by Zoe York
“Shut up, you like an early bedtime even more than me.”
Laney curled up on the couch. “That’s true. So…remember what we were talking about the other day?”
“Mom’s meddling or how crazy my kids are? I’m familiar with both concepts.”
“The first one. And that maybe I needed to talk to Kyle.”
“Mm-hmm.” Evie’s head disappeared behind the back of the castle.
“Well, I did. I went over there yesterday and we talked. It was good.” And then we didn’t, and that was even better.
“Oh Laney…” Evie shoved the castle aside and pinned her under a heavy gaze. “It was good? Really? You’re fine?”
“Really. I know, I asked myself the same thing. But yeah, I feel totally fine now. A bit silly for wasting so much time on bitterness, but knowing that he wasn’t left unscathed…I don’t know, we just…” licked each other’s wounds all better “…came to an understanding.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m glad you’ve finally put him behind you.”
Laney blushed, thinking that Kyle was the one who had put himself behind her the second time.
“You have, right? You need to move forward, not backward. The last thing I’d want is for Kyle to break your heart again.”
She considered telling Evie what had really happened, but doubted that her sister would think it was quite as hot as she did. “Guaranteed, Ev, my heart is untouchable. If I hadn’t learned that from Kyle, I did from you and Mom.”
Claire wandered in just in time to catch the tail end of Laney’s pronouncement. “Oh no, Laney, don’t say that!”
“Why not? It’s true. Love has done quite the number on both of you.”
Evie tucked the castle into the box and grabbed a roll of wrapping paper. “Normally I’d agree with Mom, but in this case, whatever keeps you from falling in love with Kyle again is fine by me.”
Claire’s eyes twinkled and Laney groaned. “Thanks for that.”
“Delaney, did you run into Kyle?”
She was so tempted to share all of the sticky, lurid details with her mom as payback for her initial meddling, except in the end it hadn’t been such a bad plan at all. “You know I did. Since when are you afraid to drive a tractor?”
“I was wearing my new jeans and it looked greasy.”
“Yeah, right. Well, that was awkward, when he showed up at the door, but then yesterday I went over to his place and we talked. It was less awkward and more…” intimate “…productive.”
“I’m so glad, sweetheart. You’ve held onto that sadness for too long. But your sister is right to be worried. Kyle has always had a strong hold on your emotions. I want you to be free of that, not just trade love for hate and vice versa.”
It was Laney’s turn to blow hair out of her face this time. She was starting to get pissed off, a common theme in Calhoun late night chats. “Three things. First, I’m a grown-up, let me worry about my feelings, be they over the top or utterly lacking. Second, I. Am. Not. In. Love. With. Anyone. Love is still overrated and unnecessary. Third, I think it’s time for cookies and tea, yes?”
She headed into the kitchen, but her sister and mother just followed. Escape was not going to be that easy.
“Laney, we just want you to be happy,” Claire said.
“I am happy. I have a great job, and an interesting social life, and despite them being incredibly annoying, I even like my family. I finally settled my feelings about a long-ago ex-boyfriend and it’s still not good enough for you both.”
Evie reached past Laney to grab a teapot off the shelf. “You know, I wouldn’t change a thing about my relationship with Dale.”
Laney snorted.
“Really. He gave me two awesome kids. If I hadn’t married him, I wouldn’t have them.”
“And I wouldn’t have given up knowing and loving your dad, even though his death was so hard on me.”
Laney looked at the beautiful, crazy women in front of her. “Of course, you say that now. But from my perspective, if having kids means dealing with a deadbeat ex-husband, or if having a grand love affair means someone suffers through a year of depression at the end of it … it’s probably safer to stick to being a party of one.”
Claire pulled her daughter in for a gentle hug. “I wish I could explain just how wrong you are, sweetie, but it might be something that you need to experience for yourself.”
“Isn’t that what losing Kyle was? And now I’ve moved on. As you wanted me to, remember.”
“You were young. I want you to have a meaningful adult relationship.”
