Hot Christmas Nights

by Rachel Bailey

  “Resting, I think. Tell her I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  “She doesn’t cook on Saturday’s either,” he said.

  Elyse’s chest tightened. There was a frailty about her father now and it was heart wrenching. Knowing her father was ill filled her with a heavy guilt and if she’d realized what was happening she would have come home sooner. But a brief, weekly telephone call wasn’t enough to make her aware of the situation. And shamefully, she’d been so wrapped up in her own life, Elyse hadn’t considered the possibility that anything was wrong.

  She had a lot of making up to do.

  And this first thing on the agenda was to try and help her sister.

  Elyse reached forward and kissed her father’s cheek. “See you later, Dad.”

  A minute later she was in the rental car and heading down the driveway. The McCrane farm was next door, but it was still a fifteen-minute drive. Elyse had taken the road countless times over the years. The McCrane’s were predominately cane farmers, but they also ran close to two hundred head of cattle. Brett was an accomplished horseman, like his father had been, and from all reports Rick was just as competent in the saddle. If there was one thing she missed about her old life, it was her horse, Sonny. She’d left him behind on the farm when she moved away and her father informed her a few months later that he’d been sold to a local wrangler. Despite telling her father she understood, Elyse had been hurt to the core.

  She turned left off the road and headed for the huge white gates ahead. The McCrane farm had been in their family for five generations. It was big and imposing and the farmhouse was two levels of understated elegance. There was also a pool out back, a spa and a large entertaining area.

  Elyse spotted Brett’s old truck parked beside a brand new Jeep by the machinery shed and she drew the car to a halt outside the stables and got out. A hairy, tan colored dog arrived to greet her and yapped a few times. There were about a dozen chickens pecking around the yard and she could see a few horses corralled by the stables and several more in paddock behind the house. There was no one around that she could see, and since it was only a few days out from Christmas, concluded that most of the workers had probably left for the holiday season.

  She heard music coming from the direction of the machinery shed and headed for it.

  A pair of jean-clad legs was poking out from underneath a tractor—legs than were attached to a set of lean hips and washboard belly. A memory kicked in. She knew that belly. And she’d been pressed hard against those hips more times than she could remember.

  “Brett?”

  She heard a clang, then a curse and then the flat trolley he lay on pushed out from beneath the vehicle. He got to his feet and stood in front of her. He had a grease mark across his cheek and his hair was mussed. But Elyse was too mesmerized by his bare chest to say anything. It had been a decade since she’d been so close to him semi-naked, and her wayward libido was jumping all over the place.

  “Elyse,” he said and wiped his hands on a towel draped over the tractor seat. “What can I do for you?”

  She swallowed hard and averted her eyes. “I need…I need to speak with Rick.”

  His mouth twisted. “He’s up at the house.”

  “Oh…okay…thanks.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  She shrugged lightly. “I’m not sure. He and B.J. had an argument. She was upset so I thought I would talk to Rick about it. While she’s nursing the baby it’s not good for her to be anxious or worried.”

  He frowned. “You might consider letting them sort it out between themselves.”

  “I can’t,” she said and dropped her gaze lower. She was so close to him she could have easily reached out and pressed her palm against his chest to feel his heartbeat. Sweat glistened across his skin and the musky scent that was uniquely his assailed every sense she possessed and made her knees weak. “I need…I need…”

  “What do you need, Elyse?” he asked, his voice like liquid silk.

  In that moment she could have easily said she needed him. But that was just her body reacting to his. It was attraction. Longing. Sex. Nothing more. Just hormones and biology mixing into a potent, hypnotic cocktail. She hadn’t been with anyone for a long time and being around Brett simply reminded her that she was a normal woman with a normal woman’s desires.

  And the way Brett was watching her, Elyse knew he was feeling the same sense of awareness, and that he felt the same heat throbbing between them. His blue eyes glittered with blistering intensity and every ounce of blood in her veins was pumping.

