Her Husband's Christmas Bargain

by Margaret Mayo

  ‘Perhaps I should feed you.’ He cut a slice off his sausage and, picking it up with his fingers, he offered it to her.

  With her eyes on his, Megan leaned slightly forward and opened her mouth. When he popped it in she felt the warm rasp of his fingers against her lips and she had an urge to suck them into her mouth too. But already he had moved and was preparing another morsel.

  A tiny square of toasted bread this time, topped with golden egg. He was enjoying the game, feeding himself a mouthful in between times, until Megan took the initiative and began to feed him her breakfast in exactly the same manner.

  It was the most erotic game they’d ever played, especially when fingers and food became intermingled, or when his eyes darkened with desperate need as she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips to collect any remaining crumbs.

  Quite how they managed to finish the whole meal without leaving the table and making mad passionate love on the hearth she didn’t know. There was a goatskin rug there and she’d had her eye on it ever since she’d arrived. It was where she intended to perfect her seduction routine.

  ‘That was some breakfast,’ he said when he had drunk two cups of coffee and she had finished what was left in the teapot.

  ‘Perfect,’ she announced. ‘But far too much. I think that as soon as we’ve cleared away we should walk it off.’

  He looked through the window. ‘It’s beginning to snow.’

  And so it was, but nothing more than a few flurries.

  ‘I can think of a much better form of exercise.’ His face was straight but Megan knew exactly what he was talking about. The trouble was, he was beginning to take her for granted and this wasn’t part of the deal she’d made with herself. Nothing had to come easy for him. He had to work for it, realise that some things were worth a bit of effort.

  Like holding on to a wife whom he had taken for granted all those years ago!

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  MEGAN remained insistent that she wanted to walk, but by the time they’d stacked everything into the dishwasher and put on their outdoor clothes the snow was falling heavily. ‘Shall we risk it?’ she asked as they stood in the doorway watching the white flakes settle. Already it had coated the ground. ‘If this keeps up it’ll be inches deep within a few hours.’

  ‘I’m game if you’re game.’

  ‘Then let’s go,’ she said with a laugh.

  They trudged towards the lake, leaving footprints, Megan laughing when she slipped and Luigi’s strong arms saved her. He held on fast to her after that, and the cold outside air that turned their breath into white mist was a huge contrast to the heat that raged inside her body.

  When she slipped again, her feet going right from under her, Megan landed on her back. Luigi had released her for just a moment to point out a duck that was sheltering beneath some overhanging dead grasses, and now he knelt instantly beside her, real concern on his face. ‘Megan, are you hurt?’

  ‘Only inside.’

  A deep frown gouged his brow. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It’s something that only you can make better.’

  ‘You know I’ll do anything I can.’

  ‘I want you to make love to me, Luigi, right here.’ The words seemed to come of their own volition; they had nothing to do with her. She wasn’t saying these things, it was crazy to want to make love in these freezing conditions.

  There was a great silence around them. It was as though they were in the House of God. And, although she knew He wouldn’t approve of an open-air ritual, it was what her heart desired.

  ‘Are you sure?’ There was the beginning of a smile playing on the edges of his mouth, and she could see that the idea had begun to appeal to him too.

  Megan nodded.

  ‘You’re a crazy woman, do you know that? And you never fail to amaze me.’

  She amazed herself too, if the truth were known.

  Half expecting her request to fail because of how cold it was, Megan was exhilarated when Luigi performed with as much panache and aggressive eagerness as he’d ever done. Naturally they couldn’t get fully undressed because of the still falling snow, but it was an experience to surpass all experiences.

  And when it was over, when they’d both had time to draw breath, they ran laughing into the house ready to begin all over again. First of all they showered together in the spacious upstairs bathroom, turning it into a sensual game, each soaping the other, exploring each other’s bodies, touching and kissing every sensitive zone.

  Until Luigi exclaimed, ‘Enough!’ He insisted she stand while he towelled her dry, a long task because there were so many parts of her that needed different attention. Megan was sizzling by the time he’d finished touching and stroking and teasing and kissing.

  He carried her to the bed and, although she was desperate again for him to make love to her, he refused to hurry. ‘We have all the time in the world,’ he told her gruffly.

  So much for her being in charge! At this moment she was putty in his hands and he knew it. And he was making the most of it. Every single inch of her body was responsive to his touch, and she wriggled uncontrollably as he drew her to such a crescendo that she knew she would climax any second—without him!

