A Wedding in December Read online

  Without breaking the contact he shifted himself so that he was lying full length on the sofa and she straddled him.

  She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt then gave up and tore at it, sending a couple of buttons flying. Later she’d wonder what it was about him that brought out a wildness in her, but right now she wasn’t thinking. When she felt him pull at her sweater she raised her arms and he removed it so the only barrier left was silk and lace. His mouth closed over her breast and then he decided to get rid of the silk and lace and her bra went the way of his buttons.

  He took her face in his hands and broke the kiss long enough to look at her, and there was a white heat in his eyes that thrilled her.

  “What?” She touched her lips to his forehead, his cheek and the roughness of his jaw. “Something wrong?”

  “Yes.”

  She stilled and drew back a little, question in her eyes.

  He gave a slow smile. “You’re still wearing too much.”

  She smiled back and then shivered as he drew his hands down her bare arms.

  “I can fix that.” She sat up, still straddling him and felt his hands move to her waist. Her heart thudded harder as he slid his fingers into the waistband of the track pants and pushed them down her thighs. Her underwear followed and she shifted position and let it fall to the floor. She felt his eyes on her but did nothing to cover herself. Instead she reached for the snap of his jeans and eased his zipper down.

  “Now I’m intimidated.” She saw him frown and gave a soft laugh. “Your abs. You look like you’ve spent a lifetime in training.”

  “It’s called the hefting-great-tree-trunks workout.” He slid his hand behind her head and drew her mouth down to his. “Don’t be intimidated. I’ve been admiring your sexy self since you stalked off that plane looking ready to kill someone.”

  “The only workout I do is the overworked doctor routine.” She teased his lips with her mouth, felt him touch the tip of her tongue with his and then he was kissing her hard and she felt as if she was falling, falling...

  She felt his hands slide down her back, cup her bottom and then move down her thighs. And all the time he kissed her, and she kissed him back until her whole body ached and she was consumed by the delicious rush of desire. She touched her lips to his jaw, moved lower to his neck and then his chest. And as her mouth seduced, her fingers moved lower, teasing, exploring until his breathing fractured and he closed his hands on her hips and shifted her so that she was underneath him and he was the one on top. It wasn’t the easiest of maneuvers on a sofa and she clutched at his shoulders, caught between a moan and a laugh.

  “Smooth, huh?” His fingers were in her hair, his mouth on hers, kisses punctuated by his own muffled laughter. “I might be feeling a little impatient.”

  “Impatient works for me—” She wriggled under him and curved one of her legs over his. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.” It was obvious he had no intention of stopping and he moved only to give himself better access to her trembling body. He kissed as if he already knew everything there was to know about her, as if he already knew her secrets and quivering need turned to aching pleasure as he teased her intimately, his fingers slow and sure. She reveled in the warmth of him, the weight of him, pressing her down and then he moved down her body and she let her eyes drift closed, lost in the relentless skill of his mouth and tongue.

  The concept of time slid away from her and there was only this moment. This man. And then he moved again and this time reached for something from the pocket of his jeans, now abandoned on the floor.

  The interruption frustrated her and she slid her hands over the slope of his shoulders, feeling hard muscle ripple under her fingers. He murmured her name into her hair, whispered what he intended to do to her, and then she felt the heated hot slide of him, the thickened pressure as he surged into her, taking her gasps into his mouth. He slid his hand under her bottom, lifting her into him, each slow, measured thrust taking him deeper. She was overwhelmed by an excitement so intense that she found it hard to draw breath. She tried to say something, to tell him how she felt, but the words wouldn’t come and then she stopped thinking and sank into a world of pumping heat and sensation.

  She came apart in a rush of delicious spasms and felt him thrust deep as he reached the same peak. They rode it out together, mouths fused, bodies locked, each slick spasm deepening the intimacy.

  When her body finally calmed she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in stunned disbelief.

  Jordan collapsed half on top of her, fighting for breath. “That was—”

  “It was.”

  There was a pause while he tried to recover. Then he lifted his head. “You may not know your own phone number, Karen, but you sure know how to rock a guy’s world. For what it’s worth, I’d give you a solid grade A.”

  Grinning, she turned on her side so that she could look at him. How could she feel this comfortable with him? It didn’t make sense, but right now she wasn’t in the mood to analyze it. “Only an A?”

  His eyes drifted shut. “It’s the top mark, honey.”

  “What about an A with a star? Or an A plus?” She slid her hand down his body and heard him groan.

  “Seriously?” He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. “You expect a lot. I’m beginning to understand why men never call you after that one night. You think it’s the fake number that keeps them away, but it’s probably that they’re lying spent in the gutter somewhere trying to recover enough energy to move.”

  “What can I say? I’ve always been an overachiever. Want me to prove it?”

  He pulled her closer. “If that’s what it takes to boost your confidence, I’m all in, Karen.”

  Rosie

  Rosie lay with her head on Dan’s chest. “That was—” she pressed her mouth to his heated skin “—amazing.”

  “You’re amazing.” Dan pulled her closer.

