All I Want for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance Holiday Collection

by S. L. Sterling

  "What are you planning to do tomorrow?"

  "Mom would really like us to get the Christmas tree tomorrow. You think you'd be up for that? Zach already told me he would be off with Ann Marie."

  "Sure. Sounds like fun."

  She took a sip of her coffee, avoiding my eyes.

  "I'd like to leave early. It’s been forever since I walked around the town. Would that be okay with you? We could spend the day together."

  * * *

  "I'd love that. All right then, it’s a date..." I could see the realization of what she had said in her eyes as they widened and her cheeks turned this cute shade of pink. "I mean, not a...not a date..."

  "It's okay, I knew what you meant. Just let me know when you’re wanting to leave okay?" I winked at her and gently nudged her shoulder with mine to let her know that everything was okay.

  She leaned into me, nudging me back, smiling up at me. "Sure thing. It's getting late. I should show you to your room. I'm sure you've had a long day."

  "I have. I'm pretty tired." I nodded.

  She picked up our mugs and ran them under the hot water, rinsing them both and leaving them in the sink. She shut the lights off in the kitchen and turned to me and smiled. "Ready?"

  I nodded my head and followed her into the living room. She shut off one light beside the couch, leaving one on for Zach, and quickly shut the blinds and locked the front door. She started climbing the stairs as I grabbed my bag and followed her. I watched her hips sway back and forth in my face as she ascended, looking down to my feet as I felt my cock start to stir in my pants.

  "I hope you don't mind sharing a bathroom with me?" She giggled as she walked over to the bedroom door across from hers and pushed it open, turning to smile at me. "It will just be like when you used to stay over."

  "Great, you were always a bathroom hog. Shall we set up a schedule now or later?"

  9

  Alexa

  * * *

  I shoved the door open and flipped the switch just inside the door to light up the room. This was one of my favorite rooms in the house because the bay window against the far wall overlooked the mountains.

  "Here you go, this is your room. I got it all cleaned up for you today. Fresh sheets on the bed and two extra blankets for you in case you get cold," I said, stopping just inside the door.

  "Extra blankets probably won't be necessary. I'm like a furnace," Drew said as he walked by me, his arm accidentally brushing against my chest as he walked by. The contact of his arm caused a shiver to run through my body and our eyes instantly locked. "Sorry about that," he murmured as he walked over to the bed and placed his bag down. "Does this work?" he asked, walking over to the TV on top of the dresser.

  "It's okay, and yes, it works. I checked it out this morning," I said, nervously walking over to the lamp on the desk and turning it on.

  "This will be perfect, thanks." He bent and turned the light on that was beside the bed.

  I couldn't help but check out his ass as he did that. I swallowed hard when I caught a tiny peek at his bare skin as his sweater rode up his side.

  "Towels are in the closet outside of the bathroom, and if you need anything at all, my room is just across the hall," I said, pointing to the open door across the hall.

  "I remember where your room is," he winked at me. "Thanks." He turned and unzipped his bag, pulling out a pair of sleep pants and placing them on the bed.

  I swallowed hard. He remembered where my room was. A giddy feeling built inside of me. "All right, well, I guess I will go and turn in." I didn't know why I was hesitating; I didn't have anything else I wanted say. Perhaps I just wanted to stand here and stare at him for a bit longer.

  * * *

  "Good night," he said, continuing to unpack some things from his bag. Then he reached behind him and pulled his shirt off.

  I felt my mouth start to water at the sight of his strong, broad shoulders and muscular back. He turned and caught my gaze as my eyes washed over him.

  "Good night," I murmured, swallowing hard. I pulled his bedroom door closed and rushed across the hall into my room, silently closing the door and leaning up against it. Letting the coolness of the wood rest against my hot body, I took in a few deep breaths.

  "Jesus get a hold of yourself, Lexi," I muttered. "You are a grown woman, not some lovesick teenager," I mumbled. "It’s not like you haven't seen a naked man before." It just wasn’t Drew.

