My tongue pushes into her mouth, tasting her, devouring her, and she melts into me, clutching my shirt. My cock aches and throbs painfully for release.
She wants to end the kiss, but I can't let it go. “No,” I say, breathlessly. “Don't make me stop, please … just a little longer.”
It feels so good, and I gently place my hand on her back and pull her in my arms for another kiss. She leans into me, and I smell her arousal. My body burns for hers, the intensity of my desire increasing with every second I have her in my arms.
I look at her lips, and I can't resist any longer. I want to kiss her so much it's driving me crazy. I want to devour her mouth, touch and kiss her breasts and make her mine.
Someone clears his throat behind me, and Julia tenses in my arms, so I let her go. I turn slowly to see James standing next to us. For the first time since I have known him, he seems uncomfortable.
“Yes, James, what is it?” I ask him. Something must have happened if he interrupted me, which never happened before.
He clears his throat again and shuffles from one foot to the other. “Sorry to interrupt, but I . . ..”
“You brought your friend with you?” Julia asks.
Her voice seems a little off, so I turn towards her. Gone is the woman full of passion from a minute ago. She eyes me suspiciously, and that's when I know something is wrong.
“Not exactly,” I say to her. I don't understand why she seems rattled by James's presence.
“So, he was here the entire time we were talking? And kissing.”
“Well, yes, I was at that table in the back,” James says before I can stop him. I have the sensation I have done something wrong but don't know why.
She stands up. “What is this? Is this some sort of sick game between the two? You wanted to see if he really made me believe that sob story about how he couldn't stay away from me. That's why he was hiding in the back.” She's close to tears now, and I don't know how to make it better.
“Baby, please, it's not what you think. All that I have told you is true.” I reach for her hand, and she steps back.
“I'm not your baby. Please don't tell me this is a bet to see how fast you can get me to bed, or I will throttle you. And you,” she says, and turns to James.
James, the coward, mumbles an excuse and retreats back to his table.
She is full of fear and anger, and I quickly realize that someone hurt her really bad for her to be making these kinds of accusations with people she doesn't know.
“Who hurt you, Julia? Who did that stupid bet game with you? I'm so sorry this happened to you.”
“My ex,” she says. “He said that a woman like me is only good for games.”
I close my eyes in pain. Jesus! “What an asshole. You’re better off without him, baby.”
“Damn straight, I am.”
“How long did it last?”
“A month. I overheard him talking one day with his friends when we were watching a game at his place. I dumped his ass on the spot and told him my opinion of him. But the damage was done. I have trust issues. I'm sorry, but I need to go home.”
“Julia, please give us a chance. This could be something life-changing. You and I. We’re the real deal. Please. James is just my bodyguard. He's been with me for the past five years, so, yes, we are also friends. And he's one of the good guys. He would punch me himself If he ever believed that I would hurt you. Please believe me.”
“I can't,” she says, and her voice cracks. She starts crying, and I let her go.
“At least let me and James take you home.”
She shakes her head. “Thank you, but no. Goodbye, David. Thank you for the fantasy.”
She kisses my cheek, then leaves.
Chapter 5
Julia
Two weeks later I’m still thinking about David. That was one memorable kiss, but I’m sure we wouldn’t have worked out. And I’m not entirely sure he didn’t play me.
I put the last of my clothes in my turquoise suitcase, a gift I received from my parents when I moved to New York, and I’m holding back tears thinking that I’m not going to see them at Christmas. I miss my parents—this is the first Christmas I’m not spending with them.
I’ve stayed at this hotel for the last couple of days. It’s not a bad hotel but it’s quite expensive. My plan is to stay at a cheaper hotel after I return from the client, and in January I will look for another job and a new apartment. It seems incredible that the client has asked for me to go to work at his house on Christmas Eve. The client must be an asshole, just like my boss.
I take my suitcase, leave the hotel, get in my car and drive to my client’s house. After about half an hour of driving, it starts to snow very hard and I worry that I’ll be stuck in the village due to the storm and not be able to return to the city. I take a twenty-minute break at the gas station and fuel my car, then make an online reservation at a small hotel in the village. It looks like I'm going to spend Christmas alone in a hotel room, which is very depressing.
I hate Stephen so very much. Instead of being with my family at home, celebrating Christmas, I’m on my way to a client.
I follow the directions of the navigation system and turn right, surprised by how charming this beautiful small town is. There are shops and cozy cafes with beautifully arranged windows on both sides of the street.
My GPS loses its signal. I turn right next to the church, and drive a few more miles until I have to accept that I’m lost in a forest in the middle of nowhere. It’s snowing like the Ice Age is coming and I’m going to kill my boss next time I see him. This is all his fault. I drive for five minutes more when I lose control of my car and it skids into a tree. Thank God I’m not hurt, but my car is stuck in the snow and my phone has no signal. I can’t stay
After an hour of walking I’m frozen. My beautiful boots are completely destroyed, and I feel like I have reached the end of my powers. The cold enters my bones and I don’t know how long I can stand. It snows so hard that you can't see the house from the top of the hill. However, I continue to climb, putting one foot in front of the other. I know I can't give up now because it would be a death sentence. Nobody knows where I’m at or that I need help, so I have to save myself.
