Christmas Down Under: Six Sexy New Zealand & Australian Christmas Romances

by Rosalind James

  “Oi. I’ve been busy.”

  “Doing what?” She shivered. “Sorry, but I’m freezing. I need my dressing gown.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her up on tiptoes to kiss her, his hands reaching under her bottom to hold her against him. “Let me warm you up,” he suggested.

  “Mmm.” She snuggled against him. “You are warm.”

  “I’d warm you up some more,” he said, reluctantly letting her go, “but I really have been busy. And I want to tell you about it. Go put your dressing gown on, come have a cup of tea.”

  * * *

  “OK,” she told him, pulling her sash tight as she came into the kitchen, took the mug of tea he held out. “What’s this mysterious activity?” She sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “I know I slept in, but I was up late last night, for some reason. Did you go somewhere already?”

  “Did a bit of research, made some bookings,” he told her, taking his own seat. “Decided I’m taking you away for the rest of the week. I don’t want you thinking about anything you have to do. Other than pleasing me.”

  Another rush of heat filled her at his words. “Where are we going?”

  “The Far North. Warmest I can get, with just a few days for it. I’ve booked a bach outside Mangonui, on Doubtless Bay. A few days with the dolphins, a bit of time on the beach. Not many people there, this time of year. We’ll have it to ourselves.”

  “Sounds great. I’ve never been.”

  “You’ve never been a fair few places,” he pointed out. “For someone who’s lived in En Zed all these years. Never been to Doubtless Bay, or to Dunedin. Or much of the South Island at all, from what I can tell.”

  “You’re right. Jeremy was more … urban. He liked to travel to Sydney, Thailand. Places like that. And he didn’t always want me to go with him.”

  He snorted. “Three guesses why not. Well, I’m not urban, and I do want you with me.”

  “Both things I’m thrilled about, trust me,” she assured him. “I just want to spend time with you. But if I can do it at the beach, hey, bonus.”

  “The water’s a bit warmer there, but we’ll stop by the surf shop in Takapuna all the same, get you a wetsuit and a snorkel. Since I have a bad feeling I won’t be able to keep you in bed the entire time.”

  “Most of the time, though.” She took another sip of tea and smiled at him, reached out to run a hand over his bicep, feeling it flex at her touch. “I have a lot of catching up to do, I’ve decided. A lot to learn. And you’re an amazingly good teacher.”

  He stood up. “Get your skates on, then. Pack your togs, a few clothes, and we’ll go. We’ll have brekkie at the café on the way. Because if you keep saying those things, we aren’t going to be leaving this morning after all.”

  * * *

  “I have to say,” she sighed two evenings later as they lay in the spa pool on the deck of their bach, the Southern Cross and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere constellations in a dizzying array overhead, stars bright against the black night. “This has to be the most … physical period of time I’ve ever spent in my life. Nothing but eating, sleeping, swimming, and …”

  “And making love,” he agreed. “Welcome to my physical world. You’ve slipped up and done a bit of reading, though. I’ve noticed.”

  “Otherwise, I’m going to turn into some kind of mindless zombie,” she said.

  “Hmm.” She could see his teeth flash in the darkness as he moved to pull her closer. “I’ve always wanted my own zombie.”

  “You said I was your android before,” she reminded him, sighing as he ran warm hands over her body, his hands lingering on her breasts. “Make up your mind.”

  “Reckon you’re mine, whatever it is you are,” he decided, pulling her onto him.

  “I’m so crazy about you,” she said breathlessly, feeling his hands guiding her, the warm water bubbling around them, “I’m afraid I am becoming one of those things.”

  “Keep moving like that,” he instructed. “That’s really good.” He moved his hand between them. “I’m going to touch you here. Tell me what you want. Harder, softer. Tell me. Move my hand, show me.”

  “You don’t mind?” she got out, breathing hard now at the feeling of him inside her, his big hand on her. She leaned back, allowing him better access, felt the excitement begin to build.

  “Tell me,” he commanded. “Or show me.”

  She reached down, laid her hand over his, showed him what she needed. “There,” she sighed. “Oh, Finn.”

