The Christmas Wish (22 page)

“I’ll go home now. Feed and bathe Charlotte. Put her to bed. Pick up Chinese food and then come get you. That work?”

“Mr. Emerson, that sounds perfect.”

“My parents have invited us to the house after Christmas Eve dinner with your family at the Grande.”

Brinn stiffened in his arms, though to her credit she kept her smile on her face. She hadn’t been to his parents’ house since the night she’d dashed out after Kent had been such a complete ass.

“I know that it might be difficult for you, but they really want you to come. We’ll all be there, and it’s really the big event of the season for the Emerson family.”

Brinn nodded. “If you and Charlotte are there, then count me in. The Grande with my family and then your parents’ house after. Okay?”

Tyler nodded. Okay. He had something he couldn’t wait to show her and hoped to do it Christmas Eve, between their dinner at the Grande and the presents at his parents.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Tyler leaned in and his lips were on hers. Her whole body molded to his and fire flamed in him. God, he wanted her. He wanted her all the damn time. “Maybe we can forget about dinner and just go to bed.”

A slow smile enveloped Brinn’s face. “Maybe.”

She pulled away from his embrace and backed down the sidewalk toward the bakery. When she turned and walked away, he stood there frozen, mesmerized by the woman who had stolen his heart, the woman who had made him feel again and who was, little by little, restoring his trust in love and happily-ever-afters. She flipped those lush curls over her shoulder, did a quick turn, and tossed him a wave and a wicked smile. Then she entered Bea & Barbara’s Bakery.

He was done. He was absolutely, one hundred percent done where love was concerned, and he was thrilled to feel that way.

*

“I’ve been looking for a place.” Tyler opened the box of white rice and set it beside the kung pao scallops.

Brinn walked into the living room carrying two plates and an open bottle of wine. “I thought you and Charlotte would live with your parents.”

Tyler had started a fire in the fireplace and the room was warm. They’d not been together since the Christmas Cottage, and while she desperately wanted to straddle him and let him rock her world, she’d not eaten since nine a.m. and her appetite had finally returned.

“The original project was only supposed to take a year, but this new project will take a minimum of three and possibly five. Especially if they get the other tract of land.”

“Another tract of land?” Brinn shook her head. “Wow, they are really serious about making Thunder Ridge world-class.”

“If they get the second tract, the expansion might double, and if that happens, we’re looking at five or six years. While I love my parents, I really think it’d be best for Charlotte and me to have our own space. Plus, I’d like to have you over to my place too.”

Brinn’s heart somersaulted in her chest. Damn this man; this man made her throw away all caution. Her heart was his now. With every touch, every kiss, every look, every moment spent together, she became more and more his and happier that she was.

“Where are you looking?”

“The Lansing place.”

Brinn clasped her hand over her heart. The old Victorian had a giant wraparound porch and gingerbread paint and was one of the oldest and most gorgeous houses in Powder Springs. Plus it was three houses from his parents. “I love that place.” Brinn shut her eyes. “And it has the creek through the backyard with a gazebo. Oh my goodness, it may be the best-looking house in Powder Springs.”

Tyler smiled and his eyes held a hint of a secret. “The Lansing place needs a lot of work. I drew up a couple of changes for the kitchen and the bathroom, and I think we could get them finished before I begin construction on the Grande.”

Brinn heard the “we.” Had to mean him and Charlotte. He wasn’t asking her to move in with them, was he? Brinn’s heart jumped in her chest. What would she say to such a thing? How would she react? Yes, she was falling desperately in love with him, but living with him? Wow, that was a huge step. Especially with Charlotte involved.

“I know you’re busy, but I was hoping maybe after Christmas you’d look at my plans for the kitchen. At the Lansing Place, tell me what you think. What it needs, how it feels to you.”

“To me?”

“Well, kitchens are kind of your specialty, right?”

Brinn nodded. She plucked a scallop up with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. Damn, she was hungry. “Have you made an offer?’

“Not yet. I have a few more things I want to finalize, but the realtor knows I’m really interested.”

“Wow, the Lansing house. You’ll be close to your parents.”

