Nice & Naughty (8 page)

She slowly turned her head and he saw just the side of her reddened face. “You think about me and…you know? Do that?”

He nodded. If she could face the embarrassment, then he could too. “Yeah, pretty much every day since the night I met you. You remember that night we met, don’t you? The night of the infamous egg incident.” He joked with her but then got perfectly serious. “There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about, believe me. You doing that is totally hot.”

She bit her lower lip and yet again he had the urge to take over and do it for her. He stroked her face with a fingertip and nudged himself a little deeper between her legs.

Her eyelids drifted closed as she breathed in deeply and spread her thighs. He rubbed his erection between her thighs, slowly inching closer to his final destination and thinking this was far better than any of his fantasies.

Brushing her hair aside, he ran his tongue along her neck. “You’re right. There’s nothing quite like the real thing.”

Maybe he was a presumptuous man, or just a prepared one who knew this was inevitable, but he’d been carrying around a pair of condoms for about a week. As Lexi watched him with heavily-lidded eyes, he reached down and grabbed it from the pocket of his pants on the floor. Once safely covered, Scott pushed just the tip of his erection into her. She sighed. He nudged again and she pushed back against him. She was wet and ready.

Her heat surrounded him. He drove deeper and sought more, until he was completely buried within her. “Oh, God.”

He closed his eyes at the sensation, hardly believing he was inside the woman he’d only dreamed about, night after night, since he’d first seen her. He covered both of her hands with his and began an unhurried pace, running his lips over her shoulders and neck as he loved her. There was no way he was going to rush something he had waited so long for.

Lexi’s head lolled to one side and she sighed, eyes closed. “I could do this all night.”

He couldn’t imagine anything better.

“I’ll do my best.” He nipped her neck lightly with his teeth. “Of course, if I get tired, there’s always Mr. Pink over there in the drawer.”

Smiling, he enjoyed watching her turn pink again herself, but he was only partially teasing. They could definitely do this all night, and he intended on taking advantage of all available props she had during that time. He wondered what other toys were hidden around. If she didn’t have any others, he knew a store where he could buy some for future use. That thought got him even more excited.

He picked up the pace and slipped a hand beneath her, finding the spot he knew would send her over the edge. Being inside Lexi was amazing, but being inside her while she shattered around him would be a dream come true, literally. He’d wanted that for a long time.

Lexi began to shudder. Her breaths came in gasps and her hips angled toward Scott’s hand as it teased her clit. She let out a cry as her muscles clenched around his cock and he couldn’t remember why he’d waited so long. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t good enough to have denied him this with her.

Feeling her orgasm, he realized no amount of will power would prevent him from following right behind her as she came. Just as nothing would keep him from wanting to do this with her forever. His body tightened and then exploded within her. The pleasure pulsed through him even as Lexi’s muscles pulsed around him until there was nothing but him and her and where they were joined. Wave upon wave continued to rack her with him spent but still inside her. He wrestled his mind back from the haze of pleasure. When he could think again, Scott knew one thing—now that he finally had her, he didn’t want it to end. Ever.

That realization, that Lexi was
the one
, nearly floored
him. It was
just like the guys had said. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt. That thought shook him as much as Lexi’s climax had.

By the time Lexi’s body calmed, Scott had sunk into a feeling of complete and utter peace. It wouldn’t have surprised him one bit to discover he was actually glowing from sex and, God help him, love, as they both lay in a panting heap on the bed.

When he convinced his body to move, he dropped a kiss on Lexi’s tangled hair and rolled off her. He laid next to her and smiled, deciding to keep his recent epiphany about being in love with her to himself for the time being. He had a lot to think about first before he made any confessions.

“Wow.” She rolled on her side and stared into his eyes.

Scott smiled. “I agree. A very big wow.”

She reached out and touched his chest, then her fingers strayed lower to the line of hair leading to his cock, which needed a bit more time to recover. Lexi raised a brow and glanced at him.
 

Scott laughed. “I need some time before round two.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t miss the pout forming on her lips. Damn. In hindsight, jerking off before coming over tonight had been a bad choice. Though considering the contents of her bedside table, he’d make do.

But in the meantime…

“What the hell does
chiffonade
mean?” He finally remembered the question he hadn’t bothered to ask before, during the heat of passion.

Lexi propped herself up on one elbow, looking excited and unbelievably tempting. “You don’t know?”

He shook his head, still craving this woman and not really caring about the answer to the question any longer. Instead, he began seriously considering how he could enjoy a little play with Lexi and Mr. Pink until he recovered enough for another bout.

She, in the meantime, smiled wide. “You mean I know something about cooking that you don’t know? The student has surpassed the master, would you say?”

“Looks like,” he agreed, mentally making a plan of attack while he reached out and stroked the side of her bare breast.

“You know, even though I did cut myself today, I think I’m really getting the hang of it. And for the first time, I really believe I’m going to be able to pull this fundraising event off.” Lexi kept talking, undeterred.

“I know you will.” He knew that for an absolute fact. He didn’t mention, however, the order he’d placed for frozen hors d’oeuvres or the schedule of cooking shifts and menu plans he’d hung in the four firehouses that day. Instead, at least for tonight, he’d let her think she was handling it on her own. Scott gauged the distance to the nightstand as she smiled at him.

“Thank you for having confidence in me.”

“You’re welcome.” He rolled on top of her. He kissed her and nipped at her bottom lip while he reached for the drawer.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise when she heard the unmistakable sound of the vibrator turning on. “What are you doing?”

He bent her knees and spread her thighs.

“Shh. No questions. Just enjoy.” He slid the vibrator inside her.

