Deadly Christmas (3 page)

“You, too,” James said, projecting a fake smile in Ava’s direction.

“Oh, it’s definitely going to be a great Christmas for me,” Ava said. “I’m going to buy a boat. Speaking of that, Art, I need the black credit card.”

Art dramatically sighed but otherwise remained silent as he dug into his wallet. James internally chastised himself for every instance he made fun of Mandy and her shopping habits. Ava gave him unwanted insight into the mind of a woman who really liked to spend money. James was never more thankful for what he had than when forced to spend time with Ava.

“The security system is set and in place,” James said. “You’re ready to roll and … I’m out of here.”

“Have a good Christmas, James.”

“I have every intention of having the best Christmas ever,” James replied. “I just need to get back to my wife to do it.”

Three flight delays – one for ice on the runway in Detroit – had James seeing red by the time he pulled into his driveway a little after midnight. The house looked quiet and James was annoyed that his fantasy homecoming wasn’t going to happen. Mandy probably fell asleep waiting for him. He was four hours later than he expected, and even though he managed to text her an update, James could practically read the disappointment in the responding text.

James killed the engine of his Ford Explorer and grabbed his bag out of the back seat. He quietly let himself into the house, dropping his bag on the floor at the bottom of the stairs and locking the door before moving farther into the house.

It was dark, the only light coming from the Christmas tree in the living room. James frowned. Mandy promised not to decorate without him. She’d been looking forward to doing it as a couple. Had she lost patience and filled her evening with tree trimming? James’ heart painfully rolled at the prospect. He shouldn’t have left her so close to Christmas. He’d made the happiest time of the year miserable for them both.

When James walked into the living room he realized that the tree was bare except for the twinkling lights. There, under the tree and on top of the festive skirt they’d purchased together the previous year, James’ beloved wife slept.

James studied her for a moment, her flaxen tresses spread out over her shoulders. She was on her side, her shoulders bare. That’s when James realized she’d wrapped herself up for him – like the ultimate Christmas gift – and she was waiting for him to unwrap her.

She had a satiny bow tied over her breasts, although the bow appeared to have shifted in sleep and was hanging dangerously low. She was wearing a matching pair of panties and nothing else.

Love washed over James and it was quickly followed by regret. She’d made big plans for his return and all he wanted now was to scoop her up in his arms and crawl into bed. He would finally be able to sleep if he had her with him.

James shuffled over to the tree, being careful not to make any noise. He bent over and gently rolled Mandy into his arms, hoisting her up and cradling her close to his chest.

“James?” Mandy forced her sleepy eyes open.

“Hello, my baby,” James murmured, dropping a soft kiss on her mouth. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life.”

“I … .” Mandy was always muddled when she first woke up. She seemed especially confused now. “What time is it?”

“It’s after midnight, baby,” James said, carrying her out of the living room and toward the staircase. He walked past his bag, ignoring it as he started to climb the steps. Unpacking could wait for the morning. He had all he needed for the next eight hours. Check that: He had everything he needed for the rest of his life. She was warm and snuggly, and James was desperate to crawl under the covers and hold her.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep,” Mandy said. “I had big plans for you. Just give me a second to wake up.”

“I don’t want you to wake up.”

“But … .” Mandy bit her bottom lip and James could read the worry there. “I thought you would want to spend time with me when you got back. I thought that would be the first thing on your mind.”

James chuckled, the sound warm as it washed over Mandy. “I thought it would be the first thing on my mind, too,” he said. “I didn’t realize I would be exhausted because of the trip. All I really want is to go to sleep with you. We can celebrate tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure?” Mandy was conflicted. “I wanted to give you a great memory. I … wanted you to unwrap me.” Her smile was rueful. Sometimes it was hard for her to admit certain things because she was certain he was going to laugh at her.

“Oh, I’m going to unwrap you, wife,” James said, nudging their bedroom door open with his toe. “I’m going to do it when I have the energy to unwrap you properly, though. My whole body hurts and I’m exhausted. You can welcome me home the right way in the morning.”

