by Jennie Marts
Yeah, that was good. Focus on finding another tree, then decorating it, then making a star out of paper and glitter. Okay, the glitter might be going a little too far. Inventing crafts may be too much, but she could think of something else. Anything to give her a little time to decide if she was really ready to let anything more happen between them.
“I didn’t do a tree at the house this year, since I knew Dad was gonna be with Dallas. It seemed like too much work to do for just me.” Levi glanced around the section of trees. “But now that I won’t be alone for Christmas, I think it’s a good idea. Why don’t you pick out a small one and I’ll dig out some decorations to put on it.”
She’d spent last Christmas alone, and no matter how much you told yourself that it didn’t matter, that it was just another day, it was all a lie.
Something about being by yourself on Christmas day instead of with family or friends seemed to hurt worse than any other day of the year. She hated the thought of Levi being alone on Christmas morning. Even if he could get through the snow, she’d rather stay here with him.
Trudging through the snow, she studied the trees, looking for just the right one.
There. The little one. She pointed at a small tree, standing only about four feet tall, but with full branches and deep green needles. “That’s the one.”
Levi walked to her tree and looked down. The top of it barely reached his chest. “This little guy is the tree you want? It’s a little puny.”
She grinned. “Yes, it’s perfect. I’m starting small this year. Taking baby steps. And having a petite Christmas tree is a great way to begin.”
“Okay, but can we please call it ‘less tall.’ Petite is not a very manly word.” He smiled at her before raising the axe, and one more crack in her heart healed shut.
Chapter Six
Levi watched her face as he plugged in the Christmas tree lights. His heart swelled at the happiness shining in her eyes.
They’d brought the little tree back, and he’d rigged a stand and set it on one of the end tables in the living room. He’d found a box in the basement labeled Christmas Decorations, and it held some assorted ornaments and a few strands of lights.
He’d also found something else, but he’d wait for a better time to show her his discovery.
She seemed to have so much fun doing the simple task of adding ornaments and a few decorations to the tree. Her voice rose and fell as she oohed and ahhed over the simple colored balls and handmade decorations that she’d dug out of the box.
The past several years, Dallas had spent Christmas at the ranch and his wife had been in charge of decorations. Levi hadn’t thought much about it; the tree had just seemed to appear. This way was much more fun.
As long as Holly was smiling and happy and looking at him like he’d hung the moon, he was good.
She clapped her hands together. “It’s beautiful. I love it!”
Levi swallowed at the emotion clogging his throat. She was beautiful. So damn beautiful that it almost hurt to look at her. He ached to hold her, to kiss her, to protect her from the pain that lay under the shadows of her eyes.
Geez. Get a grip, man. It’s just a Christmas tree. And she’s just a woman.
But he knew that wasn’t true. He cleared his throat. “I thought I’d whip up a couple of my world-famous grilled cheese sandwiches for supper. Will that work for you?”
She arched an eyebrow at him. He loved seeing the playful look in her eye. “World famous, huh?”
“Well, maybe not exactly world famous, but I’m sure they’re close.”
She laughed. “They sound amazing. I’m going to call Cassie and let her know I’m not going to make it back to town tonight.” She hesitated. “Is that right? Do you think the roads will clear up enough or should I just plan to stay?”
Who the hell cared if the roads had cleared? He hadn’t even checked. All the snow could have melted and he wouldn’t tell her. There was no way he wanted her to go tonight. His voice was huskier than he intended as he answered her question. “I want you to stay.”
A slow grin spread across her face. “Me too.”
He couldn’t take it. Everything in him wanted to stride across the room and carry her into his bed. He swallowed. “Go ahead and call Cassie. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
He assembled the sandwiches quickly and checked on his patient while they cooked. The young owl stared up at him, its eyes huge and frightened. Although it seemed wary of him, the owl let him reach in and check on the cuts. As long as he moved slowly and didn’t rush, the owl relaxed. When he continuously proved to the owl that he could be trusted and that he didn’t want to hurt it, the owl allowed him to get closer.
Hmmm. This was just the way he felt with Holly. He wanted to help her, to show her that he could be trusted and that he meant her no harm. Just like with the owl, he needed to move slowly, not rush her, prove that he was safe. Then, like with the wounded animal, she would slowly allow him to get closer.
He knew he needed to take it slow. His head kept warning him not to rush her. The only problem was that his heart and his body weren’t listening. His heart wanted to take her in, shield her and protect her. But his body just wanted to take her.
##
“Beer or wine? Or I’ve got tea?” Levi called from the kitchen.
Holly felt like she needed something a little stronger than tea, but wine was too romantic of a drink. Beer was good. More friendly. Yeah, just a couple of friends knocking back some cheese sandwiches and a few beers. No problem.
Yeah, right. They could have been eating cardboard and drinking buttermilk, and it would have been romantic.
Everything in this room screamed romance, from the twinkling lights on the newly decorated Christmas tree to the dancing flames of the fire that Levi had built in the fireplace.
