Wrapped in Red: Martha's Way: A Christmas Novella

by Jolie, Mika

  Too bad.

  Desperately needing to focus on the game instead of imagining Jason naked, she glanced at the scoreboard. With less than five seconds to go, the Wolf Pack set their offense. Rafa yelled to his teammates, “Call out the picks!” at the same moment Max ran smack into Blake’s solid frame. Jason pivoted and drove hard to the hole for an easy layup. As he did so, he stepped on Max’s foot, rolling his ankle. Jason gritted his teeth in obvious pain, but continued moving forward. His long arm extended toward the basket, and the ball rolled off the ends of his fingertips an inch above the rim.

  Absolute silence reigned. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the ball turned repeatedly around the edge of the circular metal, until it veered away from the net. The sound of rubber hit the polished wooden floor just as the buzzer went off, announcing end of game. All eyes turned on Peter, who was acting as referee.

  “Game’s over boys,” Peter confirmed. “Serranos twenty-one. Locals twenty.”

  The Serrano brothers and Tyler gave themselves congratulatory high fives. Minka leaped to her feet and raced down the bleachers toward Jason.

  “You looked winded,” she said, noticing the slight limp of his steps as he walked over to shake hands with his teammates.

  Jason slung one arm over her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

  Although he was leaning on her for support, he felt warm, solid, and wonderfully male. Swirls of desire rushed through her stomach. Instinct told her to touch, but she caught Lily smiling and giving her the thumbs up. Her lips, the ones that really didn’t want to smile and give her friend the satisfaction she was looking for, crept into a grin. “Daddy’s getting old,” Rafa said with a smirk.

  “These hackers fouled me at least three times during that drive,” Jason argued.

  “Whatever. I’m the referee, so I make the rules.” Peter peeked at his watch. “I need to go home to my family.”

  In two days, they were all due back at her house for Christmas dinner. If the game today was any indication of what was to come, she might have to lock herself in her bedroom.

  Zander shook his head. “There’s nothing worse than pretty boys crying over losing.”

  Adam threw an arm over Lily’s shoulder and placed a kiss on her lips. “Listen, meathead, your skinny-ass brother purposely stuck his foot out.”

  The Serrano brothers groaned.

  Tyler snorted.

  Forrest pinned Tyler with steely gray eyes. “When did you learn to ball?”

  “I think I impressed your girl.” Tyler grabbed a towel and wiped his face.

  “You’re a dead man,” Forrest promised.

  Rafa laughed at the threat.

  “You’re just mad because Claire wouldn’t give you the time of day,” Adam reminded his brother-in-law.

  “I didn’t really try. She’s not my type.” Rafa gloated, almost beating his chest like Tarzan.

  “Umm…I’m right here children,” Claire said as she pressed her small frame against Forrest. “I can hear you. And for the record, I only want this big baby.”

  Lily stepped away from Adam and squeezed herself between the men, hands on her hips. “Seriously, is this what I have to deal with for the rest of my life?”

  All the men gave her the ‘duh’ look. She threw her hands up in frustration, then pinned her brothers and husband with a threatening look. “You are going to play nice. Do you hear me? All of you. It’s Christmas!”

  “Technically, Christmas is two days away,” Rafa reminded them.

  Lily let out a heavy sigh, walked up to the meanest brother of all, and pressed one finger on his chest. “Play nice.” She raised a little sister brow at him. “Or you will no longer be able to doodle your noodle. I’ll personally cut off your right arm.”

  That drew a snicker from the crowd. Rafa took it in stride. His big arms circled around his sister. “We’ll play nice. But only because you’re my sister and I love you.”

  Something flickered inside Minka—a warm comforting feeling—hope and love. The blanket of darkness she’d been wrestling with was slowly being replaced by bursts of light. Family, she thought. Family, those acquired from friendships, and those from marriage, surrounded her. It felt good. Linking her fingers into Jason’s, she whispered, “Let’s go home.”

