“You’re not flying?” she asked, surprised.
He shook his head. “It’s only a three-hour drive and I do it all the time. My whole family will be there tomorrow for Christmas eve, and then stay until Christmas morning to open presents. It’s a yearly tradition. What about you?”
She ate a bite of her breakfast and chased it down with a drink of orange juice. “I’ll be spending Christmas with my father and his wife and a few of their friends. Nothing too exciting.”
Her father’s wife. So, Douglas Creighton had remarried at some point. “And your mother? Do you get to spend time with her?”
She wiped her mouth with her napkin, a bit of sadness coloring her eyes. “Actually, she died a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He placed his hand over hers on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Is she the woman in the picture hanging on the wall in your room?”
At the mention of the portrait, her gaze warmed again. “You noticed that?”
He was beginning to notice everything about her. “Yes, but only for a quick moment before you distracted me for the rest of the night.” He winked at her.
She laughed at his playful comment, just as he’d intended. “Yeah, that’s my mom,” she said, tucking a stray strand of silky hair behind her ear. “It’s been a long time since she passed away. I was only twelve when she died, and there are times I really do miss her. Especially around the holidays.”
He could only imagine how difficult this time of year was for her, considering both of his parents were still alive and he had enough siblings to turn the holidays into one big party. Suddenly, he didn’t want her spending the weekend alone when she could be spending it with him. At least until he had to leave for Boston.
Finished with his breakfast, he pushed his plate aside. “Hey, what are you doing today?”
She thought for a moment. “Not much.”
So far, so good. “Any last-minute Christmas shopping you have to do?”
“Not really. I’m done. Everything is bought and wrapped.”
“Why am I not surprised?” he teased, certain she’d finished her Christmas shopping a month ago. “As for me, I’m one of those last-minute holiday shoppers, and I sure could use some help picking out gifts for my sisters and nieces. Care to join me?”
She stared at him as if he were insane. “Are you crazy? It’s less than two days before Christmas. Isn’t it a madhouse at every store out there today?”
“Of course it is.” He grinned persuasively. “You just haven’t fully experienced the spirit of Christmas until you’ve been in the midst of holiday shopping twenty-four hours before Christmas eve.”
“Okay, you are crazy,” she said and laughed, her eyes sparkling merrily. “But what the hell. I’m game.”
“Good.” Now came the good part—a little nudge from him for her to embrace that sensual woman he’d been with last night. “But, there is one condition if you want to join me.”
Her gaze narrowed with amused suspicion. “And what kind of condition would that be?”
He took a long drink of his coffee, drawing out the moment and letting her imagination take flight before he said, “I want you to wear one of those pairs of designer shoes in your closet.”
“You’ve got to be joking.” She sat back in her chair and shook her head. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s winter in New York and it’s freezing outside.”
There was no way he was going to let Amanda talk her way out of this one. “I saw a few pairs of sexy high-heeled boots among all those opened-toed shoes, and I’m sure any one of them would keep your feet warm and toasty.” He leaned closer, and before she could go on about practicality, he tossed out a little challenge he was certain she wouldn’t be able to resist. “Unless, of course, you’re afraid of getting them scuffed.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, clamping her lips together. After a moment, she let loose a soft peal of laughter. “You are so—”
“Irresistible?” he offered.
“Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of manipulative,” she grumbled good-naturedly.
He took the playful insult in stride. “Hey, whatever it takes to make you live a little on the wild side, sweetheart.”
She sighed in exasperation, which contradicted the smile threatening to spill across her lips. “Okay. Fine. You win.”
He grinned triumphantly. “Yeah, I usually do.”
5
AFTER A LONG, EXTREMELY FUN day of hitting most of the big department stores in Manhattan, and being a part of the Christmas craze, Amanda was exhausted. Christian, with his last-minute gift-buying energy, gave the expression shop till you drop new meaning. But, Amanda had to admit that she’d had a great time and enjoyed assisting Christian in picking out gifts for the females in his family.
