“That seals the deal. The dress was made for me,” Jessica gushed. “I promise to wear it proudly and tell everyone where I purchased it.”
“That’s kind of you. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. The gown on you is a walking endorsement for us. By the way, my name is Mary Moore. My sisters, Maria and Marsha, are co-owners.”
“Nice to meet you, Mary,” Jessica and Jennifer said in unison, laughing afterward. The Harrington sisters also shared their first and last names with Mary.
“Do you have the right kind of shoes?” Mary asked Jessica.
“No to go with this. Any recommendations?”
“I’ll be right back.” Mary disappeared into a back room.
Jessica shrugged. “They don’t sell shoes, do they?”
“I didn’t see any on display,” Jennifer responded.
Mary returned with a catalog and handed it to Jessica. “You can find the perfect shoes for your dress in there. If we phone in an order today, I can have them in time for your holiday event.”
Jessica handed the catalog to Jennifer. “Start looking while I change out of the dress. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”
“Sure thing.” With that said, Jennifer began flipping through the catalog.
The resort weight room was fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, the best money could buy. Jessica had finished with the weight machines and was now on the stationary bike. She planned to work out on the treadmill before using the wet sauna and hot tub. She felt hot and sweaty and had already reached her target heart rate. That made her feel really good.
Jessica thought she was alone in the workout room until she heard a noise. She turned with a start, surprised to see Weston there, dressed in dark sweats. Because her body glistened with sweat, she was pretty sure she didn’t smell pleasant. That slightly embarrassed her. “Hi. I didn’t expect to see you in here.”
Weston took a cursory glance around the place. “We just got back from skiing so a soak in the hot tub might keep my leg muscles from tightening. Want the rest of why I’m here?”
Jessica laughed. “Sure.”
“I called the town house. Jennifer said you were here. I then recalled your plan to work out after shopping.” With his eyes fastened on her, he walked over to the bike. Removing the white towel from around his neck, he patted dry the moisture on her face and shoulders. “Are you about through?”
“Not quite. I plan to use the hot tub, but the wet sauna is next.”
“I can benefit from the sauna, too. Mind if I join you?”
There was no way to discreetly raise her arms and smell her pits. She’d love to share the sauna and hot tub with Weston, but her sweaty scent was a strong deterrent. She didn’t want to turn him off. Her desire was to keep him turned-on.
“Don’t worry about how you smell. It’s a natural one. We all sweat, honey.”
“Mind reader, huh?”
“Expression reader. Your face has a way of telling all.” He leaned over and inhaled her scent. “I wonder what you smell like after a night of hot, tantalizing lovemaking. Delicious, I bet.” Her blushing made him smile. “I’d let you take a whiff of me, but it won’t be delightful. I only rinsed off after skiing. I plan to shower before we go to the orphanage later.”
Weston’s comments had Jessica burning with sexual desire. Blowing off her worries, she quickly dismounted. “Let’s hit the sauna.”
Weston grinned widely. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Hot, sweaty bodies were sexy to people madly in love. The thought of their sweat mingling during a heated lovemaking session had Jessica gasping inwardly. Her body temperature had already soared a few degrees.
The sauna swirled with hot steam as Jessica and Weston stepped inside. After stretching out on the wooden benches, Jessica closed her eyes. Seeing Weston with his shirt off was a thrill. He had also stripped off his sweatpants to reveal boxer-style swim trunks. Concentrating on anything but his nude upper body, bare thighs and sturdy legs was next to impossible. His strong abs were well-defined beneath the muscle-enhancing attire he sometimes wore.
Although conscious of the one-piece bathing suit she had stripped down to, Jessica was sure Weston had seen women in a lot less. Seeing the ladies in nothing at all was probably more like it.
The sudden feel of Weston’s tender touch on her abdomen had Jessica afraid to open her eyes and look up at him. She had to wonder where his roving hands would go next. Where did she want them to go? She refused to answer her own question. The response might be incriminating. It only took a second for her to find out, as his fingertips outlined her thigh at the edge of her swimsuit. He was a little too close to her molten treasures for her to relax under his expert touch. Relaxing totally could be her undoing.
