Before Sunrise (34 page)

That’s why this had to happen. Using
Sierra’s place was easy. The Schoensteins rarely visited it.
Convincing her parents to let her spend the rest of holiday break
before the New Year with Sierra had been much harder. But Kennedy
could always get her daddy to make her mama come around. He trusted
her.

“
What’s this?” She held the
door open for him.

“
Christmas.”

“
Christmas in a
box?”

“
Christmas in a box.” He
gave her a pop kiss, then went through the house.

Kennedy closed and locked the doors, then
hurried after him. To the back was an enclosed terrace, the best
room in the house, in her opinion. The windows wrapped around the
terrace, so when you entered you faced the sea at every turn. To
the center was a chocolate leather sectional sofa in the shape of
an L. It let out to a bed—it would be their bed.

A stone gray fireplace had been stuffed with
logs and lit by Liam when they arrived; already warmth enveloped
the back of the beach house. It slowly spread through the lower
level. She loved this room, the ambiance, the cozy view of the sea
and mostly because it was adjacent to the kitchen and the bathroom.
She had already decided that their two days would be spent in bed,
naked, and cuddling. Even better, her period had come early so she
didn’t have to worry about it making an appearance and ruining
everything.

Turning on the lamps in every corner, she
watched with keen interest as he pulled out the three sections of
bound artificial tree. “You got us a tree? Liam! That’s so
sweet.”

“
I told you, Kay, we’d have
our own Christmas. It’s what you wanted. Come here. You’re my girl.
Doesn’t your man make all your dreams come true?”

She wrapped herself around him, swaying
before an open cardboard box, bubble wrap, and artificial branches.
“I like it when you call me your girl, ’cause it’s true. I’m your
girl, and you’re my guy. When I’m eighteen we won’t have to sneak
around. My parents will love you. My mom will come around. She can
be a trip, but my daddy is so cool. Oh Liam, you will like him. I
promise you. I can’t wait for you two to meet. And we’ll have
Christmas at my house next year—”

Liam kissed her. Tongue, lips, his warm,
sweet breath was such a head rush, her lashes fluttered and her
eyes closed. Heat slid through her body as his tongue slowly rolled
over hers and she savored the spearmint taste of him. She clung to
the collar of his leather jacket once the kiss demanded more of
her. The familiar desire she had for him became a flash-fire
through her veins, tightening the muscles in her belly. Sex with
Liam was so different now. It hurt at first, when she lost her
virginity, but not now. He taught her things and showed her
pleasure that had her tossing many nights in her sleep.

The kiss ended naturally but she felt as if
her heart spun in circles in her chest, it beat so rapidly. The
room had become a furnace and they were both still wearing their
coats.

“
Mmm, you tempt me Kay. I
should start dinner here.”

He palmed her between her legs at the front
of her jeans. Kennedy shivered. Their eyes locked and his lips
curled into a smile. Liam was better at this than her, seduction,
and controlling passion, but Kennedy had been a fast learner. She
knew what buttons of his to push as well.

“
Let me fix dinner…then I’ll
start desert here.”

Her lids drifted closed at the promise in
his husky voice. Still it wasn’t nearly enough to hold her. She
hadn’t seen him in eight long days. And she had that warm wet heat
in her core now. It made her ache for him. She tried once more to
reach his lips for another kiss.

Liam effectively dodged her lips to sink his
teeth into her cheek. Kennedy cried out. She hit his arm playfully.
He spoke against her ear. His breath was warm and his voice a low
whisper.

“
Be a good girlfriend, and I
won’t be a bad boyfriend and rip those jeans off you and fuck you
on the floor before we have our Christmas dinner. Now, I’m going to
fix you some spaghetti. Do you think you can manage setting up our
Christmas tree without tempting me?”

Dazed, and a little giddy from the way he
spoke his demands, she eased her hands inside his jacket, over his
sides to his back. “Aww, Liam, a little kissing never hurt
anyone—”

“
Kissing you is how I lost
control in the first place. You know it’ll make me want
more.”

