Christmas Showdown (15 page)

“You know, Trey, maybe it’s time you rejoined
us. You’re a family man now,” his father said.

“I’ll think about it, Dad.” He, too, had been
wondering whether a change was necessary.

“And while you’re doing that, everyone can
help clear the table,” Barbara said. “The girls and I will do the
dishes while you boys saddle the horses.” Then she rose, which was
the sign that dinner was over and it was time to clean up.

Kelly was amazed at the efficiency with which
everyone grabbed their plate and something else off the table to
carry into the kitchen. In no time, the dining room appeared as if
it had never been used. Even the children’s table was stored away.
Together with Paula and her two girls, Kelly helped transfer the
food into smaller containers and place them inside the
refrigerator, while Barbara, Suz, and Melissa rinsed dishes and
placed them into the dishwasher.

Kelly nervously wondered exactly what
everyone expected to do with the smaller kids. “So does everyone go
riding, even the children?” TJ had never been on a horse and Lord
knows his attention span was as big as a nit’s. “I could stay back
and watch them.”

Melissa looked over her shoulder. “Don’t you
ride?”

“Yes, but—”

“No worries, dear. The children love to ride
and I’m guessing TJ will take to it like a fly to honey.”

Kelly’s skin felt like it shrunk with
Barbara’s response. “Uh. He isn’t expected to ride his new pony,
alone?”

“Heavens, no. He’ll ride with Trey, or you if
you’d prefer.” She gazed around the kitchen with an expression of
satisfaction. “Well, it looks like everything is done in here.
Should we join the men?”

As they filtered out of the kitchen, it
looked as if a posse had descended upon them. Kelly had never seen
so many horses saddled at one time, well, except during parades and
on television. It appeared everyone had a ride, except for
Chastity, Samuel and thankfully TJ. Each of the smaller children
rode with their fathers.

Heather and Janice and the rest of the women
went straight for their horses, leaving a small buckskin, which
Kelly assumed was meant for her. She approached cautiously. It had
been a really long time since she had ridden.

“Do you need help?” Trey asked.

“No. I’m fine.” She inhaled a deep breath for
courage, receiving instead a good whiff of the horse, which smelled
like, well—horse. But there was also the heady scent of leather and
the oddly sweet aroma of alfalfa.

Sticking her boot into the stirrup, she
grabbed the horn of the saddle and heaved herself in the seat. Trey
smiled and she got the distinct impression he’d expected her to
have trouble.
Oh, ye of little faith
. With reins in hand,
she gave the horse a little kick and joined him.

Wide-eyed, TJ looked around and yelled,
“Momma.”

Kelly waved at him and he returned the
gesture, bouncing up and down.

“He’s a natural.” The pride on Trey’s face
made her nose clog with tears, but she didn’t allow them to
fall.

“He’s a daddy’s boy,” Barbara said as she
passed by to join John.

As they moved away from the house, Kelly was
amazed at the beauty of the land. Arizona was a desert, but here
there were acres and acres of irrigated green pasture fenced off in
smaller sections. Some held additional horses, while cattle roamed
others.

The evening was cool and thankfully Barbara
had a spare jacket of Samuel’s and a pair of mittens for TJ to
wear, since his was covered in mud. No one spoke for a while and
the moment felt blissfully serene. Even TJ appeared entranced by
the scenery.

Then all hell broke loose when Suz kicked her
horse and shot by them like a speeding bullet, Melissa, Jay and
Lance with Chastity not far behind her. It wouldn’t have been so
bad, but Kelly had to rein her dancing horse in not to follow. It
appeared the rest were having the same problem, including Trey. But
he held safely on to their son while he got his horse under
control.

“I swear those kids have a wild streak a mile
long,” Barbara said. “They didn’t get it from me.”

“The hell you say, woman. I remember a
time—”

“Hush,” she shushed John. “You just keep
those memories to yourself.” A flame flickered to life in the
depths of her eyes, her lips slowly tilting into a naughty
smile.

He leaned over his mount and kissed her
softly before he muttered something that was meant for her ears
only. Her grin deepened and she nodded.

