Merry Christmas, Baby Read online

  And then they were kissing again. Teddy wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands smoothing along his back. Her kiss was intense, deep, hot. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and she moaned, pushing harder into his palm. She was just the right size and she felt so good he thought he might explode. Even through the layers of her bra and sweater her nipple thrust against his palm.

  His dick was throbbing like nobody’s business, straining against the zipper of his pants. He cupped both of her breasts in his hands, massaging and kneading. Her ragged breath matched his.

  He’d only just met her, she was a virtual stranger, and he wanted to strip her naked and plunge into her. He wanted to feel the heat of her skin against his own without sweaters or jeans or underwear.

  Jared pulled her onto his lap. Linking her arms around his neck, she settled against him.

  TEDDY WAS ON FIRE. NO man had ever kissed her or touched her like Jared, where she felt as if she were beyond the point of reason. She had never, ever known this frantic need—to have him closer, to feel his hands and mouth against her breasts, to experience the smooth, hot thrust of him inside her. She ached for him. She felt as if every desire she’d ever known was concentrated in her breasts and between her thighs.

  Seize the day, the moment, the opportunity urged a part of her she hadn’t even known existed. She reached between them and grasped the hem of her sweater in both of her hands. She was on the upward pull when somewhere in the still-functioning part of her brain, she realized something was wrong. Not wrong per se, just different. She heard footsteps climbing the stairs and voices in the stairwell.

  Gus. Nick. On their way here. Like a shot she tugged her sweater back down while scooting back to one end of the couch. She snagged her wine with her right hand and attempted to straighten her hair with her left.

  Meanwhile, Jared shifted back to the opposite end and picked up his glass of wine, as well. Teddy glanced pointedly at his crotch where his erection was making itself known by tenting the front of his trousers impressively. He crossed his ankle over his knee which helped. She supposed there wasn’t much to be done outside of that.

  His voice wasn’t quite steady when he said what she guessed was the first thing that popped into his head by way of making conversation other than I’d really like to sleep with you which was doubtless his primary thought. “Thanks again for letting me stay here.”

  “No prob—” Her voice sounded as if it had been dipped in rust. She cleared her throat and tried again, “No problem.”

  The door opened and Gus and Nick stepped into the room. They both looked startled. “Oh,” Nick said, “we thought you’d be in bed by now.”

  Teddy felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. Hopefully some of it was masked by the room’s dim lighting. She hoisted her glass. “We were just getting there. I mean after, you know, we had a glass of wine.”

  Somehow that didn’t make it any better. And she was doubly sure that between Gus’s sharp eyes and Nick’s nose for ferreting out details and news, they both knew Teddy and Jared had been getting hot and heavy on the couch.

  “What he means,” Gus said, mercifully, “is he thought Jared would’ve hit the wall by now.”

  Teddy stood. “I kept him up talking.” He was up all right, but it wasn’t because of talking. She didn’t dare glance Jared’s way. Now that the heat had gone out of the moment, she was moderately mortified.

  Jared spoke up, “I got a second wind so I’m wide awake. Teddy was gracious enough to keep me company.” He hoisted his glass in her direction. “By the way, the wine is excellent, almost as good as the company.”

  “Is that a shiraz or a pinot?” Gus asked.

  “It’s a shiraz,” Teddy said, already moving toward the kitchen. “Can I get you a glass?”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Nick said.

  Gus nodded. “Sure, I’ll try it.”

  Her mind whirling, Teddy poured two more glasses of wine. She’d only just met Jared and within no time she’d been on his lap. Another minute and Nick and Gus would’ve walked in to find her sweaterless. Actually, given the momentum and the heat behind their encounter, she was certain one more minute beyond losing her sweater and she’d have been without her bra as well.

  And God knows what Jared must think of her. This was so not her modus operandi. She did not jump on the laps of men like some sex-starved chick—primarily because she wasn’t. She wasn’t fast and she wasn’t easy but she’d just come across as both.