Laney’s jaw twitched. “Not that young. Too young to make it work, maybe, but not too young to know what it was.”
Claire paused, knowing she’d pushed her daughter to her limit. “Okay. I’m sorry. You’re right, this is none of my business.”
Evie busied herself with putting spelt cookies on a plate, and the tension ebbed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Christmas Eve morning at the Calhoun farm started with group Pilates. Laney thought about bowing out and going for a run by herself instead, but Connor promised that “Ninja Monster Pilates is way different than boring Mom Pilates, don’t worry!” And he was right. Max sat on her abs while she did The Hundred, and Connor challenged her to beat him in double leg lifts. She couldn’t. Humbled by an eight year old.
After inhaling plain yogurt and homemade granola for breakfast, everyone pitched in to prep food for the next two days. Calhouns never procrastinated, and holiday meals were no exception. Claire set to work on stuffing and pie for Christmas dinner, while Evie and the boys prepped clam chowder for that night. That left the traditional Christmas Eve bread pudding for Laney, but when she went to get a loaf of bread from the pantry, Evie and Claire exchanged guilty looks.
“You didn’t get extra bread?”
“We decided to have fruit salad for dessert instead,” Evie said. “Bread pudding is so excessive.”
“You’re a lunatic. It’s Christmas, we’re having bread pudding. I’ll run into town, do we need anything else? What else were you thinking of eliminating from the menu?”
It had been years since Laney had last driven into Wardham, but it looked pretty much the same. She parked in front of Wardham Grocery and paused on the sidewalk to take in her home town. A fancy coffee shop had opened up a few doors down, and the bank had been recently renovated, but otherwise it looked like the same place she spent her first 21 years.
Inside the grocery store, she recognized Karen Miller at the checkout. Karen’s younger brother had been in Laney’s grade in high school, and a few years after graduation had been drafted into the NHL. She wasn’t sure if Karen would remember her or not, but offered a little wave to be friendly. It was returned, along with a surprised smile. She didn’t know what to make of that, so she grabbed a cart and went in search of day-old bread.
Potato chips for the top of the cabbage casserole and marshmallows for the sweet potatoes, along with nibblies and ginger ale for the afternoon, completed her purchases. Laney was as health conscious as the next person, she was a doctor for goodness sake, but her sister went too far.
A display of pet accessories caught her eye. Maybe she should get Kyle and Buddy Christmas presents. It would just be neighbourly. She grabbed a purple Kong before she could change her mind and went in search of peanut butter.
Kyle was harder to find something for in the grocery store, but as she moved down the soft drink aisle, she saw a display of energy drinks. Red Bull reminded her of the year before they started dating. Late night studying infused with sexual frustration and stolen glances. A shiver raced up her spine, and she grabbed a four pack. It wasn’t the worst Christmas present in the world, and it would be an excuse to stop at the school house.
It is an absolutely awful gift, but if we get naked, he probably won’t care. The promise of quick and dirty sex spurred Laney toward the checkout counter. She grabbed a tin of mints and added it to her pile.
“Nice t
o see you again, Laney. Back for Christmas?”
“Hi, Karen. Yep, we’re all at the farm.”
“Have you seen Kyle?”
She did a double take. How was that anyone else’s business, and why did Karen Miller care? “What? Why?”
“Everyone liked you two together.”
“That was a long time ago, Karen. How much do I owe you?”
Karen took her time finding the total button. Laney wanted to throw a fifty at her and run. “I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s just…never mind.”
Laney was still annoyed, but there wasn’t anyone else in the store, and curiosity got the better of her. “Just what?”
“He hasn’t dated in a while, and when your mom said that you were coming home for the holidays, we thought maybe it might be an opportunity for him to deal with your breakup.”
“We who? You and my mom?” Laney couldn’t believe her ears. The meddling in Wardham was reaching new heights, and her mother had a lot of explaining to do.
