Stocking Stuffers: A Five Story Christmas Anthology

by E. J. Darling

  But it wasn’t mere days.

  It was years. Years of ignoring what they had. She only now realized what a good job they’d done, now that they didn’t need to lie. Didn’t need to pretend it wasn’t there. The idea she’d been in love with him this whole time, while engaged to someone else, didn’t sit well with her. It made her no better than her ex.

  He’d just been the first to act.

  But, she wasn’t like him. Never would have done what he did. She would have ended it, moved out. Exhibited respect, even if he never earned it. They were two very different kinds of people. When her teeth started to chatter, she turned the water off and got out, dressing quickly so she could meet him downstairs.

  When she entered the kitchen, she found him flipping pancakes. Breakfast for dinner was her favorite, but he couldn’t have known that. It was a happy coincidence, nothing more. “Bacon?”

  He gestured toward the fridge. “Grab it, and I’ll throw it on.”

  “I never pegged you for the pancakes for dinner kind of guy.” She found it quickly and brought it to him, hoisting herself onto the counter.

  “I’m not. But you’re a pancakes for dinner kind of girl.”

  She narrowed her eyes on him, her stomach dropping to the floor beneath her feet. “What would make you say that?” There was no way he knew, she’d never mentioned it. They’d never had a discussion about their meal preferences outside of her making dinner reservations for him.

  The half smile he gave her, the flash of white between his lips, sent her heart into her throat. None of her organs wanted to stay where they belonged, not when he kept sending them fleeing for cover. “You’ve made plans with Anna and Michelle to do breakfast after work enough times. I had an inkling.”

  “You were spying on my plans?”

  He tossed the bacon onto the skilled, the hiss filling her ears as the scent of maple hit her nose. Without answering her, he stepped to the side and wedged himself between her legs. “I’ve paid attention to a lot of things over the years.”

  She lifted her hands to lay them over his pecs, her heart still taking up residence in her throat and making it hard to breathe. “Why?”

  “Because looking is all I’ve ever been allowed to do.” He gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilted it up so he could press his lips to it gently. “But that’s going to change.”

  “I don’t understand you. I’m not even your type.”

  Jaime turned back to the food, flipping the bacon and readjusting it on the griddle. “What do you think my type is?”

  She thought back to the one serious girlfriend he had the entire time she worked for him. There wasn’t much flattering to say about her, and Val tried her best to figure out how to bring her up without simultaneously insulting him. Not to mention the long string of escorts he hired each year to accompany him to charity events and holidays with his family.

  “You’re thinking of Jessica, aren’t you?”

  She winced. “And your escorts.”

  He gave her a quick scowl before looking back to the food. “Is that seriously what you think of me? No wonder you didn’t want to come up here.”

  “That’s not what I think of you. It’s the one time I questioned your judgement, and I’m still not sure what you were thinking. I told you she was only after your money, and you refused to listen.”

  “I’m not with her anymore, haven’t been for years. And I don’t date escorts, I hire them to hang on my arm for a few hours. At least when it’s over with them it’s over. I was sick of the awkward good nights, women expecting more than I was willing to give. Women expecting anything.” He shook his head, stole another look at her. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

  “I do.”

  He scooped the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels, and twisted the griddle to low before turning to her. “Come here.”

  She eyed the hand he held out to her, then looked to his face, and back to his hand. “What are you doing?”

  A smile turned up the corner of his mouth. “Just come here.”

  She slid off the counter and took his hand, a giggle escaping as he twirled her and pulled her tight against him. “What are you doing?”

  He lifted his hand to her face and pushed her hair behind her ear before he started swaying with her to the music constantly filling the downstairs. “Dancing to Christmas carols in the kitchen.”

  She smirked as he pushed her away to spin her under his arm again before pulling her back. “I’ve never done anything like this before, you know. I’m not used to things like this.”

  “Did that ass not dance with you?”

  She shrugged, torn between wanting to shut down the conversation and wanting to confide in someone. “No.”

  He quirked a brow at her. “The sex was bad, he didn’t dance with you. Tell me again what you saw in him? I know you don’t care about money, so that can’t possibly be it.”

  She laughed and gripped him tighter as he pulled her in close and rested his cheek against the side of her head. “I honestly don’t know. It was comfortable, we dated so long it just seemed natural to get married, and I was content enough I didn’t think to look for more. I assumed porn worthy sex gods didn’t exist.”

  His loud laugh drew a smile from her, but she hid it in his shirt. “Is that what I am? A porn worthy sex god?”

  “I’d tell you, but I’m afraid it would inflate your already overinflated ego. Why did you date that other girl for so long?” She raised a brow as she questioned him, forcing her mind away from the way her body fit perfectly against his. The way he made her feel cared for.

  “Because I could tolerate her company and it kept my mother off my back. When she ran up one of my cards to the tune of six digits one month, it pushed me over the edge. I ignored her spending before that, it made her happy, which made my mother happy.” He smirked as he twirled her again before bringing her close. “It also saved me money on escort services.”

  “You could have always just found some other girl.”