  She handed Nick and Gus their wine and retrieved her own. However, she was too jangled to sit down with the three of them right now, which was altogether more disconcerting because she was supposed to be an actress dammit, and she should be able to act her way through this situation, but she simply couldn’t.

  “If you guys don’t need the bathroom right away, I think I’ll hop in the shower,” Teddy said.

  There was a general round of consensus that no one needed the facilities at the moment so Teddy took her glass of wine and fled to her room.

  She was gathering up clean underwear and her pajamas and robe when a knock sounded on her door. She was so jumpy she nearly startled out of her skin. “Yes?”

  “It’s me,” Gus said. Of course it was. Neither Nick nor Jared would knock on her bedroom door. “Can I come in for a second?”

  “Sure. It’s unlocked.”

  Gus stepped into the room, her wineglass in hand, and closed the door behind her.

  “I told them I wanted to check a wedding detail with you before I forgot it,” Gus said. And then in typical Gus fashion, she cut to the chase. “But I really wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  Teddy took a sip of her wine and nodded. “I’m fine but it was that obvious?” Okay, she was completely mortified. She sank to the mattress’s edge.

  “No,” Gus said, shaking her head. Teddy shot her a disbelieving look. “Okay, it was obvious when we walked in we’d interrupted something but it wasn’t a surprise. Jared couldn’t keep his eyes off of you all night and you seemed pretty interested, too.”

  “He’s a good-looking man and he’s not your run-of-the-mill Alaskan bush male.” That was a gross understatement. He was urbane and charming and sophisticated…all the things she longed for in a man.

  “No, Jared is definitely not that.” Gus propped against the door frame. “You look at him and you think East Coast. You look at him and you think The City.”

  “Right.” She looked at him and her entire body broke into a hallelujah chorus of want.

  “So, what’s the problem? It’s only because I’ve worked with you and I know you so well that I could tell you were upset, but you were definitely upset. What’s going on?”

  “What’s going on is if you and Nick had been a few minutes later, things would’ve been downright embarrassing. I was about to take off my sweater, and not because he’d asked me to but because I wanted to. I finally meet a man like him and I practically throw myself at him. God knows what he must think of me. You know me, Gus. You know I’m not like that.”

  “Teddy, I don’t believe for a minute Jared thinks anything bad about you. As I said before, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you tonight. When they brought up the luggage, he asked Nick if you had a boyfriend. Nick told him no. And tonight, what would he have seen when he saw you working? You weren’t flirting with the customers. You were being you. I can’t imagine he thinks you’re anything other than what you are—a beautiful, outgoing woman who just met a man she clicks with. And he’s a nice guy, Teddy. Trust me, I’ve seen the way women look at him when we’ve been out with him. He could’ve had any woman he wanted after he and Trish split. But as far as I know, and I’d know through Nick, he hasn’t dated anyone and I don’t think he’s slept with anyone.”

  “Oh.” That was good, make it great, to know. He wasn’t a player and apparently it wasn’t just a case of her being available and willing. If he were so inclined, she imagined he could have women lining up for him back in Manhat
tan.

  “Yeah, oh. As far as I can see, you’re two nice people who hit a real vein of attraction. Having been there and done that, my suggestion is go for it.”

  5

  TEDDY ROLLED OUT OF bed late the following morning. She had expected to toss and turn all night but oddly enough, after she’d showered and hit the bed, she’d been dead to the world.

  Someone was in the shower—she heard the water running. Her bedroom was chilly so she made quick work of dressing. She slipped on jeans and another Christmas sweater, this one green with white snowflakes of varying size outlined in glitter all over it, and fastened snowflake earrings to her lobes. She pulled on thick socks, dragged a brush through her hair and made a quick job of eyeliner and mascara.

  She stepped out of her bedroom, the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee greeting her from the kitchen. She usually prepared the coffee pot the night before, but she’d been so disconcerted last night, she’d totally forgotten.

  Next to the door, Gus and Nick were putting on their coats. “Morning,” they said in unison. Teddy smiled. They really were the perfect couple.