James balanced Mandy’s small frame against his hip as he pulled the covers down. He placed her on the mattress, gave her body one more appreciative look, and then pulled the covers over her. It didn’t take him long to strip, making sure he was completely bare for the promised reunion in the morning.

James climbed in next to Mandy, immediately sliding his arm under her waist and tugging her body on top of his. They’d been sleeping this way for more than a year now. It was their natural slumber state these days.

Mandy slipped her face into the hollow between James’ neck and shoulder, sighing loudly as she tightened an arm around his waist. “Finally,” she murmured.

James kissed her forehead. “I wasn’t joking, Mandy. I’m not leaving you again. My poor heart can’t take it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” James whispered, holding her body as close to his own as he could manage without crawling inside of her. “By the way, baby, every memory I have of you is great. You don’t need to go out of your way to create them.”

“Maybe I like to be artistic. Did you ever think of that?”

“We’re going to be so artistic tomorrow you’re going to lose your mind,” James promised, sleep encroaching on his weary brain. “Now go to sleep. All I need right now is to hold you.”

“You’re going to be here when I wake up, right?” Mandy asked, her voice drifting. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“Every moment with you feels like a dream,” James replied. “I’ll be here, though. I’ll be here for the rest of our lives.”

JAMES
woke to a heavenly feeling. Something warm and wet was teasing his morning erection, and he had a pretty good idea what that something was. He wrenched his eyes open, the morning light causing him to blink rapidly.

Mandy was no longer on his chest. A quick glance at the clock told James he’d slept for nine hours straight. He felt relaxed and … stimulated. James lifted the covers and smiled as he saw Mandy, her mouth sucking him as she rubbed the inside of his thighs.

“Good morning, wife,” James murmured. “I … ugh … this is the best way to wake up ever, baby. I … good grief … wow … if you keep doing that I’m going to last for exactly thirty seconds.”

Mandy pulled her mouth off of him and graced him with a sultry smile. “That’s the plan.”

“I was hoping to make things last a little longer.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve gone without sex for two straight weeks,” Mandy said pragmatically. “Sure, we’ve played a little over the Internet, but it’s not the same. You’re not going to last long the first time anyway. This is just foreplay for the second time.”

“I see,” James said, grinning. “I thought I would get a chance to play with you first.”

“You overslept and lost that chance,” Mandy replied. She was almost giddy. “I get to do what I want since I woke up first. That’s the rule.”

Mandy rarely woke up before James. While James was known to wake her with similar measures, Mandy always basked in the joy of what she was doing on the occasions she got to play queen of the mattress.

“What about what I want?” James asked. “I’ve had very specific plans for you in my head since we said goodbye two weeks ago. How come I have to bow to your whims?”

“You can still do all of those things,” Mandy replied, unruffled. “I’m just doing this first so we have more time to enjoy the things you want to do. Unless … are you saying you haven’t gone without my specific brand of loving for the past two weeks?”

James narrowed his eyes. “Ha, ha, wife,” he said. “You know very well I … .” James didn’t get a chance to finish his admonishment because Mandy’s mouth was hot when it descended on him again, causing him to cry out. “Okay, baby, you win,” he moaned. “I … do to me what you will.”

After a year and a half together, Mandy and James both knew exactly what the other liked. Mandy sucked James’ entire length into her mouth, rolling her tongue across the underside of his pulsing erection. She used one hand to cup his testicles, massaging them in the manner that drove James crazy.

“Oh, baby,” James grunted, grabbing the sheet as his back arched. He orgasmed swiftly, exploding in Mandy’s mouth as she continued to massage him. When she was sure he was done, she swallowed and crawled up his body, contentedly resting her head on top of his heart as he fought to catch his breath.

“Welcome home,” Mandy whispered, pressing a kiss to his well-muscled chest. “I missed you so much.”

James cradled the back of her head, giving himself a moment to regain control. He brushed a soft kiss against her forehead, the act soft and loving. Then, without giving a hint that things were going to shift, James tossed her off of him and onto her back, rolling on top of her and pinning her beneath his weight.

