Naughty Holidays 2016

by Nicole Edwards

  And it was only beginning.

  A knock sounded on the bathroom door.

  “Almost done,” he called out, not sure who would be upstairs.

  Turning off the water, Trace grabbed a towel and pulled back the shower curtain.

  He came face-to-face with the sexiest woman on the planet.

  “Courtney told me you were up here,” she said sweetly. “Couldn’t even kiss me hello?”

  Trace noticed the teasing smirk on her lips. “I was washing off the dirt and grime so I could kiss you appropriately. Is that why you’re in here? To kiss me hello?” he asked, wiping the water from his body, not even pretending to be modest. He liked the way his wife’s eyes trailed over him.

  “Thought I’d check on you. Make sure you weren’t doing anything you shouldn’t be doing.”

  “Like?”

  He loved that his wife still blushed when she talked about sex. And yes, he knew what she was referring to. In recent weeks, whenever he returned from a job, no matter how short, Marissa was usually waiting for him. Naked.

  Of course, she couldn’t do that here, but her joining him in the bathroom was probably a sign that she was as eager as he was at the moment.

  After drying off completely, Trace dropped the towel and crowded her between his body and the counter. He planted his hands on the sink, on each side of her hips, then kissed her on the nose.

  “Do you know how hot it makes me when you watch me like that?”

  Marissa grinned. “You say that about everything that I do.”

  “And it’s true. Everything you do makes me hot.”

  “You should get dressed.”

  “What if I’d rather get you undressed?”

  “Then I’m sure someone would come up here and find us sooner or later.”

  “And that’s a problem why?” Trace leaned in and kissed her lips, cupping her face gently. He tipped her head to the side before sliding his tongue into her mouth. What he wouldn’t give to shove her jeans down to her ankles, to turn her around and slide into the warmth of her body. Damn it. Thinking about it wasn’t helping his current state.

  Marissa moaned softly, but she also pushed against his chest, giggling when he pulled back. “Someone’s gonna find us in here.”

  “Ask me if I care.”

  “You might not, but I do. Maybe after dinner.”

  Trace’s eyes widened, his interest piqued. “Yeah? In here?”

  Her eyelashes lowered, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. “If you’re good.”

  “Darlin’, I’m always good. But I’ll be exceptionally good if you’re offerin’ what I think you’re offerin’.”

  “When are you gonna tell me what my Christmas present is?”

  Trace took a step back, smiling down at this crazy woman. “Is that why you snuck in here? You thought I’d tell you what it is before tonight?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. You didn’t give me a time.”

  “I think I said after dinner.”

  “I don’t remember that.” Her smile said her memory loss was convenient.

  He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “I promise, you’ll know before we leave here.”

  “Really?” Her excitement danced in her pretty blue eyes.

  “Really. Now get. I need to get dressed, and if you keep watching me like that, my jeans aren’t gonna fit right.”

  Her gaze trailed down to his erection and his body caught fire.

  “Marissa…”

  She lifted her eyes to his, a picture of innocence. “Hmm?”

  He didn’t have to say anything. She must’ve seen it in his eyes because she chuckled and then sauntered right back out of the bathroom.

  If it weren’t for the gift he was giving her, Trace would probably take a few minutes to relieve himself. Since he was a man on a mission, that wasn’t an option.

  Which meant he needed to get dressed.

  And fast.

  NO DOUBT ABOUT it, Max and Courtney’s house was one of the nicest Marissa had ever been in. Travertine floors, stylish décor in every single room, a kitchen to rival most high-end restaurants. It was incredible, and despite the fact that there were goons walking around, guarding Courtney and Max, as well as Max’s brothers and sisters, Marissa didn’t mind spending time here.

  She knew the same couldn’t be said for her family or even most of Courtney’s. But today they were all on their best behavior. The conversation was light, the laughter continuous, and the only person who seemed to be pouting was Hunter. Again, Marissa didn’t necessarily blame him.

  Now that dinner was out of the way—a phenomenal spread that had been prepared by Max himself—everyone was retreating to the living room or out on the back deck to sit by the fire someone had started in the outdoor fireplace. With the temperatures still relatively mild, being outside wasn’t a hardship.

  Surprisingly, no fights had broken out, which was a plus. However, all eyes had been on Genevieve and Elizabeth when the two women had remained in the dining room discussing the old days. She wondered how hard that was for them. Knowing that, at some point in Casper’s life, he’d had a thing for Genevieve, Marissa was sure Elizabeth had found it odd.

  Or maybe not. Considering Genevieve had been twelve or thirteen at the time, it really had been young love, nothing serious. Especially since Casper had been significantly older. Marissa had heard that was the reason Casper had gone into the military, leaving so that Genevieve could have time to grow up. Of course, he’d met Elizabeth during that time, and his life had moved forward while Genevieve had been stuck in her own personal hell.

  Having lived a relatively sheltered life, Marissa couldn’t imagine what it had been like for Genevieve. Married to a crazy bastard at thirteen after that same crazy bastard had blackmailed Genevieve’s father for his permission. Yuck.

