Inside smelled like the holidays—spices and fir. With my eyes used to the dark, I didn't turn on the lights. I stood at the bottom of the stairs taking in the fresh garland that wound up the banister and the tall tree in the living room that sparkled in the moonlight slanting in.
I should have fallen asleep on my feet. This must have been how zombies felt. If zombies got horny. I'd barely had eight hours' sleep in four days. But I was high and eager.
We'd done it. Cyber Monday had been killer. We'd taken a larger share of the pie away from our competitors, major, established department stores and chains, than we had last year. Early results indicated we'd made record profits, too. Storms were brewing on the horizon. Business hurdles I hoped we didn't have to jump. But we were in the black, which should make our investors happy. A boost in our stock evaluation would make my Christmas.
I kicked off my shoes and bounded up the stairs toward the master bedroom, carrying a bag with a surprise for Kay. By the time I reached the top of the stairs, I was hot for her and ready to go.
I sneaked into the bedroom and set the bag on my nightstand. Kay was sound asleep on her left side, snuggled into her pregnancy sleep pillow the way she used to curl up around me.
Shit. I'd been replaced by a pillow. Except that damn pillow didn't have a hard-on for her and know how to please her.
I stripped out of my clothes and slid in beneath the covers behind her, sliding my dick between her legs as I caressed her shoulder.
"Babe?" I whispered. I'd been hoping for a more enthusiastic greeting. Like Kay actually waking up.
She sighed softly, so sexily my heart pounded as she stirred.
There was something about her being pregnant with my baby that made her incredibly hot. My virility and masculinity on display.
I put that baby in her. For a geek like me, that was saying something. I couldn't believe this beautiful woman let me touch her, let alone have sex with her.
Seeing her big with my baby brought out all my protective urges. Kay and my baby were everything to me.
My fingers itched to touch her. Since getting pregnant, her beautiful breasts had become fuller. I slid my hand beneath her nightgown. When I cupped her breast, the nipple budded up, long and hard like it had missed me. I'd sure missed it.
Her lips parted. She sighed softly and backed into me.
I pulled her panties down and slid my fingers between her legs. Her breasts weren't the only things that had gotten large with pregnancy. Kay was moist and ready for me. I wasn't going to hold on long.
I slid my fingers inside her and breathed in her ear. "I'm home, baby. Miss me? I missed you. I need you."
Kayla
I was in the middle of a white mist and gently falling snow, thin, and lithe. Dancing in toe shoes in a flowing white dress as stars tried to twinkle through the fog. Like Clara in The Nutcracker. Snow that wasn't cold. Just soft and sparkling.
Arms wrapped around me from behind. Strong, warm, insistent arms that came from out of nowhere. A man nuzzled my neck from behind. I brushed him away, but he held on and kissed my neck.
"I'm home, baby. Miss me?" His voice was deep and sexy. His fur collar tickled my neck.
Miss him? I didn't even know him. But that voice…his voice was familiar, like I should know it. Maybe he was my nutcracker.
When he lifted my dress and slid between my legs, I barely struggled.
"Baby." It was almost a groan of sexual pleasure as he cupped my breast.
I should push him away. But I didn't want to. I laughed and grabbed the hand that held my breast.
"It's me, Kay. Wake up. One way or another, I'm making love to you."
Still in the clutches of my dream world, I looked over my shoulder. "Jus?"
He wore a tall hat and boots. And I knew I was dreaming because Jus would never dress like that, like a soldier out of the Victorian era.
I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay in that dream state where a dream lover with a real dick was just the thing. At the same time, Jus was home and I was happy.
Even though I always fought being pulled from sleep, I loved it when he came to bed and made love to me when I was still dreamy. When I was in that twilight state, his lovemaking had the added intensity of the erotic sensations of a dream. Those emotions you can't name, only feel. Since getting pregnant my hormones ran high; every sexual touch was magnified. I was hungry for his.