  “Good morning,” Teddy said. “Where are you two off to so early this morning?” Obviously it was Jared in the shower and obviously he and she were about to be alone again.

  “Skye and Dalton left this morning for Atlanta,” Gus said, “and we’re going to get the cabins ready for the Hudson clan’s arrival this afternoon. Skye offered but it hardly seemed fair considering she was working all day yesterday and I’ve just been doing nothing.”

  Teddy laughed. “Nothing except getting ready for a wedding.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “Thanks for making the coffee.”

  “No problem. We’ll be back in a couple of hours. Jared’s planning on checking out the town.”

  Nick grinned. “At least he doesn’t have to worry about getting lost.”

  Gus punched him in the shoulder and Teddy laughed. “That’s for sure. See you guys later.”

  The door had just closed behind the couple when the water shut off in the bathroom. Teddy moved into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, but her mind was definitely on the man on the other side of the door—naked and wet. She’d had her hands on him last night, felt the play of muscle beneath her fingertips, and she had no problem picturing him just getting out of the shower.

  She turned the radio on in the kitchen, catching the top-of-the-hour local news. Teddy didn’t want Jared coming out of the bathroom and to find her just standing around in the kitchen. She needed to be doing something.

  While she sipped her coffee, she unloaded the dishwasher. She’d thought when she moved in that she wouldn’t really use the appliance since it was just her. Wrong. Every couple of days she had enough to run a load.

  She was almost through when the bathroom door opened and Jared emerged. Good grief but he looked good. He wore a pair of jeans with a long-sleeved polo shirt. His dark hair was darker still from being wet. Suddenly, breathing became a challenge.

  Teddy aimed for what she hoped was a natural smile. “Good morning. I hope you slept well.”

  “Fine, thanks. The couch is actually pretty comfortable.”

  “Good.” Okay, they’d exhausted that subject quickly enough. “How about a cup of coffee?”

  “Thanks. It smells great.” He walked toward the kitchen.

  Teddy felt so awkward and it was all her, not him. He seemed fine, normal—well, not that she knew him well enough to gauge normal but he didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. The discomfort was all hers and as embarrassing as it would be, she needed to clear the air.

  She poured another cup of the fragrant brew and handed it to him. “Sugar’s on the counter and there’s half-and-half in the fridge. Anything fancier and you’re out of luck.”

  “Straight up is what I prefer.” A question glinted in his eyes.

  The best thing to do was simply to get this over with. She’d thought that she knew what she wanted to say to him, but now that the time had come, she stumbled through it. “About last night… I don’t usually… That’s not how I normally—”

  Jared shook his head. “Teddy, it’s okay. At the risk of sounding as if I’m full of myself, I didn’t think last night was your norm. It’s not my norm, either, just for the record.”

  “It’s not?” She’d heard it from Gus but she liked hearing it from him also.

  He scrubbed his hand through his still-damp hair, leaving it sticking up at a few odd angles. “No. It’s not.” He reached out and ran his finger lightly down her arm, leaving a trail of heat in his wake.

  What was it about him that seemed to reach inside her and touch a part that had never been touched before?

  “I’m not sure whether I was relieved or frustrated when Nick and Gus came in,” Teddy said, turning away to put the last of the silverware in the drawer.

  “Honey, I can assure you I know exactly where I stand on that issue.” Jared wrapped one arm around her waist from behind. He pushed aside her hair on the left side and then wrapped his other arm around her, as well. He kissed the side and back of her neck.

  She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his lips against that oh-so-sensitive area. How did he know just the place that did it for her? She wasn’t sure if her knees could fully support her as he nuzzled and kissed her neck, taking her from zero to sixty quicker than an Indy car driver.

  In his arms, beneath the ministrations of his mouth, her awkwardness vanished, her desire from last night returning in spades. She put her hands on top of his, loving the feel of his masculine, hair-sprinkled skin beneath hers.

  She guided his hands up until they were cupping her breasts. “We have unfinished business from last night,” she said.