I take my phone out of my pocket and check if I have a signal. Nope. I put my phone back in my pocket and start to climb again. After another ten-minute walk I reach the top of the hill and see the house, hope surging that I will survive. Reaching the door of the house, I knock. A wave of nausea comes over me and I lean against the door so I don't fall. The door suddenly opens and I crash at the homeowner’s feet.
“Miss, are you hurt? Do you need any help?”
“Yes, I need help. I’m so cold,” I say.
“Julia, what the hell? What are you doing here?”
I raise my head and I’m shocked to see David standing near me. “I’m so cold. My boss, Stephen sent me. He said that I need to pitch you some ideas and concepts for your campaign. He couldn’t come, he went to Aspen, so he sent me instead. My GPS lost its signal because of the storm and I got lost and ended up in the woods. Then my car broke down and I walked here.”
David curses under his breath. He helps me get up and takes me to what I assume is a living room, and helps me on the couch. He kneels in front of me and takes out my boots and socks.
“My God, your feet are swollen and icy cold.” He massages them a little bit and then gets up and disappears. He comes back and hands me a glass. “It’s whiskey. Drink it, it will make you feel better.”
The alcohol burns my throat and makes me shiver, but a pleasant warmth spreads inside my body.
“You need a warm shower and then a hot one, ok? Let me help you get upstairs.”
We enter what is a guest bedroom, I suppose, and go into the bathroom. David helps me take my clothes off. I feel so weak that I sit on the chair by the toilet table.
“Can you get the rest of your clothes off and take a shower?” David asks. “I'll be out here, ca
ll me if you need anything.”
I shake my head, too weak to say anything. I slowly undress and put myself under the warm shower. Tears begin to run down my cheeks and I begin to realize how close to death I was. I carefully wash my hair and frozen body with the vanilla shower gel I find on the shower shelf.
I leave the shower and wrap myself in a fluffy white towel, finding a dryer in one of my drawers. After drying my hair a bit, I enter the room. I feel so tired that I want to take a nap. David certainly doesn’t expect me to work under these conditions. I collapse in bed with the intention of sleeping for an hour, but it's dark outside when I wake up.
Confused, I pull my phone out of my bag and see that it is Christmas Eve. I’m very hungry and I have no clothes to wear. I go to the bathroom and find a white robe hanging in one of the cabinets, but my dirty clothes are gone.
I just hope David hadn’t come in while I was sleeping.
Chapter 6
David
I’m eating dinner and reading the news on my tablet when I hear shy steps approaching. I look up and almost burn myself with my coffee.
Julia stands in front of me, wearing only a fluffy white bathrobe and a murderous expression. She has the most beautiful deep brown eyes and glossy black hair I have ever seen.
“You scrub up really well. How are you feeling?” I ask.
“I'm fine. Thank you for taking care of me this morning,” she says. “I'm sorry that I came out of my room in my bathrobe, but I can't find my clothes.”
The truth is I don't mind the bathrobe. At all. That bathrobe is making me have inappropriate thoughts about her. Which is a really bad idea considering she hates me and she already rejected me once. I'm sure she needs some warm coffee and good food, not me lusting after her. Especially after the near-death experience she had this morning.
I clear my throat. “Your maid took your clothes,” I say and return my attention to my tablet. I didn't want to keep staring at her when I know she is only wearing that bathrobe.
“My what?” she asks.
I return my gaze to her. She appears shocked by my answer. “Your maid took your clothes. I told her to burn them, but I'm sure she just washed them.”
Her lips thin into a straight line, and she wraps herself tighter into her robe. “I want them back, please. They are the only clothes I have here. My suitcase is in my car. I can't exactly leave here dressed like this.”
I look at her again. I’d never really cared about bathrobes before this morning, but now I find them particularly sexy and alluring.
“Did you do this on purpose?” she asks me, shaking with anger. “You track me down, find out where I worked and get me here on the bogus pretense of working for your campaign. I can't believe you would do something like that.”
“This is the second time you’ve accused me of something I'm innocent of. I didn't track you down, Julia. You said no. Truth be told I couldn't stop thinking about you this past two weeks, but I didn't know where you worked until you told me when you arrived this morning.”
“I'm sure you understand that I want to leave.” She takes a deep breath. “Please.”
I shrug. “I'm really sorry, but you can't leave. Do you want some coffee? Mrs. Reynolds, please bring a cup of coffee for Miss Dunn.”
“Yes, sir,” my housekeeper says.
Julia stares incredulously at me. “You can't be serious. You can't keep me here.”
“Mrs. Reynolds, on second thought, please bring Miss Dunn a cup of tea. It will help her relax.”
“Certainly, sir,” she says and saunters happily to the kitchen.
I take a piece of bacon from my plate and put it in my mouth. “You should try the bacon. Mrs. Reynolds made it particularly crispy today. I asked her to make breakfast food for you.” The fury in her eyes saddens me.