  “Not yet. We have to stop at Vapor. We owe these losers a few rounds. But first, you and I do this.” His mouth covered hers in a sweet, heady kiss that melted her from head to toe. Her arms instantly twined around his neck and gave in to the sweet pleasure.

  “Get a room!” Rafa said with disgust.

  “Jesus!” Adam joined in. “Didn’t you just give birth to twins?”

  “Keep going like this, she’ll be pregnant again in no time,” Zander warned.

  Minka giggled—timid at first and then bursting into full-on laughter. She wasn’t sure why, but the waves kept coming. Perhaps her body just could not contain it any longer. It didn’t matter. It felt good. She tried to catch her breath and snorted.

  “Oops. Sorry.” Wide-eyed, she pressed a hand over her lips, but Jason grabbed it away and laced their fingers together. “I love you, Jason.”

  He threw his arm over her shoulder once more. “I know. We need to talk.”

  “I know.” There was so much still left unspoken between them. With a lack of intimacy, where did they go from here, and how? Tendrils of anxiety curled into her stomach. She quickly shoved it down. “We haven’t had much alone time.”

  “The madness will fade soon.”

  “Is your ankle okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just a sprain. Come on, time for beer.” He placed a kiss on her lips. “But next time, don’t point out that I look winded if front of those assholes. I’m not ready to give up my Jeep for a minivan yet.”

  Oh yeah, they’d talked about the possibility. “I don’t think I can do it either.”

  “Good. We’re on the same page there.” His blue eyes twinkled with humor. Together, they burst out laughing. With each surge of laughter, she released some of the tension that had built between them.

  Chapter Eight

  “It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree that matters... it’s who’s around it.”

  Charlie Brown—A Charlie Brown Christmas

  Christmas Eve

  A kaleidoscope of smells lingered in the house—pine trees, cinnamon, cloves from the pumpkin pies baking, spiced cider, and of burning wood. Carols of the Bells by Pentatonix played in the background. A smile lingered on Minka’s lips as she watched her father engulf Jason in a bear-hug. Nearby, her mother and Charles gently rocked their grandchildren while immersed in a conversation with Marjorie and Forrest.

  Adam stood by the window talking to his in-laws. Lily walked over with Christina cradled in her arms. Rafa extended his arm toward his sister, who handed her daughter over to her uncle. The attention shifted to the adoring little girl. Smiling, Adam wrapped his arms around Lily and placed a kiss on her shoulder. Keely and Blake stood side by side, their bodies, as always, barely an inch apart from each other. They laughed over something Adam’s father said.

  No sign of tension. This was the meaning of Christmas—Love. Family. Enclosed on all sides by the people who mattered most. The constant poison that would fill her was nowhere in sight. Her body relaxed, and she leaned against the door, the sound of chuckling and chortling floating to her ears.

  She glanced at the flickering Christmas tree. Dozens of ornaments, scattered lights—a collection of memories from Jason’s and her childhood glittered amongst new traditions in the dark needles. Her gaze landed on the angel atop the tree. It wasn’t fancy or at all modern, the wings on the back had once been shiny but had become dull with age, and truth be told, the face was chipped. The small crack wasn’t the only thing the angel had accumulated. It was soaked in memories of Jason’s childhood and drenched in happy times with his parents. The angel offered a bridge back to years past and filled a small hole left by the absence of his mother.

  Minka’s g
aze swiveled to her husband, who was now talking to his father and Forrest. He gestured animatedly, then laughed. His eyes—crystal, clear blue—shimmered with delight. She loved his eyes, they revealed his every emotion—his need and the love that he’d bared his soul to give. A few, wayward butterflies escaped her control to bat their wings madly in the pit of her stomach.

  Jason suddenly jerked his head up, looked in her direction, and held her gaze. His relaxed expression changed and became a mirror of the sharp desire that’d been consuming her the last few days.

  He wanted her.

  A wave of electricity buzzed through her body, sending a shiver down her spine. Jason gave her a knowing smile. He knew her all too well. She peeled herself away from the door and started heading toward him, but Keely grabbed her arm and pulled her over by the fireplace.

