All I Want for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance Holiday Collection

by S. L. Sterling

  I felt my lips start to tremble at what Drew had said and began to cry hard now. He was right. It was still hard, but he was right. "Why are you always so sensible?"

  * * *

  "Because your parents practically raised me. If I had stayed with my dad, I am sure I would have ended up where he did: in some alley behind the city mission, holding a brown paper bag." He stood up and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. He kissed the top of my head, squeezing the back of my neck.

  "Thanks." I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, inhaling the scent of his cologne.

  "What do you say we go for a walk? Get some fresh air? Just relax and forget what they told us tonight."

  "That sounds wonderful."

  12

  Drew

  * * *

  We walked into town and went directly to the little coffee shop in the center of the village. We had barely said a word on the way into town. I wanted her to know I was there for her, but I didn't want to push her. If she didn't want to talk about it, that was okay.

  The coffee shop was busy tonight, people who had been out Christmas shopping and skiing and were now coming in to have a warm drink and some food.

  "Did you want coffee or hot chocolate?" I asked, pulling out a chair over near the fireplace so Lexi could sit down.

  "Coffee." She smiled, pulling off her gloves and rubbing her hands together, warming them.

  I removed my hat, coat, and gloves and went over to the counter and ordered. I soon had two mugs of hot coffee piled high with whipped cream in front of me. "Miss, do you have any of those chocolate shavings you used to put on top?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder to see if Lexi was watching, but she was busy typing away on her phone.

  "I do. One second." She went over to the back counter returned carrying a jar. She sprinkled some on top of Lexi's mugs, dark chocolate and white chocolate died red. I thanked the lady and carried the mugs over to the table and set hers in front of her. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw her mug.

  "Oh, my goodness, you remembered," she cried out, laughing.

  "Of course." I laughed. I had made the mistake of getting the whipped cream and chocolate shavings on her coffee for her birthday one year and she never had a coffee here without them, except for maybe at home.

  I took my coat off and flung it over the back of my chair and sat down, relaxing back, taking a sip of my coffee. Lexi looked around the little shop at the Christmas decorations that were displayed, and a look of sadness came over her face.

  "What is it?"

  "Nothing. I guess I've just really missed home, and it took coming back to figure that part out." She shrugged.

  I went to say something, but she stood up and grabbed her camera and went to take pictures of the little Christmas village that the shop always displayed across the fireplace mantel. I sat and watched her get every angle just right and she began clicking away, a sense of peace falling over her face as she captured each little house.

  An hour later, as snow lightly fell, we continued our walk through the village. Flakes danced in the air, twinkling in the streetlights as they fell to the ground. I walked beside Lexi as she took more pictures of the people in the village and the beautiful lights of the ski hills. Every click of the camera produced another beautiful photo. I was in awe of how one tiny device could produce a smile like the one she wore. She was beautiful in her element, and just when I averted my eyes from her, she turned the camera toward me and began taking my photo as we walked.

  "Are you still living in that condo?" she asked, continuing to snap my photo.

  "No, I sold that before...well, before everything went down. I have a small two-bedroom home on the outskirts of the city now. It works well for me. It's not like here, though, where you have your space. My neighbors are literally in my backyard."

  "What about work? How is that going?"

  "It’s been a challenge, but it’s going well. I pretty much just buried myself in work after everything happened. It was easier that way, and it kept me busy." I heard the shutter of Lexi's camera go off again, and when I turned, she once again had it pointed at me, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at me through the lens.

  "It was pretty tough, eh?"

  "Yeah, you could say that. You know, it isn't even the fact that she didn't want to be with me that bothers me, and now I just don't care. What bothered me the most was that I couldn't figure out what the hell happened. We were like glue, totally inseparable. I dropped her off the morning of the wedding, she had her dress in hand, and she ran into the church with a smile on her face, all the girls waiting for her, all of them giggling. Sure, I won't lie, I had cold feet, but I don't think I ever really doubted anything. Well, no, maybe I did, but regardless, she was the one who never made it down the aisle. She just wasn't there."

  * * *

  "I don't think it's you. Even when Zach called and told me, I didn't think it was you."

  I listened as the shutter of her camera went off again and looked in her direction. She was still taking pictures of me as we walked slowly down the street.

  "You don't?"

  "No, I don't. People grow apart, for reasons sometimes none of us understand. In the end when we finally do understand it, it turns out for the better."

  She looked up at me with those blue eyes, and I thought I caught a glimmer of something in them. I cleared my throat and continued walking.

  "So, since you asked me earlier, it's my turn. Would you ever move back here?" she asked.

  "I could see myself moving here, yes, but like you, I would have to have a reason." I looked over at her and the shutter of her camera went off. I reached over and grabbed the camera from her. "Now that you have objectified me, it's my turn," I said, pulling the camera up to my eye and clicking away as she smiled over at me.

  As we walked, I took every opportunity to snap shots of her. She sat down in front of a Christmas planter and posed for a picture, which I gladly took.

  "Stand up beside the giant bear over there in front of the pub."

  She did as I suggested and once again posed for another picture.

