Christmas Nights(18)

He stilled his fingers and slowly dragged them out. Even though she was nearly boneless, she knew she wanted more. She shifted her hips back and tore at his jeans, tugging them down around his hips swiftly and sighing when his cock sprung free. Curling her hand around his length, she closed her eyes at the feel of his hot, velvety skin. She felt him shift and glanced up to see him fumbling in his pocket. He swore softly and tossed his wallet aside once he yanked a condom out. She grabbed it from him and tore the packet open. In seconds, she’d rolled it on and rose up.

“Janie.”

Her eyes collided with his just as he curled a hand around her hip and held her still. Restless, she shifted her hips, but he held firm. He positioned his cock at her entrance, her channel clenching with need at the subtle pressure. In slow motion, he eased her down, his cock filling and stretching her slowly. As she sank onto him, she bucked against his grip at the last moment, sinking deeply against him. The sensation of him inside of her felt so damn good, she lost her breath.

They were still together for a long moment, yet inside she was spiraling with need. The echoes of her climax rustled within, pleasure rising in small bursts as she settled against him—the hard, hot length of him pulsing subtly. She gathered herself and rose up, almost crying out at the slow slide of him within. They rocked together, slow at first and gradually picking up the pace until she felt as if she was hurtling into madness again. He tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her close, claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss. The charge humming through her became hotter and hotter as she chased another sweet release.

With every stroke of him inside, the wildness built until he gripped her hips and brought her down hard against him as he surged to meet her. Another surge and the pleasure broke loose again, streaking through her in waves as her channel convulsed around him. He caught her cry in their kiss, tearing his lips free as he threw his head back against the couch, his body going taut against hers. He slowly relaxed, his hands loosening on her hips. All she wanted was to stay right there, so she let her head fall forward into the dip of his shoulder and caught her breath. She idly traced the hard muscled planes of his chest, marveling at how good it felt to be this close to him. His body was a work of art, but it wasn’t just that. It was the shimmering incandescent feeling between them. After several long moments, she lifted her head. He rolled his head to the side where it had fallen back on the couch.

“You’re getting cold,” he said softly, running a hand up her back, his touch alerting her to the goose bumps on her skin.



Travis came awake slowly. For a second, he was confused when he felt soft curves against him. Then, he remembered where he was—in Janie’s bed. He opened his eyes to find Janie sound asleep beside him. Her dark hair was tangled on the pillow. The winter dawn was just breaking, wispy light filtering through the curtains in her bedroom. Without moving, he slowly scanned the room, which he’d stumbled into in the dark late last night. There was a dormer window on one side and a picture window offering a view of the bay on the other side. The curtains hung open in the center, revealing the snow falling softly outside. Janie’s bed was a queen-size four-poster bed of dark mahogany. Ample pillows and a fluffy down quilt made for an incredibly comfortable night’s sleep. There was that and the most incredible sex he’d ever had last night—two factors contributing to him feeling very well rested this morning. Well, and Janie’s lush curves and silky skin against him. She was curled beside him with one of her legs tangled in his. She shifted just the slightest bit, and his cock responded.

He almost laughed. He didn’t want her to think all he wanted was sex, but it was hard not to think about that almost all the time with her. His body was like a tuning fork with her, attuned to everything about her. He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to wrestle control of his body. Her leg slid against his again, sending another hot jolt of lust through him. Damn. He was in deep.





Chapter 13





“Danny! Back in your seat,” Janie called out.

She watched as Danny literally bounced back into his seat from several desks over. She had to bite back a laugh. Danny was a little bundle of energy, but his good-natured attitude saved him from being an annoyance. She scanned the class, checking to make sure she had some semblance of attention from most of the students. “Okay, let’s vote on the marker color for the afternoon! Danny, you’re in charge of counting hands,” she said with a quick nod in his direction. Danny immediately wiggled his bottom in his seat and grabbed the small erase board and marker on his desk. “Hands up for red,” she announced. She quickly ran through the options for green, blue and yellow and then looked to Danny. “Okay, what’ll it be this afternoon?”