  “I need to talk to your brother,” she said, pulling on all her willpower.

  “Is that all?”

  There was a bucket load of innuendo in his words and Elyse had to bite down on her lower lip to maintain her self-control. “You could put a shirt on.”

  He grinned fractionally. “There isn’t any part of me showing that you haven’t seen before.”

  “Suit yourself,” she said flippantly and turned on her heels. “I’ll just go and talk to Rick.”

  She began walking when he spoke.

  “Wait up, Elyse,” he said and came up behind her. He carried a T-Shirt in his hands and quickly threaded his arms through it. “Is that better? Does your virtue feel less compromised now?”

  “My virtue was well and truly compromised up there about twelve years ago,” she said and pointed up toward the hayloft. “Remember?”

  Brett grinned so sexily her mouth turned dry. “I remember. It was a lovely afternoon.”

  He was right. It had been lovely. And passionate. And tender. And everything a first time should be. Afterwards, he’d held her in his arms and whispered heart-felt words. He’d said he would love her for all eternity. And she’d said the same in return. “You were very sweet.”

  “Sweet?” He frowned. “Well, thanks. That’s completely emasculating.”

  “Actually,” she said and began walking toward the house. “It’s a compliment.”

  He laughed and the sound hit her directly in the solar plexus. Snap out of it! Being around Brett was turning her usual good sense to mush.

  Rick was in his room and Brett quickly called him downstairs.

  “What?” the younger McCrane asked when he got to the bottom of the stairs.

  Brett crossed his arms. “Are you sulking because you had a fight with B.J?”

  Rick scowled and then shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Well, man up and go and sort it out.”

  Rick’s expression darkened. He was still a boy in many ways. “She won’t listen.”

  “Try harder,” Brett said quietly. “And remember that she’s a new mother, a young mother,” he said with emphasis. “And she’s breastfeeding. The last thing she needs is you getting worked up about things while she’s feeding your son. You’re man enough to make a baby…then you’re man enough to deal with the rest of it, too. Including B.J.’s moods. So, go and talk to her and apologize for whatever you did or didn’t do.”

  Rick’s lip quivered a little. “Even if she’s wrong?”

  “Yes,” Brett said firmly. “Even then.”

  It only took a couple of minutes for Rick to grab his keys and head out. Once he was gone, Elyse squared off with Brett and the bottom of stairwell.

  “Thank you,” she said and raised one brow. “I think. You were a little harsh on him.”

  “He needs to grow up,” Brett said severely. “He had unprotected sex with his teenage girlfriend and now he has to be responsible for those actions. That’s not harsh. That’s life.”

  “Haven’t you ever made a mistake?”

  “Sure,” he replied and moved a little closer. “But I would never have gotten my teenage girlfriend pregnant.”

  Elyse’s skin burned. No…Brett was way too responsible for that. “Well, thanks again. I’ll see myself out.”

  “You can stay,” he said quietly. “I won’t bite.” The mood between then quickly shifted. “Unless you ask nicely.
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br />   Elyse pulled a face. “Really, Brett…is that the best you’ve got?”

  He took half a step closer. “You want to see my best?” he queried, reaching out to touch her hair. She didn’t pull back. She didn’t move. She sucked in a sharp breath and waited for him to speak again. “Really? If that’s the case, why don’t you come upstairs and I’ll show you my best for the next few hours?”

  Elyse almost choked. He was flirting. And she was falling, hook, line and sinker. She was no more immune to Brett than she had been ten years ago. But she wasn’t about to add fuel to the fire between them. “Sex isn’t the answer.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe not. But on the other hand, maybe that’s all this is. Maybe it’s the only thing that will get us out of each other’s system once and for all.”

  His revelation both shocked and terrified her. Because they were still in one another’s system. The heat was still there. The attraction was as real and as powerful as it had been a decade ago.