  We continued walking in silence until her soft voice echoed through the air. "So what would give you reason to move back here?"

  "Oh, Lex, I don't know. It probably wouldn't happen anytime soon. I'd need a job first. What about you?"

  She shrugged, looking over at me, a soft smile on her lips. I quickly raised the camera and snapped away again; only this time, when she looked into the lens, I saw the same glimmer I had seen earlier. Only this time it didn't leave, and it was as if she continued to look right through that lens, right into my eyes and into my soul. I lowered the camera slowly and looked at her. It was definitely there; the glimmer of desire filled her eyes as she looked at me.

  I swallowed hard, the look she gave me was mesmerizing, and I slowly dropped my arm that was holding the camera. I stepped toward her, expecting her to back away, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes held mine, and I stepped closer into her and felt her hand slip into my free one. I watched as she lightly licked her full lips, leaving them slightly parted.

  * * *

  "I guess if I had someone here, someone special to me, I might move back," she whispered to me, her eyes still burning with desire as she studied mine.

  I knew instantly that she wasn't talking about family, but I didn't say anything. I just kept my eyes locked on her.

  "You know, someone who wanted to be with me."

  The snow started falling harder and we stood on the quiet sidewalk staring at one another.

  "Someone who maybe loved me, and I them." As the words fell from her lips, her eyes dropped away from mine. "I doubt I'll ever find that though," she whispered.

  I cupped her cheek and lifted her head so she was looking at me. The look of hurt in her eyes was apparent, and I wondered who the guy was who had hurt her. A spark of a tear flashed at me as the light hit her eyes, and soon all I wanted to do was find out who he
was and what he had done.

  I let out a breath, and instead of focusing on that, I slowly leaned into her, my lips barely feathering across hers. I expected her to pull away, possibly slap me, but she didn't. Instead, she stepped into me and placed her hands on my chest, and I kissed her again, this time deeper, my tongue brushing through her mouth.

  When she pulled away, she looked up at me, a shy smile coming to her lips, a lone tear sliding down her cheek, but again I didn't focus on that. “You’ll find him one day, Lex, I promise, and he is going to be the luckiest man in the world, trust me.” I leaned down, kissing her hard, pulling her small body against mine, and instantly I wished it wasn't winter and that we weren't standing here in thick jackets. I wanted to feel her body pressed into mine.

  Lexi let out a soft moan as I kissed her deeper, harder, and I felt my cock jump as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  13

  Zach

  * * *

  I was at the counter waiting for the two coffees I had ordered, my mind reeling from what I had learned at dinner. They were really selling the house; they had mentioned it earlier through the year, but I never figured it would happen. I let out a breath. I really needed tonight with Ann Marie. I needed the distraction because I would be lying if I said them selling the house wasn't bothering me. I knew it had bothered Lexi. I mean, the tears were practically running down her cheeks before the words had even left my parents’ lips. I'm pretty sure on some weird level it bothered Drew as well.

  I hadn't called Ann Marie to tell her I was even dropping by; I just had Drew drop me off. I had gone into the house and asked her to join me for a walk into town. After an hour, I still hadn't mentioned anything. I knew she knew something was on my mind, but she was giving me space, just like she always had, and she would listen when I was ready to talk about it.

  Two coffees were placed on the counter in front of me. "Enjoy, sir."

  I smiled at the girl who had pulled me from my inner thoughts and picked up the two mugs and carried them over to the table.

  "Your peppermint latte, my love." I placed the mug in front of Ann Marie and sat down across from her, both of us taking a sip.

  "So, I think I decided on the necklace for my mom," she said, setting her cup down and looking at me. "However, I'm still torn. I really liked the heart pendant, but then just the simple chain was nice too, that way she could wear one of her own pendants."

  "I like either idea, but perhaps if you are really undecided, we could always go back and look again."

  * * *

  "That might be a good idea. What about you? Did you decide on anything?"

  I let out a deep breath. The trouble was what I wanted to do for my parents and what I could do were two very different and far apart things, especially with a wedding approaching. I let out a sigh.

  "Zach what is it?" Ann Marie asked, resting her hand on mine. “You seem distracted.”

  "Mom and Dad are selling the house," I answered, glancing out the window of the cafe, shoppers rushing by carrying their purchases, smiles on their faces. "They told us tonight at dinner."

  "Oh, Zach, I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on my forearm. "Lexi must be a mess! I know how much she loves that house. I also know how hard this year has been on her. Did you ask her what she thought?" Ann Marie asked, now giving me all of her attention.

  "You would have cried if you could have seen her face when they told us tonight. She’s crushed. She has been traveling all over, and as you said, it's been a hard year for her, and she comes home to this news. The tears were practically on her cheeks as the words fell from Mom's lips. I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it though. Drew and I left the house right after dinner, and then I had him drop me off at your place. I needed my own time to digest everything."

  "That's understandable, Zach."

  "I just wish there was a way for us to keep the house for them, or perhaps help them out throughout the year. I know if they had help, they would stay."

  "Well, maybe you should talk to Lexi and see if she feels the same way, then perhaps you guys could, I don't know, help out on some level."