  But it seemed the past was rightfully in the past, where it belonged, and everyone was getting along for the sake of Max and Courtney, who were definitely in love.

  The truth was, Marissa never knew what might happen at a family meal. The Kogans and Trexlers were a passionate bunch. Bring the ornery and hot-tempered Adorites into the mix and watch out. Tempers could flare with the slightest provocation, but tonight had been better than expected.

  Now that the evening was progressing, some people had gone upstairs to play pool in the elaborate game room, others still relaxing with a drink in hand. Again, she noticed that Hunter was standing in the far corner of the room, drinking a beer and looking incredibly uncomfortable. Of course, he always seemed to be uncomfortable these days. Ever since he’d come back from his last overseas assignment, that was. Marissa’s brother-in-law wasn’t the same man he’d been back when Dani had been in his life, that was for sure.

  Marissa glanced around the room, seeking out her husband. She found him talking to Max’s brother Victor as they headed toward the kitchen.

  She kept her eye on Trace, willing him to look at her. He looked mouthwateringly sexy as always, wearing a pair of faded Levis that showcased his phenomenal ass and long legs. The shirt he wore was snug across his back, outlining the definitive V shape of his body. Maybe she should have snuck in a quickie in the bathroom a short time ago.

  Perhaps she would have if it hadn’t been for the fact that she wanted to know what her present was and she wanted to know now. She’d never been a patient child, wanting to open one gift early before Christmas, then after doing that, begging for another and another. Her parents had finally cut that ritual off early, refusing to argue with her. Being that she was the only girl, Marissa had often gotten her way growing up, so it only made since that they’d nipped that in the bud before it had gone to her head.

  But Trace had teased her with it, so he should have to follow through. Instead, it seemed the man was making her wait.

  Of course, her husband endeared himself to Lilah, her parents’ live-in housekeeper, and Walter, Max’s live-in butler, offering to do the dishes for them while they delivered
coffee to those who wanted it and continued to chat incessantly between them.

  Marissa admired Trace, her love for him growing even more than she thought possible. It wasn’t that he was the sexiest man in the room—although he certainly was—but he was one of the most generous, always looking to do something for someone else. It was sometimes hard to believe that she’d grown up with this man, and after crushing on him for years, she’d somehow been lucky enough to marry him.

  She considered every minute with him a gift.

  Even when he was obviously ignoring her.

  Marissa kept her eyes on him, waiting him out. He would eventually look her way because he knew what she was waiting for.

  Finally, after half an hour of ogling him from the barstool while making small talk with Conner’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Shelby, Trace gave her the attention she craved.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Trace asked Marissa while giving his niece a knuckle bump.

  “Of course.”

  Shelby was instantly off to talk to someone else while Marissa allowed Trace to lead her out of the room. She could hear the pool balls clanking upstairs, the gentle hum of conversation coming from the living room. He seemed uninterested in going either of those places, and Marissa’s stomach flipped with excitement.

  He was going to give her the present he’d promised.

  She knew, no matter what it was, she was going to love it.

  Chapter Three

  Meanwhile, in another part of the house…

  DANIELLE DAVIDSON COULDN’T believe she’d allowed Max to strong-arm her into coming to this stupid dinner. She should’ve told him to go to hell, but that would’ve been rude. Not that she was opposed to being just that, but when it came to Max, she tried to refrain. So, rather than turn on the one person who had been keeping an eye on her since she’d returned to the States, Dani had come up with a way to make this a win-win for her.

  It also helped that she’d timed her arrival perfectly, avoiding the dreaded family dinner. Thankfully, it looked as though they’d already finished that portion of this evening’s hellish activities.

  Because Max had married Courtney, Dani had known there would be more than Adorites in attendance at this family get-together. More accurately, Courtney’s brother Hunter would be in attendance, and by showing up, Dani would appease her cousin, then, by approaching Hunter, she could, in essence, kill two birds with one stone.

  Admittedly, now that she was here in Max’s house, it seemed some of the nagging determination she’d harbored recently was waning.

  Chin up, she mentally ordered. She could do this. She would do this. And once she’d spilled the beans to Hunter, she could get back to this life she’d just recently returned to, without all the guilt she’d been carrying around with her.

  Despite her little pep talk, Dani was tempted to turn around and run out the same way she’d come in. With all the critical eyes tracking her as she moved across the room, the simple thing to do would be to disappear.

  Again.

  But … if she did that, and caved to what would clearly be the easy way out, there would be no way to get her life back. It was bad enough that Samuel Adorite had been dead for a year now and she had yet to stop hiding completely. As far as she was concerned, she’d been on the run for long enough; it was time to stop and face the music. The threat to her was no longer, now that the old bastard was dead.

  Okay, so that wasn’t entirely true. However, if the horrific secret they’d been keeping was buried with him, then yes, she was finally free.

  Well, almost. She still had to confess her reasons for hightailing it out of Dodge four years ago, but once that was done, she would be in the clear and able to move on. And this Thanksgiving meal was the perfect place to show the world that she was no longer putting miles on her Manolos. She’d picked this particular event for a reason. Namely because there were so many people. Here, she could confront Hunter Kogan and not risk having him go postal on her. She hoped.