I backed into him, eyes closed, letting myself feel every inch of him, and take in his scent and heat while the white mist blended into the moonlight coming in through the half-shut blinds of our room.
Maybe it wasn't all pregnancy. Maybe it was the strength of my love and passion for Jus, too.
He lifted the hair off the back of my neck and sucked on my neck, his tongue doing a twirl that sent a shiver of pleasure through me. His breath was hot in my ear. Since September, he'd grown his beard back. At my insistence. It was rough and soft at the same time against my skin, the fur collar of my dream.
He trailed kisses down my shoulder, his mouth warm and moist. I shivered with delight and need.
My skin had grown increasingly sensitive since I got pregnant. Excess estrogen. Lovely extra estrogen that made my breasts ache for his touch and my clit reach for his fingers.
"Stop teasing me with your fingers and give me the real thing. Slide inside where I need you, Jus."
He took my chin and turned my face to his, kissing me tenderly and deeply.
I kissed him back and pulled up my nightgown, pulled it over my head, and dropped it over the edge of the bed to the floor.
I opened my eyes just a crack and stole a glimpse of him over my shoulder. He was silhouetted in the moonlight coming through the upper window of our master suite. He had a look of wonder and desire on his face. He was delightfully naked and aroused as he slid between my legs and rubbed against me. Just the way I liked him.
Everything was still dreamlike. I fought full wakefulness. I wanted him to make love to me in that space between dream and reality. I backed into him, positioning him at my opening. "Do it, Jus. Do it now. I'm so ready for you."
He playfully bit my shoulder and slid in. I shuddered with the first thrust, already on the edge of pleasure. My extra hormones made me bloom for him. I came quickly these days.
We were both needy. Both ready. Both almost breathless with desire. I closed my eyes and let the dreamlike state carry me as I rocked into him behind me. It only took a couple of thrusts to throw me over the edge into wave after wave of climax.
I gasped and called out his name. Everything was so intense with him. I squeezed him as he stiffened behind me and gave a final thrust.
When it was over, he held me tight and cradled me tenderly. My uterus contracted with my climax and became hard and tight. I had to breathe through it, unable to speak.
"I love you, Kay. I missed you."
"I love you, too." I was truly breathless. "You take my breath away." I gasped as the baby kicked. "Baby kick. She gets jealous when her parents have sex."
I moved his hand so he could feel it. In reality, I didn't think she liked having her living quarters cramped and contracted.
I felt Jus smile against my back.
He kissed the back of my head. "She's a little tyrant." He rubbed my baby bump, trying to calm her. "Nice muscles."
"Cyber Monday?" I said, drowsy and sated.
"A huge success."
Justin
I slept like the dead and got up early the next morning. I was showering in the glass-encased shower, enjoying the steam and the feel of hot water waking me, when I noticed the bathroom door to the bedroom was open a crack. And Kay's eye was peeking through.
I turned toward the door, grabbed my dick, and gave it a good stroke or two for her benefit.
She laughed as she opened the door and stepped in, carrying the bag I'd left on my nightstand.
"Are you spying on me?" I didn't know why that made me so happy. Maybe because all the time I was growing u
p, no girl had looked at my scrawny, nerdy self twice. The thought of seeing me naked would have sent any reasonable girl with half-decent eyesight running, not panting with lust. Now this beautiful blond was playing voyeur to get an eyeful.
"Just seeing whether you're being naughty or nice." Her eyes danced.
"I can be very naughty." I opened the shower door and reached for her, grabbing her by the wrist, ready to pull her in, nightgown and all. Water ran down my face and dripped off my beard.
She laughed and rattled the bag. "What's this?"
"Yesterday was the first day of advent. That's your first chocolate."
"Copycat! It's late," she said with a flirt in her voice as she wrenched free of my grip.
"Copycat?" I frowned, confused.
"Didn't you get the advent calendar I had delivered to you yesterday?" She took a step back, out of reach.
