PMU Boxset 2

by MacMillan, Jerica

  Abby stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “No, Lance. Just me. You should stay.”

  He sighed, setting the iPad down. “Abby, I’m not going to stay without you.”

  “But you’ve wanted to come home for Christmas. Spend it with your family. You’ve been talking about it for months.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been talking about taking you to spend Christmas with my family. I wanted you to meet them and them to meet you. If you’re not here, it’s no good. I want to spend Christmas with you.”

  “I want to spend Christmas with you, too.” It came out as a whisper, but then her face hardened, and he knew he wouldn’t win this fight no matter what he said. “But that’s not a good enough reason for both of us to leave early. Your parents will be upset if you leave. Your dad already doesn’t like me.”

  “Abby, that’s not—”

  “I know you think it’s all because of you. But I think he blames me for you not coming back. If you don’t spend Christmas with your family, your dad’ll hate me even more.”

  “He doesn’t hate you.”

  She grunted. “Fine. But if you leave now, he will. You should stay. Just change my ticket. I’ll pay for whatever it costs.”

  “No.”

  “Lance—”

  “No.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Look, I’ll do what you want and stay here—because you asked me to, not because I want to, because I want to go with you. But you asking me to stay means you don’t want me with you for some reason.”

  “Lance, no, that’s not—”

  He shook his head. “It is. It’s okay, though. I know your family stuff is hard for you, and you don’t like having other people involved. It’s bad enough that Megan and Chris have gotten involved. And you don’t know what’s going on with your brother—which, by the way, is an even better reason for me to come with you. I don’t trust him. I don’t know what’s going on, and the fact that he won’t let you talk to your mom worries me. But if you want to handle it on your own, I’ll respect that. They’re your family. So, fine. I’ll stay. But there’s no way in hell I’m letting you pay to change your tickets. I didn’t even let you buy your ticket to come. I’m not letting you pay for the way back, either.”

  Abby stuffed a wadded up shirt into her suitcase, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine. And it’s not that I don’t want you with me. I do. I just don’t—I don’t know what’s going on or what to expect. And if you come along, it might make things worse. I need to handle this on my own.”

  Lance stood, pulling Abby into him. “I get it. It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine, but he knew better than to push right now. He’d do what she asked and get her home on Christmas Eve. And he’d follow the next day. There were lots of flights open on Christmas Day. He’d exchange gifts with his family that morning, then have one of them take him to the airport.

  She was right that his dad would give him shit about that. But he’d give him shit for staying without her, too. Nothing he did would be right in his father’s eyes at this point. So there was no point taking that into consideration. His biggest regret was that he wouldn’t get to propose the way he’d planned. And with this new development with her brother, it would have to wait.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Abby finished stuffing her things back in her suitcase, leaving out clothes for tomorrow and her toiletries for the morning. Lance sat on the bed propped against the headboard with a pillow behind his back. His iPad sat in his hands, but his eyes followed her. She cast one last glance around, crossing her arms over herself, unsure what to do about the tension in the room. He wouldn’t say it, but she knew that Lance was hurt by her insistence that he stay with his family. But she couldn’t disrupt Christmas anymore than she already had. It killed her to be so far from home right now with things so up in the air. And it killed her to leave Lance like this.

  She finally met his eyes. “Um, I put everyone’s presents under the tree earlier, so you guys can still open them on Christmas morning. I hope they like them.” Lance had given her some ideas on what to get his family, but she’d been the one to pick everything out. He’d tried to get her to just sign her name to the stuff he got, but she couldn’t do that. Or let him pay for the presents. No, they were gifts for his family from her. She needed to pay for them. He said he understood her need to pay for things, but he didn’t really seem to. Or maybe she just didn’t understand why it bothered him so much.

  “Okay.” He climbed off the bed, reaching for a slim, wrapped box on his nightstand. “Since you’re leaving tomorrow, I wanted you to open your present tonight.”

  “I can wait until you get home. We don’t—”

  He kissed her, cutting off her protest. “I know. But I want you to have it before you fly home. Open your present, Abby, and quit arguing with me about everything, okay?”

  A small smile came unbidden to her lips. He was right. She was fighting him on everything right now. It was reflexive, the need to maintain her sense of self, her sense of independence. And when she got in this mode, she argued with him about everything. He’d gotten better at stopping her gently before things spiraled into a shouting match. Their first few months living together and hashing out how to split the bills had resulted in more than one of those. But they’d managed to come to an agreement. It still didn’t make Lance happy that she insisted on paying for half the rent and utilities, and she still got annoyed when he’d go to the grocery store without her and buy a ton of food and not let her pay him back. He always told her that if she felt that strongly about it, she could repay him with sexual favors, a wicked glint in his eye and his mouth curved in his most devastating smile. And then he’d chase her around the apartment and give her multiple orgasms, which didn’t seem like she was paying him back at all. But it distracted her from her frustration. Until the next time they got low on groceries, and she made sure to go shopping before he had the chance. That way she could keep things balanced and fair.

  She took the box from his hands, ripping off the shiny green and gold paper, her eyes meeting his in disbelief. “Lance. You didn’t.”