  I stood against the door for a few more minutes, and then pulled the door open with shaking hands and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face. Returning to my room, I pulled one of my favorite T-shirts and a pair of panties from the dresser drawer, got changed, and crawled into bed. Once I was tucked under the covers, I flipped the bedside light on and grabbed my book from my night table and began to read. I was soon lost in my book, until half an hour later a toilet flush took my mind from my book and brought me back to thoughts of Drew.

  Drew all alone across the hall.

  I dropped the book against my chest and thought about how it would feel to run my hands up his back and over his strong shoulders.

  I was still awake at two in the morning. I was now lying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. I had heard Zach come in around twelve-thirty and heard Mom and Dad come up to bed shortly after that. The house was now quiet, except for the sound of Dad snoring off in the distance. I lay in the warmth of my bed, my mind still reeling with thoughts of Drew, alone, across the hall. Drew had everything: good looks, a great job, he was successful, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why some girl who'd had him would ever let him go. I'd give anything for a chance with a guy like him. Well, not just any guy, and here she was just throwing him away as if he were last night’s trash.

  I rolled over onto my side and let out a sigh. I needed to get my mind off him, and knowing he was right across the hall wasn't helping. The first thought that came to my mind as I rolled back over and stared up at the ceiling was cake. Mom had a coconut cream cake downstairs in the fridge, and the more I thought of it, the more I wanted a piece.

  * * *

  Finally, the craving won and I got up, threw on a pair of socks, and slipped out of my room. The house was silent, and I tiptoed down the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky steps. I could see a tiny light that we always left on in the kitchen. I came around the corner to see Drew, shirtless, his sleep pants hung low on his hips, standing with his back to me. He hadn't seen me, or so I thought, and I was about to scurry back up the steps when he spoke.

  "Hey, you want some cake?" he asked, holding out a plate with a slice on it. I came slowly around the corner, my eyes firmly planted on his chest and abs. Fuck. The man looked like one of the lingerie models I had photographed. He was so cut and well-defined. When my eyes met his, I saw him take a quick glance down my body, and that was when I realized I was in nothing but a short T-shirt and panties.

  "Couldn't sleep?" I asked, taking the plate from his hand. My fingers brushed his, the contact sending a jolt through my body.

  "No, and I couldn't get the thought of cake out of my mind either. Your mom makes damn good cake, and this one just happens to be my favorite," Drew said, watching as I tried to hide my half-naked body behind the counter, a half-smile coming to his lips.

  "What's so funny?" I asked as he turned and cut another slice of cake, placing it on another plate.

  He turned around with fork in hand and dug into the soft, moist cake. He leaned up against the counter, his eyes roaming what he could see of my body as he ate. "I just think that it's cute that you are trying to hide from me. Especially when you don't need to hide from me, Lexi. I've known you pretty much your entire life. I've seen you in less clothing than that. We spent many summers all together by the pool."

  I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. "I'm not hiding. I just wasn't expecting anybody to be up at this time. Besides, I'm not exactly dressed for a friendly chat. You've known me all your life, with clothes on," I said, nervously laughing, and steppe
d around the corner of the island, setting my plate down.

  "So, look at me!" he exclaimed, holding his hands out to the side like he was putting himself on display. "Do I look like I'm dressed for a friendly chat?"

  "Yeah, look at you, Mr. Eight-Pack." I rolled my eyes. "Do you want some milk?" I asked, holding the corner of my shirt down and raising my arm up into the cupboard for a glass.

  "Sure."

  * * *

  I could feel his eyes burning into me as I reached for another glass and got the milk out of the fridge. I quickly poured two glasses and turned around, only to see him still staring at me. I did my best to ignore it and slid his glass over to him, returning to my slice of cake. I tried hard to avoid eye contact with him, but it was almost impossible, and when I checked him out again, I could see the outline of his semi-rigid cock through his sleep pants. I bit my lower lip and ate the last bite of the cake on my plate. Drew was already done with his and had put his plate into the sink. I walked over and put my plate in the sink on top of his while he put the cake back into the fridge.

