A Christmas Promise (The Buchanan Brothers 9)

A tremulous smile found her lips as she rocked privately against the admission. “I didn’t think I’d ever be able to be comfortable around a man again until that time with you.”

“I’m glad,” he said, smiling with a playful glint in his eye. “I could use the karma points.”

She laughed. “That, I can believe.”

“Hey, I’ll take what I can get.”

She smiled from above her rim, falling just a little harder for this enigmatic man. It was refreshing to find someone who was comfortable in their own skin. Rare, even. “So why don’t you and your dad get along?” she asked, curious. “I’ve heard stories about Vince’s dad, which are really awful. Is your dad like the elder Buchanan?”

“No,” he answered but the warmth faded from his gaze. “He never tried to proposition my girlfriends or anything like that. Jesus, Vince’s dad…he was a piece of work. Almost a stereotype of the rich and debauched. I’m not exaggerating when I say that man ruined lives. I’m kinda glad he’s dead. Vince and the brothers never would’ve been able to enjoy their lives now if he was still around.”

“That bad, huh?”

“I wasn’t a fan.”

“And yet…before the brothers found their wives, it seems as if they were heading down the same path,” she pointed out. “I mean…Malvagio? Not exactly a family friendly place.”

“Depends on your family,” he quipped and she grimaced.

Laird chuckled and said, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, to answer your question, no, my dad isn’t like that. My dad is just an overbearing control freak, which has served him well in business but sucks as a parenting technique. Plus, he had this opinion that I should take over the family business and I have no interest in doing that so…yeah, we clash.”

“Isn’t it a compliment that he believes in you enough to leave you his legacy?” Lana ventured cautiously, sensing it was a sensitive subject.

“I suppose but it’s just not my style. Besides, why would I want to stress out over a career I don’t need? My grandmother’s inheritance is more than enough to keep me in the lifestyle I’ve become accustomed.”

Her thoughts dimmed just a little. She’d always been raised to believe that men should work. Her father had been a hard-working man, proud to provide for his family. She’d always envisioned that the man she fell in love with would be similar to her father. “Don’t you get bored?” she asked. “I mean, doing nothing all day…seems stale to me.”

Laird snorted a laugh as he poured himself another glass and topped hers off. “What makes you think I do nothing all day? Trust me, it fills a schedule to look this good.”

She arched her brow at him. “Really? What? How long could a mani-pedi take?” she teased and he responded with a playful glint. “I mean, honestly, what do you do with your time?”

“Whatever I want,” he answered with a smug grin, leaving his wine glass next to hers. He came toward her and she backed up slowly until she was pressed against the refrigerator door. “And what I want right now…is you.”

***

Kiss her, kiss her, a voice urged and he wasn’t interested in fighting it any longer. He dipped down to take her lips and she opened readily, her tongue darting, the tiny, soft tip tentatively exploring his as they heated up the kitchen with their kisses. She was like sunshine on a Sunday morning after a hard rain, bright and airy, full of life, and downright addicting. He could spend a lifetime kissing this woman. “You’re like a drug,” he said, nipping at her lips, loving the tiny gasps she made as his hands gently framed her face. “You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever known. Touching you is like finding out magic is real or that you can manifest your dreams.”

She shivered and held his gaze, something so deep and powerful passed between them that for a split second he was terrified of what was happening between them. Maybe she was a little magic because he wasn’t the kind of man who lost his head over a woman. “Do you say that to all the girls you bring back to your place?” she asked, a little breathless, a little vulnerable.

“I don’t bring girls back to my apartment,” he answered. “My house is my sanctuary.”

She bit her lip and ducked her gaze. “Don’t try and make me feel special if you don’t mean it. I’m not cut out for that kind of fall.”