The snow had started again, and it swirled softly outside the window, giving her the feeling that they were the only two people left in the world. As if they were cut off from their real lives and the rest of the world had faded away. Leaving them alone.
Just Levi and her and a thick rug in front of a roaring fire.
“Beer,” she called back. “I’ll just have a beer.” She plopped down on the floor, stretching her legs toward the fire and wiggling her toes in the warmth.
Levi appeared seconds later, carrying their plates. Two bottles of beer were tucked under his arm. After setting the plates on the coffee table, he sat on the floor beside her.
He pushed a plate toward her. Melted cheese oozed from between two thick slices of bread, the outside grilled to a perfect crusty brown. Crispy kettle chips surrounded the sandwich, and her mouth watered at the sight of the meal.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had actually been hungry for something, or when food had really appealed to her.
She wasn’t sure if her heart was healing, but it seemed as if her stomach was.
“That just might have been the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever tasted,” Holly said ten minutes later, as she popped the last bite in her mouth. “Or at the least, it was in the top ten.”
“Top ten?” he teased, arranging his expression in a mock look of offense. “That sandwich rated in at least the upper five.”
She giggled and licked the last of the butter from her fingers. Her laughter died in her throat as she watched his eyes go dark with want. She liked the way his feelings were written all over his face.
He stood, grabbed their plates, and headed for the kitchen. “Stay right there. I have something for you.”
She waited, listening to him pull out drawers in the kitchen. What on earth could he be up to now? He may not have realized it, but he had already given her the perfect day.
A huge grin filled her face as she heard him break into song. “Happy birthday to you…” He walked back in holding a chocolate cupcake, a lit candle poking out of its center.
The cupcake was the snack kind wrapped in foil, but it didn’t matter. Just the fact that
he’d made any kind of effort to celebrate her birthday was enough to bring tears to her eyes. And he was singing.
He set the cupcake down and she closed her eyes, silently making a wish before blowing out the candle.
“How on earth did you know it was my birthday?”
“Cassie. She told me earlier when I called to tell her you were okay.”
“Of course.” She was sure Cassie had found an innocent way to just slip that little nugget into their conversation.
She pulled out the candle and took a bite of the cake. Mmmm. Chocolate flavor burst in her mouth. She held the cupcake out and offered him a bite.
Watching his mouth as he took a bite of the cake, then licked a crumb from his lip, gave her a tingly feeling, as she suddenly imagined him licking frosting from a variety of places on her body. Warmth spread through those particular places, and she had to focus on not squirming.
Why did everything that this man did seem sexy?
He handed her a brown lunch sack. “It’s not much, and I couldn’t find any wrapping paper, but I didn’t want you to not get a gift for your birthday.”
She couldn’t speak, the sensual feelings ending as her throat choked with emotion.
Didn’t he know that he’d already given her a gift? He’d given her her life back, and that was the best gift she could think of.
Blinking back tears, she took the bag.
“It’s not much. Just something I found in the basement that made me think of you. So keep your expectations low.”
Wow. His words struck her heart. He saw something that made him think of her. Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “You’ve already exceeded all of my expectations.”
She opened the top of the bag and withdrew a small snow globe. A galloping brown horse was inside, white flakes swirling around his head. The words Cheyenne Frontier Days circled the bottom of the globe.
“It’s probably stupid. It’s just a dumb souvenir I got when I was a kid, but it made me think of you. You were here, stranded in the snow, and it had the horse, which you were afraid of, but now seemed to have conquered that fear.” He looked down at his hands. “It seemed like a good idea when I found it, but now kind of feels dumb. You don’t have to keep it.”
She held the snow globe to her chest. “Of course I’m keeping it. It’s absolutely perfect! I love it.” Her heart warmed as a slow grin spread across his face. “It’s my favorite gift ever. Or at least in the top five.”
It was a perfect gift. And the fact that he thought of it was enough to bring another wall of her defenses down. The gift worked like glue to seal another crack in her heart.
And it gave her the courage to crawl into his lap, straddling him with her legs, and to wrap her arms around his neck. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do any of this. Especially give me a gift. You saved my life today.”
His voice was low and husky as he looked into her eyes. “That was a gift for me.”
She leaned in and gave him a light kiss. He tasted like chocolate, and her insides revved up at the memories of her earlier frosting fantasies. Her nipples hardened as she imagined him licking frosting from their tips.
She moaned against his mouth. That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed. His hand slid up her back and tangled in her hair, pulling her head closer to his as he took her mouth. His kisses were hot, ravaging her mouth in hunger.
Her body thrilled at the feverish embrace, and she met his passion, her hands clutching his back.
He pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “God, you are driving me crazy.”
His eyes looked anguished in the dim glow of the fireplace. “But Holly, I don’t want to rush you. I like you, and I don’t want this to be a one-night deal. I want you in my life. So, I promise that I’m okay taking it slow. I’ll do whatever you need.” He looked up at her, and his gaze burned to her very soul. “But Lord help me, I want you. And if you don’t tell me to stop, I don’t know if I’ll be able to.”