That’s when TJ began to fuss. When it
appeared that it wasn’t just a momentary thing, Trey reined his
horse to a halt.

“Well, it looks like that’s our cue to go
home,” he said. “Merry Christmas, everyone. Thanks for another
wonderful holiday.”

After saying their goodbyes, he and Kelly
headed back to the barn. Kelly would have liked to ride a little
longer, but TJ was already starting to nod off and the sun was
beginning to set. It had been a busy day for him and a special one
for her. After the rough start she had enjoyed herself.

TJ had found a new family and maybe, just
maybe, there was room for her too.

Night approached by the time Trey pulled to a
stop in front of his house. The porch light beamed brightly and the
automatic lights inside popped on, glowing through the closed
curtains. In the dimly lit sky the moon fought for dominance,
pushing the sun further behind the mountains in the west.

Trey glanced from Kelly to his sleeping son
in the backseat, judging this day a success. Well, except for the
moment he thought Kelly and TJ were walking out of his life.

Unleashed anger had surprised him as he
verbally struck out at his father. His entire family had been
speechless. Before Trey could regain control, fear and panic had
swallowed him up. The impossible emptiness in the pit of his gut
had made him run after Kelly. And he had never chased a woman, no
matter the circumstances.

How it happened he might never know, but over
the past couple days, Kelly and TJ had become an integral part of
him. It was as if he needed them more than air itself.

Reaching for her, he leaned over the console
to capture her mouth with his. Kelly willingly parted her lips to
his probing tongue, giving as much as receiving. He melted into her
sweet caress as desire so hot and urgent made him tremble, leaving
him breathless and aroused when the kiss ended.

Her warm palms cupped his face. “Baby, what’s
wrong?”

It was the first time she’d ever called him
by an endearment and it shook him to the core while his groin
tightened even more behind his jeans. “Need you. Now.” Fixated on
her full lips, his baser impulses were fast erasing his common
sense. He wanted her so badly he ached. His fingertips brushed over
a breast.

Heat flickered to life in her eyes. Her chest
rose and fell as her breathing quickened. But unlike him she had
more willpower. “Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll get TJ ready for
bed.”

Maybe a cold shower would clear his head,
because staring into the emerald depths of her eyes wasn’t helping
him.

They both exited the vehicle and opened the
backseat doors at the same time. Their gazes locked, trapping them
into a mental web of arousal. Then they both moved at once.

Carefully but hurriedly, she gathered TJ in
her arms. Trey followed them to the house with his own arms filled
with the gifts they had received from his family. The gentle sway
of her hips made him wish they were somewhere else, alone and
naked, their limbs entwined and their bodies united.

Juggling the boxes and bags in his arms, he
unlocked the door and kicked it wide so that she could enter with
their child. While she disappeared down the hall, he laid the
presents upon the kitchen table and went back to shut and lock the
door. After he was finished securing the house, he traced her
steps, stopping before TJ’s room.

Her soft voice rose in reassuring words as
she attempted to lull their son back to sleep while she changed his
diaper. Trey slowly eased backward and went to the kitchen,
grabbing a sippy cup before opening the refrigerator to retrieve
the milk. He poured a generous helping, snapped the lid on, and put
the milk away.

Moving quietly down the hall, he entered TJ’s
room. Kelly had the boy in her arms, stroking his back. Quietly
Trey set the cup on the nightstand. She mouthed
thank you
,
and then laid TJ on the bed. Picking up the drink and pressing it
into his little hands, she began to slip his pajamas up his
legs.

Trey rubbed the back of his neck and walked
out of the room. There was no telling when Kelly would join him. A
hot shower would keep him occupied until they could pick up where
they left off in the truck. When the temperature was bearable, he
stepped beneath the sluicing flow.

His cock arched angrily against his belly.
When he touched the sensitive flesh with the soap, he hissed. A
hand-job was out of the question. He needed more tonight, he needed
the warmth of a woman, and not just any woman, but one that rocked
his world. Thoughts of Kelly made washing that much more difficult.
He made short order of his shower and got out. He was drying off
when she entered the bedroom with a bag in her hand.