Danny, his brown eyes alert, looked up. “Yellow and blue are tied.”

“Okay, tie-breaker vote. Yellow?” she asked the room at large. Hands shot up. She gave Danny enough time to count and record the answer before moving on. “Blue?” Once Danny looked up, she arched a brow.

“Blue! That’s my favorite!” Danny announced with a wiggle and a grin.

One of her small tricks to keep kids engaged in class was her twice-daily vote on which color marker she used on the board. It was a tiny thing, but many tiny things like that helped her students feel included. She picked up her blue marker and moved onto the afternoon lessons for math and language arts. After the last bell rang and her students gathered their backpacks and scrambled out of her classroom, she sank down at her desk.

One thing she loved about teaching was it kept her mind engaged, although today had been a day of almost constant distraction. She’d managed, but just barely, to pay attention. All day long, thoughts of Travis had feathered along the edges of her mind. The other night had almost consumed her, in more ways than one. There was the simple truth that she’d never lost herself with anyone the way she lost herself with him. It had been nothing but a blur of pure sensation and connection. Waking up beside him had been a slice of heaven she’d never imagined. She’d offered to make omelets for breakfast, and he’d surprised her by jumping in to help and demonstrating he was a more than adequate cook. He’d had to leave after an emergency call to a moose collision on the highway. She’d had her annoyances with moose over the years, but it was a first to be annoyed because they interrupted her morning with a man. Stella arrived home with Pansy in a bustle of excitement about her mini-shopping trip with her grandmother. Janie had somehow managed to collect herself and behave normally, all the while her body was still reverberating from the night with Travis.

It was Monday now, and Travis had called twice and texted several times. He clearly seemed to get, without stating it explicitly, that ensconcing himself in her life with Stella wasn’t the simplest thing to do. Yet, he made it clear he wanted to see her. Soon. Often. She flushed straight through just thinking about the feel of him inside of her. She gave her head a quick shake and gathered the loose papers on her desk together.

“Hey there, thought I’d find you here.”

Janie glanced up to find Tess Winters at the doorway. “Hey Tess! What brings you here?”

Tess was a newer friend since she’d only moved to Diamond Creek a few years ago, but they’d gotten close. She’d helped Janie organize a school fundraiser the first month she officially moved to Diamond Creek after falling head over heels in love with Nathan Winters. They’d become fast friends then. Janie appreciated Tess’s no-nonsense, practical approach to life and work, and her sly sense of humor. Tess stepped into the classroom, swinging her purse from her hand. “Oh, I had a meeting with Nancy about organizing the annual fundraiser for the music program. Seeing as the bell just rang, I figured you’d still be around.”

Tess plunked down in a desk across from Janie’s, her petite frame looking large in the small child-size desk. She brushed a honey-brown curl out of her eyes and met Janie’s gaze. “What’s up with you? We need to get together for dinner soon.”

“How about tonight?” Janie asked, startling herself. Her question wasn’t unusual, but she was taken aback by the urgency she felt inside. She was desperate for some feedback on the doubts rampaging through her about Travis.

Tess pulled her phone out and quickly texted someone. She set it down on the desk with a smile. “Just texted Nathan to tell him he’s on his own for dinner. How much you wanna bet he goes over to one of his brother’s for dinner now?”

Janie chuckled. “Not worth the bet because that’s almost a guarantee, right?”

Tess threw her head back with a laugh. “Yup. He’s actually pretty decent around the kitchen, but he’s got two sisters-in-law who are phenomenal cooks, so it’s a win if he stops by for dinner. Anyway, let’s do an early happy hour. I’m not up for anything late because it’s too damn cold out.”

“Me neither. Sally’s?” Janie asked, referring to a local favorite restaurant and bar.

“Perfect. You ready or do you need a few minutes?”

Janie slid the papers into a file folder and put them away in her desk drawer. “Ready,” she said as she stood and pulled her coat off the back of her chair.