All I Want for Christmas Is You (17 page)

Many baked cookies and tied bows later, all the efforts of the day were finally completed. Lauren strung a strand of gold satin ribbon through the hole in the top of the last gingerbread cookie to be placed on the tree. After tying a big bow, she handed it to Kyle.

"You do the honors," she said.

"Why me?"

"You did so much work to make such a beautiful tree. You put on the last ornament."

"Too bad Kristen didn't stay awake long enough to do it herself." He placed the ornament on a branch just under the star.

"She must have played hard at your parents'. It isn't often that she asks to go to bed. At least she got to put the aluminum foil star on the tree." She sighed. "Look at this tree."

"Yeah. Beautiful." She felt his eyes on her and a warm heat crept up her neck to her cheeks.

"After all the work you did while I was snoozing, it should be beautiful."

"I meant you."

She bowed her head, embarrassed by his compliment. But no, it wasn't embarrassment at all, was it? It was something much more. Her insides hummed and her head was light as a feather. Why did he always do this to her? She averted her gaze and stared at the Christmas tree.

"You look just like a little girl who's wishing on a star," he murmured.

"Do I? I don't feel very much like a little girl," she admitted, and yet in so many ways she knew she was still as naive and insecure as a child.

A deep chuckle bubbled up from his throat and he smiled, cocking his head to one side. The soft glow from the lights of the tree illuminated his face. His features were strong and sure. In his gaze, she saw the raw edges of desire. "But you're not a little girl, Lauren. You're a woman. An incredibly beautiful woman."

He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. She involuntarily leaned into the source of pleasure.

She wanted him to hold her. It had been so long since she allowed herself to feel this vulnerable and exposed. Kyle was strong in body and in will and she needed his strength, needed him, more than she was ever willing to admit before.

"What do you dream of when you put your head down on your pillow at night? Tell me, Lauren," he whispered, pulling her into his arms, gazing down at her in a way she swore he could see straight through to her soul.

As she trembled in his arms, she knew if she opened her mouth to speak, it would be her undoing. The truth frightened her, the way he made her insides stir with the mere thought of him, the longing she had whenever he was gone.

No, she couldn't tell him the truth. If she did, then she'd have to tell him how she lay awake at night, longing to feel his hands run over every inch of her body. And how she wanted to return that pleasure. She'd tell him how she wanted to burn with the heat of his flesh and feel his heart racing wildly so close to hers.

That was her wish, her fantasy.

But she couldn't say a word, because she might just get her wish. And God help her after that.

"Kyle...I..." She closed her eyes and felt his lips brush against hers. At first, his kiss was like a gentle breeze blowing across her skin. Quickly it turned hot and hard, filled with a passion she'd never known. She burned with the intensity that melted her resolve. No amount of reasoning could convince her that she didn't want Kyle Preston.

And now he was here with her, holding her, kissing her with a wild abandon that made her forget all her fears.

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Chapter Nine

Lauren felt Kyle's hard muscles flex beneath her touch as she leaned closer to his warm body. She looked up at him, into his eyes, and saw that his gaze was on her lips. She licked them instinctively and heard a guttural groan escape him. His desire was raw and transparent. It made her dizzy and catapulted her own desire skyward.

Was this really her? She'd never thought of herself as a woman who could feel such deep emotional hunger. Or that she could bring forth such a response from a man.

Her past experience was non-existent except for the one act that had produced her daughter. Although it had changed her life forever, it was over and done with before she even knew what was really happening. She was young then and didn't know the powerful effect that love could have on her.

Love.

Yes, this was definitely love, she realized. She was falling hopelessly in love with Kyle. This wasn't just about a physical need that had been left unfulfilled. It was about an emotional need she had no control over.

She hadn't known anything about love when she was eighteen. But what she knew now was that what she had with Kristen's father had never been love.

She didn't want that this time. She wanted to feel every touch, every breath, and every nuance that made her know she was the woman that Kyle desired. And he did desire her. The thought of that rocked her world. Never in her life had she felt such power and yet felt so vulnerable at the same time.

He bent his head and kissed her lips softly, then withdrew. "You still have a cold."

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

He frowned slightly and shook his head. "No, no. Don't be. You concentrate on breathing. If you don't mind, I'll just take my time concentrating on you." And he did. She felt his hot breath scorch her neck as his lips brushed against her skin. She gasped and felt herself melt against him when he tugged at the soft flesh of her earlobe with his teeth.

She closed her eyes and flattened her hands, brushing her palms against his chest. Acting on impulse, she curled her fingers around the fabric of his shirt and pulled him toward the bedroom.

She looked up into his face and saw in his eyes what she felt in her heart. They shared a basic, primitive emotion that was so strong, nothing could divide it.

"My sweet Lauren." His voice was rough as he gazed into her eyes.

She reached up and framed his face in her hands. She'd never loved any man before. But she was in love with Kyle. What a frightening and wonderful revelation.

With the bedroom door safely closed behind them, he resumed his quest to concentrate on her. She tangled her fingers in his dark hair as he continued to kiss her neck, her cheek. When she felt his rough hand beneath the cotton fabric of her shirt, she sucked in a deep breath.

