Temporary Home (26 page)

Frustrated, he went to bed. He got up early the next day, determined to catch her before she went to work. He made her some breakfast and he knew she was surprised to see him when she walked into the kitchen. Again, she wore her typical attire of a dark suit. And again, all he wanted to do was strip it off her.

“Morning, Roxi,” he said, sliding a plate with toast and eggs on it before an empty chair. “Sit. Eat.”

“What are you doing?”

“Making you breakfast. Sit.”

She did but he could see her hesitation in doing so. She picked up the fork and speared a bunch of scrambled eggs. “Thank you.”

He fixed himself a plate and sat across from her. “No problem. You tend to leave so early, I wonder if you’ve been eating.”

She wouldn’t meet his gaze and he had his answer. She was trying to avoid him. He let it go, he deserved it—after all, he’d been the one keeping her at a distance. So if she wanted to create some of her own, he couldn’t fault her. He may not like it—okay, he
didn’t
like it—but he couldn’t fault her.

“Are you joining us for dinner tonight?” he asked.

“I don’t know. It’s my late night.”

“You still need to eat and you know Dean would love to see you.”

She nodded. “Sure. I can swing by when I get done.”

“Wonderful.”

She gave him a slight grin and dug into her food. The moment she finished it, she pushed away from the table and took her things to the sink. “I’ll take care of these later. Thanks for the food, Sam. Have a good day.”

And she was gone. Nothing more personal and it grated him. He wanted a hug. A kiss. Both. Emotion.

Still haven’t told her anything, jackass
.

Like he needed it. His stomach was so knotted up, he wondered if he’d get an ulcer.

That was how it went between them for the final few days leading up to Christmas Eve. Roxi was as polite to him as ever but there was nothing emotional from her in his direction. He believed he saw lingering hints of it when he caught her staring at him on occasion.

* * * *

He stood in a backroom in his red suit, while Reba and Father O’Toole helped pad him up. His gaze lingered upon the door, behind which he knew Roxi was getting dressed for her part. Her eyes had been alight with humour as she’d walked with Laila towards the room.

His breath hitched and Father O’Toole looked askance at him. “Everything okay, son?”

“Yes, sir. Just a bit warm in this. I shouldn’t have worn such heavy clothing under it.”

“Want to take a layer off?”

“No, sir. I’ll be fine. No problem.”

Reba buttoned up his suit and attached his belt, the smile on her face reminding him of Lenore’s. “God bless you for doing this, Sam Hoch. The kids will appreciate it so much.”

“There he is!” Dean said as he wheeled his way into the room.

“What do you think?” Sam asked.

Dean was all decked out and even had a jaunty Santa hat on. “You’re going to be great.”

The door he was focused on opened and he held his breath only to exhale when Laila exited. Alone. She looked at him and grinned. He couldn’t help but return it—she was decked out like an elf. The curly shoes, striped tights, a green elf suit and a hat. She looked adorable.

Then behind her stepped Roxi. He forgot to breathe until Reba elbowed him in the side. Almost identical to what she’d worn earlier when he’d taken her against the wall, this one had a petticoat skirt and she had a hat on. The skirt was a bit longer but did nothing to quell the raging in his loins. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Dean whistled. “Wow.”

He couldn’t have said it better himself. Come to think of it, he couldn’t say anything, he was still trying to get air into his lungs. No stiletto-heeled boots this time, these were more modest. The white fur at the top still brought his attention to the hue of her skin.

She walked in silence to his side. Her gaze ran up and down him. “Ready?”

He adjusted his hat and accepted the glasses with attached moustache and beard. “Let’s do this.”

She tucked her arm through his and he swung the bag over his other shoulder. They went together to the door, Laila leading the way. She slipped through first and they heard the children scream in anticipation.

“You look great,” she whispered.

“You, too.” They shared a smile and he wanted to talk to her now. “Roxi.”

“That’s our cue,” she murmured, tugging on him.

He’d not even heard it. With one more deep breath he went with her and stepped out into chaos.