“Oh no! Right, you’ve been gone a while. Kyle’s brother married Carrie, my best friend? Evie knows her. Anyway, it was one conversation, that’s all.” Karen was back-peddling hard. “I’ve really overstepped here, I’m sorry.” She bit her lip, and Laney felt some of her anger slip away.
“Right. Well, I think everyone should probably just mind their own business. Kyle’s a grown man, he can take care of himself.”
It took another fifteen minutes for Laney to stash her groceries in the car and grab a latte from the coffee shop/bakery, because she was stopped by three people who wanted to tell her how happy they were she was visiting for the holidays and to ask if she’d seen Kyle yet. She considered stopping at the drugstore for a gift bag, but decided if she was going to have any time for a quickie, the presents should probably just be wrapped in a grocery bag.
She parked her car on the far side of the school house from her mom’s farm. Not hiding where she was, but at the same time, she was quite done with questions for the day.
Kyle opened the door at the second knock. He raised his eyebrows and flashed a wide, easy smile. “Hey, you. I wasn’t sure if…I thought you might be busy with family stuff.”
“I have been.” She held out the grocery bag. “I was shopping and decided to get you and Buddy some Christmas presents.”
He pulled her inside and closed the door. He slid the package out of her grasp, placed it on a small table next to the entrance and closed the gap between them. “Thank you. I’ll open it in a minute. But first—” He slid one hand behind her neck “—I’m going to kiss you, okay?”
He didn’t wait for a response, but he didn’t rush either. His other hand curled against her jaw, and she saw his lips part, his eyelids drop, his nose tilt away, and as his breath touched her mouth, everything slipped out of focus and it was all warm and muzzy and delicious.
Lips on lips. Lips parting, then tongues dancing, teeth nipping, then after breaking apart for ragged breaths, they crashed together again, hungry and needy.
“Open your present,” she whispered, pressing her hips up and into his erection.
“Can I open you first?”
“It’s related, trust me.”
Kyle eased back enough to twist and grab the bag. “It’s heavy for a sex toy.”
She giggled. She didn’t giggle, ever. Except, apparently, when around Kyle. Or maybe it was Wardham, although she didn’t remember being this…whatever this was on previous trips. It was fun being this different Laney. He reached into the bag and pulled out the four-pack. “Red Bull?”
“You used to love the stuff.”
“When we had to pull all-nighters, studying. I haven’t drunk it in years.”
“It reminded me of you.” Laney angled toward him, stealing a quick kiss. “Keep going.”
“Okay. Thank you, for the Red Bull. Maybe I’ll go on a road trip in the summer.”
Come to Chicago. Her heart thumped. That was lunacy. This was a bit of fun to get Kyle out of her system. She didn’t want to start anything up again. She’d sworn as much to her sister and mother, and she’d been telling the truth. Her stomach twisted, and she swallowed hard.
He pulled out the second gift. “Peanut butter?”
“For Buddy. There’s a related—”
A black and white streak shot across the room as Kyle held up the hollow purple ball.
“It’ll keep him occupied while we use the last gift,” she whispered, suddenly nervous.
He gave her a curious look and slid the tin out of the bag. “Altoids?”
She grinned. Fake it till you make it. “You bet. Leave the Red Bull here and follow me.”
She swirled past him, letting her fingers trail across his lower abdomen as she stepped toward the living area. Her coat hit the floor, followed by her top, and she turned in the middle of the room, wearing yoga pants and a black bra. Kyle paced toward her, heat rolling off him. As he reached her, she sank to her knees and parted her lips. “May I have a mint, sir?”
Kyle groaned and opened the package. She stuck her tongue out to accept the candy he offered, drawing it into her mouth. He held onto it for a minute, feeling the warmth of her mouth around his fingers, then he slipped them out and swiped her lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “Your mouth looks so damn good glistening wet like that.”
Laney smirked and fluttered her eyelashes. “You say the nicest things,” she murmured, tugging at his belt buckle. She was eager to have him in her mouth, a curious fact that she didn’t want to explore right at that moment. Or ever. She breathed in and out, steadying her nerves.