Jessica bit down on her lip to keep from crying out from the bliss. As she squeezed her eyelids tighter, Weston’s moist tongue feathered across her lips, his sweet breath mingling with hers. Butterfly kisses followed his delightfully tormenting tongue.
Please don’t let your hands and mouth go any lower.
Jessica basked in the heated intimacy, wanting to welcome him inside her. Her bared thighs were now the lucky recipients of his gently stroking hands. The tender kneading and massaging of her legs felt outrageously wonderful. As the tip of his tongue outlined her cleavage, her body turned to liquid fire. Begging him to stop the seduction of Jessica Nicole Harrington was totally out of the question.
Weston took hold of Jessica’s hand and directed it to his chest. “Touch me. Make me feel as good as I’m making you feel. How good do you feel?”
Jessica allowed her forefinger to circle his right nipple. “Wonderful! I feel wonderful.” Her hand moved over to his left pectoral and massaged it with her palm. “How does that feel?”
Weston only moaned in pleasurable agony. He again covered her hand with his. Directing it to his abdomen, he pressed it into his midsection, as if wishing she’d take it lower without any prompting from him. His rigid manhood throbbed and relief would be only a few fiery strokes away.
“I don’t want to push the envelope, but I hope you feel confident enough in our love to let me make love to you. I want you desperately.”
Keeping her eyes shut tightly, Jessica blew out a stream of breath. “The feeling is mutual, Wes, but the timing isn’t. Can you be patient?”
“I’m a patient man. There’s no rush.” He kissed her thoroughly. “No rush at all.”
Jessica rewarded Weston’s patience with another staggering kiss.
The two families filed out of the van. With their arms and hands piled high with wrapped presents, they rushed toward the entry to St. Anthony’s Orphanage. The extreme cold would keep the women inside the toasty warm building while the guys made return trips. Fresh snow fell and the temperature had dropped drastically again.
Sisters Carmen, Bernadette and Natalie welcomed the visitors with smiles and holiday greetings. The children were inside one of the rooms, waiting impatiently. The grateful sisters had invited Weston and his group of friends to join them for a bit of Christmas caroling and early-evening snacks. Hot drinks were quickly served.
Since this charity event was Weston’s baby, he was the spokesperson for the group, taking pleasure in the introductions. More warm smiles and handshakes followed. Sister Carmen then led the way to the recreation room, where the Christmas tree was. As she opened the double doors, the children welcomed their visitors to St. Anthony’s.
Jessica instantly took to the children. She hardly ever had the opportunity to be around young kids. None of her friends had children so this was a real treat for her. Jennifer and Samuel had talked about starting a family. She could barely wait to become Auntie Jessica. Holding a baby securely in her arms would be a thrill.
Not long after Jessica sat down in a folding chair, a little boy of five or six cautiously inched his way over to her. He beamed at her with a toothless grin and then practically jumped into her lap, catching her by surprise.
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The child rested his head against Jessica’s chest and stared at her as though he was looking into the face of an angel. “I’m Matt.” He gave a cute little infectious giggle.
“Hi, Matt, I’m Miss Jessica.” She kissed his forehead and smiled. His dark-brown eyes smiled back, leaving her hopelessly enchanted. “Looking forward to Santa Claus coming to town?”
Matt suddenly eyed Jessica with suspicion. “There’s no Santa,” he said, his childlike voice endearing and raspy.
Swallowing hard to clear her throat, Jessica was caught off guard again. That this little guy didn’t believe in Santa was hurtful to her spirit. “Who told you that?”
Matt pointed at an adorable little boy seated on the floor. “Jimmy said so. He says Santa sucks and his reindeer can’t fly.”
Jessica’s heart ached over Matt’s sad expression. “That’s not true. Santa is real.”
“Is Jimmy a liar?”
