I'll Be Yours for Christmas (14 page)

But this was better. The play was demonical, but fun.

His focus was on her hand as she appeared to absently rub her wrist as they ate and chatted—not because it hurt, but because she knew, the little minx, that it would be driving him out of his mind to think about tying her up again. The first time had been an experiment, and way too brief.

“So anyway,” Brody said, stretching back in his chair,
grinning and eyeing Reece speculatively as Brody's hand landed on Hannah's nape.

It was an oddly possessive gesture, Reece thought. He'd been surprised enough that Brody was at a brunch with a woman he slept with. It might be a first. Reece certainly didn't know the details of Brody's love life, except that most of his stories of the women he met included a hasty exit before morning light.

Hannah seemed quite happy with herself this morning, too. Interesting.

“Anyway,” Brody started again, “I talked with a friend down at Daytona this morning. If you're interested, we could fly there later today, do a test run tomorrow, see how it feels, get your legs back under you,” Brody announced.

Reece hadn't seen that coming, either. Brody was full of surprises. He knew he'd told him to set it up, but he thought it would probably be weeks, not hours.

“Wow, that was fast,” was all he could say.

“Strike while the iron is hot,” Brody said, chugging back his orange juice. “We'd have to leave later today, but I can get us down there. Friend of mine has a private plane and pilot here that he's willing to loan out.”

Reece was dumbstruck, and he knew his response should have been immediate. Brody's eyes narrowed as he watched him, but he didn't say anything else.

Reece was dealing with the fact that his first response had not been
hell, yeah,
but that he didn't want to leave Abby, not when they had just found their footing again.

Which was ridiculous. He'd be back after a day or so. She'd still be here, right?

“Reece, you have to get back behind the wheel before they're even going to look at you for the new season. You have to get your mojo,” Brody added.

Reece knew he shouldn't need arm-twisting, and jumped when he felt Abby's hand cover his in a visible show of support.

“You should go,” she said, her voice sure.

He looked at her and she didn't waver, just gave him a single nod before squeezing his hand and returning to her breakfast.

He wasn't sure how to respond to that, either—was she able to let him go so easily? Why did that bother him? He'd done nothing but tell her that he was leaving since they first met.

“You should come with me,” he said to her, the words leaving his lips almost before the idea had fully formed in his brain. It made sense though. For one thing, he felt better when he had Abby with him—he'd slept peacefully for the first time last night, and his legs or arm weren't bothering him at all this morning.

Maybe it was the sex, the release, the stimulation or just her personal magic, but she made him feel good. And he needed to feel good if he was going to get into a car and hit a track at one-eighty plus for the first time in months.

“Oh, I don't know….” she said, frowning. “The wedding is only ten days off—”

“You have most of that prepped,” Hannah interrupted. “Anything else is up to the families, except for the decorating, but you don't need to do that now. I checked the schedule, and the next thing you have is the Christmas
and Chocolate party this Friday night. You can manage to take a few days off. C'mon Abby, let's take a little vacation,” Hannah urged.

“You're both going?” Reece asked, looking at Brody with even more surprise.

“Yeah. Hannah says she wants some excitement, and I can't think of anything more exciting than being at the track. So she's coming with me for a month of preseason.”

Abby and Reece were both struck silent with surprise. Hannah's cheeks were warm, but her eyes were bright with pure joy.

“I hope that's okay, Abby, I was going to talk to you before Brody decided to just leap in and volunteer the information,” she said, sliding him an affectionate look. “But January is always slow, and you can take my apartment while you're working on getting things done with the winery, I mean, you know, if you're still not at Reece's after the New Year,” Hannah said.

Abby nodded, and didn't appear to know what to say. Reece put his hand on hers this time and squeezed, turning to her so that they were only looking at each other.

“I'd really like it if you could come with me,” he said. “It would mean a lot, but I also understand if you can't.”

Abby, looking slightly cornered, shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts. She turned her hand over to hold Reece's, an encouraging sign.

“Hannah is right. I can close for a few days, not much happening on weekdays now anyway. I'll have Judy
come by to look in on the horses and animals. She's done that for me before,” she said.

“So you'll come?” Reece asked, feeling far too hopeful.

She paused for another moment, then smiled. “Yes, it'll be fun,” she replied. “And I want to be there for you.”

“Great! I'll make the flight arrangements right now,” Brody, their man of action, said, planting a quick kiss on Hannah's mouth. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and stood up from the table.

Reece leaned in to kiss Abby's cheek. “Thank you. This will be a lot less nerve-racking with you there.”

