McDonald_MM_GEN_Dec2013 (10 page)

“I would say Merry Christmas to me. Bring on orgasm number two,” Eve teased softly.

Sam chuckled at the nearly instant response. “Ah . . . the woman has faith in me at last. It’s about time.” He eased out of her, hating every second of pulling away. And he wanted back inside immediately.

“I hate that part,” Eve said, looking sideways as Sam’s head appeared next to hers on the pillow.

“I hate that part too,” Sam said, reaching out to play with the curling blonde strands spilling over her front. “You are seriously . . . seriously . . .
seriously
beautiful. I already want you again. You’re lucky I’m older and need more recuperation time.”

Feeling her face heat with his flattery, Eve laughed softly and looked up at Sam’s ceiling. “I’m certainly going to be a lot more worried next time you corner me in the pantry.”

Laughing and satisfied with her confession, Sam rolled out of bed. He decided to be glad Eve was already talking about a next time.

***

Unwilling to let her put her sweater dress back on, Sam had given her one of his shirts to wear and a pair of socks to keep her feet warm. He had refused her request for underwear, even her own, which had both irritated and made her laugh.

They ate the leftovers and pie Joyce had sent home with them and now she sat cuddled in his lap in front of the fire.

“Turn around so I can look at you,” Sam whispered.

Eve swiveled and soon found herself straddling his lap with her legs spread wide. “This is a very vulnerable position,” she said.

Sam shifted her in his lap until the reason for his request was pressed snuggly against the heat of her. Heat climbed her face, but she also relished in the feeling of being desired. When he lifted a hand to her cheek, she turned to press a kiss into his palm and was rewarded with a eye crinkling smile.

“The first time with a new lover can often be accidental. The second time is the one where the lovers often make their real choice to get involved or not. I heard Evelyn Jade say that just last week. She’s a smart woman. I’m betting she’s probably right.”

Eve put her head on Sam’s shoulder and pressed herself against the ridge under her for a blissful moment. “If you’re asking if I have any regrets, the answer is no—or at least not yet. For all the complaining I did earlier, right now I’m not even regretting my lack of underwear.”

Sam kissed her deeply until her arms wound around his neck. He pulled her closer and brought her flush against him with all the impact she would allow. Sliding one hand down between them, he petted her curls with a knuckle, brushing lightly over matching proof that she was just as aroused as he was. Her squirming in response to his actions made him harder than he always was just looking at her. The pink climbing her neck and face was the sexiest sight he’d seen in ages. Leaving his sexy task of arousing her, his fingers went into the hair at the back of her head and grabbed a handful. He used it to tug her head up enough to kiss the entire length of her neck unimpeded.

“Eve, I want you more than I did the first time,” he whispered.

Instead of words, a husky moan was his verbal reply. At the same time, her hands got very busy between them, unlacing and freeing him from the tied-waist sweats he’d put on. Mission accomplished, she rose and guided him under her, easing down gently at first to take him in. Then moaning, she rose and lowered more firmly, sheathing him completely, earning a groan of pleasure from his throat to be inside her once more.

Up and down she moved for a while, and then holding him inside, she rocked up against him. He hissed at the pleasure and grabbed her backside on the next surge forward. Holding Eve still as she arched against him, he drove up as hard as he could, holding tight when she called out.

Wild then, Eve rocked in his hands, and then finally pistoned on his erection with muscles clenching in rhythm around him tightly. Then finally when he thought she was going to destroy his control, she stilled before exploding in a melody of moans and panting. He held her in place, driving up into her as she spiraled, a long orgasm tearing through him as he called her name over and over.

When the pleasure had ebbed away for both of them, he discovered he still held her hips in his hands. He massaged her backside, grinning when she whimpered. Eve was splayed around him, her melted form obviously unable to support itself without his help. He felt very proud.

“Are simultaneous orgasms something you’re used to having with your lovers?” Eve asked. She idly played with the hair curling at the back of his head. Touching him intimately was rapidly turning into an addiction.

“Can’t recall it being a normality much in my life, but it’s obviously going to be the norm with you. Of course, those moans of yours are fairly informative about where you are in the process,” Sam said.