  "I just don't know how. I mean, she lives in Italy, for crying out loud. It's not like she can just hop in her car and come home for a weekend," I said, letting out a laugh. "Which means the lion’s share would land on me."

  "Is she going back?"

  "What do you mean? Of course, she is. She is only home for a couple of weeks. Why?"

  "Nothing. It’s not my place to say anything, Zach."

  "Oh no, what do you know that the rest of us don't?"

  "That, my love, is for Lexi to share with everyone." Ann Marie smiled at me and nodded toward the window. "Speak of the devil."

  I looked out the window in the direction that Ann Marie had gestured just in time to see Drew and Lexi walk by. Lexi had her camera in her hand taking photos of someone across the street, with Drew walking beside her. "Well, I guess I won't have to wait too long, since they are right over there."

  Ann Marie smiled at me. "How about we finish our donut and coffee, and then we can go meet them. It looks like they will be down here for a while anyways." She placed her hand over mine once again in a comforting gesture.

  "That sounds great!" I said, leaning in for a kiss. As we parted, the waitress dropped our two fresh donuts in front of us.

  Once we finished, we bundled back up and made our way out into the street. "They couldn't have gone very far," I said, looking both ways before stepping into the street with Ann Marie in tow. She grabbed hold of my gloved hand, following me down one of the side streets. As we turned down the third street on our right, I stopped in my tracks, abruptly enough that Ann Marie ran right into my back.

  "Zach, what on earth?"

  I couldn't answer her. I was in shock. There in front of me was my little sister—my sweet little sister—locking lips with my best friend.

  Ann Marie pulled on the arm of my jacket, signaling to me what I already saw. She leaned in, whispering, "Zach we should go. Leave them be." She pulled on my hand to pull me away from the scene in front of me, but my feet were glued to the ground.

  14

  Alexa

  * * *

  It was as if the world had stopped spinning. The only thing I heard was the whooshing of my own pulse in my ears, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I closed my eyes. The feel of Drew's lips on mine, his taste, the way he ran his tongue through my mouth… I didn't want the moment to end. He was an amazing kisser, soft, gentle, yet I could feel the urgency and want behind it. As his tongue swept across mine one more time, I could feel the intensity of the throbbing between my legs and wished we weren't standing in the middle of a street so he could put his hands on me.

  Our lips parted, and I looked up into his blue eyes, the world around us coming back into focus. He was looking down at me, nothing being said between us. We just stood looking at one another for what felt like hours. He leaned in slowly, cupped my cheeks, and kissed me again, his lips gently brushing against mine.

  I felt his hands start to move through my jacket, down my back, stopping just above my ass we heard a man clear his throat behind us. Instantly, Drew jumped away from me as if I had bitten him, causing me to jump as well. I was just about to protest when Zach came into focus.

  He had been the one to clear his throat, the one who had interrupted our very first kiss. Zach. My brother. I could feel my cheeks heating with embarrassment as Zach's eyes burned into mine, and suddenly I felt like a child caught with something I shouldn't have.

  Ann Marie stood there with a small, uncomfortable smile on her face. She said nothing, probably trying to hide her embarrassment for intruding on us. Zach, on the other hand, stood there glaring at me before his eyes turned to Drew.

  * * *

  "Look, Zach, it's not what you think," Drew instantly said, holding his hands up in an innocent gesture, probably afraid Zach was going to hit him.

  Ann Marie placed her hand on Zac
h's chest and whispered something to him.

  "Sure, sure. What do you think this looks like?" Zach bit out, the tension between them surrounding us all. The tension was almost too much to take, and suddenly I was afraid that perhaps Drew had been right in trying to defend himself.

  I could see the tension in my brother’s body, and without thinking, I stepped between them, trying to stop a fight before it even started, but knowing full well that I wouldn't have a chance if it did. "Both of you stop right now. I'm an adult, Zach, in case you've forgotten."

  "Never said you weren't."

  "Then what is your problem?"

  Zach didn't take his eyes from Drew for what felt like an eternity, and then started to shake his head, appearing to let the situation go. "Look, honestly, I don't give a shit about what goes on between the two of you, but I highly suggest that you both think twice about it. It's not a good idea."

  I frowned at my brother. I was more than pissed off with him. I was furious. "How dare you say something like that, Zach. Drew, let's go." I turned and grabbed Drew's hand, pulling him with me, but the instant my eyes met Drew's, I knew from the look he gave me that whatever had happened here wouldn't happen again.

  "Drew?" I pleaded as he stood there glancing between my brother and me.

  "Lexi, I'm sorry, but I just remembered I have something I've got to do." He looked down at me and dropped my hand.

  I stood there, not sure what to say, as I watched him back away from us, finally tearing his eyes from mine. As he walked away from me, I fought the tears and the need to run after him. I felt like I was glued to my spot, my feet heavy and my heart hurting.

  "Lexi, I'm sorry," I heard Zach say as I glanced over his shoulder to see if I could still see Drew, but he was already gone. Zach cleared his throat, pulling my attention to him. "Lexi, I'm sorry. I came over because I saw you earlier and wanted to talk about Mom and Dad and the situation with the house."