The Christmas Dare Read online

  Filomena had pulled up her spine and leveled Kelsey a hard glare. “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “Not at all, Mom. I’m saying it’s not on the ingredients list. I just wanted to give you a nice gift for Christmas.”

  “Well, if you bought it from the Neiman’s catalogue, I know you spent too much,” Filomena had said, putting the perfume bottle aside. “What else did you get me?”

  The unused bottle of Filomena perfume still set on her mother’s dresser, as a mockery of Kelsey’s stupid hopefulness.

  Later, her father had pulled her aside and urged her to stop trying so hard. “No matter what you do, Filomena will always find fault with it. That’s the one thing you can count on with your mother.” Each year, he bought Filomena a bottle of her favorite expensive scotch for Christmas because that way, at least he knew it would get used.

  After that, Kelsey followed his lead and each year got Mom a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. Which Filomena promptly gave to some top-tier campaign contributor, but it was the thought that counted, right?

  With a start, Kelsey realized that the perfume fiasco was when her ambivalence toward Christmas had turned into downright dislike. If she could have skipped from Thanksgiving to New Year’s each year, she would gladly give up those weeks of her life.

  But now here, with Noah, whole new vistas were opening up. What if she was actually able to enjoy Christmas for once? It was a giddy thought.

  Don’t get your hopes up.

  But it was so hard not to as they rode up to the Rockabye in the golf cart, the festive lights twinkling and changing in time to the music.

  They went inside to find Raylene putting on her coat. “I’m out of here,” she said. “All the guests are still out. I just put another log on the fire and I put out the dessert tray and loaded up the coffeemaker if anyone wants a cup when they get back.”

  “Thanks,” Noah said.

  Once Raylene was gone, Kelsey turned toward him. “Are we still kissing and making up?”

  “Oh yeah,” he said, and gathered her close for a long kiss.

  He scooped her up in his big strong arms and carried her to his room. He didn’t even set her down to open the door. Just cradled her against him while he expertly twisted the knob with his hand and carried her over the threshold into the bedroom illuminated only with the glow of Christmas lights dangling above the headboard.

  Those lights, his bed, made her fall in love with Christmas just a little. His holiday whimsy was touching.

  Noah settled her down onto the mattress.

  Overwhelmed, she reached out to trace his face with her fingertips. Was she really here with him? The man she’d loved with all her heart and soul when she was seventeen? That was a dangerous thought.

  She was different. He was different. The past was a link to those old emotions that could wreck them both in their current lives.

  Wildly, impulsively, Kelsey didn’t care because his mouth merged with hers once more.

  Noah stayed standing on the floor, leaning over her. He tasted so good. She laughed, and he deepened the kiss. His hot lips kinetic and pliable.

  A fever fired through her. Turbocharging her lust.

  She drank him in like eggnog on Christmas Eve, in quick, eager gulps. Tangled her arms around his neck, pulled him down on top of her.

  Kelsey hadn’t had a lot of sex in her life. There had been the eighteen-month “no sex” interlude with Clive. His kisses had been warm and mild, nothing like this relentless, rampant heat.

  She’d had a boyfriend in college. It lasted a year and ended when he’d gotten a job in London. No hard feelings. No real heartbreak. They’d just been on separate paths. She’d had a couple of casual things between college and Clive. Nothing serious. No one had turned her upside down and inside out like Noah.

  Noah’s arms slipped to her pelvis, his weight sank into the mattress as he rolled onto his side, and he moved her so that he could fold her close to his body.

  In that precious moment, his warmth leaking into her, she felt safer than she’d ever felt in her life.

  For a moment, he simply held her like that and all was wonderful.

  Okay, yeah, her body was throbbing with need. How could it not when he was pressed so close against her and she could feel his erection poking her through his jeans?

  But it was a special moment as he stared into her eyes and smiled at her like he’d just opened the best Christmas present he’d ever gotten in his life, and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.

  “I need you to do something for me,” he said.

