He heard Jordan mutter something about what an ungrateful brother he was, and took it all in stride. Heading into the bathroom, he peeled his dirty shirt over his head, tossed it into the hamper, then removed his jeans. By the time he exited the shower fifteen minutes later and pulled on a pair of cutoff shorts and a clean T-shirt, he could hear Teddy’s voice drifting from downstairs. He headed in that direction, following the sounds to the living room, where Jordan and Teddy were standing near the potted Douglas fir he’d brought home a week ago. He’d retrieved the small box of Christmas ornaments from the attic last night and placed it next to the tree, but hadn’t had the chance to decorate it yet.
Not quite ready to make his presence known, Austin leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest, watching the two of them interact.
Jordan scratched his chin, a disapproving expression on his face. “I tried telling Austin that the tree was a bit on the piteous side, but he seems to think a string of garland will spruce it up.”
Tucking her silky blond hair behind her ear, Teddy tilted her head, a soft smile on her face as she scrutinized the tree. “Oh, I don’t know. I think the tree has potential. Garland might overpower the branches, but maybe we could find something in this box to liven it up without weighing it down.” She glanced at Jordan hesitantly. “Would you mind if I gave it a shot while we’re waiting for Austin?”
A too-cheerful smile curved Jordan’s mouth. “By all means, help yourself.”
Traitor, Austin thought with a dark scowl. He opened his mouth to announce his presence, then snapped it shut when Teddy bent over to rummage through the box of decorative items, which pulled her skirt taut over her bottom and lifted the hem a few inches. Man, oh, man, the woman had a fine backside, not to mention a pair of long, slender legs that inspired erotic thoughts. Images flitted through his mind, of coming up behind her and skimming his hands over her slim hips and pressing his hard body to hers…of her widening her stance as he shimmed up her skirt, caressing her firm thighs…
She straightened abruptly, flashing a spool of red ribbon Jordan’s way. “What do you think about this velvet ribbon?”
Austin liked the idea of velvet ribbon, a whole lot…especially if those possibilities included mutual, pleasurable bondage and erotic explorations…
“I could make some small bows to tie around the branches,” she suggested, her face radiant and her eyes sparkling with excitement. “And here’s a piece of green velvet we can use around the base.”
Jordan withdrew a pair of scissors from the Queen Anne desk next to him and handed the shears to Teddy. “Perfect.”
Yeah, she was perfect, Austin thought. Beautiful, smart, a fabulous kisser, fun to be with…and she didn’t want anything to do with him, he sternly reminded himself.
Teddy snipped a section of red ribbon and twisted it into a pretty bow. “It’s been years since I’ve decorated a tree,” she said, a touch of melancholy in her voice.
Jordan cast her a sideways glance as he took over the job of cutting sections of ribbon for her to tie. “Your parents don’t get a tree at Christmas?” He sounded as curious as Austin was.
“Oh, they do, usually a twelve-foot blue spruce. But my mother hires a professional to decorate the tree so the trim and ornaments match with the house and look evenly distributed on the branches.” She added another bow, swaddled the green velvet around the base to cover the plastic pot, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. “When I was a child, my mother used to let me hang a few of the decorations just to appease me, but by the next day my ornaments were either gone, or rearranged on the tree.”
“That must have been tough,” Jordan commented insightfully.
Austin didn’t want to care about Teddy and her underprivileged youth, yet something near the vicinity of his heart tugged for the little girl Teddy had been, and how she’d been denied one of Christmas’s favorite rituals enjoyed by most kids. He could easily picture her as a mischievous little girl, full of energy and curiosity.
Teddy shrugged, as if having come to terms with her mother’s peculiarities long ago. “Now that I live alone, buying a tree and decorating it seems like so much work, especially when I don’t have anyone to share it with.”
For as much as she declared the importance of embracing her freedom, Austin heard the note of loneliness in her voice, and wondered how much of her need for independence was pure rebellion. Ninety percent of it, he’d bet.
