Holiday Hideout: The Thanksgiving Fix / The Christmas Set-Up / The New Year's Deal. Jill Shalvis
should stop long enough to take off his work boots, but he couldn’t seem to get enough of her mouth, so he made sure his feet stayed on the floor. She kissed like no other woman he’d known, as if nothing else mattered but that sweet connection.
If her mouth tasted this good, the rest of her must be even better. Between kisses, he began working her out of her clothes. Once her sweatshirt and bra were gone, he set out on a journey of discovery that took him from her lips to the fullness of her breasts.
She whimpered and arched her back as he drew her nipple into his mouth. He cupped her other breast, loving the way she fit perfectly into his hand. He reveled in the silky texture of her skin and the heady aroma of cinnamon and aroused woman.
Touching her was as natural as breathing. She was exotic and new, yet familiar, as if they’d danced this dance before and knew each other’s moves. When she moaned softly, he understood without words what she wanted. Sliding his hand inside her panties, he caressed her slick heat.
She gasped and began to quiver.
He continued to stroke her as he slowly kissed his way up from her breasts to recapture her mouth. She returned the kiss with unrestrained hunger, and when he lifted his head, she tried to draw him back down.
He resisted. “Open your eyes,” he murmured.
Her lashes fluttered upward, revealing eyes that had grown dark and stormy with need. She said his name on a sigh. “Mac…”
“I’m here.” He thrust two fingers in deeper.
“Oh, Mac…it’s so good.”
“That’s the idea.” He stroked her with a slow, steady rhythm and watched color bloom on her cheeks. Pressure built within him, pressure that would have to be dealt with soon, but he wanted to give her this first. He circled her clit with his thumb.
She moaned and lifted her hips, a silent plea in her eyes.
That was his cue to increase the pace. Her soft cries grew louder as he propelled her ever closer toward the brink. Holding her gaze, he paid special attention to her trigger point, and she arched off the bed with a wild cry of release.
As she lay trembling beside him, he leaned down and feathered kisses over her cheeks and mouth. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Her breathless laughter seemed to fill the room with sunshine. “I do like the way you celebrate, McFarland.”
“That’s only the beginning.” Easing away from her, he sat on the edge of the bed and unlaced his work boots.
“Mighty fine beginning.”
He glanced over his shoulder and caught her smiling at him in a lazy, sensual way. “Thanks. It’s easy with someone as enthusiastic as you are.”
“I don’t want to give you a big ego, but I’m not always so…enthusiastic.”
“No?” He dropped one boot on the floor, pulled off his sock and started on the laces of the second boot. “That’s flattering.”
“That’s the truth. You’re one sexy guy.”
He paused for a moment. “Some women I know wouldn’t agree with you.” He dropped the other boot and stood to take off his shirt and jeans.
“Why in the world not?”
“For one thing, I don’t own a tux. I’ve heard women prefer seeing a guy in one of those monkey suits. I guess it’s a James Bond thing.” He finished stripping down.
“Their loss. Any woman who bases her opinion on your wardrobe isn’t worthy of you.”
Her compliment soothed a part of him he hadn’t realized needed it. “That’s nice to hear.” He started to join her on the bed.
She held up her hand. “Could you just stand there a second? It’s not every day a girl gets to ogle a man like you.”
“Now you’re being silly.” He wasn’t used to posing for anyone, and he felt a little self-conscious. “There’s nothing special about me.”
“That’s so not true. For one thing, you’re gorgeous, and for another thing, you’re a responsible guy who takes pride in his work. It’s a special combination.”
He felt his face grow warm. “I wasn’t fishing for—”
“You wouldn’t, but I wanted you to know that I feel lucky to be here with you.” Her gaze roamed over him and focused on his erect penis. She smiled. “Very lucky.”
His self-consciousness disappeared as he laughed. “That reaction is entirely your fault. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve met in ages.”
“Some men I know wouldn’t agree with you,” she said, echoing his phrase.
“I doubt that.”
“Just like women prefer monkey suits, there are men who want their woman to parade around in fishnet stockings and bustiers, and I’m not willing to jump through those hoops just because some guy has a hooker fantasy.”
“I’ve never understood that kind of thing. Who needs the hassle?”
“And that stuff is horribly uncomfortable.”
“I’ll bet. Personally, I prefer a woman in sweats. They come off really fast.” Leaning down, he demonstrated that by divested her of sweatpants and panties in one smooth motion.
She whooped with delight. “Nice move. Very superhero-like.”
“Now you’re teasing me.”
“No.” Her smile faded. “I would never tease you about your childhood dreams. No matter what you think, you’ve achieved them. You’re about as super a hero as I’ve ever run across, braving a blizzard to bring back condoms.”
He climbed onto the mattress. “And it’s time to open that box.”
“I’ll do it.” Rolling away from him, she reached for the box. “I want you to lie on this incredibly erotic bedspread and let me tend to your needs.”
“Aren’t you cold? We could get under the—”
“I’m not even slightly cold.” She pulled a condom out of the box and ripped the package open. “And if you are, you won’t be for long. Lie back.”
He stretched out on the bedspread, and lying naked on the soft material was as sinfully decadent as he’d imagined. He’d have to exercise a truckload of self-control if she was planning to— He twitched as she touched his rock-hard penis.
“Take it easy, big boy.” She began rolling the condom on. “This will be over in a second.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” She’d called him a superhero, and he’d always imagined those guys could control their climaxes as easily as they changed the rotation of the earth. Nobody ever talked about a superhero in terms of sex, but Mac had his own ideas about the subject.
“I would love to play a little with this lovely package of yours, but from the way you’re clenching your jaw, I think I’d better not.”
“Good call.”
He sounded frantic but couldn’t help it. He was very close to detonating, and watching her put on the condom, her breasts quivering as she worked, her fingers caressing his already overstimulated penis, was almost more than he could take.
“We’ll play the next round.”
Until she’d said that, it hadn’t quite penetrated his brain that he had the whole night to enjoy this woman. And if the night went well, he’d have tomorrow, too. That was quite a lot to be thankful for.
Then she straddled him and eased slowly down on his aching Johnson, and thankful became a sea of gratitude. She took him up to the hilt, and he grabbed two handfuls of the bedspread as he battled the urge to come. She was…perfect.