" M..merry Christmas, " I muttered shakily under my breath, but Eric seemed to have caught the jist of my greetings for he said merrily," I brought you your present. You can unwrap me now if you wish. "
The hearty laugh that followed didn't sound as bold as his laughter usually did. The power pack of pure confidence was lacking behind it. Was that why he was here. Did he need me back to boost his own consequence. Mooning over him as I had done could only have served to boost an inflated ego only further. I inwardly shook my head at my own stupidity. But I couldn't help repeating the mistakes of the past. I couldn't help drinking him up with my gaze starving as it was for the sight of him. I hadn't realised I would be so hungry for him that the yearning to throw myself in his arms would have me shaking where I stood from simply resisting that temptation. That temptation his taunting words only inflamed further, to have me tearing his clothes off and unwrapping him like a present. My present.
I tore my gaze away from his own intense perusal of my person and turned a tremulous smile at Nicky. She was talking nineteenth to a dozen with a still shirtless Jace. I stared resolutely at the six pack abs Jace shamelessly sported and did my best to ignore the pillar of hunk fuming silently behind me. Eric could never stand to be ignored and that was exactly what I was doing. What I had to do... to survive this.
"We're staying the night!" Announced Nicky, boldly inviting herself and Eric over. "Its Christmas and I wanted to spend it with family and you guys were the chosen lucky ones who will be fortunate enough to have my company. I brought Eric along cause you know what a grouse he becomes over the festive season. Can't seem to accept that this time is for rest and play not necessarily work."
She giggled at her own ridiculous joke. Eric had always played plenty during the festive seasons. There couldn't have been a player who played more. It would have been a physical impossibility.
I caught Jace's eye and saw that while he was not exactly pleased by the disruption to our interlude he was resigned to it. He did however make it a point to unwrap himself out of Nicky's arms and move over to my side. Wrapping an arm about my shoulders, he murmured the necessary invite to Eric whilst giving the impression that he and I were a couple.
I wasn't sure if I was happy about that. Did I want Eric knowing I was unavailable to him? He would never love me. Not like I loved him. I couldn't really afford to get sucked into that maelstrom of emotions now. Not when I had guests ariving for dinner.
I avoided meeting Eric's gaze and muttered something vague about checking the stew before I hurried over to the fireplace and reached for the large antique looking ladle. Already my brow dripped with perspiration. Being this close to the smoking chimney was not a good idea especially in the midst of a scorching summer. But I hadn't wanted to do a mere Christmas barbecue. I had wanted something traditional. Something homely. Something to remember.
I certainly got the later. Only it was the guest list more than my cooking that did it.
The stew was ready. I called for Jace to lift the heavy pot off the rack. I didn't have the muscles for it.
"Sure, honey," I responded, doing it a little too brown. Nicky lifted her brow in question but I was saved from having to explain when the real guests bearing gifts of the alcoholic kind, finally arrived.
Spruced up and shiny the ranch hands looked ruggardly handsome and were shamelessly lavish in their attention to me. I couldn't help my blushes that only got worse as the night went on and the booze loosened what few lips that the good food hadn't.
I normally wouldn't have been as embraced by their rowdy attentions but being under Eric's unwavering scrutiny had me fidgeting nervous. Still I ignored the flush to my cheeks and good humouredly bared the worst of their praises with an unfaltering grin.
Nicky flirted openly with every nke present, giving no indication where her true inclinations lie. With her own gender. Eric was uncharacteristically silent. Observing but not really participating. Jace fared no better. It was left to me to act the hostess and while I could perform the deed well enough with the rest, I found I really couldn't look Eric in the eye long enough to exchange two words with him. The awkwardness weighed heavy between us. Why had he come?
Too soon and yet not soon enough, the night was over. Dinner consumed till there were no scraps left and the alcohol drained leaving behind empty bottles tittering precariously on various edges. The last of the ranch hands left leaving behind the unwanted guests, Jace and I.
I shifted from the open doorway and moved about rapidly cleaning away and setting things to rights.
There were only two bedrooms in the house but there was a bunk house just across the vegetable patch. It was already wee hours in the morning and farm life begun early no matter how much alcohol was consumed the night before. Guessing I had only a couple of hours sleep at most, I offered up my room to Nicky and Eric.
Eric insisted on taking the sofa and Jace was swift to wrap his hamds about my waist. For some reason he wanted to continue the farce that we were an item. I didn't understand why and couldn't question him just yet. So I allowed him to tug me along after him. I stopped by my room to get my change of clothing while Jace got Eric a pillow and some blankets and then I mutely followed after Jace to his room.
I couldn't help the tremble in my limbs at being here. I liked Jace. Loved him and obsessed over him for too long in my life. I was hesitant to slip down that mindless path again. And Jace would make it only too easy.
He snapped off the light and we changed quietly in the dark. More like I changed into my thin cotton nightie while Jace merely stripped of altogether. Was he going to sleep in the nude with me?
I didn't know why that thought didn't perturb me. I trusted Jace too much to doubt he could ever do me harm. And I respected him even more. So I didn't question his actions and merely slipped into the bed beside him as he turned down the covers and got in.
I felt instantly hot.
Both sexually and generally.
Knowing that Eric laid on the sofa a little distance away made it only worse. I bit back a groan and muttered something vague about needing a shower before I got out of bed and made for the bathroom. Striping off the thin blowsy nightie, I stood under the shower before soaping myself and scrubbing hard. I was done soon enough. Turning off the tap I bit back a squeak of horror to find Jace in the bathroom with me. Watching me.
I stood there gaping at him. Before belatedly reaching for the towel to cover up. His eyes was hot as he lazily looked over my wet self in a heated sweep of his gaze. Then hecwas reaching out to grasp my arm. Helping me out of the shower, he took over the rubbing of the towel over my person and applied it vigorously where aches begun. His intentions to soothe the throbbing he instinctively knew he inspired.
Having him naked and just as aroused only served to have me moaning his name. But he didn't drop his lips to mine. Nor press my nakedness to his. Instead he sent me on my way slapping the wet towel to my ass as he did before entering the shower stall himself to turn on the icy blast on his own heated skin.
I watched for a moment entranced, my eyes greedily following his hands as they moved over his long frame with ruthless energy. All too soon the shower was turned off. He was done. That jolted me into action. Feeling a little faint I finished my exit of the bathroom and left the doorway I had been clinging to and returned to the bed.
I had barely gotten in before he was there beside me. The fresh scent of his soap lingering strongly in the air making me sniff harder to draw it all in.
Jace didn't hesitate but merely reached out for me as if he already owned me and drew me to him. I was tucked right up against him, with my head resting on his hard chest. I couldn't believe he expected us to actually sleep like this.
I could hear the rapid beat to his heart. It was oddly soothing. After a while, the tension eased out of my strained muscles and whatever part of me that hadn't been pressed up against him found its way to melt all over him. My mind fatigued with life in general stopped thinking and peace settled contentedly into my limbs. My eyes drooped and his heavy breathing fanned over my cheek lulling me off into sleep.