  “No one ever caught my attention.” He stopped moving. Released her, and slowly brought his hands up to cup her cheeks.

  Until you.

  The words hung, unspoken, in the air between them.

  A light snow fell, the white specks barely visible outside the windows. They stood there, staring, his face pinched as though he was in pain as he swept his thumbs across her cheekbones.

  “I don’t want to go home.” She whispered the confession, swallowing hard against the lump restricting it.

  “I know.” He bent his head closer to her, but hesitated before making contact. “You’re shivering.”

  It wasn’t the cold. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was no denying the tremble as she tightened her grip on him, the wave of emotions crashing over her as she stared up at him, willing him to close the distance between them. Hating him for showing her how good the right man could be, grateful for him not allowing her to spend the holiday alone, thankful for his determination to make this Christmas a good one.

  Another emotion.

  One she didn’t dare name. It plagued her, but she refused to acknowledge it. It was too soon, even though they knew each other for years. It was the holiday spinning fantasies as fantastical as dancing sugar plums.

  No.

  That emotion could never be named.

  “Valerie.” He spoke her name on a soft exhale as he continued his descent, his lips finally taking hers. It was intense, his breath scalding her skin, his tongue scorching as it sought out hers. He took his time with her, lazily exploring.

  The little bit of cold dissipated, the snow gone. There was just Jaime, his warmth, his hands on her face, his shirt in her hands, his mouth over hers. One crazy reckless moment in a mass of reckless moments. The warmth spread from her lips throughout her entire body, a hot flash that consumed her as she stepped even closer, his grip on her tightening in response.

  His kiss slowly receded, and he br
oke contact with a kiss to her forehead. “We really do need to eat.”

  “Then bed?”

  “Perhaps.” He kissed her temple. “But first, Christmas movies. If I remember right there is a certain musical from the seventies you insisted you had to watch before midnight, and I’m pretty sure it was eight hours long.”

  “It’s only two.” She pushed her elbow into him with a laugh. “And I never said we couldn’t watch it naked.”

  Chapter Ten

  Jaime woke to Val in his arms for the second morning in a row, and it was just as gratifying as the one before. It was their last full day together, their last hours in paradise before they were forced to return. The last few hours to convince her they didn’t need to end or they’d have to pretend they never shared the most intense weekend of his life. If he failed, he’d lose the right to touch her, kiss her.

  The right to claim her.

  He’d have to watch her find some other guy to date, a guy who would touch her like he was now. While she may be hesitant now, she had so much love, so much happiness in her. Getting married, having kids, it was inevitable.

  And if he didn’t persuade her to give them a real shot, he’d have to watch it all from across the room, the door between them as literal as it was figurative. He cupped her cheek, brought his lips to hers and tasted them. Closed his eyes and focused on the feel. The supple bottom lip he loved to bite, the full top lip that drew a moan from her when he dragged his teeth over it.

  He was so close, felt she was so close to giving in. But, this wasn’t horseshoes or hand grenades, and close wasn’t good enough. It was Christmas, her favorite day of the year. The day that would make or break them. He knew she’d be eager to start it, but he was loath to move. He didn’t need anything outside that room.

  Everything he wanted for Christmas laid in his arms.

  She stirred, and her eyes fluttered open, a sleepy smile settling across her lips. “Merry Christmas.”

  He returned the smile, though he knew it didn’t reach his eyes. “Merry Christmas.”

  She brought her fingertips up to his lips, her smile turning to a frown. “You can’t be unhappy today.”

  “How could I be unhappy when I’m spending the day with you?” He leaned down to kiss her again, not allowing himself to take more. If he lost himself in her again, they’d never make it downstairs. “It’s Christmas, and you’ve always told me Christmas is full of magic.”

  Magic he hoped would ensure they spent the rest of their Christmases together.

  “Come on, let’s see what Santa brought.” He shifted out from under her and stood, holding his hands out. When she gripped his hand, he tugged her gently, up and out of bed so he could lead her downstairs. The transformation on her face when she saw the tree set against the freshly fallen snow outside the window behind it filled him with a renewed sense of hope.

  Especially when her hand clamped around his and she beamed up at him. “It’s like a postcard.”

  The grin that split her face as she spoke caused a tightness in his chest. That smile would be ingrained in his memory until the day he died, and knowing he was the cause of that happiness filled him with an emotion he couldn’t name. But it flowed through him, threatened to burst out of his chest with its volume and intensity.

  He pulled her against him, his hand around her waist as he pressed his lips to her temple. “Hopefully a postcard for the perfect Christmas.”

  “There couldn’t be one more perfect.” The words came on a laugh as she pushed away from him and sat in front of the tree and the two gifts beneath. “You really didn’t need to get me anything.”

  “Says the woman who also put a present under the tree.” The loss of contact between them left him eager for more, for any excuse to touch her again. He sat across from her, their knees touching as their eyes met across the space between them. When he picked up his gift and handed it to her, she did the same.

  “You really shouldn’t have.”