  What’s that? she wondered. Was he about to ask her to do something kinky? That thought both intrigued her and scared her a bit. “Yes?”

  “I want you to lie back, relax, and let me take care of everything.”

  “Um . . .” Now she really was nervous. “What do you mean?”

  He rearranged her, so that she was on her back again, her head cradled by the pillow while he slid down the length of her body and ended up kneeling on the floor at the end of the mattress.

  She propped herself up on her elbows, studied him. “What are you up to?”

  He gave her a wicked smile.

  Kelsey caught her breath, felt her toes curl involuntarily inside her ankle boots. Felt her eye muscle twitch. Oh no, not that stupid tic.

  “Relax,” he said. “Let go and let Noah.”

  “Are you about to do what I think you’re about to do?”

  “Blow your mind? Oh yes, Firefly.”

  Kelsey gulped. “Um . . . I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that.”

  Surprise lifted his eyebrows. “You don’t like oral sex?”

  “I’ve never . . .” This was embarrassing to admit. “I’ve never been lucky enough to have anyone do that for me.”

  “Well, darlin’.” His eyes lowered, and that devious smile lit up his entire face. “I’d say your luck just took a turn for the better. Now shh, shh . . . relax.”

  Yeah, that wasn’t so easy.

  He took off her boots and let them drop to the floor. Then he took hold of her hips with both hands and dragged her to the edge of the mattress, positioning her right in front of where he was kneeling. Noah slipped his hands up her skirt, took hold of the waistband of her leggings and eased them down her legs.

  Her body tensed.

  “Let go,” he crooned as he whisked off her panties along with the leggings and the next thing she knew his hot mouth was on her.

  Kelsey squirmed. She was embarrassed.

  He was tender. Stroking slow and easy.

  She gasped and finally sank down into the mattress and she gave up all control. Noah was in charge and holy freaking Fireball whiskey, did that man know how to use his tongue. She allowed herself to get lost in his mouth and what he was doing to her.

  He increased the pressure.

  She wriggled her hips to let him know she liked it just like that. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her, rippling, growing. His touch made her tremble and she was completely unprepared for her body’s hot-blooded response. He was dismantling her cool exterior. Exposing her to all kinds of wild, frantic thoughts and feelings.

  As things escalated, she lifted her hips, pressing herself forward, anxious for more of his wonderful mouth. More licks from that powerful tongue.

  He manipulated her with such ease. Showed her pleasure centers she’d never known existed inside of her.

  She moaned and writhed. Twitched and quivered. She was close, so very close, to the orgasm she’d never had with a partner. To date, she’d only been able to come when flying solo. She wadded the sheets in her fists. Bucked against him.

  Then the audacious man slipped his finger inside her and he went at her with both digits and thumbs. He caressed the blazing core of her and she mewled like a helpless kitten.

  The sensations rocketed her to a dizzying height. He was more than she could take. Where had he learned these tricks?

  And then . . . deto
nation.

  Pleasure blew up inside Kelsey in hard, shattering jolts.

  Gone. She was out of her mind and fully, completely inside her body. Everything was raw and achy and filled with the most exquisite pleasure.

  Oh! She could get so addicted to this. To Noah. And his magical tongue.

  He climbed up on the bed beside her. Took her in his arms and squeezed her tight. That’s when a buzzer sounded.

  “What’s that?” she whispered, curling tighter against him.

  Noah sighed. “There’s a guest at the front desk. Sorry, Firefly. I had other plans for this moment, but an innkeeper’s work is never done.”

  “I had plans for you too.”

  “Oh yeah?” His eyes glistened in the twinking lights. “Like what?”

  “You’ll just have to wait until next time to find out . . . now, go tend to your guests.” With that, she stood on shaky legs and got dressed.

  Chapter 19

  An hour later, the key slipped into the lock and Tasha stumbled into their suite at the Rockabye. She was tipsy and flipped the overhead light on without thinking.