“I like you too,” she said, barely trusting her voice to carry the words. “I feel like I have been in this pit of despair and grief for the past two years, and now you’ve shown up with a flashlight and a rope and have led me out.”
She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “I came out here to face my fears of horses, but instead faced a deeper fear. I was afraid that I would never feel again. That my heart was broken, that it would never be able to love again. But you’ve shown me that it still works.”
She wiggled against him, a sly grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “That a lot of things I thought were broken still work.”
He smiled up at her. “Yeah, I’d say you’re functioning on overdrive.”
She laughed softly. “I truly feel like you saved me. But I know that’s a lot of pressure to put on someone. And I know that I’m a bit of a mess.”
“I can take it.” He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face to his. “And I’ve always liked a challenge.”
The smile crept in again. “Do I really make you crazy?”
His wicked grin was all the answer she needed. “Insane.”
She shifted her bottom against his groin in a seductive circle. “What about when I do this?”
He groaned. “Now you’re just playing dirty.” He chuckled softly, but his eyes were dark. “I want you, Holly. It doesn’t matter if it’s today or next week or next month. I want you naked and underneath me. I want to touch you in ways that leave no question that you are still alive and nothing in you is broken. But I am a very patient man, and I can also wait. It’s up to you to tell me to stop.”
His words touched her heart. She knew he meant everything he said. Although that part about her being naked and underneath him practically had her melting into a lust-filled pool right in his lap.
She did feel alive, and she wanted him to touch her. To know the way his lips felt as they discovered every part of her body. To feel his bare skin against hers.
She grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. “I don’t want you to stop. Not now. Not ever.”
Levi said nothing, but his eyes narrowed in desire.
He tugged his t-shirt over his head. She caught her breath at the sight of his chiseled, muscular chest. The firelight turned his skin a golden brown, and she ached with a need to touch him, to run her hands along his body.
Reaching behind her, she unclasped her bra. Slipping her arms free, she let it fall to the floor.
Levi bent his head forward and kissed the crest of her bare breast. He circled her swollen nipple with his tongue then drew it into his mouth with a gentle suck. The tug of his lips sent a burst of pleasure coursing through her, and she arched her back, willing him to take more.
He filled his left hand with her breast, squeezing and caressing while he continued to lightly suck, inflicting her with delicious torture. His right hand cupped her bottom, drawing her closer. She rubbed against him, pressing harder as she tried to soothe the agonizing ache of want.
Her skin was on fire. She was burning with a hunger that came from somewhere deep inside of her. She couldn’t get close enough to this man.
Fumbling at his jeans, she wrestled the button free and pulled at the zipper.
He tilted forward, lifting her and laying her on the rug. His skilled hands unfastened her pants and in one motion pulled her jeans and panties down her legs, leaving her naked in front of the fire. Her body shivered, not from cold, but from anticipation.
He stood and tugged off his jeans. Standing naked in the firelight, he was magnificent. His slim waist, muscled thighs, and rock-hard abs all made her want to whimper with need.
Lying down beside her, he traced his hand from her neck down the center of her breasts and made a slow circle around her belly button. Her insides clenched as her body hummed with expectation.
His hand slid around her waist and under the arch of her back. Lifting her, he slid her body under his, pinning her beneath him
, the pressure of his body on top of her. Finally.
Their bodies molded together as if two pieces of a puzzle, and she gasped at the intense arousal she felt as he slid between her legs. She wrapped her legs around him, thrilling at the tingle of urgent longing.
She wanted this man. Needed him.
He kissed her mouth, her neck, her breasts. Feasting on her in carnal hunger. Her breath came in quick gasps at each new sensation he created.
She abandoned all thought and just let herself go. Let herself feel and indulge in every tender caress, each rough stroke of passion. Caught in his spell, she cried out as he filled her.
Clutching his back, the muscles tightening with each stroke, she held on as he took her to the very edge of control. Then he murmured her name and she was gone. Falling over the edge and into the glorious abyss.
Chapter Seven
Holly woke in stages, as if swimming up through the cool layers of a lake. Sunlight poured through the windows of Levi’s bedroom, but she was alone in his bed.
And still naked.
The soft cotton of his sheets caressed her bare skin. Images of the night before replayed in her head, and delicious tingles filled her again. Her body was sore and tender, but in a good way.
She stretched out across the bed like a languid cat, basking in the magnificent feeling of a long night spent in a lover’s arms.
She slowly sat up and looked around the room. A blue flannel shirt lay across the chair, and she pulled it on, buttoning the middle buttons and inhaling the scent of his aftershave.
She padded barefoot into the kitchen, secretly delighting in the fact that she had nothing on underneath the shirt.
He was standing at the sink, his back to her as he mixed something in a bowl. A waffle iron sat plugged in on the counter. He wore nothing but a pair of jeans, and she took a second to admire his magnificent butt.
##
Levi heard a sound and turned to see her standing in the doorway. All she had on was his flannel shirt, the tails barely skimming the tops of her legs.