The Christmas Wife (13 page)

“Deacon?”

“Yeah?”  He asked hoarsely.

“You definitely know how to use it.”

He grinned at her before turning on his side and spooning
her tightly.  “Stay the night with me, Mrs. Stone.”

That funny little shiver went through her again and she
nodded.  “Probably a good idea.  Hattie may come looking for me tonight.”

“Right.  Because of Hattie,” he said.

There was a weird tone in his voice and she peered over her
shoulder at him.  “Are you okay, Deacon?”

“Yes.”  He pulled her closer and cupped her breast.

They lay quietly for a while before Claire turned over and
rested her arms on his chest.  “Do you like being the toymaker?”

He nodded.  “I love my job.  I suppose a big part of it is
knowing that the company was failing and I turned it around.”

“That is pretty impressive.”  She smiled at him.

“Thank you.”  He rubbed her back lightly.  “My father took
over the business from my grandmother.  Brandon’s dad didn’t want anything to
do with it and, truthfully, I don’t think my father did either but he wanted to
make my grandmother happy.  He didn’t have a head for business though and I
don’t think he ever really enjoyed it.  The company started failing and he was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  He died when I was twenty-five and six
months later, my mom died.  They said she had a heart attack but I think she
died of a broken heart.  She missed my dad terribly.”

He cleared his throat.  “I sound stupid, I know.”

She shook her head, “You don’t.”

“I told my grandmother I wanted to take over the business. 
She was hesitant at first, she thought I was too young and inexperienced, but I
convinced her.  To be honest, it wasn’t that difficult.  She was too old to
work the hours required and she wanted desperately to keep the business in the
family.”

“She must be very proud of what you’ve done,” Claire said.

“I think so.  Not that it stopped her from threatening to
take it all away.”  He rolled his eyes before rubbing her back again.  “What
about you?  Are you going to go back and get your art degree?”

“No, it’s too late for that.  But I am going to go back to
school.  I was thinking something in business,” she said.  “I’m not exactly
sure what I want to do yet but I’ve been looking into a few things.  I’ve spent
so many years worrying about money and how I would provide for Hattie that it
hasn’t quite sunk in yet that I won’t have to do that anymore and can actually
do something with my life.”

“What about Hattie’s father,” he suddenly asked.

“I told you, he’s not interested in being a dad.”

“He should be paying child support.”  Deacon frowned at her.

She shrugged.  “He paid a little when we first separated but
then he got it into his head that he needed to see the world.  He disappeared
on his grand adventure and I lost contact with him.  I tried to find him but he
didn’t want to be found and it just, I don’t know, felt easier and less
complicated to do it on my own. 

He stared silently at her and she flushed a little.  “What?”

“You really haven’t had sex in six years?”

Her blush deepened and she stared at his chest, tracing
small circles in his chest hair with the tips of her fingers.  “Being a single
mom and trying to keep food on the table doesn’t leave a lot of time for
dating.”

“Yeah, but six years…”

That look of horror was back on his face and she laughed and
smacked him lightly on the shoulder.  “Stop looking at me like I’m a freak.”

He grinned at her before sliding his hand down to cup her
ass.  “Did you miss it?”

“Of course.”  Her pelvis twitched against him when he rubbed
her ass, his long fingers stroking and caressing the sensitive skin.  “But I
couldn’t bring random guys home to sleep with.  Hattie and I shared a room and
– ohhhh…”

Her breath escaped in a soft little hiss as Deacon’s fingers
slipped between her thighs.  He stroked her clit and she moaned quietly before
spreading her legs wide.

“Claire?”

“Yeah?”  She moaned again when he licked the line of her
jaw.

“Six years is a long time to go without sex.”

“It is,” she panted.  “It really, really is.”

“Perhaps we should try and make up for those sex-free six
years,” Deacon said.

“In one night?  That’s a lot of sex.”

“Maybe I’ll try and spread it out over two nights.”  He
flipped her on to her back and sucked at her nipple.  “Unless you’re tired?”

She shook her head.  “No, not tired in the least.”

“Good,” he growled.  “Because I fully intend to make you
forget those six years of celibacy.”