Kyle raised his head and looked at her, as if asking her permission to take this dance they'd started a step further. She gave him her answer as a smile. She arched her back as he reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra.

With a low rumbling groan, he lifted her shirt off and lowered his head. The feel of his lips on her breast were like nothing she'd ever known. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down on the bed with her. They sunk into the mattress with the weight of Kyle’s body laying along the length of hers. She lifted her hips to meet him. Beneath the fabric of his jeans, she felt his desire was strong and hard. He pressed himself against the cradle of her thighs in response and Lauren thought she'd die of torment.

In an instant, her longing to have him took over. She would have waiting to follow his lead, after all, she couldn't say that she was completely sure of how to fulfill the desire she saw raging in him. Or felt in herself. But as she'd suspected all along, loving Kyle was as natural as breathing. Her love for him had taken control and washed away any fears lack of experience had given her.

She closed her eyes and felt his fingers tangle in her hair. As they kissed, she felt his tongue brush against her lips. He deepened their kiss and she welcomed the intimacy with each stroke, thinking about the promise of a deeper intimacy they were about to share.

She was nearly naked, except for her blue jeans and panties. And Kyle was completely dressed. She worked to change that fact.

She fumbled with his belt buckle until she was frustrated with her lack of success. "You do this," she panted. "Let me take care of your shirt."

With one swift motion, she pulled his shirt up to his shoulders, revealing a lattice of hard muscles. With him being so tall, she quickly realized the flaw in her plan and couldn't get the shirt any higher. But he deftly finished what she'd started, tossing the shirt to God knows where and dropping his jeans to the floor.

My Lord, but he was beautiful, she thought, gazing at him. Every inch of him was muscle and pure man. Her already raging body reached a fevered pitch and she moaned-she couldn't help it-when he stripped his briefs, revealing the strength of his desire.

Pulling the down comforter aside, she crawled on the bed and slipped off the last of her garments. "Come here," she said, holding her hand out to him.

He advanced toward her and abruptly stopped, turning toward his jeans instead of her. She watched impatiently as he sifted through his wallet, a worried look etched in his features, then a flash of relief before he pulled out a foil packet.

Her breathing grew more ragged as did his before he finally slid on top of her, their flesh burning with a passion almost to the brink of eruption. His hands stroked and caressed, his lips nipped and crushed, driving her skyward until she thought she'd go insane with need.

She wanted him inside her, to feel how close they could be. But she wasn't sure enough of herself to set the pace. Finally, she held his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. In them she saw a thousand promises meant to last a lifetime. She lifted her hips until they pressed against him in an erotic plea. And he instantly understood her unspoken words and smiled.

They came together like a tidal wave crashing against the shore. Her heart pounded with every breath, with each moan and cry, with each torturous stroke. They clung to each other until the first wave of release split her in two. She couldn't see or think or even breathe for what seemed like an eternity. Within seconds of floating back to reality, she felt every muscle in Kyle's body that was touching her grow hard until he, too, was taken over the edge of oblivion.

It took a few moments for her breathing to become even again and her mind to clear.

"Mommy?"

Panic struck Lauren hard in her chest when she heard Kristen's faint voice coming from the other room. She bolted upright in the bed.

"Mommy, I don't feel good."

Taking a few deeps breaths to compose herself, she watched for Kyle's reaction as she slid off the bed, grabbing the first thing she could find to cover her bareness.

He ran the fingers of both hands through his hair and looked at her. Was he upset? Did he understand that she would always give of herself as a mother first? As much as she wanted to stay in his arms, she couldn't let that get in the way of Kristen's needs.

"I'll be right there, honey," she called out. To her own ears, her voice was still shaky.

She took two steps toward Kristen’s bedroom door and heard Kyle behind her, pulling on his clothes. She flicked the light switch as she walked into the room.

Kristen clutched her stomach and moaned. "I have a belly-ache."

"How many cookies did you have today?" Lauren asked softly. Then she glanced at Kyle, who was now standing in the doorway, for confirmation.

He shrugged and wilted against the doorjamb. "We both ate quite a bit of dough while we were making the cookies this afternoon. Sorry."

Lauren frowned in disgust and sat on the edge of the bed. "No wonder you have a belly-ache, sweetie," she said to Kristen as she rubbed her stomach.

"I'll get some ginger-ale," Kyle suggested.

When Kyle was out of earshot, Kristen tugged on Lauren's shirt, her eyes widened. "Are you going to marry Kyle?"

Completely taken aback, Lauren sat up straight and tried to steady herself. Where on earth had that come from? Had her little eyes seen something she shouldn't have? Oh, Lord, what had she done?

"Why do you ask?" Lauren probed.

"You look at him funny."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Funny how?"

As if she were impatient, Kristen heaved an exaggerated sigh and said. "You know, the way Belle looks at the Beast in the video."

"I do?" she croaked.

Kristen nodded. "Julie says that sometimes people get divorced, just like a boy in my class, and they get new daddies."