She was obviously surprised at his unvarnished admission, and he was, too, but it was the truth. He was developing emotions that amounted to far more than lust for Abby. He had a need for her that went beyond the physical.

She was different than any woman he'd ever known, and he didn't want to lose whatever was growing between them.

What they would do about that, long-term, he had no idea, but for now, he would just take the curves as they came.

Hannah was grinning at them, all dewey-eyed.

“I'm so glad you guys made up,” she said.

Reece straightened in his chair, realizing Abby would have, of course, told her about their fight, and no doubt what a jerk he was. But the way she looked right now, happy and hopeful, made him a bit twitchy. He was
willing to admit that he had some serious feelings for Abby, but he wasn't entirely comfortable having assumptions made about them as a couple.

“So you're going to hang out with Brody at the track for a month?” he said to Hannah, changing the topic.

“I need some adventure. This sounds…adventurous.”

“You follow racing?” Reece asked.

“No, not at all. But I guess I'll learn,” she said with a goofy smile, picking apart a croissant.

Reece liked Brody. He was a good friend, and a great driver. But somehow, he felt like he had to say something to Hannah.

“I hope you're not putting too much stock into this, Hannah. Just so you know. He's a good man, but, well, you know what I'm trying to say. I'm surprised he was even here for breakfast,” Reece said bluntly, drawing a shocked look from Abby, but Hannah just stared, and then burst out laughing.

“Thanks, Reece, but Brody made it quite clear that he's not interested in anything permanent. That's perfect, because all I want is a month of hot sex and something new in my life before I come back to my routine,” she said, making Reece choke on his coffee.

“You two should be perfect together, then,” he agreed, laughing.

Abby was uncharacteristically quiet, focused on the remainder of her breakfast, but he could practically hear the wheels spinning in her mind. Right now though, all he cared about was that she would be with him.

They'd have a few days in sunny Florida to go to the track, and to hopefully continue their fun and games.

As much as some excitement had filtered through about the prospect of getting back into a car, it was disconcerting to know that the second item excited him the most.

A
BBY SQUINTED AS SHE DEPLANED,
walking down the short course of steps onto the tarmac. She hadn't flown anywhere in quite some time, and never in a private jet. It had been a lot of fun. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed the speed and thrill of takeoffs, checking out the landscape below as she flew by and the joy of setting feet to ground again. They'd had a smooth flight, and it was only early evening, the weather clear and warm.

She was also starving and, frankly, so horny she could hardly stand it. The close quarters of the plane had given them plenty of time to play their secret game, with quick touches and teasing talk or glances. She figured she might help him relax once they got to their condo, a place Brody owned right by the track.

But there was more than sex going on between them. Reece had thanked her about ten times since brunch, and it warmed her to know that her presence here meant so much to him. She could also detect the fine tension in him. She knew this was a big deal for him, and she was perhaps more nervous for him than he was for himself.

She didn't want to think about where it was all leading. They had something new, some kind of deeper connection, an intimacy that had blossomed quickly and almost without her realizing it. It was as if, after the argument, they had come back together more deeply than before.

Or maybe it was just her. Somehow, regardless of all of the external circumstances and doubts, she knew she could trust Reece, and she wanted to be with him, no matter what the future held.

She was dying to talk to Hannah about her arrangement with Brody, and what had happened to make her friend take off on such a wild lark. She seized the opportunity as they crossed the terminal to a large SUV that was waiting for them. Brody had thought of everything. The men walked ahead, and she slowed down, hanging back with Hannah.

“So…a month with Brody?” she asked, opening the door for Hannah to elaborate.

“Yeah, it's crazy, I know,” Hannah said, shaking her head, her strawberry-blond hair swinging over her shoulders. “I wanted to talk to you privately first, since I know this affects you, too, with the winery, but Brody, well, he's kind of a force of nature,” she said with a grin.

Abby smiled. “Yeah, that's the perfect description,” she agreed. “Must have been some night you had with him, but are you sure a month is going to work out? It's a long time with someone you barely know,” Abby said.

“Well, I can always come back early if I don't like it, or if things aren't good. But, Abby, he's amazing. If the month with him is anything like the other night, I'm not sure a month would be enough. I could get addicted.”

Abby frowned. “That's another problem altogether. What Reece was talking about. These guys…some of them settle down, but not Reece. Not Brody. I don't want you getting heartbroken,” Abby said.

Do as I say, but not as I do,
she thought to herself. She wanted to save her friend some pain, if she could.

“I won't. I have no interest in love,” Hannah continued. “I just want to be free for a while, to get out of my routine and live a little before I come back and probably end up marrying some nice, safe, dependable man and raising our two-point-eight.”