Padding out of the bathroom, he went straight
to her and circled his arms around her waist, dragging her to him.
The last thing he expected were her palms on his damp chest shoving
him away.

“Stop, Trey.” She squirmed out of his grasp.
“I’m dirty and smell like horse.”

“I like the smell of horse.” He reached for
her again, but she dodged him.

“Fine. But I’m not crawling into bed smelling
like this.”

“Who said we’d make it to the bed?” He wagged
his brows and once again reached for her.

Laughing, she playfully slapped his hand.
“Get into bed. I’ll only be a minute or two.” Then she strolled
into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Trey took her advice and climbed into bed,
pushing his hands behind his head as he waited. After five minutes
he stirred restlessly. Just the thought of her naked and wet in the
other room made his balls thicken, his dick twitch. He reached
down, circling his fingers around his firming flesh, and
stroked.

The door creaked opened and he nearly
swallowed his tongue.

Kelly stood there dressed in the lingerie he
had given her for Christmas. The sheer gown hid nothing from him.
Not her full breasts or the dark rings of her areolas or her
arousal that made her nipples taut with desire. He inhaled her
beauty, sliding his hungry gaze down further to the small shadow of
red hair between her thighs.

“God, darlin’, you’re beautiful.” He rose
from the bed, unable to stand the distance between them.

She stood quietly, unmoving. As he neared, a
clean, powdery-soft scent caressed his nose. Blood rushed his groin
and his nostrils flared.

Kelly was all woman—his woman.

Lightly he skimmed her satiny shoulder with
his fingertips and goose bumps skittered across her skin. Her head
turned to the side and beneath lowered eyelids she watched him as
his lips smoothed over the place his fingertips had touched. Pupils
dilating, her irises turned a midnight green.

Still she didn’t stir.

Instead she let him explore her body, the
weight of her breasts through the diaphanous material, the firmness
of her abdomen, hips and thighs. Slipping a strap down, he paused
before baring her other shoulder.

Neither spoke, as if words would shatter the
erotic tension between them.

Pinching the thin laces between his fingers,
he tugged. With ease they slipped down her arms, past her elbows
and hands, until the gown slid like silk on glass over her curvy
body to puddle at her feet.

Then he stepped behind her, burying his face
into her damp hair before brushing it aside so he could kiss her
neck. Cradling her heavy globes in his palms from behind, he closed
his eyes. Slowly and deliberately, he moved his hands, memorizing
every inch of her body as her essence pulled him deeper and deeper
into an abyss of sensory pleasure.

For a moment, all he could do was drink in
the touch of her. And then his skin began to itch from the inside
out. Trey felt a surge from his solar plexus to his groin. A
growing pressure that forced his eyes open.

“I need you. Now,” he whispered against her
ear.

She turned in his embrace. “Me too.” Her
tongue darted out and he watched it teasingly wet her lips before
they pressed softly against his and all thought ceased.

Their mouths melded together into an
explosion of heat and hunger that sent his blood pressure soaring.
His arms tightened around her, their bodies melting against each
other. Tongues tangled and liquid fire simmered through his veins.
A deep groan formed in his chest and he tore his mouth away.
Sweeping a hand behind her knees to raise her, he carried her to
the bed.

As he laid her down, her fiery hair spread
across his pillows. She held out her arms and he went into them.
Her thighs parted and she pulled him to her, pressing her warmth
against his throbbing erection.

“Condom?” she moaned.

“No.” His hips began to gyrate of their own
accord, his dick passing over her moist slit again and again. He
needed to feel close to her, so much closer than the latex would
allow. “Kelly—” A violent tremor snaked through him, stealing his
breath. “Please.”

Trey needed her to trust that what was
between them wasn’t only lust or some lingering attraction. Unable
to speak the words, he thrust his hands into her hair, bringing his
mouth down on hers. Her lips opened and he tasted heaven as her
tongue danced with his, their bodies straining to get nearer. Her
hips adjusted beneath him so the head of his cock nudged her soft
core. With one thrust he would be buried within her.