  “I can’t…”

  “Why not,” he said and moved one arm around her waist. “Afraid you might still like it?”

  Elyse had no will to challenge him. She pushed forward and suddenly they were pressed together. Chest to breast. Thigh to thigh. He looked down into her face and she knew he was going to kiss her. She felt the pull, the energy, the anticipation. When their lips met she offered no resistance. His kiss was as familiar as it was new and erotic. There was nothing uncertain about him now. He was a man, not a boy. He was self-assured and confident. His mouth covered hers, asking, seeking, and Elyse was instantly drawn in. Her hands came up to his chest. He was all hard angles and muscle. And her body reacted instantly. She pressed closer as the kiss deepened and she felt his tongue slide between her teeth. His hand moved down to the curve of her hip and he drew her against him in the most intimate way. It was instantly arousing and she moaned low in her throat.

  “Come upstairs,” he muttered against her lips. “I want to make love to you, Elyse. I’ve thought of little else since yesterday.”

  She wanted to say yes. She wanted to throw off all her usual reservations and do something foolish and impromptu and mind blowing. But if she did, Elyse knew she’d regret it. This was Brett. They weren’t one-night stands to each other. Once, long ago, they’d loved one another. And if she made love with him, Elyse knew she was in danger of falling back into the place, of loving him all over again. And she couldn’t. Not when she’d worked so hard to get him out of her head, and her heart.

  “No,” she said and pulled back.

  Brett’s gaze was unwavering. “No?”

  “Let me go.”

  He stilled instantly and released her. “Sure,” he said quietly. “I’ve had a lot of practice at that, after all.”

  Elyse grabbed her bag and left.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  For as long as Brett could remember, the McCrane’s and the Prescott’s had celebrated Christmas Eve together. And this year would be no exception. His mother had decorated the house within an inch of its life and had been cooking all afternoon. He knew Frank, his daughters and grandson, were arriving at six.

  Brett lingered by the stables for as long as he could, and at five made his way back to the house to shower and change. Rick was in the front living area rearranging the gifts under the tree. Gifts would be exchanged with the Prescott’s. That was another tradition. Rick looked nervous and Brett tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Lighten up, will you.”

  His brother shrugged. “I bought B.J. a ring. Hopefully she won’t throw it in my face.”

  Been there, Brett thought and did his best to ignore the heavy feeling in his chest. He hoped his brother had more luck getting a Prescott woman to say yes to a marriage proposal than he did.

  The Prescott’s arrived on time and Brett made poured drinks as they settled in. His mother was the perfect hostess and Frank was in a good mood. B.J. and Rick were instantly caught up in their baby, the argument the day before clearly forgotten, and Elyse looked like she wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Kind of like he did.

  I shouldn’t have kissed her.

  But he had. And all it had done was made him want her more. There was no going back from it. And he had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. There were feelings…still. And he felt like the biggest fool of all time.

  “Drink?” he asked as she passed the bar. She looked amazing in a short red dress that accentuated her lovely curves. “Wine? Champagne?”

  “Wine,” she said. “White.”

  Brett poured her a glass and passed it over. “You look nice.”

  She shrugged. “Thanks. You too.”

  “Frank’s in a good mood, I see.”

  She nodded and bit her lower lip. “Yes. He loves Christmas. And your mother has gone to such a lot of trouble tonight. Everything looks amazing. And the kids have kissed and made up,” she said and inclined her head toward B.J. and Rick. “So, things are good.”

  Brett stepped closer. “Speaking of kissing,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I acted like a jerk.”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “You did. Two more days and I’m leaving, Brett. The two of us getting involved before then would be madness.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said. “It might feel great and no doubt it would be incredibly cathartic. But it wouldn’t be wise.”

  Her eyes flashed. “You’re making fun?”

  He shrugged. “I’m trying to lighten the mood.”

  “Save your energy.”