Her eyes closed as she angled her hips up. It seemed like barely thirty seconds had passed before she was bucking off the mattress. Scott wasn’t sure whether or not to be jealous of what this machine could accomplish in less time than he ever could. But as he absorbed the pleasure Lexi was experiencing, he didn’t care how it had come about. He just wanted to partake in it.

Hard again, Scott pulled the vibe out. He covered himself and plunged inside Lexi, shuddering at the feel of her wet heat gripping him. He could definitely work through his jealousy of Mr. Pink if these were the results. In fact, he’d like to work on Lexi all night long.

They’d eventually get to the quiche lesson. In fact, cheese and spinach quiche would make an excellent breakfast. Tomorrow. But for the rest of the night, Scott planned to make sure there’d be no more talk of cooking.

The End

MR. DECEMBER

Chapter One

Jason Bryant knew two things with absolute certainty. First, working in retail during the holiday season was absolute insanity and second, he wouldn’t want it any other way. Although glancing around the already frazzled faces of his store employees, he had to wonder if he was the only one who felt that way.

Sheesh. It was only the day after Thanksgiving and they all already looked like they’d been to war and back. He’d seen happier faces in photos taken during the Great Depression.

Meanwhile, Jason couldn’t be happier as the post-holiday sale adrenaline rush surged through his body. Black Friday, the day retail institutions went from running in the red to the black often with the highest one-day intake of the year. Just the phrase took his breath away.

He rubbed his hands together and then checked his watch. Six-thirty. He clapped his hands to get the attention of the large group assembled in the break room. “People. We open in half an hour.”

There was a collective groan over the extra early opening and the extended holiday hours. He decided to continue his inspirational speech undaunted, hoping his personal contribution of fresh hot coffee and donuts would help to boost morale.

“Come on. You know the song. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Smile. We love our customers and we want them to love us. Get some coffee, meditate, do whatever you have to, but get yourselves merry by the time those doors open in thirty minutes.”

It wasn’t exactly Shakespeare’s Saint Crispin’s Day speech from
Henry V
. Hell, it wasn’t even the win one for the Gipper speech from that old Ronald Reagan movie, but it would have to do.

Employees shuffled at a zombie-like pace toward the coffee as Jason considered getting an inspirational sign to hang above the door of the break room. Something like the sign that hung in the locker room at Notre Dame to inspire the football team before a game. Something to consider. He’d add it to the already lengthy list of things to do currently entered in his smartphone.

It was hard for Jason to even imagine that the seemingly living dead who were his employees didn’t share his holiday excitement. Admittedly, he may have different feelings about the day after Thanksgiving than the others in the room. He was sure all they could think about was the leftover turkey waiting in their fridge and the football games they were missing on television. While all Jason could think about was the energy that positively radiated from this old building at Christmas, until the bricks and mortar seemed to possess a life force all their own.

Bryant’s Department Store was like a gracious lady bedecked in her gayest finery during the holiday season, and every tourist and local came to admire her. Jason had loved Bryant’s at holiday time ever since his Grandpa Bryant first brought him here to sit in Santa’s lap. That was before Jason had even learned to walk. Since his grandfather’s retirement, the store was now Jason’s ship to steer, and he intended on navigating the staid local institution into an even brighter future.

Jason bounced on his toes, as if a giant ball of energy trapped in his body was trying to get out. If only he could send some of his vigor the way of those around him. He was considering some options when his assistant came up and tapped him on the shoulder.

He smiled at the older woman. “Peggy. You look festive.”

She did, dressed in a dark green pantsuit with a red berry pin. He recognized both items as being store stock and smiled. Peggy was a loyal store employee, he’d wager right down to her Bryant’s private label underwear.

Peggy, who had assisted his grandfather for over twenty years and now belonged to him, raised one painted-on eyebrow. “We’ll see how festive you feel after I tell you what’s happening.”

Jason frowned. Whatever it was, he was not going to let it ruin his first Black Friday at Bryant’s helm. He hadn’t worked his way up from stockroom clerk, to floor associate, to manager, to Chief Operating Officer to let anything get in his way now. He gripped Peggy with one hand on each of her bony shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. “What is it, Peggy?”

She released a loud cackle. “Well, Jesus. It isn’t that bad. No one’s dead. I just got a call from the Santa who’s supposed to be here today.”

Jason nodded. “Mmm, hmm. One of the local firemen promoting the charity calendar.” There was a stack of calendars for sale at every register in the store.

“Yup. Mr. December, Troy O’Donnell, Ladder Company No. 3. Six feet tall and two hundred pounds of solid muscle, from what I can see.”

“Yes, Peggy. I get it. What about Mr. O’Donnell?”

“He ain’t coming. His girlfriend or somebody called.” Peggy waved a dismissive hand, seeming far less interested in Mr. O’Donnell’s dating status than she was in his physical attributes. “She said he’s been throwing up for hours. They’re not sure if it’s the full-blown flu or just a little stomach bug, but he was apparently up and getting dressed between bouts of vomiting. He was trying to come here for his shift when she called me so I could tell him myself, officially, that he should stay the hell home.”

He agreed, but hoped Peggy hadn’t actually used the phrase
stay the hell home
. “Of course he should stay home. It wouldn’t do to have Santa vomiting on the children, or spreading a stomach virus to our customers and staff.”

“That’s what I told him. But now what do we do about getting a Santa last minute?”

“Have you called the firehouse to see if they have a spare?”

Peggy laughed at that. “Have you seen those firemen in that calendar? If they do have a spare, they can send him over to my house.”