“Lucas,” I squealed. “How could you? It’s too much.”
“What?” he asked, trying to be innocent but I could hear the amusement in his voice.
“I know it was from you and as much as I love it, I just can’t accept it,” I said. “Luke, I just don’t know what to say.”
“Listen to me, all right?” he ordered, not waiting for an answer. “I wanted to do it. I planned to do it since I found out that you write all your stories in a notebook. I get a generous bonus every year and I have a friend that works in a computer store. It’s not as much as you think. And besides,” he added in a quiet voice. “I just wanted to do something to make you happy.”
“You make me happy,” I said before I could stop myself.
He paused making me wonder if I’d said too much. “I hope I get to see you tomorrow.”
“You will,” I said. “I want to see you.”
“I can’t talk right now, love,” he said with regret. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be at your place tomorrow night sometime,” I said. “Be careful driving home and I hope you have a great day tomorrow with your family.”
“You, too,” he said. “Good night. Dream about me.”
I snorted. “Usually do. Good night.” I hung up with a huge smile on my face.
I closed my eyes dreaming of the day when I could be free to express my love and affection for him.
And I was certain my mother would love him nearly as much as I did.
***
Christmas was as wonderful as always at my house. My mother had a knack for making everything perfect no matter what our circumstances every year. What we lacked monetarily we made up for in love and warmth and just plain holiday cheer.
Tommy absolutely adored the piano books I’d ordered for him and my mother loved the cookbook I’d found that she’d wanted. And that evening, we all pitched in to prepare a wonderful feast. I was happier than I’d been in months.
After we ate and cleaned up, Tommy dozed under the Christmas tree. I made a quick escape to the bathroom. It was after eight and I was anxious to be with Lucas. I hated the lying and sneaking but I comforted myself in the knowledge that maybe next year, it wouldn’t be necessary.
I dialed Bailey, relieved when she answered.
“Merry Christmas, Irelyn. Did you have a good day?” she asked.
“It was perfect and I have loads to tell you but I don’t have much time,” I gasped in one breath. “Listen, I’m staying the night with you tonight.”
“Sure,” she said slowly. “Come on.”
“No, listen,” I repeated. “I’m staying the night with you.”
“Oh,” she said with a grin in her voice. “Going to see Lucas, huh? Well, hell, girl, stay a few days. I got your back.”
“I absolutely love you, Bailey,” I gushed. “And I owe you big.”
“Nah, you don’t,” she laughed. “I live vicariously through you. Have a great time and call me later.”
“Thanks,” I said and hung up. I flounced back into the living room to find my mother nearly asleep on the sofa. “Hey, Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Bailey wants me to go to her house tonight and since it’s a couple hours drive, spend the night.”
“Tonight?” she asked as she pried her eyes open. “Well, okay, I guess. I know you’re probably missing Dustin right now.”
I flinched. “A little. Um, I might stay a couple days. Do you mind?”
“No, but I’d really like to spend some time with you, too.”
I kissed her cheek. “Just a day or two – I promise.”
“Drive safe, honey.”
I nearly floated up the stairs to pack. And change. I needed to put Lucas’s gift on under my clothes. My hands trembled as I hurried through my chores.
***
As I walked up to the porch, I was greeted with loud music. Smiling, I opened the door, knowing they’d never hear my knock.
“You so suck, Collin,” Lucas said as the music suddenly died. I blinked as I took in the scene before me.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.
Lucas spun and dropped the microphone in his hands to embrace me, lifting me off the ground. “Irelyn! You’re here!”
“Yes,” I squeaked. “Can’t breathe.”
He set me on my feet and kissed me. “Thanks for coming.”
“Hey, Irelyn, look,” Collin called, pointing a drumstick at the TV. “Our parents bought us a toy.”
“They bought you a band video game? Really?” I asked in disbelief.
Lucas chuckled as he hugged me to his side, his eyes shining. “Yeah and Collin sucks. He’s a drummer and he gets kicked off the stage in this game for his sucky drumming skills.”
Spencer laughed as a drumstick flew through the air, narrowly missing Lucas’s head. “Bite me!”
“Stop fighting or I won’t give you your presents,” I said. I grinned at Lucas and lowered my voice. “You only get one of yours right now – the others will have to wait until later.”
