by Lyn Gardner
Mentally, Jamie quickly tallied the amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. Deciding that two glasses of wine could not have muddled her senses to a point of misinterpreting Lillian’s offer, she pondered on how best to reply. It didn’t take long.
“Let me get this straight,” Jamie said, unable to prevent a grin from appearing when the word slipped from her lips. “You’re volunteering to come to my home and spend several days decorating and baking off dozens of Christmas cookies, all the while, standing by my side.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Studying the woman, Jamie tilted her head. “Who are you, and what have you done with Willoughby?”
Not at all put off by Jamie’s sarcasm, Lillian said, “Yes, well, to tell you the truth, I’m a bit surprised myself, but I’m willing to give it a go, if you are. I’m not saying that I…that I will ever change my ways about certain things, but what you did here tonight is what Christmas is all about and…and I’d like to be a part of it. That is, if you’ll let me.”
Totally befuddled, Jamie let out a long breath as she stared at Lillian.
Thinking for a moment, Jamie crossed her arms. “I choose the menu.”
“Of course.”
“And the decorations.”
“Absolutely.”
“And the people we invite?”
“That would totally be up to you.”
If it hadn’t been for the fact that she was holding a sleeping child in her arms, Jamie would have pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Her thoughts had only been to give a few needy families a Christmas to remember, but instead, Jamie knew she would never forget this day. Although smart enough to know that Phelan’s sneers and Willoughby’s condescending looks would reappear after the Christmas season had passed, the tiniest sliver of respect now existed between them, and if it was only to reappear each Christmas, so be it.
“Lillian?” Jamie said.
“Yes.”
Grinning, Jamie nodded her head.
“You’ve got a deal.”
~~~
After depositing Lillian’s sleeping grandson into the woman’s car, Jamie bid farewell to her last guest and climbed the stairs into her house.
Glancing at the staff as they cleaned up, she walked down the hallway, and stopped as she reached the library.
Peering inside, she said, “You look comfortable.”
Smiling, Diana looked up and then spun herself around in the high-backed, leather office chair behind Jamie’s desk.
“I am,” Diana said with a giggle. “Nice chair.”
The slightest hint of blush crossed Jamie’s cheeks as she thought about what she had done in that exact chair the night before. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’ve got a few things to wrap up with the staff before they can leave, and then I was going to make some coffee. You interested?”
“Very,” Diana said, leaning back in the chair. “I think I had one too many desserts.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Jamie said with a smile. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you in the living room. Okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Great,” Jamie said, flashing Diana another wide grin before disappearing from the doorway.
Getting to her feet, Diana sauntered through the house, passing the few remaining costumed staff members as they carried the last of the dishes and trash bags from the dining room.
Entering the living room, Diana breathed in deep the smell of pine and looked around.
Long and wide, with an enormous blue spruce at one end and an equally enormous fireplace at the other, the room was as large as it was cozy. The graceful grains of cherry could be seen in the flooring and the furniture, and the soft reddish-brown leather of the sofas and chairs added yet more warmth to the room. Strings of white lights and green garland had been draped over the windows, and the figurines of angels and snowmen sitting on the tables held in their hands small bowls once filled with candies and nuts.
Staying with the traditional colors of Christmas, the tree was filled with baubles of red and green in almost every shape and size, and threaded through the branches were hundreds of white fairy lights. Unlike Lillian’s tree, with its limbs sagging from the volume of ornaments displayed, Jamie had used just enough to make it festive without being garish. Diana’s eyes traveled to the angel at the top of the tree, and she couldn’t help but sigh at the simplicity of the figure dressed in a white, flowing robe with a shawl of silver. She was perfect. Everything was perfect.
Hearing a noise in the hallway, Diana turned around and watched as Jamie chatted easily with the last remaining staff as they left the house.
She heard the front door close, and less than a minute later, Diana found herself grinning back at the woman leaning in the doorway.
For a few seconds, they gazed at each other in silence, and then Jamie said softly, “Alone at last.”
