Matt had a scar exactly like that. From a fishing hook when he was fourteen.
But Matt did not have a beard. And especially not a white one.
Well, there was one way to know who this guy was for sure.
She stepped close, went up on tiptoe, took his face between her hands, and put her lips against his.
3
* * *
It took her two seconds to confirm that she was, indeed, kissing her husband.
Her soldier. The guy she hadn’t seen in seven months. The guy who she missed every single day.
The guy who had not told her he was coming home.
Bastard. The love-of-her-life-most-amazing-man-she-knew bastard.
As she tried to pull back to tell him what she thought of his little surprise, Matt wrapped an arm around her waist and dipped her back. He opened his mouth over hers and she melted.
It had been seven months. She could be mad later.
Matt’s tongue swept into her mouth, against hers, and Lindsey felt the little moan at the back of her throat. Heat and need swept through her and she grabbed onto the front of his coat, taking the leather lapels in both hands. Holding herself up, holding him close, reassuring herself that this was real and she wasn’t imagining it.
Matt was here. Kissing her. For Christmas.
And he hadn’t told her he was coming home.
Okay, so she could be mad later. But right now? She could get everything she really wanted—her husband naked. And a little revenge.
She pulled back and stared up at him. All she could see was her own reflection in the sunglasses.
Sunglasses.
Those and a white beard were all it took for her to not recognize Matt when he walked in? But no. Some of it was that he was leaner than last time she’d seen him. And he was… hell, it was because he’d just walked into a Christmas party dressed like Santa. He wasn’t supposed to be here. And not just not here. He wasn’t a businessman who was sometimes out of town for work. He was supposed to be in the Middle East. And her mind simply would not let her believe that he’d be home without telling her. So of course she hadn’t recognized him.
And now she was going to make him a little sorry for that prank.
“I like a man who takes mistletoe seriously,” she said, licking her bottom lip.
She couldn’t see his eyes, so she wasn’t sure how he was reacting, but he pulled her upright.
“I’m nothing if not true to holiday traditions,” he said. “Kind of part of the job.”
She nodded. “I respect that.” She ran her hand up the front of his shirt. “I also find your dedication to making people’s fondest wishes come true this time of year very attractive.”
She watched him swallow. She didn’t know when Matt would catch on that she was messing with him. She knew he would, eventually, but he deserved a few minutes of wondering if his wife had a Santa fetish he didn’t know about.
“So, about that present you have for me,” she said.
“The present that your friends have for you,” he corrected.
Sure. Lindsey nodded, her hand still resting on his chest. “But you’re going to be giving it to me, right?”
Had she put a little bit of naughty emphasis on giving it to me? Yes she had. This would teach him not to tell her about his homecoming plans.
Matt nodded slowly. “I am.”
“Well, I’m ready.” She dropped her voice. “Really ready.” She leaned in. Yep, that was Matt’s cologne. How had she not noticed that? Oh yeah, because her brain would have never let her tell herself that he was here. The part of her brain that knew he would tell her about any chance he might be around for the holiday—their holiday—wouldn’t let her think for a second that he might show up unexpectedly.
Besides, it wasn’t like Matt was the only guy to use that cologne.
“You know my husband is in the service, right, Nick?” she asked.
“I do know that.”
“That means he’s been gone for a long time.”
“I’m aware.”
“So I definitely have some Christmas wishes that might go unfulfilled. Without your help, anyway.”
He cleared his throat.
“But I can tell that it’s really important to you that we all have a very merry Christmas.”
“Of course.”
“Santa?” she asked, leaning closer and dropping her voice to a whisper. “Will you please…fill me with holiday spirit?”
He coughed at that and Lindsey pulled back, fighting a smile. If he knew that she knew who he was, then this could be a really fun holiday-themed role-playing. If he didn’t…well, she was curious how far he’d go playing along, waiting for her to stop things.
Before he could say anything, she took his hand. “Why don’t you show me where my really big, mind-blowing Christmas present is?”
“Did I say mind-blowing?” he asked. He looked over his shoulder at Logan as Lindsey tugged him toward the doors that led from the community center’s main hall to the hallway where the smaller conference rooms and offices were located.
“Oh, I just know it will be mind-blowing,” she said, somehow keeping from laughing.
Logan wasn’t going to save him.
She pushed the door open, pulling Matt along with her.
“You know, I don’t really deal with girls on the naughty list,” Matt said as the door bumped shut behind them.
Lindsey headed for the first conference room on the left. “Well, you’ve been missing out.” She thought maybe he was starting to realize that she was on to him. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open. “The naughty girls are the ones who really know all about what makes guys jolly. Not to mention what they can do with all the ribbon.”
Matt stepped close, almost on top of her, her back against the door. “Naughty girls don’t get toys.”
She looked up at him, her heart hammering. He was here. In the flesh. Big and hard and here.
She felt her eyes burning with tears, but she blinked hard. She tamped down all the swirling emotions like relief and joy and longing and just the pure adrenaline coursing through her system. She could give into all of that later. She wasn’t going to let this chance—and this empty, sort-of private conference room—pass.