Their eyes met, and Mandy was laughing at the turn of events. “You got me there,” she said, giggling. “I thought you wanted to bask in the afterglow for a few minutes.”

“Oh, there’s going to be basking, wife,” James said, kissing the tip of her nose. “It’s not basking unless we’re both doing it. By the way, that thing you do with the squeezing down there … that’s pretty much inspired. I would buy you a new car every time you do that. May I ask where you learned that?”

“Well, I dated this guy … .”

“That will be enough of that,” James interrupted. “We both know you were a virgin when we got together.”

Mandy sighed. “If you really must know, Ally rented an instructional video,” she explained. “It was a tutorial on how to drive your man wild. I took the lessons to heart.”

James knit his eyebrows together. “Are you joking?”

“Kind of,” Mandy conceded. “Ally did have a video once. I’m not going to tell you about watching that together because that’s going to totally ruin your mood. As for the squeezing thing … well … I was reading a naughty book and I thought it was worth a try.”

“I’m going to buy you a thousand naughty books, baby,” James said, licking her cheek. “In fact, if you ever find something in one of those books you want to try, I’m more than willing to take one for the team and read about it. Just … don’t ever tell my brothers.”

Mandy giggled and then her eyes clouded over. “God, I missed you so much.”

“I’m not leaving again,” James promised. “I can’t be away from you. Please, don’t cry, though. The only crying I want you doing is when you call out my name in about five minutes.”

Mandy forced the tears from her eyes and replaced them with a smile. “And how are you going to do that?”

“Oh, well, now it’s my turn,” James teased. “I get to unwrap my present.”

“I’m kind of already unwrapped,” Mandy said, gesturing toward the ribbon, which had dipped down to expose her breasts during the night.

“You’re not unwrapped all the way,” James said, playfully tweaking a rigid nipple. “As much as I like these … .” James lowered his mouth and sucked the nipple in, rolling his tongue over it and causing Mandy to whimper. “There is one other thing I love more,” James said, flicking his tongue over the hard nub one more time. “That’s what I’m going to visit now.”

“Oh, really?” Mandy’s sea-blue eyes lit up. “What are you going to do when you get there?”

“I’m going to play a little game,” James said, sliding down her body. He stopped at her belly button long enough to kiss it and then moved down until his fingers were at the lip of Mandy’s tiny panties. “These are cute, by the way. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see the full effect last night.”

“I bought a few more Christmas outfits. You can spend more time with those.”

“Sold,” James said, licking the bare skin above the panties.

Mandy pressed her eyes shut as James hoisted her rear end up enough to pull her panties down. He took care not to rip them, even though he was desperate to start playing his game. He wanted to see the full outfit again before the first of the year. Then he was going to unwrap her the right way.

James massaged the inside of Mandy’s thighs, inhaling deeply and then blowing the air out on her sensitive core.

“Oh!”

James held Mandy in place as she shifted. “Don’t move, wife. I need you just like this to … .” James extended his tongue and licked her, taking a long and deliberate swipe – like she was an ice cream cone and he just had to have her before the heat melted her away.

“James.” Mandy’s voice was barely a whisper.

“I love you,” James said before attacking her with gusto. He considered teasing her, making her beg until he gave her what she really wanted. That was a game they regularly played. If Mandy was as keyed up as James, though, he knew she needed immediate release before they could enjoy a full afternoon together.

Instead of making her suffer, James sucked her small pleasure bud into his mouth and held her thighs firmly so she couldn’t move away from him. It didn’t take long. James knew Mandy’s body as well as she knew his. Mandy bucked up as she orgasmed, crying out his name and grabbing his hair as her thighs shook.

James made sure she was done before climbing back up, taking care to untie the rest of the lingerie set before settling on top of her and licking her neck. “You taste just how I remember you.”

“You’re feeling pretty good about yourself, aren’t you?” Mandy’s eyes were still closed as tingles washed over her.

“Not yet,” James said, rolling back so he was sitting on the bed with his knees bent. He tugged Mandy’s arm until she moved of her own volition, climbing on top of him so they were facing each other.