Christmas Showdown

by Mackenzie McKade

  Her brows dipped. “What?”

  “Knowing that another man hasn’t touched you. Well—” How did he explain how much it thrilled him? How it triggered his possessiveness for her? Made him want to beat his chest like some damn Neanderthal.

  Mine, rolled through his head.

  She snorted, tugging her bra up and her shirt down. “I’m glad my abstinence does it for you.”

  As she righted her clothing, he realized he’d ruined the chance to have her in his arms tonight.

  “No. That’s not it at all.” Trey pulled her back into his arms. “It’s just…” He swallowed the knot in his throat before he continued. “Damn it, Kelly. It’s this thing between us. In Denver. Now here.” He placed his forehead against hers. He wasn’t good at sharing his feelings. Hell. He wasn’t even sure what they really were. But there was one thing he did know. “Darlin’, I want you.”

  The fluttery sensation in her stomach jumped. Was it possible Trey felt the same connection she did? Kelly wouldn’t even attempt to deny a large part of the attraction was sexual, but there was something else, something that went deeper than the union of their bodies. Something she felt in her heart and soul that had kept Trey on her mind when time and miles had separated them. Even when she had cursed him for the circumstances she found herself in, she had ended up longing for what could have been between them.

  Should she listen to her head or grab on with both hands to what he offered? Not only a father for TJ, but maybe the love she had dreamed of. Or was this just another dream—a fantasy?

  “What if this thing between us doesn’t work out? What about TJ?”

  “And what if it does, Kelly? Can you walk away without giving us a chance? Not only for TJ, but for us?”

  Damn him for laying the monkey on her back.

  Kelly pondered for only a moment, knowing her answer was no. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity for TJ to have a real family—both his mother and father. And she didn’t want to let this man go.

  He stared into her eyes expectantly, waiting for a response.

  “No,” she said softy. “I’ll try for TJ’s sake.”

  Trey flinched as if she’d slapped him, his arms falling from around her. “I won’t share my bed with a woman out of obligation. We both deserve more than that.” Without another word he walked away, taking his place on the floor and returning to wrapping presents.

  “Trey?”

  His intense glare rose, his jaw seesawing. “What?”

  “That’s not exactly what I meant. It’s just—” Kelly pinched her lips together before starting over again. “You have to understand—” She hesitated, once more searching for the right words. “Every move, every decision I make affects TJ. Right now you and I have an amiable relationship, but if we become intimate and things don’t work out, what will it mean for our son? It doesn’t matter what I want or desire.”

  Laying down his scissors, he bent a knee, placing his arm across it. “What do you want, Kelly? Not for TJ, but for yourself?”

  “You,” she whispered. “From the first time I laid eyes on you.” The truth tumbled from her mouth before she could censor her words.

  Pupils dilating, the heat in his eyes softened into a sultry gaze that played cat and mouse with her emotions. Her heart rate and breathing quickened. Slowly he got to his feet. For the briefest of moments, she felt the urgency to run, not sure whether into his arms or from him. As he closed the distance between them, she swallowed hard. It made her self-conscious, but once their eyes met she couldn’t look away.

  “C’mere.” He stabbed his fingers through her hair to cup the nape of her neck and pulled her so close their bodies touched chest to chest and hips to hips.

  Kelly pressed her palms against his chest. “Tell me that everything will be okay?”

  He brought her lips nearer to his so they lightly touched. “Darlin, it will be more than okay.”

  When his mouth slanted over hers, Kelly cried out at his hunger—a kiss so blatantly hot and consuming it shook her down to the root of her soul. A rumble rattled in his chest, rising to a low hum as he pressed through the seam of her lips and deepened the caress.

  This time when his hands slid beneath her shirt, he pushed the material up in a hurried manner, forcing her arms up as he jerked it over her head. When the shirt fell to the ground, his palms smoothed over her bare flesh until she felt the clasp of her bra release. Then he guided the scrap of cotton down her arms until she stood before him topless.

