Brie looked down at her feet before sheepishly answering. "Vegas Nights and Driving Miss Daisy's Lust."
"Oh, hell." She didn't. Not the one male star. "You told them I…" His eyes narrowed.
"Was absolutely huge and might carry some interesting tattoo artwork down there."
She did. Tattoo guy. Holy shit.
A short gray-headed lady paused on her way to the buffet table, her gaze fixated on his pelvis. Only once did she glimpse upward before her vision lined up with his family jewels again.
He scowled down at his girlfriend. "Brie…"
Her mouth fell open as she puffed up like an irate chicken. "What? I defended you! Don't all men want their girlfriends to tell others her man is… well-endowed and knows how to use it?"
"Well, yeah. To him. Or perhaps his buddies. But to a flock of gossiping old hens? Never."
She rolled her eyes and puffed out a breath. "I thought you'd like porn star awesome better than impotent hunk."
His mouth opened and closed without a single sound emerging. He grappled with the urge to flip Brie over his lap and paddle her sexy rear.
Brie, more than likely unawares, just announced her great enjoyment of his body and lovemaking to the entire neighborhood. Yeah, he could do much worse than love a woman who possessed no fear in broadcasting her sensual delights and his sexual talents to the world.
Spontaneous laughter bubbled up and overflowed.
Grabbing Brie around the waist, he lifted her off the ground and swung her around in a circle, enjoying her startled squeak and joyful giggles. By the time he set her down, half the attendees were watching with wide smiles of their faces.
Rye wrapped Brie in his embrace and tugged her against his body. "You're such a squirrel."
She grinned. "Cute and cuddly?"
"Something like that." Before she could say more, he meshed his lips over hers, not caring who in the auditorium watched.
"Wow wee!"
Rye leaned back to glance to his side, finding an all too familiar small person dressed in the same pine green outfit. "Jingle."
Brie turned her head and grinned. "You're an elf!"
Rye opened his mouth and shut it once more. After what he'd been through, he couldn't really say one way or another.
"Yes, ma'am." Jingle beamed, took Brie's hand, and kissed her palm. His gaze found Rye once more. "You're one lucky dog."
"I'll give you that." The corner of his mouth tilted upward. "I think I'll keep her."
Brie giggled and leaned into Rye's side. "Gee, I'm glad to hear that."
"Smart man." Jingle tilted his head, sending the bell to chiming.
"By the way, I owe you." He'd done a lot of thinking since Jingle dragged him out of the line of fire. Thanking him seemed too trivial a reward.
The elf shrugged and shot him a smile wide enough to show straight white teeth. "Just doing my job. Besides, I think this one would miss you terribly."
Brie's expression turned serious as she looked from one man to the other. "Maybe someone should tell me what's going on?"
Jingle tipped his hat and bowed slightly. "I'm Rye's guardian angel elf." He glanced to the side, then back at her. "I'm being summoned. It's nice to meet you, Brie."
"But…"
He spun on his heel and waved back at her. "I have a feeling you're gonna have a very merry Christmas."
With those words, he disappeared in the crowd.
Brie shifted to stare up at Rye, one eyebrow shooting up.
He grinned sheepishly. "Jingle helped me out on a couple of cases."
"What's this about being your guardian angel elf?"
He shrugged. "The little guy showed up at the department one day, asking for me. Gave me some tips. Told me up front that's what he was. I thought he was a bit loony."
"Uh huh."
Leaning in, he brushed his lips over her sensitive earlobe. The last thing he wanted was to make her frown, fret, and worry about something that already happened. He preferred, instead, to enjoy the evening, old lady gossips and all, with Brie at his side.
"Tell me more about how you love my cock."
He nibbled before trailing the tip of his tongue along the curve of her neck.
She shivered under his touch. "Did I say that?"
"Oh yeah. To the biggest gossips in the whole city."
"Wonderful." Her tepid tone put a grin back on his face. Let her wallow in her own troublemaking.
"Once we get home, you can show me to your heart's desire."
She nuzzled his cheek. "You're on."
Chapter 14
Christmas Eve found Rye hanging out at home with an all-too-bubbly Brie. She spent all morning baking, humming Christmas carols, and teasing him with a wiggle in her bouncy walk.
If only he could corral her long enough to make naughty but excellent use of her energy.
His cell rang. Checking the caller ID, he immediately answered. "Hi, Mom."
"Rye. How are you feeling?"
"Good. Why do you ask?" His detective senses prickled with her unusual question right off the bat.
"No reason." A momentary silence covered the air space before she spoke again. "I wanted to thank you for the presents, although I thought we agreed not to do presents this year."
"Presents? What presents?" He glanced over at Brie, who sat at the other end of the couch, pretending to be totally engrossed in her book and not eavesdropping.
"Brie brought them over for you, dear. Yesterday. One for each of the immediate family. Very generous of you, I will say."
"Okay…"
"Well, you know your father. He's so impatient. Nothing doing than he had to rip open the wrapping and see what he received." She sucked in a breath. "Honey, we're a bit confused. To quote your father, 'What in the hell is wrong with that boy?'"
