Christmas at Twin Falls (13 page)

“No, but then Kaleena came back and proved that love can travel distances, and I don’t intend to let that pass by,” Cody said. “And you shouldn’t either. I’ll help get the boxes in your truck.”

Five minutes later, she was leaving Cody’s driveway and making the small turn to Beau’s house. The twins lived in two separate homes, because they needed space. They were two very different people. Cody was more laid back with a streak of dominance a mile wide. Beau was always the bad boy type, who wasn’t afraid to punch first and ask questions after. The twins were like opposite sides of the same coin. She parked her truck close to the steps leading up to Beau’s patio and grabbed a box from the back of her truck. He was opening the door by the time she reached it with a questioning look in his face.

“What’s in the box?” Beau asked.

“Christmas decorations from Cody’s place, some of your mom’s stuff,” Natasha answered as she walked past him.

“Why?” Beau asked.

Natasha put the box down on the floor in the hallway and turned with her hand on her hips. “Because you, Beau Everett, are a Grinch and you’ve gotten rid of Christmas. I’m bringing it back to your house.” She pointed a finger at him when he opened his mouth to speak. “Shut it, not one word about it not happening because I won’t take no for an answer. You’re going to like it, and this year you’re celebrating Christmas.”

“Is that an order?” Beau asked, and she heard the amusement in his voice.

“Yes, it is,” she replied.

“Ok, I have a counter offer. I’ll do all the Christmas stuff if you give me one thing.” He stepped closer, and his voice was like a husky caress over her skin. “Something I’ve been wanting for a long time now.”

Natasha suddenly felt like her breath was caught in her chest. She looked up at the tall, sexy man who had become the star of every wet dream she had. “And what would that be?”

He grasped her waist and pulled her against his hard body. “A kiss and a chance to court you right and proper. Since I came home, I’ve been thinking we’ve been mind fucking each other for a long time now. Let’s bring it to reality.”

“This sounds like blackmail,” she said softly.

“Do you mind?” Beau asked.

“Hello, no, it’s about damn time. I thought I would have to practically rip my shirt open and show you my boobs for you to get the hint,” she replied.

Beau tilted his head back and laughed before saying, “I’d like to add that to my Christmas list. God, Natasha, you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met. Piss and vinegar in a creamy chocolate package.”

“Kiss me and find out what I taste like,” she invited.

Beau didn’t need hesitate. His mouth met hers, and with a little moan, she opened under the onslaught of his kiss. His tongue penetrated her mouth, and she felt almost drunk on his taste. She had waited so long to be in his arms like this, to be held the way he holding her now.

He lifted his head and stared into her eyes before giving a long, low groan and taking her lips in a kiss again. He turned quickly, and Natasha found herself pressed up against the wall. Lord, the man was making her melt with one kiss, and his tongue was doing delicious things inside her mouth.

Beau raised his head and murmured. “That was so worth the wait. I felt like I got my gift early.”

Whew,
Natasha thought and waited for the fog of desire to clear from her brain.
I need to step back just a little before I’m naked in the tinsel and covered in Christmas lights.

She giggled at the thought and poked him in the chest. “Rein in the sweet talk, cowboy. There will be no getting into these pants tonight.”

Beau chuckled. “You are such a tease.”

“Hey, it doesn’t mean you can’t get in them some other night. Just play your cards right.” She slipped from between him and wall and went back to the door. “Come help me with this stuff, and then you promised me food.”

“I did do that, so let’s get this show on the road. I’ve got a prime rib in the broiler and russet potatoes with a vegetable medley.” Beau winked at her. “For dessert there is my famous chocolate killer cake, guaranteed to make you want me naked before the night is through.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” Natasha said dryly.

“You’re the only one that counts,” Beau said softly from behind her.

He probably didn’t mean for her to hear it, but she did, and a warm flush travelled along her body. Natasha had to top herself from doing her little happy dance at the front door. With his help, she got everything into the house, and then she convinced him to walk out near the woods behind his house to cut a fir tree.

“The things I do for you,” he grumbled good-naturedly, but he used the small power saw to cut down the medium sized tree.

Together they dragged it back into the house, and he found a tree stand in the closet under the stairs so they could get it to stand upright.

