Christmas On Pointe (A Silver Bell Falls Holiday Novella)

by Samantha Chase

  “How come?”

  “Because next week starts the long rehearsals for the Christmas play so she won’t have a lot of extra time.” He paused. “You know she’s going to be very busy for the next few weeks. So we have to be respectful of that so she can work and help all of her students get ready for the recital.”

  “I’m going to be in the recital too!” Maya said. “And next week I get to try on my costume and get it fitted.”

  “I’d ask if you’re excited about it, but I can already tell that you are,” Dean teased her and laughed when she started to giggle.

  “Abby said that I have to remember to wear it only for the special rehearsals and for the recital and not when I’m at home,” she said seriously. “But after the recital is done, I can wear it whenever I want.”

  Dean wasn’t sure if he was actually supposed to respond to that, so he opted to stay quiet.

  “Me and Jenny are going to practice our dance today. She’s been taking ballet for two whole years so she’s like a real ballerina. That’s what I want to be, but I know I need more practice.”

  “I think you’re doing a great job, kiddo. You’ve learned a lot in a few short weeks.”

  “That’s because Abby’s been helping me and giving me extra lessons. She’s the best.”

  Dean simply nodded. He had a feeling with the good mood Maya was obviously in, if he gave even the slightest bit of praise to Abby, she’d jump all over it. It was just easier to keep quiet for now.

  They pulled up to Jenny’s house and being that they’d done this only a week before, it was fairly easy to drop Maya off and chat with Kathy and her husband for a few minutes before leaving. He kissed Maya goodbye and was out the door within ten minutes.

  Once he pulled the car out of the driveway, he immediately headed to Abby’s. Their time together was already so limited that he didn’t want to waste any time. She knew what time he was dropping Maya off and she had mentioned she had another appointment to look at a building in downtown for the studio. They agreed he’d come over afterwards. With any luck, they’d be arriving at her house at the same time and he was beyond looking forward to seeing her.

  Yesterday had been such a mixture of pleasure and pain. Well, maybe pain was a bit dramatic but...sitting with her on the couch and talking about all the things he’d wanted to do to her had done little more than tortured them both.

  But he was planning on making up for it.

  All day.

  By the time he pulled up to Abby’s house, he was beyond primed. Images of her sprawled out on the bed played on a continuous loop in his mind and Dean could only hope that he wasn’t going to embarrass himself the moment he touched her.

  He sprinted up her front steps and knocked on the door.

  No answer.

  He knocked again.

  No answer.

  Her car was in the driveway and she hadn’t called or texted to say she was running late so where was she? Feeling a little concerned, he tried turning the knob and found the door unlocked. He stepped inside, closed the door and immediately called out to her.

  “Abby? Abby, are you here?”

  No answer.

  He quickly scanned the living room and spotted her purse and keys, so where the hell was she? Dean made his way down the hall toward her bedroom, calling out to her the entire time.

  At the door to her bedroom, he froze in his tracks.

  There, sprawled out as if he’d put her there himself, was Abby. Wearing a sexy grin and little more than tiny pieces of red lace, she was his fantasy come to life.

  Slowly he walked into the room. Stalked, actually. That was the primitive side of him, how he felt. She didn’t move. She simply watched him approach.

  “I was afraid you weren’t coming,” Abby whispered after a moment and Dean caught the double entendre.

  “Sweetheart, trust me when I say that where you’re concerned, that’s never going to be a problem.”

  ****

  Being sexually aggressive was never Abby’s thing. She’d never particularly wanted to be, but ever since Dean whispered in her ear about all the things he wanted to do to her, she could barely think of anything else!

  And while she had tossed around the idea of answering the door and leading him down the hall, this scenario came to mind and she decided to just go for it. Judging by the look of raw desire on Dean’s face, she’d say she made the right choice.

  Wordlessly, he undressed – his eyes intently fixed on hers the entire time. Abby could feel the heat from his gaze and it took a lot of self-control not to squirm or look away. And really, looking away was not an option. Dean fully dressed was sexy enough, but once he took his shirt off and she could see his muscled arms and chest and torso? Sexy wasn’t even a strong enough word to describe him

  He was down to nothing but his jeans when he placed his knee on the bed and reached out to run his hands up her calves and over her knees. Dean’s hands were large and slightly rough and it felt so damn good that Abby couldn’t help but let out a low moan.

  “I believe I mentioned kissing every inch of you,” he said, his voice low and thick and Abby could feel herself trembling in anticipation. Lowering his head, Dean began to do just that.

  He started by kissing her ankles and then slowly made his way up one shin and then the other. Between the warmth of his breath, the glide of his tongue and his hands moving along her skin, Abby was fairly certain she was going to go up in flames. She was breathless and hot and Dean seemed to be taking great pleasure in going slowly to make sure he covered every inch of her.

  Damn the man, she thought.

  Unable to help herself, she began to whimper, beg, plead and cry out his name. He kissed her hip bone before saying, “Patience.”

  Easy for him to say.

  “I promise to have patience later,” she said breathlessly. “But right now, I’d really love it if you moved on to the next phase.”

