The Trouble with Christmas (15 page)

Lily blushed. Avery’s youngest brother always treated her like a sister, and he was always blunt. He never liked Bob, and he always told her so. “You were right, D.”

Cole wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “We’re almost ready to start delivery. A day ahead of time. Given the Thanksgiving fiasco, all the customers are more than excited to receive their orders today. Those were happy calls.”

“I’ll bet. What can I do?”

“We have the delivery under control. James, Mark, Denton, Blake, and Richard are all helping, can you believe it? We borrowed four vans from Jack, at the inn,” he said, explaining the white vans. “If you could work the front of the house today for lunch, that would be a big help,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Sure,” she said and wished she’d dressed up a little more, her pink fleece not exactly host material, but it would have to do. “Hey. Cole, how on earth did you clean that kitchen?”

He bends down and kisses her softly on the lips. “I wish I could take credit for it. Evalyn said she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t send a cleaning crew over. She insisted. Can you believe how quiet they were? She called me this morning, said they’d be there by seven thirty a.m. And they were.”

The Putnams are incredible
. All of them. “Wow, how are we going to be able to thank them for everything,” she said, looking into his bright blue eyes.

“They all keep telling me you’re a daughter to them and as long as you’re happy, that’s all the payback they need,” Cole said, shaking his head. “They’re amazing. So, how am I doing on paying them back? Are you happy?”

Lily nodded and then folded into his arms for another kiss. She felt his body harden against hers.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered. “I hate to leave you even for a second. Let’s meet back home this afternoon and have a little celebration.”

“See you then,” she said, watching him walk away with pure love in her heart.

*

After the lunch
crowd left and the tables were cleared, she cut through the kitchen, and waved goodbye to Sally Ann. She couldn’t wait to see Cole. She drove as fast as she could towards the Putnams, hoping she could find Avery home. She did. Avery was in the kitchen with her mom and Shelby, laughing and sipping tea. After saying a quick hello, Lily said, “Avery, could I speak to you upstairs please?”

Avery looked perplexed, but followed Lily out of the kitchen.

“What is it?”

“I need something sexy, quick,” Lily whispered, pulling Avery up the stairs.

“And you didn’t pack anything because you thought you’d be a spinster the rest of your life,” Avery said using a thick southern accent. “Poor old Lily, never to have sex again.”

“Shhhh,” Lily hissed, her face bright red, hurrying into Avery’s room.

“You crack me up. You’re so puritanical,” Avery said, “but that’s why I love you. Okay, here are some choices.”

Avery pulled open a dresser drawer and started flinging lingerie in Lily’s direction. Lily didn’t know what she wanted, just that she wanted to surprise Cole. “I don’t know, Aves, maybe something Christmassy?”

“Oooh, I like that. Let’s go with the candy cane theme of his cottage. Here, this is perfect,” she said and handed Lily a ruby red silk camisole and a white lace thong. “Not too slutty, but still sexy.”

“Oh, this is perfect. I love it,” Lily said and stuffed the items into the pocket of her pink fleece. “Please don’t tell anybody, just, don’t, okay?”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Avery said, and Lily knew her friend fought to keep from laughing. But she didn’t care.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Lily said, smiling at Avery before opening the door.

“Have fun, my little sex kitten,” Avery yelled after her. Lily blushed bright red, but thankfully, nobody else was in the hall as she ran down to her bedroom to grab some more things.

*

She probably should
just pack a suitcase and move her things into Cole’s cottage, she thought as she carried her things up the stairs. But he hadn’t invited her, and she wasn’t about to presume. She’s grabbed a dress for tonight, her favorite red cocktail dress, which didn’t make her think of Bob anymore and all of her makeup. She hoped they’d finally have a chance to celebrate, that maybe, just maybe, he could take the night off from the restaurant. She’d be ready, just in case.

As she walked down the upstairs hallway, she hoped she’d made it home before Cole. Home, she thought, and realized the cottage did feel like home. The white woodwork, the high ceilings, the bright sunny kitchen, the wonderful master bedroom with its oceanfront view—it was out of the pages of a magazine. The scale was much more comfortable to her than the Putnams grand plantation home.

She walked in the bedroom and smiled. “Cole?”

No answer. She hurried into the bathroom and plugged in her curling iron and pulled her makeup out of the bag. She yanked the cami and panties out of her pocket, glad to see they weren’t too wrinkled as she undressed and then pulled on her attempt at sexy. She looked in the mirror.
Not bad.

She added a thin layer of foundation, a brush of mascara and liplossed her lips a red shade. She used the curling iron to add soft waves to her hair, hoping she could accomplish everything before his arrival. She had locked the front door to slow him down, so he’d have to knock to come in, but still, she was nervous. And excited.

She heard the knocker on the door. Her heart thudded. She checked herself one more time in the mirror, unplugged the curling iron, and hurried downstairs. At the last minute, she remembered to look through the peephole in the door.
What if it isn’t Cole?

But it was. She smiled when she saw his confused look staring back through the tiny lens. He wasn’t used to locked doors on the island.

She opened the door slowly, standing behind it so he couldn’t see her.

“Lily?” he asked, confusion in his voice as he stepped inside.

She closed the door and locked it as he stood staring at her.

