I shuddered. I hoped not. Crap, I hoped not.
12
December 24th, 1 a.m.
Justin
When I boarded the plane, Dex was grating nutmeg onto the foam of a hot cocktail, humming to Christmas music. Kay was nowhere in sight.
"Hey, dude! You made it." Dex slapped me on the back. "Thank God. I was worried I'd have to drag your ass back and defend my cousin's honor. I'm no good at that shit." He sized me up. "You've got too many inches on me to make it a fair fight." He winked. He was bullshitting.
"Since when do you fight fair?" I said.
He laughed. Neither of us ever fought fair. When you grew up bullied and made fun of for being geeky like we were, you learned to use every trick at your disposal. Mostly you lived by your wits. As far as fighting went, even though he was shorter than me, we were evenly matched.
"Crap, Dex. Why would I no-show? I can't believe Kay"—I searched for the right word—"married me." I'd almost tripped up. Even in the privacy of the plane there was a pilot who could overhear our secret.
As if making my point, the pilot came out and introduced himself. "Ready to take off?"
I shook his hand. "Anytime you are."
He disappeared into the cockpit to get clearance from the tower.
"Dude, you got to stop being so damned grateful Lala stuck with you. She's just an ordinary chick. Tom and Jerry?" Dex lifted a steaming coffee cup up.
"Kay's anything but ordinary." I pointed to the cup Dex held. "A what?"
"Tom and Jerry. Whipped egg whites, hot water, booze?" He studied me.
I looked at it blankly.
"Still no recognition? Have you lived under a rock all your life? Geez, I knew you were sheltered, but shit. A guy should know his classic, traditional cocktails." He shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"Oh, yeah." Recognition dawned on me. I must have been tired. "Riggins served those during the Christmas Ship Parade."
"Did he? I knew there was a reason I like that dude." Dex went back to nutmeg grating. "Now that you're part of the family, you have to get with our holiday drinking program." He nodded to the coffee cup. "Our grandpa made these every Christmas Eve. It's tradition!" He lifted his arm in the air with flair, accenting his words.
I raised an eyebrow. "Grandpa started making these for his parents' friends when he was eight. Back in the days before electric mixers, when you had to whip the egg whites by hand."
Dex's eyes twinkled as he laughed. "And walk five miles uphill in the snow to school." He sliced a piece of thin fruitcake and held it up to the light.
"What are you doing?" I said.
Dex had peculiar habits.
"And where did you get that?" I didn't stock fruitcake.
"Making sure this fruitcake is thin enough. If you can't see through it, you cut it too thick." Satisfied, he laid the piece on a saucer next to the cup. "I brought it myself. As a special treat."
"I can't believe you eat that crap." I shuddered for effect. "Where are the Christmas cookies?"
"If you think fruitcake is crap, you've never had a good one. This one is made from scratch at a nut farm down south. With their own freshly grown pecans. Try it, you'll like it."
I reluctantly took the cup and saucer from him.
He shook his head at my apparent folly. "I took the liberty of dousing it in a little more rum from the liquor cabinet. Good fruitcake has to be soaked in booze starting just after Thanksgiving. Get it just right, it's better than a rum ball."
I was still skeptical. I took a sip of the cocktail and fell into a leather chair, exhausted.
"Well?" Dex said. "What do you think?"
"Not bad." It was delicious and soothing, strong with brandy. I let the hot alcohol linger on my tongue. "Your grandpa gave you and Kay these?"
"Without the booze. Not bad?" Dex sounded affronted. "Damned by faint praise! I make the best Tom and Jerry on the planet."
"And you're modest, too." I paused. "Watch yourself. There's still time to make the naughty list."
"As if! If I wasn't trapped with you on a jet bound for New York, I'd have a damned good shot at that list." He grinned. "Next year!"
I laughed. "Kay asleep already?"
"She went to bed about an hour ago. No idea if she's asleep. She's nervous about the storm. You being late to the plane didn't help."
"I'm not late." I glanced at my watch. "Just last-minute." I set my drink down. I had no intention of touching the fruitcake. "I'd better let her know I'm here." I rolled my neck. "I'm beat. I'm going to turn in."
He raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Right. I'm sure sleep is the first thing on your mind."
I ignored his innuendo. "You'd better get some sleep, too. We have a big day ahead of us." I grinned. We were alone in the cabin. I whispered to him, "It's my wedding day."
Dex made an exaggerated sigh and shook his head. "You got it bad, boy! This weird arrangement of yours gives you an out. I have no idea why you want to put the last nail in the coffin of your freedom."
I shook my head. "Love is fickle."
Dex grimaced. "Go to bed before you get any sappier. I don't think I can take it." He snatched the piece of fruitcake off my plate. "If you're not going to eat this…"
"Don't stay up too late. And leave something in the liquor cabinet. You're the only witness I have and can trust. I need you completely sober when you do your duty."
"Go to bed, Dad."
Kay was in bed in one of the two bedrooms onboard. The lights were out. The room was dark. Kay was facing away from the entrance.
She turned over when I opened the door. "Jus? You made it." Her voice was soft and sexy with sleepiness.
"Was there ever any doubt?" I slipped out of my clothes and into bed behind her. Just that fast, I was hard and ready for her, pulsing with desire. "I missed you."
"You just saw me this afternoon." Her hair fanned out over the pillow behind her, topped with a sexy red Santa cap.
I ran my fingers through her loose hair. "In the middle of a crowd." I kissed her shoulder. "It's our wedding day."
"Hmmmm," she purred. "Unreal, isn't it?" She turned to face me and put her arms around me.
I tugged on her hat. "What's this?"
"And I in my cap." She pulled my face to hers.
"You're supposed to be in a kerchief."
"Oh? Did I get it wrong?" She pulled the covers back, revealing her beautiful, nearly naked body wrapped in a red satin bow teddy. The top was a push-up bra that showcased her firm, full breasts, tied with a lavish bow. A cross ribbon wrapped over her baby bump and disappeared between her legs.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" I slid my fingers between her legs beneath the ribbon and stroked her until she moaned softly.
"Unwrap me."
"It's not Christmas yet." I kissed the tops of her breasts.
She moved my hand to cover her heart. I felt it beating for me, rapid and excited.
"Doesn't matter. I'm yours now." Her voice was as soft and smooth as the satin of her bow.
Mine, mine, mine. My dick got harder and harder at the thought.
"You're part of my family now," she whispered.
"Not quite."
"Close enough." She kissed me lightly, running her tongue over my lips until I shivered with pleasure. "We open our presents on Christmas Eve. And I do believe it's Christmas Eve now."
"Technically, it's Christmas Eve day. I always open mine Christmas morning. I don't have to unwrap you," I teased, reaching beneath her bra to expose a nipple. "Mere bows are no barrier to me. I can slip past this ribbon no problem."
I slid the ribbon just off center, exposing her outie bellybutton and kissing it. She loved it when I did that. I licked it and sucked on it. I loved her hard, round bump. "No one will know. Except you."
The tip of my dick was wet. She was moist and ready for me. She climaxed almost as easily as I did these days. Hormones, she claimed. I preferred to think it was mad lust for me.
Findi
ng the right angle of entry and position was becoming more challenging every day. A guy had to get creative. And acrobatic.
Past the baby bump, find the slot. Into the spot that made her hot.
I slid Kay to the edge of the bed until she was on her back with her legs dangling over.
I slid to my feet, standing between her legs, looking at this woman who was the best gift in my life. Wondering how a nerd like me had ever won her love. She loves me.
The thought always made my heart race and my dick harder.
"What are you waiting for?" she said, egging me on and scooting closer until my dick was pressed against her opening.
"I like to take my time opening my gifts. Wouldn't want to tear the wrapping." I bent down and kissed her, sliding my kisses down her neck to where her pulse beat for me.
I sucked on her exposed breast.
"Jus." She stroked my hair.
As she moaned my name, I speared into her. She was moist and warm, hot and ready for me. That I turned her on like this was another gift I'd never expected.
She gasped and wrapped her legs around my back, her hips rising as I made love to her standing on the floor. As I pounded into her, she moaned.