Finished with the last of the bows, she rummaged through the box and withdrew an old, fond memory of Austin’s. A dazzling smile lit her face. “This papier-mâché star is great!”
A wry smile curved Jordan’s mouth. “Austin made that for our mother for Christmas when he was in the seventh grade. She loved it and used it every year until she died.”
Teddy touched the handmade ornament reverently. There was nothing special or fancy about the star—it was just a hodgepodge of paper, glitter and yarn a twelve year old boy had glued together—but Austin imagined Teddy silently wished her own mother would have been so accepting of a gift handcrafted with youthful love and enthusiasm.
She glanced back at Jordan. “It’s the perfect decoration to top the tree, wouldn’t you agree?”
Her softly spoken question asked Jordan’s permission to adorn the Douglas fir with Austin’s star. He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
Austin steeled himself against the rush of feeling that stirred to life within him. This scene was too cozy, a false illusion when he knew Teddy would never allow those emotional needs he’d glimpsed in the past few minutes to interfere with her personal goals.
That sobering thought prompted him to push off the doorjamb and fully enter the room, startling both Jordan and Teddy. His brother looked at him questioningly, while an anxious look flitted across Teddy’s expression. She wiped her palms down the sides of her skirt, making him wonder why she’d sought him out again when she’d made it abundantly clear she didn’t have time in her life for a relationship. Or for him.
Another business proposition, he guessed. The thought rubbed him raw, but he couldn’t help being curious. Neither could he help wanting her as badly as he did.
Man, she did have him tied up in knots.
He closed the distance between them, catching the awareness glittering in her gaze, the flutter of her pulse at the base of her throat and the slight quiver of her breasts beneath the dark green, silk blouse she wore. The satisfaction he experienced was heady.
“I see you’ve met my brother,” he drawled, smiling pleasantly.
“I, uh, yes,” she stammered, a nervous smile on her lips. “We were just trying to make your tree a bit more presentable for Santa.”
His gaze flickered to the ugly duckling of a tree she’d transformed into a swan, then back to her. “As much as I’m sure Santa will appreciate your efforts, I’m certain you didn’t drop by to make sure I had a well-decorated tree for the holidays.”
Jordan frowned at his brother’s cool tone. But in Austin’s mind, even though their mother had taught them to be gentlemen, there was the matter of his ego being bruised.
“No, I didn’t,” she admitted, that chin of hers lifting a notch. “I’d like to talk to you. Privately, if that’s okay.”
He stared into her unwavering brown eyes, tempted beyond all reason. For all of three seconds he considered telling her no, that whatever was on her mind could be said in front of Jordan, but he wasn’t that much of a cad. Besides, he really didn’t care to share this conversation with his brother.
“Private it is,” he said. “Why don’t we step into my office.”
“Behave yourself,” Jordan muttered beneath his breath.
Austin glared at his brother’s protective gesture toward Teddy before heading toward the back room. Geez, whose side was Jordan on, anyway?
Teddy watched Austin go, suddenly doubting the wisdom of her visit. Austin was hardly welcoming, nor did he seem inclined to accommodate yet another request of hers.
&
nbsp; A gentle hand nudged her. “Go on,” Jordan murmured from beside her. “He’s all bark and no bite.”
Encouraged by Jordan’s support, she smiled her thanks and followed the sexy, moody man she couldn’t get out of her mind through a door that connected to a kitchen, where he stopped to grab a can of root beer from the refrigerator. Popping the top, he offered her a drink of her own that she declined, and they continued, to another room transformed into a makeshift office. He closed the door behind her, and her heart leaped in response to just how alone they were.
There were no chairs other than the one behind the scarred desk dominating the room, so she advanced no farther. The phone rang at that moment, and Austin rounded the desk, propped his jean-clad hip on the surface and reached for the receiver.
“Fantasy for Hire,” he greeted the caller.
Teddy tried not to let that deep, rich voice of his affect her, but her attempts were futile. The warm male tones stroked her senses and settled in the pit of her stomach like a potent shot of liquor.