“I don't want bacon or coffee, what I want are my clothes so I can get out of here. Thank you for letting me stay here this morning, that was generous of you, but I need to get back into town. I need to hire someone to help me rescue my car.”
“Look, warrior princess, I can't keep you here if you don't want to be. There is a snowstorm outside, and all the roads are closed. It's Christmas Eve, so just sit down and eat your breakfast. I'm sure the weather will improve by tomorrow so you can get out of here.”
“So I'm your hostage?” she asks.
“Hostage is a strong word. You can leave if you really want to. I'm not stopping you. The storm is. I suggest you calm down, sit down and eat your dinner. You need to eat and take better care of yourself.” I check my watch. “James will be here in fifteen minutes so you can explain to him where you left your car. We are going to try and retrieve your car in the morning or at least your suitcase so you have your things and be more comfortable until you can leave. I gave my staff the day off to spend it with their families.”
She gapes at me. “Then why are your maid and housekeeper here?”
“Because of you, silly. They live in the other house on the property and heard I have a visitor, so they came here to help.
Her anger visible deflates. “Oh, I'm sorry. They don't need to do that. You’re right. It's Christmas, and they need to be with their families. And one more thing, I can't let you risk your life to retrieve my suitcase. I'm sure you can lend me a shirt and some pants.”
“I'm glad you’re being reasonable. My sister has some clothes here, I'm sure some of them will fit.”
“Thank you,” she says.
“Please eat something, you need to regain your strength. You're too pale.”
“I will, thank you.” She finally takes a seat. “Everything looks delicious. Can I eat dressed like this, or should I go change?”
“Only if you want to change. You don't have to do anything you don't want to Julia.”
“Why do I have the feeling you are talking about something else?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe I am.”
Mrs. Reynolds enters the dining room. “Here you are, Miss Dunn, a fresh cup of tea,” she says and places the cup in front of her.
“Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, but please call me Julia.” She smiles and her whole face lights up.
I can't do anything else but stare, mesmerized. She has this cute little dimple in her right cheek when she smiles.
She takes a sip of the steaming hot tea and closes her eyes. “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, this is the best tea I’ve had in years.”
“I'm glad you like it, Miss Dunn,” my housekeeper says.
“Mrs. Reynolds, please leave. Go home and be with your family,” I say.
“Thank you, sir.” She smiles shyly then leaves the room.
“You're a good boss,” Julia says.
“Thank you, Julia. You think so little of me that you think I would abuse my staff? They’re good people and work hard to feed their families.”
“You’re right. I'm sorry. Stephen is a horrible boss. I thought . . . nevermind. I was wrong, I apologize. I love your Christmas tree, but it's a little sad without gifts. I'm sorry, but I didn't bring any gifts.”
“Apologies accepted. I'm glad you like it. Don't take it the wrong way, but I bought something for you.”
She inhales sharply, and I'm afraid she will bolt again. “I went shopping for Christmas gifts for my mom and my sister, and I saw this love lock and key pendant and thought of you. So I bought it. I don't know why. I know it's been only two weeks, and we don't know each other, but I think about you all the time. I burn for you.” I whisper that last part.
“I also think about you. I think I made a mistake that night. You burn for me? What do you mean?”
I get up from my chair and go to her. “May I?” I ask her.
I take her hand after she nods her consent, and place it in the front part of my pants. “Do you feel this? I'm constantly hard since I met you. I want to fuck you, possess you, make you mine. I ache for you. I can't sleep or eat properly. I even tried dating other women. It doesn't work. I only want you.”
&nb
sp; Chapter 7
Julia
I’m shocked and upset by his admission. “You tried dating other women?”
“Tried is a strong word. My brother took me to a bar last week. I tried to make an effort to at least look at someone else. I didn’t want any of them. Do you know why? They didn’t have your voice, your eyes or your hair. And none of them had an ass like yours. I want to spank it while I’m buried deep inside your pussy and ride you from behind. How is that for a romantic declaration, Princess?” His voice is bitter.
“Do you think you’re the only one hurting? I took a risk with you that night and you hurt me,” I say. “Now I’m giving you another chance. Don’t break my heart, David. Please. I wouldn’t survive this time.”
Anticipation pulses through me and I wet my lips with my tongue, willing him to crush my body against his. Desire races through my veins, but I’m afraid to move, to blink, waiting for him to make his move.
David transforms before my eyes, the haunted look in his eyes disappears.
“Julia,” he says softly.
I shiver in response and he smiles a sexy smile and takes a step toward me. I lean into him and grab his belt but he pushes my hand away and fists my hair.
He takes my mouth like a hungry man, possessing me with his lips. He lets my hair go and pushes the bathrobe to the floor. I tense a little when I realize I’m naked in the middle of the living room, but David fiercely kisses one of my breasts, then gently bites my nipples. First the left and then he moves to the right.
Coherent thoughts completely desert me and I’m consumed by the pleasure and passion David is showing me. I feel my legs give in and I grab his shirt to steady myself.
His Christmas Curves Page 2