  His nostrils flared. “They’re even prettier than I remember.” He cradled the heavy globes in his hands. “Fuller, more luscious. Even your nipples.”

  Trey gliding his thumbs over the taut peaks sent shards of electricity through them, splintering through her swollen breasts. She breathed in the shiver that raced up her back.

  “Naked. All of you.” His deep, sexy voice laden with lust sent goose bumps across her skin.

  Before she changed her mind again, she reached for the button of her jeans and wedged it free, her zipper following. Gaze locked on his, she pushed her pants over her hips, taking her panties with them, working them down her legs and stepping out of them. His eyes darkened. Then he swept his arm behind the back of her knees, raising her and cradling her against his chest. Without speaking, he carried her to his bedroom, setting her gently on the big bed before he returned to lock the door.

  Pivoting, he stood unmoving and stared at her with such intensity she felt the burn. “I’ve dreamt of you lying here—in my bed. Your red hair feathered against my pillow.”

  And she had dreamt of this moment too.

  As he approached, a tightening quaked low in her belly. Moisture dampened her thighs, making her slick with need. It had been so long. With each step that brought him closer, her body reacted, warming and tensing, waiting for that moment they would join. Erasing the last two years as if they’d never existed.

  Before he reached the bed he stripped his shirt off, revealing large biceps, sculpted shoulders, and muscular abs that rippled down into the waistband of his jeans. His pants hung low and her pulse pounded as his skillful fingers unfastened them, revealing a raging erection, long and thick, narrow hips, and strong thighs.

  The man was perfection.

  “Bend your knees and spread your legs.”

  His command made her gasp. Another flood of desire released between her now trembling legs. But she hesitated, feeling self-conscious.

  “C’mon, darlin’, I want to see all of you.”

  Easing her knees up, she slowly parted them.

  Staring, Trey growled. The low rumbling sent chills up her spine. But when he climbed up on the bed, positioning his head between her thighs, a whimper rose in her throat.

  “Trey?”

  “Shhh, darlin’. I need to taste you.”

  As he kept her gaze trapped with his, he smoothed his warm palms up her rib cage, seeking her firm, rounded breasts, tweaking her nipples before returning down her trembling stomach. When his hands closed in on her hips, he lowered his head and pressed his mouth against swollen folds. The first delicious swipe of his tongue along her slit forced her knees wider and her hips off the bed.

  “Easy, baby.” He chuckled, the vibration of his laugh shimmering across her sensitized flesh.

  When his warm breath brushed over her wet sheath, her pussy flexed, a blatant plea for more. A thick finger entered her slowly and pulled back as his tongue made another path. Then he repeated the action, teasing her with a slow in-and-out rhythm that wasn’t enough.

  Kelly needed more. She needed him to fill her completely.

  Before she could plead for more, his tongue circled her clit and her breath caught. He laved, nibbled and worked the extended bud until she clutched at his head and bucked beneath him. Then every muscle in her body clenched, tightening into a fist. Her sex took on a pulse of its own, throbbing to the point of bursting, a wave of heat so hot it rolled over her body like a steam engine.

  “Trey.
Oh God.”

  Kelly lurched from the bed, his grip the only thing keeping her in place as a tremor skated over her skin followed by another stronger one. When her legs shook and her pussy quaked, she bore down, opening and welcoming the orgasm that engulfed her in one big pleasurable moment too intense to remain still or quiet. Her eyes closed as she cried out. Arching her back, she thrashed her head side to side as wave after wave consumed her.

  All too soon the undulations died to a whisper, leaving abrupt spasms that shuddered through her. She released a contented sigh, gazing down her length to discover Trey crawling up her frame like a predator on the hunt.

  He gave her a feral grin. “You’re beautiful when you come.”

  “And you’re beautiful doing what you do so well.”

  Easing his hips into the cradle of her thighs, his eyes flared with heat. “So you liked that?”

  His firm erection pressed against her tenderness and she moaned. “Oh yes.”

