Christmas Nights(10)

A messy precipitation had begun to fall while they were in the hospital, a mix of rain, sleet and snow. “Slurry” as described by Stella. As such, the path was icy and slippery, and Travis had discovered Stella had a stubborn streak. He’d barely gotten to her side in time to keep her from falling.

“Mom, I have to learn sometime,” Stella protested.

Janie’s eyes met his. He glanced to Stella’s whose chin was set. He gave Janie a small nod. “Okay, Stella, here’s the deal. You can try this, but I’m staying right by your side. The last thing you need is to fall right now.”

Stella didn’t look his way, but she sighed dramatically. Travis figured she’d had just enough painkillers to make her oblivious to the possible pain if she slipped and fell right now. With him on one side and Janie on the other, Stella made her way slowly and laboriously down the path. Once they got inside, Janie set Stella up on the couch with plenty of blankets and hot cocoa before looking over at Travis. “You want to stay for some dinner? I have a salmon casserole all ready to go in the oven.”

Travis looked over at her. Her rich brown hair tumbled around her shoulders and her hazel eyes were bright in the soft light in the living room. Once Janie had steadied after learning Stella would be okay, his body had tuned into her. His reaction to her was off the charts. All she had to do was exist, and his body hummed with electricity and raw need. He realized he hadn’t answered her question when she angled her head to the side. “Dinner would be great,” he belatedly replied. He couldn’t have considered any other answer.

“Great. Let me…” Her words trailed off when she looked down to see Stella sound asleep. With a soft smile, she looked up at him. “Well, I was going to see if she wanted anything, but I guess I don’t have to worry about that.”

She angled her head toward the kitchen before walking quietly past the couch. He followed her, sitting on a stool by the island in the middle of the kitchen when she pointed him there. “Wine or beer?” she asked as she paused by the refrigerator.

“Beer will do.”

She pulled out a beer from the local brewery and slid it across the counter to him before pouring a glass of red wine for herself. Travis watched as she puttered about the kitchen, turning the oven on and transferring the casserole pan to the oven. They chatted quietly with Janie asking him questions about his work. At one point, she went to check on Stella and helped Stella make her way to bed. Janie returned a few moments later.

“She’s already out. She won’t dare say it out loud, but she’s exhausted. I think the painkillers they gave her knocked her out,” Janie said with a rueful smile.

“I’d bet she’s tired. Between the adrenaline rush in the sledding accident and then the pain from the break, she should be.”

Janie checked the casserole and turned back, idly twirling the oven mitt on the end of her finger. “I never did ask exactly how the sledding accident happened. Do you know?”

“I know as much as I can without having been there when it happened. Apparently, they were racing sleds down the big hill at the park. Happens almost every day in the winter, so that’s no big deal. Not sure what caused it, but two sleds collided toward the bottom. Stella’s leg got caught on the other sled. That flung her off her sled and into a tree. She could’ve broken her leg when it got caught on the other sled or when she hit the tree. Hard to know unless she remembers feeling it when it happened.”

Janie grimaced when he recounted what he’d been told about the accident. With a shake of her head, she sighed. “Guess it could’ve been much worse. She’ll be good and cranky about managing on her crutches, but she’ll be fine, so I’ll take it.”

The oven timer beeped, interrupting their conversation. Janie turned away to check the casserole. Declaring it ready, she quickly pulled it out of the oven and served him a plate with a healthy heaping of salmon casserole, which was a delectable blend of salmon, cream cheese and cauliflower with rice. Time passed in a blink and before he knew it, Janie was putting dishes in the dishwasher, while he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off the luscious curves of her bottom.

A jolt of lust hit him, and Travis shifted in his chair. Once she’d served dinner, they’d moved over to the round table in the corner of the kitchen. He glanced out the window into the darkness. The messy snow had stopped, and the sky was clearing with stars peeking out from behind the clouds. He was wrestling with a mix of feelings. The comfort of having dinner with Janie was unusual. Her home was warm and, well, homey. Being with her through the afternoon as she’d waited to know Stella was okay and then helping them get home was a role he’d never held. As a firefighter and emergency responder, he was quite accustomed to dealing with emergencies and offering support throughout. However, his role was confined to the crisis at hand and its aftermath. Spending the afternoon with Janie this way had felt oddly comfortable. There was that and the almost constant buzz of attraction once they were alone.

