Mistletoe Madness

by Kelliea Ashley

  "You're right." He dropped his head to brush his wet nose against hers. His forehead rested against hers as he held her gaze with an intensity she'd seen and loved in him. When Dane wanted something he went after it like a Scud missile, so why hadn't he come after her like that? "This will change everything between us. Does it scare you?"

  "A little." She watched the hurt cloud his gaze as he turned to look away and panicked. "Dane, I care about you. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

  "And as a lover? Maybe as something more? Are you willing to turn your back on this chemistry between us?" His big hands spanned her waist and moved upward on a journey toward covering her breasts. Her nipples pebbled as his fingers made contact. A moan escaped between her clenched teeth as his leg moved between her thighs. "Do you really want to go back to watching movies without touching...without kissing?" His lips nipped hers as he spoke. He was making his point by demonstration, one she found herself falling easily into.

  Izzy's nails lightly scored the hard muscles of his back as she pulled him closer. Who was she kidding? She didn't want to go back to watching him go out with other women. Heaven help her, she wanted him for herself. Breaking the kiss, she pushed him back against the shower stall. He looked shocked and more than a little disappointed as he stood there watching her.

  "Promise me we'll remain friends if this doesn't work out." She knew he would because he always stayed on talking terms with his exes. "I mean it, Dane." She tossed the puff to the floor of the shower and grabbed up the bottle of body wash. Rubbing her soapy hands together, she then placed them on his shoulders. "We stay close. That means you are mine for Hump Days, birthday parties, holidays, you name it. If I need a shoulder to cry on, these will be available and ready, like always."

  "I promise. My shoulders are yours." He bent to seal his promise with a kiss hot enough to curl her bare toes. Izzy slid her soapy hands down over his six-pack stomach on a direct path to the hardened flesh jutting out against her belly.

  "Let's multitask." He squirted bodywash on his own hands before rubbing soap into her back. His hands were everywhere, and they stilled only when she captured his thick cock between her soapy hands. The male groan that tore from his lips made Izzy smile as she placed a kiss on his wet shoulder. "Now, I believe I owe you one."

  "Are we keeping track here?" His deep chuckle made her pull back to grin up at him.

  "I am. Let's get even." She saw his eyes dilate as she slowly knelt before him. He was a fine example of the male species, to which she was eternally grateful as she rinsed her hands and then gripped the base of his thick member. Her fingers barely circled the girth as she leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on the very tip.

  "Even is good." He gasped as his hands cupped her wet head to hold her in place. "Shit!" His head hit the shower stall with a thud as she slowly took him in her mouth. She would have smiled at his cursing if her mouth weren't stretched by the head of his cock. He tasted clean and male against her tongue as she licked the underside. A salty favor made her realize that he was getting close as his hips jerked against her. She began to move then, sliding back and forth as she sucked him with a hunger that was basic animal instinct.

  "Izzy! I'm close." His voice sounded tortured as he gasped. His hips were moving against her head with strong, frantic thrusts. Izzy had never deep throated any man, but she found herself relishing the feeling as he moved against the back of her throat. He knew she never swallowed as well, but as his hands tried to pull her head back, she fought him. "I'm there, Izzy!" His body shook as he pulsed inside her mouth. Izzy didn't flinch or gag as she took all he had to give and licked at him when he was done.

  "Now, we are even." She pulled back to grin up at him as he looked down at her. The water pelting them was beginning to get cold, and she barely noticed it.

  "Izzy..." His voice was relaxed and his expression that of a man who was fully satisfied. He bent to pull her to her feet as he kissed her deeply. His tongue tangled with hers in a kiss so sweet that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. The depth of feelings flooding her were confusing, and she held tight to him as the water switched off, and he picked her up in his strong arms as if she weighed nothing.

  She was surprised once more as he dried them both off and carried her into her bedroom. He didn't make a move to leave, which she expected him to try. Instead, he turned her on her side and wrapped his big, warm body around hers.

