THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6)

by Brenda Jackson

  Before Sebrina could get started, the waiter came to take their order. But as soon as he left, her cousins looked at her expectantly.

  “There’s not a lot to tell, really. Parker and I tried dating someone else, although not really. He only went out with this one woman, and I went to dinner with Bob.”

  “Is Bob still boring?” Kennedy asked.

  Sebrina smiled. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “And he still doesn’t like any conversation while he eats?” Victoria added.

  “Yes. He still has that quirk. He doesn’t like it when people talk when they have food in their mouths. He feels conversation should be withheld until after the meal.”

  “Well, next time you need to tell good ole Bob that some people know how to talk in between bites,” Victoria said.

  “There’s no need—we won’t be seeing each other again.” She explained how the evening had ended.

  “Good riddance, if he thought a meal entitled him to a place in your bed,” Kennedy said frowning. “I’m glad you’ve finally kicked him to the curb.”

  Sebrina took a sip of her wine. “I left out something about my dinner date with Bob.”

  “What?”

  “We weren’t the only ones dining at the restaurant that night.”

  Kennedy raised a brow. “Who else was there?”

  “Parker and his date.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened. “Get out of here. Did you know he would be there?”

  “No. I knew he was going out with someone that same night, but I didn’t ask where he was going, and he didn’t ask me. It was a complete surprise.”

  “Did he see you?”

  Sebrina nodded. “Yes. In fact, he and I paid more attention to each other than we did to our dates. You wouldn’t believe how strong the sexual tension was between us.”

  “I can imagine,” Victoria said. “How did his date look?”

  “She was pretty but talked a lot. Like, a lot. Basically, she was a female version of Bob.”

  “Poor Parker,” Kennedy said, chuckling.

  “It worked out in his favor. In both our favors, actually. Since our dates were so wrapped up in themselves, neither one noticed Parker and I had a side thing going.”

  “So what happened when the two of you got home?” Victoria asked.

  “I honestly thought he wasn’t home. I figured he would spend the night with his date.”

  “Even after making eyes at each other all night at the restaurant?” Victoria asked.

  Sebrina shrugged. “He is a man and men are capable of turning an attraction for one woman into foreplay for the next.”

  “Spoken like a truly jaded woman. But obviously, that’s not what he did,” Kennedy added.

  “You’re right. He was home, and when I arrived, he came out of his room. We kissed and it was everything I thought it would be. That’s when he said that dating other people wasn’t working, then suggested we do something about the chemistry between us. He said that maybe, if we slept together, we could work it out of our system.”

  “I guess you didn’t go along with it.”

  “No, I didn’t. I pointed out to him that we’d only had one date, not nearly enough to make a difference. But he’s convinced it wouldn’t matter, and until we do something about the attraction between us, we’ll have to find a way to deal with it.”

  “I agree, but then I told you why,” Victoria said. “Every time Cortez and I would see each other at some family function, we were like a live wire. I don’t regret my decision to go back to Paris with him. Look where it got me. Married to the man I love.”

  “But that’s just it, guys. I don’t love Parker and I’ve never been into having sex just as something to do.”

  Victoria and Kennedy looked at each other. “That might be true, Bree, but you might not have a choice,” Kennedy said.

  Sebrina frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you might have been able to dodge the chemistry so far, but now you’ve thrown a monkey-wrench into the mix.”

  “How?”

  “The two of you have kissed,” Victoria added.

  “And?”

  “And now you know his taste and he knows yours. You’re going to want to sample it again, and pretty soon, a taste won’t be enough. You’ll want more. And trust me, when I say more, I mean more.”

  Sebrina glanced over at Kennedy, who was nodding her head in agreement. Sebrina hoped they were wrong, but she had a sinking feeling that her cousins knew what they were talking about. She had seen Parker a couple of times when she’d left for work this week and more than anything, she had wanted him to kiss her goodbye.

  Finally, the waiter returned with their food and she seized the opportunity to change the subject. “I miss Monica.”

  “I hate that she isn’t here to join us,” Kennedy said. “But I’m sure she’s having a great time.”

  “When will she be back?” Victoria asked.

  “The weekend after next.”

  “Then you and Parker won’t be there by yourselves anymore. That might help you control yourselves.”

  Sebrina certainly hoped so.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  PARKER WOKE UP SUDDENLY in the middle of the night. He’d had yet another dream about Sebrina. Easing up in bed, he drew in a deep breath. His dreams were getting more and more erotic. He couldn’t take much more of this.

  Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he saw it was close to two in the morning. He hadn’t even heard Sebrina when she left for work. Since he was off tomorrow, he would make sure he was around when she returned home in the morning. That thought revved up his libido.

  Deciding he needed something to drink, he got up to grab a cold glass of water. He didn’t bother with his robe since he had the house to himself.

  When he saw the light on in the kitchen, he figured Sebrina must have forgotten to turn it off when she’d left for work. But when he walked in, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  Sebrina, dressed in a short red satin robe, was bent over, looking in the refrigerator. The way the material stretched across her backside created instant arousal. Even from behind, she looked too damn sexy for words. What was she doing home? Had she taken the night off?

