A Maine Christmas...or Two (5 page)

Emily stopped all movement and her head jerked around to look at Grady. A few seconds later, she burst into uncontrollable laughter, her whole body shaking, her eyes tearing with mirth. “This isn’t getting you out of giving my truck back, but I can honestly say I’ve never had someone offer to be my butt warmer before,” she gasped, still trying to recover her breath.

“Your truck is non-retrievable. You’ll have to take the newer one,” Grady answered, knowing that even if he could get it back, he wouldn’t. There was no way his woman was driving around in that old hunk of junk during a Maine winter. “Most people would be happy to have a more reliable vehicle.” Honestly, he didn’t understand her ire. “Why can’t you just take it as a Christmas present? You’re the one who said Christmas is all about giving. You’re not exactly cheery about getting a gift.”

“It’s too much, Grady,” she answered him seriously, her blue eyes warming as she ran her palm along the stubble on his jawline. “I appreciate it, but I can’t take a gift that expensive.”

He shrugged. “It’s not expensive to me. Shouldn’t a gift be relative to what someone can afford? I have other vehicles. I even have another truck. I’ll never even miss it.” It was the truth. He’d went out and bought another truck right after he’d decided to give her the one she had been driving.

Emily sighed, her eyes searching his face. “We really are from two different worlds. Having that kind of money is unimaginable to me. I have to budget for everything.”

“I don’t have to budget. I just write a check and I never miss the money. Please take it, Emily. Let me have peace of mind that you’re more secure in shitty weather. Please,” Grady asked huskily, hoping she’d say yes.

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really. I think that deathtrap is probably already scrap metal.”

Emily sighed, resigned. “Give me some time, okay? I’m not happy that you made that decision without talking to me first.”

Grady shrugged. “You would have said no, and I wouldn’t have accepted that. It was easier this way.” She might as well get used to it. He was going to protect what was his, and as far as he was concerned, she already belonged to him. He knew she definitely had
him,
whether she wanted him or not.

Dropping her hand, she folded both of them together in her lap, and Grady saw tears begin to stream down her beautiful face.

Fuck!

“I don’t know how to deal with this,” Emily said, dejected.

“What?” Grady asked, confused.

“I don’t understand. I don’t know why you’re doing this. I’m used to solving my own problems, and I’m not used to having anyone who cares whether I drive an old vehicle or if my glasses are scratched. I’m definitely not accustomed to a man who would donate a million bucks just to spend Christmas with me, thereby saving my ass and maybe my job after another man just used me to get quick access to money.” Emily drew a deep breath and added, “I can’t figure out your motive and it’s driving me crazy. I’m just an ordinary woman. I’m not beautiful or the type of woman any man would lose his mind over. I’m not worth all this, so the things you’re doing make absolutely no sense.”

Grady had tried to be patient, but as soon as she finished speaking, he completely lost it.

E
mily was on
her back on the couch, Grady pinning her body to the leather, before she even knew what had happened. Startled, she stared at the fierce expression on his face, looming right above hers, with trepidation. He’d switched positions so fast that her mind was still whirling.

“It’s only money. And don’t ever say you aren’t worth it and that you aren’t beautiful,” he rumbled angrily. “I grew up with money, I’ve always had it, and now I have more than I’d need in a hundred lifetimes. I don’t give a shit about money. It doesn’t make people happy. Rich people can be pretty damn miserable. Maybe it would be worth it to me to actually experience a different kind of Christmas for a change. I think you’re worth every stupid thing I give you and a hell of a lot more.”

She gaped at him, his words touching a place in her heart that made it ache with sadness. Because right at the moment, she realized that this man
wasn’t
happy, and probably never had been. The fact that he hated Christmas should have tipped her off, but she’d been too busy wondering why he was doing anything for her to realize that he was actually hurting. Somewhere deep inside, Grady Sinclair had wounds that weren’t visible, but were obviously painful. She’d been too caught up in the money to realize that there was so much more to his behavior than money. In fact, she believed him. The money really did mean nothing to him.

“You don’t have to give me anything to spend Christmas with me, Grady. I want to be with you,” she answered, feeling the truth in her words. “You didn’t need to give so much to the Center, and I don’t need an expensive truck. I’m alone this year too,” she whispered quietly.

“Not anymore,” he answered fiercely. “You have me.”