  “You ready to wrap the rest of the presents?”

  Oh Lord, the man had to be kidding. His cock was rock hard, inches away from entering her. The prominent veins in his neck and arms bulged blue with blood. Kelly had yet to sate herself on him.

  Laughter met her confusion. “I’m thinking of wrapping you and tying you into a bow so I can unveil that sweet body of yours all over again.”

  “We can do that later. Right now I need you inside me, Trey. Please.”

  “All I have is a condom.”

  “It can’t happen twice. Besides, I’m not waiting any longer.” She curved her arms around his neck, pulling him down. Scenting her essence on his lips, she kissed him like she had dreamt of doing for two years.

  Chapter Eight

  Kelly’s caress left Trey breathless. She was everything he remembered and more. Her lips were soft, but firm and demanding, devouring him with an unabashed hunger that exceeded the kisses they had shared in Denver.

  But nothing prepared him for the longing in her eyes when she threw a leg over him and maneuvered him on to his back. She slid between his thighs and then her mouth was everywhere, touching and kissing his neck, licking down his chest to travel lower. His gut clenched as her tongue made a wet path along his bellybutton, dipping inside before nibbling further downward.

  That’s when he stopped breathing altogether.

  His cock twitched, a bead of pre-come oozing from the slit. The muscles in his thighs tensed, even his ass tightened in anticipation.

  “Condom,” she murmured against his heated flesh.

  Damn. He wanted her bareback, no latex between them, at least for this. The thrill to feel her hot mouth moving over his dick was overpowering.

  “I’m clean, darlin’.”

  “Mmmm,” she groaned, “good.”

  When her moist tongue swept the rim of his erection, he hissed, moving closer as a rush of blood slammed into his groin. She glanced up at him with a devilish glint in her eyes.

  He thrust his hips forward, slicking come against her cheek. “Fuck me, baby, with that beautiful mouth. Now.”

  Her fingers circled his shaft, her lips parting as her gaze remained on his. Then she closed her mouth around him and sucked. Slow and steady and then fast and taut, she moved up and down him, teasing and taunting him until he didn’t know which way was up.

  The need for the incredible sensation to last shattered when she tongued the ridge right under the tip of his penis. Air gushed from his lungs. But when her fingers began to stroke the area right beneath his balls as her head started to bob again, his insides exploded into a ball of flames. Fire licked across his cock with each stroke.

  “Kelly. Stop.” Trey shuddered, clenching his butt cheeks to subdue his rising climax. When he could breathe again, he pulled her up his body. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Never.” Kelly giggled as he rolled her over and slipped atop her. Her eyes grew as dark as a stormy sea when she cupped his face. “Please, Trey.”

  He loved the way his name sounded on her lips.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered.

  Never taking his gaze off hers, he blindly reached in the top drawer of his nightstand and extracted a condom. Tearing open the wrapper, he donned the latex before settling his hips back between her thighs.

  “Wrap your legs around me.” When she did, he placed the head of his cock at her entrance and thrust home.

  Buried deep inside her, he didn’t move—couldn’t. Her hot, tight sheath was amazing, even through the thin barrier of the condom. For a moment all he could do was savor the rightness of them being together once again.

  “God,” she gasped. “I missed this.” Her silky hands mapped his body, running both palms down his back, his ass, and his thighs. “Missed you.” She tipped her chin to press her lips to his.

  Her mouth was warm and wet, lulling him into a state of pleasure he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. He couldn’t get enough of her, deepening the caress. As their embraces grew more ardent, Kelly’s touch became more demanding, her fingernails leaving trails of sparks in their wake. He moaned. His body ached with a need too large to contain and he began to rock against her.

  As he withdrew, she crossed her ankles to tug him back. He ground his hips into hers, torturing them both with slow thrusts and even slower retreats. Their breaths compressed into small, labored pants. As his heartbeat grew faster and faster, tingles shot from the base of his cock. Then he began to fuck her in earnest, driving in and out of her, over and over again. He must have done something right, because her eyes went wide, and she came with a sharp cry, her body shaking beneath his.