“That’s very nice of you, Mr. Stone,” she breathed.

“I’m a very nice man, Mrs. Stone.”

Deacon stared out the window of his office.  Snow was
falling and he watched the people hurrying down the sidewalks as traffic moved
slowly on the slick road.  It was after six and all of them were going home to
their families, to the people who loved them, and he felt a moment of
bitterness.  He swallowed it down and turned back to his computer.  What the
hell was wrong with him?  One night of sex with Claire and he was suddenly
imagining a life with her?  He was losing his goddamn mind.  Claire had made it
perfectly clear that she was more than happy to have just a physical
relationship and that should have made him happy.  That’s what he wanted,
nothing more.

So why had he snuck out early this morning while Claire and
Hattie slept?  Why was he still at work instead of sitting down to dinner with
them?  And why had he spent the entire day reminding himself that while last
night had been amazing, it couldn’t happen again?  There was no reason he
couldn’t keep fucking Claire.  She was warm and willing and downright fucking
amazing in bed, and two weeks ago he would have jumped at the chance to have
her in his bed with no strings attached.

You’re playing a dangerous game, Stone.  Get your fucking
head out of the clouds and concentrate on the job.  You can’t give Claire and
Hattie what they need.  You know that.

Yeah, he did.  He lived to work, always had and always
would.  A family had never interested him before.  But God, there was something
so tempting and inviting about imagining a future with Claire and Hattie.  What
would it be like to come home every night to the two of them instead of a cold
and dark house?

It was just the novelty of it, he decided.  Soon enough he
would find himself thinking about work again instead of how Hattie’s day at
school went, or how good it felt to have Claire’s soft body sleeping next to
his.

He forced himself to concentrate on the documents in front
of him.  In two weeks, Claire and Hattie would be out of his life forever.  It
would be better for him and them if he put some distance between them.

* * *

“Mama, I can’t go to sleep yet.  I haven’t said goodnight to
Deacon.”  Hattie sat cross-legged on her bed and gave Claire a stubborn look.

Claire tossed Hattie’s clothes into the hamper.  “I told
you, honey, Deacon is still at work.  I don’t think he’ll be home until late.”

She turned away before Hattie could see the disappointment
on her face.  She had woken this morning to find Deacon’s side of the bed empty
and she hadn’t heard a word from him all day.  He hadn’t shown up for dinner
and she wondered briefly if she had done something wrong.

Like what?  You told him you were perfectly fine with
just having sex.  What commitment-phobic guy wouldn’t love to hear that?

Maybe she just hadn’t done it for him in bed.  It had been
six years after all and although she had always thought that sex was like
riding a bike – you never really forgot how to do it – maybe she was wrong. 
Maybe she had sucked in the sack and Deacon couldn’t think of a polite way to
tell her.

Get your head out of the clouds, Claire.  The guy’s a
millionaire who could have any woman he wants.  You didn’t suck in the sack but
he got what he wanted from you and is moving on.  Do you really think he’s
going to keep sleeping with a single mother who doesn’t have a penny to her
name?

Good point but in less than two weeks she’d actually have a
hundred grand to her name – thanks to Deacon.

“Mama?  Can I stay up until Deacon gets home?”

She smiled at Hattie.  “No, honey.  It’s bed time.  I’ll
read you one more story and then it’s lights out.”

* * *

Deacon stood just outside of Hattie’s room and listened to
Claire’s soft voice reading her a story.  Half an hour ago, unable to stand the
silence of the office any longer, he had shut down his computer and headed for
home.  He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, letting Claire’s voice
drift over him.

“Alright, Hattie, lie down.  It’s time to sleep.”  Claire
put the book down.

“I want to say goodnight to Deacon,” Hattie whined. 
“Please, mama.”

“Deacon’s very busy with work, honey.  He’s not going to be
here every time to say goodnight,” Claire said. 

“But, mama, I wanted to tell him something important.”

“You can tell him in the morning,” Claire said firmly.

“I don’t want to wait until the morning.”

“Hattie,” Claire’s patience was starting to wear thin and
she gave Hattie a stern look.  “You need to listen to me and – “

“Deacon!”  Hattie’s delighted squeal cut her off and Claire
turned to see Deacon walking into the room.

