Rock This Christmas

by Mia Madison

  “I don’t know,” she shrugs. “You sure can’t put a dollhouse in a stocking.”

  “Damn. You don’t think Santa would lie to me, do you?”

  She laughs for the first time that day and without thinking I pull her into my arms and slam my mouth over hers, covering her lips and pressing my tongue into her like I’ve been eager to do again all week.

  I feel a rise of resistance in her body and her hands come up to my biceps as though she’s about to push me off her. Her mouth doesn’t surrender to me like the last time I kissed her and her body is stiff as though she’s fighting an internal battle.

  I release her mouth and pull back, searching her face, questioning. Today was amazing. I’m completely besotted by her and willing to do anything to make her happy. Before I ask her what the frown etched across her forehead means and what I can do to smooth it, a searing bolt of pain lands on the back of my head and I go staggering across the room.

  14

  Lana

  The man comes charging out from the half open closet in the hallway. I squash the scream in my throat as he jumps Noel from behind and hits him with some heavy object. Noel goes staggering across the floor, fighting to keep his balance on the cast. He’s bleeding and as he catches the bookshelf to gather his balance I see him wincing in pain.

  The man barrels at him again, knocking into him and pummeling his chin. A furious struggle ensues. The stranger is tall and overweight and uses his weight to attack Noel repeatedly. But he’s bulky and doesn’t look very fit so I know Noel is strong enough to take him.

  Except he seems to be making a concerted effort not to hit the guy. Instead, he’s just trying to restrain him by pinning his arms, which is hard with his impediment of the awkward leg.

  They go whirling round in a fierce struggle. The intruder is so enraged I’m afraid for Noel. I look all around and grab a vase standing on the shelves, ready to hit the guy over the head once I get a good shot. They’re fighting so furiously, every time I lift the vase to bring it down, I’m worried I’ll hit Noel. Unable to find a hit, I grab my phone and dial 911, as the two men go crashing to the floor and rollover and over.

  My heart pounds painfully in my chest as I ask for police, maybe an ambulance. Noel’s injuries might be compounded. They’re on the ground and the bigger man is lashing out with all his might while Noel is still not using his fists. My hands fly up to cover my mouth as I watch, frozen, unsure. Then when the man gets on top of Noel, pinning him down, I go in. Moving up behind, I lift the vase to crash down on the intruder’s head.

  “Lana, no,” Noel shouts.

  The stranger looks behind and in that moment, Noel flips him over onto his back. He somehow manages to maneuver his cast and sit on the guy’s round chest, pinning him down. All the fight goes out of the big guy and the two are breathing heavily.

  The sound of the police siren comes down the block as the man looks confused and says, “What happened, Noel?”

  I run over to help Noel get to his feet, his leg sticking out in front is preventing him. Then the man sits up rubbing his head in confusion.

  “Daddy, is Uncle Andrew staying for Christmas?”

  Halliday is standing in the doorway with a doll in her arm.

  Uncle?

  “Yes, baby,” Noel tells her as the police bang on the door. His eyes bat over to me, pleading so I take Hallie’s hand as he heads to answer it.

  I put Halliday back to bed and read her a story to help her sleep while Noel deals with the police. I emerge from her room just as they’re leaving and they give me a reluctant stare as though they aren’t convinced.

  “You’re sure his meds will calm him? We don’t want another call tonight,” one of the cops snarls at Noel from the door.

  “I’m sure,” Noel says. “We won’t bother you again.”

  “We’re just concerned about the women and children,” his partner says.

  I look at the attacker who’s sitting on the sofa all contrite. It’s hard to believe he was such a terrifying bulk force a few minutes ago. Once the cops leave, Noel takes the Uncle to a guest room and wishes him good night from the doorway. I notice he turns a key to lock him in.

  When he returns I open my mouth with a slew of questions but Noel lifts a finger to quiet me.

  “Don’t even think about saying you should go,” he commands me with a smirk.