Once he’d crossed the last person off his gift list, he’d taken her to dinner for Italian fare at Puttanesca. Feeling very mellow after consuming two glasses of wine over the course of their meal, he’d taken advantage of that fact by cajoling her into coming back to his place to help him wrap the dozens of toys and gifts he’d purchased. Not that she would have refused him under any circumstances, but she didn’t want to appear easy and preferred to make him work for her assent.Now, they were sitting cross-legged and barefoot in the middle of his living room, with the coffee table pushed out of the way to give them room to spread out. The floor was littered with tape, scissors, rolls and rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, and dozens of bright, colorful ribbon and stick-on bows. After Christian had sheepishly confessed his lack of talent when it came to wrapping packages—and confirmed it as well when his first attempt looked as though a five-year-old had done the job—they decided that he’d stick to the kid’s presents and she’d take care of the adults. Their system had worked very well, and two hours later they were nearly done with the huge pile of gifts.
Finished wrapping his mother’s crystal tapered candlestick holders, Amanda pulled a long stream of ribbon from the roll and went to work giving the package a pretty finishing touch. She glanced at Christian and hid a smile as she watched the intense way he was concentrating on attempting to fold the wrapping paper around an oddly shaped box that held a Tonka truck for one of his nephews. He came up short on one end and let out a growl of frustration that made her laugh.
“I’m so glad I’m able to amuse you,” he said wryly.
She curled the hunter-green ribbon on the present with the sharp end of her scissors and added a name tag. “You know, it’s really not that difficult if you just take your time and make sure you fold the ends a little more neatly.”
He rolled his eyes humorously as he taped a strip of wrapping paper where he’d fallen short, giving the package a patchwork look. “I’m not putting that kind of effort into the kids’ presents. They’re going to rip into them without even noticing the wrapping job.”
“That’s why you’re in charge of their gifts, and I’m doing the grown-ups.” She set his mother’s present with the rest that she’d wrapped, and grinned as she noticed the big difference between her pile of lavishly decorated gifts and his stack of haphazardly wrapped packages. “Do you think they’ll be able to tell you had help?”
“Definitely.” He returned her grin with one of his own. “Yours are way too fancy. But they look great. Thank you.” He leaned over and showed his gratitude with a warm, soft kiss on her lips.
Such a simple touch between them, but it was enough to start a slow burn of desire for him. “It was my pleasure,” she murmured when he finally pulled away. And truly, it was. She only had a few gifts to wrap each year, and she loved the whole relaxing, creative process of choosing just the right holiday paper, ribbon and bows to embellish a present.
“You certainly have a huge family,” she said, taking in all the gifts they’d bought and wrapped—all in one day, no less. While they’d been shopping earlier, then at dinner, he’d regaled her with tales about his siblings—two older siste
rs and a younger brother—along with a small passel of nieces and nephews he seemed to absolutely adore. “It must be crazy on Christmas Day.”
He topped off the Tonka truck with a pre-made, stick-on bow, and added a name tag with his nephew’s name on it. “Yeah, it’s loud and boisterous and a whole lot of fun.”
She could only imagine, and could easily see Christian on the floor playing with his nieces and nephews. As an only child, she’d never have those experiences, and envied him that. “You’re very lucky to have a big family.”
“Try telling me that when I was a teenager and fighting my two sisters and brother for the bathroom in the morning before school,” he griped, but there was a sincere fondness for his siblings in his gaze.
“At least you had siblings. It was very, very quiet in my house.” And incredibly lonely at times, too, which always gave Desiree and Angie the opportunity to keep her company.
Christian rummaged through one of the bags from a department store and pulled out a silver box with a matching satin silver ribbon tied around it. “Hey, look what I found,” he said in mock surprise. “One last gift.”