For the moment, she didn’t have to share him.
That was a crappy thing to think, she knew. Their boys needed to see him. He needed to see them. His mom and dad needed to see him. His brother. His friends. Matt was a lot of things to a lot of people. And when he was home, the months went by so quickly. Everyone wanted time with him, of course, and he wanted to pack as much as he could into his time with them all.
There were barbecues and belated birthdays to celebrate. There were school and sporting events to soak up. There were just simple, normal days with dinner around their kitchen table and movies on the couch and bedtime stories read while propped up between the boys on one of their beds. Stuff people took for granted all the time. But for them, everything had an extra meaning.
Every event became something to savor and truly make special because it might be the last time he’d get to do it for a long time. The last time he’d have Kristy’s strawberry cake or Marcus’s smoked brisket, the last time he’d get to see one of the boys score a goal in soccer or perform in a school play. The pressure was kind of amazing. She felt it. Felt the need to make sure everything went well and according to plan so that everyone’s memory of it was perfect. She knew Matt felt it too. The pressure to be there, to laugh and soak it all in, to give everyone his time and attention and energy. And she guessed everyone else felt it too. The idea that Matt would be taking these memories with him to get him through the times when he couldn’t be there. Everyone tried so hard to make everything fun and perfect and happy.
So the down time. The alone time. The times when it was just the two of them were rare. And dammit, she needed those sometimes.
“Toys are over-rated,” she finally said. “Especially when you can
have the real thing.”
He grinned and she was fascinated for the moment by the beard. She’d definitely seen him with scruff, a three-day-or-so beard a few times, but he’d never had a full beard. And now she was curious about how he’d gotten it so white. Dye, she assumed. She reached up and ran her hand over it.
“I feel like we’re not talking about Easy Bake Ovens and Legos,” he said. His voice was gruffer now and he was definitely in her personal space.
This was not where she’d expected to be with Santa tonight. Or ever.
But a little thrill went through her. She’d been thinking about having him wear a Santa hat and having Skype-sex anyway. This could be fun. They didn’t really role-play. She had, on occasion, jumped him when he was in uniform and said things like, “Yes, First Sergeant.” But it hadn’t been true role-playing. After all, bossing people around while he was in uniform was as natural to Matt as breathing.
“We are definitely not talking about Legos,” she said, not even having to try to make her voice sound breathless. “Too many pointy edges and corners.”
“And kind of hard.”
Yep, Matt knew that she knew who he was. But he was still playing along. Lindsey fought to not grin too widely. They’d started their relationship dressed up as Santas—kind of—and this would be a great memory to add to their Christmas collection.
“Oh, but I like hard,” she said. “And hot. But I’m not talking about ovens either.”
“Why don’t you tell me your Christmas list, in detail, and I’ll see what I’ve got for you.” He put his forearm against the door over her head and leaned in.
She wet her lips. This was her husband. Her very hot, dirty-talking, amazingly-good-even-with-sexting husband. Oh, she had a list for him.
“Okay, well, there’s just one thing on it, really,” she said.
“Do tell.” He lifted a hand and removed his sunglasses.
Her heart turned over in her chest and a ribbon of heat swirled through her belly. Looking into those familiar, beloved eyes nearly undid her. But she pulled it together. Because she really wanted to have a naughty-Santa moment. And she knew that he hadn’t been expecting this. If he was going to throw surprises at her, turn-about was fair play.
“I would love to feel this beard against my inner thighs,” she said, running her hands over the surprisingly soft facial hair.
His gaze went hot and he started to lean in.
“And,” she said, putting her hand on his chest, “I’d love to pretend you’re the biggest candy cane I’ve ever seen and lick you until you’re seeing flying reindeer.”
He chuckled even as he pressed closer. “As long as you let me stuff your stocking in the end, I’m up for anything.”
She grinned up at him, loving that he was not only going along with her game, but that he was even getting into the spirit of it all. “Oh, Santa, you can come down my chimney anytime.”
He snorted at that and Lindsey was filled with such a mix of emotions she could barely breathe. Matt was here. They were going to have Christmas together. And they were playing and bantering as if he’d never been gone.
The next thing she knew, he’d swept her up into his arms and was carrying her over to the conference table in the middle of the room. He’d kicked the door shut behind them and it slammed shut. No doubt everyone in the main hall heard it, but Lindsey only giggled.
“What if they come to check on us?” she asked. “We could go to my place, you know.”
“No one in that room is coming in here,” he assured her. “After all, who’s more trustworthy than Santa Claus?”
He set her on the edge of the table and cupped her face in his hands.
“They know who you are?” she asked.
“Logan and Dana do.”
She felt those damned tears pricking her eyes again. She sniffed. “That was nice of them to help you with this.”
He nodded. “But”—he ran his thumbs over her cheekbones—“there’s no crying when you’re with Santa.”
Lindsey realized that a few tears had escaped after all. He wiped them away and she smiled up at him. “You’re absolutely right.”
