Silent Night, Unexpected Night (2 page)

“I'm in my last year of school.”

“What are you studying?”

“Journalism. I love to write.” She
tucked one of the loose strands of hair that had fallen from her clip behind
her ear.

“Good for you.” He had to suppress the
urge to free her hair from its confines. He imagined it was long, thick and
would look fantastic fanned out against his silk sheets.

No, no, no.
He had to stop thinking about her like that. She was twenty years younger than him.
It was absurd to think about her in such a disrespectful manner. He had no idea
what had come over him.

“I have an internship at a building not
far from the hospital. Sometimes I see you on your way in and out.”

“Really? Why don’t you say hello?” If
she approached him, he would stop to hold a conversation with her. Now that he
knew she worked in the area, he’d have to keep his eye out for her.

“I know how busy you are. I didn’t want
to bother you.” She gazed into the fire. “Plus, I wasn't sure if you'd remember
me.”

“Don't be silly. You spent many years in
this house. My son adores you. How could I not remember you?”

I’ll never forget you now.

“I keep in touch with Aiden as much as I
can, but in the past few semesters we haven't been able to see one another as
often as we used to. We're both really busy.”

“Did he tell you he got into medical
school?”

“Yes, you must be so proud.” She smiled
and he couldn’t help but memorize every feature of her face especially the tiny
mole just below the left corner of her lip. “He always wanted to be just like
you.”

“He's staying closer to home too.”

“You must be happy about that.”

“Perhaps you’ll spend more time here
with us.”
What am I thinking?
“Well, because I’m sure Aiden has missed
you through the years.”

“I’ve missed being here.” She shifted
her body away from the hearth to face him. “I’ve missed a lot of things, Dr.
Rhodes.”

The scent of vanilla and roses swirled
between them when she turned toward him. Her pleasant aroma clouded his head.
He wanted her closer. He couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to
hold her in his arms.

“What have you missed?” Tanner headed
down dangerous territory but he couldn’t help himself. It had been years since
he’d been this intrigued. He’d gained primary custody of his son in the divorce
and spent most of the last decade raising him. When Aiden went off to college, Tanner
buried himself in his career. He worked long hours and sat on the board of a
few charities as well. He hadn’t realize how removed and alone he’d become.
Sofia's presence somehow made him feel as if he had missed something in his
life.

“I…” She trailed off. “Nothing specific.
I guess I miss my friend.”

“Of course.” Tanner felt a pang of
disappointment. Why did he think this pretty girl had any interest in him?  “I'll
be happy to have him back this summer.”

“I was glad I got to see him tonight—”
She stopped and looked as if she'd said too much. She obviously didn't want Tanner
to know she'd seen his son.

“You saw Aiden tonight?”
Strange.
If she'd already seen Aiden, why didn’t she just give him his gift then?
Something seemed off. Why would she be here?

“I usually visit him at his mom's house
on Christmas Eve. I’ve been going there for years.”

“You knew he wouldn't be here with me?”

She nodded.

 “You came anyway.”

Is she here for me?

He finished her brandy before setting it
on the table by the sofa allowing the alcohol to coat his dry throat. He wasn’t
sure what to make of this new revelation. “Why didn't you leave the cookies and
gifts there, Sofia?”

“Um, well, I wanted—” She bit her bottom
lip and looked down at her lap. Tanner sensed her sudden discomfort but he
needed an answer.

“What did you want?” He moved closer to
where she sat and tilted her chin so he could stare into those beautiful, brown
eyes. He’d never observed how big they were. He hadn't noticed a lot of things
about this perfect girl. But now that she was here, he wondered what else he
had missed.

“Dr. Rhodes.” She sighed causing her
warm breath to caress his lips.

“Call me Tanner.” He stroked her cheek
because he couldn't control the urge to touch her. “Dr. Rhodes seems a little
too formal right now.” He didn't mean to be so forward, but she had a bizarre
effect over him. In the short time they’d been together, she’d captivated him
like no other.

“I'm embarrassed about why I'm here.”
She fidgeted with her hands.

“Don’t be.” With each passing second, he
became more thankful for her company. Her presence grabbed hold of him the
moment she walked through the door, and now it wouldn't let go.

“Tanner, I've thought about you a lot
through the years.”

“Really? In what way?” He wasn't going
to misinterpret this situation, even if his cock had other ideas.

“I've always liked you. It didn’t turn
into an attraction until my senior year of high school, but then when I went to
college, I didn’t see you much anymore. I never forgot you. I think about you
all the time.”

“I see.” He wasn't sure what to think of
her confession. He had a beautiful, sexy woman sitting in his house, telling
him she felt attracted to him, but what did she
want
? “That still
doesn't explain what you’re doing here tonight.”

“You're going to make this hard on me,
aren't you?” An uneasy smile graced her pouty lips.

“I'm sorry, but you have to clarify this
for me.”

“I know you spend this night by yourself
every year. I usually do too because of my dad's work schedule. I didn’t see
why either one of us should be alone tonight.” She leaned closer to his face
allowing him to take in more of her enticing scent. “I wanted to be with you. I
mean, I want to be with you.”

He continued to run his fingertips along
her cheek and jawbone indulging in the feel of her soft skin. “You didn’t want
me to be alone? That's very sweet.” Perhaps he had misunderstood her
intentions. For some odd reason, disappointment filled him again. Maybe he
wanted her to admit to more.

“You probably think I'm crazy. I swear
I'm not a stalker.”

He laughed.