“Another reason it’s kind of perfect. Mom is going to help with Charlotte when things really rev up on the Grande project. Having her close will be a big bonus.”

“I think this sounds amazing. I mean, if you like it and it’s what you want, I don’t know how you say no to something that perfect.”

Tyler’s gaze landed on her and her heart fluttered in her chest. He smiled.

“Yeah, I don’t know how you say no to something that perfect either.”

He wasn’t talking about the Lansing house; she knew it in her core. He was talking about her and him and Charlotte and all of them together. Her heart beat faster. How was it that she’d managed to snag and fall in love with Tyler Emerson? The man who had been her first crush and whom she’d thought was way out of her league. Life was good sometimes, amazingly good. She took a long sip of wine. Her eyes brushed over Tyler and the fireplace and the Christmas tree. This holiday season was the best one she could ever remember. She leaned toward Tyler, so close to him. She looked deep into his eyes. “You’ve made me so happy.”

His eyes widened and the pupils dilated. His face took on the hints of lust that were beginning to grow familiar to her.

“You’ve changed my life.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

She was now on top of him, her legs straddling him, her knees on the couch. Her sex heated with desire. His hands reached up and unbuttoned her sweater. An urgency pulsed between them. A need. He pulled the soft cashmere over her shoulders and slipped it from her body. A flame of want burst through her body. She would never have enough of him. His fingertips on her skin ignited her, made her feel gorgeous and wanted. His passion consumed her.

He unhooked the front clasp of her bra. His hand cupped one of her breasts while his fingertips circled her hard, pebbled nipple. His eyes roamed over her bare flesh. “Brinn, you’re beautiful.”

His hand slid down to the front of her jeans, and she lifted herself onto her knees. He unbuttoned them and then lowered her zipper. His other hand slid down her back and under her jeans until both of his hands were cupping her ass.

““Damn, baby, every bit of you turns me on.” He pushed her jeans over her hips and then tilted her forward and tugged them off her body.

She sat back up and rolled her sex against his hardness. Naked. She needed him naked now. She stood and knelt beside him, her hand scrambling with the button and zipper of his jeans. She got the denim off his body. His cock was swollen beneath her and she wanted him. She wanted to feel his hard and swollen maleness. She took him in her hand and stroked up the long base. She leaned down and pressed her lips to the throbbing vein at the base of his cock.

“Oh, Brinn,” Tyler hissed out over his teeth.

Her wet lips opened and her tongue caressed up the length of his member. Her hand stroked behind her lips. She squeezed and pulled. Her tongue circled the head until drops of pre-come came from him and she licked. The salty, rich taste of him gave her pleasure. She wanted to take all of him. His head was pressed back against the couch pillows and his eyes were half-lidded. She licked her lips and then opened her mouth and pulled the head deep into her mouth before pressing her lips all the way down to the base of his cock. She cupped her hand around his balls.

His fingers wove into her hair and his whole body tensed as though he held tight to his control. “Oh God, yes, Brinn.”

His cock reached to the back of her mouth, and she opened her throat to him. She swallowed, taking all of him. She suctioned around him and pulled her lips tight.

“God, Brinn, baby. Yes, baby, yes.”

His hips arched. She slicked her lips back down to his base, sucking harder and pulsing harder and faster. She pulled her lips back, her hand still milking his cock. His head fell forward and his eyes, Tyler’s beautiful eyes, remained locked on her.

“You have no idea how fucking beautiful that is.” His breath was shallow, as if a wire had been tripped. His hips bucked forward and his cock pulsed into her mouth. She sucked harder and pumped faster. She was ready, she was willing, she could take all of him. He was so close she could feel it, his hips thrusting forward and back. Her hand pumped along his shaft.

“Baby, Brinn, I’m going to—”

The hot jet of come shot into the back of her throat, salty and thick. She swallowed and swallowed again, taking all of him. Her lips still worked along his shaft. He twitched and trembled, his breath coming in short pants. When she got to the head of his cock, she licked around the entire head and softly slid the head of him from her mouth.

His palms clasped her cheeks and he pulled her up to him. His lips were on hers. He stood and pulled her upward and lifted her. “Baby, I need you.” His lips were insistent and her legs grasped around him. He carried them to her bedroom, where he pulled back the feather duvet and laid her on the bed. His cock was already coming back to life, ready for her.