Chapter Nine
The silence in the room was palpable as each absorbed the meaning of Jamie’s words. They were alone…completely and utterly alone.
Diana no longer had to share Jamie’s attention with guests wanting to chat, or with staff members awaiting further instructions, and the reality of that fact burrowed its way through her body. As she felt it snuggle itself between her legs with a sensual thud, Diana licked her lips and took a slow, easy breath. Four weeks earlier, she had been thrown off-balance by the feelings that Jamie’s kiss had evoked, but now, Diana welcomed the warm pulse of awareness deep within her body. Her fear of the unknown had been replaced by a hunger to learn. Even though she had never fallen in love before, Diana knew in her heart that she’d never fall in love again.
This was it.
It had seemed an appropriate thing to say until the words had slipped from her lips, and Jamie swallowed hard at the truth of the moment. Across the room, dressed in tight jeans and a red cashmere sweater, stood the woman who, in a matter of a few short weeks, had stolen Jamie’s heart. She was a woman who Jamie had kissed twice, and she was a woman who Jamie wanted to kiss again…and again. Jamie had felt lust before, but what she was feeling for Diana Clarke was well beyond that. She craved Diana like no other. She wanted every inch of her. She wanted her in every way imaginable…and Jamie wanted her for the rest of her life.
Taking a deep breath, Jamie said, “Coffee will be ready in a few minutes. I just put on a fresh pot.”
“I’m not really thirsty,” Diana said softly.
Worried that the evening was about to come to an end, Jamie blurted, “Oh. Um…how about tea, or maybe…maybe more wine?”
“No, I think I’ve had enough wine,” Diana said. “I need to be clear-headed.”
Jamie’s shoulders fell. “Right…long drive home.”
Tickled by Jamie’s misinterpretation, Diana was about to clear up the confusion when she noticed something hanging above the doorway where Jamie stood. With dimples forming, she said, “You lied to me.”
“Lied? About what?”
“Mistletoe.”
“Huh?”
Pointing to the sprig hanging above Jamie’s head, Diana said, “You told me you didn’t buy any.”
Confused, Jamie looked up and her eyes went wide at the sight of the spray of mistletoe tied with a red ribbon.
“Where the hell did that come from?”
“Probably from a flower shop, or the mall. Take your pick.”
Shaking her head, Jamie said, “Diana, I didn’t buy that.”
“So you say,” Diana replied with a grin as she slowly walked in Jamie’s direction. “But since you’re standing under it, there’s a tradition that we need to follow. Or am I wrong?”
Jamie’s libido sprang to life, and the feel of the body rush forced a low, sexy purr to rise in her throat. Pulling Diana into her arms, their eyes locked and as their breath mingled, Jamie lowered her mouth to Diana’s.
Allowing her lips to brush over Diana’s for only a few seconds before pulling away, Jamie breathe
d in deep and then returned for more. Anointing Diana’s mouth with the tenderest of kisses, Jamie moved her lips over Diana’s, applying just a hint of pressure as the woman relaxed in her arms.
Heads began to tilt as flavors, new and wonderful began to blend, and with no need to rush their kisses remained chaste until Jamie couldn’t stand it any longer.
Yearning to savor more, she ran the tip of her tongue across Diana’s supple lips, and moaned as she was beckoned inside.
Diana had never experienced anything like this before. Her head was spinning at the sensations that Jamie’s kisses were creating, and when she felt Jamie’s tongue ask for entry, Diana thought she was going to die. Parting her lips, her knees weakened when Jamie slipped inside, and moaning as the woman’s warm, wet tongue swept over hers, Diana answered in kind. Opening her mouth wide, she sucked against Jamie’s tongue, and their kisses grew frenzied as their passion flamed.
Jamie’s mind was filled with things erotic and wet. Her imagination soared at the possibilities of devouring Diana’s body and juices in a whirlwind of heady sex that would last until morning, but what if Diana wasn’t ready for the carnal lessons Jamie wanted to give?