"Brie…" Her name rumbled from his chest like a volcano announcing pending eruption. His gaze locked on her as he ground his teeth. Holy shit. Brie didn't…
"That's one reason we're concerned. Brie. Such a pretty young lady and so sweet. When you have her, why are you looking at pictures of naked mature women? And the card. You hope we enjoy the pictures as much as you do? Sure, we've always known you were a bit kinky, but this seems odd even for you."
Brie snorted and coughed, a weak attempt to contain the giggles she suppressed as indicated by her quaking chest and pink cheeks.
"What? I…" His mouth opened and shut twice before more words came out. "I didn't. I don't."
"Your brother opened his already. I swear the poor boy about had heart failure on the spot. He said he would be talking to you soon. Something about crappy taste in women, although that wasn't the exact word he used."
"Brie!" His ire rose as rare heat flooded his cheeks. Leave it to his girlfriend to give every one of his family members a copy of the old ladies nude calendar. He would never live this humiliation down, especially as she worded the card to indicate he'd developed a wrinkle and saggy boob fetish in the past week.
"Would you like to come over and talk about this with your father? I'm sure he can help you."
Rye snorted. "Umm. No thanks. I'm a bit busy right now."
"Oh?"
"Yep. My girlfriend needs a spanking."
"Oh my. How many fetishes do you have, dear?"
"Later, Mom." He clicked off the phone and tossed it on the couch in front of him. Standing, he glared down at Brie.
She glanced up at his face and fell into a fit of laughter, great guffaws sending tears pouring down her cheeks. Holding her belly, she panted for breath and finally simmered down to spontaneous giggles. Wiping her eyes, she blinked at him innocently.
Like I'm buying that. Not.
He waited a beat longer, allowing the steam to build up at her prank. Thanks to her, his family was on the verge of calling in a therapist.
"The money went to charity. It was for a good cause." She stood up, placing the end of the couch between them. "Besides, the pictures weren't racy. They were taste
ful, in fact."
"Uh huh." Stepping forward, he closed in on her.
"Ummm. I just remembered. I need to… run an errand." Brie dashed around the couch, sprinting across the room.
He caught her as she surged by. "Oh no you don't." Sweeping her over his shoulder, he juggled his hold until her belly rested on his shoulder, her head pointed to the floor, and her bottom stuck up in the air, in easy reach. Slapping her rear, he held tight as she wiggled.
"Put me down."
"No way, squirrel. Not until we've had a long talk."
"About?"
Her caution-laced tone put a grin on his face. "Paybacks."
Brie groaned dramatically. Rye chuckled and whapped her backside lightly.
She might be feisty and a troublemaker, but she was his little squirrel. A keeper if he ever saw one.
Chapter 15
Late that same evening, Brie snuggled up on the corner of the couch, wired and wide awake despite a hearty round of mind-blowing sex earlier in the day. Rye might boast and possess an elephant-sized ego, but he backed up all his claims with gusto.
She sighed as she watched him rub her feet, a touching gesture and big-time point scorer in her game book. "That feels wonderful."
He glanced up, shooting her a crooked grin. "You can do mine next."
"Sure. Fair is fair." His attention returned to the task at hand, allowing her a golden opportunity to study him. Dark hair, mussed from an active session of sensual delights, complemented his deep blue eyes, the combination striking. His scruffy two-day shadow added an element of badness, giving him an edgy appearance. Strong arms connected to a wide chest, leading down to a flat stomach and powerful thighs. Handsome didn't quite describe Rye. Gorgeous. Drool-worthy. One hot tamale of a detective.
"Afterward, I think there's a video we need to watch." He smiled wickedly and waggled his eyebrows.
And insufferable.
"Uh huh. I vote we open presents instead." Distract him from that ridiculous porn flick he tormented her with for the past few months.
"You don't want to wait until in the morning?" His head tilted as he released her feet.
She shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. But since it's close to midnight and we're still awake, why not?"
"Suits me." Standing, he walked over to the small artificial Christmas tree, bent over, and picked up a bright blue box. Sitting down, he watched her as she moved across the room.
Brie followed suit, plopping down on the floor within easy reach of the handful of brightly-colored packages resting under the tree with the big living room window to her left.
Grabbing a red present with a bright bow, she handed it to him. "I hope you like it."
He shot her a wary look. "Open yours first."
"No. You."
"No. I want to see your face when you see what's inside." He took the red box and dropped the blue one in her lap.
She shook her head. "Fine. Let's open them at the same time."
He nodded. "That works."
With anticipation and leeriness, she peeled the paper off and popped the lid. Peeking in, she found what resembled clothing. Pulling the item out, she held it up in the illumination of several strands of Christmas tree lights.
"Lingerie?" Holding the silk nightie to the side, she watched a slow smile appear on his face.
"I can't wait to see you wearing it."
As much as she wanted to roll her eyes at his rampant sex needs and revved up engine, she didn't have the heart. He took her for amazing journeys each time, fulfilling her every desire with his skills and unselfish giving. Besides, he'd just given her a foot rub.
"Thank you. It's so soft." She ran her hand over the glistening crimson material.
"You're welcome." He removed the top on his box and dug in, pulling out his three pairs of pink boxers.