“Hi, Don,” Austin said after a moment, and turned to flip through the schedule open on the desk. His index finger scanned down a page, then stopped. “I’ve got you lined up for two fantasies tonight. A fireman at seven-thirty, and Zorro at ten.”
Teddy listened to the conversation with some amusement as she glanced around the cluttered office, trying not to think about Austin performing his share of fantasies for countless women. In her attempt to keep her mind occupied, her gaze was inevitably drawn to his wide, muscled shoulders stretching the cotton of his T-shirt, then moved to his profile, and eventually stopped on those incredible lips of his.
He grinned at something the caller said. “Hey, you’re the one who thought up the Zorro costume, and it’s become a favorite. Just be careful with that sword of yours.” Austin chuckled at the other man’s response, which Teddy didn’t doubt was a bawdy one.
Excusing himself from the conversation for a moment, Austin covered the mouthpiece with his hand, his gaze on her. “C’mere and sit down, Teddy.” With his bare foot, he pushed the rolling high-backed chair out a few inches from where he sat. “I’ll be done in a minute.”
To refuse would make her look uptight, so she sat down and waited while Austin gave his employee directions to each performance. He hung up the phone, then turned those sexy, intense green eyes on her.
“So, what can I do for you, Ms. Spencer?” Picking up his root beer, he took a long swallow while he waited for her to answer.
She crossed one leg over the other, taking a second to gather her courage. “I need to ask a favor.”
The faintest hint of a smile tipped his mouth. “Another fantasy?”
Seeing the spark of insolence in his eyes, she knew he wasn’t going to make this conversation easy on her, not that she blamed him after the way they’d parted Saturday night. There was no way to sugarcoat her request, so she just came out with it. “No, I was hoping you would come with me to my parents’ house Christmas Eve.”
Surprise crossed his gorgeous features. “Now, why would I want to do that?”
Yes, why? her conscience taunted. “Because you promised my sister-in-law that you would, and she told the rest of the family you’d be there.”
He finished his root beer, appearing unconcerned. “Your sister-in-law made assumptions, and you were supposed to clear them up.”
Frustration nipped at her. “I did.” At least she’d tried to, not that it had worked.
“Another charade?” he guessed, his mouth thinning in disdain.
Her entire life was beginning to feel like one big scheme—at work, with her family. Everything was a carefully orchestrated plan…except for her feelings for Austin, which were too real, and becoming more complicated than she’d ever expected. “No, not another charade,” she told him. “I explained that you were just a friend.”
He tensed, the muscles across his chest flexing with the movement. “How convenient.”
She closed her eyes, hating his contempt, but taking full responsibility for his resentment. Lifting her lashes, she met his dark, penetrating gaze, inwardly admitting defeat. “You know what, I think coming here was a big mistake.”
She stood to leave, but he was faster, moving like a lithe panther. Propping his bare feet on either side of her thighs, he reeled the chair in closer to him with the strength of his legs, jarring her back into her seat. He leaned forward, looming over her. His strong, powerful thighs were close enough to touch…and so was that solid chest of his. Trapped between the chair and two hundred pounds of pure male essence and heat, her heart fluttered uncontrollably…with shameless excitement, and apprehension.
“What do you really want from me this time, Teddy?” he asked, his tone low and rough. “I gave you a cowboy. I gave you a lover. What fantasy do you expect me to be now?”
The frustrated undertone to his voice perplexed her, as did this issue he had with being a fantasy for her. “I don’t want you to be any fantasy. I want you to be…a friend. I could really use a friend right now.” Between the pressures of her family, and Louden’s strong-arm tactics, she desperately needed someone in her corner.
Something in his expression softened, then was quickly replaced with ruthless intent. “That poses a little problem, honey, because when I look at you, friendship isn’t what comes to mind.”