“I don’t know what it is, but I'm very intrigued
by you.” When she looked away from him he sensed her embarrassed over her words.
Obviously, it took a lot for her to come to him tonight.

He pressed his palm to her face. “I was
thinking the same thing about you.”

Her big brown eyes widened as he raised
her head to look at him.

“I'll be honest, I haven't given you
much thought through the years, other than you being my son's shy, awkward
friend, but tonight when I saw you, I couldn’t believe the woman you've become.
You're breathtaking.”

She shook her head.

“You don’t believe me?” He twirled a
stand of her hair around his finger. “Why not?”

“No one's ever said that about me
before.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t know what possessed him,
but he brushed his lips against her jaw. He had to know if her skin would be as
soft to his lips as it was against his fingers.

She quivered as he lingered against her
face.

“Still cold?” he asked.

“No.” She stared directly into his eyes.
“Quite the opposite.”

“Can I kiss you?”

Chapter
Two

“Yes,”
Sofia whispered as she moved her thumb along his lips.

Tanner
leaned into her and gently pressed his lips to hers. She sighed against his
mouth placing her hands on his shoulders as he deepened the kiss. Once they
started kissing, it was difficult to stop. She stirred feelings inside him he
hadn't experienced in a long time. He didn't think he’d ever felt so alive, but
was it right to want her? He pulled away when he realized he could be making a
mistake.

“Don't
stop.” She tightened her grip of his shoulders.

 He
saw the need in her eyes and felt the hum of desire fill the air between them. As
much as he wanted to kiss her again, he recognized how delicate a situation
their union presented. Tonight could never be a onetime deal he could walk away
and forget. Sophia’s relationship with his son complicated matters. If he hurt
her, Aiden would never forgive him.

“Sofia,
I'm not sure this is a good idea. We're starting something we may not be able
to control later.” He couldn't believe he was about to stop what was inevitable
between them. He’d never felt such a strong pull to anyone before, but he had
to be responsible.

“I'm
here because I want this. I need you.” When she ran her fingers through his
hair a surge of energy coursed through his body and settled inside his balls.
If one little touch from her excited him, what would it feel like to be buried
deep inside her warmth? He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, trying to
rationalize the situation, but her breath on his lips clouded his judgment.

“Please.”
She licked his bottom lip as she trailed her fingertips down his jaw.

“How
can I say no to you?”

“You
don’t have to,” she said. “Just do what feels right.”

He
pushed her onto her back and rested on top of her, running his hands along her
sides and down to her hips. He gripped them as he pushed into her center trying
to create some friction. Tanner wanted her to know what she’d done to him.

“You
want me too,” she whispered against his mouth with an unsteady voice.

“How
could I not?”

She
moved her palms up and down his back, slipping her hands underneath his shirt
and scraping her fingernails against his skin. Sofia’s touches became frantic
as she rocked against him. The more she moved, the more he wanted.  He trailed his
lips down to her neck as he moved his hand under her skirt and squeezed her
inner thigh. When she tugged at the bottom of his shirt, he sat up and pulled
it over his head.

She
got on her knees to face him, taking his face between her petite hands and kissed
him with a passion that made him forget his doubts. He could kiss her all night
and never tire of her tender lips on his. He reached up to the back of her neck
and unclasped the hook that held her dress in place. It immediately fell down
her body, revealing her bare chest to him. Tanner couldn't help but stare. The
glow of the fireplace and the tree lights reflecting off her creamy skin
created a magical effect. If he was uncertain a few minutes ago, he wasn't
anymore. There was no turning back now.

She
crossed her arms over her breasts, as the blush spread across her face and down
her neck. Her heated skin begged for the attention only his mouth could bring to
it.

“Don't
be shy.” He loosened her hair and watched as it fell down her shoulders, the
ends caressing her breasts. “You're so beautiful.”

Tanner
lowered his lips to her neck working his way down her chest, pushing her arms
out of the way so he could run his mouth over her nipples. She twisted her
fingers in his hair and arched her back, urging him to take more.

“Tanner,”
she whispered. “I want you to have me. Make me feel good.”

Sofia
stood and lowered her dress to the floor, revealing her flawless body. She was
tall, well-toned and displayed for only Tanner to see. He never would have dreamed
anything like this happening tonight. “I want to be yours.”

“Sofia.”
He looked up at her standing in front of the tree in nothing but a red thong.
Pulling her closer to him, he placed his lips against her stomach, moving lower
until his tongue pressed against her satin-covered slit. Her legs buckled as
she held onto his shoulders for support. He had to have a taste. He tugged her
panties to the side, taking his time as he traced his tongue along her wet
entrance. Pushing his fingers inside her core, he licked and sucked her clit
into his mouth. She moved her fingers through his hair, pressing his face to
her pussy as she thrust her hips forward.

She
moaned as her muscles tightened around his fingers. “Tanner…” Trembling against
him as her climax took over. He savored her taste, lapping her juices and
slowly kissing her core as she settled down.

He
slipped her thong over her hips before extending his hand to help her step out
of it. Tanner grabbed some pillows and the throw from the couch placing them on
the floor before easing her back to the floor.

“Are
you sure this is what you want?” he asked. “We don’t have to do this.”

He
wanted to give her the opportunity to change her mind. He worried he’d lost
control and moved much too quickly a few moments ago. Wanting her to know it
wasn't too late to stop, he said, “I won't be upset.”

She
reached for her bag and retrieved a foil packet, pressing it into his palm
giving him his answer. “I've only done this one other time,” she whispered. “It
was horrible, but I think you can replace that memory for me.”