  It was only then that he entered her, slowly, only just controlling himself, and when Megan wrapped her legs around him and thrust her hips urgently upwards, he groaned and cursed and between them the world exploded.

  ‘You’re truly an incredible woman,’ he said, once they’d come back down to earth. The covers were pulled over them and they were huddled together like two bunnies in a burrow. ‘I thought I knew everything about you and yet you continue to surprise me.’

  ‘I do?’ she asked with a crooked smile.

  ‘Since when has making love in the snow been an ambition of yours?’

  She grinned. ‘Never. It makes me shiver just thinking about it.’

  ‘And yet you begged me for it. It was the most erotic thing I’ve ever done. I love you, Megan.’

  His admission stunned her into stillness. ‘Pardon?’ she asked in the quietest of voices.

  ‘I love you.’ It was a simple admission, his tone suggesting that it was something he had always done and he couldn’t understand why she was questioning him.

  ‘Do you mean that?’

  A faint frown narrowed eyes that were still dark with emotion. ‘Of course I mean it. I’ve always loved you.’

  ‘But you’ve never told me.’

  ‘I know,’ he admitted wryly, ‘and I’m sorry. It’s not something I find easy to do.’

  ‘Because of your upbringing?’

  He nodded, a shadow on his face as memories returned.

  ‘So why tell me now? What’s different?’

  ‘The difference is us! I’m finally beginning to realise what a swine I’ve been. I’m keeping my promise to cut down on my workload. I’m putting family first. And since we came here things have changed as well. You are more relaxed. And I am more relaxed in your company. I find it easier to say what’s in my heart.’

  Megan felt as though all her hopes and wishes had come true at the same time, but she also knew that she still needed to exercise caution. This could be emotion speaking. In the cold light of day, when their bodies weren’t entwined, when their senses weren’t so heightened, he might feel differently.

  ‘I think we should talk about this again later,’ she said.

  He frowned. ‘You mean you don’t believe me?’

  ‘I want to.’

  ‘But you don’t!’ he claimed roughly, rolling out of bed and glaring down at her. ‘Dammit, Megan, what does a guy have to do to repair his marriage? Get down on my knees and beg? Believe me, that will never happen. You take me as I am or not at all.’

  OK, if he wanted to get heavy then she’d let him have it. ‘I don’t want a husband who comes with baggage.’ Her grey eyes glittered angrily and she too got up. But she didn’t stand there naked as he was doing; she grabbed his robe and hugged it around her
.

  ‘Baggage? What the hell are you talking about?’

  ‘As if you didn’t know!’

  ‘You mean Serena? For heaven’s sake, Megan, when are you going to accept that there’s nothing going on there?’

  ‘That’s not what she told me.’ She saw the way his breath caught in his throat, the way his eyes stilled with suspicion, and she waited.

  His words were slow and deliberate. ‘You mean Serena told you—that she and I—were lovers? On New Year’s Eve?’

  Megan nodded.

  He shook his head, unable to accept that she was telling him the truth. ‘Why would she?’ And it was clear to see that he didn’t want to believe it.

  ‘Because she’s jealous, you blind idiot. She’s in love with you.’

  He winced then, giving away the fact that he’d suspected it. ‘But I’m not in love with her.’

  ‘That only makes a woman scorned more eager. Don’t you know that?’

  He ignored her question. ‘And she actually came right out with it? She tried to make trouble between us?’

  ‘Yes,’ whispered Megan, finding it hard to see Luigi coming to terms with the fact that his PA was not as perfect as he’d thought.

  ‘I don’t suppose you want to tell me the details?’

  And hurt him more? Megan shook her head.

  ‘I’ve never taken her to bed.’

  It was said so simply and sincerely that Megan accepted he was telling her the truth. She wouldn’t have done a few days ago, but now she did.

  ‘And I shall have a word with her when I go back to work. This won’t happen again. She can stay in the job and behave, or leave.’

  Megan’s heart began to sing. ‘I think I believe you this time, Luigi.’

  She could see the relief flooding out of him, his body relaxing and a slow smile returning. ‘I do love you, Megan, with all of my heart.’

  ‘And I love you.’

  ‘You’ll stay with me for ever?’

  She nodded.

  He groaned and gathered her into his arms. ‘I love you, I love you, I love you,’ he claimed joyously. It was as though once he’d said the words, once he’d realised how easy it was to express his emotions, he couldn’t stop.

  ‘And I love you too. In fact I think we make a pretty good pair,’ she added spontaneously.