  He smile played over his lips. “Open the box.”

  Sitting on the bed, she pulled the lid off the white rectangular box with the image of an iPad on it. Sure enough, the contents matched the packaging. She looked up at him, the lid dangling from her fingers. “I told you my Kindle was fine.”

  He sat next to her, his long, calloused fingers lifting the iPad out of the box. “I know. But I want you to have the best, not just fine. You wouldn’t let me buy you one just because. So now you get one for Christmas.”

  She stared up at him, at a loss for what to say. It had been hard for her to tell him no when he’d tried to buy her one before, but it had been so soon after they’d moved in together, and he’d already bought a bunch of new stuff for their apartment and wouldn’t let her pay for anything. Not that she could afford the electronics and new dishes that he’d insisted on. And they weren’t thrift store dishes or something cheap from the dollar store either. No, he’d taken her to Bed, Bath, & Beyond and outfitted their whole kitchen in one trip with new dishes, cookware, bakeware, and towels. It had cost as much as Abby made in a month. She’d tried to talk him out of it, but every time she protested, he’d interrupt her with a kiss and drag her to the next aisle to pick out something else. So she’d stood firm on her insistence that her Kindle Fire, which she’d just gotten at the beginning of the summer, was just fine. She didn’t need an iPad. Even if she’d really wanted one. He’d obviously seen through her front.

  Blinking back a tear, overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions that had been flooding her since Megan’s phone call and now Lance’s unfailing sweetness in the face of her intransigence, she lifted her face to his, kissing him softly. “Thank you. I love it.”

  He smiled. “That’s more like the response I was hoping for.” She let out a quick laugh, and he slid the box out of her lap. “I’ll get this set up for you so you can use
it tomorrow.” He took out the charger and walked over to the small desk in his room to plug it in.

  Abby stood and followed him, her hand reaching around to cover his. “Leave it for later.”

  He set it down and turned to face her, and she let her hands run up his chest over the soft fabric of his T-shirt, his muscles firm and hard beneath.

  He let out a breath. “Okay.” Then he tugged her closer, one hand wrapping around her waist, the other tipping her face up to kiss him, his tongue sliding along her lips before entering her mouth. He took his time, his hands traveling over her body, cupping, gripping, caressing. She mimicked his actions, her hands sliding under his shirt, over his abs and around to his back, feeling the indent of his spine surrounded by thick columns of muscle, the way his shoulders rippled and flexed as his hands moved over her body, reaching down to grip her ass with both hands and grind her against him.

  Breaking the kiss and taking a step back, he stripped off his own shirt, and she did the same. Before she could do more, he had his arms around her again, his hands now caressing her bare skin, his fingers rougher today after working on cars all afternoon. She arched against him, annoyed that her bra was still in the way, but not wanting to break their connection long enough to take it off.

  Lance solved that problem for her, his head dropping to trail kisses down her neck and over her shoulders while he undid the clasp of her bra. He backed them up until he could sit on the bed, pulling off her bra as he did so, his hands going to her breasts as soon as he was at eye level with them. His rough fingers pinched and circled her nipples, bringing them to attention so his tongue could worship them one at a time.

  She clutched at his dark hair, holding his head in place. God, she loved when he took his time like this, paying attention to all his favorite places, which had become her favorite places too. She’d always thought her breasts were too big, especially in relation to her petite frame. But Lance loved them, and now she did too. Loved the way he devoured them with his eyes when she wore a low-cut top, with his mouth when she was topless. The way his tongue flicked her nipples, his lips and teeth tugging on them made her knees go weak.

  “Lance.” His name came out a gasp, and she felt him smile against her skin, but he didn’t let up. Instead, his hands moved to the button of her jeans, which he undid before she registered what he was doing. He tugged her pants down along with her panties, his hands now going to her ass, his fingers reaching between her thighs, teasing and stroking, but not where she wanted. She tried to widen her stance, but her jeans around her knees wouldn’t let her, and she whimpered her distress.

  The low chuckle that came from Lance’s throat told her he knew exactly what he was doing. But he didn’t torture her for much longer. Wrapping his arms around her, he lay back, taking her with him onto the bed, rolling them so he was propped over her, kissing her mouth again, his hands caressing every inch of naked skin he could reach.

  Abby kicked off her jeans, spreading her legs for him, sighing in relief when he rubbed her there at last, dipping inside her and spreading her wetness around her clit in lazy circles. Sometimes things started out slow and languid, but by the time they got naked, it turned into fierce, driving hunger. Not tonight. This was about connection and love, reassurance that they were still okay in spite of all the outside forces currently conspiring against them. One shining moment that Abby knew she would hold inside her to keep her grounded when things with her family got overwhelming. And they would. Soon.

  She pushed that thought away, focusing on Lance, the pleasure building inside her, and the pleasure she wanted for him. Reaching for his belt, she undid it without breaking their kiss, her hand reaching inside to stroke him. In response, his fingers speared inside her, rubbing against her favorite spot of all, his thumb still circling her clit, her arousal ratcheting higher until she thought she’d come on his hand in a matter of seconds. But that wasn’t what she wanted. She needed him over her, inside her, around her, his body blocking out everything else. “Lance. I need you. Now.”