She was right. He shouldn’t do this to her. What was he offering her? A few hot nights of sex and then what? He ought to take a step back and put an end to the evening before things got out of control. Lana deserved better than what he could give her. But even as the thought chased his conscience, he punted it far away. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. His hands shook with the need to touch her, to finally taste her. He was almost single-minded in his desire to have Lana all to himself, in his arms. But he could offer her one thing of value, something he never promised to anyone else. He lifted her chin so that he could stare into her eyes. “Lana…I will never lie to you. Even if it’s an ugly truth and it would serve my ego to lie, for you, I’ll always keep it straight. I promise.”

“You mean it?” she asked, the tremble in her voice betraying her vulnerability. “Please don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I would never do that to you.”

And he meant it. He knew this was a big deal. Something shifted between them and he actually wondered if this was what falling in love felt like. He wanted to protect her, be around her all the time, he wanted to do things with her — nonsexual things! — And he wanted to make her laugh and smile and take her to the movies and the theater…so many things he wanted to do that were unrelated to sex.

Except right now. Right now he wanted to take her to the bedroom and finally sink into that sweet body so badly that it was as if she were the first woman he’d ever known, unsure of what to do and how to do it. But he deliberately slowed his kisses, even though he was harder than he’d ever been in his life and he was fairly certain his balls might explode if he didn’t make something happen, he didn’t want to scare her. He wanted this to be good for her, not just for him. It was excruciatingly important that this experience be positive for Lana so he would go at a snail’s pace if it meant Lana wasn’t afraid of him.

“Let me be the one to remind you that sex isn’t bad — that it can be beautiful and giving,” he murmured as he pulled slowly away, his hand linked with hers, as he gently lead her from the kitchen to his bedroom. Everything about this moment was about trust. Lana nodded, her hand warm in his as she squeezed.

“I trust you,” she whispered and his heart filled with joy as he bravely accepted the weight of that responsibility. For Lana, he realized he would do anything.

Laird flipped a switch on the mood lighting and a gentle glow filled his bedroom from hidden light fixtures. He quickly stripped his shirt and when her eyes feasted on his bare chest and abs, he knew they were on the right track. “Do you like what you see?” he asked, reaching for her. She nodded and went straight into his arms, resting her head on his chest as her arms encircled his waist. A tiny shudder traveled through her and he tightened his hold on her. “We can stop at any time and I won’t be mad. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do,” he promised her and she nodded.

“Why are you being so good to me?” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “I’m so broken inside.”

“You’re not broken to me. To me, you’re perfect.” And then he swept her mouth with his tongue, pushing her a little harder but still giving her the power to say no. She responded by winding her arms around his neck and lifting on her tip toes to deepen their kiss. He groaned and lifted her into his arms to carry her to the bed. He gently placed her on the bed and rained sweet kisses down her neck and back to her mouth until she was mindless with need. She pulled her top free of her own accord and he helped her from her pants, sucking in a tight, wild breath at the tantalizing view of Lana in nothing but a virginal white bra and panty set that immediately set his blood on fire. “Jesus,” he breathed, wanting to memorize every inch of her bare skin

. Her breasts, a nice handful, jutted proud and firm from the lacy shells of her bra and when she shyly released the clasp, freeing them, he nearly blacked out. So beautiful, so perfect. The memory of any other woman fled from his mind and forever more he would think of Lana when he fantasized about the perfect woman. Hell, in all the women he’d been with, not one could compare to the perfection in front of him. “I’m speechless,” he admitted in a hoarse tone as he stared hungrily. “I don’t know where to touch first. So gorgeous.” She blushed and went to shimmy from her panties but he stopped her with a growl. “Let me,” he said, climbing over her to clench the lacy strings between his teeth and drag them free from her hips. Her arousal, sharp and musky, triggered a primal instinct and his cock, already hard and ready, went to defcon level holy-shit-this-is-getting-serious and gripping her hips, he buried his nose against her fragrant folds, groaning with sincere pleasure at the unique scent. He couldn’t wait another moment. He had to taste her. But showing the greatest restraint he’d ever known, he begged for permission first. “May I please taste your pussy?” he asked and he knew he’d die if she said no but he was prepared to honor her answer.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said, blushing furiously. “It’s okay if you want to skip it.”