  “I was about to say we’d better get that tree decorated,” I say with a grin.

  Nothing would make me leave right now. Not until I find out what the hell is going on. Noel could have beaten that guy to a pulp, filed charges but he didn’t. Instead he says he’s staying for Christmas. This guy is a total mystery.

  Noel lifts the lights and ornaments down from the shelf they’ve been waiting on. I pull out the string of small bulbs while he goes to his bar cart and pours two large brandy snifters.

  He waits while I take a huge mouthful and feel the heat emanating pleasantly through my chest. Then he follows suit and we get down to stringing the lights. We’re quiet for a while, just settling into working together on what seems like a very intimate task.

  “Uncle?” I say at last. “Your brother?”

  “Samantha’s brother,” Noel says. “He got it into his head that I was trying to kill her. Apparently she told him her man had threatened her - the one she was in the car crash with - and he confused that man with me.”

  “He’s unwell?” I ask. The man did seem confused.

  “Paranoid schizophrenia since he was twenty,” Noel says.

  “Oh how sad.”

  “It’s a struggle but I’m going to get him some help this time. He adores Hallie so Christmas together would be a gift to him. And her.”

  “You aren’t worried?” I ask. Not much seems to worry Noel.

  “A little. You noticed I locked the door. You were asking about the police earlier. That’s why I didn’t get into it with them about my fall.”

  “That was Andrew?”

  Noel nods.

  “He came over that day, saying I was trying to kill him too. He came at me and managed to push me out.”

  “Does anyone at the show know about this?” I ask.

  “No, I haven’t told anyone aside from you now, why?”

  I shrug.

  “Oh I was on the phone with a doctor and the backstage guy was listening all ears.”

  “Brad,” I say and everything falls into place.

  “Friend of yours?”

  “They tend to like gossip.”

  “He’s had some problems also. I met him in a facility I got Andrew into and when he came out, I got him the job on the door. It makes him feel important and better there than on the streets.”

  “You’re such a good man,” I say, more than a little humbled by the negative thoughts I’d had before.

  “Well I wouldn’t go that far,” he grins. “I’ve never been an angel but I am going to let you climb up to place one on the top of the tree.”

  He hands me the beautiful doll ornament and goes to a closet in the kitchen for a ladder. He comes back with it and I’m filled with emotion as he unfolds it and hands me onto the rung. I climb up the ten feet and position the angel on the top branch, Noel holding the struts and gazing up at me.

  For some reason this simple task makes me tremble with all the implications of a future together. Doing this same tree trimming together every year. I have to take a deep breath as I climb back down the ladder, so as not to fall apart.

  I reach the bottom and Noel doesn’t move. I have to climb into his arms and he wraps one around me, moving a tendril of hair with the other then brushing one escaped tear from my cheek.

  “Merry Christmas, my Angel,” he husks.

  “Merry Christmas,” I whisper.

  “Don’t even think about saying you should go,” His voice cracks with feeling as he gazes down at me.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it but I am on the early shift,” I grin, anticipation threatening to blow me apart at the
seams, knowing I’m finally going to get to lie in his arms all night.

  “Don’t worry about that, Hallie will wake us up long before dawn. You won’t be late.”

  He picks me up in a groom hold and carries me up the stairs to the master bedroom.

  I wake up early, completely refreshed from all the love Noel showered on my body the night before. My pussy clenches, eager for more of his shaft pushing inside me but it’s Christmas. I’m worried about Hallie finding me in her father’s bed.

  I roll over and find the bed is empty.

  I climb out and find a shirt of Noel’s in his closet. Funny, I never thought of him as a plaid kind of guy. I slip it on then go downstairs, hoping I’m not going to find any more disasters.

  I reach the bottom step and turn into the living room and gasp.