Water was dripping on the floor. I closed the shower and thought for a minute, before it dawned on me. "I got a lot of packages yesterday. The suppliers have begun their annual onslaught of thank-you gifts. I didn't have time to open any. I had Danielle set them aside. It's probably in with those."
She shook her head, looking incredibly, sexily disappointed. "So much for the element of surprise."
"Great minds think alike," I said. "I'll open it first thing today when I get to the office."
"You better. You have two days of surprises waiting for you." She pulled the single-chocolate box out of the bag and opened it.
I loved watching her as her eyes went wide.
"It's an angel covered in gold flake." She looked at me. "It's beautiful." Her eyes were misty and soft.
"Her mouth was like a jewel as she feasted on twenty-four-karat gold." I nodded toward it and brushed my wet hair back.
"It's too beautiful to eat."
"It's too decadent and tasty not to. If you don't eat it, you'll never know what you're missing."
She got a devilish look in her eyes. "Is this like a chocolate Santa? Do you eat the head or the feet of an angel first?"
"The wings." I grinned. "So it can't fly away."
I watched her reaction closely as she took it out of its box and set the bag and the box on the counter. She closed her eyes and arched her neck as she tasted it, looking rapturous. "Dark chocolate, raspberry, and gold. This is the best thing I've ever tasted."
She walked over to me. "You have to try this." She put it between her lips, leaving some sticking out for me, and opened the shower door so I could have a taste.
I pulled her into my arms, pressing her against my wet body as I kissed her and stole half her chocolate. Before she could protest, I pulled her into the shower.
"I'm still dressed!" She was laughing in the steam as the shower soaked her white nightgown.
I pulled her nightgown off and dropped it outside the shower, giving her a triumphant look. Then I sat her on the bench of the shower and made love to her.
"Naughty enough for you?" I said when we were finished.
"Nothing but coal in your stocking this year. You're going to have to be very good the rest of the year to make up for it." She laughed. "You're simply insatiable."
She kissed me, grabbed the towel I'd slung over the shower door, and slid out of the shower, leaving me alone and towel-less. "And I have to pee."
"You always have to pee. Hey, come back with my towel!"
"No time. Your baby is dancing on my bladder."
"My baby now?" I arched a brow.
She laughed. "Tap dancing, no less."
Laughing, she disappeared into the room with the toilet and closed the door.
I wanted to give Kay everything. I loved her that much. She wasn't complaining, but I knew she'd been disappointed by Thanksgiving and how much I worked over the holiday weekend. I was touched that she'd sent me an advent calendar. And embarrassed that I'd been a douchebag and not made time to open it. She was magnanimous and forgiving about that, too.
I remembered Kay in college, and how she'd loved the holidays. She'd planned the decorations for her sorority and almost singlehandedly ran the Christmas party, including the secret elves program. She'd been almost giddy with the fun of it. Which was why I'd put her in charge of the employees' Santa Sample Sale. She was already in charge of the majority of our charitable donations and organizations. But I wanted her to have an active hand in managing the sample sale. If she was up to it.
I hoped it made her happy. This was the first holiday season we'd spent together and I was already blowing them with my workaholic tendencies. For me, the holidays were like tax season to an accountant. Fourteen-hour days or more and little sleep. I'd known this going in. But I'd dragged Kay in unaware.
There was nothing I could do about it. In retail, this was make-it-or-break-it time. I had to work hard to keep Flash going.
That left Kay to deal with holiday stress. Our parents were the primary source of it. Each set vying for an extra minute with us.
I wanted to give Kay something special for Christmas. You would think being a billionaire would have made that easy. Ironically, it made it more difficult. It was too easy to buy something expensive and pass it off as thoughtful. Kay would see right through something an empty gesture.
Yes, I worked hard for what we had. But now that I could afford almost anything, it made things somehow less meaningful.
I was determined to do something memorable. To make up for being an absentee husband for a few months. During some of those hours when I was drinking too many energy drinks and too much coffee, and showering at the gym, I'd been struck with an idea—family peace. It may not have been as profound as world peace. But it was a good start.