Roxi stood to one side of the chair in which her temporary husband, Santa Claus, sat on as he listened to each child tell him what they wanted. The room was packed with children. She noticed the Marines who were by other piles of toys. Her gaze skipped over the one named Tracey. Now wasn’t the time to get pissy.

Past the chair, she watched Laila as she joked and had a grand time with the children. She looked so cute in her little elf costume.
And what do I have to wear? This…whatever it is.
This one she’d agreed on, for it covered more than the previous one. And she wasn’t about to look like Santa’s naughty little helper for a bunch of kids. From the flare of heat in Sam’s eyes, however, he liked this one just as much as the other.

She cut her gaze to the left again and smiled at the sight of a little girl sitting on his lap. He looked at her and winked before putting all his attention back on the girl. Her belly clenched and she wished she were anywhere but here.

Roxi had tried to get out of this, but Laila hadn’t let her. She’d even gone so far as to play the ‘what if’ game with her. What if this were Dean’s last Christmas? Surely she wouldn’t want to miss that.

So she’d caved, much like she’d believed she would do anyway. And here she stood in this outfit. Then there was the adult party after. As a thank you to those who supported these places throughout the year. Child after child went to sit on Santa’s lap, then she watched as some of the women began to make their way up.

She edged closer to the chair as the final few children scrambled up for their picture with him. Sam got to his feet and the kids fell silent as he adjusted his belt.

“The toys are split up based on ages. You’ll see the signs by each Marine. Remember, no pushing. There are enough for all. So get your present and enjoy the cookies and drinks.”

His voice was so deep she smiled. It wasn’t like him at all. She was amazed he’d done so well at this.

“I’d like to thank my elf”—he gestured at Laila, who took a well-deserved bow—“and of course, my wife.” He looked at her, beckoning her closer. “She stands by me through it all without fail, and never forgetting how much she means to me.”

“Kiss her!” The cry rang out in a voice which registered as Laila’s to her, only to be picked up by everyone else. It soon became a chant.

He glanced at her, his eyes twinkling. “Come here, Mrs Claus.”

Her belly quivered even as her legs propelled her forward. She wanted to refuse, knowing each time he kissed or touched her, she fell deeper for him. He’d made it clear. She was good enough to sleep with but nothing else. And while it was fine for a while, that wasn’t the type of woman she was. She was a long-haul kind of person. She needed a man to take home to her mom and dad. Raise children with. Have a future with. Not just a few weeks. No matter how amazing they had been.

“Mrs Claus is shy,” he said, drawing her closer to him until they were belly to padding. Didn’t stop the fissure of heat which exploded up throughout her at the contact. His callused hand skimmed lightly up her side
away
from the crowd while his other settled along her cheek.

He leaned in and she stood as still as possible, trying not to even breathe for fear of embarrassing herself by doing something like…oh, jumping on him. His blue eyes held her prisoner as he lowered his mouth to hers. Light, feathery touches grazed along her lips and her lids fluttered shut. When she opened on a sigh, he pressed his advantage and slipped his tongue in.

It didn’t take any more than that and her world had shrunk to just the two of them. He kept his touch and exploration gentle. The hand on her hip tightened and she shuddered, well aware of what he did to her body with something to simple as a caress. She held onto his arms as the kiss continued. Her whimper was eaten by him and when she didn’t think she could stand it any longer, he drew back.

Slowly, all the cheers sank in and she realised what had just occurred. His eyes were dark and there was a wealth of heat in their blue depths. He turned his hand, which had been on her face, and stroked down her cheek with his knuckles.

No will power. That was what it was. Zero flipping will power. She took a deep breath before plastering a smile on her face and facing the room.
I need a moment to regain my senses.

As if hearing her silent cry, Laila came and split the two of them, whirling her off to mingle with the children who were gathering their gifts and treats. So she walked among them, chatting and relaxing as the evening wound on. The kids finally left and those who lived there had gone to the other part of the building and headed for bed.

She stood with Laila in a small room, changing from her costume to her dress for their party. Sitting on a chair, she released a groan as she massaged the bottom of one foot.