  “How are you feeling?” Keely asked, her hazel eyes full of concern and worry. “We didn’t get a chance to talk much during the game or after.”

  “I’m fine.” Minka smiled at her twin. “Counseling is helping with normalizing my feelings.” The last three meetings, they talked about her birthing experience, which hadn’t been bad. But for the few days when she’d been at the hospital, she had felt very anxious, even then.

  “I’m so happy to hear you sought treatment.”

  “I’m in a good place. I even joined a group for new mothers.” To her pleasure, the experience had been refreshing. She loved her friends and family, but it was nice to be surrounded by other women struggling with the same issues as her.

  “I suspected something was wrong but…” Keely shrugged. “I wasn’t quite sure how to approach it.”

  “You could have done like Lily and forced me to admit the truth.”

  Keely hugged her. “Good thing we can always count on Lily to forget social niceties.” The sisters broke into laughter. “Look at them.” Keely motioned to where their parents were still holding the babies while talking to Adam, Blake, and Rafa. “They can’t get enough of Maya and Bas. I bet if you ask them to stay for a little bit, they would.”

  She studied her parents with the twins. The grandparents’ bond was already established. “We’re in the process of hiring someone. As a matter of fact, Maxi gave us a great reference. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Dee Hardy, I believe.”

  Keely let out a little laugh. “Oh I know who she is.”

  “Uh oh. Should I be concerned?”

  “Nah. She’s a little eccentric. You know, rich woman who fancies herself as a tree-hugger but is really a trust fund baby. In the meantime, if you need any of us, don’t hesitate.” Keely gave her sister’s shoulder a light squeeze. “So, things are good between you and Jason?”

  Minka peered at her husband the same time he looked in her direction. The stolen glances, the way he was always aware of her presence, were a few of the things she loved about him. “We’re good,” she answered in a whisper.

  “Glad to hear that. Oh, look at that,” Keely glanced toward the window, “it’s starting to snow. Great party, by the way. Way to kick off our new tradition.”

  “Ladies, you joining us?” Blake asked.

  Minka looked at her brother-in-law. Everyone stood in two parallel lines facing each other. Blake passed a few pieces of paper around. She turned to her sister. “We’re playing…”

  “Two-by-two,” Keely finished with a grin.

  “We used to play this all the time as kids with Dad and Mom.” Minka’s heart flipped over the childhood memory. The game was child-friendly, and one day, her own kids would be in line with everyone else.

  Keely grabbed her hand. “I know. Come on, let’s go have some fun.”

  Within seconds, she found herself standing opposite Jason. He looked at her the way all women wanted to be looked at by the man they loved. After being given a few minutes to think, at the word “Go,” everyone started to act out their assigned animal—flapping their wings, stomping their hooves, waddling like a penguin—and tried to find their “mate” on the opposite side of the room.

  Late in the night, Minka tiptoed down the stairs, light as a feather. She walked through the silent house, down the corridor and into the family room. She blinked. The place was black as a cave, lit only by a few fitful flames from the fireplace and the sounds of sleep from the two baby monitor displays.

  Straining her eyes against the darkness, she gazed at the silhouette facing the window. Arms crossed over his chest, he stood ramrod straight, legs apart, as he stared at the clumps of wet flakes. The snow had picked up. Outside resembled a snow globe shaken by a maniac.

  She crossed the room, stepped behind Jason, and wrapped her arms around his waist. The muscles cording his back contracted against her chest.

  “I woke up, and you weren’t next to me.” She pressed a kiss on his shoulder blade.

  “Waiting for the fire to die.” His voice was heavy with the slightest rasp, as if he was ready to accept whatever they had become.

  Her heart clenched at the thought. They’d hit a rough patch. Life had come barreling through their doors, guns blazing, but the idea of walking away from her marriage had never entered the picture. She peered at the flickering fireplace. “Party was good.”