He let his hold loosen on her so she could
steal another kiss, a quick lick and suck of his lips. “Mmm, you’re
right, I guess.”

“
Good girl.”

Liam let her go. He
unwrapped his scarf from his neck and shed his leather jacket.
Kennedy shook off her coat, watching him. He was so damn sexy in
his gray jersey and faded blue Levi’s pulled down over his
Timberland boots. He cast her one look back over his shoulder. It
clearly said:
keep teasing me and I’ll
blow your back out
. Kennedy blew him a kiss
and he smiled before slipping into the kitchen.

She turned and surveyed all he’d bought.
This would be the best two days of her life.

“
I can’t believe we pulled
this off.” She called out to him as she started to slot the
triangular green plastic pieces for the base of the tree. “I wanted
you for Christmas, and I got my wish.”

“
You wanted me?” he asked
from the kitchen.

Kennedy turned around in search of the
perfect corner. She decided on the one to the left, near the
bookshelf and the wall of windows. “I sure did, and in case you
haven’t noticed I always get what I set my mind to. I got you,
didn’t I?”

“
You have a point. Oh, Kay,
I think you should check in with your folks. Just to be on the safe
side.”

“
Are you kidding, Liam? I
spoke to mama this morning. She thinks Mrs. Schoenstein is taking
Sierra and me into the city for dinner tonight. I’ll call her in
the morning. You just worry about dinner. And don’t come out until
I say. I should have the tree up soon.”

Liam wasn’t a sentimental guy. In fact he
and Sally only celebrated Christmas so Mackenzie would have
something like a childhood in that hellish house they grew up in.
The season always gave his stepfather a reason to drink, as if he
needed any, which would eventually lead to violence and
disappointment. This year would be different. As he sat on his
cousin’s lumpy sofa kicking his ass in a game of Madden, he kept
glancing at the clock, counting down the days for when Kennedy and
the holiday would be his. She mailed him a Christmas card with a
five-page letter. Written with pink ink, each page was filled with
sweet kisses and I love yous. He could see her with her family in
front of a tree, opening gifts. He longed to be part of her world
then. He vowed to make their stolen days together just as
special.

It was the best promise he kept. Liam turned
off the garlic toast in the oven. He then poured the pasta into the
pot of sauce and gave it a final stir.

“
Okay! Ready!”

He looked up. It had been a half hour at
best. She worked fast. He turned off the gas flame under the pot
and ventured back into their love nest. He found her next to a
semi-decorated tree that sparkled with blinking colored lights and
glittery ornaments. Liam turned off the lamps. With the fireplace
and Christmas lights there wasn’t much of a need.

“
What do you think?” she
asked. Kennedy stood next to the tree in tight blue jeans, brown
suede knee boots, and an oversized pink cashmere sweater. She had
her hair styled different this time. She wore it braided in corn
rows with beads on the ends. He thought she’d never looked sexier.
Everything from the soft shadow over her eyelids to the silver
hoops in her ears enhanced her beauty.

“
The tree, Liam. What do you
think?”

“
I, um, I like it.” He gave
her a sly smile.

“
Is that all you can say?”
she rushed over and slipped her arms around his waist. At his side,
she stared at the tree, grinning. “You like it? You love it would
be better.”

“
I love it,” he said,
running his hand down her back. “Like I love you.”

“
Do you know what we need?
Christmas music!”

She let go of him before her body heat could
warm him and crossed to the other side of the room on a mad search
for entertainment. Didn’t she know the only entertainment he wanted
was her in his arms, with his body wrapped around her tighter than
a python?

Kennedy bent over in front of the bookshelf.
It took everything in Liam not to launch himself at her. Her
sweater had risen to offer him the tempting view of her round,
heart-shaped ass in her jeans. She didn’t wear jeans often. Now he
understood why. Those curves were best kept under a skirt. Men only
had so much self-control. He touched his head and noticed she had
him sweating.