  They were in his bedroom at Snowfall Lodge. Catherine was out at a charity carol concert and they’d had the apartment to themselves all evening. Dan had grilled chicken, Rosie had made a salad. They’d shared a bottle of wine and then decided on an early night. Lying in his big king-sized bed, watching the snow falling beyond the window, made her feel more relaxed than she had in days. This was all she’d needed. Time together, away from everyone.

  She smiled to herself. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.” He turned on his side and ran his hand slowly down her body. “I was reaching the point where I was going to grab you and ravage you behind the nearest tree house. A quickie.”

  “Sounds like a quick route to frostbite.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I feel a little guilty for being secretly pleased that Katie got herself snowed in with Jordan.”

  “Why would you feel guilty?”

  “Because they don’t get on well. She’ll be hating every minute. I suppose he will be, too. They irritate each other.”

  “Not your problem, honey.” Dan pulled her closer and she curled her body into his.

  “It is my problem. She’s my sister. I love her. And I feel bad. I’m the reason she’s here, and now she’s snowed in with a man she doesn’t like. I bet they’re going crazy trapped together. What do you think they’re doing?”

  “Knowing your sister, she’s probably grilling Jordan for information on me.”

  “That’s a possibility. She hasn’t exactly been relaxed since she arrived. I assure you she’s not normally this bad. Has she upset you?”

  “No.” He stroked her hair gently. “But it hasn’t been easy to steal time together, has it? She’s done her best to keep us apart.”

  “Not on purpose.” Or was it on purpose? “Katie and I haven’t seen each other for a while. Christmas is always a time when we catch up properly. We have a bedroom each at home, but at Christmas we always share and talk until about three in the mo
rning.”

  “I understand.”

  “It matters to me that you don’t think badly of her. I never really thought about it before, but of course a marriage is more than the joining of two people. It’s the blending of friends and family. I want you to love her, too.”

  “Relax. I like your sister very much.”

  She was conscious that he’d only spent a few days with Katie and she’d been in her full-on protective sister mode the whole time. And now Rosie was the one feeling protective. Had she been too hard on Katie? She knew how much her sister loved her. Had she been unfair? “Something happened to her, Dan. She has this scar on her shoulder.”

  “Did you ask her about it?”

  “Yes, and she dismissed it. Said it was nothing, but it didn’t look like nothing to me. I wish she’d talk to me. It’s annoying. Or maybe frustrating is a better word.”

  “Not everyone likes to talk about their problems.”

  “But she’s my sister. I talk to her all the time. I always have. She’s been there for me through thick and thin. Our relationship feels—I don’t know.” She frowned. “Unbalanced. I’d like to be there for her once in a while.”

  “I guess in a family we pick our roles, and it isn’t easy to change that. She’s the big sister. The strong one. She supports you. She’s not the one looking for support. Confiding in you would fundamentally change the relationship.”

  She lifted herself up on her elbow and looked at him. “You’re right. That’s exactly it.”

  “And you two have quite an age gap. Seems to me she sees herself almost as a parent.”

  “She does. And I’ve probably made it worse by turning to her instead of our parents whenever I had a problem.” She thought for a moment. “So is it fixed, this whole ‘role’ thing? Or can I get her to change?”

  “I guess only your sister can decide that.”

  “I have to persuade her to let me be the big sister for a while?”

  He pulled a face. “Can’t see that working. The best you can hope for is equals.”

  “Like twins?”

  “That would work.” He pulled her down and kissed her. She melted into him and then pulled away.

  “What if she and Jordan kill each other in that cabin?”

  “They’ll be fine.”

  “If she grills him, is he going to give her anything she can use against you?”

  “I guess we’ll find out. If she comes roaring in here telling you to run for your life, we’ll know Jordan divulged my biggest, darkest secret.” He stroked a strand of hair away from her face. “I love you, Rosie White. I love your little anxious frown. I love the way your hair swings when you bounce across a room. I love the way you care so much.”

  “I have an anxious frown?”

  “You do, and it’s cute.”

  “I love you, too.” She really did. How could she have doubted it? “It’s good to be together like this. It’s good to be able to talk.” Her doubts had gone, chased away by a quiet evening spent together with the man she loved.

  Everything was going to be okay.

  He curved his hand around the back of her head and brought her mouth to his. His kiss was gentle, skilled and turned her brain and body to mush. When he lifted his head, she gave a murmur of protest and wriggled closer.

  “Dan—”

  “You’ve been a little quiet this week. Not quite yourself.”

  Her heart pumped a little harder. If she was going to talk to him about her doubts, now was the time. But what was the point? She knew for sure now that this was what she wanted. He was what she wanted.

  “It’s nothing—a combination of my parents being here, my sister overreacting, and the wedding plans.”

  “It’s crazy, isn’t it? The dress, the guests, are these the right flowers.” He cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze. “I get it, baby, I really do. My mother is a little overwhelming, and you have been so patient and kind letting her take over and plan the whole thing.”

  “It’s been so much work for her. I feel guilty about that.”