What if she was Diana’s first woman, or worse yet…what if she wasn’t?
Pulling away, she gazed at Diana as she tried to find the words, and taking a deep breath, she asked softly, “Are you…I mean…have you ever…”
With lips pink with passion, Diana offered Jamie the smallest of smiles.
“Does it matter?”
In three simple words, Diana had told Jamie all she needed to know, and her heart melted. It didn’t matter if Diana had or hadn’t and with whom. All that mattered was here and now, and the past was the past…but the future was going to be wonderful. Shaking her head, Jamie said, “No, it doesn’t.”
“Then take me to bed.”
“Are you sure?” Jamie asked in a hoarse whisper.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
~~~
Holding hands, they walked up the stairs, and entering the master suite, Diana found herself being led toward the bed at the far end of the room.
In all of her life, Diana had slept with four men, and with each, the first night spent in their arms had been edged with anxiety. The kind of nervousness that comes from opening yourself up to someone for the first time, from letting them see you at your most vulnerable, your most tender, your most needy, but Diana wasn’t nervous as she walked across the room. While it was true that her heart pounded in her chest, nerves were not to blame.
For a moment, Jamie let go of her hand, and walked over to turn on a bedside lamp. Returning to Diana’s side, she reached up and ran her finger softly down Diana’s cheek. “You are so beautiful.”
“So are you,” Diana said in a breath as she reached up and pulled Jamie’s face to hers.
Diana held nothing back. Plunging her tongue between Jamie’s lips, she took what she wanted without hesitation.
With probing kisses that were both sensual and savage, her message was clear. She wanted all that Jamie had to give…and she wanted it now.
As she answered Diana’s hunger with that of her own, Jamie’s hands began to roam. Threading her fingers through silken tresses the color of the darkest of chocolates, Jamie cradled Diana’s head as she continued to pillage her mouth. Her other hand traveled downward with purpose and reaching the mounds hidden beneath cashmere, Jamie gently cupped one breast in her hand. At first, her touch was light, content simply to hold and covet, but urged on by Diana’s throaty moan of approval, it wasn’t long before Jamie began to knead and squeeze.
When the need for air became too great, their lips separated for a moment, and that was all the time it took for Jamie to lift Diana’s sweater over her head. The air in the room was cool against Diana’s flesh and goosebumps appeared, but then she saw the look in Jamie’s eyes. It was feral and ravenous, changing her sapphire orbs to the color of a midnight sky…and Diana’s body turned molten.
Hungry for the woman who stood before her, it was all Jamie could do not to tear the rest of the clothes from Diana’s body and take her where she stood. Breasts of alabaster rose and fell with every breath Diana took, seemingly begging for release from the bondage of the black brassiere, and Jamie answered their call. Unfastening the clasp, she slowly drew the thin straps down Diana’s delicate arms.
Brazenly exposed to Jamie’s hungry stare, Diana’s nipples began to ache as they filled with need, and as Jamie leaned down, Diana’s entire body began to throb.
Cupping one magnificent breast in her hand, Jamie tweaked at the pebbled bud, watching as the little point grew erect and large. Rolling it between her fingers, she listened as Diana’s breathing grew louder, and then lowering her mouth, Jamie covered the tip and sucked hard.
“Oh, God,” Diana said in a breath, feeling her juices flow thick between her legs. “Oh…my… God.”
Tugging gently on one swollen nipple with her fingers, Jamie tortured the other with her mouth, suckling and nibbling until the tip was plump and stiff.
Feasting on the feminine delights, she lost herself in the pleasure she was giving, and when Diana blatantly arched her breasts, begging for more, Jamie gave her more.
Diana’s heart was pounding in her ears. Jamie owned every inch of her, and the more Jamie fondled and sucked, the more Diana needed. Deep inside, she could feel a stirring begin, and for a split second, she welcomed its arrival, but then her eyes flew open wide. “No,” she said, stumbling backward. “No…no.”