“
The Schoensteins have a
great record collection. Sierra turned me on to some of it when we
come here. It’s mostly seventies and sixties music. I wish I grew
up during the times of 12-inch vinyl, you know?”

“
Ah, yeah,” he
managed.

“
We never had a record
player. Did you? I guess they’re antiques now. I know my dad said
he once had a good collection of albums when he was a kid. I asked
him once. He told me all about eight-track players too. Looked them
up on the Internet. Really goofy-looking things.”

Liam relaxed to the soothing sound of her
voice. His woman sure could go. She’d ramble on and on over any
subject. He soon looked over to the tree. Best damn tree he’d ever
seen, though skimpy on the trimmings, but her arrangement of the
bulbs and tinsel was enough. Somehow, Kennedy had forgotten the
star. He picked up the package and began to rip into the box.

“
Oh, yeah, that star is for
you to put on the top of the tree. When we have kids that will be
your daddy duty. You put on the star.”

Liam smiled. “You got it all figured
out?”

“
That’s right, your life and
mine. All figured out. The kids will have a turtle, no dog, until
they turn eight. Oh, and we need a minivan, too. I always think
it’s so cute to see families piled in a minivan. My dad wanted one
but mama said she’s not giving up her beemer.”

Liam tuned the rest out.
Kennedy sat with her legs folded in front of her, shuffling through
albums. He rose with the star and placed the cone end on the top
branch. Mackenzie’s last Christmas had been spent in the hospital.
He couldn’t bring a tree into her room so he brought the star
instead. She got a real kick out of that. He remembered the nurses
dressed as elves when they passed out eggnog. He sat next to her
bed watching
Beauty and the Beast
on the VHS player in her room. Every so often he’d
check his watch and tell her where Santa Claus was at the moment.
She fell asleep. When she woke, he’d surrounded her bed with the
few gifts he could afford. Her favorite was a Rudolph with a
blinking red nose. It was his fondest memory of Christmas
Eve.

“
Should we open the
presents, too?” Kennedy asked.

Liam sighed. “Sure, babe, whatever you
want.”

“
Aha, I found it!” She rose
with a purple album cover that had a wreath to the center. “Motown
Christmas. Even got the Jackson Five.
I
Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
. This is
perfect! Oh, our babies—”

“
Babies?” Liam brow’s shot
up.

“
Of course, a boy and a
girl. Anyways, when we get married, I want you to dress up as Santa
Claus every year. My dad used to dress up when I was a kid. He had
to stop it when Harper was three, though. She would scream and cry
then pee on herself until he took off his beard. She can be such a
little spoiled brat. Anyways, Daddy would dress up in the costume
but leave off the beard. Man, I love it. I want our babies to
believe in Santa Claus, and I want Santa Claus to be daddy. You
know Santa Claus is a black man.”

“
Santa Claus is not a black
man,” laughed Liam.

“
Yes, he is.” Kennedy
smirked. She began to sing and his curiosity was piqued. Apparently
there was a song about Santa being black that he’d never heard
before. He couldn’t stop laughing.

“
Now that’s settled,” she
said, then went on to tell him about the gift exchange at the
Washington house. Liam dropped back against the sofa and listened
to her talk.

She put the record on spin and looked to the
kitchen. “Where’s dinner?”

“
Shit, I forgot. Came out
here and saw you, then Santa was black and the talk of
kids….”

“
Very funny. Stay there.
I’ll fix it.”

Diana Ross and her Supremes
crooned
Joy to the
World
, and Kennedy sang in harmony. Liam
felt nervous energy, warm tingles, building in the palms of his
hands. He rubbed them over his thighs and blew out a breath. He
tried to relax, focus on the sweet sound of her voice and the
record playing, but his chest grew tight with anxiety and a new
feeling he hadn’t felt before: dread. Was a future with Kennedy
really possible? She was so young and optimistic, especially about
his ability to adapt to her life. Kennedy’s family loved her and
she loved them. She had no major drama with them, unless you
considered the fact she kept secret a twenty-two-year-old
boyfriend.