  Excitement stirred in his groin.

  Trey barely heard her whimper through the haze his mind had become. The friction between them stroked his shaft and he felt it harden even more, jutting up from his balls. Slamming into her one last time, he stiffened, squeezing her hips to keep her immobile as the buildup became so intense that he reached the point of no return. Fire and ice ripped down his cock, bursting from the tip like a geyser. Even through the barrier of latex, he felt her contractions, the heat of his own seed, and the way their bodies melded together in perfect harmony.

  Collapsing atop her, he lay there unable to move, his muscles limp and heavy. When she started to caress his heated skin again, he rolled off her, dragging her into his arms. The quiet between them felt natural, calming, until their son took that moment to cry out.

  Kelly shot out of bed, grabbing the first thing she found, which was his robe laying over the foot of the bed. Donning the heavy terry cloth, she rushed to the door and fought the lock before she pulled it open and disappeared down the hall.

  Trey moved more slowly, first cleaning up and disposing of the used condom before he pushed a leg in his cold jeans and shivered. When he had his pants on he pulled a t-shirt over his head and ambled into the hall. He heard Kelly’s sweet voice singing low. Peering into TJ’s room, he raised a brow and she smiled at him, gently rubbing their son’s back. The boy’s eyes were partially open, so Trey eased back and headed for the kitchen.

  Opening the refrigerator, he caught two beers in his fingers and moved back to shut the door. He popped the top on a cold one, placing the lip of the bottle to his lips. The amber slid down his parched throat, wetting his thirst. Exhausted, but happier than he’d been in a while, he carried the two beers into the living room. Settling on the floor again, he went back to the task at hand, wrapping more presents.

  Trey had worked through half of them before Kelly joined him. “Is he okay?”

  “Yes. Sometimes he has bad dreams. I expected this, waking up in a strange place without me by his side.” She gathered up her supplies, but instead of keeping her distance as she had done before, Kelly slid next to him.

  Forgetting what he was doing, he watched her confidently fold the paper and secure it with tape. Unable to resist it, he slipped a hand between the part of the robe and cupped a breast.

  Kelly glanced up at him, scowling. “We won’t g
et anything done if you do that.”

  Ignoring her, he rolled a nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and then pinched.

  She gasped, grabbing his wrist. “Trey. Unless you want to be up all night, we need to finish this before we play. Why don’t you make yourself useful and open that beer. I’m assuming it’s mine?”

  Grabbing the bottle off the end table where his sat, he twisted the cap and it made a hiss. “So we get to play some more?” Before he handed the beer to her, he pressed the chilly glass against her cleavage and she jumped.

  “Not if you keep this up.” She wedged the drink free of his hand and took a sip.

  “Okay, okay.” Rising to his feet, he looked to down where her robe gaped revealing her rounded globes and the beginning of her rosy areolas. Damn. She was mouthwatering. “I’ll get the things out of the closet and set them around the tree.” Because if he stayed in the same room with her, he’d have her flat on her back and make love to her again.

  He was halfway down the hall before he realized he was whistling. Yes. This arrangement would work. And who knew, maybe someday he and Kelly would have those deeper feelings that would make them a real family.

  Carrying the rocking horse and train set out of the room, he passed by TJ’s open door, noticing the box that held his toys along with the presents Kelly had brought from her house. Setting the items he held down in the hall, he snuck into the bedroom and paused. Fast asleep, the boy looked so young, so innocent.

  No doubt remained in Trey’s mind that this child was his son. His father’s suggestion of a paternity test wouldn’t be necessary.

  “My son.” Just saying the words tightened Trey’s chest. Moving closer, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the baby’s soft cheek and inhaled his clean, powdery scent. Although reluctant to leave, he remembered all there was left to do tonight and rose. When he turned around, Kelly stood silently in the doorway. Tears glistened in her eyes.