  "Tell me, because I have to ask—why did you swallow? You don't do that. You told me you'd bite a guy who tricked you into doing that." His arms tightened around her waist as he kissed the sensitive spot on her neck. Izzy was instantly grateful that her room was pitch black. Though she'd just had an intense session of steamy sex with the man, this was Dane talking so frankly about sex with her.

  "Curiosity." She shrugged a shoulder in what she hoped was a casual gesture.

  "And?" His teeth gently nipped at her ear lobe when she remained silent.

  "And what?"

  "Would you do it, again?"

  "Right now?" She felt his chest move against her back as he let out a deep laugh. She was sure she could but walking the next day might be a chore.

  "Well, no. Maybe in the morning." He hugged her tighter and settled his head on her pillow.

  "Can't keep up, Mr. Jordan?" She smiled as he sighed, his warm breath brushing her cheek as he did. She couldn't help it; she loved being snuggled in his strong arms. And the man was warm enough to keep her cozy without blankets. "Poor baby. Yes, I liked it. Yes, I could do it, again. And yes, definitely with you." Izzy bit her lip, suddenly uncertain as he remained quiet behind her.

  "This has been the best Hump Day Lollapalooza ever. Night, Izzy."

  "Night, Dane. By the way, you can thank Grams and her magical mistletoe."

  Chapter Six

  Dane woke Izzy up at five the next morning with a steamy kiss before he had to leave for the gym. She was vaguely aware of telling him she'd see him later in the week for her family's annual Christmas Eve party. It wouldn't be the first time Dane came to celebrate with her dysfunctional family, but it was the first time he planned to pick her up so they could go together.

  She woke up feeling confused by a myriad of emotions. For one, she'd slept with her best friend. Sex complicated relationships, but what they had done to each other was not just sex. You didn't cuddle and spoon the entire night if it was just sex. Plus, this was Dane. He had a record of the morning after sneak-out. His MO was to leave while the woman was still sleeping, usually in the middle of the night, and without making plans to get together. He'd held her all night, made a point to wake her up to tell her he was going to work, and he'd guaranteed he would be seeing her later. She wasn't the only one breaking rules.

  Then there was the issue with her breakup with Andrew. She didn't want to think making love with Dane was a rebound situation, and she sure as hell didn't want him thinking that. There was no comparing the two men, nor her feelings for them. Her feelings... She sat up to bury her head in her knees. What was she doing? The reality was that she didn't have a clue what she was doing. All she knew was that her body wanted Dane. Her heart certainly wasn't arguing, but her brain was telling her that she had stepped in some deep shit this time. It could all blow right up in her face. Oh, crap!

  Taking a shower served to remind her of how the water rippled off dark curls to cascade like a waterfall down his muscular body. She hurried out of the shower to get dressed and leave her apartment because even looking at her couch made her warm and needy. Izzy went into the kitchen to feed Teeny, who was yowling for cat food. Two steps into the room she turned and looked down at the floor. The mistletoe Grams insisted she hang up in her apartment should have been lying on the floor where it fell the night before. Izzy did a quick search that turned up her ripped panties but no sign of the mistletoe. Teeny had a habit of picking things up in her teeth and hiding them all over the apartment. Izzy figured she must have snatched the mistletoe while they were busy attack
ing each other. She shrugged it off, figuring it would turn up sooner or later and most likely in one of her shoes.

  ***

  Kitty was already busy rearranging the shelves of heels they stocked in every shade and color to go with the dresses. She gave her a hesitant smile over a shoulder as Izzy shrugged out of her coat to hang it up.

  "Good morning, partner. You're late. That either means you had a very good night with Dane, meaning far too much wine, or you didn't sleep well."

  "I had a good night." Good night? She'd had a once in a lifetime fantasy night, but she couldn't yell it to the world. What if Dane wanted to keep it between them? She didn't want to risk it, not yet. "Are you feeling better? You sounded and looked like hell yesterday."

  "Oh, some bad fish that Daniel bought. I think your Grams has a point, though. The spark just isn't there between us. The cheap perch he nabbed from a friend's fishing expedition drove the point home for me, especially after he up-chucked in my car on the way home."