Abby couldn't begrudge her friend that, in fact, she understood all too well. She loved their small-town life on the lake, on the vineyards, but it was a relatively ordinary life. Reece and Brody were extraordinary men.

But it was even more seductive for Hannah, Abby imagined. While she and Reece had grown up on the vineyards with parents who were successful enough to provide some of the extras like college and vacations, Hannah hadn't.

Her parents owned a local farm that had become defunct. Most of Hannah's youth had been beyond difficult, her father working too hard and dying of a heart attack when she was only ten. Her mom had had to work constantly after that to keep the house, and they had eventually sold and lived in an apartment in Ithaca.

Hannah had lost her dad and her home, and yet she'd never moaned and felt sorry for herself, which is something Abby admired so much. Hannah had spent many nights and weekends at Abby's house when they were kids, and she felt more like her sister than her friend.

Hannah's mother did better now, but that was largely
due to Hannah working her way through state college on loans and scholarships, and making life better for both of them.

Abby knew it was no accident that Hannah had studied accounting and that she worked like a dog. Hannah applied the same logic to her love life—she wouldn't marry a man who risked her security. So Abby knew that Brody really was just a wild fling, and if anyone deserved some fun and time away, it was Hannah.

Her friend's sexy brashness made her smile to herself, and she sighed as they were almost to the car.

“Yeah, that's what I thought with Reece at the beginning. Just be careful.”

“You two seem more serious now, I take it?” Hannah queried.

“I'm not sure. The other night was…I don't know what it was,” she said honestly, with another sigh. “I care about him. I think he cares about me. But as far as I know, nothing has changed. That's why we're here, right? So he can get one step closer to leaving.”

“Aw, hon,” Hannah said, slinging an arm around her. “Just have faith. If you two are supposed to work out, you will find a way.”

Abby didn't want to think about it, really, and she also didn't want to rain on Hannah's fun, so she just smiled and nodded.

Right now, she was just focusing on the moment.

Hannah grinned, nudging her in the side as she ogled the guys' backsides. “They sure are a couple of hotties, though, huh?”

Abby had to grin, taking a long peek at how well Reece wore his jeans as they approached the SUV.

“You said it,” she agreed, and they laughed the rest of the way to the car, the guys watching them curiously as they opened doors, climbed in and headed to the track.

 

T
HE CONDO WAS SPACIOUS
and modern, with a huge picture window that looked out over the racetrack. Abby was thrilled that she had come along on the trip, not only to be with Reece and Hannah, but also because she had never been to a track except for Watkins Glen, which was a great racetrack, but with it being almost in her backyard didn't have the same kind of excitement.

Like some people enjoyed the beauty of baseball parks or tennis greens, she felt a zing of excitement run down her spine as she scrutinized the raceway. The track wasn't completely empty, though the stands were, but workers were getting ready for preseason events, and she'd seen one driver out on a test drive earlier that morning.

She couldn't help but shiver, watching. She enjoyed the thrill of the speed and the noise, but it had all been so distant before. Now it was real, and it would be Reece in that car, speeding around the curves.

“You're like a kid in a candy shop,” Reece said, smiling as he slipped his hands over her shoulders, enjoying her excitement at being involved in his world. This wasn't Formula One, but people who were in racing and who really enjoyed the sport had to respect both circuits, regardless of the debates that always raged among fans about which was superior.

“It's pretty amazing,” she said, snuggling back against him. “I'm glad I came.”

“Me, too,” he murmured.

The night before, they'd gone for a late dinner with Hannah and Brody and then out to walk around the town, as neither Hannah nor Abby had ever been to the area.

It was quite an experience, as they ate in a restaurant that had Brody's picture on the wall, and as they were interrupted by fans of both drivers for pictures and autographs. Both men were gracious and friendly, and Abby had watched in wonder, seeing a whole new side to Reece. He was a well-known public figure. She knew that, but it had never really hit her until now how famous he actually was in this world. And he was here, with her.

It was hard for her to get her mind around it, but she was learning not to second-guess everything.

Brody's condo was huge and, luckily, provided three large, separate sleeping quarters, which Brody often lent to visiting friends and family, or his team. It was immaculate, but not homey, obviously more of a practical investment for Brody than a place he had any emotional attachment to.

“Shouldn't you be at the track with Brody?” she asked, not wanting him to leave, but also wanting to support him, not become a distraction.

Reece seemed to have other ideas, sliding his hands over her hips and up her stomach to cover her breasts, and she couldn't deny the wave of lust that shook her to her toes as they stood before the large window.