  Brett watched as she walked away and moved to sit beside her sister. He watched again as she held Jack and a strange sensation hit him in the gut. Once, long ago, he’d imagined they would have children together. He’d dreamed of her holding their son. He felt more foolish with each passing second. Elyse had made her feelings abundantly clear. She was leaving in two days.

  She looked up and their gaze clashed. And he knew she was very aware of what he was thinking. He watched as she touched Jack’s cheek and felt something uncurl in his stomach. Longing. Pain. Regret. And a whole swag of emotions he thought had long passed. But there was no denying it, no escaping the truth.

  He was as much in love with Elyse as ever.

  And this time, he knew losing her would break him.

  Because imagining they could fix things was foolish. She had her life. He had his.

  It was an impossible situation.

  By the time dinner was done and dessert was served, Jack was fast asleep in his cradle by the big Christmas tree. Rick and B.J. appeared to be getting on well and Frank and his mother were playing rummy at the table. However, Elyse looked lost. Out of sorts. Alone. He wondered how much of that had to do with him. This was his life, and she’d stepped back into it for a moment. He had an inexplicable need to try and makes things right for her and it made him both confused and resentful. And Brett was not a resentful man. Arrogant, maybe. Opinionated, sure. But he’d never gotten bogged down in resentment. Not even after Elyse had bailed ten years earlier. She’d made her choice and he had to do the same.

  Around nine o’clock he found her in the kitchen. She was sitting at the big scrubbed table, a mug between her hands.

  “Where’s the champagne?” he asked from the threshold.

  She looked up. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

  “Me either,” he admitted. “I always hate the dammed headache I get the next day.”

  “Me too,” she said and smiled. “Anyhow, I’m glad tonight was a success. B.J. and your brother seemed to have patched things up.”

  “They love each other,” he said quietly. “Sometimes that’s all you need.”

  She met his gaze head on. “I guess. And they have a lot in common. They both love it here. B.J. got her wanderlust out of her system during her European trip. I actually think they will be okay.”

  “Yeah,” Brett said and came further into the room. “Seems that way. What about you? Are you really heading out the day aft
er tomorrow?”

  “That’s the plan. I could probably stick around until Thursday at the latest. Which I might do. I would like to spend as much time with my dad as possible since I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

  “I take it you’re not going to leave it another ten years though?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “Of course not. I’ll be back within six months.”

  It shouldn’t have made him uneasy. But it did. The idea of seeing Elyse regularly messed with his head. “Frank will be happy about that. And Billy-Jean.”

  Her gaze sharpened. “What about you?”

  “Does it matter what I think?”

  “It shouldn’t,” she flipped back. “But…I guess I’m all out of good sense at the moment.”

  He had no idea what she meant. “Elyse…”

  She got to her feet and pushed the chair back. “I didn’t come back for this, Brett. I didn’t plan on having a whole bunch of feelings racing around inside me. I thought I was over this…over you.”

  He stilled instantly. “If it’s any consolation, it cuts both ways.”

  Her eyes glistened. “It’s not. It just makes it even more complicated.”

  “Life generally is.”

  “Not my life,” she refuted. “I don’t have time for drama. I work sixty-hour weeks, do a yoga class every Tuesday, meet a few friends for a drink each Friday night, and have a pedicure once a fortnight. It’s planned…organized…simple.”

  “Lonely?” Brett shot back.

  “So?” She said and cross her arms. “Loneliness is the price I paid for the career I wanted.”

  Brett’s insides crunched. “Some people get both.”

  “Not me,” she said quickly. “I made my choice. And I can live with it. But not here,” she said and moved around the table. “When I’m here I feel…conflicted. Torn. Confused. And I thought it was simply because I was home and back in my old house and my old room and spending time with my father and sister. But it’s not that. It’s…you. You’re my Achilles heel. You always have been.”

  Stunned, Brett stared at her. There was emotion and real pain in her voice and it cut through him with razor precision. “You still…you still have feelings for me?”