Christmas Curvy: A Curvy Girl's Holiday Fling

by Reed, Kristabel

He leaned closer and ran his tongue over her shoulder, breathing deeply. “Was it hot and steamy?” he asked, and his voice, so low and seductive, rolled over her. “I see you used the body wash I like.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, and really tried not to shiver as he kissed the curve of her neck. What was she doing? Oh, right. Moisturizing.

  His fingers danced up her spine, caressing the bare skin above the towel. Laura swallowed and forced her gaze to her own reflection in the mirror, not drift to his. No help for it, his long fingers slid around her to where she’d tucked the ends of her towel in. He moved flush behind her, his hardness pressed against the curve of her ass.

  All her breath left in a whoosh.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as primly as she could manage.

  Laura thought it sounded rather breathy instead, and gave up ignoring him. She met his gaze in the mirror, his blue eyes dark with arousal. His chin rested on her shoulder as his fingers teased the skin he slowly exposed.

  “I need a towel,” he whispered against her skin.

  “There’s extra over there,” she said, keeping still beneath his sensuous touch. “This is a five-star hotel, we have plenty of towels.”

  “I like this one,” he said, his teeth nipping on the mark he’d made last night.

  Laura’s knees buckled. Honestly, how she’d managed to stay upright all that time was a mystery. Tyler spun her around and kissed her. Her towel fell to the floor as his hands combed through her wet hair.

  She moaned into the kiss. Who cared about morning breath or getting to work on time, or even two straight weeks of the best sex of her life when she had him kissing her like this? As if he had no plans to stop and could kiss her forever.

  Then his hands gripped her hips and lifted her to the bathroom counter. She opened her legs and used her heels to pull him closer.

  Every single inhibition she’d ever had had melted with his first touch. She wasn’t going to bother worrying about them now. Scraping her nails down his back, Laura rocked against him.

  “You’re a naughty woman, Ms. Dixon,” he said against her skin right before his teeth closed over her nipple.

  “Learned from the best,” she shot back and danced her fingers over his cock.

  He growled, that delicious sound in the back of his throat. She grinned wickedly against his mouth and reached over the counter to the stash of condoms. She couldn’t remember why they were in here but was suddenly very, very happy they were, because she didn’t want to move.

  Rolling it on him, Laura guided him into her. She locked her legs around his hips and held him tight. This moment, this first moment when they joined, was one of her favorites. The connection she felt with him had no words, or none she could say with any coherency.

  Tyler growled, “Laura.”

  Laura shuddered, gasped for breath, and held him tighter. He moved then, pulling out just enough to thrust back, hard.

  His fingers dug into her hips; her nails left marks on his back. It was hard and fast and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Within moments, she felt the band of arousal tightening through her snap and she cried out his name, her hips grinding against his.

  He continued to thrust, deeper, harder, until he threw his head back and climaxed. Breathing heavy, his head dropped to her shoulder and he kissed the skin there softly. He didn’t let her go; he never did immediately after sex but held her tight afterward.

  In those moments, she saw raw emotion, unvarnished, unhidden. In those minutes directly after sex, when Tyler held her close and looked at her with such intensity it stole her breath, Laura forgot this was a fun, sexy holiday fling.

  She saw how he felt when he looked at her and was unable to hide her own feelings. Laura cupped his cheek and kissed him tenderly, returning that openness in the only way she had, without words but with actions. There was truth in the emotion he showed her. And there were few things more seductive than seeing the honesty, the sincerity, of his feelings directed at her.

  Pulling back just enough to kiss him softly, she grinned up at him. “Wanna take a shower with me?”

  * * * *

  Showered, again, and dressed, Tyler held her hand as they waited for the elevator to descend. She was starving and had briefly debated having room service—once more—but no. They’d spent so much time in her room, or in the office, or sneaking into a closet for a quick kiss, that Laura wondered what it’d be like to see the real world again.

  “I feel so adventuresome,” Tyler said with a sly grin.