This kid was so amazing, quick-minded, too. She’d have to tread lightly with him or end up falling prey to disaster. “No. He just might think there’s no Santa and that reindeer can’t fly. When Santa stops here on Christmas Eve, maybe Jimmy will believe it then.”
Matt shrugged his little shoulders. “I hope so. I like Santa and his reindeer. Rudolph is my best bud. He has a red nose. It lights up, too. Do you think his nose is red because he has a cold?”
Jessica cracked up. “The bright red nose helps Rudolph guide the way. I like Santa and Rudolph, too. I used to read about Rudolph when I was small.”
Matt looked terribly disappointed. “I can’t read yet.”
Patting Matt’s tiny arm, Jessica smiled with empathy. “You’ll learn to read soon. Do you like looking at pictures in books?”
Matt nodded. “I do it a lot.”
“That’s good. You’re a pretty special little guy, you know.”
Matt’s eyes took on a liquid sadness. “I wish a nice mommy and daddy knew that.” Matt jumped out of Jessica’s lap as quickly as he’d landed there. “Gotta go.” He turned and gave Jessica another grin and waved. “Bye.”
Jessica’s heart ached for Matt as she watched him join a group of his peers. Had he left her because of sadness? She wasn’t sure why he’d run off. It was hard to keep her tears at bay. Then Matt’s laughter rang out. That lifted her spirits tremendously. The kid was so real. She had never met anyone like him. Jessica would never forget Matt, the little boy who desperately wanted a nice mommy and daddy.
Weston sat down at the base of Jessica’s chair. The large family-style recreation room had wall-to-wall carpeting, allowing him to sit comfortably. “You made a fast friend, huh? He’s a cute little guy. You held him so tenderly. What’s his name?”
“Matt. He came over quickly and left the same way. He seems to be a great kid, but also a deeply wounded one. I pray someone takes him out of here soon.”
“He’s probably hoping for the exact same thing.”
“He is. He wants a nice mommy and daddy. I wish I could help him get one.”
Weston clearly heard the raw emotion in Jessica’s shaky voice. The hurtful look on her face revealed her pain. He wanted to hold and comfort her, but he let her have her space. She’d reach out if she needed him.
“This is a wonderful orphanage. How’d you find it?”
“The Internet.” Weston was relieved to see Jessica recovering from her emotional agony. If one more thing out of the ordinary occurred, he feared she’d bolt out of the room in tears. Her heart was out there on her sleeve.
“O Holy Night” streamed into the room like a bolt of lightning, ushering in the true spirit of Christmas. Powerful vocals from the voices of Il Divo had Jessica listening up. She knew those fabulous voices, had already purchased their Christmas CD.
As Jessica looked around at Weston and the others, she could see they were also moved. The song was a perfect example of what Christmas was all about. Many folks had lost sight of the true meaning and some didn’t know the truth.
Weston took hold of Jessica’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “This is an emotional moment. I know what you’re feeling. I feel it, too. Everyone does.”
Jessica smiled weakly. “I don’t think we always realize how blessed we are. These little children should be blessed, yet they’re in an orphanage hoping and praying for a set of loving parents.”
“I hear you. But they are blessed. It could be much worse. They could be homeless. What we can’t ever do is become indifferent to the sufferings of others. That’s why I do this. Wish I could do more. As I prosper, so will my charitable causes.”
Jessica’s respect for Weston shot through the roof behind his comments, truly a man after her heart. She was already a better person for knowing him, felt fortunate to spend so much time with him. She looked forward to the future. She and Weston seemed to be good for each other. Two giving spirits could only double the pleasure of helping others less fortunate.
All the children began to crowd together, lining up by height in front of the marble fireplace. The movement quickly captured Jessica’s and Weston’s attention. When Sister Natalie seated herself at the piano, Jessica knew the kids were going to sing. She was eager to hear the songs, feeling giddy with excitement.