  I was about to turn around to grab his glass when I felt the heat of his body against my back. I could barely breathe and was afraid to move, so I grabbed the dishcloth, preparing to wash up the dishes we had used. I turned toward the sink and was just about to turn the water on when I felt his fingers dance along the edge of my panty-line. Drew was touching me. Drew, the same boy who used to pick on me, was now standing behind me, a man, running his fingers against my bare skin. His touch was almost paralyzing as I struggled to breathe. He was so close to me that I could feel the light puff of his breath on the back of my neck. I could feel myself get instantly wet, and I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes as his fingers tickled along the side of my belly to grip the edge of my T-shirt and pull it down to cover over my ass.

  As soon as I was covered, he leaned in, his scent intoxicating, and whispered in my ear, "Thanks for the cake. Good night, Lexi."

  I closed my eyes. His hands were still grazing my skin, and I stood there allowing the room to spin around me. His hands then went to my hips and rested there for a couple of seconds, his warm touch searing into my skin, and then, as quickly as he was there, he was gone. The heat from his touch was gone. I turned around. He hadn't gone far; he was leaning against the other counter across from me, intensely watching me. I looked into his eyes and caught a glimpse of what I was sure was want.

  At first, the look scared me a little because, well, this was Drew. He then stepped closer to me, the closeness of his body making my nipples harden. I watched his eyes leave mine and look down at my lips, the silence around us almost deafening. I was almost sure he was going to lean in and kiss me, but the sound of the house settling caused him to back away.

  Without saying a word, he left the kitchen and made his way back upstairs to his bedroom, leaving me alone in the dim light of the kitchen.

  10

  Drew

  * * *

  I lay on my side and stared at the clock. It was only 6:30 A.M. I had barely slept after coming back to bed last night. My dick was harder than steel, harder than it had been in a very long while. I was kind of relieved that it still worked, to be honest. The thoughts of Lexi standing at the counter in nothing but a T-shirt and panties certainly weren't helping matters. Why had I gone downstairs to have that damn cake?

  I rolled over and flung my arm over my eyes and lay there thinking about last night. The images flashed through my mind at a rampant pace. Lexi, braless under the T-shirt she wore, her nipples hard enough to poke through the material, teasing me. How cute she had been trying to cover her sexy, rounded ass framed in those black cotton panties as she reached up to grab two glasses from the cupboard. That ass that at one point… I wished I could just bend her over the counter and do very nasty things to it. The same counter where she had baked cookies with her mother her entire life. Surely, I was going to Hell for those thoughts.

  I let out a sigh and grabbed my cock, squeezing the base of it. The throbbing and ache it was producing was killing me. Maybe staying here really wasn't such a good idea. I mean, Zach hadn't expected Lexi to be here when he had asked me to join the family. I certainly didn't need another encounter with her like the one I had last night, or I was sure to have a raging case of blue balls this entire holiday season. Perhaps I should just call up one of the local hotels and go there instead. Sure, Barbara and Jim would be upset, but they would be more upset if they found me balls deep in their daughter.

  I heard the clinking of dishes downstairs and decided I should probably get up or I risked missing breakfast. I quickly took care of my raging hard-on then slipped out of my sleep pants and into a pair of my favorite jeans and a sweater and made my way across the hall to the bathroom. I was just about to enter the closed door when I heard Lexi shout out, "Be out in a minute."

  That would have been the last thing I'd need, to walk in on her while she was in the shower, especially with her parents right downstairs. I closed my eyes, bit my lip, and turned to walk back across the hall when the door to the bathroom opened and Lexi stepped out into the hallway.

