bedroom and places me on his bed before putting something over his fishbowl.
I don’t particularly want the fish watching either.
“Sia.” He devours me with his gaze. “I’ve been wanting to fuck you all goddamn night. That dress,” he murmurs.
“Don’t you think it’s time to take it off me?”
16
Vinny
Don’t have to ask me twice. I start with her shoes. Another time I’ll have her leave them on but have to save some of my fantasies for later. I unlace them and toss them aside, kissing my way up her legs. She’s holding on to the headboard already. I love how she’s ready to go just like that. But I’m going to take my time tonight.
Make her feel good.
I rub her feet as I lick and kiss a path up to her thighs. Her breathing gets heavier as I move closer to her pussy. I slide her dress up over her hips but don’t move any further yet, just worshiping those gorgeous legs of hers before taking any next steps. I can smell how turned on she is.
She’s too fucking sweet to resist, so I press my nose against the crotch of her panties. She rewards me with a low, long moan.
“You smell so fucking good. I bet you taste even better. I can’t wait to taste you. Do you want me to taste you, Sia?”
I look up from between her bent legs. She’s fisting the pillows and I haven’t even started yet.
“Yes,” she whispers.
I go to slide her panties off, and she lifts her hips eagerly. Once they’re out of the way, I take a good, long look at her.
“Fuck,” I murmur. “You’re pretty everywhere.” I run a finger along her slit, and then open her up so I can see all of her. Pink. Wet. Perfect. I lick the inside of her thighs again, moving slowly toward her delicious center. When I finally get there, where I want to be, she lets out a ragged cry.
She tastes incredible. Just as sweet as I imagined. Sweeter, maybe. I press my face into her pussy, drawing my beard over her. She squirms against my face, and I want more. I rub her clit with the bridge of my nose and eat her out like she’s manna from heaven.
Because she is.
I absolutely devour her, licking, sucking, holding her hips as she bucks against me. She’s panting, gasping for breath, pulling at my hair as I suck her clit, tonguing it relentlessly. I want to make her come just with my mouth, like I’d made her come just with my hands. I thrust my tongue in and out of her tight channel, shoving my nose hard against her clit. Her sharp intake of breath lets me know exactly what she likes, and she likes it hard and fast. I’m happy to oblige, dragging my beard over her sensitive bud.
She moans with pleasure, and I do it again and again, before dipping back to taste her, licking her with long, firm strokes. When her legs start shaking, I attack her clit, raking my teeth across it and sucking it with intense pressure.
She comes against my face, crying out her orgasm. She’s loud and I fucking love it. I never want to stop licking her, tasting her, but she’s tugging at my hair.
I come up for air, and she looks like another of my wet dreams, disheveled, dress hiked over her hips, hair a mess, legs open, wet from my mouth and her come.
“Vinny,” she moans. “That was amazing.”
I kiss her and she doesn’t pull away. Yes. Perfect. Her hand slides down to my cock again, stroking me through my pants.
“You still have all your clothes on,” she murmurs.
“I do,” I say, tracing a finger over her sensitive clit.
She lets out a little gasp.
I draw my hands up to her hips and pull her dress all the way off.
I growl a curse and lean over to lick the peaks of her full breasts, take her into my mouth again as my fingers reach down to stroke her pussy.
“Vinny,” she gasps, jerking against me. “I want…”
I’m teasing her tight core with my fingers.
“What do you want, baby?” I ask, scraping her nipples with my beard.
“I want to touch you,” she moans.
Her hands are on my back.
“You are,” I say, separating her folds.
She whimpers. “Vinny. Please.”
“Please what?”
I graze my teeth over her nipples. It’s so much fucking fun teasing her. I’m gliding my fingers over her hot, wet pussy, and I can feel her muscles clench, wanting more.
“I want your cock. I want you naked on top of me with your cock so deep inside me. I want to know how it feels to come around it.”
If I don’t take my pants off now, I might not be able to after that comment. I tease her for a few long moments, though. I want her desperate, needy, screaming out my name.
She angles for my cock again, so I move out of her reach but start taking off my clothes. When she grabs for me a third time, I flip her over so she’s on her stomach. I shed my clothes and pull her down so her legs are hanging off the end of my bed. I push my face into her delicious pussy again. I play with her clit until she’s shaking, and then I stop. She cries out in frustration.
“What,” I ask, rubbing my cock against her ass. “What is it?”
She pushes that luscious ass against me. It feels fucking great.
“You’re a bastard,” she hisses. “You know what I want.”
I move in slow circles.
“I must’ve forgotten,” I murmur. “Remind me?”
“I want you to pull me up on
all fours and fuck me like you goddamn mean it.”
My cock is like fucking steel now. Definitely up for the job.
“Condom. Drawer.”
I pull away from her and it sucks. The building pressure in my balls is fucking killing me. Taking the condom out of the package, I slide it down my shaft. I pull her up to her hands and knees and position myself behind her, stroking her entrance and teasing her clit. I’m on the big side, and she said it’d been a while for her. I want to make sure she’s wet and ready. I slide two fingers inside her, pulling against her inner walls as I slide them out.
“Okay?” I ask, holding the tip of my cock at her hot, slick opening.
“God yes.”
I move into her slowly, filling her all the way up. She’s incredible. Christ, I didn’t know it could feel this good to be inside a woman. But Sia’s not just any woman.
Thank god I jerked off last night because, otherwise, the pressure of her tight pussy gripping me as she takes me in would’ve made me come immediately, and I want to fuck her good and long before that happens.
“Sia,” I say, reaching up to cup her breasts. “That feel okay?”
She starts rolling her hips in response.
“Feels amazing.”
It’s all I can do to hold back from pounding into her then and there, but first I pull nearly all the way out of her before pushing back in as slowly as possible. A few more times and she’s cursing the day I was born. I push in, as deep as I can, my balls tight against her ass, one more time. I tweak those pretty nipples of hers before bringing my hands to her waist.
She knows what’s about to happen.
“Yes, god yes,” she says. She rolls her hips against me and I’m barely holding on.
This is it. “I want you. Want to hear my name on those sweet lips of yours. Make you feel so good, baby.”
She whimpers, pleading, wet and ready.
I pull nearly all the way out again and then slam back into her. I thrust hard and fast, and she meets me with that fucking sweet roll of her hips every time. But I’m determined to make her come first. I pull her hips against me as I thrust up, angling so her clit rubs against my hard shaft with every movement.
Hooked: A Christmas Romance: The Doyles, Boston Irish Mafia Romance Page 10