They weren't very likely being watched by anyone. The scattering of people who were on the track were busy with their own concerns. Still, the idea of being here, so visible, turned her on.

“You have to drive today,” she said on a groan as he nibbled her earlobe.

“I know, and I'm kind of on edge. I need to relax, burn off some energy. You have any ideas?”

She had nothing but ideas.

“What about our game?”

“We can just let off steam, maybe,” he said, nipping at her neck and easing her shirt up, sliding his hands beneath as he pressed his hardness against her bottom.

“Oh, okay, then,” she said, happy to pursue the satisfaction that had been keeping her in a constant state of wanting. The night before, she had done to him as he had to her, kissing him everywhere, taking him into her mouth and bringing him to the edge, but not finishing. They'd come back down to earth with kisses, eventually falling into an exhausted sleep.

In a strange way, she liked it. What had been frustration turned to something else, a kind of constant promise of intimacy that she had never imagined.

She turned in his arms, pulling his head down for a kiss, after he got rid of her shirt and undid her bra. “One of us has too many clothes on,” she said, reaching for the buckle of his belt and undoing it.

Things were getting hot quickly, and she didn't recognize the sound filling the room, but then realized it was her phone.

“Let it go to message,” Reece said, drawing on her breast so sweetly she gasped.

“I can't,” she said breathlessly, pulling away gently. “I'll see what's up and be right back,” she promised.

When she grabbed her phone, she saw it was her insurance agent. She answered immediately.

“Ms. Harper?”

“Yes?” Her heart was in her throat and she couldn't say more.

“Good news. The second fire inspector deemed the fire accidental. We can continue with paying the claim, as planned.”

Relief made her hands tremble, and she felt tears sting her eyes. “Oh, thank you so much. Really, I appreciate you doing this so quickly,” she said, her voice thick.

“You're very welcome—we do try to do the best for our clients, and a call from your father's friend helped me speed things along,” he said with a smile. “Merry Christmas, Miss Harper. We'll be in touch.”

She put the phone down and tried to compose herself before she turned back to Reece, but he was already there, turning her to him, taking in her tears. “What is it? What happened?”

She bit her lip and told him everything. He looked surprised, concerned and confused.

“Abby, why didn't you talk to me about this? It has to have been worrying you sick,” he said, pulling her in next to him, his chin resting on her head as he rubbed her shoulders.

“I just never could. The timing was always wrong. I worried, at the start, that you might go ahead and sell to Keller if you thought that I wouldn't be financially viable, and then we had our blowup, and now we're just back together, and it's all been crazy,” she said, hoping he understood.

He tipped her face up to meet his gaze.

“I guess I can understand why you'd think that, before,
but I hope you trust me with more than your body by now. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, Abby, ever.”

“I know. It's just been…intense. But when they pay out, I might be able to use the funds as a down payment on your property. It'll take everything I have, but if you're willing to work with me, I could do it,” she said, holding her breath again.

He nodded, though there was a strange glint in his eye that she couldn't quite read. “I'd like nothing better than for you to have that land. I'll do whatever it takes to sell Winston Vineyards to you,” he said. “But what about your own property?”

“At some point I'll repair our house, go back to living there. It's my home, but I won't build new tasting rooms. Yours are so much larger and nicer. If it's okay with you, I thought I might change your house into a bed-and-breakfast,” she said, gauging his reaction. “That way it maintains the house, and puts it to good use.”

He nodded. “That's smart.”

“I'm glad you approve,” she said with a smile, feeling lighter by the second. “I would keep your family's vines, too, though I would probably slowly transition the entire operation over to organic.”

“Mom and Dad will love hearing that,” he said.

The lightness of having things worked out made her dizzy. Reece was going to sell to her. It was going to be okay.

It would be financially tight for many years, but she'd be able to keep her legacy—and his—in place. That was worth everything.

“So, where were we?” she said, sliding her hands up under his shirt, and watching his eyes darken with
desire. “I think we were loosening you up for your drive this afternoon?”

He groaned, looking at the clock. “I really do have to meet Brody. I suppose we'll have to…wait.”

She smiled, kissing him again. “That's okay. It can be our celebration after you finish your drive.”

Her heartbeat raced as she said the words, determined to be supportive and appreciate what they had, for now. The good news from the agent didn't reduce her anxiety about Reece driving, or about him eventually leaving. After all, that was why he was here—to get a second chance at his old life, even if she couldn't be part of it. She was with him now, so she shut out the rest and focused on that as he erased her thoughts with one more scorching kiss before he left.