Christmas Sugar (Insta-Spark)

I wanted her.

I wanted her naked and writhing beneath me. I wanted to taste her everywhere, to feel her skin pressed tight to mine, to know how it felt to be held within her wet heat. I wanted to hear those low sounds she made, to watch as she shattered in my arms, and to know I brought her that much pleasure.

I wanted it all, and yet, I knew why I couldn’t have it.

Alex didn’t do casual. I didn’t do relationships. She lived here; I lived in Toronto with a lifestyle she couldn’t even comprehend. I glanced down at the Courvoisier I was drinking with a grimace. The most expensive cognac served in the cheapest tumbler made. It was our two lives captured in liquid and glass. One that was decadent and opulent, while the other so simple yet vital.

She hated the big city and never wanted to live there again, she had said. It was all I knew. It was all I would ever know since my business was there. My responsibilities were all there.

Alex took her responsibilities just as seriously. She would never jeopardize her life here in Pinegrove or her children’s comfort for her own satisfaction. She would always put being a mother ahead of being a woman, or being simply Alex, first. Casual sex wasn’t part of her plan.

It was all I knew.

I drained my glass and reached for the bottle, adding another generous amount. I stared out the window once more, for the first time realizing the profound silence that surrounded me. The wind continued to blow outside, but it was calmer. Inside the inn was still, only the occasional creak of wood or errant squeak could be heard. I shook my head in wonder. The city was so full of noise all the time, even at night; quiet was a rare gift.

An odd noise caught my ear and grew closer. It was the discreet pad of footsteps coming down the hall. Glancing at the clock, I saw it had been an hour since I left Alex’s, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Noelle was coming for a visit. She seemed to be a bit of a night owl.

Nothing shocked me more than when I heard the low click of the lock, and Alex stepped into the room. My startled gaze met her anxious glance in the dim light as she shut and locked the door behind her, stepping forward, stopping several feet from me. She placed a monitor on the table—I knew if Noelle stirred,

Alex would be back down the hall before she was fully awake.

But for now, for as long as it could be, she was there. With me.

Dressed in a long, pale blue robe, with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, she was nervous—and beyond beautiful. Her fingers played with the sash on her robe as we stared at each other. Her gaze left mine, drifting over my torso, then lower. Her swift intake of air as she saw my physical reaction to her caused my lips to curl into a lazy smile. She liked what she saw.

So did I.

Wordlessly, I held out my glass, thinking she needed a little liquid courage. She took the glass, sipping at the brandy delicately, then handed it back. I held her gaze as I tossed back the remainder and set down the glass on the table. I cleared my throat.

“Are you certain?”

“I think so.”

“You have to be certain, Alex. I want you. I want you so much I’m aching for you. But it’s only now—not forever.”

“I know,” she whispered, breathless. “I want you too.”

“Protection. I need . . .”

“I’m on the pill.”

“And you trust me?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

I maintained our gaze. “I’ll ask you again. Are you certain?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, with a quick tug, her robe opened, slipping off her shoulders, pooling at her feet in a puddle of silvery blue.

It was my turn to inhale sharply.

She was exquisite. Small but curvy, wide hips and supple breasts, all waiting for my attention. Her skin glowed in the moonlight, her hair like a dark cloud against the pale of her complexion. Smiling at her, I yanked on the cord of my sleep pants, pushing them off my hips so we were both naked.

Naked, panting with desire, and so close.

But not close enough.

In one step, she was crushed against me. My mouth was on hers, my tongue claiming and possessive, the same way I wanted my body to possess her. Bending, I scooped her into my arms, carrying her to the bed, covering her with my torso. The sounds I loved were already escaping her lips. Soft sighs, that low, breathless moan in her throat that turned me on as I explored her; all made me groan in return. Her touch, so caring and light as it drifted over my skin, moved up to tug on my hair, keeping me close as we discovered each other, and was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.