  Surprised, Laura looked up at him. She couldn’t help the answering smile, despite the way his illegal grin curled through her. Who needed the real world?

  “Why?” she wondered.

  “It feels so unusual to be out among other people,” he said. Then he leaned down and nipped the side of her neck, just above the high-collared blouse she wore to hide the marks he’d given her.

  “Yes,” she breathed then cleared her throat. “Wait. Was I not good enough company?” Laura looked up at him through her lashes and ran her fingers up his chest.

  Tyler caught her fingers and kissed the tips of them. “Too good,” he told her. “I could easily resign myself to only your company.”

  Laura wanted to offer a teasing comment, a witty comeback, but then just smiled softly. “I feel the same way.”

  The elevator doors dinged and opened. Once more Laura was surprised no one joined them in the car, but soon forgot it. This was a large hotel and they had many elevators; she certainly wasn’t going to question her good luck. Or another few minutes of privacy with Tyler.

  “Breakfast at Horatio’s?” he asked as they slowly walked across the lobby.

  Before Laura could answer, Sam called her from near the front desk. Frowning, she wondered why her assistant wasn’t in the office, not that she should complain. The last two weeks she’d only been there with Tyler and only for work that involved the two of them.

  Feeling her cheeks flush, Laura squeezed Tyler’s hand. “I’ll be right back. Grab us a table?”

  He nodded and grinned, and she took a moment to watch him walk away, his hands in his trouser pockets.

  Clearing her throat, Laura dragged her gaze from her lover’s backside and turned to where Sam stood. He’d taken a few steps closer, with his ever-present note pad and pen. She studied his face, but it was carefully blank, she noticed, and felt her own face heat up in response.

  Oh, God, she and Tyler must look like a pair of lovesick teenagers. Laura blew out a breath and smiled at Sam. No help for it. And if she happened to feel like one half of a lovesick teenage couple, well…she really had no way to finish that thought.

  “Good morning,” she said instead.

  Sam nodded at her and returned the greeting. “I’m sorry to bother you, Laura.” He paused and added with a significant look she chose not to interpret, “Two days before Christmas and all. But we’re having trouble with the off-site laundry services.”

  She frowned and gestured Sam farther from the center of the lobby. She didn’t want anyone to overhear this.

  “They’re behind on four deliveries and we’re running short on linens,” Sam added.

  “Even with the added incentive for guests to go green?” Laura asked, surprised. Sam only nodded. “I know what’s wrong.” She sighed. “It’s their delivery driver. He’s having personal issues.”

  She sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do me a favor—send Jonathon over with the truck. If it’s ready, have Jonathon pick up the linens for the next few weeks until they straighten everything out.” She paused and waited for Sam to finish his note. “If it’s not ready, let me know. That’s a different problem.”

  “Will do.” Sam grinned. Then his smile turned wicked and he winked. “Have a merry Christmas, Laura.” He leaned closer. “And make sure you get on Santa’s naughty list.”

  Laura laughed, barely restraining it before it turned into a girlish giggle. Oh man, what had gotten into her? But with that
same light feeling she’d had since waking, Laura nodded to her assistant and turned to breakfast.

  She’d have to see Sam that got a Christmas bonus in addition to the present she’d already picked out for him: tickets to any Broadway show he wanted, all he had to do was pick.

  Laura had only taken a couple steps when she spotted Tyler. The instant she did so, her heart tripped over itself to race, and that giddy arousal she’d grown to love spread through her. Who cared if her smile was a silly, happy one? She was happy and she felt silly and…

  Oh.

  He was speaking with someone. A tall, chestnut-haired woman who laughed at whatever he’d just said, her hand, all slender and perfect, on his arm. Sure, she looked the exact opposite of Laura—she was slim and her curves were in the right places. Laura shook her head; she wasn’t jealous.

  All right. Yes. Yes she was.

  Her footsteps hesitated, and for a beat all Laura wanted to do was turn and leave. Walk—all right, maybe run—to the elevators and hide in her room. No, not her room. She and Tyler had spent so much time there that she didn’t want to go back. The office?