  "I'm sorry, Kitty. Maybe this will clear the way for that mysterious Adonis Grams foretold." She patted her shoulder and stepped behind the counter to open the drawer and deposit the money she'd exchanged at the bank.

  "Yeah, he'll come in the dark of the night. Probably a cat burglar after my mother's china instead of my virtue." Kitty snorted. "Hey, I forgot to ask. How did your night with Andrew go? Let me see the bling, girl." Her friend's enthusiasm sounded natural, but her gray eyes were dull. She was obviously depressed about her own situation and didn't like Andrew, but that wouldn't allow her to ruin a friend's happiness. Kitty would support her decision to marry a man she thought was too selfish, too boring, and too caught up in his work to make her happy. She was a true friend, but Izzy could see the worry in her guarded look.

  "Relax. The bling is going on someone else's finger."

  "What!" Kitty's mouth dropped open in shock as her hands slapped the counter loudly. "That little suit and tie-wearing weasel! Who is the little slut he's been seeing on the side?"

  "Easy, girl. The little slut is his mother." Izzy laughed as Kitty's head jerked back and her brows drew together. "The ring was for his mother as a Christmas gift. We wear the same size."

  "Oh. So, he didn't ask you to marry him, then?" Hope flared in her gray eyes as she bit back a smile.

  "You really don't like him, do you?"

  "I don't hate him, if that's what you mean. I just don't like him paired with you; that's all." She shrugged a shoulder.

  Izzy picked up the mess of invoices and began to straighten them by tapping them on the counter. "Well, you'll be pleased to know that I'm not paired with him anymore."

  "You dumped him? Halleluiah!"

  "I'm so happy I made your day, but it was the other way around. He dumped me at dinner. Well, maybe it was a mutual dumping? We decided to call it quits."

  "What? Why? That little weasel..." The mother lion expression in her friend's eyes made her shiver. Kitty was an enemy one didn't want to provoke. She had a mean temper and a nasty right hook, thanks to Dane's self-defense classes. Thinking of Dane made her smile. "Wait, so if he didn't pop the question, then what happened? What did he want to ask you?"

  "He wanted me to skip Christmas with my family so I could house-sit for him while he went on a trip with a client. The conversation that followed was an eye-opener. He doesn't want to get married...ever. He hates being around my family. Oh, and kids are out of the question."

  "I knew he was a jerk! Oh, Izzy. I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you."

  "Don't worry about it, sweetie. He did me a favor." Bigger than he would ever know. "I'm not even that upset about it. After all, I made him buy me an expensive bottle of the house's best wine, which I shared with Dane last night."

  "You should have poured it over his neatly trimmed head, girl." She leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. Izzy knew her friend would have done more than that if it were her. Kitty was an act first, make excuses later kind of girl.

  "I'm surprised. I thought you would be dancing a happy girl's jig that we are through."

  "I will just as soon as I get over fuming because he had no right dumping you. The guy didn't deserve you, Izzy." She leaned forward with a sigh. "Are you all right, honey?"

  "Absolutely." Izzy wanted to do a little dance herself. She'd known deep down that they weren't right for each other, but it was convenient for her to stay with him. She wasn't getting any older, and he did fall into her father's idea of a good match for her. The more she thought about it, the more relieved she was that they had broken it off. Marrying him to keep her father from hounding at her to settle down would have been a huge mistake for them both. One not easily remedied. Besides, she might never have realized Dane wanted her. A tragedy to be sure.

  "Okay, that smile tells me there is more that you're not sharing with me." Kitty grinned as her gray gaze narrow speculatively.

  "What smile?"

  "What smile? That smile—the smile of a young woman who has a sexy secret. Did you meet someone else? Wait, last night was your night to hang out with Dane. You couldn't have met someone. Unless..." Her eyes widened in surprise as her mouth formed a perfectly round "O."

  "Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Dane and I are just friends." Her words sounded hollow to her own ears as Kitty covered her huge smile with her hands.