  “We do, don’t we?” He weighed her breasts in his palms. While his mouth was busy on her neck, he stroked and squeezed. He teased his fingertips against her nipples.

  “Why don’t we go to your bedroom?” he said. “It might be a little more comfortable than the kitchen, unless you just have a thing for the kitchen.”

  She laughed softly, turning in his arms. “No, I don’t have a thing for the kitchen.” Once again, she took his hand in hers and together they made their way to her bedroom. Jared closed the door behind him.

  “Nick and Gus will be gone for a couple of hours,” Teddy said.

  “Good, but just in case…” His smile said he didn’t want a repeat of last night. Neither did she.

  Outside it was still dark. “Hold that thought.” She wasn’t sure if she’d ever have this opportunity with someone who turned her on the way Jared did and she wanted to do it right. She darted out of the room and gathered a couple of candles scattered around the den. She also snagged the lighter thingie. She returned, toeing the door closed behind her.

  She lit the candles and killed the bedside lamp, casting the room in flickering light.

  Jared pulled the edge of his shirt tails free of his jeans and up and over his head. He wore an undershirt beneath. “Layering,” he said with a rakish grin. He left on the undershirt, reaching for his belt. Within seconds he’d unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, as well. He pulled off his socks along with the jeans, leaving him standing before her in an undershirt and briefs.

  His arms looked as good as they’d felt last night. There was no mistaking he managed to get in gym time. His quads and calves were muscular. Dark hair sexily sprinkled his forearms and legs. Teddy rather inanely noted he had nicely shaped feet.

  She reached for the hem of her sweater and he shook his head, a slow sensual smile curving his lips. “Let me.”

  She dropped her arms to her sides. Jared grasped the bottom edge, one hand on each side of her, and tugged it up. His hiss of indrawn breath was extremely gratifying when he pulled it up past her bra. Then it was over her head and tossed aside. He moved with surety to the button of her jeans, the backs of his fingers brushing against the skin of her belly as he worked the button free and then slowly tugged down the zipper.

  He sq
uatted as he slid the denim over her hips and down her legs. She stepped out of the jeans and he worked her socks down and off as if they were the finest, sexiest silk hosiery rather than thick, practical wool.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, looking up at her from his position at her feet.

  “You don’t have to say that.”

  “I know I don’t. I’m saying it because I mean it.” He stood and faced her, hesitating. “I was married for three years. After my wife and I split I was tested because she’d been seeing someone else. I haven’t been with anyone else. I’m clean.”

  That was blunt and frank, but Teddy appreciated him bringing the issue up and out. “I…uh…I’m fine, too.” It had been over a year since she’d been intimate and she’d gotten a clean bill of health afterward. There was, however, another awkward issue. “I don’t have any protection.”

  “Years ago, my father told me to never leave home without it.” His smile held a hard edge. “It was probably the only good advice he ever gave me. I’ve made it a practice to always carry a spare.”

  Teddy figured it was a good thing she’d lit candles otherwise the mood might’ve been totally killed by the practicalities of modern sex.

  Jared smoothed his hands over her shoulders. His touch ignited something sweet and hot inside her. Together they lay down on the rumpled, unmade bed. Jared kissed her, a mix of tenderness and eagerness. They were still both in their underwear and Teddy was thankful he seemed to have tuned in to the fact that once they’d trekked to the bedroom, they needed to re-kindle the heat they’d found last night in the den and this morning in the kitchen.

  It wasn’t hard to do. They shared long hot kisses. His hair-roughened thighs pressed against her while he stroked her waist and the curve of her back. The feel of him beneath her fingertips and his scent—fresh and clean, with a hint of tangy aftershave—intoxicated her.

  She worked his T-shirt up and over his head, dropping back to the mattress to fully appreciate his physique. He had a nicely muscled, hair-scattered chest. Jared wasn’t beefy like some of the guys who worked out too much and he wasn’t skinny—Jared’s chest was just right, a mix of lean muscle with only a hint of bulk. The trail of hair leading down his belly and disappearing beneath the edge of his briefs added to his sexiness quotient.