Stockings and Suspenders (29 page)

“Daddy, I’ve changed in the last two
months.” Miranda’s voice raised an octave, alerting Craig that she was upset.
“I went to work every day, and I did well at my job. I haven’t shopped or
partied or done anything selfish.” He heard the tears in her voice. “Craig is
such a good man. He makes me want to be a better person.”

“You said yourself you tried to quit
on two occasions,” her father replied. “And that he had to bribe you with a
luxurious vacation to make you stay. How is that change?”

“I wasn’t really going to leave.”
Miranda laughed. “I needed to prove myself to you, and I’m not accepting the
vacation.” Craig heard her heels click across the hardwood behind the door. “I
knew he felt something for me beyond friendship, but he’s set on his rules of
no fraternizing with the hired help. I had to have a way to make him prove he
really cared about me.”

“So you manipulated him into believing
you were leaving to see how far he would go to make you stay?”

“Yes.” Her voice was so low he almost
missed her reply.

Her father laughed.“Are you sure I
can’t talk you into coming to work for me?”

She stepped back. “What are you
talking about?”

“You’re obviously a better sales woman
than you think,” he said. “Miranda, I’ll have your trust fund reinstated as
soon as the banks open. You’ve proven yourself to me. Now, the question is,
does this young man know how you feel about him?”

“I think he knows I like him a lot,
but I haven’t told him I love him.”

Her father patted her back. “I think
it’s time you tell him the truth, all of it. If at the end of the conversation
he’s still willing to be with you, then he’s a fine man and you have my
blessing.”

Craig rushed back to the sitting room
when he heard them moving toward the door. He sat down and struck up a
conversation with her mother. He should have been angry that she’d played him,
but instead he was surprisingly overwhelmed with happiness.

“Craig.” Miranda’s voice came from the
doorway. “Let’s take a walk.”

* * * *

Miranda lay on her stomach on the oversized
towel basking in the sunshine. A cool breeze swept across the sand making the
heat less intimidating, and she breathed in the smell of the ocean.

“You know, O’Hurleys just isn’t going
to be the same without you,” Craig said from the towel beside her.

“I’ll stop by to visit, in between
classes. I can’t believe I’m going back to school.” She placed her head in her
hands. “I’m nervous.”

Craig reached over and stroked her
cheek. “You’re going to do great.” He scooted closer and kissed her lips.
“Right now I can think of about a million other things you could be doing
rather than worrying.”

“Oh yeah?” She crawled from her towel
to straddle him on his, only to feel his erection pressing against her center.
“Like what?”

“You could start by enjoying this vacation
your father gave us.” He laughed.

“And then?” she asked.

His lips curved up in a wicked grin.
“You could take your very handsome fiancé up to the hotel room and make him
forget all about having to return to work in two days.”

She began kissing her way down his
chest, tasting the salt air on the heat of his skin. “Who needs a hotel room
when we have this immaculate private beach.”

“I like the way you think.” He rolled
them so he was on top. “Happy New Year, Miranda.”

The End

www.kyeakle27.webs.com

Other Books by Kelly Yeakle:

Timeless

Forbidden Desires

Midnight Seduction

MISTLETOE MASQUERADE

Alaska
Angelini

Copyright © 2011

Red velvet hugged against Jeanie’s
body as she steeped out of the cab. Under the ankle length jacket she could
feel the soft material brushing against her stockings with every step to the
double glass doors. The tight fitting, elegant gown was something she would
have never originally bought had her friend, Lisa, not talked her into it. She
was right in one aspect. It wasn’t every day you got invited to a masquerade.
Especially by a secret admirer.

Just as Jeanie was about to reach the
entrance, a soft hum of music caught her attention. For weeks now, she’d heard
nothing but festive songs like Jingle Bells, and Deck the Halls, played by the
outdoor musicians. But this was different. There was such sadness in the tune
that it froze her in place. It was so misplaced, and yet, for Jeanie it
couldn’t have fit her mood more. Lonely, longing, she’d spent years trying to
come to terms with her life. This song, alone, pulled at something deep in her
chest. She
had
to find out where it was coming from.

“Depressing bit of music, wouldn’t you
say?”

Jeanie looked up to see a man wearing
a deep blue uniform holding one of the doors open. She forced a smile, but knew
she was failing miserably. “Yes, it is. But beautiful,” she said quietly.

“In its own way, I guess so.” The
man’s face fell as he continued to look at her. He suddenly appeared to be sad,
but the expression didn’t last long. “Do you have your invitation?”

Jeanie pulled the ticket out of her
clutch and stared at it. Inside, the party would be full of happy people,
laughing, dancing, and no doubt, having the time of their lives. She knew she
should go in and have some fun without worrying about her empty life, but until
she tracked down the music she wasn’t so sure she could.

“I’m sorry. Will you excuse me?”
Without waiting for an answer, Jeanie took off toward the soft sound of the
instrument. The beautiful, white Christmas lights sparkled along the historical
buildings and shops of downtown New London. Almost every window Jeanie passed
had some sort of display resembling the scene of a winter wonderland. It didn’t
look much different from the view she saw as she came to the snow covered
fountain and courtyard that had rested not far down the street.

There, on a bench an old man played
the violin. For a long time she couldn’t move. It wasn’t until a new song, just
as sad, began to play that Jeanie started walking toward the old man. The
closer she got, the more entranced she became. What was it about the song that
tightened her heart? Was it the truth of her life? That over ten years ago
she’d had her heart shattered to pieces and never attempted to have an
existence outside of her career, after that?