Emily sighed and her body relaxed beneath his. She could have protested that they barely knew each other, that they had never had more than a spectacular kiss and a long phone conversation. But, the truth was, she had felt the connection between them from the very moment she’d looked up at him from her undignified position on his front porch. But she was a practical woman, and she was afraid that Grady Sinclair was heartbreak waiting to happen. “Did you really think I was a prostitute? Do you…um…do that a lot?”

“No. But my older brother Evan seems to think not getting laid on a regular basis makes me irritable,” he replied, his eyes still boring into her, his expression intense.

“Does it?” she asked curiously, wriggling a little to see if she could escape her prison, or at least get her arms loose.

“Not any more irritable than I usually am. But it doesn’t stop him from trying occasionally.”

Emily’s arms finally broke free from between their bodies, and she wrapped them around his neck, aching to try to relieve some of the turmoil she could see in his smoky eyes. “Where is all your family?”

His eyes grew darker. “None of us particularly like the holidays. My father was a drunk, and the holidays weren’t a good time for my family. Evan is conveniently on business in another country where they don’t celebrate Christmas, and my other brothers are working, too. My sister is in Aspen with her latest loser boyfriend who none of us can talk her into dumping because all he wants is her money.”

“Then I guess you’re stuck with me,” she told him lightly, stroking the silky strands of hair at the nape of his neck. This man deserved a happier experience, and she was determined to give it to him.

“You’re taking the truck,” he mumbled stubbornly.

“I’m putting up a Christmas tree,” she warned him. “And I’m baking cookies. You have to listen to Christmas music for a whole week.”

He grimaced slightly, but answered, “I don’t care. As long as you stay, and keep the truck, I’ll negotiate.” He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

Every nerve in Emily’s body was vibrating with need, and it was more than just physical. Grady was holding the majority of his weight from her body with his arms, but his muscular body was still plastered against hers from knees to chest, and she could feel the heavy, hard length of his cock pressing against her core. The heat of his body and the scent of his arousal surrounded her, and all she wanted was to melt against him and…

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

The huge wall clock struck six o’clock, shaking Emily from her sensual thoughts. “Oh shit…the party!” She’d been so distracted that she’d completely forgotten that they needed to get to the party at the Center. She wriggled in earnest, knowing she was already late.

Grady sat up, looking like he was extremely reluctant to move. “What party?”

Emily hopped off the couch and to her feet. “The Christmas party at the Center is tonight.”

“You’re not leaving me already?” Grady grumbled, coming to his feet.

“Of course not,” she answered excitedly. “You’re coming with me.”

“I hate parties,” he replied with a reluctant expression.

“You won’t hate this one,” she promised, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the door. “Most of the town shows up.”

“I’m not dressed for a party,” he argued.

Emily eyed his jeans and tan cable-knit sweater that looked and felt very much like cashmere. He looked good enough to eat and she’d savor every bite. “It’s casual. You look gorgeous.”

He shot her a wicked grin that sent incendiary heat directly between her thighs.

Grady Sinclair was an unholy temptation no matter what he was wearing, and she had to tear her gaze away from his to even make it out the door.

Grady went to the party, unable to stop himself from following Emily wherever she led. The woman was like a Pied Piper who led him around by his swollen cock. But the moment they arrived at the YCOA, Emily had to circulate and do her job, so he headed straight for the patio, the guests for the party already arriving and filling the recreation area of the Center. Wishing he hadn’t left his leather jacket at the door, he paced the small patio area to keep warm, reminding himself that he wasn’t a kid anymore.

I can do this. I need to do this. If being near Emily means I have to conquer my fears, then dammit, I will.

Striding determinedly toward the glass patio doors that he’d slipped out of earlier, he stepped inside and stopped abruptly, the music and noise hitting him instantly, and his gut started to roll with apprehension.

He could see Emily on the other side of the room, helping Santa pass out gifts to the crowd of children around a massive tree. Some of the adults were dancing on the wooden floor, swaying to a sappy old Christmas tune coming from a set of speakers near the dancing area. Grady suspected that this enormous space was probably a basketball court or a sports area for the kids when it wasn’t being used for a Christmas party. Honestly, he didn’t have time to look that closely because he was overcome with dizziness and nausea, the floor tilting, his vision blurred as he broke out in a nervous sweat.

Fuck! Not now. I can’t do this right now.

