reached the pub and saw it was crowded with no tables available. It seemed everyone had decided to begin celebrating the holidays early. “I have an idea,” Laramie said, tightening his hand on hers.
“What?”
“Let’s go someplace private.”
An uneasy feeling crept over her, but it was overpowered by exciting sensations that settled in her stomach. Their hands were still joined and his fingers felt warm and reassuring.
“I want to be honest with you about something.”
She swallowed. “About what?”
“Usually I spend the holidays alone, but I want to spend them with you.”
She held his gaze a minute and then asked, “What about your friends?”
“They’ll be in touch with their families.”
“But you won’t?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment and then he said, “My parents are still alive. I’m their only child. But we’ve never spent the holidays together.”
She found that odd. Christmas was the one holiday she never had to worry about being alone. Her mother had always made it special and after her mother’s death, her aunt Dolly had been there for her. She’d even spent one Christmas with her father. It had been the first and last holiday they’d spent together. This would be the first Christmas that she had no one. She thought it sad that Laramie had never really spent his holidays with family.
She saw the sincerity in his eyes, in what he’d told her. He wasn’t trying to feed her a pity line but was telling her the truth. She felt it in her heart.
“I can think of a place we can go,” she suggested.
“Where?”
She knew it would be crazy to invite him, a perfect stranger to her home, but she was about to issue the invitation. “My place. It’s not far from here. Just so happens I was going to be alone for the holidays as well and would love some company.”
His hand tightened on hers. “You sure?”
Was she? She had never done anything so daring in her life.
She wasn’t a child. She knew the obvious signs. Desire was thick between them. Spontaneous combustion as volatile as it could get. She dated infrequently and most guys who’d hit on her had tried to work her. But she would say that Laramie was the first guy who’d tried and managed to elicit her interest. He was also the first guy she was trusting to this degree. She had never invited a man to her home before. There had to be a reason for her doing so now.
“Yes. I’m sure,” she said.
From the way his lips spread into a smile, she knew her response had pleased him. “All right then. Lead the way.”
That smile made her heart miss a beat as they continued to walk along the sidewalk. Like she’d told him, she didn’t live far and they arrived at her studio apartment in no time. “It’s small,” she said, opening the door. “But it’s the right size for me.”
She stepped aside and he entered. She immediately thought her apartment might be just the right size for her, but with him inside it, it suddenly appeared small.
“Nice place,” he said, glancing around.
Bristol was glad she was a neat freak. There was nothing out of place. “There’s a bottle of wine over there if you want to pour us a glass,” she said, removing her coat and hanging it in one of the closets.
“Okay,” he said, removing his jacket. She took it and hung it in the closet, as well. She tried not to notice how perfect his abs were and what a broad chest he had. She also tried not to notice the sexual chemistry between them, which had increased now that they were alone and behind closed doors.
“Do you need to let your friends know where you are? Won’t they be worried when you don’t return to your hotel?” she asked him.
He shook his head as he grabbed the wine bottle and glasses off the rack. “No. They’ll figure things out.”
“Okay.” She sat down at the table while he poured the wine into their glasses. And then he joined her there. “I know this isn’t champagne but let’s make a toast.”
“To what?”
“To what I believe will be the best holiday I’ve ever had.”
Deep down she believed it would be the best she ever had, too. Their glasses clinked and then they took a sip. She met his gaze over the rim and immediately, a deep sexual hunger flared to life in her midsection. From the hot, penetrating look in his eyes, the same hunger hit him, as well.
Bristol placed her glass down the same moment he did. And then he stood and reached out to her. She went into his arms willingly and he lowered his head and captured her mouth in his. The moment she felt his lips on hers, a deep, drugging rush of desire filled her to the core.
He was using his tongue in the most provocative way, making shivers of need course through every part of her. She had never been kissed like this before and he was an expert.
He deepened the kiss and her mouth became locked to his. She couldn’t hold back the moan that erupted from deep within her throat. Nor could she hold back the sensations overtaking her. She had been kissed before, but never like this. Never with this much possession, this much overwhelming power.
Moments later he ended the kiss and pulled back slightly to look down at her. A sexy smile touched the corners of his lips and the arms around her tightened, bringing her closer to him. “I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you. I had a deep yearning to know how you tasted.”
Wow! She wasn’t used to having such carnal conversations with a man. “Is that why you kissed me the way you did just now?”
“Partly.”
“And the other reason?”
“I just wanted the feel of my tongue in your mouth.”
And then as if he hadn’t gotten enough of doing that the last time, he lowered his head and captured her mouth again. On a breathless moan she parted her lips, giving him the opening he needed. He slid his tongue inside, mating it with hers, over and over again.
When he finally released her mouth, she looked up at him with glazed eyes. “What are you doing?” she asked, barely able to get the words out. Never had a kiss left her so off balance.
“Starting our celebration of the holidays.”
She could feel blood rushing through her veins with his words. She hadn’t expected this so soon. She figured they would share a drink today and then tomorrow he could come back for lunch. But it seemed he had other plans, plans she was giving in to. She couldn’t help it. So many sexual sensations were taking over her mind and body just from his kiss. She knew there was no way she could stop from wanting him. He sealed her fate when he began kissing her again and she felt herself being lifted into his arms.
He was carrying her someplace and she knew where when he placed her on the bed. What happened next was amazing. In record time he had removed both of their clothes, as if needing to be skin to skin with her was paramount. As if needing to see her naked body was essential.
In a way she understood, since seeing him standing there without a stitch of clothing was doing something to her, as well. He represented such virility and masculinity, and coiling arousal was throbbing deep in her core. Never had she wanted to make love to someone so badly. Never had she felt this filled with need. And she could tell from his huge erection that he wanted her. His desire for her was obvious.
She watched as he put on a condom before heading back to the bed. She reached out and glided her hands up his tight, sculpted abdomen and chest, loving the feel of his skin. Heat curled inside her with the contact.
“You touch me and I will