Tears clouded her vision and would
have fallen down her cheeks had she not been jolted back to reality by banging
in to a man’s elbow. The impact to her chest nearly knocked the breath from
her, and yet, she hadn’t so much as budged his hand from his hip. Where had the
he come from? She must have been so focused on the musician that she hadn’t
even noticed him standing there.

Instantly, Jeanie reached out to the
stranger’s suit covered arm. “I didn’t see you. I’m sorry.”

The light blue eyes that stared out
from behind the mask took her aback for a second. They were beautiful against
the dark hair that rested just above his eyes. Whoever this man was, he was
probably supposed to be at the masquerade too.

“It’s okay. No harm done. How are
you?” All Jeanie could do was stare, mesmerized. Heat engulfed her body making
her nipples tingle against the velvet of her dress. She shifted and a moan
nearly escaped from her mouth at the friction of her black lace panties rubbing
against her clit. A smile came to his full lips revealing perfect white teeth.
When he laughed she felt her cheeks heat. God, what was wrong with her!

“What?” Hadn’t he asked her a
question? She couldn’t remember. Her mind stumbled and she felt a retreat was
her best action before she made a fool of herself even more than she already
had. “I’m sorry. I should go. I’ll be late.”

Embarrassed, she turned and raced back
toward the party. The violin quieted in the distance and was nearly forgotten
as those eyes invaded her thoughts. A shiver raced down her spine, and it had
nothing to do with the cold. How long had it been since her body had felt so
alive?

Pulling the mask from her clutch,
Jeanie looked at the red and black sequins covering the top. It was going to
match perfectly with her dress. She slid it on just as she approached the man
at the door wearing the uniform.

“Back, I see.”

Frowning, Julie unclenched her fist.
The ticket was all but a crumbled mess. Damn, she’d forgotten all about it.

“Yep, I’m back. So much for the mask.
I see it didn’t work very well.”

A chuckle filled the air. “The mask
should work just fine. It was your hair that gave you away.”

“Right.” Jeanie handed him the ticket
and walked into the entry way of the hotel. A mirror to the right caught her
attention and she took in her appearance. Piled high on her head was a mass of
dark red curls, held together by what seemed to be a million diamond studded
bobby pins. Damn hair. She should have known. Mask or no mask, the color was
uniquely dark red enough to be a dead giveaway. Clairol sure didn’t have this
shade bottled in a box.

Sighing, Jeanie unbuttoned her coat
and handed it to the woman collecting them at the back of the lobby. She felt
so exposed standing there in a gown that showed off every curve she possessed.
It was a big leap from the slacks and blouses she usually sported.

Just breathe, Jeanie. You don’t
know anyone here and no one will know you. Just follow the signs to the
ballroom. And hold your head up high, dammit! You probably look like a scared
little mouse.

A large chandelier in the middle of
the ballroom stopped Jeanie right in her tracks. She clutched to the doorframe
watching all the expensive looking couples spinning around the dance floor. Who
in the hell would invite
her
to this fancy party? She wasn’t anyone
special. It wasn’t as though she held some high title in her field of work.
Shit. This had bad idea written all over it.

Turning, she quickly set her focus on
retrieving her coat. This was so unlike her.

Not one step in, Jeanie connected with
a massive figure. The body under the suit was as hard as concrete. “I’m sorry—

“So you keep saying.”

Jeannie looked up and her eyes
connected with that amazing shade of blue. It was the man listening to the
music. Great! Even he recognized her.

Again, she was lost for words. Opening
her mouth, she searched for something to say, but nothing would come.

Tell him you were just leaving and
go!
“Right. If you could excuse—

Incredibly soft lips pressed into
hers. Her eyes widened as panic surged. At the brush of the stranger’s tongue
across the tip of hers, she lost it, and barely recalled grabbing onto his
suit’s jacket and pulling him closer. Her eyes closed, the blackness spun
wildly, and yet, she couldn’t stop herself from deepening the kiss. He tasted
so good. So fresh.

Vibrations coursed through her body
like wild fire. Everything inside of her wanted this man. The need to feel his
cock sliding inside of her... No, pounding inside of her. Yes, she wanted him
to fuck her hard and fast. The sex needed to be opposite of who she was. Soft
and gentle she was used to. Everything about her everyday life screamed fragile
and timid. But that wasn’t who she was inside, was it? It couldn’t be. No.
Tonight she’d put her foot down and take Lisa’s advice.

“Nice. I’ll have to remember to watch
the door for some pretty lady coming through so I can catch her under the
mistletoe too.”

The background words barely registered
at first. Realizing that she was in the door’s entrance she jerked back.
Mistletoe!

“Let me guess. You’re sorry. Again.”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a slight smile.

Something inside Jeanie snapped. She
did say that a lot. Too much. Lisa had always commented on her constant
apologies, but until this moment it hadn’t hit her how much she’d actually said
it. As all Jeanie’s faults dawned, the conversation with her best friend
surfaced once again.

“Jeannie, just relax and let go.
Tonight is your chance to be someone different. A new person if that’s what you
want.”

The small white Christmas tree
sitting on Jeanie’s table drew her attention. For so long now she had wanted
the chance to change herself, but never had the courage to get out of her safe
routine. Was this the opportunity she had been waiting for?

“Every time you feel afraid, think
of the mask. Let it be your armor. No one knows who you are with it on.”

Jeanie laughed. “That sounds
ridiculous. Like something you’d tell a kid, Lisa. I’m just not so sure I can
do it.”