Filthy Scrooge

My knees lowered and my foot bumped into the coffee table in front of the fireplace. I rested it there and slowly trailed my fingers over the maze of muscles along his back, then down the curve of his spine and back up. He made a delicious little moan and turned his head into my neck.

I shut my eyes against the lazy dust motes fluttering through the sunlight streaming through his ten foot windows. It felt too good to be with him like this, but I wasn’t going to run. Not today.

I was going to enjoy my day with him. Spending Christmas naked with an exciting man wasn’t a bad thing in any way. Even if I missed my little tree in my apartment and the home-cooked meal with Mel and her family.

But then Linc slid out of me and took care of the condom with a tissue from the box on the table behind him. He rose and hiked up his pants—dear God, we hadn’t even managed to get all the way undressed. This time, the hazy distance was gone from his gaze. Just his stunning smile as he helped me off the couch.

Lazy touches as he kissed me and we both fixed our clothing.

I’d never been someone’s lover. Fling didn’t seem to be quite the accurate description for us at this point. A fling was more like a few hours in a hotel. We’d slept in the same bed, fucked as many times as we cuddled. Nothing made sense in this whole deal.

He trailed his fingertip between my brows. “Don’t get so thinky. It’s exactly what did us in this morning. I just want to be with you for these next few days and…well, that’s all I’ve got. I like us. Let’s leave reality at the door for a few more days.”

I nodded. “I think I can do that.”

“Good.”

I picked up his coat off the floor and a newspaper fell out of his inside pocket. He crouched to pick it up and a wrinkled flyer stuck out of the side. I plucked it out and turned it over. “There’s a holiday festival?”

“Don’t get any ideas.”

I frowned. “There’s a big ice skating rink and games, tons of food…” I skimmed the rest of the page. “This looks perfect.”

“For suckers, sure.”

I tipped my head. “Why do you hate Christmas so much?”

The pleasure and boyish light in his eyes dimmed. “It’s a soulless holiday that corporate America has exploited for money.”

“Like your corporate America?”

He snatched the flyer out of my hands and crumpled it up and threw it into the fire. “My fourth quarter is always the most lucrative, yes.” He stalked to the hearth and jabbed at the fire with the wrought iron poker.

Christmas was obviously a sore subject. Again, I wanted to Google the hell out of him to find out why, but I valued my own privacy enough to keep a lockdown on those rogue thoughts. Instead, I followed my instincts and crossed to him.

Coming up behind him, I slid my hands under his arms and into the half buttoned shirt. His chest was so hard and soft at the same time. Add in a little firelight warmth and I did the only thing I could. I rested my cheek against his back and coasted my nails along the planes of his chest. “It doesn’t have to be horrible. Let me show you my idea of Christmas. It doesn’t even require spending money.”

He stiffened, but didn’t discount the idea this time.

I unbuttoned his shirt so I could get to more of him, and was rewarded with a half groan when I followed the ridges of his stomach muscles to his low-slung sweats. I didn’t push it any further. I liked touching him. Learning his body was as exciting as the dozen brain-melting orgasms he’d already given me.

I followed the lines at his hip bones which disappeared into his sweatpants, but instead of slipping under the waistband, I moved back up until I could cup his shoulders with my fingers. He was so wide and fit. The men I’d fumbled around before had been slight or soft compared to Linc.

I had to stand on tiptoes to rest my chin on his shoulder. “We don’t even have to make it about Christmas.” I kissed my way up to his neck. “I want to see what a small lake town looks like in the winter. How’s that?”

“You’re handling me.”

“I am.” Not like I could deny it.

He turned his head to meet my mouth before dragging me around in front of him. The warmth of the fire felt amazing against my back and even more delicious as I soaked in the fire-warmed skin of his chest. He looked down at me as the kiss spun out in a lazy meeting of mouths. The anger bubbling from earlier was gone. A flash of stark pain flickered over his face before he smoothed it into the emotionless mask once more.

I stood on my toes and transferred my hold to his shoulders. Something inside me told me to push. That if I didn’t, I’d lose whatever was building between us. I didn’t want him to freeze me out again.

Anything but that.

“Spend Christmas with me,” I said against his mouth.

He let out a resigned breath. “Fine.”