“Hello, Hattie.”

“Where have you been?”  The little girl demanded as she held
her arms up.

Deacon picked her up and kissed her cheek.  “I had a busy
day at work.”

“Oh.  Did you make lots of toys today?”

“I did,” he said. 

“What kind of toys?”  She asked sweetly.

He grinned at her.  “It’s past your bedtime.  I’ll tell you
tomorrow.”

He tried to set her down and she clung tightly to him. 
“Wait!  I have to tell you something important!”

“Alright.”  He sat down on the bed and she smiled again at
him as she leaned against his chest.

“Today in gym I ran faster than everyone else.  Mr. Wallis
said that I was the best runner in class.”

“That’s great, Hattie.  Congratulations.”  Deacon kissed her
forehead and placed her on the bed.  “I’m very proud of you.”

“Thanks,” she said.  “I want Hulk.”

Claire handed him the plastic doll and he tucked it into the
bed beside Hattie.  “Good night, Miss Hattie.”

“Good night, Mr. Stone.”  She giggled before holding her
arms out to Claire.  “Night, mama.”

“Good night, honey.”  Claire kissed Hattie and shut off the
light before following Deacon out of the room.

They stood at the stop of the stairs in uncomfortable
silence before Deacon cleared his throat.

“Sorry I missed dinner,” he said gruffly.

“That’s fine.”  She smiled cheerfully at him.  “I know how
busy you are.”

He couldn’t stop his gaze from lingering on her breasts. 
Fuck, she wasn’t wearing a bra.  Was she trying to kill him?  He took a deep
breath and forced his eyes to her face.  Her cheeks were flushed and she was
biting compulsively at her lip while she stared at his crotch. 

He cleared his throat for a second time and she tore her
gaze away from his dick and stared at the floor.  His eyes wandered to her
breasts again and he inhaled sharply when her nipples hardened against the thin
material of her t-shirt.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve got some more work to do,” he said.  “I just
wanted to say goodnight to Hattie.”

“Oh right, of course.”  Her voice was breathless and he had
to physically stop himself from reaching out and cupping her breast.  He wanted
to feel that hard nipple against his palm so badly he was nearly sweating with
the effort not to touch her.

“What are you going to do?”  He asked.

“Watch some TV, I think.”  She refused to look up from the
floor.  “There’s a Real Housewives marathon on, so, you know…”

She laughed nervously before starting down the steps.  “I’ll
see you in the morning, Deacon.”

“Fuck,” Deacon snarled under his breath.  He reached out and
grabbed Claire by the arm, hauling her back up the stairs and turning her so
quickly that she lost her balance and fell against him.

“Deacon, what – “

He covered her mouth with his, sliding his tongue between
her lips as he shoved his hand up her shirt and cupped her bare breast.  He
squeezed firmly, rubbing his thumb over that hard nipple and growling in
satisfaction when she moaned and sagged against him.

“All day I’ve thought about nothing but kissing you,
touching you, fucking you,” he muttered against her mouth. 

“What a coincidence,” she said.  “I’ve been thinking of fucking
you all day as well.”

“Good.”  He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his
waist and rubbed against him as he carried her to his bedroom.

“You wear entirely too many clothes,” she complained as she
tugged his tie loose and pulled it over his head.

“I really do,” he agreed.  He set her down and she helped
him undress.

“Much better,” she announced when he was naked.

She kissed his chest and sucked lightly on one flat nipple. 
He groaned, his hand cupping the back of her head before he reached for her
jeans.  He shoved them down her legs, taking her panties with them, and she
kicked them off as he slid his hands back under her t-shirt to cup her naked
breasts.

“You went braless just to drive me crazy, didn’t you?”  He
nipped at her neck.

“Maybe,” she said sweetly.  “Did it work?”

“Yes.”  He pulled her t-shirt over her head and dropped it
to the floor before turning her around.  He cupped her breasts and tweaked her
nipples before sliding one hand to her pussy.  He rubbed at her clit until she
was soaking wet and grinding her ass against his cock.

“Deacon, I need you,” she pleaded.