Yeah, Teddy, why would he want to be your friend after the way you treated him? To her consternation, her throat tightened and a suspicious moisture burned the backs of her eyes. “I know you probably hate me for how I ended things Saturday night—”
“Hate you?” Harsh, incredulous laughter erupted from him. “No, I don’t hate you, Teddy. I want you.” He stared at her face, and slowly lifted his hand, tracing a finger along her jaw. “I haven’t slept the past few nights because every time I close my eyes I think of you and remember the heat and softness of your mouth…” He stroked his thumb along her full bottom lip, dipping just inside to dampen the pad of his finger. “The silky texture of your skin…” Those sensual fingers skimmed down her throat in a languid caress that made her breathing raspy, and caused her chest to rise and fall rapidly. “The warm taste of your breasts…” He brushed his knuckles over the slope of those swelling mounds, teasing her nipples into hard, achy points.
And just like that, her body hummed with arousal and an excruciating need.
He lifted his slumberous gaze from her breasts. One look into those striking green eyes filled with steely determination and she knew he wasn’t done tormenting her.
A wicked smile lifted his lips. “And if that isn’t enough to drive me crazy, I imagine what it would feel like to be inside you, as deep as I can get, and hear my name on your lips when you come…”
A surge of liquid warmth pooled in her belly, and lower. Her mind spun dizzily. “Austin…” she moaned raggedly.
“Yeah, just like that, Teddy.” His voice vibrated with husky gratification, and he moved back slightly. His eyes, however, had no qualms about seducing her. “I’m not even inside you, not even touching you as intimately as I’d like to, but just thinking about having your legs wrapped around my hips and making love to you makes me hard enough to go off like an untried teenager.”
She had a clear view of just how hard and impressive that part of his anatomy was beneath the faded denim of his shorts. Swallowing the thickness gathering in her throat, she pressed her knees together in a valiant attempt to ease the throbbing need he’d cleverly ignited. The attempt was useless.
Her gaze traveled upward, to his face. “So, you really don’t hate me?” For some reason, having him confirm that was important to her.
He shook his head, his gaze honest. “No, I don’t hate you, Teddy. I think you’re nervous about what you feel for me and how fast our attraction has grown…and where it might lead.”
She bit the inside of her cheek, unwilling to admit how accurate he was. She’d never planned for this, for him, and she feared she’d never be able to balance a
career, and relationship—and that ultimately, she’d have to choose between the two.
“Then will you come with me to my parents’ on Christmas Eve?” This time, she wasn’t talking about a business arrangement. She wanted him to accompany her, and be a part of that special, magical evening before Christmas—and hopefully, his presence would banish the loneliness that always threatened to overwhelm her when she left her parents and realized that she was the only one in the family who didn’t have anyone to share the holidays with.
Pure Christmas melancholy, she knew, but the desolate feeling never failed to creep up on her and hang on through the first of the year. Maybe this year would be different.
“If I say yes, I don’t want any pretenses between us this time,” Austin said, clasping his hands loosely between his knees so that he was no longer touching her. “Just you, and me, and whatever happens from there. And if all this leads to just friendship, then I’ll accept that.”
She found his terms more than fair. “All right.”
A devastatingly charming grin transformed his features. “You brave enough to put your promise where your mouth is?”
She swallowed hard, knowing she was playing with fire…but she found Austin’s brand of virile heat impossible to resist. The dare in his eyes spurred the recklessness she tried to keep buried.
Dampening her bottom lip with her tongue, she reached out, curled her fingers into the material of his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss the same time she sat up and met him halfway. Her lips crushed his, parted with immediate warmth, skipping all preliminary foreplay and going straight to the heart of the matter. The kiss was a hot, lusty, tongue-tangling mission to drive him as wild as he made her.
But something changed during the course of her provocative goal—an internal realization that overrode the pleasure of his generous mouth surrendering to her whims. She’d missed him. Two days apart, and she longed to see that wicked glint in his eyes, ached to experience the special way he made her feel, and especially craved the effortless way he made her body, her soul, come alive.
12 Stocking Stuffers Page 78