“Baby, you turn me on like you can’t believe.”

He pressed over her, his hands on either side of her. His lips grasped hers and he kissed her with a hard, greedy kiss, then opened her legs with his knee while his finger massaged her clit. He bent down and his lips were on her clit, his tongue rolling over the engorged flesh.

“You’re wet for me. I love how sucking my cock made you wet for me.”

He pulled her clit into his mouth and caressed the tiny bit of flesh with his tongue. Her body convulsed.

“I want to feel you inside me.”

He pulled his mouth from her clit and pressed upward. His eyes locked onto her. The head of his cock slipped into her and he pressed forward.

“So tight, so wet. Damn.”

He twisted his hips, increasing the pressure against her clit as he was deep inside her. She was so close she would go over the edge. He pulled his hips back, his cock barely inside her entrance, then pressed his thumb to her clit and circled.

“Harder.”

He pistoned in and out. He pressed against her clit, taking her to the edge. Her pussy grabbed and squeezed and Tyler let out a hard growl. He thrust and thrust and thrust, losing all control as they careened over the edge.

Tyler finished his sketches of the two versions for the Grande’s expansion, one version with an additional two hundred acres. He’d meet with Annalise and Mr. Morgan after the first of the year. He’d also signed a lease for office space on the same block of Main Street as Bea & Barbara’s Bakery.

Christmas Eve Day arrived with the Emerson house bustling with activity. Mom was in her best Christmas mood. She wore her bright red apron with a picture of Mrs. Claus on the front. The tree was packed with presents wrapped in silver and gold foil wrapping paper. Charlotte was bouncing off the walls. She and her cousins ran through the house at warp speed from kitchen to living room to kitchen again, each of them barely able to wait for the arrival of Saint Nick.

“We’ll all be back from the Grande around eight.” Tyler sat on one of the kitchen stools and peeled potatoes while his mother checked her slow-cooking prime rib.

“I hear you came to terms on the Lansing place.”

Tyler set the peeler down on the cutting board. He hadn’t wanted to tell his parents about him and Charlotte moving into their own place until after the holidays.

“How did you hear about that?”

Carol closed the oven door and turned to her son. A grin decorated her face. “Have you forgotten this is a small town?”

Tyler glanced at the ceiling.

“Beverly Diehlman is best friends with the mother of Lisa Toscow—”

“The realtor I’ve been dealing with.”

Carol pressed her finger to her nose. “Right.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I wasn’t going to say anything until after the holidays. I’m going to do some renovation, and well, I didn’t want to upset you and Dad.”

“Oh sweetie, you’re not going to upset us. The house is three houses down. I couldn’t be happier. Give you some space of your own, and I can still waddle over any time day or night. I’m thrilled about it.” Carol turned toward the refrigerator and opened the door. She pulled out a glass bowl filled with cookie dough. “I heard you were particularly interested in renovating the kitchen.”

Tyler blanched. His heart thumped in his chest. There were some secrets he didn’t mind getting out and some secrets he definitely, for now, wanted kept quiet.

“I found that particularly interesting since my son doesn’t seem to ever really want to cook.” Carol cocked and eyebrow and leaned over the marble counter toward Tyler. “Unless this is a new hobby you’re taking up?”

“No, I uh…”

“You’re thinking of Brinn? The future? With her?”

He couldn’t ever keep a secret from Mom. “I am.” Tyler nodded. “But she doesn’t know it. I told her I was looking at the Landry house.”

“But you haven’t mentioned that really you’re buying it for the three of you?”

Tyler shook his head no.

Carol smiled. “I can’t imagine a woman alive who wouldn’t be thrilled over a surprise like that. Especially one who looks at you the way Brinn Bartoli does.”

Tyler’s heart swelled in his chest. “I love her, Mom.”

“I know.” Carol pulled her rolling pin from the long kitchen cabinet. “I probably knew before you did.”

Mom knew a lot of things.

“Your father and I have spoken with Kent. We asked him to reach out to Brinn before tonight.”