  He chuckled and sat up slightly. “The next phase?”

  Abby nodded and licked her lips. “The getting naked phase. Please.”

  For a minute, he didn’t move. He didn’t do much of anything besides watch her intently. She squirmed under him as he straddled her.

  Slowly he unbuttoned his jeans and lowered the zipper. He didn’t move off of her. Instead Dean shifted so he was stretched out on top of her – chest to chest, skin to skin and Abby almost wept with how good he felt. She loved the feel of his weight on top of her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him a little bit closer.

  “Hard for me to get naked when you’ve got those fantastic legs locked around me,” he murmured against her neck where he’d begun to lick and nip and kiss.

  Using the heels of her feet, Abby began to work on lowering his jeans over his hips. She only got them to move a little before Dean jumped up and took them and his boxers off himself.

  And then he was back – covering her body with his – and it was so damn glorious that Abby let out a very contented sigh. “That is so much better.”

  “Almost,” he said, going back to that spot on her neck that he’d just vacated.

  Abby arched her back under him at the same time Dean reached beneath her to unclasp her bra. They worked together to get it off and she let out a small laugh when he flung it across the room. He laughed with her and she was certain her panties would be next, but instead Dean lowered his head to her breasts and began to give them the same attention he’d been giving to other parts of her body.

  He was clearly trying to kill her.

  But it felt so damn good that she couldn’t find the strength to care or protest.

  Raking her hands up into his hair, Abby held Dean to her – keeping her back arched at the same time and simply letting him have his way with her.

  Because he was really good at it.

  It could have been minutes. It could have been hours, but all Abby knew was that it was too long. Too much. Too intense. And he hadn’t even kissed her properly yet. With a
slight tug on his hair, she got him to look up at her. He had a cocky grin on his face and it should have irked her, but all she could think of was how long she had dreamed of having Dean look at her like that.

  Turned on.

  By her.

  “I need you,” she finally said. Playtime was over. She couldn’t take anymore. Foreplay was a wonderful thing and they’d been having the mental version since the day before. It was time to take action and get to what she knew they both craved.

  Rearing up, Dean ran a hand from Abby’s shoulder and down over her breasts and her belly before settling on the red lace of her panties. She quivered in anticipation. Staring at where his hand was, Dean studied that spot for a moment before meeting her eyes again.

  “I promise to buy you a new pair,” he said huskily right before ripping the lace from her body.

  Abby let out a squeal of delight before pulling him down for the kiss she’d been waiting all day for.

  ****

  “So I was thinking,” Abby began much later, “that maybe we could go out and get my tree tonight so that it’s here and set up and then you and Maya can do your thing tomorrow.”

  They were still in bed and Dean was enjoying having her sprawled out partially on top of him. “Why? I thought you wanted to go with us.”

  “I do, but I thought it might be better for the two of you to do it together without me and maybe make this the start of a new tradition. I’d be a distraction.”

  He had to agree. Her naked body was distracting the hell out of him right now. “I thought we had it all worked out. We were going to pick Maya up together and go and get both the trees, bring them back to each of our houses and then go shopping for ornaments before grabbing dinner. Maya’s really looking forward to it.”

  And to be honest, so was he.

  Abby raised her head and smiled softly at him. “I know she is, but after what you shared with me about how she’s viewing the three of us, I sort of think that maybe...I just don’t want to confuse her, Dean.” She paused. “You know I love spending time with the two of you but she’s dealing with enough upheaval and changes in her life, I don’t want to add to that.”

  Even though she was saying everything that he had said to himself in the last week, it didn’t sit right with him. “I know what you’re saying,” he began carefully, “but I think it’s also important for Maya to realize that she can’t always get her way by crying or pouting or...giving me the silent treatment. The fact is that you are an important part of our lives and we enjoy spending time with you too. Maybe by spending time together and reinforcing that...”

  He stopped. That what? That they could do stuff like a family without actually being one? Was that really what he wanted to say?

  “I know what you’re saying,” Abby quickly interrupted, but he couldn’t tell if she was offended or upset by where he was going.

  Rolling them over until Abby was on her back and he was looking down at her, Dean studied her face. She didn’t look upset, but...hell. He was.

  “Look, I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. Everything where Maya is concerned has been nothing but trial and error. And I find that I’m spending a lot of my time kicking my own ass because I wasted so much time...so much of my life...not living!”

  “Dean...”

  “No, I’m serious,” he interjected. “I used to go into the diner every damn day. Do you know why?”

  “Dan makes really good pancakes?” she offered with an attempt at humor.

  Unfortunately, Dean couldn’t help but chuckle. “No,” he said after a minute. “I went in there every day to try to feel normal. To try to interact with people because I was lonely. I went in there to see you.”

  He hadn’t intended to share that, but...there it was.

  Abby’s eyes went wide. “You...you did? But...I didn’t think that you...I mean...”

