by C. M. Albert
Her mouth found his as she set a sensuous pace with her hips curling, thighs tightening, and insides clenching all around him. His mouth was on her neck, her shoulders, her breasts. She rode him so deliciously like this for the longest time, his fingers gripping her hips so hard he was afraid he was going to bruise her.
“Rosalie, I’m not going to last much longer. Are you close?”
“Yes!” she panted, her body working his to find the right friction until she threw her head back and released a deep moan of pleasure. It didn’t slow her pace though. As soon as she was done riding out her orgasm, she let Zade take over. He gripped her hips and held her in place as he pounded his hips up, fast and faster.
The sounds of their bodies coming together was sinful, and when Rosalie reached up and cupped her full breasts, it drove him completely mad. His head fell back and he growled, the noise more animalistic than orgasmic. “Yes!! Fuck yes.”
It was explosive. His body shook as he emptied into her, his arms sliding around Rosalie’s back to pull her closer. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder as their bodies gave way to the after-quakes of their lovemaking. Her fingertips teased his shoulders, delicately tracing the lines of his body as they remained joined, their bodies all tangled together.
He let out a shaky laugh. “Sweet Christ, Rosalie. That was hot.”
“There’s more where that came from.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He lifted her chin, kissing her softly. Her eyes were the softest he’d ever seen them and he knew he was a goner. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. He might not have the grand gesture of surprising her in California, but he would make it a Christmas Eve she would never forget. One they would tell their kids about someday.
“Will you stay with me at my place while you’re in town?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she teased in return.
He cupped her face, searching to see if the love that was running so swiftly in him was mirrored back in her eyes. “I love you so fucking much, Rosalie Alexander.”
He didn’t know how long she’d be home, but he wanted to make the most of every single minute with her. If he had anything to do with it, it’d be a Christmas to remember.
“I love you, too,” she breathed out so quietly he almost didn’t believe it was real.
He engulfed her with his arms and held on tight. All of his Christmas wishes just came true with those four simple words. Words that disintegrated any last nerves he had about tomorrow and gave him more hope than he ever dreamed.
There was no doubt that after tomorrow, she would be all his.
SHOCK PUNCHED ROSALIE in the gut the minute she walked into her old house. It was Christmas Eve, and she’d sent Brecken a text yesterday before she left California to let him know she was coming home. Not only was the house not decorated for Christmas, but it was surprisingly bare. Many of the furnishings that had been there her whole life were now gone. She couldn’t tell if Brecken was moving out or redecorating the place. Files were strewn all over the dining room table, and Rosalie picked up the first one she saw lying on top.
Mortgage Loan Amount: $56,000. Past-due amount including late fees: $4,632.18.
Rosalie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She checked the date and address to make sure she was reading it right. What the actual hell? There was no mortgage on this house. It had been paid off before her parents passed away, which was one of the reasons she and Brecken were able to stay in the first place.
She lifted other bills off the table and was surprised to see many of them past due, as well. What in the world was Brecken doing with all his money? She dropped the paperwork on the table and went back to her bedroom. She’d taken most everything of value with her to California, but luckily the rest of her room remained intact. At least Brecken had the good sense not to touch any of her stuff.
She walked to her brother’s bedroom down the hall. It was ten in the morning, and he should have been home. He always gave his employees Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.
“Brecken?” she said, knocking on his door. “You in there?”
She heard a muffled noise, then a fumble before his bathroom door closed. Great. He wasn’t alone. Again. The door to his bedroom creaked open and Rosalie gasped. Brecken looked like he’d been to hell and back. He had large dark bags under his intense gray eyes and he’d lost weight. His right eye looked like a rotten eggplant that had been squashed. And the corner of his mouth was swollen, the cut on his lip barely healed over.
“What in God’s name happened to you?” Rosalie asked, surprise rooting her to her spot.
Brecken looked over his shoulder at the closed bathroom door. “Hey, sis. Can we talk about it later? I’m kind of busy.”
