A Devilish Christmas (The Marchesi Family)

With a shout, he drove deep into my ass and let go. I struggled to find breath as I felt his hot cum filling me up, making me his.

My knees slid from beneath me, and I sank into the mattress. Joe lay over me, kissing my neck and licking the sweat from my shoulder. “You’re mine. Don’t forget it.”

I smiled. “I love you, Joe.”

“I love you too, even when you’re an arrogant son of a bitch.”

When we gained the strength to move, he untied and uncuffed me, we cleaned up, and I ordered a pizza. We never even made it back to the bed after we ate. We fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire, wrapped in each other’s arms.

When I woke the next morning, Joe wasn’t with me. He was standing by the window, gun in hand, wearing only his sweatpants.

14

Joe

Something woke me. I wasn’t sure what, so I stayed still and listened. Then I heard it—the crunch of snow and footsteps. Someone was outside the cabin.

I eased off Devil and ducked into the bedroom long enough to grab my sweatpants and my gun. I moved slowly and silently toward the front window that overlooked the porch. I slid the curtain aside enough to survey the area. There wasn’t anyone visible, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t still out there. I hadn’t heard a car, and I didn’t see one, so I had to assume they were on foot. That meant they couldn’t have gotten far.

When I looked toward the woods, yesterday’s sensation of being watched returned.

“Joe? What’s going on?” Devil came to stand behind me. “Who’s out there?”

“I don’t know.” But it was probably time for me to tell him about the threats I’d received from Donaldson. “I heard footsteps. It could have been a bear or another animal, but I don’t think so.”

He leaned close, and I felt his warmth. I exhaled, trying to slow my heartbeat. “I feel like we’re being watched again.”

Devil frowned, looking out the window. “We need to go cut down our Christmas tree this morning anyway. Let’s see what we can find in the woods. If some asshole is out there, it’s time for him to learn he is not fucking up our honeymoon.”

I stared at Devil. “We need to do what?”

“We’re not going to ignore this. We’re going to look for this fucker.”

“No. I agree with that, but do you have permission to cut down a tree on someone else’s property?”

“Not exactly, but it’s one little Christmas tree. Who will mind?”

“So now we might have the property owner coming after us along with our current stalker.”

Devil shook his head. “I’m never going to fight the cop out of you, am I?”

I just rolled my eyes. “Did you pack a chainsaw in your suitcase?”

Devil frowned as if he hadn’t thought about that. Maybe he’d planned to kick the tree down or break it off at the trunk barehanded. Sometimes I thought he might be strong enough.

“There’s a shed out back. I’m sure there are plenty of tools in there.”

“Plenty of tools that belong to the owner. There’s a padlock on that shed.”

Devil’s expression said I’d insulted him.

“I didn’t say it would prevent you from getting in, but obviously we’re not—”

“We’re on an adventure, Joe.” He took hold of my shoulders and turned me to face him.

I let the curtain drop back into place. Whoever was out there wasn’t going to show themself. Devil was right. If we wanted to find them, we’d have to go looking. But the idea of the two of us out there in the woods, facing someone—possibly Donaldson—who probably knew the area better, unnerved me. There were way too many things that could go wrong.

“We’re just going to borrow a saw.”

Devil’s words brought me back to the present. “I know it’s not that big a deal. It’s just…”

“It’s hard to adjust to a life of crime after years as a cop?”

I huffed. “How many things have I been fine with that were far worse than stealing a tree and a saw?”

“We’re not stealing the saw. We’re borrowing it. But yeah, that’s my point. This is nothing.”

“It’s also unnecessary. We could go to town and buy a tree.”

“But you want the rural experience, and I want a tree this morning. The tree lots probably aren’t even open yet.”

“I keep trying to remember how spoiled you are, but I always underestimate it.”

“Maybe eventually you won’t, or, even better, I’ll have you just as spoiled.”

I shook my head. “Let’s go.”

Devil insisted we eat something before heading out into the snow. Lola had sent a sausage and egg casserole along with several other delicious items. We devoured a good portion of the casserole before putting on the ski pants Devil had packed, plus sweaters, boots, and our heavy coats.

I hated that unease about Donaldson was taking away from my first time venturing out into the pristine snow that had fallen over night. We found footprints along the side of the cabin and around the shed, but there were no other signs anyone had been there. It only took a few seconds for Devil to get into the shed. He started to take a chainsaw, but when I shook my head, he grabbed a handsaw instead.