  She was barely managing to move now as he found the perfect spot. She felt him taking her up as he stayed there for long minutes, kissing her, murmuring words of encouragement, his hand stroking, the heat building higher and higher within her. Her breath came in panting gasps as she forgot to worry about him, about whether he was enjoying himself enough. The bands within twisted tighter and tighter until, at last, they released in a series of convulsions that had her sobbing against him.

  He held her hard now, moved her limp body over him, drove into her as she clung to him, called out as he found his own release. Held her afterwards while she curled against him, languid and boneless, stretching her neck to allow him better access as he kissed her there. She shivered as he ran his hand over a breast.

  “That really didn’t bother you?” she murmured.

  He chuckled softly against her hair. “Did I seem bothered?”

  “I mean, my … showing you?”

  “Aw, Jenna.” He bent down to kiss her, long and sweet. “Do you know how good it feels to me when you’re that excited? When you’re coming, and I’m inside you?”

  “It does?”

  “It does,” he assured her. “Whatever gets you there, that’s what I’m going to do. And I need to know what that is, so I can do it. I’m always going to want to know. And if that’s my hand, or your hand …” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s all good.”

  “Mine?” she faltered. “Really?”

  He laughed aloud. “Do you have any idea how hot that is? How much I’d like to stand there, watch you do that? Especially if you didn’t know I was there. Making me hot again just thinking about it. You may have to put on a show for me, now I’ve thought of it. Because after that …” he sighed. “After that, I’ll be turning you up, down, every way there is. Oh yeh. That’ll work.”

  He kissed her again, lingering over it. “You turn me on,” he told her. “You always have, and it just keeps getting stronger. Your gorgeous body. The sounds you make, the way your eyes glaze over when I come inside you. Thinking about what I’m going to do next time, how it’s going to feel. Wondering how far I can go, how much I can push you before you tell me no. That’s the only mental exercise I’ve been getting this week. And it’s keeping me occupied.”

  “The answer is,” she said against his chest. “The answer is, as far as you want. Anything you want to do, I’m willing to try. As long as you don’t hurt me. And there’s no livestock involved. Or other people.”

  “No livestock. And nobody else. The last thing I’d do is to share you, or to hurt you. But cheers for the green light. You’ve just given me something to think about, the whole drive home tomorrow.”

  She sighed. “Yeah. Going back. I’ll be glad to see the kids. But so sorry to leave this place.”

  “We can come back,” he promised. “Another time. And now … ” He got up, pulled her out behind him, handed her a towel. “We’re going to go inside, take a shower to wash off this chlorine, sleep for a bit. Until I wake you up because I need to do it again.”

  Discretion

  “Dad!”

  Finn received the full force of Harry’s hug as the boy charged through the security gate and into his arms. Finn gathered Sophie in as well, then kissed Sarah hello, shook hands with Kieran.

  “Good to see you both. Thanks for bringing them up. Flight OK?” he asked as they waited for their luggage.

  Kieran laughed. “Hour and a half. Can’t complain. Nothing to what you do
, bro.” He pulled a suitcase off the belt with a stocky arm. Years of working outdoors had tanned and seamed his face, making him look older than his forty-three years. But the lines around his eyes and mouth were good-humored ones, and Finn counted himself lucky in his brother-in-law.

  “Those two behaved themselves, eh,” Finn asked, pulling off Harry’s and Sophie’s suitcases as well.

  “Daddy,” Sophie sighed. “We aren’t babies.”

  “Where’s Jenna?” Harry asked as they made their way to the car park. “Isn’t she back from her holiday yet?”

  “Nah, she’s home. Not enough seats in the car, see?” Finn said. “And she’s taking the chance to get her run in before everyone arrives.”

  “Heard a lot about Jenna,” Kieran remarked from the back seat where he was wrestling with seatbelts. “From multiple sources. Can’t wait to see for myself.”

  “Oh?” Finn glanced across at his sister, who smiled back at him. “This’ll be your chance, then.”

  Harry was out of the car as soon as Finn had pulled to a stop and turned off the car, pounding up the steps ahead of the rest of them.