“Skip it? Why the hell would I want to do that?” he asked incredulously. “Tasting your pussy is high on my priority list, sweetheart. You don’t truly know a woman until you’ve tasted between her thighs. And baby, I want to know everything about you.”

***

Lana’s breath caught as Laird held her gaze. The hunger and desire she saw staring back at her leveled her like a wrecking ball and all she could do was nod. He was like a jungle cat, all sinew and grace, danger and freedom all at once. His touch, insistent yet gentle, worked to loosen the tight grip she’d held onto her needs, allowing her to slowly accept that it was good and natural to let go sexually, to enjoy the feelings flitting through her body as he worked magic between her thighs. She twisted, her breath coming in tight pants and a wondrous sensation began coiling itself deep within her womb. This was heaven! She couldn’t think, couldn’t escape the growing tension, winding itself more tightly than ever before until she thought she might die from the pleasure itself. “Laird!…” his name a blessing on her lips, was the only word she could manage as she flew apart, bursting into a million tiny pieces as the world’s most explosive orgasm tore down her every defense and left her gulping air and shaking.

Laird rose from her thighs with a knowing and proud grin and all she could do was smile weakly in return. He climbed her body until he was right above her, the tip of his hard cock, pressing against her drenched pussy as rhythmic pulses still rocked her insides, sending shockwaves rioting up and down her body. “Now I know your taste and I’ll never get enough,” he said, kissing her deeply. She tasted herself on his lips and it was a wildly intoxicating aphrodisiac. Lana lost herself in the pleasure of being with Laird and when he took a tightened nipple into his mouth she nearly fainted with the sensations building all over again. Her entire body was electric — on fire with need and want — something that she hadn’t allowed herself to experience since the assault. She no longer wanted to be held prisoner by what’d happened to her. She wanted to experience life again, to remember what it was like to grab life by the balls and go full throttle into the adventure instead of hiding in the shadows, afraid of every stranger, every new place.

Laird looked into her eyes, shaking with the restraint it took to go slowly, and asked, “Are you sure?” and she tumbled just a bit deeper into the abyss, knowing that there was no coming back from this fall. The fact that his every move spoke of kindness and consideration for her…well, it spoke volumes for the kind of man he was — whether he realized it or not.

I’m so sure. She answered by kissing him again, this time being the aggressor, urging him on. Laird scrambled from the bed to put on a condom with shaking hands before returning to her arms. “Do it, Laird…I want you to be the one…” And she squeezed her eyes shut, determined to ride out anything for this moment but he wasn’t going to let her do this alone.

“Open your eyes, Lana,” he instructed, his touch on her cheek tender. Her eyes opened to find Laird staring down at her, his beautiful eyes filled with warmth and compassion. “I want you to know it’s me you’re with. Together we’ll blot out what happened by rewriting what sex means for you, sweetheart.” She nodded and then, with her permission, he slowly entered her, stretching her with his length and girth, giving her time to adjust so there was no pain, only pleasure. Being filled by Laird felt right, as if she’d been waiting for him all along. “Oh Jesus,” he groaned once he was fitted to the hilt inside her. “Fucking A. I can hardly breathe…feels so good!”

His gasp of pure pleasure warmed her to her toes and she wrapped her legs around his torso to draw him in more closely. She wanted to merge with him so that their bodies were meshed in the most primal way. He began to thrust, slow and easy at first but she was ready for more and drove herself up to meet him, loving the way he moaned as she clenched her internal muscles around him. “I’m not fragile,” she told him with a playful smile. “I promise not to break.”

“Oh baby, you have no idea how hard I want to fuck you,” he said, sweat beading his brow as they rested forehead to forehead, his cock still buried deeply inside her. “Are you sure?”