“I really like the sound of that,” he growled, setting my body on fire.
I had to force my body away from him to retrieve the gifts I’d crammed into my oversized bag. I handed Collin and Spencer theirs and pushed Lucas into a chair to hand him his. They all raved over the shirts claiming to love them before Collin presented me with two gifts.
“Okay, darling,” he said with a smile. “You wanted Australia so you got it.”
I opened their gifts apprehensively and laughed at the first one. “A boomerang. I love it!” Beaming, they urged me to open the other. I frowned as I held it up. “Vegemite?”
“Hey,” Spencer defended. “We got you the two most Australian things you Americans are familiar with. I mean, we wanted to get you a koala bear but apparently it’s illegal to own one.”
“No, this is perfect. Thank you,” I said.
“You really should try the vegemite,” Lucas said. “It’s good.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I said.
I had to endure another round of the band game before I convinced Lucas we should escape to his bedroom so he could open his other gifts. Collin and Spencer each kissed my cheek, warning me they were going to turn the volume up on the television and continue playing to drown out the activities going on behind Lucas’s door. Naturally, m cheeks heated.
Lucas shut and locked his door before plopping on his bed. “Okay, what kind of naughty things did you bring?” he asked. I tossed the wrapped box of condoms at him. He laughed so hard his face turned red once he opened them, pointing at his night stand where another box sat.
“Collin beat you to it,” he chuckled. “But his aren’t colored.”
I sat next to Lucas and kissed him, my heart thumping. He eased me to the bed as I kicked off my shoes.
“Let me unwrap my other present now,” he said in a low voice and I thrilled at the idea. It was working out better than I’d hoped. I’d intended to just take my clothes off to reveal the nightie but his plan was better. He peeled off my shirt and gasped. “Love – you didn’t!”
“I did,” I said with a smile.
He wasted no time in taking off my jeans to reveal the nightie. He groaned. “Damn, baby. Damn.” His lips found mine again as he lifted off the bed, taking me with him. He tore his mouth from mine and held me at arm’s length to admire me. “You look so hot.”
He spun me around and I heard his deep intake of air. He kissed my neck. “Thank you.”
I pulled his shirt over his head, anxious to have him. He helped me and before I knew it, I was on the bed again. His lips were all over me as his hands stroked the soft material that barely covered my body. I wanted him so badly that I could hardly stand it. But he wouldn’t let me off easily. He didn’t remove the nightie – just moved it out of his way as his lips found my stomach. It was my turn to suck in a breath as he kissed his way down.
He drove me to a new high. When I could take no more, he tore open one of the boxes on the nightstand, prepared himself and entered me, driving me totally insane. My nails dug in his skin as he kissed my neck and knocked me over the edge again.
He collapsed to my side, huffing and puffing harder than the big bad wolf. I reached for him as he pulled me to his side.
“Irelyn,” he said with a heavy breath. “Damn. Just when I think you can’t drive me crazier – you do.”
I couldn’t speak. I just wanted to be in his arms. I kissed his bare chest as my belief in Santa Claus was suddenly reborn.
***
I woke early, tucked happily in Lucas’s arms, no urgent need to rush home nagging at me. As far as my mother knew, I was up north at Bailey’s and wouldn’t be home until the next day. It was a wonderful feeling that made me wish I could wake up like that every day.
I folded my arms on his chest and propped my chin on them so I could watch him sleep. But he ruined it when the corners of his lips curled in the corners.
“Are you trying to wake me?” he mumbled. “Because I can think of a better way.”
“I just like to look at you,” I admitted in a whisper and blushed furiously.
Grinning, he cracked his eyes open. “Not nearly as much as I like looking at you.” It was my turn to smile as his arm wrapped around me. “That first night at Rusty’s – when I first saw you- I thought you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. I just had to talk to you.” He opened his eyes wider and I couldn’t drag my gaze away from his face. “I never intended to take you to Spencer’s that night – but I couldn’t resist you.”
“I never intended to sleep with you, either,” I said, but I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he already knew that.
“Where’s Dustin?” he asked, totally deflating my balloon of happiness. “Why aren’t you with him?”