It was enough to send me over the edge into climax, but I held on. Held out, waiting for her. I set my jaw and drove in again and again. I grabbed her hips to keep her from scooting farther into the bed as I drove into her. And thrust. And thrust as we rumpled the sheets.
Her Santa hat slid off. Her big red bow bounced in rhythm with her fabulous, pregnancy-enlarged breasts.
I was high above her. Looking down. It was a view I could never get enough of. Her face lit up with the pleasure I was giving her. I never took it for granted. I memorized everything about it—the gentle part of her lips. The way she arched her neck and sighed. Her nipples had gotten larger and darker with pregnancy. The exposed one was as round and hard as a holly berry.
Her heels dug into my back, urging me deep and deeper inside. Driving me to keep the pace desperate with desire going.
The muscles of her stomach contracted, making it hard and tight, a beautiful round rock to pound against. Soon the baby inside would rebel and start kicking.
Kay was close. Her eyes rolled upward. She sighed heavily.
I drove harder, grasping her tighter to hold in place on the expensive sheets.
She opened her eyes and stared up at me. "Jus!" She arched and gasped.
I came with an intensity that made me weak in the knees. I shuddered with the force of the climax, standing on legs that became like a bowl full of jelly, quivering. With pleasure and spent lust.
She collapsed, arms overhead, head to the side, breasts heaving. I wanted to hold this picture of her in my mind forever. But damn, it would surely make my dick hard again.
She turned and looked up at me. "That was wonderful."
I grinned. "High praise." I'd been a virgin when we married. Insecure because of my inexperience. Kay may have taught me everything I knew about lovemaking. But no one could say I hadn't been an eager student.
I slid out of her and into bed, pulling the sheet and blankets up over our bodies moist with the thrill and exertion of sex. Kay was hot these days. I meant that in the temperature sense, too. She was always flushed. Her cheeks always rosy. Which I found completely sexy.
"So intense," she whispered as she cuddled into me and brushed a lock of hair off my forehead. "So intense since I got pregnant."
"You mean so intense with me?" I teased. But there was a sense of insecurity beneath it. Hard to pound that out of a guy like me that the girls had never noticed until I became rich.
"Yes, that's it. That's what I meant. So intense with you, Santa baby." She retrieved her hat and slid it on my head, laughed, and kissed me lightly. "You look adorable!"
She paused to study me and laughed again. "It was intense, but then, you're the only guy I've done while pregnant. So I have nothing to compare it to." She winked. She was such a tease.
"You had to add that." I leaned on my elbow so I could stare at her and get my fill. "Is that any way to talk to the guy who's going to be your legitimate, legally bound husband in a few hours?"
"Oh, Jus!" Everything about me amused her. "Insecure?" She grinned. "I love you. I can hardly wait until you're completely, legally, without doubt, my truly wedded husband."
The tease was still there, but the passion underlying it took my breath away.
She yawned and kissed my shoulder, just a light butterfly brush. "Merry Christmas, you filthy animal."
I smiled. "And a happy New Year." I kissed her again. "I love you, too."
Kayla
Being a pregnant bride was challenging enough. But getting me and my baby bump into a formfitting wedding dress in the confines of a small bedroom on a plane? With only my eager groom to help me? In the middle of the leading edge of an epic snowstorm?
Insane. At least we were on the tarmac. There was no turbulence to deal with as I applied the final touches of my makeup—mascara and lipstick.
The cold wind was not only driving the snowstorm toward us at record speed. It was about to drive me into the edge of madness. And yes, until I'd sent him away to get ready with Dex in the next room, Jus had been helpful. In his sweet way.
He was pretty good with tiny satin buttons. But he was more adept at unbuttoning them than fastening them. And his hands strayed to my breasts at every opportunity. He was merry and bright, a right jolly groom. I was simply a jittery bride.
I'd gotten up in the wee hours of the morning while we were still in the air. I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get ready for the momentous event. And spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make my long blond hair fall into perfect waves over my shoulders and down my back. Jus loved it that way, so I had vowed not to put it up, but wear it to please him.