“I’ll use one of my dad’s old tricks to keep it from drying out,” Beau said.

“What’s his trick because mine is already starting to drop needles on the carpet,” Natasha said.

“He puts two cans of Pepsi in with the water. The syrup keeps the pines from falling. I’ll grab the sodas, check on dinner, and be right back.”

“You’re being awfully good about all this,” Natasha commented.

He stopped and considered what she said and then grinned. “I guess you kissed the scrooge out of me.”

Natasha laughed as he walked away and started pulling lights from the box. They were the older kind of string lights, the bigger lighted bulbs from the seventies and still in pristine condition. The ornaments were delicate glass, and some were wood. She picked up two pairs of booties that were carved from wood. Santa Claus was painted on each pair and snowflakes. Beau and Cody’s names were etched on each. Natasha knew that Mr. Everett carved them for his boys. She cradled them gently in her hands and hung them on the tree first. It felt right. She felt a kind of peace settle over her. Somewhere out there, his parents were happy.

“Two Pepsis, and look I brought us some wine.” Beau came through the door and stood beside her. He looked at the ornaments on the tree and reached out to touch them gently. “I forgot about these. Mom used to hang them on the tree each year. I remember bringing home Susie Marsh for dinner one holiday, and Mom showed them off to her.”

“Susie Marsh and her extra tight sweaters,” Natasha said in irritation. “Like the whole school needed to know about her and her damn D-cups.”

Beau laughed. “Every boy wanted those D cups, and I got them.”

“And this very pleasant night has been put into the garbage disposal,” Natasha muttered and turned away from the tree to rummage through the box. “Men only remember the girls with the tits and not the one who helped get them through Algebra even though she was two years behind.”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to give her a hug. “Natasha, your mother would not even let me near you. I was going off to college and you were a junior. Trust me I tried. And in Huntsford trying to keep a secret about us being together would be impossible. So I bided my time until you got of age. Who knew you’d run away to the big city.”

“True, and my parents would have skinned you alive,” she admitted grudgingly. “But you sure took your time showing interest.”

“Hey, you could’ve made a move,” Beau pointed out.

“Proper girls do not chase boys,” Natasha said primly.

“Who got caught sneaking out the window to go drink High Rider by the creek with Jonathan Berns, or joy riding with Tommy Pierce in his firebird?” Beau asked.

“Well then let’s put it this way, they were fun and that was child’s play. You should chase me, Beau, and when you catch me, it will be well worth it.” Natasha put her hand on her hip. “And yes, if you’re wondering, Beau Everett, yes, I’m just that damn good.”

“You are something remarkable,” Beau said. “And I can’t wait to see where it leads. Let’s drink some wine, trim the tree, and eat some dinner. Besides, Susie’s D-cups were fake.”

Natasha jumped up and down with glee. “I knew that skank stuffed her bra.”

“Even better, it was a water bra, and it sprung a leak.” Beau grinned.

She laughed. “Oh I so want to hear that story. She comes to Huntsford every Thanksgiving, trying to be posh. It would be great to say something snippy and take that nose from up in the air.”

“You are a wicked woman, Natasha,” Beau said.

“You betcha cowboy boots I am.”

The rest of the night they decorated his house using his mom’s keepsakes and then sat down to a dinner in front of the fireplace. Later while watching a movie, they ate his sinfully decadent chocolate cake and somewhere after midnight, she fell asleep snuggled beneath a thick afghan on his wide couch.

“I’ve got to head home,” she muttered sleepily when he lifted her into his arms, still wrapped in the afghan.

Beau kissed her gently. “Uh-huh, it’s my turn to play host, and besides, I want to hold you in my bed.”

“Okay, but no hanky-panky,” she said and closed her eyes as he walked upstairs.

Beau laid her on the bed and pulled her boots and jeans off before climbing in bed beside her. Natasha turned into his arms easily as if she was always meant to be there. Nothing felt more right than feeling his arms around her or the warm skin of his chest against her cheek.