Eve snickered against his shoulder. “Are you trying to tell me I’m loud during sex?”

“I believe the current vernacular would dub you a screamer—yes.” Her laughter had him rubbing her backside again. God he loved not having to filter with her.

“I love your sense of humor,” he said. “And I love that you express your passion.”

Eve used her hands to push herself up enough to look at him. “I like your sense of humor too. And I like that romantic streak of yours. Also, your bedroom skills are amazing. Never change anything.”

Laughter rumbled through him as she recited her list. “Just so you know, it’s your fault I’m feeling really arrogant right now.”

Eve sighed. “Figures. I’m too giddy to hold in the praise.”

“Giddy is good in this case. Will you spend the night with me again?” he asked.

Eve sighed and nodded. It was exactly what she wanted to do anyway.

“So now you’re friends with benefits—great benefits judging from that bleary eyed gaze of yours. Thought you said Sam was fifty. What did he do? Take a pill and keep you up all night?” Hilde demanded.

“No. We went to bed fairly early. Sam is a morning person. The sex this morning was even better than what happened last night which was off any chart I can remember making,” Eve admitted, sipping her latte with a double shot of espresso. No amount of caffeine seemed capable of removing the lust haze from her brain.

“Seriously?” Hilde demanded.

“Seriously—even better—two orgasms before he was done with me better,” Eve said.

“Damn. Maybe he could give Stuart some pointers. Not that my man isn’t great, because he is great. I’m just saying it couldn’t hurt to figure out how to do the two hitter thing. Stuart’s more like a bomb expert, if you know what I mean. One big explosion for both of us.”

They eyed each other over their jacked-up lattes and then started giggling over their innuendos. Eve was the first to sober up.

“What am I supposed to do, Hilde? I did not see this coming—oh shut up. That wasn’t innuendo.”

Eve sighed. Hilde’s snickering made her cheeks heat.

“You laugh, but I have sat across the table from Sam every morning for months and never had one hot thought until he kissed me under my freaking mistletoe. Now I want to jump him every time he comes into view. How the hell is it possible to go from gee-isn’t-Sam-nice to skin-crawling lust? I feel like I’m losing my mind trying to reconcile what I know with what I’m learning he’s really like. He kisses me like he’s working on getting a master’s degree in it.”

“Do you remember when you met David? You said there was no way you were going to sleep with a man who had a gold-plated stick up his keester. He came from old money. You were worried because you knew his parents would never approve of him dating a girl who worked four jobs to put herself through college. You had all these ideas about what David was like, but when you did finally get to know him, he wasn’t like anything you thought, now was he? No. David was different when he was with you. You two had that love magic you’re always talking about. If David had lived, we would not be having this conversation about Sam, because all other men would be invisible to you.”

Eve sighed as Dr. Peppercorn paused in her analysis to take a drink of her coffee. “I admit that David was not like any of the ideas I initially had about him. And you’re also right about the other men being invisible.”

“Well, see? Love magic can do some amazing things. I don’t think Sam is what you’ve been thinking he is either. It sounds like he’s a hell of a lot more. If you had met Sam two weeks ago, thought he was just some super hot guy, and decided to date him, you’d be thinking you’d won the man lottery after last night and this morning. Am I right?”

Eve nodded reluctantly as she sipped her cooling brain fuel. “Probably. Yes. Okay—yes. I’m thinking that anyway.”

“My point exactly. What’s got your wet panties all in a tizzy is that Sam wants to be there for every part of your life. He’s already insinuated himself deep in your business—no pun intended—and you know deep down what that means.”

“I do?” Eve exclaimed, not following Hilde’s last comment at all.

“Don’t give me that ditzy blonde stare. You know what I mean, Evelyn. The man’s been acting like a husband to you for months, taking care of chores, rescuing you when you need it. Last night you just consummated your relationship. Face the truth before the man shocks you with a ring and a marriage proposal. Now that Sam has conquered the bedroom hurtle, I don’t think that’s far off,” Hilde said.

“Oh God,” Eve groaned, putting her head in her hand. “That scares me to death. I just got comfortable with my life. I got used to being alone and taking care of myself.”