  ‘In bed and out of it,’ he agreed, opening the robe she had folded protectively around her. When naked flesh met naked flesh their bodies set on fire, bed beckoned again and time lost all meaning.

  Megan wasn’t sure whether it was hours or days before they admitted hunger of a more prosaic kind. It seemed like for ever that they lay in bed pleasuring each other, sometimes reaching heights never before attained, sometimes dozing, their bodies still entwined. They had become one again in this peaceful place, and the next two days were filled with more of the same…

  When it was eventually time for them to return home they were both sad. The car was packed, and they were taking a last look around to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. ‘I wish we could stay here for ever,’ Megan said. ‘Except that I’m missing Charlotte.’ But not as much as she’d expected! Luigi had wiped everything from her mind. Her glorious husband.

  ‘Me too, on both scores,’ Luigi agreed firmly. ‘I couldn’t have wished for a finer wife or a lovelier daughter, and I hope that one day in the not too distant future we shall have a brother or sister for her to play with.’

  ‘I think that might happen sooner than you think,’ Megan told him with an amazingly shy smile considering their uninhibited behaviour.

  Luigi took her face between his palms, his eyes shocked and questioning. ‘What are you telling me?’

  ‘That I’ve missed my period.’

  His eyes widened, like Charlotte’s when she saw something wonderful. ‘Which means that you could have conceived on Christmas Day? Or even Boxing Day?’

  She nodded. ‘Of course it could be that my system’s out of sync because of all the upset I’ve had lately. It’s a little early to tell, but—’

  ‘But nothing!’ he insisted. ‘I knew there was something different about you. You have a bloom that only a pregnant woman has.’

  ‘And how would you know what a pregnant woman looks like?’ she taunted, and then wished she hadn’t because she had deprived him of that opportunity with Charlotte.

  But he didn’t seem to mind. ‘I love you, Mrs Costanzo. And I’m never going to stop telling you. And I love our daughter too, more than you’ll ever know. I’m going to be the world’s finest father—to all of our children.’

  A spread of pleasure flooded Megan’s limbs. She believed now in his reformation. Entirely.

  ‘Charlotte got her daddy for Christmas,’ he mused, ‘and we created a new baby at Christmas. Isn’t that just perfect?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ she said. ‘And there’s one thing I must do.’

  He grinned. ‘And that is? I’m not sure we have time to make love again.’

  ‘I think I can manage to wait until we get home—just,’ she added with a provocative smile. ‘But I need to tell my parents that we’re back together. They thought the world of you, you know, and were really angry with me when I left. In fact, we haven’t spoken since.’

  ‘I know how they felt,’ he agreed. ‘I contacted them when I was trying to find you, and I promised I’d tell them if I ever did.’

  ‘And did you?’

  He nodded guiltily. ‘They needed to know you were safe and well. I know I should have told you, but I still wasn’t sure whether we’d make a go of things. You were so damn stubborn, so insistent that it was going to be a Christmas break and nothing more. I was terrified each time you threatened to leave.’

  ‘What would you have done if I had gone?’

  ‘Thought of a way to get you back. Believe me, my darling, I wasn’t going to let you go again.’

  ‘You won’t have to worry now,’ she said, secure in the knowledge that Luigi was going to be a perfect husband for all time. ‘There’s another couple of things, though.’

  Luigi looked resigned. ‘OK, spill them out. Let’s not leave any skeletons in the cupboard.’

  ‘It’s nothing like that,’ she assured him. ‘Firstly, there never was anything going on between me and Jake. I let you think so to make you jealous. I’m sorry.’

  ‘And you certainly did that,’ he said. ‘I hated the thought of any other man having you.’

  ‘There’s been no one but you,’ she insisted.

  He gave a pleased smile. ‘So what’s the other thing?’

  Megan swallowed hard. ‘Don’t be hurt, but I don’t like your house. Can we move?’

  ‘Do you want to know the truth?’ he asked with a sheepish grin. ‘I don’t like it either. At least, not since you’ve been living there. It’s not a home, is it? It’s too soulless. It doesn’t have a heart. We’ll choose something together, my darling, though it will have to be big enough to house all the children we’re going to have.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Megan demurely.

  He patted her tummy. ‘Did I ever tell you that there are twins in my family?’

  ‘Spare me, please,’ she said with a laugh.

  But actually the idea of having lots of babies for Luigi to dote on really appealed to her.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-0975-0

  HER HUSBAND’S CHRISTMAS BARGAIN

  First North American Publication 2007.

  Copyright © 2004 by Margaret Mayo.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either th
e product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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