Brie grinned impishly. "Check out the front."
His eyebrows lifted before the corners of his mouth turned up. "If I wear these, are you gonna leave lipstick marks on me?"
Her face heated even as she waded into the teasing. "Maybe…"
"Hot damn."
She giggled at his sudden exuberance. Snagging the smaller green package, she gave it to him. "This is yours, too."
"Should I be afraid?"
"Open it and find out."
With ease, he tore the paper aside, yanked the tape holding the flaps together before holding up a piece of paper.
Confusion flashed across his face. "What's this?"
"A big screen TV."
He blinked at her.
"I didn't know what to get you and thought it might be something you'd like, especially for game days. My car is too small to transport it home, so your father graciously offered to pick it up from the store and take it to their house until Christmas day. Since we're going over there for lunch, we can take your truck, and bring your present home." She nervously fiddled with the babydoll garment still in her lap. What if he didn't like it? What if he expected more? Uncertainty set her heart aflutter.
Leaning over, Rye nuzzled her check and kissed her lips. "It's perfect. You're perfect."
"Really?" She met his gaze and tried to read his face.
"Yep."
She sighed in relief.
A flash of green through the window caught her attention. Scrambling to her knees, she half crawled to the sill, looking out. With all the 'gifted' yard decorations, the entire street lit up like an airport runway in the moonless night.
"What is it?" Rye hurried over, his head turning this way and that as he stared through the glass.
Brie stood up beside him. "An elf just zipped by."
Rye shot her a look that clearly said he believed she had lost her mind or needed an emergency appointment with the eye doctor.
She frowned. "It did. I swear." Frantically, she blinked against the bright colors in search of the mysterious person. Another movement caught her attention. "There. Right there." She pointed through the glass. The guy took the moment to turn around, grin, and wave. Brie gasped as the man eerily resembled Jingle, the elf she'd met at the Christmas social.
Rye stared for a long moment before shaking his head.
"Admit it. You saw an elf!" She poked him in the side.
He sidestepped and rolled his eyes. "I saw someone dressed like an elf."
"Noooo. Admit it. You saw an elf. A true Christmas elf."
He sighed in resignation. "Okay. I give. I saw a true Christmas elf."
"Ah ha! I'm not so blind after all." She planted her hands on her hips.
He turned, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into his embrace. "Never blind. Silly, yes. Sexy, definitely. Squirrelly, absolutely." Each word he accentuated with a light brushing of his lips over her forehead, nose, and finally her lips.
Just as she began to lose herself in his deliciousness, he stepped back. With a quick grin, he reached into the small tree, pulling out a small velvet box from deep inside. Holding her gaze, he lowered to one knee before her and flipped the lid open.
"Brie, will you marry me?"
Surprised, elated, and completely stunned, she reached for the shiny ring with trembling fingers. "Oh my."
He plucked the ring from its holder and slid it on her finger, setting the box aside.
Sheer joy exploded inside her as she stared at the precious gift and realized what it meant.
Wiping a tear from her face, she threw herself into his arms with a resounding, "Yes. Oh my god, yes!"
Rye caught her with a chuckle, lowered her to seal his lips over hers as he wrapped her tight in his arms. She held him just as snug, too excited to let him go for a single moment.
Brie poured all the love and passion she felt for him into the kiss. The man of her dreams. He might drive her to distraction, but he was her knight in shining armor when times got tough. She couldn't have asked for a better man to share the rest of her life with.
"I love you, Rye."
He rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you to
o, squirrel." After a tight hug, he leaned back to look down at her. "At least this will give the family something else to talk about than those blinding calendars you dropped off."
"Don't worry. Thelma dropped over three dozen of her special cookies for our contribution to Christmas lunch. They'll forget all about the calendars then." Brie's lips twitched.
He groaned dramatically. "What am I going to do with you?"
She smiled and rubbed against him. "Love me?"
"Forever and always." With those words, he meshed his lips over hers.
In the background, she distantly heard sleigh bells and a deep male voice exclaim, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."
The End
About the Author
Growing up in the Midwest, I began reading romance novels in high school, immediately falling in love with the genre, to the point where I decided to write professionally for a career. However, that dream splattered against a brick wall, resulting in a quick death in my first writing class in college when my professor told me bluntly that I wasn't any good at it. I shifted gears quickly, and left my writing dreams behind, eventually settling on becoming a nurse.
A few years back, I stumbled across a fan-fiction writing site on a favorite author's webpage. I began to read stories others wrote, not only making some wonderful close friends from the experience, but also, really learning to write for the very first time. Here I was able to share short stories, practice my writing skills, and truly develop into a writer. More than that, the experience allowed me to revitalize my dream, as I rediscovered joy in writing. Now, I spend my days off with my alpha male characters, quick witted heroines, and see how much trouble everyone can get into.
When I'm not working or writing, I enjoy working in the garden, canning, and seeing my backyard as a living canvas for my whimsical landscaping, and, of course, reading romance novels.
Blog
http://cheyennemeadows.blogspot.com/
Email
[email protected]
Titles by Cheyenne Meadows
A Fate Filled Christmas Page 6