I thought I spotted a sparkle of hope in his eye but it disappeared so fast that I figured I must have imagined it. I dropped my own eyes and focused on his strong chin. “He left for Europe with his family on Saturday.”
“Oh,” he said slowly. I couldn’t bear to look into his eyes. He squeezed me and rolled me to my side to trace my jaw line with a finger. “So, I don’t have to share you, huh? I get you to myself?”
My heart flipped. “Yeah, mostly. My mother is insisting that I spend some time with her.”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I don’t mind sharing you with your mom.” He kissed me softly. “And speaking of Mom, when are you going home?”
I blinked at him. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Hell no,” he said. “I’m on vacation this week and I want you to stay with me.” An impish glint sparkled in his eyes as his lips pulled into a smirk. “I was hoping you’d cook for me while wearing that hot little nightie.”
Rolling my eyes, I turned my head so he couldn’t see my smile. I was thrilled he loved his gift and planned to buy more. “Hey, when’s your birthday?”
His brow furrowed. “April 13th – why?” His face smoothed. “Ah, I’m getting another one of those sexy little numbers, am I?”
I giggled, nestling into him. “Maybe – if I can find one in your size.”
He laughed and kissed the top of my head. “You do that.” He yawned as he stroked my back. “And your birthday is next month, huh?”
“The eighth,” I mumbled into his chest. “And I just want a night with you.”
“You can have that any night, love,” he said. “I’ll have to think of something special.”
“No,” I protested. “I don’t want anything special. You already did enough for Christmas.”
“Yeah, speaking of that,” he said as he pushed my hair over my shoulder. “Have you written my story yet?”
“No,” I winced. “I haven’t used the laptop yet. I wasn’t sure if I should keep it.”
He kissed me and grinned. “You should and I want my story to be the first one you write on it.”
My heart tingled as a happy smile spread across my lips. “Okay, I will.”
He pecked my forehead before tossing back the covers back. “Come on. Let’s go play the band game really loud and wake up Collin. He’ll cook us some breakfast.”
***
The entire day was perfect – or as close to perfect as it could be. Collin and Lucas kept me laughing most of the time, insisting I play their new game with them. I refused to sing – I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket – but relented to trying the guitar and the drums.
Spencer and Tori joined us that night. We played cards and drank beer until nearly three in the morning. Spencer crashed on the sofa after Tori climbed the stairs to her apartment and I joined Lucas in his room. I disappeared into the bathroom to change into the nightie again but when I joined Lucas in his bed, he just took me in his arms and held me, kissing me softly periodically.
It was late the next morning when things fell apart. Collin left to run errands while Lucas fiddled with the coffee maker. I checked my voicemail, frowning as Dustin’s voice floated into my ear. I didn’t want to hear his voice while I sat in Lucas’s kitchen and it spoiled my contentment.
“Dustin?”
Shutting my phone, I crammed it into my pocket. “Yeah.”
Lucas nodded and returned his attention to the coffee pot. “So, um, Irelyn,” he said, his back still to me. “What are you doing for New Year’s?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I don’t really have any plans.”
He turned to me, leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. “Collin and I are supposed to go to a friend’s party. Why don’t you go with me?”
Panic flooded my heart as my brain stammered and stuttered. How could I? What if someone saw us together? I wasn’t prepared to go out in public with him yet.
“Lucas, I can’t,” I whispered.
“Come on, love,” he insisted. “There won’t be anyone who knows you or Dustin at the party. It will be safe.”
I thought I heard a touch of anger in his voice which surprised me. He was usually more tolerant than this. “I just can’t take a chance.”
He sighed heavily, ruffling his hair in frustration. “When is this going to end, Irelyn?” he asked, desperation in his voice. “How much longer are you going to put yourself through this? I hate how you stress over someone seeing us together yet the other night, you didn’t care that Amber knew you were coming home with me. What is going on?”
“I…I’m working on it,” I stammered. And to be honest, I was still extremely nervous about Amber knowing I went home with Lucas. I still had every intention of breaking up with Dustin and I knew I’d see him before she’d even figure out I had a boyfriend, but I wasn’t ready to take anymore chances. “Just, don’t push me.”