  Blinking, Kelsey sat up in bed and peered blearily at the clock. A few minutes after midnight. “You’re back already? I didn’t expect you until the wee hours . . . if at all.”

  “I blew it.” Tasha groaned and fell backward onto the bedroom sofa.

  “Um . . . do I dare ask what it was you blew?”

  “My chances with Sean,” she announced gloomily.

  “What happened?”

  “He told me that he wanted to slow things down.” She slapped her palm over her eyes. “That last night we’d jumped the gun by having sex too soon. I tried to convince him otherwise, but he said no.”

  “He turned you down for sex?”

  “Yep. Get this. He wants a meaningful relationship.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Dude, I’m just off a three-year, tilt-a-whirl with Tag. I don’t want to climb back on another amusement park ride. Well, I do, but I want a weekend pass, not season tickets.”

  “Hey, at least Sean let you know up front where he’s coming from. You have to appreciate his integrity.”

  “Integrity-schmegrity,” she grumbled. “I was primed for hot sex and I got squat.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kelsey said, trying to sound properly sympathetic. “Maybe it was just the pulled groin muscle talking. Maybe he’s not as comfortable with uncomfortable as he likes to pretend.”

  “No, you’re not sorry. You think it’s funny.”

  “Well, it is a little amusing. Big, sexy former navy SEAL just wants to snuggle-wuggle.”

  Tasha blew a raspberry. “That’s the most action my tongue is seeing tonight. I know I sound dramatic, but this is dire.” Tasha sat up and clutched a couch pillow to her chest. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been this hot for a guy.”

  Kelsey knew what she meant. She was feeling the same way about Noah. “The feeling will blow over,” she said, more to herself than to Tasha.

  “Will it, Kels? Will it really?”

  “Look, we don’t have to stay here. We can call an Uber right now and go home.”

  Tasha narrowed her eyes. “Is that what you want to do?”

  Did she? Kelsey thought about her mother. No. She was not ready to face Filomena just yet. She wasn’t done finding out who she was or what she really wanted out of life. But let’s be honest, was she really going to find that here in Twilight between now and Christmas?

  “If we stay . . .” Tasha picked a thread on the sleeve of her sweater. “Maybe I could wear Sean down. Get him to understand that a fast pass is better than no pass.”

  “On the other hand, you might end up unraveling yourself the way you’re unraveling that sweater.” Kelsey nodded as the thread Tasha was tugging on kept growing longer and longer.

  Tasha stopped pulling the thread and lifted her sleeve to her face to bite it off with her teeth.

  “I brought scissors.”

  “Of course, you did, Girl Scout.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Always prepared for anything. Always following the rules.”

  “I don’t always follow the rules.”

  “Name one time you broke them?”

  Kelsey poked her tongue against the inside of her cheek, pondered that. “I parked in a loading zone once. I was late picking Filomena up at the airport, so I just parked right in that loading zone.”

  Tasha rolled her eyes, rubbed her teeth over the thread. “That was self-preservation, not a serious intent to flaunt the rules.”

  “Here,” Kelsey said, unable to watch Tasha try to gnaw the thread in two. “I’ll be right back with the scissors.”

  “Stay put. I’d rather chew it off. I’m in that kind of a mood.”

  “Sean doesn’t know what he’s missing.” Kelsey laughed.

  “You got that right. Stupid, gorgeous man.” The thread snapped. “Ha! Got it.”

  “The cuff of your sleeve is half-gone.”

  “Eeh.” Tasha shrugged. “I don’t like this sweater anymore, anyway. It’ll forever remind me of the night Sean turned me down for sex.”

  “You’re taking this kind of hard.”

  “No harder than you. Why are you here in bed alone instead of with your hottie? Did you two not make up?”

  “A guest interrupted—”

  “And you didn’t wait?”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Oh no?” Tasha lifted an eyebrow. “Face it. You play it safe the way you always do.”

  “There’s a flaw in your theory,” Kelsey pointed out.

  “What’s that?”