  Then again, Dani didn’t even know if Hunter would speak to her after what she’d done to him all those years ago. And she couldn’t blame him if he didn’t.

  Now that she thought about it, they’d been in a setting much like this one.

  Only instead of a festive holiday dinner, it had been a wedding.

  Hers.

  And his.

  Talk about coming full circle.

  Since a wedding required vows, hers didn’t quite qualify, because they’d never made it that far. Nope, that’d been the day she’d chickened out, running far and fast from the one and only man she’d ever loved.

  It’d been easier than living a lie, or so she told herself.

  “Dani?”

  Turning at the sound of her name, Dani came face-to-face with Hunter’s mother and father, Casper and Elizabeth Kogan. They were looking at her with wide-eyed wonder, as though she’d come back from the dead.

  In a way, she kind of had.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Kogan,” she greeted politely, her voice trembling only slightly.

  “We’re so glad you could make it,” Liz replied, but Dani could see it for the lie that it was.

  They were more than likely trying to figure out why she was there. How she fit into this whole fiasco. They definitely weren’t happy to see her, but she hadn’t expected any less. She’d done the unthinkable, leaving the man she was supposed to marry—who happened to be their son—at the altar and not contacting him even one time since.

  If only they knew who she really was, why she’d come into their lives in the first place … they certainly wouldn’t be smiling at her now—fake or not.

  “I’m glad I could, too,” she lied.

  Because Max had insisted—the man was probably unable to make a request—that she attend, Dani had known how things would turn out. And because of the guarantee that she would be face-to-face with the one man who probably never wanted to see her again, Dani had opted not to seek Hunter out earlier than now. This might’ve been the family’s holiday celebration, but Dani was using it for her own agenda. As a way to see Hunter, to convince herself that what she thought had been the love to end all had only been a figment of her imagination. Plus, to free her conscience by admitting to him the truth. Or most of it anyway.

  “It’s good to see you,” Dani told Liz and Casper, desperately wanting to get away from her once-future in-laws. After all, Casper was the head of Sniper 1 Security, and she didn’t doubt that he could probably single-handedly take her out before she ever made it across the room to her intended target.

  Not that he would.

  Hopefully.

  “You, too,” Liz whispered, staring after her as Dani headed off to make her way around the perimeter of the room.

  She scanned the crowd, noticing Hunter’s brother Conner and Conner’s daughter, Shelby, sitting together on one end of the oversized cream sofa, along with RT and Z on the opposite end. She took a moment to give the two men a cursory glance. Seeing them together brought back a memory of two different men and a very sexy night from so long ago. A night she would never forget for as long as she lived. It’d been the night she’d moved out of her comfort zone, trusted the man she’d fallen in love with, and experienced sensations she’d never even imagined possible.

  A night that she would never have again.

  Shaking off the thought, Dani took stock of the room. Others had started to move in, some seated on Max’s furniture, several standing around, looking as uncomfortable to be there as Dani imagined them to be. These were two families who were on opposite sides of the law. Yet, somehow, they managed to coexist, or so it appeared, despite what Samuel Adorite had been up to all those years ago.

  Dani caught sight of Courtney and Max, walking into the kitchen, hand in hand.

  As good as it would’ve been to see some of her old friends again—if they would even talk to her—Dani hadn’t come here for that. She wasn’t looking for friends from her past. She was looking for one man i
n particular.

  As though magnetized, her gaze swung to the far corner of the room, closest to the floor-to-ceiling windows near the back entrance.

  And there he was.

  Hunter Kogan.

  Her heart did a strange little jump kick in her chest, but she ignored it.

  God, he looked good.

  Six foot one inches of prime alpha male sporting dark jeans that showcased his impressive ass and a crisp white shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders and wide back. As though he sensed her looking his way, Hunter turned. She could practically see his white-gray eyes glowing from where she stood. His light brown hair was a little longer than before, shaggier, his face a little more weathered, but he was just as ruggedly handsome as he’d always been.

  Without stopping to chat with anyone else, Dani snaked her way through the people, glancing toward the kitchen briefly to ensure Max wasn’t watching her. So far so good. He was the last person she wanted to run into at the moment, but only because their relation was supposed to be a secret. Only she knew that it was just another lie in a long list of them that’d been put in place over the years. Max might’ve believed that Dani was his first cousin, but she knew the truth.

  However, she was only willing to divulge so much information.

  Which she would do. Tonight.

  But she needed it to be on her terms.

  HUNTER KOGAN DIDN’T need to be damn good at his job to know that the proverbial shit was about to hit the fan. He’d felt the prickling at the back of his neck for several minutes now, and though he’d scanned the room, searching for a threat, he’d already suspected what he would find.

  And sure as shit, the threat was real, only this one was a woman—oftentimes far more dangerous than any top-secret mission he could be sent on by his family’s security firm.

  This particular woman decidedly so.

  His cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out.

  Principal has arrived at the party. She had no issues walking right in.

  The final confirmation of what he’d suspected. Danielle Davidson at Max Adorite’s home. An invited guest, apparently.