She was an incredibly tempting combination of warm, nurturing and sexy as hell. Right now, she was wiping down the counter and all he could think about was how much longer he’d have to wait to feel her curves against him again. She’d demurred when he’d offered to help clean up, limiting him to carrying the dishes over to the sink and then shooing him back to the table. At that moment, she turned and leaned over to wipe down the counter facing him. His eyes dipped down to the shadowed valley between her breasts. She wore a cotton shirt with a scoop neck, which hugged her curves. He shifted in his seat again, restless from the lust pounding through his body.

She straightened, her eyes locking with his across the room. Electricity sizzled through the air between them. She spun away, snapping the moment. The sound of the water running in the sink barely penetrated when she rinsed and put the sponge away. He didn’t realize what he was doing until he was on his feet, walking toward her, but he felt a sudden sense of relief when she turned and her eyes widened to find him standing beside the island a few feet away.

Her cheeks were flushed. He could see the rise and fall of her breath. He held still for only a moment before closing the distance between them. She tilted her head back to look up at him. The second her gaze collided with his, he took another step closer until he could feel the heat of her body. He didn’t know what he was doing or how she felt about it, but all he knew was the drive to touch her and be close. Whatever thoughts were passing through her mind, he saw an answering desire reflected in her eyes. He lifted his hand and traced along her collarbone, up her neck where the skin was so soft it sent a pang through him, and into her silky hair. Her breath hitched, and his body tightened in response, the coil of need winding tighter inside. On the heels of a breath, he dipped his head and finally, finally brought his lips to hers.

It was like coming up for air after too long under water. He’d only kissed her once before, and he hadn’t stopped craving another kiss since then. For a flash, she froze and then sighed. It was as if their interrupted kiss from the other night picked up right where it left off. He fit his mouth over hers and delved inside. She met him stroke for stroke. Somewhere along the way with their tongues tangling wildly, he found himself lifting her up onto the counter behind her. He tore his lips free from hers, frantic for a taste of her skin. Blazing a path of kisses along the column of her neck, he growled against her skin when she shifted her hips restlessly against him. Without an ounce of calculation, the subtle arch brought the heat of her core against his rock-hard cock, sending a throb of need through him.



Janie couldn’t get close enough to Travis. With need pounding through her, she curled her legs around his hips and slipped her hands under his shirt, sighing at the feel of the muscled planes of his chest. She was lost in a maelstrom of sensation, drenched with need, and all she could think about was getting as close as possible. Meanwhile, his lips meandered along her collarbone, sending little shocks of pleasure through her everywhere they landed. His hand loosened in her hair and stroked down her back before tracing the dip of her waist and along the undersides of her breasts. She was panting with need. This wild, frantic side of herself was nearly unrecognizable to her. She didn’t lose control when it came to men. Ever. But right here, right now, she was dangerously close to it and barely hanging onto the thinnest thread of control.

When he tugged her shirt down below her breasts, a moan escaped as he traced his finger around a taut nipple pressed against the navy silk of her bra. She gripped his hair when he leaned forward and laved the silk. She was slick with need, her channel throbbing. He didn’t let up, alternating his attention between her nipples until she was gasping and flexing into his touch. She stroked a hand between them, curling it over the hard length of his cock. She could feel the heat of him through the denim and felt a wash of satisfaction when he groaned and lifted his head.

When his eyes met hers, dark with desire, she suddenly realized she was on the verge of tearing his clothes off right here in the kitchen. The shock of the moment sunk in. Something must’ve shown on her face because he held still, his eyes watching her. She forced herself to think through the haze of passion clouding her mind. No matter how much she wanted Travis—and boy did she ever—she couldn’t let this happen. Not this fast and this carelessly. She tried to take a steadying breath, but that sent her breasts rising against his chest, her taut nipples brushing against his rock-hard muscles. A rush of heat washed through her—a mix of intense need and embarrassment to find herself in this position.