  The tree is all lit up and the entire space is decorated. There are stacks of gifts piled under the tree, beautifully wrapped and surrounding a giant dollhouse he must have been up all night constructing. A fire is glowing in the grate. Noel is seated in a leather chair with his cast up on the ottoman, reading a magazine.

  He looks up and sees me and throws me a filthy grin.

  “You’ve been playing Santa,” I say, smiling.

  “Merry Christmas, I like you in my shirt. You look like a sexy little elf.”

  “I couldn’t find my underwear,” I whisper.

  “You don’t need underwear,” he husks. “Come here and get on Santa’s knee.”

  I do as he says, taking up our favorite, our only, position straddling his cock. I pull his pajama bottoms over his huge shaft and lift myself up to locate his head in my still sore entrance. Then I slide all the way down him and grind down until he’s completely buried to the root.

  “You’re insatiable,” he rasps after I bring us panting for air to yet another climax.

  “It’s the effect you have on me,” I say.

  I roll off him to snuggle into his side firmly held under his wing and we watch the flames of the fire. It’s so easy and relaxed being with Noel and still the heat between us is blistering.

  “I could lie here like this all day,” I murmur.

  “Lana,” a tiny voice squeals. “Daddy, I got my wish. Santa gave me my wish.”

  Hallie comes running across the room and climbs up on her father’s good leg. She smiles with delight at me.

  “Aren’t you going to look at what Santa got you?” I ask. She hasn’t looked at her dollhouse.

  “I am looking at her,” she says. “I asked for you.”

  “So did I,” Noel says and pulls us both, squealing with delight, into his chest.

  Epilogue

  Lana - One Year Later

  “This reminds me of last year,” I laugh as Noel unfolds the ladder and holds on to the struts, waiting for me to climb up and top the tree with the angel.

  “And when you come down there’s going to be another repeat of our first Christmas together.” He grins.

  I slide the doll carefully onto the branch and then slowly take each rung back down as though I’m dancing a striptease for him.

  “Lana, I can’t believe how in love I am with you,” Noel rasps, his eyes gouging into me with lust. “You’re the most incredible woman on the planet. I can’t believe I’m so lucky.”

  I twine my fingers around the back of his solid neck and into the lush hair I love. Noel’s mouth comes down on mine and his tongue pushes into my mouth, swirling and inviting until I’m pressing hungrily into his chest wanting more.

  I’m incredibly lucky too although we had a few ups and downs through the year before I finally made it back to New York.

  I never went back to my shared apartment with the other girls and that caused an uproar behind the scenes at the show. Some people were even unwilling to forget their belief that Noel had a hand in his wife’s death. The dancers aren’t supposed to fraternize but as one of the producers, Noel wasn’t influenced by what other people think or say.

  “People have their minds made up long before they know the facts,” he shrugs. “I can’t be bothered with trying to change them.”

  “We live in a showbiz world now,” I agree. “Everyone needs drama.”

  “Speaking of which, how are you going to deal with the Ugly Stepsisters?”

  Noel didn’t want me to leave New York or him and at first I was happy to comply. I had so much to occupy me with the show schedule and taking care of Hallie and Noel.

  But when the show was over, although I was happy, I guess I had a crisis of confidence. I was no longer a ballerina or even a dancer. I loved being a mom but I was grieving for the previous me. At first I was glad to hide out in Noel’s gorgeous brownstone and never go back to New Orleans. But then I decided.

  “I won’t ever be happy with running away from this,” I told Noel, curling up into his chest. “I don’t want to fight with my step but I also have to assert my rights. My dad would have wanted that. He wouldn’t have wanted me to skulk off and hide or to have my inheritance stolen.”

  “You don’t need the money Baby,” Noel said. He’s amazing about sharing his lifestyle and making me feel fully a part of what he earns. He understood that it was a principle. But he was less happy when I said I had to go home on my own.

  Back in New Orleans, I rented a room rather than stay with my stepmother in my family home. But still, she knew the way to get under my skin. Every time I went over to pack my things and retrieve some mementos of my dad, she was there in my head.