“You all right over there?” Laila asked over her shoulder while she shimmied into her tight little sequined dress.

“Tired.”

Laila faced her and tugged down the hem of her dress as she moved. “Let me do your hair.” She went to her bag and withdrew a pair of hair sticks which took Roxi’s breath away.

“Oh, Laila, those are beautiful.”

They were bone, crafted into elegant twists and painted a satiny, pearlescent white, covered by a protective and glossy enamel. At the top were light Siam red crystals set in silver-plated filigree bead caps. They also boasted garnet-red beads and Siam crystals that dangled from three spots on a star-shaped, silver-plated filigree. They sparkled with each movement and she was truly touched by the gesture.

“I was going to give them to you as a present but when I saw your dress, I knew it would be perfect.”

She sat still while Laila did her thing. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Laila wanted to talk but gratefully she kept silent. When her friend had finished, Roxi got to her feet and moved to the mirror.

“Wow, Laila, that’s…I don’t know what to say.” She reached up to almost touch the upstyle.

Her friend appeared beside her. “You look beautiful.”

Roxi had to admit it, she did look pretty damn nice. She wore a red dress with silver strands shot through it, to make it shimmer when she glided. It was a deep V halter evening gown with a high leg slit and full, flowing skirt. The bodice had a beautiful centre detailed brooch. It screamed ‘sex’ without being a micro mini or having her breasts hanging out. She liked it. A lot. The elegant classical look made such a statement.

Laila had put her hair up in a loose bun, allowing for two sections to fall free around her face. Turning her head to the side, she could see the sticks and knew they were perfectly poised to gather all the light and add more of a sparkle to her walk.

“Thank you, Laila.”

She brushed a kiss over her cheek. “Come on, let’s get our shoes on and go mingle. I can’t wait to dance with some of those handsome men I saw.”

Roxi laughed as she put on her stilettos. She loved these shoes—they were silver and had clear rhinestones which wrapped all around her leg. She knew they would draw attention when she moved, given the slit in her dress. But more than that, these were
comfortable.

“Let’s go, you crazy, horny woman.”

She watched her friend. Laila looked stunning in her dark green dress, long sleeves hugged her upper arms while being offset from her shoulders a bit. It stopped mid-thigh, showing off her nice, long legs. Laila put a Santa hat on and flipped the end over so it dangled over one bared shoulder.

“I think I’m ready.”

Pushing to her feet, Roxi paused a few seconds then advanced to her side. They opened the door and were swamped by the sounds of the party. They were the only ones who’d had to change. Other than Sam. She shook off that thought, thinking of him naked or changing wasn’t going to help her in any way, shape or form. She assumed he’d just shucked the Santa gear and was out there in a nice suit.

She paused at the edge of the room and just took a moment. Amazing how many people there seemed to be, even without the children. Laila hesitated briefly before she headed off into the crowd. Despite the smile on her face, Roxi hurt inside. She was saddened by the knowledge Sam would be leaving tomorrow.

The gift she’d got for him rested beneath the tree at her house. She’d give it to him either tonight when they got home or in the morning.
Home. Look at me thinking like it’s his home as well.

It was. No matter what else could be said, her place was part his. His soul and presence had settled into the walls and the very fabric of it. She would always feel him there.

“You played a pretty good Mrs Claus,” a voice said from beside her.

She exhaled on a long sigh when she noticed who had spoken. Tracey stood in a dress instead of her Marine uniform. A black, slinky number which was ultra-low cut in the front, halter top, side slits, sequin detail beneath her breasts, and when Tracey walked from one side to the other of her, Roxi could see the low cut in the back that stopped right above her ass.

“Thank you. That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing.” Small talk. She wasn’t interested in trying to be polite with this woman but for the sake of the evening and the season, she would play along.

Her blinding white smile almost made her wince. “Thank you. It’s Sam’s favourite. It was the dress I wore our first night together”—she lowered her voice—“if you know what I mean by
together
.”

She skimmed her teeth with her tongue and nodded. “I get the picture.”

“So he didn’t want me in uniform since then we would have to be a lot more professional.”