Kyle groaned as Laney slipped her hand into his open jeans and wrapped her cool fingers around his straining cock. His ass flexed on its own when she slid her hand up and down the shaft, and he barely kept his hips from thrusting into her face. He had loved her mouth on him the other day, and wanted more. He stroked her hair, resisting the urge to wrap his fist around her ponytail. “I can’t wait to be inside you,” he said with a growl.
She shook her head. “This isn’t a prelude to anything. I saw that tin and all I could think of was making you finish in my mouth.”
He twitched against her hand. That was the only part of him that wasn’t speechless.
“I’ve never done that with anyone, you know.”
That low confession tore him to pieces. For all her bravado, Laney was still that same sweet girl he used to know, and he wasn’t sure they were doing the right thing, in this moment or in general. Worse than that was he didn’t care enough to stop. Her pink lips parted in anticipation and he stroked her cheek, first with his fingers, then more firmly with his thumb, encouraging her to open. Her eyes widened for a second, and he worried he was being too crude, but then they sparked with wicked delight, and she darted her tongue out and around the head of his shaft.
She didn’t take him into her mouth right away, and while he couldn’t contain the odd groan or cock twitch, he let her set the pace. This was her gift, and he appreciated any variation she might offer. She licked, breathed, and nuzzled his sex. She wasn’t teasing or playing a game. She was exploring his body, figuring out exactly what he liked. It was a level of intimacy he’d only ever had with her, and as he stared down at this amazing, one-of-a-kind woman, he feared he might never find it again.
She pushed his hands into her hair, encouraging him to show her what pace he wanted as she took more of his length into her mouth, and any worry was pushed out of his brain as she swirled her magic minty tongue along his shaft. It was hot and cold at the same time, and he couldn’t stop his hips from jerking forward. His eyes rolled back in his head and he gave himself over to the soft, rocking sensations. The coordination of hand and mouth was tentative at first, then bolder. She wobbled her head back and forth, in an alternating pattern to her soft hand sliding around the base of him. Jesus. Her carnal rhythm was hitting all of his buttons, particularly one big button on the underside of his swollen knob—which, goddamn it, her tongue just swirled
over. He jerked his hips and she hummed her pride around his cock. He pried his eyes open and gazed down at her. Shit, she looks so fucking pleased with herself. As she should.
“I’m close, sweet—uhhhhhh—so close...”
She maintained a steady rhythm, her cheeks hollowing ever so slightly as she worked him toward his release. He was afraid his knees might buckle, but she shook her head when he tapped her shoulder. She wanted this, and heaven help him, so did he, even if it felled him.
“Fuuuu—uhhhh—Laney. Oh. Here it comes. Fuck!” He exploded in her mouth, and all around her, his body crumpling forward, and oh yeah, there went his knees. She eased him to the floor in front of her and he wove his fingers into her hair, burying her face in his heaving chest. He was dazed, overwhelmed in the aftermath of a spectacular blow job. He should probably tell her just how good it was, although his physical reaction pretty much gave that away. “Wow. I knew I liked your mouth, but...wow.”
She climbed into his lap, careful to avoid pressing on his well-used center. She glowed with satisfaction. “That was fun.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded.
“Give me a minute, and I’m going to return the favour.”
“Oh, no. You don’t have—”
“Okay, first of all? I want to. Want. To. More than you can know.”
A notched eyebrow made him laugh. “Okay, maybe you know. Making you come undone...” he mouthed the side of her neck, “...watching you climax...” he moved to the pulse point at the base of her neck as she shivered, “...licking you into unconsciousness—”
“Hey, what?” Laney pulled herself up tall, as tall as she could get while sitting on a half-naked man. “That sounds more traumatizing than hot.”
“Crap, and I was on a roll. Pass me an Altoid and I’ll put my tongue to better use.” He waggled his eyebrow at her and she laughed, but then he growled and she leapt for the tin.
CHAPTER NINE
Laney rolled to her feet and grabbed her yoga pants. “That was spectacular. We’re going to have to do that again before I head back to Chicago.”