She eyed the box, trying to remember when and where he’d bought that particular present, but her mind came up blank. “Luckily for you, it’s already wrapped. And very elegantly, I might add. How did you manage that?” she teased.
“I can’t claim responsibility for this one. I had the clerk at Sak’s take care of this gift on the sly.” He handed the box to her, his gaze a dark, intimate shade of blue. “It’s for you.”
“Me?” She was shocked, mainly because a present of any sort from Christian was the last thing she expected. For that matter, her weekend with him was all the gift she wanted, and needed. “When did you manage to buy this?”
He shrugged. “When you were picking out a perfume set for my sister.”
Ahh, now she remembered. He’d asked her to choose what fragrance she thought one of his sisters might like, while he’d ventured over to women’s accessories, which was where she’d found him fifteen minutes later. Obviously, he’d accomplished a lot in that short span of time.
She fingered the satin ribbon, and though she was secretly pleased that he’d thought of her, she didn’t want him to think a gift was necessary. “Well, you really shouldn’t have.”
“I wanted to. Besides, I couldn’t resist. Really.” He winked at her, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Go on, open it up.”
Unable to stem the excitement and curiosity rising within her, she untied the bow and pulled off the ribbon. She opened the lid, peeled away the signature tissue paper and gasped when she saw something silky in the brightest, most gorgeous jewel-toned shades she’d ever seen. There were purples, pinks, blues and greens in an abstract design, the kind of rich and vibrant colors that gave her such a rush of pleasure.
Uncertain exactly what it was, she lifted the luxurious fabric out of the box and realized that it was a silk scarf. And an expensive, high-end, Emilio Pucci one at that. The man certainly had great taste.
Stunned, knowing that the hand-picked gift had to cost him a small fortune, she swallowed hard and glanced back at Christian. He was watching her intently, waiting for her reaction, and she knew deep in her heart that there was more behind Christian’s reason for giving her this gift than it just being a designer scarf.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said, her voice raspy with emotion.
He reached out and touched the line of her jaw then smoothed his thumb down to her lips. “When I saw that scarf, it immediately reminded me of all those colorful, sexy shoes you have in your closet. You were meant to wear bold, sensual things, Amanda.”
She hugged the scarf to her chest, holding it for the cherished, insightful gift it was. “I love it. Thank you.” Her words felt so inadequate for what he’d given her.
She was so incredibly touched because no one had ever given her something so intimate and meaningful. It occurred to her that in just one day together he’d proven to her with this gift that he knew her better than her own father or friends did. That beneath her practical and staid clothing and personality there was a woman who ached to be confident and daring enough to wear those colorful designer shoes in her closet, and the jewel-toned scarf he’d bought for her.
And she was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, she could be that woman after all.
Overwhelmed by the onslaught of indescribable emotions she was feeling for this man, she leaned over and showed him how grateful she was for everything he’d given her this weekend. More than just sex and a good time. More than just a scarf. He’d given her a sense of self and quite possibly the confidence to embrace her inner vixen. And wouldn’t Desiree be pleased with that?
Her lips met his, and she kissed him with hunger, passion and a soul-deep longing that rocked her to the very core. She touched her hand to his stubbled cheek, and his fingers tangled in her hair, tipping her head just so to deepen the connection of their mouths, and the erotic swirl and slide of their tongues. The kiss quickly turned wild and hot, to the point that she was seriously contemplating tearing off his clothes and having her way with him right in the middle of all the wrapping paper and bows. But before she could follow through with that plan, it was Christian who slowed things down a bit.
“You know,” he whispered against her lips as he continued to tease her with soft, damp kisses, “I have to admit when I first saw that scarf I thought about all the different ways you could use it.”
“Really?” Despite feeling light-headed and breathless, and getting hotter by the minute, she managed a smile against his mouth. “Why do I get the impression that you’re not thinking about it accessorizing an outfit?”
“Maybe because I’m not.” He chuckled, the low, sinful sound causing her breasts to swell and her nipples to tighten into hard, sensitive knots that ached for the touch of his fingers. The warm, wet suction of his mouth.