Grady’s hand grasped the frame of the door to steady himself, cursing his own weakness.

“Grady? Are you okay? Are you sick?” Emily had come over and was standing right in front of Grady.

“Hate parties,” he reminded her, his voice graveled and weak.

Emily cupped both sides of his head and tilted his gaze to her. He stared into her gorgeous blue eyes, his vision clearing as she said sternly, “Look at me. Don’t look anywhere else. Focus on me.”

Her concerned, compassionate, beautiful face turned the world upright again, and his hungry gaze looked at nothing but her. Suddenly, everything else faded, and there was nothing but Emily.

Walking backward, she took his hands and led him into the room, her eyes never leaving his. Grady didn’t even notice where she was taking him until she halted at the edge of dance floor.

“I need you to dance with me, Grady. I need you to touch me. Can you do that?” she asked in a fuck-me-right-now sultry voice.

She needs me.

All Emily had to do was say that she needed him, and he snapped to attention. If she needed, he was going to provide. He wrapped his arms around her with a masculine sigh, his body relaxing as he felt her warm, curvy body mold itself against him, making everything right with the world. Closing his eyes, he inhaled against her temple, the silky strands of her hair caressing his cheek, her warm breath hitting his neck in comforting puffs of air.

“Emily,” he mumbled incoherently, every nuance that was uniquely
her
enfolding him as she wrapped her arms around him, stroking his upper back and the nape of his neck. There was no better feeling than holding this woman in his arms. The Christmas music was even louder here, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t care about the crowd of people he didn’t know or what they were thinking. There was only Emily and the way she fit perfectly against his body.

She didn’t ask what was wrong; she just held onto him, clung to him, sinking into him like they’d been doing this forever, and Grady savored it. He moved to the rhythm of the music automatically, and Emily followed, the two of them lost in their own little world.

The songs changed, but they still danced, Emily finally tilting her head and whispering to him, “Okay now?”

Grady opened his eyes and looked around him. Some people were looking at him curiously, but mostly all he could see was people genuinely enjoying themselves. The kids were squealing over their presents, showing them off to one another. And the adults were laughing jovially and talking, gathered together in groups around the food tables. Somehow…he was able to see everything as an adult, and it was just…a party. It was a gathering of people who truly seemed to be having a great time in the company of people they actually
liked
. There wasn’t a designer gown or tuxedo anywhere in the room, and these were not the same people who had humiliated him in the past.

“Yeah,” he answered gruffly. “Yeah, I am okay.” How could he not be absolutely fantastic when he was holding the most gorgeous woman in the room, a woman so warm and sweet that he wanted nothing more than to devour her? “Thanks,” he added quietly.

She tilted her head back to look at him with a naughty smile. “No need to thank me. I wanted to dance with the most handsome guy in the room.”

Grady grinned. “And you think that’s me, huh?”

“I know it is.” She winked at him and smiled.

His cock was already hard enough to split diamonds just from holding her. Unable to grow any more engorged, it twitched eagerly, making him swallow a groan. There was nothing he wanted more than to bury himself to the hilt inside Emily and never leave her heat. Dropping his hands to her lower back, he nudged her against him. “I want you so badly I can hardly breathe,” he admitted, not caring who heard him.

Her expression turned beautifully aroused, her eyes heated as she glanced back at him longingly. “Kiss me,” she demanded breathlessly.

“I’m afraid,” Grady answered, falling further under her spell.

“Why?”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to stop.” He craved this woman more than oxygen, and his need for her was nearly staggering.

He felt her body trembling, and he couldn’t deny her or himself any longer. He swooped down and captured her tempting lips, wanting to brand her as his, make sure she never escaped.

Mine!

The kiss was a declaration for him, a fierce possession to let her know he had no intention of ever letting her go. All pretense of dancing stopped as he threaded his fingers through her hair with one hand, holding her head hostage for his marauding mouth. Then, he pressed her hips hard against his groin with his other hand, doing a primal dance that had nothing to do with the holidays.

He demanded, and she gave, submitting herself to his possessive embrace, making him completely lose it.

She’s mine.

Grady’s need was primitive, and all-consuming, his desire fueled by her submission and passionate response. She clung to him like he was her life raft in the middle of the ocean, and he relished it. All he wanted to do was shelter her, protect her from anything and everything that might harm her, make her smile every single day for the rest of his life.