The wet weather was absolutely going to destroy my cascading locks and render them limp the minute I stepped out of the plane. As long as Jus got a look at me first, though, and Dex snapped a picture, mission accomplished.
My makeup was done by me with care, in hopes that my groom would really stare. Okay, that was bad. But I was nervous and trying to have a sense of humor, however warped, about the whole situation. And failing. I needed one of my grandpa's Tom and Jerrys. A strong one with plenty of Justin's best brandy.
I know. I'm pregnant. Just a sip or two to calm the jitters.
I wouldn't have been nervous at all…it was the storm that was jangling my nerves.
This was the time every girl needed her best friend. I resisted the urge to call Britt. I just wanted to hear her calm voice and wish her merry Christmas Eve. Uh-huh.
It was six a.m. in Seattle. She'd be showering for work. Scrubbing with her candy-cane body wash and singing Christmas carols softly off key.
I glanced in the mirror and blotted my lipstick. How I looked didn't matter. How perfect the ceremony was was almost immaterial. Nothing really mattered. As long as we made it to town hall, got our second license, got to the cute little chapel, said our vows, signed the license, and got out of New York ahead of the storm of the century. The odds of us succeeding were looking iffier and iffier with each passing moment and each falling snowflake.
White Christmas, damn that movie, was playing on the TV embedded in the wall. It was like that movie, with its constant plea for snow, had cursed me by doing the celluloid version of a rain dance, conjuring up the frozen stuff instead. What I wouldn't have given for twenty degrees more on the thermometer. Frosty the Snowman could wait until next Christmas season to be kissed by a cold December wind and brought back to life.
The news periodically interrupted Bing, Danny, and Rosemary with dire weather bulletins. Bing Crosby was so happy about his snow. Snow saved the day. Snow. Snow. Snow, sung in his low, classic Bingly voice. I begged to differ. I wanted Heat Miser to show up unannounced and give us a tropical heat wave. Just until we were safely wedded and out of town.
I glanced out the plane w
indow at the snow falling, falling, gently falling. Thickly falling. Incessantly falling.
My hands trembled as I looked at the weather app on my phone again. For the zillionth time. Not to exaggerate or anything.
The storm was moving faster than the National Weather Service had originally predicted. Of course it was! Didn't they have some local news guy on the coast monitoring it like we did back home? Some guy standing in the surf "predicting" the weather, i.e. watching it roll in?
The newscasters were full of jovial excitement. Nothing made their day like a good dire weather story.
Special Alert News Bulletin. We interrupt your regular programing to give you this weather update. Winter Storm of the Century! It will be arriving early, New Yorkers! Lay in your supply of ham hocks and guitar strings. Mush! I said mush.
One hundred percent chance of a white Christmas for upstate New York! Hooray!! Let's hope Santa has Rudolph bridled and ready to lead his sleigh tonight.
Was I the only person on the planet who wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas? This was a complete nightmare. Snow, snow, go away! Come again some other Christmas Day!
All you last-minute shoppers, get your shopping done before noon today. Ha, ha, ha! Run those errands now! The governor is asking businesses to close even earlier than their posted holiday hours. Noon, people, noon. Businesses, show a little Christmas spirit! Let your employees off early. And watch those holiday office parties. The roads will be treacherous.
Later on, build a snowman with the kids. Put a plate of cookies out for Santa. Sit back with a hot toddy, cocoa for the kids or the kid in you.
The governor asks your cooperation in staying off the roads late this afternoon through tomorrow morning. Don't count on the state patrol rescuing you if you get stuck. They'll be busy with only the worst accidents and emergency situations.
You don't want a lump of coal on Christmas morning. Or to be stranded in a ditch on Christmas Eve. And, as a reminder, if you are travelling, carry an emergency kit with spare blankets, water, flares, and food, and make sure your cell phones are fully charged.
The wedding dress I'd chosen was a knee-length white soft jersey sheath tight over my baby bump. It was covered with an intricate floral stretch-lace overlay with elbow-length sleeves and decorated with tiny seed pearls and crystals for shimmer. A wide white satin ribbon tied beneath the bust.
Christmas Duet: A Big City, Small Town Christmas Romance Bundle Page 12