“No, actually, we can’t. I haven’t been home in four months. I kind of wanted to spend some time with my brother on Christmas Eve. There are some things we need to talk about that can’t wait.”
Brecken looked confused. “Like what?”
“Like the past due mortgage bill on the table, which is weird since we don’t have a mortgage on the house. And the other bills that are past due for the café and some of your suppliers. Your bike note. What else am I missing?”
“Fine,” he said, backing up. “Let me take a shower and get dressed. I’ll be right out.”
“I’m running to the grocery store to get some food for a Christmas Eve brunch. I won’t be here for dinner. You better have that woman gone by the time I get back.” For once, it was Rosalie calling the shots with her older brother, and she realized she didn’t like it as much as she thought she would.
Rosalie got into Zade’s black Lexus GX that she’d borrowed and started the engine. She was furious with Brecken. Her Spidey Senses were on overdrive. She knew he was up to no good, but to what extent she couldn’t figure out. Or why. Brecken had always been such a clean-cut guy; he never even got into trouble in high school.
She needed to run to the store, but first, she really needed a friend. It was Christmas Eve, though, and everyone was probably busy. Still, she texted the first person who came to mind—Dez—and hoped for the best. Her friend texted back right away.
Rosalie: Hey, Dez! I know this is short notice & it’s xmas eve, but I’m in town & was wondering if I could see you for a few minutes. Could really use a friend.
Dez: It’s so good to hear from you! I’d love to see you while you’re in town. We’re at the youth center. Want to come over?
Rosalie: Would love to. Can I bring anything?
Dez: Nope! We’re having a little Christmas Eve party for lunch, so we’re finishing decorating and setting things up.
Rosalie: Great. I’ll see you in a bit.
Dez: I’m glad you’re back.
Rosalie smiled as she drove over to the youth center. She didn’t realize how much she’d needed her friends until she walked in and saw Dez and Mitch arranging fairy lights on an artificial tree in the corner of the large communal space. Tables were set up already, some for eating and some for crafts. She couldn’t help but smile at the green, red, white, black, and gold felt pieces scattered on the table along with thick Popsicle sticks, multicolored pom-poms, glitter, glue sticks, and googly eyes. She’d loved googly eyes as a kid. Everything was better with googly eyes.
Celeste and Egan were there, too, along with a few other people she recognized around town, including Agnes, Inez, and Bridgette. There were about twenty people in total, and it warmed her heart to realize she not only knew so many of them, but she actually liked most of them too. She cringed as she thought about her tiny hotel room back in California and the lack of friends she’d made. The owner of the barre studio she frequented didn’t count. They only saw each other when Rosalie went in to work out, and the friendship had never blossomed into anything more, despite them being friendly and having so much in common—including their spiritual abilities. That was one thing that was different about California. They were much more accepting and
open to her gifts, and it seemed as if everyone and their brother knew someone who was a “psychic.”
She felt a hand smash into her knees and looked down to see a chubby little Dylan looking up at her with large blue eyes framed with darling brown lashes. Her dimpled fingers gripped Rosalie’s jeans as she swayed, trying not to fall. Pure delight washed over Rosalie. She looked around for Celeste and saw her running over.
“She’s so dang fast,” Celeste said, laughing. “As you can see, she’s walking now. And it gives me a heart attack because she’s totally fearless and curious. How are you, my friend?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Rosalie. She bent down to pick up Dylan and called out to Egan, who came over to relieve her.
“Hey, Rosalie! Merry Christmas! You home for the holiday?”
Rosalie shrugged. She had plans, but she didn’t know if or how they would pan out. So she simply said, “Home for Christmas and New Year’s.”
He nodded. “Have you been by the café yet?”
“No, I just got in last night. Why?”
“Seems like they’re always short-staffed. Brecken seems pretty stressed out these days. He okay?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’m grabbing groceries and heading over there afterward to see him.”
“Okay. Well, I hope everything’s all right. Have a Merry Christmas!”
