Wicked Wonderland (10 page)

Claire felt as if she were heavy and yet floating at the same time, and when he sucked her earlobe into his hot mouth, he rubbed her intimately, dipping and then swirling. Her heart pounded and she fought the urge to close her eyes as she watched his hands work magic.When her breath became shallow, gasping, he raised his head and met her eyes in the mirror just before she climaxed. She pressed her shoulders against his chest and thrust her breasts forward when the sharp, exquisite feeling climbed higher . . . reaching . . . and then burst open with pleasure. “Jesse!”

He wrapped one strong arm around her waist for support when she sank limply against him. His other hand remained between her thighs, and when she closed her eyes, Jesse said, “No, baby, look.”

And so she did.

Her hair curled wildly over her shoulders and her eyes were dilated with passion. Her lips were wet and her cheeks were flushed a deep rose. Looking down, she gazed at her full breasts, the curve of her hips, and the flare of her thighs.

“Tell me—what do you see?”

“Say it.”

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he urged, and when her gaze locked with his in the mirror, she saw it in his eyes.

“I’m beautiful,” she said barely above a whisper.

“Don’t forget it,” he reiterated, and she was hit with a touch of sadness. He wanted her to say it and believe it after she left here. Left him.

Jesse looked at her and smiled, but his eyes seemed to echo her thoughts. But not wanting to waste a minute of their borrowed time, she said, “The charcoal is gone. Take me to your bed.” When he scooped her up again, she whooped and then laughed. “Show-off!”

“Is it working?”

“Absolutely.”

For the rest of the afternoon they used every square foot of the bed and explored every square inch of skin. Out of sheer necessity they paused to eat, but Jesse’s tray of finger foods and flutes of mimosa led to their feeding each other.

“Mmmm,” Claire moaned when Jesse sank a plump strawberry into chocolate dip and then slipped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, then arched up off the bed when she felt a cold sensation on her nipple quickly followed by the moist heat of his tongue. “Um . . . Jesse, that chocolate dip is for the fruit.”

“Okay,” he replied, and then swiped a thick streak of chocolate down her torso.

“Jesse . . .” Claire rose to her elbows, but her protest died on her lips when he took a juicy piece of pineapple and slid it slowly through the chocolate on her skin and then fed it to her. He did the same thing near her navel and then painted a happy face on the inside of her thigh before licking it off. Claire giggled, but then sucked in a breath when his chocolate-dipped finger moved to her mound. He took a cool, smooth slice of apple through the chocolate and then dipped lower, parting her folds.The apple felt even colder next to her moist heat, and when he slipped it over her swollen bud, Claire gasped. She was sensitive and almost sore from the day before, but when he rubbed it back and forth, the ache was painfully sweet. She fisted her hands in the sheet, thinking that he couldn’t make her come yet again. Her heart thudded. Her chest rose and fell. She leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes and tried to protest when the cool apple was suddenly gone....

But was replaced by his warm, silky mouth.

He licked her with soothing strokes as if savoring her taste, her scent . . . her body. She bent her knees and then threaded her fingers through his hair while he gently made love to her with his mouth. When she climaxed, it felt suspended, blossoming slowly but lasting forever. She opened her mouth but failed to utter a sound, then fell back against the pillows.

Claire felt the heat of his body above her, and when he threaded his fingers with hers and kissed her with a lingering sweetness, she knew that she was falling hard and fast for Jesse Marshall.

He rolled over, pulled her against him, and then tugged the covers up over their bodies. Claire sighed and snuggled into his embrace. She couldn’t begin to recall when she’d felt so satisfied, so relaxed, or this content. She smiled when he kissed her shoulder and then the back of her head, and within seconds they were both sound asleep.

W
hen Jesse woke up, the sun was beginning to set. Claire was still sleeping soundly, and he considered staying beneath the covers, but his stomach rumbled in protest. He grinned while shaking his head. He had worked up quite an appetite. As silently as possible, he crept from the bed, slipped on his sweatpants, and headed to the kitchen to throw together a pot of chili and some corn bread. After so many meals alone, it felt good to have someone to eat with.