  “What’s going to happen to you now?” She’d prod. Then when I told her I had a boyfriend I was in love with; “Are you sure you know a guy well enough to live with him after a couple of weeks?”

  Noel was right there for me, calling me every day, texting sweet words of how much he and Hallie missed me and wanted me back. I started to wobble though, as I worked through the fact that my dad was never coming back.

  “If it makes you unhappy you have to question whether it’s worth doing,” he said. And I took that in reverse, realizing that I was running away from my happiness with him and it was making me miserable.

  I was packing up my last box when a knock at the door revealed my new mini family.

  “We came to get you,” Hallie said, looking up at me with her big eyes and the ever present doll under her arm.

  “You have to stop using your child as a seductive tool,” I told Noel once Hallie was asleep. “You’re quite enough of a force to resist.”

  “That’s the thing - you keep trying to resist me but you can’t manage it with Hallie. I’m taking you home, Lana. Or I’m staying here with you until you’re ready. I need you with me.”

  “I need you too,” I admitted.

  We flew back to New York the next day and I worked with the lawyer from there. I just heard that my stepmother has agreed to settle a reasonable share.

  The stockings are hung - three this year. We tried to get Andrew out of the facility to visit for the holidays but his doctors said he’s too unwell. So there’s Hallie’s huge stocking and this year, she reminded us that we have to hang ours also. Two very small stockings are now hanging either side of Hallie’s and Noel is downing the brandy he had her leave out for Santa with the cookies. I take a small nibble of a pumpkin spice shortbread.

  “You can eat it, Angel,” Noel says. He encourages me to eat and not worry about diets now I’ve stopped dancing.

  I shrug and throw him a smile.

  “It’s hard to break old habits.”

  “The exact reason you have to do it,” he grins. “And anyway you’re perfect.”

  He pulls all the packages down from the high shelf in the closet and we get to wrapping and stuffing Hallie’s stocking.

  “I’m going to love playing with all this stuff with her, especially this bubble fairy garden.”

  “And the chemistry set,” he says.

  “You bought that for you,” I laugh.

  “I don’t need anything in my life now that I have you,” he says,
pulling me into his arms and kissing me.

  “That’s good because I have no clue what to get the man who has everything.”

  I’m shaking with excitement for Christmas morning as I slide the tiny gift I have for him into his stocking when he’s not looking.

  We finally fall asleep and when I wake up in Noel’s big comfortable bed, he’s again up before me and downstairs beside the fire.

  “I’m waiting sleepyhead,” he says with that filthy grin I can’t live without. “For my traditional Christmas gift. Come and get on Santa’s lap.”

  I move slinkily over to him and climb on to straddle his knees but I slept too long. Before we share our private Christmas morning, Hallie comes bolting into the living room and hurls herself onto the chair with us. We collapse laughing.

  “Merry Christmas Lana and Daddy,” she squeaks.

  I lift her stocking down from the mantel and she tears into it. She’s nowhere near finished when she looks up at us with her serious cherub face.

  “What did Santa leave you two?” She asks.

  “I think he forgot about us again,” Noel says, feeling the two small stocking still hanging. “Oh wait. Lana, he put a little something in yours.”

  He hands it to me and I wait, not breathing at all, as he pretends to look in his for Hallie’s sake.

  “Oh what’s this?” He says.

  “What is it?” Hallie shrieks.

  “It’s a…”

  Noel’s eyes flick up to mine and he gulps down.

  “What?” Hallie shouts louder.

  “Really?” he asks me.

  I nod. His hand covers his mouth and he looks down at the positive pregnancy wand again. For a second I’m afraid he’s mad.

  “Wow.” His grin stretches wide across his face.

  “What?” Hallie demands.

  “Santa put your wish in my stocking,” Noel tells her. “Both our wishes. I love you so much.” He picks me up and spins me around. “Our baby is the best gift you could give me.”