Stunned, Jamie stood straight.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Diana, what’s wrong?”
“Wait…wait…wait,” Diana said between gulps of air as she held up her hand.
Afraid that she had done something horribly wrong, Jamie became a statue.
Without moving an inch, she waited for a few moments before she said, “Diana, please…please tell me what’s wrong.”
Shaking her head, Diana slumped on the edge of the bed, and crossing her arms to cover her nakedness, she said, “I…I’m…I’m sorry.”
Hesitant, Jamie approached the bed and knelt at Diana’s feet. “Talk to me,” she said, placing her hand on Diana’s knee.
“I can’t.”
“Please, if I’ve done something wrong, I need to know what it is.”
“You haven’t…You didn’t…Shit!”
Diana said. Hiding her face in her hands, she muttered, “This is so embarrassing.”
Bewildered, Jamie rested back on her haunches. Staring up at Diana, she tried to think of something to say, but then she remembered the conversation they had downstairs. With the slightest of grins, she said, “Diana, I know that we hardly know each other, and I know…well, at least I think I know that this is…that being with me is probably your first time—”
“Oh, Jamie, it’s not about that,” Diana said, peeking out through her fingers.
“It’s not?”
“No,” Diana replied, her cheeks suddenly blazing with color. “Oh, I can’t believe I’m going to say this.”
“Say what?” Jamie asked, swallowing hard. “Please don’t say you think this is a mistake.”
Dropping her hands, Diana said, “No, of course not!”
“Well, then—”
Flustered, and knowing that the truth was her only way out, Diana blurted, “I almost came.”
Jamie’s jaw snapped shut. Furrowing her brow, she stared back in disbelief.
“Excuse me?”
“I almost…climaxed.”
“You almost climaxed?”
“Yes.”
“You stopped me in the midst of passion…because…because you were about to come?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t like orgasms?”
Diana’s eyes flew open wide. “Of course, I do!”
“Then I’m confused.”
“Jamie, look at me,” Diana said.
“I’m still
wearing my boots for Christ’s sake, and you’re…you’re completely dressed. I didn’t want—”
Whatever words Diana was trying to form stopped in her throat as Jamie reached over and tugged off Diana’s boots. Wasting no time, Jamie did the same with hers, and after tossing them aside, she rose to her feet and quickly rid herself of the white cable-knit sweater she was wearing.
Kneeling once again in front of Diana, Jamie placed herself between the woman’s legs. “Is this better?” she asked, smiling.
Diana couldn’t speak. Mesmerized by the Jamie’s bronzed torso, she swallowed the moisture building in her mouth. Hidden behind a bra of white were breasts Diana yearned to see, and the reality of the hunger heating her blood caused her body to pulse with need.
Cupping Diana’s chin in her hand, Jamie lifted it until their eyes met.
Gazing into brown eyes flecked with gold, she asked, “Are you afraid of me?”
“No.”
“Are you afraid of this?”
“No,” Diana said, shaking her head.
“Then let it happen,” Jamie said with the softest of grins as she got to her feet.
Taking a ragged breath, Diana smiled back, and when Jamie gently urged her to lie down, Diana went willingly. Their eyes remained locked on each other as Jamie removed what was left of Diana’s clothing, and without denim to hold in her scent, the aroma of Diana’s need rose in the air.
Climbing onto the bed, Jamie lay by Diana’s side, gazing at the goddess who had captured her heart. Entranced, she ran her finger lightly over Diana’s nose and across her lips, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss upon her mouth.
Sighing into the kiss, Diana’s eyes fluttered closed, and as Jamie’s hand traveled south, leisurely caressing one breast and then the other, Diana’s breathing quickened.
Entranced, Jamie casually drew the tips of her fingers over Diana’s body as she admired what lay in front her.
Perfect breasts, creamy and plump, with coral centers and tips distended were there for the tasting, and that’s exactly what Jamie did. Flicking her tongue over one tip, she licked and teased it until it was taut and pebbled while her hand continued its journey downward.