  Parker drew in a deep breath, not sure how much more he could handle. He tried to get his feet to move, to back out of the kitchen before she detected his presence and return to bed, but his legs seemed glued to the floor. So instead, he asked, “Looking for something in particular?”

  She jerked around, revealing the matching short nightie that barely covered her thighs. Damn, the woman was definitely one captivating female. “Parker, what are you doing here?”

  He found her question amusing and leaned against the counter. “I live here.”

  She frowned at him. “I know that, but I thought you were asleep.”

  “And I thought you were at work,” he countered.

  “I traded shifts with one of the doctors who needed Sunday night off.”

  “I see.” In fact, he saw more than she probably wanted him to. He loved the color red on her. “So, what were you looking for?”

  “I woke up hungry and thought I’d try some of those hot wings you made yesterday,” she said, tightening the belt of her robe around her waist. Too late. He’d already seen her sexy nightie and the image was one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

  “They are in there somewhere,” he said, crossing the floor to the refrigerator. When he noticed how quickly she got out of his way, he asked, “Does my being here bother you, Sebrina?”

  “No, I’m just surprised to see you. I thought you were asleep.”

  Parker nodded. “And I’m just as surprised to see you, since I assumed you were at work.”

  He turned back to the refrigerator, then pulled out the container she’d been looking for. “Here you are.”

  Instead of taking it, she said, “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating this late after all. I think I’ll go back to bed.”

&n
bsp; “Why? If you’re hungry, you won’t be able to sleep. Besides, I’ll join you. I’m feeling a little peckish myself.” And he was hungry, but not for food. Still, he wasn’t telling her that. “Besides, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “What?”

  “Our next outing,” he said, taking the bowl of wings over to the microwave to warm them up.

  “I didn’t know there would be others, Parker.”

  “Why wouldn’t there be? We’re still working on being friends, right?” he asked, pulling the bowl out the microwave when it went off. Then he moved to the table and sat down.

  He glanced over at her, waiting for her to answer. She was still standing across the room, as if trying to decide if she should stay or leave. She shifted her gaze from him to the bowl of wings he’d placed in the middle of the table. They looked good and their aroma filled the room.

  “Friends don’t kiss, Parker. At least, not the way we did.”

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  Instead of answering, she broke eye contact with him. When she finally returned her gaze to his, he noted a longing he’d never seen in her eyes before. It took every ounce of control he had not to get out his chair, cross the room and take her into his arms and—

  “Yes, Parker. I enjoyed it.”

  There, Sebrina thought. She’d said it. She had admitted to the one thing she couldn’t lie about even if she had wanted to. Not when she longed for the taste of him again. The yearning was so powerful, she hadn’t been able to sleep knowing he was downstairs in his room—a room he had invited her to come to whenever she wanted.

  Tonight, she had come close to knocking on his door. She had stood outside his room for a few moments before getting cold feet and going to the kitchen. She’d felt a small sense of relief mixed with disappointment…until she’d turned around and saw him standing there, his feet bare, his PJ’s riding low on his hips, and she’d been hit with an overwhelming wave of desire. Even now, she could hear the strumming sound of her heart.

  “I really enjoyed it too, Sebrina.” Then as if he’d made up his mind about something, she watched as he put the lid on the bowl of wings, then got to his feet.

  Sebrina could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears as he slowly advanced, moving toward her with the sexiest walk she had ever seen. Her pulse throbbed with every step he took. And by the time he was there, standing in front of her, sexual energy crackled all around them.

  “Sebrina?”

  She wished he wouldn’t say her name like that, as if he was dealing with an ache deep in his gut, a force that was more powerful than he could handle. His gaze was filled with raw need and she knew it reflected what he probably saw in her own eyes.

  “Yes?”

  “I want you. And I need to show you how much.”

  His words sent a flood of heat rushing between her legs and a low moan slipped past her lips. But before she could say anything, he lowered his mouth and took hers with a hunger that made her weak in the knees. She would have melted in a puddle at his feet had he not been holding her steady.

  This kiss was more, so much more, than the one he’d given her days ago. She tried following his lead, but couldn’t keep up, so she gave in and allowed an onslaught of sensations to sweep over her.

  When he finally released her mouth, all she could do was whisper the words, “Show me how much.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  PARKER SWEPT SEBRINA INTO his arms and headed for his bedroom. Already, he knew they’d be doing more than just acting on their attraction. It went deeper than that. This thing between him and Sebrina was unique, powerful, enduring. There would be no acting. They’d be sealing their fate.

  Sealing their fate...

  Suddenly an emotion that was much more powerful than mere lust tore through him and he almost missed his step. Everything that he’d previously considered logical fled from his mind. This was a total, emotional meltdown. A swelling he usually only felt in his groin was making its way to his chest, landing dead center in his heart. Every heartbeat he had was for her. Sebrina Bennett.