  Running and hiding had never seemed so complicated before.

  Laura took a deep breath and stopped her first impulse. She swallowed, cleared her throat, and continued forward. She plastered a grin on her face she hoped was the right side of professional and stopped a respectable distance from Tyler.

  “Hello,” she said in her best up-and-coming developer voice. Actually, she was quite proud of herself.

  “Hi,” the tall, chestnut-haired model said with more sincerity than Laura had bothered with.

  “This is Susan,” Tyler said and slipped his hand into hers. “One of the executive assistants at my firm.”

  His fingers curled around hers and eased the sudden tightening around her heart. All right, maybe she was jealous. But did a man hold hands with someone he didn’t want to? Laura doubted it and allowed herself to marginally relax.

  “Oh.” With her free hand, Laura shook Susan’s. “Is there a problem?”

  “No,” Tyler said, shaking his head. “Susan’s family lives nearby and she stopped in to drop off the updated plans for a project I’m doing in Denmark.”

  Laura laughed, relaxing just a bit more. “Cheating on us, I see.”

  Tyler gave her that slow grin that made her stomach swoop and kissed her gently on her cheek. “Not all of us can live on Gideon International alone.”

  She knew her face was flushed from the obvious, and casual, display of affection. When she turned back to Susan, she noticed the interest in the other woman’s gaze. “Nice to meet you,” Laura said, cursing her jealousy and hoping to make up for her bad manners.

  “Oh,” Susan said with a speculative grin. Her voice rose just slightly, just enough to tell Laura that the casual peck on her cheek had not gone unnoticed. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  And there goes the office gossip.

  She cleared her throat and wondered if tugging her hand from Tyler’s now would only draw further attention to their closeness. She forced herself to stay still. After all, she wasn’t embarrassed by their relationship. Laura simply didn’t want it to be a betting pool.

  That reminded her of previous betting pools, and suddenly she wondered if Sam had already started one. No, best not to know. But she wasn’t betting in any more of Cynthia’s office pools again.

  “Sorry about the work over the holidays, boss,” Susan said with an apologetic wince. “But Rafe said that they wanted these additions immediately.”

  He looked in his free hand to the USB and shrugged. “No problem.”

  Susan looked back to Laura and grinned again. “Nice to meet you, Laura,” she repeated and stepped back. “I still have another twenty-minute drive to Mom’s, and she expects my help with Christmas dinner.”

  Laura watched the other woman leave for a minute before looking at Tyler. He’d slipped the USB and files and his hand into his pocket, but still held hers. Laura hadn’t realized how much she enjoyed the simplicity and intimacy of holding another’s hand until Tyler had taken hers during their first date.

  “What?” he asked, and only then did Laura realize she’d been studying him.

  “When I first saw you with Susan,” she said with more honesty than she’d spoken to any one in a long while, “I thought, ‘Oh, he’s already moving on.’”

  Tyler narrowed his eyes at her and instead of intimidating her, Laura knew it for the stupid girl move it was. Unreasonable jealousy. Wow. She’d never been unreasonably jealous before. Usually her jealousy had justifiable cause.

  “The other day,” he said quietly, “when we came down for drinks and you were pulled aside for that conversation with that…guest.” He said the word as if it were poison and she almost laughed. “I noticed how that man looked you up and down.”

  Of course she didn’t know what guest he referred to. And she certainly didn’t remember anyone checking her out. Trying to frown in concentration through her grin she said, “I don’t remember that guy. What’d he look like?”

  Tyler shook his head and a quick laugh escaped him. He pulled her closer and said, “I get jealous, too. It’s hard not to with you.”

  Jealous? Laura blinked and wondered if she should feel so wanted because of misplaced jealousy.

  Chapter Nine

  Christmas Eve morning. Laura knew what day it was, even though she wasn’t fully awake. She stretched and reached for Tyler, but his side of the bed was cold. No reason to panic, though she did enjoy waking to him every morning. She’d fallen asleep sprawled over Tyler’s chest, and in the two weeks they’d been together knew it was her favorite way to fall asleep.