  “Reckon he’s in love,” Kieran commented dryly. “She must be pretty special.”

  Jenna was at the front door, then, pulling Harry in for a hug, reaching for Sophie as well, laughing in delight. “Oh, how glad I am to see you two,” she exclaimed. “And Sarah. I’m so glad you’re here.” She embraced the other woman, then greeted Kieran with a warm smile and a handshake. “Thanks for lending me your wife to be my date last week. I had a great time with her. I hope I can return the favor by making you comfortable for a couple days.”

  She showed them to the guest room next. “I understand this is your holiday,” she said. “You’ve been here before, of course. So you know your way around.”

  “Never had flowers in our room before,” Sarah commented.

  “Lunch in an hour or so,” Jenna promised. She looked out the French doors, saw Finn already in the garden, dribbling the soccer ball with Sophie, and smiled. Physical again.

  * * *

  “Did you have a good holiday?” Kieran asked Jenna after finishing off the first half of his ham and cheese panini in a few juicy bites. “Sounds like you’ve earned it.”

  “I don’t know about that. But, yes, I had a very good holiday.”

  “Where’d you go? Finn said you were staying on the South Island,” Sarah said.

  “Ah. Changed my mind, in the end.” Jenna felt the treacherous color rising, did her best to sound casual. “I went up to the Far North, to Doubtless Bay. Pretended it was summer. I saw lots of dolphins,” she remembered, turning to Harry with relief. “And orca, even. That was very cool.”

  Harry’s eyes gleamed behind his specs. “Wow,” he breathed. “A whole pod?”

  “We counted four,” she said.

  “We?” Sarah asked.

  “Oh. I did a cruise, one day,” Jenna said. “Yeah. We saw them.”

  “Fancy that. Have you seen orca yourself, Finn?” Sarah asked innocently. “Ever?”

  “A few times,” he said blandly. “Always a treat, eh. Unless I’m kayaking. Then I’m not too keen.”

  “But I want to hear about what you kids did,” Jenna said, watching Sarah and Kieran exchange knowing glances. “How was the farm?”

  “It was so cool,” Harry said. “Nana and Grandpa have barn cats, did you know that, Jenna? And one of them had kittens. They were tiny, like this.” He held his hands out to show her. “And their eyes were still closed! You can’t pet them, though,” he sighed. “That was sad.”

  “And they have chickens,” Sophie put in. “Heaps of chickens. They’re really silly. They have beards.”

  “Araucana,” Sarah explained. “They are silly, but Mum loves them. They do lay the most beautiful blue eggs, but they have these ridiculous tufts of feathers on their faces.”

  “We collected the eggs for Nana!” Harry told Jenna proudly. “Every day. It was our job.”

  “What kind of farm is it?” Jenna asked. “I’ve never heard.”

  “Pears,” Finn said. “It’s a pear orchard.”

  “Really. Isn’t that a lot of work?”

  “It is,” Sarah said. “Dad has some help managing it, though. And they’ve been using a new scheme that’s going surprisingly well, having young people working for him. From all over the world, on working holiday visas. They come and do anything from a week to a month or two. Four hours a day in exchange for a place to sleep, and one big meal that Mum cooks. No pay, unless they want to work a full day.”

  “And that works?” Jenna asked in surprise. “Without any training?”

  “Yeh, it does, surprisingly. Dad says it’s the best workforce he’s ever had. None of the problems he used to have with casual labor. They’re all bright, all keen. Finishing Uni, or taking a year out from it. And those kids from Germany and Norway speak better English than the Kiwis.”

  “I can believe that,” Jenna said. “Wow. I wouldn’t have thought.”

  “They’re really nice,” Sophie assured her. “I learnt how to say Good Morning in different languages. D’you want to hear?” She rattled off greetings in French, German, and something that Jenna decided must be a Scandinavian language. “Ohayou gozaimasu,” she finished.

  “What’s that?” Finn asked.

  “Japanese.” She smiled triumphantly. “There was a Japanese girl there, Yuki. She taught me.”