“Thanks, Egan,” she said, turning toward her friend, who was wearing the softest, prettiest red poncho sweater, dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of black riding boots, nearly up to her knees. She was the picture of grace and everything Rosalie aspired to be one day. She hugged her friend hard. When she did, her eyes grew round. She pulled back and looked Celeste in the eyes.
“So the poncho sweater is for more than just style?” she whispered.
Celeste grinned, her face glowing. “Shh,” she said. “Egan doesn’t even know yet. I’m telling him tonight. How in the world do you do that?”
“Babydar,” Rosalie joked. She definitely had a knack for knowing when someone was pregnant, and also knowing the gender. “Let me know if you want to know if Dylan’s having a brother or sister.”
“Egan would kill me!” Celeste said in mock horror. “But after I tell him, all bets are off. I’ll definitely be calling you!” She laughed and led Rosalie over to a table of crafts. “Here, help me set these out.” She handed Rosalie a large box of scissors. “Put a pair at every seat and one of these Sharpies, too.”
“What are they for?” Rosalie asked.
“Knot blankets. The kids are going to make them and we’re bringing them over to the hospital tonight. We decided to do this instead of stuffed animals this year. Want to come with us?”
“Absolutely! I’m sure Zade is already planning on coming, too. Can you text me later with the time? I’m going to have brunch with Brecken, and then Zade and I are having a romantic Christmas Eve dinner, he tells me.”
“Ooh là là!” Celeste teased. “So what made you come home? The real scoop. Are you loving LA? The show has been amazing! We’ve watched every episode so far and can’t wait to see how the season ends. You’re so good at what you do, Rosalie!”
Rosalie grinned, pride flushing her cheeks a deep pink. “Thanks. It’s been more than I could ever hope for. But the truth is, I hate living in such a big city. It’s not me. I know it’s a cliché, but everyone’s so shallow—even those who aren’t in the business. I’ve seen enough fake boobs and lips to last me a lifetime. The show wanted to do a makeover on me, but I put my foot down. I only got them to agree to leave me alone because early focus groups loved my look and said they wouldn’t change a thing to make me appear more friendly or engaging. But I have a feeling that if they’d said I needed red hair and a nose ring, the network would’ve put one on me.”
“Wow,” said Celeste. “That demanding?”
“Don’t get me wrong. They’re great. But I’ve been so busy at work and with traveling that I haven’t been able to make any friends yet, and even the crew that travels with me isn’t exactly my crowd. They’re nice enough, but we don’t seem to have much in common other than the show. It’s just . . .” she paused, looking for the right word, “disappointing. I didn’t think it would be this hard to adjust.”
She sensed someone behind her and turned to find Mitch grinning at her. “Welcome home, Rosalie!”
“Thanks, Mitch! Is Dez done with the tree? I was kind of hoping to chat with her.”
“Yeah . . . but she’s in the bathroom throwing up again. It’s been the hardest pregnancy on her. Even with anti-nausea meds, she still gets sick at least once a day. They say we’re having a boy, but everyone else tells us it has to be a girl with how sick Dez is getting.”
“Don’t worry. It’s a boy,” Rosalie said. “But I’m sorry to hear it’s been a hard pregnancy.”
“Well . . . it hasn’t been too hard,” he said, winking at Celeste. “Egan was definitely right about that!”
Celeste swatted him with one of the large pieces of fleece. “Get out of here!”
“What did he mean?” Rosalie asked as Mitch walked away to greet a new group of volunteers.
“Well,” Celeste said sheepishly, “let’s just say some women get exceptionally frisky when they’re pregnant.”
Rosalie’s eyes widened. “Really? Did you?”
“Oh yeah. Best nine months of Egan’s life. I was a fiend!”
Rosalie laughed out loud. “TMI, my friend. TMI.”
“So have you seen Zade yet? How’s it going with that?”