  “How are you feeling?” He turned to her, their faces inches apart, leaving no room for her to hide or mask anything. “We haven’t really talked much since your first session.”

  “We’re fine,” she answered, knowing although the question was directed at her, it was really about them.

  After a long, searching stare, he stepped away and walked toward the fireplace. He threw a piece of wood into the glowing embers. The fire snapped and popped before hissing to life. Warmth flooded the room.

  “Kids are sleeping,” she said in a low voice. “I thought maybe...” She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “We could.” He stared at her, his expression unreadable. Oh, damn it, he was going to make her beg. “The thing is, Jason, we have to adjust.”

  “I know.”

  “We can’t be spontaneous all the time and do it whenever, wherever.”

  His lips twitched into a smile. “I’m aware.”

  She glanced at the monitors. “And you’re okay with that?”

  He ran a hand over his days old stubble. “I’ve always been okay with the changes that come with having children. The question is, are you?”

  “I’m learning how to cope.”

  “I’m proud of you. Once you explained everything to me, I got it.”

  Silence settled between them. It was neither awkward, nor comfortable.

  “What now?” she asked, her voice trembled with uncertainty.

  He stood, balanced and poised, as if he were expecting to choose between peace and war. “Whatever you need from me, I’ll do it. For our family, for you. For us.”

  “I want you. I want us…really, really bad. Emotionally and physically.”

  “Then come to me.”

  Didn’t she just come downstairs to find him? “I’m here.”

  He motioned his hands in the empty space between them. “No. You’re there. I’m here. Take off the robe and come to me.”

  He wasn’t going to make this easy. Gulp. Without a word, she untied the robe and allowed it to drop to the floor. Wearing only a camisole and her panties, she stood frozen in place feeling more naked than she’d ever felt before.

  Her breasts, which were never small in the first place, were swollen and heavy from breastfeeding. The middle part around her waist was softer than before. He said nothing for a while, but she felt his eyes pierce through her. Insecurities surfaced and pushed to the forefront. Afraid that her wobbly knees might give in to the pressure, she lowered her gaze to the floor and wrapped her arms across her chest.

  “You’re coming?”

  “I’d like to.”

  A grin tugged the corner of his lips. “I meant to me. I can handle everything else from there.”

  The heat that
had been sitting in her belly spread and licked the insides of her thighs. Aroused by everything about the moment, she took a step forward. Her heart skipped a beat. She paused and glanced at Jason. Then she took another step, and another, until they stood inches apart.

  “Hello, husband,” she whispered.

  With a gentle finger, he reoriented her face and held her gaze. His blue eyes stared straight into hers, penetrating deep into her soul. There was no smile on his lips. Only the hot intensity of his gaze gave away a glimpse of the inferno to come.

  “Hello, wife. I’m in love with you, jusqu’à la fin.”

  Until the end. Tears simmered in her eyes, and the ache in her chest—that only Jason could fulfill—intensified. “I love you.” Oh, how she loved him. “I love us.”

  He brushed a mass of curls, which had fallen against her shoulder, to the side, dug his fingers into her scalp, and drew her head back. Then he lowered his lips to the rapid beating of her pulse, her shoulders, kissing every inch of her naked skin. Her stomach muscles quivered as tiny tremors ran through her.

  “Jason…” Her breath caught on his name.

  He moaned. A sense of desperation fueled his kisses and renewed her own need. A Pandora’s box of emotions—lust and love twined together–swept through her with the tremendous force of a hurricane. She lowered her lips to his shoulders and nipped. He hissed and fisted his hand in the coil of her hair, held it in a messy bundle as he fused their lips in a rough kiss. Their teeth clanged and scraped. Their tongues dueled with urgency.

  Her body came alive. Her skin was hot, and her flesh damp. She wanted–she needed—Jason.

  “Bedroom,” she murmured against his lips.

  “Here.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her over to the sofa. He set her down very carefully, untangled himself from her grasp, and lowered himself onto his knees, making them eye level. “Did you pump?”