  “You didn’t play it safe and you’re here with me and not in Sean’s bed.”

  Tasha waved a dismissive hand. “That’s different.”

  “Why?”

  “Sean said he’d love to be with me, but only if I wanted to go steady.”

  “Did he actually say, ‘go steady’?”

  Tasha blew another raspberry. “Not in so many words, but that was the upshot. You, on the other hand, want something meaningful.”

  “Says who?”

  “Oh please, you were willing to wed Clive so you wouldn’t be alone. You want a relationship.”

  “I didn’t know Clive was gay.”

  “Honey, you need glasses. Big thick ones. That ceiling fan up there could tell Clive was gay.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was gay?”

  “How was I supposed to break that news without ruining our friendship?”

  For sure. Kelsey was pretty talented at believing the best in everyone and seeing only what she wanted to see. How else could she work as her mother’s campaign manager?

  “So.” Tasha rubbed her palms together. “Did you two kiss and make up?”

  Kelsey ducked her head to hide her smile. “Yes. We did do some serious making up tonight.”

  “How serious?”

  “We’re going to do Christmassy things around town this week.”

  “Deets. Since I’m not getting any myself, I need to live through you vicariously.”

  She intended on playing it cool, but the memory of the kisses they’d shared had imprinted on her tongue, and what had happened in his bedroom, whew! She giggled like a teenager. “It was amazing.”

  “As good as ten years ago?”

  “Better.”

  “C’mon. I’m dying here. Spill it.”

  “Well . . .” Kelsey clasped her fingers. “When we were kids we were fumbling and frantic, spilling over with hormones. Now, Noah is so controlled, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.” Kelsey lowered her voice.

  Tasha gave an exaggerated shiver. “I’ve got goose bumps. I’m so happy for you.”

  “I’m just having fun. Don’t blow it up to be something big. I’m on the rebound and very aware of it.”

  “From a guy you were never in love with.”

  “I loved Clive.”

  “
But not in the right way.”

  “What is the right way to love someone?” Kelsey asked.

  “With all your heart and soul.”

  “The way you loved Tag?”

  Tasha glowered. “You can hush now.”

  “I’m just saying it cuts both ways.”

  “And I’m saying I’m happy you’ve decided to give Christmas—and Noah—a chance.”

  “It’s Noah more than Christmas. You know me, Tash. I’ve never been a magical thinking kind of gal.”

  “That’s a bit sad when you think about it. Where’s the whimsy? Where’s the fun? Look what being all practical and stuffed-shirted got you. Working for your mother. Gak. Engaged to a gay man. Your whole life filled with routine and precision. Nothing ever breaking the monotony, not even in your daydreams.”

  “I’ve got you to add spice to my life,” Kelsey said. “Besides, you make it sound awful and it’s not. I’m good at what I do. Yes, my mother is a challenge, but that also keeps things interesting. I don’t need sparkle and razzmatazz to feel alive. I like a cup of hot tea and a good book before I go to sleep every night. It’s not glitzy or fancy, but it’s me.”

  “Is it really? Or are you just comfortable with settling and terrified to let your passions off the leash? Deep down, are you secretly afraid that if you fully embrace the wild and messy side of life that you won’t ever be able to go back to the way things were?”

  Ha! Little did Tasha know . . .

  Kelsey paused, and a shiver of fear ran through her. “What I’m worried about is getting sucked into a fantasy world and then real life will pale by comparison. That’s why I dislike Christmas. It sets up unrealistic expectations. Some kindly old guy flying a sleigh at night to brings toys to good little boys and girls in the world.” She snorted. “Manipulative hogwash.”

  “I wonder if Noah has any idea what he’s getting himself into with you, Grincharina. You’re a hard-core case, my friend.”

  “Not hard. Just realistic. Down-to-earth.”

  “Hmm,” Tasha said. “Maybe you should hook up with Sean and leave Noah to me. That man is looking for a ball and chain.”

  “Maybe Sean just wants his own happily-ever-after.”