“Except for the past six or seven months that Sam’s been at your beck and call,” Hilde insisted, giving Eve a pointed look.

Eve groaned again and dropped her gaze to her now empty coffee cup. “Are you saying I’ve been pseudo-dating him for months?”

After mulling it over for a minute, Hilde nodded. “Yes. That sounds right. I’m saying you’ve been telling yourself a friends-only story about Sam being in your life. Maybe you need to revise that story to make room for Sam to be in your bed.”

“Did you have to revise your story very often?” Eve asked.

Hilde made a face and shook her head. “No. Divorce is different. It was like pulling a voracious weed out of my garden to end my marriage. I had nothing but relief to not have those same problems any more. I stayed single for years because I was scared shitless of falling in love with another man like my ex. And several of the men I dated were exactly like that. I have never had your amazing luck with men.”

“
My amazing luck with men?
” Eve repeated, laughing at the strange comment.

Hilde nodded. “Yes, Evelyn. I wasn’t joking when I said it. David made you happy. He gave you a real family. Now you’ve got the perfect man next door lusting for you and willing to use his man tools for your benefit. That’s pretty damn lucky, if you ask me.”

“Man tools?” Eve laughed as she choked out the term.

“That’s what I call them. You know—shop vacs, screwdrivers, and anything else in the garage,” Hilde declared.

“Oh—right. Sam used his shop vac to clean up my kitchen,” Eve conceded, chuckling at the image in her head of Sam diligently making sure he got up all the water. “Those kinds of tools weren’t the first thing that came to my mind when you used that term, Professor Peppercorn.”

“Which is yet another damn reason to get over fretting and let yourself fall in love with Sam,” Hilde said. “Life is short, Evelyn. It’s obvious Sam makes you happy. Don’t let all the mind clutter of could-haves, would-haves, and should-haves keep you from grabbing this chance while you can.”

“Hilde, an hour with you is better than months with any therapist,” Eve declared.

“Damn skippy, it is. That’s what best friends are for—keeping the therapy bills down,” Hilde declared back.

“Thanks,” Eve said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Hilde said. “Now go home to the man. Quit hiding out in the coffee shop. And don’t forget to tell your children they need to start calling ahead before barging in from now on. That way you and Sam don’t get interrupted. Kids never think their parents are getting any. I had to change the locks to get my kids to respect my privacy.”

Eve chuckled as she stood. “Call you after New Year’s?”

“Definitely.”

They hugged goodbye and Eve headed home to face her children’s return.

***

“Ta-freaking-da. All fixed,” Rick declared, turning on the faucets with a flourish. “Sorry about the dead dishwasher, Mom. You needed a new one anyway.”

Eve beamed at her son. “I’m happy the sink is fixed. You really were worth those seventeen hours of labor, son. And you’re so good-looking too.”

Rick laughed at his mother’s teasing. “Don’t gush all over me. I’ll get embarrassed.”

“No worries. Gushing is ceasing as of now,” Eve said. “How about I fix you guys dinner? Better yet—let’s order pizza.”

“Jill and I thought we’d spend the night, if you don’t have other plans,” Rick said, wagging his eyebrows.

“What other plans would I have?” Eve asked, rapidly blinking her eyes in reply. “I’m not working again until next week. They’re running syndicated shows until then.”

“I don’t know. I thought maybe you might have a date—or a sleep over—or something,” Rick said, shrugging at his mother’s startled look.

The muffled laughter from the table had Eve fisting her hands on her hips. “Anybody want to tell me what this interrogation is all about?”

“Mom, we know you and Sam spent Christmas Day together. He sent Nathan a text,” Megan declared.

“We did spend the day together. We spent it at Nathan’s grandparents,” Eve said. “The pilot on their furnace stopped working. Joyce fed us a wonderful turkey dinner. It was a very nice day and I didn’t have to cook any of the meal.”

Four disappointed expressions made Eve snicker even though she fought hard to suppress her amusement. She just wasn’t ready to confess yet and saw no reason to.

“What in hell are those long faces for? You’re all acting very strangely, more than usual even,” Eve declared. She followed Rick around the counter and watched him take a seat by his wife.