  Leaning down, he kissed her softly on the lips before lifting his head again. “I know. I was kind of in denial. I’m good at that.” Then he shook his head and sighed. “For so damn long I separated myself from everyone – from doing things that I enjoyed – because I didn’t want anyone to compare me to my sister. She was always in some kind of trouble and I knew that everyone was just waiting for me to do the same.”

  “Then why did you stay? Wouldn’t it have been easier to move someplace else and just start over?”

  “Maybe. But I love Silver Bell Falls. This is where I grew up and it’s where I always envisioned I’d raise my own family. I refused to let other people’s prejudices take that away from me.”

  “But you did,” Abby replied. “Even though you stayed here, you weren’t allowing yourself to get involved in anything or to live a normal life.”

  “I know.”

  “And I hate to say it, Dean, but those same people are still going to be watching you. And now they’re watching both you and Maya. They’re going to wonder if she’s got a wild streak like her mom. I hate that for her, but that’s what goes with small-town life.”

  “Damn, I hadn’t even thought of that. The last thing I want is anyone to put a label on Maya or to compare her to Karen. That’s not fair. I know Karen was her mother and I certainly don’t want Maya to forget her, but I also don’t want anyone talking badly about her in front of Maya. Does that make sense?”

  She nodded. “Of course it does! I’d hope that people wouldn’t be that cruel. And it has been a long time since your sister lived here. I just hope that people will look at Maya and see a sweet little girl who is trying to figure out her new life here with her uncle.”

  They were both quiet for a long moment.

  “I think she’s doing okay,” Dean said quietly. “Don’t you?”

  His dark eyes looked at Abby with a hint of desperation. “I do,” she agreed. “In these last few weeks I’ve noticed so many changes in her. She’s always been sweet and friendly and outgoing, but the longer she’s here, the more confident she’s become.”

  “I want to make this Christmas special for her. Not that I want to spoil her or bribe her with presents, but...I like what you said earlier about us starting some new traditions.”

  “It’s going to be wonderful, Dean. That’s why I don’t want to interfere. Years from now, I want you to be able to look back on this Christmas and have memories of each other and not...you know...someone else horning in on it.”

  Did she really believe that there would be a time when all she would be is a random person in their memories? Didn’t she realize how much she meant to them? To him?

  Of course she didn’t. They had only been involved for less than a month and even though they’d known each other for much longer, for all intents and purposes, it was too soon to think about the future.

  Wasn’t it?

  “I’ll make you a deal,” he said.

  “O-kay...”

  “We’ll go out tonight and find you a tree, bring it back here and put it in a stand to let it do its thing.”

  “And...”

  “And then we’ll come back in here and go for round two,” he said with a lecherous wink.

  Abby giggled and tried to push him off of her, but Dean wouldn’t budge.

  “I was thinking we could grab a bite to eat before we get the tree,” he went on. “And then tomorrow – after a late breakfast in bed – we’ll go together to pick up Maya and go on with our original plan.”

  “Dean...”

  He placed a finger over her lips. “I’m serious, Abby. Maya and I both want you with us for this. It’s supposed to snow a little tomorrow and we’ll bring a big thermos of hot chocolate with us. It’s going to be awesome. Please? Please say you’ll come with us.”

  Her expression was serious as she looked up at him. “I have one condition.”

  Relief immediately washed over him. “Anything. Name it.”

  “You make the breakfast,” she said as a slow smile spread across her face.

  “I can make toast,” he said, trying hard to hide a g
rin.

  “As long as you serve it to me in bed, I’m okay with that.”

  Laughing out loud, Dean hugged her close and rolled them over again so that Abby was straddling him. “I don’t know about you, but I think I could go for round two now. How about we go for round three after we get back.”

  Licking her lips, Abby nodded. “As usual, I really like the way you think.”

  ****

  “So are you one of those people who likes to look and touch every tree on the lot or are you more the kind who just sees it and knows?” Dean asked later that evening.

  They were walking hand in hand through the Christmas tree lot. They were getting a lot of curious stares but neither seemed to notice. The air was cold, but they didn’t notice that either as they made their way around.

  “I think I’m a little bit of both,” Abby replied, taking in all of the trees around them. “Sometimes I’ll walk onto a lot and see a tree and just think, ‘Yes! That’s it!’ Other times I’m not overly impressed and so I start digging through the rows and checking them all out. Normally, I have good luck at this lot. Ruth and Jim really produce some great trees every year.”

  Dean nodded. “This is where I usually come to get my tree too. I think it’s still early enough that we’ll have a good selection to choose from for Maya.”

  Chuckling, Abby nudged him with her shoulder. “You’ll be here in less than twenty-four hours. I doubt they’re going to have a big rush on trees before then.”

  “You never know,” Dean teased. “There are a lot of people out shopping tonight.”

  “You’d think they’d be shopped out since it’s Black Friday. I would have thought everyone would be at home sleeping after getting up and hitting the malls so early in the morning.”

  “You sound like you’ve been there and done that yourself.”

  She shook her head. “Not in a long time. I’ll still go out and shop for a few things but the majority of my Christmas shopping is done online because I don’t have a lot of free time this time of year. Plus, my list is fairly small. It’s just me and my mom and a few friends.”