Chapter Three

Natasha woke up in Beau’s large bed, completely alone but with a smile. Some time in the night her sweater was making her overheat, so she sat up and whipped it off. She felt his soft kisses on her shoulder before he left and snuggled under his thick blankets when she missed his body curved in behind her. She sat up and stretched before getting out of bed and walking over to look out his bedroom window. It faced the coral, and she saw him standing alone in the snow with a bridle in his hand. On the other side of the coral stood a magnificent horse. Even from where she stood she saw the tense stand off between man and beast. Beau moved toward the animal with slow steps. She knew he was talking to the horse because she’d seen him work before.

The horse bent his head and scraped its hoof against the snow-covered ground. Beau got close enough to run his hand down its ink black coat and dropped the bridle on the ground. He pulled a brush out of the big pocket of his thick coat and ran it down the animal’s muscled flanks. Talking to it gently while grooming the animal was all about building trust. Natasha knew he would never use the bridle on the ground, not today at least. He wanted the horse to get used to seeing him with it before he slipped it onto the horse’s head. Natasha watched for a little while longer and then headed downstairs to make some breakfast. It was Sunday. Deena would have locked up the night’s restaurant and bar tally in the safe in the back office. It was a few days before Christmas, and she planned to have some fun for a change.

Beau came in through the backdoor and stomped his feet on the thick brush mat. “Hey, muffin, you’re up early.”

Natasha almost choked on the sip of coffee she took while she stood at the stove. “Muffin?”

“I was trying it out,” Beau commented as he hung up his coat.

“It’s funny because I do have corn muffins in the oven,” she replied and turned back to the stove where she cooked sausage links. “So are we doing this?”

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Doing what exactly?”

“Me, you, us,” Natasha said.

“You slept in my bed. I think that says something,” Beau said.

“Does it?” she replied. “Here I am cooking in your kitchen, wearing your T-shirt and sweat pants.”

“Which looks great on you,” he added.

“And after a few kisses a girl needs to know where she stands,” she continued. “Thanks, they are huge on me but comfy, and they smell like you, so that’s nice.”

Beau kissed her neck. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re welcome.”

Beau took the heavy cast iron skillet off the stove’s heating element and put it on the back burner. He turned her gently by the shoulders to face him and looked into her eyes.

“Me and you, well we’re an us. We’ve always been an us.” Beau ran his fingers along her lips. “Damn, girl, maybe I’ve pussyfooted around you so long that we’ve got used to the dance. You stand with me in my arms, tasting my kiss and knowing that my feelings, my desire, is for you and you alone.”

“Ok, so we’re solid,” Natasha said.

“Like gold bars, muffin.” She crunched up her nose and he asked, “Still no?”

“I don’t think anyone could look at me and see
muffin
. How about sexy wild thing?” Natasha teased.

“I can do that.” Beau grinned. “Do you need to be back in town today?”

“Nope. I’m closed until the party Christmas night.”

“Then you’ll spend it here with me, right?” Beau asked. “I’m embracing the holidays for you. Remember, you kind of threatened me.”

“I’ll spend it with you. It’s the best Christmas present I could ever have.” Natasha stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“Ok, let’s eat breakfast, and then you relax around the house. I have a small surprise I’m planning for later I need to set up.” Beau winked. “Do you need any help?”

“Hey, you can’t say something like that and then just ask for breakfast.” She pushed him to sit at the kitchen table and began to fix him a plate. “Sit. I’ve almost got it ready. I may run into town later to grab some Christmas dinner fixings. Your fridge is sorely lacking anything edible.”

“Ok, then grab my ATM card and get anything you need. I’ll be back to pick you up by four or so,” he said.

“You’re being awfully secretive.” She put two plates on the table and sat down close to him.

“You’ll like it, trust me.” Beau broke into one of the corn muffins. “Thanks for this. I usually have cereal for breakfast.”

“Hmm, yet you seem so well fed.” Natasha poked at his shoulder. “Remind me to cook for you often.”

“I won’t complain. Cody gets tired of me poaching his food. He goes to the store regularly for his frozen dinners.”

Natasha laughed, and they ate their breakfast. Beau helped clean up the dishes and then took off on his secret mission. It was still too early to head into town. She planned to grab some clothes and a few more necessities for spending Christmas at Beau’s, including her sexy undies. Till then she prattled around his house noticing where he extended out from the original ranch house to make his home. She passed the door that was built in under the stairs. Natasha fiddled with the knob and found it unlocked.