A Barker Family Christmas (The Barker Triplets 3.50)

“No you’re not.”

She turned in his arms and reached for him, planting the sweetest kiss on his mouth. Her tongue swept into his mouth, tangling with his once more. It was the kind of kiss that made him grateful. The kind of kiss that was full of promise. And it was the kind of kiss he had every intention of tasting again.

“Merry Christmas, Logan,” she murmured against him, shivering.

“Are you cold?”

“A little. I should get dressed.”

The door juggled behind them and Logan whipped his head around. “Give us a minute,” he said sharply.

There was a pause, and then he heard someone clearing his throat. “I’d appreciate it if you could grab me the can of pickled beans for the bar. You know, when you get a chance.”

“Sure thing, Duke,” Logan replied, reaching for his clothes.

“Oh my God,” Billie squealed. “I can’t believe we almost got caught having sex.”

He arched a brow at his wife, appreciating the view as she shimmied back into her bra and panties.

“I can’t believe we just had sex in the storage room of The Grill. You know that everyone’s going to know exactly what we were doing in here, right?”

She giggled. “Do you care?”

“Not one bit.”

She kissed him once more as she slid the dress up over her hips. “Just don’t forget the beans.”

“Got them.” Logan grabbed a jar off the shelf and followed his wife back out into the main room. Of course, everyone knew exactly what they’d done. How could they not? Logan Forest was sporting the kind of grin that any guy would recognize, and Billie, well, she looked as if she’d had a big heaping spoonful of sugar.

He followed her back to the bar where he set down the jar and grabbed his coat from the stool they’d vacated earlier. Billie slipped her feet back into her heels and grabbed his hand.

They shouted goodbye and Merry Christmas to all the guys on their hockey team, and Logan glanced at his watch just before they left. It was twenty past twelve. Officially Christmas Eve.

And he had his wife all to himself at least until breakfast.

“Let’s go,” he said, stepping up the pace a bit.

“What’s the rush?”

“I don’t think you got enough sugar.”

So Logan made it his business to give his wife all the sugar she could handle.

Which was a lot.

Chapter Ten

Christmas Eve…

Morning came slowly to New Waterford, as it tended to do this time of the year, with shorter days and longer nights. Heavy snow clouds filled the sky doing their best to blot out the sun, but to no avail. Bright rays reflected off the snow like diamonds, and even though the air was sharp and the wind biting, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the townsfolk.

The Michigan residents were used to the cold and snow, and at this time of the year it did nothing but add a little bit extra something that made the Christmas holidays special. Music was piped along the sidewalks, the stores were festive, and more importantly, everyone had an abundance of Christmas spirit.

As the Mayor of New Waterford made his way downtown to his office, he shook off the cold, satisfied with the year that was almost behind him.

The economy was picking up, new families were moving to the area, and the waterfront development had brought much needed tax dollars pouring into the town’s coffers. All in all a great year.

Mayor Holbrook paused in front of one of several boutiques in the downtown core and perused the items displayed. He made a mental note to stop in before it closed at noon to pick up a little extra something for his wife.