Rosalie blushed again as she dropped another Sharpie on the table next to the scissors. “Well, let’s just say I surprised him butt good at his office last night, in nothing more than a winter coat and a pair of high heels. I’d say it’s going pretty good.”
Celeste beamed as she grinned at Rosalie. “Are you spending Christmas with him or staying at home with Brecken?”
“I’m staying with Zade. Hey, have you seen Brecken lately? Gone into the café?”
“Sure, why?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve been wondering about the same things Egan’s been noticing. He does seem a bit . . . off. I can’t explain it. I feel it in my bones that he’s up to no good, but that’s so unlike him. He’s being evasive. Cagey. Like he’s hiding something. Well, you know I know he’s hiding something,” she said and laughed. “I just haven’t figured out what yet, other than it’s been affecting his finances.”
“It’ll come to light when it’s meant to, Rosalie. You know that. He’s a big boy. He’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Rosalie said.
“Hey!” she heard from behind. She turned to see a very pregnant Dez waddling toward her.
“Oh my God!” Rosalie said, eyeing her friend’s baby bump.
“I know, right? I feel like a bowling ball’s about to drop out of my vagina at any second.”
Celeste laughed. “And on that note.” She turned and hugged Rosalie. “Can’t wait to see you later!”
Rosalie’s heart was near to overflowing. Celeste was like the big sister she never had, and it felt really, really good to be around her again. After they hugged goodbye, she turned her attention back to Dez.
“May I?” she asked and reached out her hands when Dez nodded. She rubbed her friend’s swollen belly, marveling at the sheer round curve of it. It was absolutely beautiful—and terrifying. “I can feel him kicking!”
“Yeah, he’s going to be a soccer star if he keeps this up,” Dez teased. “How are you, Rosalie? Hey—can we sit down while we chat? My feet are like plugged-up hoses these days, they’re so puffy and swollen.”
Rosalie chuckled and followed her friend back to Mitch’s office. She grinned as Dez gently lowered herself onto the sofa and lifted her feet onto the old ottoman-slash-coffee table in front of it. Pure joy lit up her friend’s tired features.
“Want to clear up the elephant in the room first?” Dez asked.
No, Rosalie didn’t. But she knew they had to. S
he cleared her throat, looking down at her hands. She suddenly felt very foolish about the whole thing. “It’s water under the bridge, Dez.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, it is,” she said, and she truly meant it.
“I want you to know a couple things first, okay? To make me feel better about everything.”
“Sure,” she said, shifting uncomfortably in the club chair next to the sofa.
“First of all, I really appreciated the letter you wrote me. I’m sorry we missed each other before you left.”
“Me too,” Rosalie said.
“I hope this hasn’t been weighing on you, or affecting your relationship with Zade at all.”
“No. I realize how much I overreacted at first. Like I said, it’s water under the bridge. I promise I’m not harboring any hard feelings over it or anything.”
“Good. Because this town is much too small for that,” she said, adding, “as you well know from what happened between you, me, and Mitch.”
“Well, technically nothing happened other than me embarrassing myself.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Rosalie. I get it. Mitch is fucking hot. And we both have amazing taste in men.”
“Yeah . . . maybe a little too similar of an amazing taste though,” Rosalie said dryly.
Dez laughed, resting her hand on her belly and rubbing it in circles. Rosalie had never seen Dez look so peaceful or content.
“My point is . . . stuff happens. We didn’t know each other that well when I met Mitch. And likewise, we didn’t know each other at all when I met Zade. I consider you a good friend now, but you don’t know my whole story, Rosalie. I’d like for you to someday, though.”
“I’d like that, too,” Rosalie admitted.
“The long and short of it is that I lost someone I loved very dearly once. Like—it fucked me up ten ways to Sunday. I numbed out. And I used sex as both an easy out and a way to forget the pain. But also to have some sort of a connection—a connection with anyone else who could make me forget my loss. I was lonely, angry, and desperately hurt when I met Zade. He’s a fixer, a caregiver. You know that.”