After the chili was simmering on the stove, Jesse made two mugs of herbal tea and headed back to the bedroom. He set Claire’s mug on the nightstand and then stood there and looked down at her sleeping form. The flickering light from the fireplace coupled with the wedge of light from the hallway cast a warm glow in the otherwise dark room. Claire stirred slightly, causing the cover to slip and expose one creamy shoulder. He was amazed that after making love to her all day long, he was already getting aroused. He could reason that it was because he hadn’t been with a woman for such a long time or the emotion of the holiday season or the snowbound circumstances. He could tell himself the amazing lovemaking was due to the erotic aftermath of sketching her nude, but he would be fooling himself. In spite of his resolve not to, he was already falling for Claire Collins.

I could get used to this
, he thought with a smile, but then cold hard reality reared its ugly head and brought his thoughts back out of the clouds. Claire would be leaving in just a few days, and he would more than likely never see her again. Jesse ground his teeth together and swallowed hard.This was the last thing he wanted to happen. He should have kept his distance. The idea of her leaving already tore at his gut—a hurt that was different from losing his parents but pain nonetheless, and something he had vowed to avoid until now.

With an angry intake of breath he turned away and managed to slosh hot tea on his bare chest. “Damn!” he growled.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked in a sleepy voice that sounded like crushed velvet.

“Yeah, I just splashed some tea on my chest. No big deal. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He knew he sounded terse but turned to leave anyway.

“Then why did you bring me some tea?” she asked in a confused tone.

“I thought you might be awake, but when you weren’t, I decided to let you sleep.”

“Oh.” When he remained silent, she said, “Something sure smells good.”

“Chili,” he responded, and took a few steps toward the door. He knew he was being an ass and confusing the hell out of her, but he was suddenly so pissed at himself that he couldn’t see straight.What in the hell had he been thinking?

“What’s wrong, Jesse?” The hurt in her voice stopped him in his tracks and he slowly turned around. She looked up at him with those big vulnerable eyes and angled her head at him. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” he assured her while feeling even more like an ass. After a brief hesitation he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Christmas is a tough time for me.” He cradled the warm mug in his hands and stared down at the brown liquid. “My parents were killed in a car wreck five years ago just a week before Christmas.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He nodded but didn’t look up. “My parents, especially my mother, loved the holidays. Every inch of this cabin would be decorated, and it was an excuse to have the place packed with people. My mother always wanted a large family, and after several miscarriages she finally had me.” He smiled softly. “My parents were both small people and always marveled at how they could have produced a big dude like me. Anyway, I was born on Christmas Eve and that made the holidays even more of a celebration for my mother. She always said that I was her best Christmas gift ever.” He shook his head slowly.

“So that’s why you leave.”

“Yeah. It’s hard enough carving those damned Santas all year long. I can’t ever escape Christmas until I get the hell out of here for a couple of weeks.”

“Why do you continue to carve them if it’s so painful?”

He looked at her then. “My father taught me as a kid. It’s his legacy and all I have left of him.”

“Oh . . . Jesse.” When she gazed at him as if she wanted to hug him, Jesse glanced away, but she would have none of it. “And you finally let your guard down with me. Allowed yourself to feel again.” She hesitated and then added, “And you’re angry with me because of that.”

“No, I’m pissed at myself. I don’t have to state the obvious. We’ve started something that has no chance of going beyond these few days.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Jesse raised his eyebrows.“Really?You don’t even fly, Claire. Are you going to take a three-day train ride when you want to come for a visit?” Tears welled up in her eyes, but he persisted. “This started with the eggnog and I apologize for that. And I thought if I let you make the first move that I wouldn’t feel like a heel having a holiday fling.That you wouldn’t be looking at me like you’re looking at me now.”

“So that’s what this is to you?” she asked in a small voice.

“I wish—,” Jesse began, but before he could explain what he meant, his cell phone rang. “I’m sorry.” He set down his mug and then held up one finger. “Excuse me.”