  My heart started hammering in my chest as she was wrapped in a large green towel, her hair still wet from the shower. She looked sexy as hell as she stood there, her hair all tousled to the side.

  "Good morning," she sang, resting her hand on my chest and patting. "Hope you slept well. Mom has fresh waffles downstairs. You should head down before Zach eats them all. I'll be down as soon as I get dressed and I get my hair dried."

  I didn't say a word. She took her hand from my chest and walked off and slipped into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. I stood staring at her closed bedroom door, and the only thought on my mind was following her and devouring her on the other side of the door.

  I finally tore my gaze away from her bedroom door and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I started the shower and hopped in. There was no way I could go down to breakfast, not with a hard-on like I had, so I quickly snapped another one off in the shower.

  Twenty minutes later, I made my way downstairs. Barbara had just refilled the plate in the center of the table with fresh blueberry waffles. Lexi sat beside her brother with three waffles on her plate, loaded with syrup. Between Zach and me, we devoured the last five waffles on the plate.

  "Goodness, do you guys think you will want more waffles?" Barbara asked as she watched us devour the plate she had just made.

  "I'm good, Mom," Lexi and Zach said in unison.

  "Drew?"

  "Plenty for me," I answered, pouring a fresh cup of coffee and passing the pot to Lexi.

  "Did you want some syrup?" Lexi asked, holding up the bottle of syrup for me to take.

  "Thanks." I took the bottle and drizzled the sticky brown liquid on my waffles. I passed the jug to Zach, who sat at the head of the table reading the morning paper and drinking coffee.

  "How was your night with the lovely Ann Marie?" I asked.

  "Amazing as always. We went downtown and hung around the large fireplace in the square. Did a little Christmas shopping, had a coffee and some cake, and then returned to her parents’ for a movie. What about you? What did you do last night?"

  * * *

  Lexi’s eyes flew to mine, a look of nervousness on her face, for fear I mentioned the cake incident. I winked at her and then answered Zach. "I did dishes with your sister and then hit the sack," I said, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth.

  "You went to bed at what, eight o'clock? What are you, ten?" He chuckled.

  "Shut up! I was tired okay." Lexi let out a little giggle. "Are you coming with us today to get a tree?" I asked, looking over at Lexi, watching as she licked syrup off her fingers and then quickly got up, excusing herself from the table, and went upstairs. I watched after her, praying that Zach would answer that he would be joining us. However, my prayers were soon crushed.

  "No, sorry, man, I can't. Going skiing with Ann Marie and her parents. I promised her I would
be there, so I can't exactly back out. Which reminds me, I should probably head over to her place shortly. Do you need anything out of the car before I go?" he asked as he glanced at his watch.

  "No, I'm pretty sure I took everything out last night," I said, sipping on my coffee.

  "All right then, guess I'll see you tonight?"

  "I'll be here. Oh, could you pass me the paper before you go?"

  Zach turned and whipped the paper at me, laughing as he took his plate to the sink and went on his way, leaving me in peace to finish my breakfast.

  "Zach, don't forget we are decorating the tree tonight," Barbara said, turning to look over at us from where she was working away in the kitchen.

  "No worries, Mom, I'll be here. See you later."

  "Who got into my coconut cream cake?" Barbara cried when she opened the fridge door for something. “That was supposed to be for the charity gala!”

  "Sorry, that was Lexi and me." I cleared my throat as Zach looked over at me, a strange look on his face.

  "I should have known. You two always loved that cake. Have your fill. I'll make another one today." She laughed.

  Zach had been gone for over a half an hour, and I was just finishing up the business section, drinking the last bit of my now cold coffee, when Lexi came bounding down the stairs, calling my name.

  I turned to see her enter the kitchen. She had changed and now wore a long white sweater over black leggings. "You almost ready to go? Thought we could get into town and check out some shops before it gets too busy."

  "Ready whenever you are."

  * * *

  "Dad said we could take his truck to get the tree."