  “Neither should you. But we did, so stop complaining.” He gave the order with a smile, and earned one from her in return. As they swapped gifts, their fingers brushed and sent a tingle up his arm and down his spine. How the hell she was able to make his dick stir with an innocent touch would never cease to amaze him. The thing was out of control when she was close.

  Instead of opening his, he sat back and watched her open hers. The smile on her face fell when she saw it and looked up at him.

  “Jaime this is too much.”

  He shook his head. “No, you’re taking it. Nonrefundable. If you refuse to go, I’m out the money.”

  One corner of her mouth turned up the slightest bit as she stared down at it. Then it moved up a little more. Slowly, a smile spread across it completely, and she looked back up to him. “Seriously?”

  “It’s a private dive.” His smile joined hers as her eyes lit up and she looked back down at the brochure, colorful pictures of reef fish and a shipwreck splashed across the front. “Just you, a friend, a diving instructor, and the fish. Day or night, both if you want.”

  “Jaime, I can’t.” She shook her head, and gave a slight laugh as she shifted her gaze between him and the papers in her hands. “It’s seriously, just. It’s too much.”

  “You lost your Caribbean vacation, and I know how much you were looking forward to that dive. You’ve been talking about it for months. I can do this for you. As your boss, I demand you take it without further complaints.” He took his gift and started unwrapping it, hoping it would distract her.

  “My boss needs to learn some boundaries.” She muttered the words under her breath, but the smile never left her lips. The tactic worked, as she suddenly became more interested in the gift in his lap than the one in hers. “I hope you like it. I didn’t know what I was doing, and Hunter wasn’t nearly as much help as I hoped he would be.”

  As he tore the paper away, the brand name became obvious and a smile tugged the corner of his mouth. Poker chips. High quality ceramic ones. “They’re perfect.”

  “I heard you complaining about the chips you had at home to Hunter a few times, and I couldn’t think of anything else. I didn’t know if you got a new set, and don’t feel bad if you don’t like them, I can return them and get you something else. I just,”

  He cut her off with his mouth over hers, and she relaxed into him. Without breaking away, he pulled her into his lap threading his fingers through her hair as he continued kissing her. Exploring her. Drinking in every sigh and touch. “They’re perfect.”

  The words were whispered against her lips, and he gave a last nipping kiss before pressing his forehead to hers. “You’re perfect.”

  With a deep breath, she ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “When we leave here our relationship is going to be drastically different than it’s ever been.”

  That was the plan. Uncertainty about the success of the plan still loomed over him, and her words sounded like warning bells. “It’s Christmas, remember? Miracles, and magic, and all that.”

  She returned his weak smile with a shaky one of her own. “I think this is going to take far more than a miracle.”

  “That’s where the magic comes in.” When she smiled again, he inclined his head toward the kitchen. “Breakfast? Or shall we do dinner for breakfast?”

  “No.” She laughed as she stood, going easily into his arms when he wrapped his arm around her. “That’s not how that works.”

  They moved through the kitchen in perfect unison, though it was in silence and without touching. He looked over to her, her reflection showing a vacant stare out the window as she wiped down the last counter to clean the evidence of pancake batter. He stepped closer and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her back to his front as he pressed a kiss to her hair and inhaled deeply. “I’m going to take you ice skating.”

  “It’s cold out there, freezing.” She spun in his arms, looking up at him with wide eyes.

  “It’s only cold if you stop moving.” He threaded his
fingers through her hair and laid his palm over her cheek. “Besides, do you not trust me to keep you warm?”

  She smirked and brought her hands to rest over his chest. “I bet you could keep me a lot warmer here.”

  “I could.” He kissed her chin, running his teeth over it before kissing a path along her jaw up to her ear. “Sure you don’t want to go skating first? I thought you loved all things Christmas?”

  “Ironically, I hate the cold. There's a reason I spend Christmas in the desert.” She leaned back and raised a brow at him. “What if we make use of the hot tub instead?”

  “Fine.” He spun her and smacked her ass, with a laugh. “Go get ready.”

  She glared over her shoulder, but continued toward the stairs. “You really need to work on your bossiness, you know.”

  A smile played on his lips as he focused on her ass while she walked away. There was something about it encased in a pair of yoga pants that made it impossible to look away. Perhaps the Friday dress down days she’d been fighting for weren’t a bad idea after all. He’d take the lack of professional appearances for a day if it meant he got eight hours of her perfectly defined ass.

  “Ready?”

  “To get naked with you? Definitely. Promise to behave?” She gave an impish smile as she looked up at him.

  “Promise.”

  Chapter Eleven

  For their third and final night together, they once again lay tangled on the couch with a Christmas movie on. Unlike the other nights, this time they were exhausted after marathon sex. Sex in the hot tub, sex in the shower, sex on the bed, sex in the light of the tree. It would be days before she was able to move without every muscle in her body screaming. It was worth every bit of it. Without even an ounce of energy left in her body, all she could do was pay attention to him.

  The way he smelled, the way his skin felt against hers, the rise and fall of his chest with each breath. The way his arm curled around her hip, holding her tightly against him as his fingers moved back and forth over her waist beneath her shirt. It felt so natural, so right, to be with him like this.