He moved her closer to the bed and rubbed her lower back. 
“On your hands and knees, sweetheart.”

She climbed on to the bed, spreading her legs eagerly as he
quickly put on a condom and pressed up behind her.  He rubbed her clit again,
smiling at the way it made her squirm, before sliding the head of his cock into
her wet warmth.

She moaned loudly and thrust her hips back, sheathing him
inside of her in one slick, hot move.  His hands squeezed her hips and he let
her control the pace as he watched his cock slide in and out of her.

“Fuck, Claire,” he groaned.  “You feel so good.”

She squeezed her inner muscles around him in reply and he
groaned again before pressing roughly against her lower back.  She buried her
face in the bed, raising her hips so he could sink more deeply into her, and
urged him to move faster with small breathless cries.

He reached beneath her, cupping her pussy and rubbing her
swollen clit as he thrust wildly back and forth.  She came with a muffled
shriek, her entire body quivering around him and her pussy squeezing every
throbbing inch of his cock.

He groaned her name, his fingers digging into the smooth
flesh of her sides as he found his own release.  Her muscles continued to
squeeze him in tiny rhythmic pulses, refusing to let him go, and he kissed her
lower back and stroked her ass until her body relaxed and he could pull out of
her.

He threw the condom in the wastebasket next to the bed and
curled up next to Claire on the bed.  She was panting harshly, her eyes closed
and her body still trembling, and he stroked her hip before kissing the back of
her shoulder.

“Okay?”

“Hell, yes,” she muttered.  “It just gets better and
better.”

“Hmm,” he agreed sleepily.  He closed his eyes and buried
his face between Claire’s shoulder blades.

“Deacon?”  She whispered.  “What about your work?”

“Later,” he mumbled.  He pulled her closer and threw one leg
over hers, trapping her against him. 

Claire lifted his hand and kissed the knuckles gently. 
“Thank you, Deacon.”

He snored softly in reply and she smiled briefly before
closing her eyes and sinking into his embrace.

* * *

“Claire?  What are you doing here?”  Deacon looked up in
surprise when Claire slipped into his office.

He had left early again this morning but had woken Claire up
before he left just to say goodbye.  He had been tempted to entice her into an
early morning quickie. It was ridiculous considering they had made love twice
more in the night but he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.  Instead, he had
given her a slow kiss goodbye and left her warm and sleepy in his bed.

“Hi, Deacon.  Tabitha told me I could just come in, I hope
that’s okay.” 

“That’s fine.  What’s wrong?  Is Hattie okay?”

She nodded.  “Yes.  She’s at school.”

She lingered next to the door and he gave her a quick once
over.  She was wearing her long winter jacket with knee high leather boots and
her cheeks were flushed.

“Are you okay?”  He asked.

She nodded and dropped her large bag on the floor before
locking his office door.  “Yes.  It just occurred to me that I had never
properly thanked you for looking after Hattie while I was sick.”

“What did you have in mind?”  He gave her a wicked grin and
she smiled sweetly at him.

“Well, it’s nearly noon so I thought I would bring you
lunch.”

He ignored the disappointment coursing through him.  “Thank
you, that’s thoughtful of you.”

She smiled and continued to linger by the door.  He glanced
at the bag on the floor and her empty hands.  “What did you bring me for
lunch?”

“Me.”  She pulled a condom from the pocket of her coat
before she unbuttoned her jacket and let it slither down her body and pool on
the floor.

Deacon’s mouth dropped open.  With the exception of her
boots, she was completely naked under her jacket and his cock stiffened into a
hard spike as she walked slowly toward him.

“Jesus, Claire,” he whispered as she moved around his desk. 
She placed the condom on the desk and pushed on his hard chest.  His chair
rolled back and she dropped to her knees in front of him before reaching for
his belt buckle.  She unbuckled it and quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his
pants.

“Hips up,” she whispered and he lifted his body so she could
slide his pants and briefs down to his ankles.

Before he could say or do anything, her mouth was sliding
down over his cock.  He groaned and cupped the back of her head, urging her to
take more of him as she hummed lightly.  The sound vibrated against his cock
and he groaned again.