“How about you give me something hot to remember on those cold nights up at the North Pole?” He leaned in and put his mouth against hers. “Something even better than cookies and hot cocoa.”
She felt like she’d just taken a big drink of that hot cocoa as Matt cupped the back of her head and kissed her. It was deep and hot and sweet and seemed to seep through her body, heating her from the inside out. She wrapped her arms around his neck, arching closer.
His hands skimmed from her shoulders to her hips where he squeezed, groaning as she stroked her tongue along his. He started gathering the skirt of her dress in his hands, inching it up her thighs and she rocked side to side helping him get it up over her hips. Then his hands were on her ass, red silk panties the only thing between his hot palms and her bare skin. He ran his hands back and forth over the fabric covering her butt cheeks.
“God, I’ve missed feeling silky panties and hot skin,” he told her gruffly.
Phone sex and Skype-sex were one thing. It kept them connected and gave them both some of the release they just flat-out needed sometimes. But there was lots of time alone with hands and vibrators and nothing quite hit the right spots or did what good old skin-on-skin, man-woman, husband-wife sex did.
“I’ve missed you feeling it too,” she told him, dropping the Santa thing. She just needed Matt. Pure and simple.
“I’m taking this pair of panties with me,” he said, hooking his thumbs just above the little bows on both sides and pulling.
She laughed as she wiggled, helping him get them down. “You’ve got four pairs of my panties in with your stuff. The guys are going to start wondering about you.”
He gave her a slow grin. “The guys all know exactly what’s up with the panties. It’s all become a badge of honor. Who’s got the most and which are sexiest.” He got her panties past her heels and put them to his nose, breathing deep.
Her entire body tingled watching that. “What keeps guys from just ordering some online?” She reached behind her to catch the zipper on the back of her dress and pulled it down as Matt shrugged out of the red leather coat.
“It’s the honor system,” he said, stripping his shirt off.
For a second Lindsey just paused and drank him in.
He’d been working hard lately, doing a lot of drills and training exercises. He couldn’t tell her why or what they were preparing for exactly and she didn’t ask. Her imagination got the best of her at times without knowing details. But she’d known he was tired and sore from some of it. Now she could see the effects. His abs were hard and more defined than she could remember seeing them. His shoulders looked broader and his biceps seemed huge. She was grateful he was in such great shape. That made him safer for the things he faced when he was away from her. The more prepared he was physically, the better he could do his job. Which was to protect, well, everyone, frankly. She didn’t think it was too much of an exaggeration to consider her husband a hero and, well, a badass. He was skilled with various weapons, including guns and knives, but he was also lethal with his hands. Yeah, he was badass.
And she was a sucker for a hard body on a guy who could—and would—protect her from anything.
She’d always found him attractive, of course. Their chemistry had been instantaneous it seemed, and it hadn’t faded a bit. Of course, absence did make the heart grow fonder—and hornier. But he’d gotten harder and leaner and developed a few lines on his face over the years. Not to mention the maturity and the look in his eyes that said he’d seen a lot of not very nice things but that he knew who he was and why he was where he was. His confidence and determination were sexy. Period.
As were his abs.
She reached for him, hooking a finger in the front of his jeans, pulling him closer and running her hand up over those abs. “I know you’ve been working hard,” she told him, dra
gging her eyes up over his abs to his chest and then up to his face. “But damn, I’m appreciating it very much right now.”
He half chuckled, half groaned and tangled one hand in her hair at the back of her head. “Need you, Linds.”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He reached for the hooks on her bra while she reached for the zipper on the front of his jeans. He filled his hands with her breasts a moment later. Her nipples hardened as he flicked his thumbs over them and she felt the sparks between her legs. She wiggled.
“Yes, more, First Sergeant,” she encouraged.
His chuckle cut off on a groan as she slipped her hand inside his pants. He was already rock hard, huge, and hot. She wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed. His breath hissed out between his teeth. “Christ, Lindsey.”
“I’ve missed you so damned much,” she told him, pulling him down for another kiss.
She ran her hand up and down the length of his cock and he tugged and rolled her nipples. She was hot and ready for him within seconds. She started to push his pants down, wanting them around his knees now, but Matt caught her hands. “Whoa there.”
She blinked up at him. “Whoa?”
Lindsey was ninety-nine percent sure Matt had never stopped her, or even slowed her down, when her hand had been down his pants.
“You asked Santa for something.”
She tipped her head. “We were joking around, right?”
“Were we?”
Next thing she knew, he was kneeling in front of her and spreading her knees. Whoa indeed. “Um…”
“You might want to just settle back there, Mrs. LaSalle. I’ve got some Christmas wish granting to do.”
4
* * *
Matt dragged his chin, and beard, up her leg from her knee to her inner thigh.
Lindsey sucked in a quick breath as her core clenched. “I was just playing around.”
He kissed her thigh, then gave her skin a flick of his tongue and she forgot what she’d been about to say. The truth was, Matt loved going down on her and he was damned good at it. Who was she to protest?
Eggnog Makes Her Easy Page 3