  Laura grabbed her robe and slipped the blue silk on, before heading for the bathroom. She smelled breakfast and, more importantly, coffee. Not quite breakfast in bed, but who needed that? Their bed was for much more pleasurable activities.

  After washing her hands, she ran a brush through her hair and opened the door between the bedroom and the living area of the suite.

  The dining table was set up with pancakes, sausage, fruit, orange juice, and Tyler. He wore a pair of jeans that molded to his ass perfectly, and despite the siren’s call of coffee, Laura wanted to drag him back to bed just to peel those jeans off.

  “Good morning,” she said, her voice husky from arousal and sleep.

  He grinned and turned, holding out a mug of coffee for her. Laura knew it’d be perfectly made and, taking it, leaned up to kiss him hello. This was, she thought, the perfect way to wake up.

  In the background, she heard Christmas music playing softly, and beneath another small, brightly decorated tree laid the wrapped gift she’d bought him. It was all so very domestic, and she loved every second of it.

  Even in her wildest dreams, she’d never dared to imagine what Christmas Eve morning with Tyler would feel like.

  “Good morning to you,” he said and held out the chair for her. His lips brushed the side of her neck, and Laura shivered.

  “What made you get up so early?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and humming in encouragement.

  “It’s Christmas.” He laughed. “Don’t all excited kids get up early on Christmas?”

  “You’re a little early.” She grinned back and sipped her coffee. “By about twenty-four hours.”

  Tyler sat across from her and Laura tore her gaze from his bare chest. He was speaking and she should probably pay attention, not drool over his naked chest. He rolled the chair closer, which absolutely did not help her concentration, and Laura wondered how anyone ever paid attention with that man in the room. Her concentration was shot.

  “What?” she asked, feeling the heat of a blush over her cheeks.

  “I wanted today to be special,” he said and picked up her hand. “After all, it was this holiday that brought us together. And I think we should make the most of it.”

  Laura twined her fingers around his. “Okay.” She grinned and leaned closer. Dro
pping her voice she asked, “How do you want to make the most of it? Another sleigh ride?” She nipped his lower lips, just teasingly enough to elicit one of those sexy back-of-the-throat growls. “Or go back to bed?”

  Tyler shook his head but his eyes were dark with the same need thrumming through her, and his smile changed to the slow, sexy one that did not help her concentration.

  “Maybe later,” he said softly. “I thought we’d exchange presents, first.”

  Laura pulled back slightly in surprise and her eyes widened. “Presents are for tomorrow morning,” she pointed out, but didn’t bother with too much force behind it. “Are we changing tradition?”

  “Yup!” he said, nodding, and kissed her.

  Laura barely found the table to put her mug on before her brain short-circuited. She smoothed her now free hands over his chest, across his shoulders. Much as she loved opening presents, she loved kissing Tyler more. Scooting to the edge of her chair, she leaned into his touch. She was just about to climb onto his lap and convince him bed was a much better idea, when Tyler leaned back.

  The tips of his fingers traced along her cheek, over her jaw. With one final peck, he stood, pulling her up with him.

  “You just want your present now,” she said with a sultry wink she’d been unaware she could pull off.

  From the way Tyler’s eyes darkened, she knew it’d worked. Stepping closer to him, she suddenly wished he’d worn a tie so she could pull him closer. Then she laughed.

  “You’re such a big kid,” she said and took his hand. “That’s what I love about you.”

  Oh. Oh, she hadn’t meant to say that. Biting her tongue and looking anywhere but at Tyler, she dropped his hand and rushed forward. How did one take that back without sounding even more foolish?

  Laura decided to ignore it. Rushing forward, she grabbed the large box that was his gift and tried to distract him with presents. With any luck he’d be distracted by the gifts he wanted to open. With even more luck, he’d missed her slipup entirely.

  She probably wasn’t that lucky.

  “Here,” he said quietly and helped her lift the heavy box onto the low coffee table. “Let me help you.”