  He realized at that moment that he had fallen in love with her and had probably fallen for her the moment she’d opened the front door that day. He had never been a believer in love at first sight, but he had to admit now that there was more than sexual desire at play here. He needed to make love to her—all of her.

  It was as if his very soul had recognized the person that he was meant to share his life with. Whether she knew it or not, Sebrina was his future. Would she accept that? If not yet, she would in the end. He’d make sure of it. Parker had never been one to walk away from a challenge.

  Entering his bedroom, he moved to the bed and placed her on it, smiling when she sat up and began removing her robe. It looked like she didn’t want to waste any time and he loved her way of thinking! Following her lead, his hands went to the waistband of his PJ’s to tug them down his legs.

  “I almost came to you tonight.”

  His hands went still, and he glanced at her. “You did?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Around an hour ago. I stood outside your door for a good ten minutes, but I got too nervous to wake you. But I wanted you, Parker.”

  He held her gaze as he quickly shoved his bottoms off. Then he watched her remove her last stitch of clothing, smiling as she pulled her nightie over her head. The next time he had her in his bed, sometime when they weren’t driven by need, he would enjoy undressing her slowly. But tonight, there was no time.

  He preened a little, seeing the appreciation in her gaze as she allowed her eyes to roam over his body. Moving to the bed, he reached out his hand to her, and she took it. The moment their hands touched his breath caught, and a surge of need that was fiercer than anything he had ever experienced in his life, hit him.

  “You are beautiful, Sebrina,” he said, admiring the way she looked in his bed. Her beautiful dark skin, firm breasts, small waist and those magnificent curves of her hips—they all took his breath away. And when he could breathe again, he drew in a luscious scent that was all her. “And you looked so sexy in your nightgown.”

  A smile touched her lips. “For the whole minute you saw it.”

  He returned her smile, then tugged on her hand, gently pulling her closer to him. He drew in a sharp breath when the tips of her hardened nipples pressed into his chest.

  “I need to protect you,” he whispered, releasing her hand and moving to the nightstand to pull out a condom packet.

  Knowing she watched what he was doing, he sheathed himself before turning his attention back to her. Her eyes widened when she saw his arousal, then she offered him another sizzling smile that shook him to the core.

  Returning to the bed, he reached out and caressed the side of her face, allowing his gaze to delve into hers. Unable to stare at her any longer, he placed a knee on the bed and leaned in and captured her mouth, feasting on it like a starving man finally offered something to eat.

  When she returned the kiss, he deepened the pressure of his lips on hers, devouring her mouth every way that he could. He had been starving for another taste of her for days and now he was getting his fill. Whether she knew it or not, he was branding her mouth as his. And at some point, he intended to do the same for every inch of her body.

  Releasing her mouth, he whispered her name. “Sebrina.”

  She must have heard the intense need in his voice, because she slid back and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down on the bed with her. Placing his body over hers, he parted her thighs. His erection was throbbing, eager to get inside of her and when she shifted, opening her legs, he slowly began entering her.

  The moment he felt her heated feminine muscles clench around him, he lost all control, and pushed forward until he couldn’t go any further. Drawing in a deep breath, he drew her scent into his nostrils at the same time as he savored how snug he was inside of her. It was impossible to remain still when she shifted. Nothing had ever felt this good.

 
; Then, when he felt her running her fingers through his hair, tugging on a few strands as if to spur him on, he began moving, slow at first but quickly becoming more frantic. He wanted to close his eyes and savor the moment, but then again, he wanted to stare into her eyes and know the second she came.

  Suddenly she began moving her body in sync with his. Unable to help himself, he lowered his mouth to hers, allowing his tongue to mimic the wild movements of their bodies. He felt a slight pain when her fingertips dug into his shoulder a few times before reaching up to run her fingers through his hair again. Never had he kissed a woman so greedily. Never had a kiss been this all-consuming.

  Parker felt the moment it began happening, the way her body trembled beneath his. He knew she was almost there. Breaking the kiss, he stared down at her, drowning in the intensity he saw in the dark depths of her pupils, and the way her thoroughly kissed lips seemed to form the word “oh” before her body gave in to the storm building inside her. Each time she would grind her hips against his, he stroked inside of her deeper.

  Then she tilted her pelvis, and he slid deeper inside of her. And the love he felt for her seemed to burst in his heart the moment she screamed his name and her body splintered into ecstasy.

  He felt it and shared it with her, as his body quickly followed suit. But he didn’t stop thrusting. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her. And she gave as good as she got, bucking against him, tightening her legs around him as together, they went over the edge.

  Parker leaned down and kissed her, needing this connection while their bodies went from turbulent to calm. Shifting his weight off her, he gathered her in his arms, knowing he’d never shared anything of this magnitude with a woman. They lay there in silence, as if afraid any words would ruin the moment. And neither of them wanted that.

  Right now, it was enough for them to savor what they’d just shared. Because soon enough, they’d have to decide where they intended to go from there.

  “I’m glad I got to meet your cousins.”