  "Friends with benefits? I always wondered when you two would click. So, tell me. How was the clicking?"

  Izzy felt her face grow alarmingly hot at the wicked grin her friend shot at her. "You are a dirty-minded woman." She stood up to quickly head for the back room and a pile of gowns that needed to be mended.

  "I'm a single woman waiting for my Adonis. Let me live vicariously through you, Izzy!" Her naughty laughter followed her into the back room.

  Izzy cut it off by shutting the door. Leaning back against it, she placed a hand on her warm cheek. If simply thinking about the man made her this hot, she was in deep trouble. Especially since she wasn't sure where she stood with him. Dane told her he wanted her, and his actions proved that point, but that didn't mean he was looking for a real relationship.

  Dane was a man who found it far too easy to walk away from women. She doubted that she would be any different. It was better to expect nothing permanent from him. Nothing more than friendship, of course. He'd promised her they would still be friends. The only problem was with her. Could she stand to be just his buddy once more? She didn't know, but she sure hoped she could.

  Pushing away from the door, she set her mind to her sewing. She had a business to run. There would be time to obsess about her sexy problem later.

  ***

  Dane Jordan was having an off day, and he hated it. He gingerly sank down on one of the benches to wipe his damp face with one of the gym's embroidered towels. The "M.E. Gym" sewn in bold red letters usually made him smile, but not this time. His first class of the day was a self-defense class for older ladies. It was one of the easier sessions for him. At least it should have been easy, but it had all gone wrong. He didn't understand it. An instructor needed to be on constant guard while dealing with overzealous beginners. Not once had he lost his concentration enough to take a direct hit. The ladies loved him, teased him, and flirted as they let him slowly teach them the maneuvers to escape a would-be attacker's hold.

  Dane was an ex-SEAL. One who had excelled at hand-to-hand combat. Knowing how to move away, deflect, or block a badly placed kick was instinctive for him. Somehow, he'd taken a shot to the balls that he should have blocked. He never even saw it coming. Thank God it hadn't happened out in the field on one of his missions. A loss of concentration could have cost him his life and the lives of the men in his unit. The thought was enough to make him feel physically ill.

  He rubbed his jaw as he frowned at Jeremy Helms. Jeremy had quickly taken over the class so he could put ice down his pants for a few minutes. The younger man was doing well instructing the ladies in take-down techniques. There would be no more kicking t
echniques for Miss Bessy. She was at expert level in his opinion.

  "Hey, boss man." Bug Towers set the weights he was lifting back on the rack and sat up to grab his water. After a healthy swig, he wiped his mouth with the back of one beefy hand. "How're they hanging? Or shouldn't I ask?" His gapped teeth flashed as he grinned.

  "Man, I don't know how Bessy managed to kick that high. She's almost eighty and barely five-feet tall." Dane shook his head as he pulled on his sweatpants. She'd had him flat on his back for a couple minutes. God help any man stupid enough to go for Bessy's purse!

  "I've never seen you move so slowly. Everything all right, man?"

  "My timing was off." He shrugged a shoulder and slapped the towel on his knee.

  "Bullshit!"

  Dane glanced over to see the big man lay back down under the weight bar. He gripped the bar and lifted it over his head before bringing it to his massive chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a frown.

  "You've got the look of a cornered animal, mate. That tells me there's a woman on your mind. I say it's about damn time some filly got under your skin."

  Dane shifted uneasily on the bench as the big guy's observation put him on instant defense. He wasn't the type of guy who let anything get under his skin enough to cost him his concentration. "The Predator" wasn't his moniker for nothing. Navigating in enemy terrain and his ability to keep his concentration under fire in the most chaotic circumstances earned him his name and his rank. Nothing shook him, but he sure as hell hadn't had his mind on keeping little Bessy from neutering him this morning. The only thing different from any other day of his life was a curvy little brunette with the ability to make him see stars. Shit!

  Deep laughter from the man beside him made Dane cringe. He'd obviously cursed out loud. "I'm glad you're enjoying this. Remind me to pair you with Bessy next time."