Claire watched him pull the phone from his pocket with annoyance, but after raising his eyebrows at the caller, he answered, “Hello? Yeah? Really?” He glanced her way and then said,“You’re kidding. No.Yeah, sure. I’ll tell her. Thanks, Danny.” After hanging up, Jesse looked at her as if not knowing just what to say but then cleared his throat. “That was Danny from the train station. Because of the backup at the airports, there’s going to be a train coming through here tomorrow morning to Denver. I can catch it and fly out from there.”

“What about the one for Atlanta?”

Jesse shook his head.“Not until Saturday.” He hesitated and then said, “But you could catch a flight out of Denver, too.”

“Jesse, I don’t fly—remember?”

“But if you did, you could make it home in time for Christmas Eve.You’re strong-willed. I’m sure you could do it. Take a pill or something.”

She frowned and plucked at the bedsheet with her fingers. The mere thought of getting onto an airplane made her sweat. “If it were that easy, I would.” Her sigh shook with emotion.

“But look, I know how much you want to get out of here, and I don’t want to hold you back. I’ll take the train to Denver and wait there until I can catch the one back to Atlanta. I can book a room and buy some essentials.”

“You’re sure? But you’ll be alone for Christmas.”

“It’s no big deal.” Claire pressed her lips together in an effort not to cry but somehow managed to nod and then waved her hand through the air. “I’m a big girl. I’ll survive.”

Jesse raked his fingers through his hair and seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, and she held her breath with hope. “Claire, I didn’t mean to sound flippant when I called this a holiday fling.What I meant was—”

“Jesse, don’t worry,” she interrupted.“I was just as much to blame.”

“I wasn’t trying to place blame.”

Claire forced a smile. “Well, just think, tomorrow this time you’ll be sitting on a sandy beach with a cold fruity drink in your hand. This little fling will just be a fond memory.”

“Claire—”

“I should get out of your hair and let you pack.What time should I be ready in the morning?”

He frowned. “Let’s go on out and eat the chili.We can talk about it over dinner. Maybe—”

“Thanks, but I’m still tired. I think I’m going to take a soak in that magnificent claw-foot tub.You go ahead and eat. If I get hungry, I’ll come down and help myself.” When he hesitated, she said, “Plus, I really have to call my parents and let them know what’s going on. Just wake me up in the morning.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “After a hot bath I’m likely to fall asleep.” He was silent for a moment, making her heart thud.“Okay, but if you need anything, let me know. I’m going to head outside and clear the road with my Bobcat. But I’ll have my cell phone on me. I’ll write my number down for you.”

Claire nodded but waited for him to leave the room before reaching for her clothes. Not wanting him to see the tears that she was trying desperately to hold back, she waited until she heard the door shut before she came out. She avoided looking at the easel or the fireplace, and the spicy aroma of the chili made her stomach do a little flip-flop.

“Well, this day sure ended up sucking,” she muttered, trying to cling to her sense of humor but failing. She angrily swiped at a tear and then sniffed loudly. She reminded herself that she barely knew Jesse Marshall, but then again, it sure didn’t feel that way and she just couldn’t wrap her brain around never seeing him again. In a very short amount of time they had managed to have such an intense connection on so many different levels, and yet Jesse didn’t seem to have a problem heading to the beach and right out of her life.

Claire flipped on the light and then flopped down onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling and wondered what to do while dreaded tears leaked out of her eyes. If this really were a Hallmark movie, at the last minute she would chase him down at the airport. Or better yet be sitting on the beach waiting for him when he arrived . . . “Where? I don’t even know where he’s going, and maybe he wants to keep it that way.”

Don’t be that girl
, she thought. With an angry groan she pushed up to a sitting position and shoved her hair out of her eyes.“Get your sorry-ass self under control!” she muttered, and was thinking about that soak in the tub that she had lied to Jesse about when her phone rang.
Mom?
she thought with a wince, and then dug in her purse and glanced at the caller display.