“Oh. My. Look at you.” He grinned and looked her up and down.

She felt loved and a little bit shy.

“Are those for me?” she asked looking at the bouquet of red roses in his hand.

“Oh, yes, I, yes, honey, you look amazing,” he said, holding out the roses with one hand and touching the top of her shoulder with his finger. “And this fits you like a dream,” he says, his finger running down the strap of the camisole, and then across her breasts, her nipples instantly responded.

Lily shuddered as Cole took her hand in his. “What do you have in mind?” he asked in a low husky voice.

Lily struggled to keep her breathing even. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at his darkened blue eyes.

“Upstairs,” she said, trying not to blush, trying to be bold and sexy. She would become the woman who picked her man, instead of having men like Bob select her.

And she picked Cole. “I want to make love to you.”

“Oh, Lils,” Cole said following behind her, still holding the roses in one hand, her hand in the other.

As she led him upstairs, remembering to sway her hips, she worried. She wished again she’d had a mother who had talked her through things like sex and relationships, but she hadn’t. By the time the Putnams became her family, they assumed she knew all of the rules of romance and sex. She didn’t feel confident in the bedroom, not at all. Her only experiences had been with Bob. But he hadn’t been a patient teacher, nor a considerate lover. She’d discovered the difference with just this little time with Cole. And she wanted to show him how much she appreciated him.

You can do this. You can be assertive in bed. It’s not bad. It’s good when it’s with the man you love.

She pulled him into the bedroom. The curtains were closed but sunlight peeked through in odd streams, adding intriguing light to the otherwise darkened room. Cole put the roses down on the dresser and stood looking at Lily, waiting for her to instruct him further.

Lily reached for him, rubbing her fingers across his sculpted chest, circling each of his nipples and then dropping her hand to his firm stomach, reaching the bottom of his t-shirt. He gasped as she pulled his shirt up and he helped her take it off, tossing it on the floor. Her fingers worked fast, unbuckling his belt and the top of his jeans, unzipping them as she kissed his firm stomach.

Cole moaned and his hands were on her shoulders and then in her hair as she bent to pull his pants down. As he stepped out of his jeans, she quickly pulled his underwear down, releasing him and his already hard shaft. She had never taken a man like this before, but she wanted to with Cole. She knelt before him, sucking and swirling him in her mouth, using her hands to pull him deeper inside.

“Lily, I’m going to—” he cried, trying to pull away, but she held his buttocks tight, as he shuddered and came in her mouth, calling out her name as she tried to swallow it all.

“Honey, that was amazing,” he said, still convulsing but helping her up to standing, cupping her chin, tilting her head up so he could stare into her eyes. “Thank you.”

She blushed as he picked her up into his arms, holding her tight.

“I know you’re in charge, but I would really like to return the favor,” he said, kissing her on the forehead as he carried her to their bed, placing her gently against the pillows.

“If you insist,” she smiled into his handsome face.

“I do,” Cole said and climbed on top of her, straddling her. “I love this top, but it has to go.” He pulled at the bottom of the cami and it slid up easily, gliding across her skin, grazing her nipples. Cole lowered his head to her breast, his eyes never leaving hers. Taking one nipple in his mouth he rolled his tongue around it, as Lily arched, pressing into him. “Not yet,” he said, biting her nipple, sending an electric current of pleasure and pain soaring to her core. She grabbed his thick hair in both hands.

He moved lower, his mouth making a trail of kisses down her stomach to the line of her white lace panties. Lily was beyond wet, beyond ready, but he stopped. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He stared at her.

“Lily, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said.

“I love you, too, please,” she said, pushing into his hand, wanting him inside her.

“Please what?” He kissed the base of her throat, moving back down to her breast, open mouth sucking and then kissing, sending waves of pleasure to her core.

“Make love to me,” she said.

“Soon,” he answered as he yanked down the lace and plunged his fingers inside her, opening her, expertly finding her center, pushing her closer to the edge. She moaned his name. His mouth worked its way down her body again, caressing her stomach with his lips while his fingers danced inside her until he found the spot that sent her over the edge. She screamed as the orgasm shocked her system. When she finally stopped shaking, she realized Cole spooned her and murmurred “It’s okay.”

“Um,” she said as he rolled and pulled her on top of him. She was still shaky but loved the feeling of his chest under her head, his heartbeat in her ear. She felt his erection pushing against her and slowly shifted, positioning him at her entrance.

“Lils,” he said as she began moving against him and he arched and pushed inside her, pushing her shoulders up until she sat on him, his shaft in deep, as his hands guided her hips up and down. Lily was dizzy and she clenched, about to come again when he rolled her over onto her back, taking over the rhythm, until they both came together.

Lily opened her eyes but couldn’t see a thing. The room was completely dark. She felt Cole beside her and smiled. She couldn’t believe all of the things they did together, and just thinking about it made her excited again. She was having trouble recognizing this new sexual person she’d become since she met Cole, but she’d try to get used to it.

She reached over and touched his cheek, and he murmured, “Hi.”

“Hi. I’m so hungry. You?” she asked.

“Famished,” he said, pulling her into his warm embrace. “Good thing I made a reservation for us at the inn for dinner tonight. And it’s in an hour. It’s time to celebrate the night before the night before Christmas.”