She smiled and in answer, pushed his shoulders so that he rocked back on his knees and she lifted her hips so that her legs went over his shoulders. “Better angle,” she told him and his expression turned feral. A delightful shiver rocked her and she knew he was going to pound her hard, which sounded just about right to her.

And holy hell, did he pound her raw in the most amazing, soul-obliterating way. His cock hammered her G-spot mercilessly, driving her toward that all-over-body pleasure that shimmered through her nerve endings like a rainbow of unearthly bliss and before too long she was babbling like an amateur porn star, crying out with total abandon as another orgasm, bigger than the first, barreled down her nerve endings, clenching and releasing in concert as she sobbed with complete happiness, loving the way Laird masterfully coaxed her body and mind into letting go completely.

Seconds later, Laird followed with a loud, hoarse cry as he stopped thrusting and sat there for a long moment, gulping air and breathing hard, his cock still deep inside her. “Hot damn,” was all he could manage before slowly pulling out, careful to make sure the condom didn’t get left behind. He made quick work of tossing the latex and then tumbled back to the bed beside her, exhausted. “That was…will I sound like a complete sap if I admit that was the most amazing sex I’ve ever had?”

She giggled. “Nope. It was pretty amazing.”

He turned to her, his gaze light and relaxed. “I should warn you…I might become addicted to fucking you.”

She rose up on her elbow and stared down at him, a small smile playing on her lips. “Ditto.”

“Good. I’d hate to be the only one because that would certainly make things awkward.” Laird popped up, saying, “Don’t move a muscle. I’ll be right back,” and then disappeared from the bedroom, only to return a few moments later with a plate of cheese and grapes and their forgotten wine. “I don’t know about you but I’ve worked up an appetite.”

She accepted her wine glass and took a sip, then selected a piece of cheese, comfortable in her nakedness around Laird. “So, tell me why you really don’t want to take over the family business?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, my father raised me to believe that all men have a need to be useful — it’s in your DNA — so if you’re fighting your natural desire to make your own way, I have to wonder why.”

He frowned and popped a grape. “Hmm, well, hate to break it to you but I’m perfectly happy just being me. I don’t need a job to feel useful.”

Lana chewed slowly, Laird’s answer popping a hole in their lovely evening. She should’ve left it al

one. It really wasn’t any of her business how Laird functioned in his daily life, right? It wasn’t as if they were suddenly engaged. A shiver passed through her and she wished she’d just kept things light between them. “I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for the sheet to wrap herself in.

He stopped her with a frown. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just…um, I don’t know, your answer, kinda bums me out,” she admitted. When he seemed perplexed, she gave it a go at explaining her feelings without stepping on his toes. “I guess I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to be a productive member of society at some point. I mean, what you’re doing seems like kid stuff but you’re not a kid anymore. At some point, growing up seems like the thing to do.”

“Let’s be honest, if every working stiff had the option of quitting their jobs and being independently wealthy, trust me, there’d be no one working.”

“That’s not true,” she disagreed with a frown. “Some people work for more than just a paycheck.”

“Is that so? And what would that be?”

“A sense of self-worth. My dad enjoyed being able to provide for his family. He said an honest day’s work was an emotional payday. When you work hard for something, you value it more.” His laughter hurt her feelings and she realized Laird would never understand her point of view on this particular issue. “Forget it. This is one of those casualties of two opposite worlds colliding. I will never see your point and you will never see mine.”

“Are we having a fight?” he asked, his lazy grin telling her he wasn’t taking her seriously. He moved closer to tug at the sheet covering her breasts. “If so, let’s fast forward to the make-up sex.”

She wished she could just let it go but his opinion on the matter left an unsettled feeling in the pit of her gut and she couldn’t just forget about it and bury her feelings. “It’s not a fight but your stance on the issue bothers me.”

Becoming irritated, he asked, “Why? And why are we having such a deep conversation when we should be worshipping each other’s bodies all night?”