Remembering what she’d done to him with the tie, she pulled back so she could look into his eyes, which had grown dark and smoky with desire. “You want to tie me up with the scarf?”
“Oh, yeah,” he growled sexily. “That, and a whole lot more.” He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Care to find out exactly what I have in mind?”
She glanced up, unable to miss just how aroused he was, or the heat and seductive promise in his eyes. Helpless to resist this one last night with him, she stood up, too. Then she put her hand in his and let him lead her to his bedroom…and straight into temptation of the sweetest kind.
AMANDA STEPPED OUT of Christian’s shower, grabbed the big, fluffy towel hanging on the wall hook, and dried off, including her wet hair. Once she was done, she wrapped it around her body and tucked the end between her breasts to keep the towel secured.
She’d taken a nice, hot, relaxing shower while Christian had gone down to the corner café for coffee and pastries for breakfast, and now the bathroom was filled with fragrant steam, which made it difficult to use the mirror since it was completely fogged. She cracked open the door to let a bit of cool air in, and used a hand towel to wipe off a spot on the mirror so she could see her reflection.She was unexpectedly greeted by Angie, who was sitting on her right shoulder, her gaze narrowed in concern as she took in Amanda’s features and the warm flush of her complexion. Oh, no, you have the look, she said and pursed her lips in disapproval.
Amanda sighed as she picked up the wide-tooth comb on the counter and pulled it through her damp hair to the ends. She’d managed to keep the distracting duo out of her head yesterday and last night, but it appeared they were back to cause their brand of havoc with her conscience.
Of course she has the look, Desiree replied with a sly, knowing grin. It’s the glow of a woman who’s enjoyed incredible, mind-blowing sex with a hot stud.
Amanda couldn’t deny the truth. “Yeah, the sex was pretty incredible, again,” she murmured.
If she’d thought that Friday night’s pleasurable escapade and her multiple orgasms h
ad been a fluke, then last night had confirmed that there was enough chemistry between her and Christian to set the sheets on fire. He’d used the silk scarf in ways she never would have imagined and, coupled with the fact that he was a master with his hands and mouth and fingers, Amanda had spent hours indulging in the kind of sexual bliss she’d only fantasized about before now.
No, it’s more than that, Angie fretted and wrung her hands anxiously in her lap. I’m afraid she’s falling for that bad boy!
“No, I’m not,” Amanda said, but the denial lacked any real conviction. Probably because Angie had hit too close to the truth.
Desiree leaned forward and peered intently at Amanda’s features in the mirror. Her eyes widened and she abruptly sat back on Amanda’s shoulder. Uh-oh, she said with a hint of worry in her tone. Angie just might be right. For once.
That comment earned Desiree a sharp glare from her nemesis, who always thought she knew best.
The comb caught on a tangle of wet hair, and Amanda gave it a forceful tug out of pure frustration—and lost a few extra strands in the process. “Well, it can’t happen,” she told Desiree and Angie, as well as herself.
I think it already has, Angie said in that maternal way that Amanda couldn’t ignore.
Amanda frowned at her reflection. “Okay, so maybe it has,” she admitted, and knew by the pounding of her heart in her chest that she had, indeed, fallen harder for Christian than she’d ever intended.
Oh, yeah, she was halfway in love with him.
She inhaled a slow, deep breath, and grabbed the counter for support as the truth of her feelings smacked her in the face. As did a good dose of reality. No matter how great their brief time together had been, she knew better than to expect anything beyond this affair. They’d both agreed upon no regrets, and Christian had made no promises that even so much as hinted at a relationship after today.
In all honesty, this fling of theirs had all been a product of the Secret Santa note and gift she’d sent him. It had given them both permission to act on their attraction and desires and, without that bold and daring move of hers, they never would have traveled down this particular path.
Secret Santa Page 7