  “Don’t feel guilty. She loves to be busy. Ever since we lost my father, she’s been the same. It’s as if she’s afraid to slow down. Doing this for us is making her so happy, and you’re kind to let her do it. Your kindness is another of the many things I love about you.”

  What about her indecisiveness? Her tendency to flit from one thing to another? Did he love those things, too?

  He did, she told herself. He absolutely did. He’d seen that side of her. He’d seen her making up a million excuses to not get out of bed to exercise, he’d seen her dither over a dress choice, and fret over whether she’d picked exactly the right subject to study.

  “I find your mum inspirational. She keeps going. Keeps moving forward, even when her heart is broken and her feet must hurt.”

  “Yeah, that’s my mother. But still, it can be exhausting being around her. And I’m going to make you a promise, Mrs. Reynolds.”

  “I’m not Mrs. Reynolds.”

  “A couple more days, and you will be.” He rolled onto his back, taking her with him. “We’re going to keep smiling and get through this wedding, and then next summer I’m taking you to Hawaii. White sand beaches, palm trees, lazy evenings sipping cocktails. It’s going to be incredible.”

  A warm feeling of contentment spread through her.

  This, she thought, was true happiness. It was one of those moments you wanted to bottle so that you could bring it out when times were hard.

  “I’m still worried there are things we don’t know about each other. For example did I ever tell you that when I was eight years old I wanted to be a journalist?”

  He pulled her close. “I thought you wanted to be a fairy when you were eight years old.”

  “I did, but then I found out that being a fairy has lousy career prospects.”

  “Was that the day before you decided you wanted to be a ballerina?”

  She felt a rush of warmth. He did know her. “Are you suggesting that I flit from one thing to another?”

  “You do, and it’s another thing I love about you. Your brain is bursting with possibilities and options.”

  “That doesn’t annoy you?”

  “It’s fun. And being with you comes with a guarantee that we will never, ever be bored.”

  “You don’t mind that I change my mind?”

  “As long as you don’t change your mind about me, no.”

  She felt a flash of guilt and was relieved she hadn’t said anything. Yes, she’d had doubts, but they were normal doubts. Marriage was a big step. She was allowed to ponder on it and worry a little. It wasn’t something he needed to know.

  “I’m glad we’re on our own tonight.”

  “So am I.” He trailed slow kisses across her jaw and down her neck.

  She closed her eyes.

  She’d had relationships before, but nothing that had felt like this. Nothing to anchor her or cause her to question her choices or her plan for the future. But the moment she’d met Dan it had felt different, and not only because he’d managed to get her to actually like exercise. They’d connected in a way that felt fresh and special. Her other relationships had all felt right at the time, but it wasn’t until Dan that she’d realized she’d never known intimacy. Being with him had made her more confident and stronger in every way.

  Feeling warm, loved, and utterly content with life, she drifted off to sleep and woke only when Dan walked into the room with breakfast on a tray.

  “What time is it?” She yawned and sat up in bed.

  “Nine o’clock. You were tired.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  He winked at her and put the tray on her lap. There was a basket of warm, buttery croissants, freshly squeezed juice and coffee.

  “You’re spoiling
me.” She patted the bed next to her. “This doesn’t look like the usual health food you force down my throat.”

  “I think we used up enough calories last night for it not to matter.” He kissed her, and stole half a croissant. “The good news is that it has stopped snowing and the sun is shining. I had a text from Jordan. He’s bringing Katie back now, and they’re coming here. Apparently, she wants to talk to you.”

  Rosie paused with the glass halfway to her mouth. “What about?”

  “No idea. Maybe she’s decided she can’t be maid of honor, if Jordan is best man.”

  “She’d grit her teeth and get through it. Maybe she wants to explain why she sprinted into the forest by herself, because I can tell you that is definitely out of character.” She watched him chew. “Are you going to let me eat any of this breakfast you made for me, or did you make it to torture me?”

  “Sharing is caring.” Dan tore off another piece of croissant, but this time he fed it to her. “I know there’s a lot to do today, but let’s try to snatch an hour together this afternoon.”

  “Sounds good to me.” She ate the rest of the croissant, finished her juice and slid out of bed. “If Katie is on her way, I’d better take a shower. I’ll drink the coffee in a minute.”

  Dan followed her to the bathroom. “Need help?”

  “No!” She pushed at his chest. “I do not want to be naked when my sister arrives.”

  Ten minutes later, after the fastest shower on record, she was dressed and in the kitchen.

  The moment she saw Katie’s face, she knew this wasn’t about the wedding.

  “You look serious. Were the roads terrible? You’re here, so I assume you managed to dig yourselves out?”

  “Yes. Jordan handled it.” Katie took her hand. “I’ve been worried about you.”

  “Me? I’m not the one who was lost in a blizzard. Thank goodness Jordan found you. It all sounded very scary. Why did you go off like that without telling anyone where you were going?”

  “I—” Katie held tightly to her hand. “I thought you’d be upset. I was expecting you to have had a sleepless night.”