  “So when I go play in Japan, one of these years, you’ll be one step ahead of the rest of us,” Finn said.

  “Is that likely to happen?” Jenna asked.

  “That’s where the money is.”

  “In Japan? They play rugby? Successfully?”

  “Surprisingly. Can’t match up to the top sides, but heaps of ticker. And more to the point, they’re willing to pay big bikkies for All Blacks to come and play for a season. We call it the AB Superannuity Scheme.”

  “Well.” Jenna got up, began to clear the table. “I guess you’re right, then. Sophie’s got a head start.”

  Japan, she thought with a pang. Too far away.

  * * *

  “Hmm?” Jenna murmured at the feeling of Finn’s body against her, his hand moving over her breast. “Finn?”

  “Hope so,” he murmured behind her as he pulled her closer. “Unless you were expecting somebody else.”

  “Everybody’s here, though,” she protested, keeping her voice low. “We shouldn’t.”

  “We’ll be quiet. Least I will be. May be a bit of a challenge for you.” He rolled her, moved over her to kiss her, and stayed there a while, enjoying the way she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, the feeling of her hands in his hair, her generous mouth moving under his.

  “I may have to kiss you the whole time tonight, keep you from making all that noise,” he said at last, propping himself on one elbow and reaching down to pull off her nightgown. “Course, it’ll be a sacrifice. But I’m willing to make it.”

  “Is the door locked?” she asked. For all her concern, he noticed, her hands were making short work of his T-shirt, and reaching now for his underwear.

  “Locked,” he agreed, moving to take her lower lip in his mouth, give her a little nip there, his hand wandering again. “Any more questions I can answer before I get started here?”

  “Oh,” she sighed. “You’ve already started. And you know I can’t think when you’re doing that.”

  She was shaking by the time he laced his fingers through hers and moved over her. He could tell that forcing herself to stay quiet had been hard for her, and as erotic as he’d found it himself. Now, as he pushed inside, he sought out her mouth again, smothering the moan she couldn’t help.

  “You make me want you so much,” he told her softly, moving slowly, listening to her sigh against him. “I tried to sleep without you tonight, but I couldn’t.”

  “I should say no sometime, I know,” she answered breathlessly. “But I can’t. Every time, I want it more.
You make me feel so good.”

  He bent to kiss her, took her up again, so slowly this time, feeling her respond, the moment when she needed more. He kept her there a bit longer, until she was moving hard against him, savored the sighs and moans he took into his mouth, the urgency she couldn’t hold back now. Finally gave her what she needed, felt her convulsing around him in response, the sweetness and power of it, and found his own release, his mouth still locked over hers, stifling both their voices as they cried out together.

  Afterwards, he held her close to him, heard her breathing change as she fell asleep again. Dropped off himself before waking, chilled, to pull the duvet around them both. He remembered where he was, then, and that he couldn’t spend the night in her bed. He searched for his clothes, pulled them on in the dark as she stirred into wakefulness.

  “Nightgown,” she said sleepily, feeling around the floor for it.

  “Here.” He moved to her side of the bed, helped pull it over her head, and leaned down to give her a kiss. “Thanks. Better than warm milk.”

  “I could say the same,” she sighed. “Except you woke me up. But it was worth it.”

  “Mmm. Good night.” One last kiss, then he got up to leave.

  “Be quiet,” she urged him as he made his way to the bedroom door.

  “No worries. See you in the morning.” He unlocked the bedroom door and left the room, easing the door quietly shut behind him. He took a few steps toward the stairs, swore inwardly as the bathroom door opened and he made out his sister’s form.

  She jumped with surprise, eyes not yet accustomed to the dark. “Who is it?” she hissed, keeping her voice low.

  “It’s me. Finn,” he sighed. “Just … ah … checking on the kids.”

  “Checking on the kids,” she said dubiously as he came up to join her. “At two-thirty in the morning.”

  “Thought I heard something,” he improvised. “Nightmare, I thought.”

  He could almost hear her disbelief coming across the space between them. “Yeh, right. Going to bed now, though? Your own bed?”

  “Course. See you in the morning. Jenna’s fixing something special, I think.”