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was the first carol the children belted out in an impressive manner. Such little people with such big voices sounded amazing to Jessica. The residents of St. Anthony’s Orphanage treated the guests to a miniconcert, a highly memorable performance.
Most presents would be saved until Christmas morning, but each child was allowed to open a large and a small package. Weston donned a Santa hat, surprising Jessica when he handed her one. Sure they were being perceived as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, the happy couple were about to go to work. Weston said all his helper elves had to wear hats, too. He then pulled from his pillowcase sack red hats for the group. After the hats were in place, eager hands began passing out the gifts according to the gender tags.
Loads of laughter and animated chatter were heard, along with sounds of ripping paper. Loud whoops and childish giggles followed. Eyes were all aglow as the promise of a merry Christmas was fulfilled. It was easy to see that the children were grateful for the nice gifts they had received. Everyone seemed pleased.
Matt quickly found his way over to where Jessica sat on the floor. Giggling, he plopped down on her lap to show off the metallic blue truck and a handheld electronic game. “See what I got.”
“I see! Nice. Are you happy?”
Matt nodded, clapping with enthusiasm. “Show me how to work it?”
“Sure.” Jessica took the game from Matt’s hand and figured out how to turn it on. Once the game pad lit up, she saw several games for him to enjoy. After lining up the arrows for one game, she pressed it into service. It took a couple of minutes for her to get the hang of it, but once she had it down she taught Matt.
Matt had nearly mastered one of the sports games within a few minutes. He was all smiles and silly giggles over his accomplishments, yelping with childish glee every time he scored a point. As bells and whistles sounded, he laughed louder. When he messed up, a loud honking noise sounded. The honks frustrated him, but he kept at it.
The children brought the room to life with lots of noisy animation. They were having a grand time. The adults had a wonderful time helping out the kids while watching them enjoy the great gifts provided for their playtime pleasure.
Jessica couldn’t imagine the evening getting any better, yet she felt it would. She felt blessed to be a part of the holiday festivities. God had to be smiling. She closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
Jessica felt apprehensive that Christmas Eve would never arrive. The time was moving right along. She found that disturbing since it meant that she and Weston would soon separate. The group had many things left on the agenda—things that would probably make the time move even faster.
The entire group would meet for dinner at a family-style restaurant in town. Upon returning
to the Harrington town house, each person would open a few presents. The rest would be opened Christmas morning during the holiday breakfast.
Jessica tried to get comfortable in bed but continued to toss and turn before finding a desirable position. She should go on and get up, but she also wanted to lie still a bit longer. Since she didn’t have to go out with her family for a couple of hours, she felt like being lazy.
Last-minute shopping would take the Harrington women back into downtown. Jessica had no desire to visit another retail store. She had done all her shopping, but Jennifer still hadn’t found the perfect gift for Samuel. This happened every year so she wasn’t surprised. Jennifer’s problem was thinking there wasn’t anything good enough for Samuel, who’d be happy with anything from his wife. He’d be happy with nothing at all, as long as he had his beautiful wife by his side. No man loved his woman more.
Jessica’s cell phone jangled, making her moan. Probably Jennifer calling to make sure she got up on time. The caller ID revealed an unfamiliar number, but she was very familiar with the voice on the line. “Morning, Wes. What you up to so early?”
“Thinking about you. Can’t get you off my mind. Are you still in bed?”
Jessica giggled. “Sorta, kind of.”
“Either you are or you aren’t. Which is it?”
“Still in,” she sang out. “Don’t know why I’m embarrassed by it.”
“Me, neither. I love the thought of you in bed. What’re you wearing?”
“Let’s not go there, pal.”
“Oh, please, let’s. Why don’t I guess what you’re wearing?”
Jessica closed her eyes. Weston was bent on playing a game that’d make her want him more than she already did, driving her physically crazy in the process. “You’ll never guess. Not in a million years.”
“Let’s start with nothing at all. Am I close?”
“You’re colder than it is outside.”
“Hmm. Bikinis and a T-shirt?”
“Brr. That’s even colder.”
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