  His hand slowed but didn’t stop, and he pulled back to look at her, his dark eyes full of love and lust examining her face. He nodded once, letting go for long enough to get rid of the rest of his clothes, climbing over her, his knees nudging her thighs further apart, spreading her wide to make room for him. He rubbed the head of his cock all over her, teasing her with it, then he leaned over her and kissed her deeply as he thrust inside her in one stroke.

  Her breath hitched at the sudden intrusion, her legs wrapping around his hips to hold him tightly to her. He moved slow, so slow, his forearms planted on either side of her head, surrounding her and giving her the feeling of safety and protection she longed for.

  She clung to him, her hands in his hair, her legs around him, never wanting to let go. He kept up his pace, each withdrawal a slow glide, each thrust hard and punishing, hitting her just right until all she could do was moan into his mouth. “More. Oh god, more.”

  He nipped at her lips, his hips moving faster, more sinuous, and he reached one hand down between them, his thumb circling over her clit. She gasped at the contact, and he moved harder, faster, the withdrawal still slow, but driving home with more force.

  Arching underneath him, her muscles grew tighter, her fingers now clawing at his shoulders, her thighs squeezing him as tight as she could. His hand moved even faster, and his mouth sealed over hers as she cried out, swallowing her sounds, his rhythm never faltering, wringing her orgasm out of her until she lay limp beneath him. His hands went under her, lifting her up as he sat back on his heels, pulling her upright and onto his lap, her legs still wrapped around his waist, his hands under her ass moving her as he drove into her faster and harder and deeper, until he pulled her down frantically, losing the rhythm, burying his face in her neck, stifling his groan of ecstasy as he shuddered beneath her.

  They stayed that way while they both caught their breath, maintaining their connection for as long as possible.

  Tomorrow would be their first night apart since he’d come back to Spokane in August. Abby wasn’t looking forward to it, and she knew Lance wouldn’t be either. So she pushed away thoughts of tomorrow and what waited for her at home, choosing to stay in the moment with him while she could.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Lance tossed his mom’s car keys on the kitchen table, slumping into a chair. The thought of spending the rest of this trip without Abby didn’t sit well with him. Which, of course, was why he’d already rescheduled his flight for the next day. He hadn’t told anyone yet. Abby would argue with him, and he didn’t want to fight with her about it. Megan would pick her up when she got in tonight, so his car would still be in long term parking. He’d surprise Abby, even though he knew she didn’t like surprises.

  What frustrated him more than her leaving without him was her facing her brother for the first time in two years on her own. The fact that he wouldn’t let her talk to their mom made him nervous. Abby had tried to explain it away, saying her mom didn’t like to talk on the phone much anyway, and that was probably all it was. But he could tell that she said it to convince herself as much as him.

  This unexpected appearance of one of the men who’d abandoned her made him fidgety and restless, needing to expend his energy somewhere since he couldn’t do what he wanted, which was show up and pound the guy’s face in. He might be Abby’s brother, but that only meant they shared DNA. Lance would never abandon his sisters like that, leaving without a word, expecting them to shoulder the responsibility of a disabled parent. Abby’s brother and father were the reason she always pushed him away when he tried to help. And that pissed him off. So, yeah, her brother needed some education in brotherly duties. Lance would be more than happy to provide it for him. Free of charge.

  He ran his hands over his face and through his hair, threading his fingers behind his head and pulling against them. Standing, he grabbed the car keys again and headed out. He’d go to the shop and work with his dad for a while. If he sat here by
himself, he’d go crazy. His mom wouldn’t welcome his help with the preparations for dinner, and she and Gabby were at the store. She’d texted to let him know what they were doing while he was driving back from taking Abby to the airport.

  His mom and sisters had been disappointed that Abby had to leave, but said they understood with the situation being what it was. His mom had hugged Abby for a long time, and when they broke apart, Abby’s eyes were bright with tears. It killed him to see her cry, but she blinked a few times, clearing away the moisture, and offered him a tight smile. “Okay. I’m ready. We should go so I’m not late.”

  He’d taken her in time to make the nine o’clock flight, just in case she could get a seat on standby. On Christmas Eve it seemed like a crap shoot. There might be tons of people trying to get where they were going in time for Christmas Day, or it could be light, everyone already where they planned to spend the holiday.

  He’d insisted on parking and going in with her, waiting in line at the check-in counter, and again in the security line until she got to the front. He’d kissed her thoroughly, provoking grumbles and catcalls from the people around them. Abby’s cheeks were pink when he let her go, and the TSA agent gave him a wry smile when he took Abby’s ticket.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  Abby smiled, taking her ticket back, and giving him another quick kiss before going through to the scanners. “See you soon. I love you.”

  “Love you too.” He stood and watched until he couldn’t see her anymore, then turned and went back to the car.

  He hated the idea of spending the night without her. But at least it would be just one night. And he’d spend as long as he could at the shop with his dad, doing whatever he could to keep himself busy until tomorrow.

  His dad came out to greet him when he pulled into the shop’s parking lot. He stood by the open bay doors, watching Lance get out of the car and pocket the keys.