If I could take the stress off Kay by setting a precedent of how we'd deal with family and holidays, I would be banking holiday capital for the rest of our lives. If I could start a tradition that was uniquely ours that we could carry on throughout the years, wouldn't that be worth doing? Some time that we'd set apart for family, but wouldn't consume us. Something we could eventually bring children to. Like next year. Wow. My kid would be nine months old next year.
In that vein, I'd peppered Kay's friends Britt and Sarah, who both worked for me at Flash, with questions about what would thrill Kay most, tradition-wise. I had several restrictions on it. It had to be something here in Seattle. Something that we could do in the afternoon or evening of Christmas Eve that could involve both families. And, eventually, children. Something that said Christmas. Something classic. Something with staying power.
Britt, who knew Kay better than anybody, had come up with the answer. Give that girl a bonus!
"Kayla loves The Nutcracker ballet. But I think she only got to go once or twice as a girl. And one of those times was with my family. We got all dressed up in twin velvet dresses. It was so much fun. Kayla said she'd love to do it every year. She just loves all the dancing and the music." Britt raised her eyebrows as she looked at me for verification.
"The ballet?" I wasn't convinced.
Britt rolled her eyes. "Men! You don't get it. It's a Christmas story and a romance. Women love it. Kids love it. Even little boys love it. I mean, the Nutcracker fights the rats!" She continued staring at me.
I was thinking.
"They retired the Maurice Sendak sets after last year's season," Britt said. "This year the sets are brand new, designed by children's author Ian Falconer. And they've returned to George Balanchine's 1954 choreography." Britt nodded. "The Maurice Sendak sets lasted thirty years. This could be the start of something big."
Ballet? Not my thing. Not my dad's thing. Or my two brothers'. Mom might like it. Kay's parents? I had no idea. But if Kay would love it, I would do it. I could sit through a few hours of ballet for her sake. To make everything up to her for missing the holiday action and leaving the holiday burdens to her.
Getting tickets, however, especially for Christmas Eve, had been challenging. The show sold out in October. Getting eight seats together? Practically impossible. I put my tale
nted new assistant Danielle on it.
It took some doing. Some finagling. And the negotiation skills of our chief procurement officer in addition to Danielle. We had to call in more than a few favors. Finally, one of Riggins' friends agreed to trade a week at his ski chalet at Whistler over New Year's for one of the board members for the children's hospital eight-seat box at the ballet. I agreed to be a sponsor at Riggins' friend's annual golf tournament for charity. And over a handshake, the deal was done.
Then I'd booked dinner reservations after the show at one of Seattle's top steakhouses, to make it up to Dad and my brothers for the ballet. And now all that was left was to give Kay the exciting news—family problems solved. We'd all spend Christmas Eve together at the brand new Nutcracker and have Christmas Eve dinner no one would have to cook.
We'd open presents and spend the night at Kay's parents. Go to mine for breakfast. See them off. And have dinner with Kay's. In the meantime, Danielle had gotten me on the list for season tickets for the ballet for next year so the tradition could continue. Now all that was left was to surprise Kay with it.
I'd also picked out a little something special for Kay to wear to the ballet.
I was happy just thinking how happy Kay would be when I surprised her with the tickets. First, I had to get buy-in from both sets of parents.
Chapter Four
Tuesday, December 2nd
Kayla
I was at the breakfast table, eating a cranberry scone, when Jus joined me. Magda, certain he wasn't eating right at work, had made him a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage. I tried not to look at it. I was at the end of my second trimester and rarely had morning sickness now, but something about eggs didn't sit right with me.
He flashed me a knowing, intimate look that would have made me laugh if Magda hadn't been watching. He was carrying a small, wrapped present. He slid it across the table to me as he sat.
The Billionaire’s Christmas Vows: A Jet City Billionaire Christmas Romance Page 3