Merry Little Christmas Read online

  It didn’t matter where they were or what they were doing. Sometimes he could just look at her and want her, desperately, need her, completely. Right then and there.

  Over the years, he knew they’d cultivated a little bit of small-town gossip because of it. They’d been caught half-clothed in the back of the hardware store just a few weeks ago, for old time’s sake, and it wasn’t the first time they’d been caught or nearly caught sneaking away to indulge in each other. The list of places he’d had her was varied and impressive and to think that it had all started in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church was proof that he’d never been able to control himself where she was concerned. They’d tamped down on some of the riskier situations since they’d decided to become parents but nothing kept him from her for long.

  The fact that he hadn’t made love to her yet today was the reason he’d come looking for her in the first place.

  She’d been up and gone from the house by the time he got in from morning chores on the ranch. In the old days, he would have woken her up before he left, had her at least once, and then maybe again when he returned, but he’d been trying to let her sleep since she was pregnant. Today she’d been peacefully snoozing, warm in the bed, and he hadn’t wanted to disturb her.

  He’d watched her sleep for a long time, hadn’t been able to look away. She slept with her hand protectively covering the swell of her belly even in unconsciousness. A protector to her core, she was going to be a natural at motherhood. He’d come home from the barn with every intention of slipping into bed with her and waking her up slowly but she hadn’t been in bed and he hadn’t been happy to find out where she was.

  In town, with his mother, shopping to be exact. Even though she was supposed to stay off her feet as much as possible, she’d spent all day doing last minute shopping. According to her text, there were stocking stuffers to buy and last minute sweets to purchase, hence the cookies.

  Tomorrow was Christmas after all.

  Tomorrow his entire family would converge at the Triple Star. He supposed he should just be thankful Devin and Maddie were hosting at their house. They’d always had Christmas at the West family house, even after their mother moved to town and gave the house to Zach and even after Zach moved out and gave it to Devin. And now that Devin and Maddie had a family of their own to raise in the old homestead, it just seemed right that they all go there to celebrate together.

  He knew that sometime in the future, when there were a dozen screaming children and moody teenagers that might change. At some point, it was possible they would decide that spending the entire day together was just too much work. Riley would have his family up on the hill in his big manor house and Zach would have his here at the Oaks with Bluebell and Devin and Maddie and the girls would stay at the Trip. But for now, they were all in agreement that they should hold onto tradition for as long as they could.

  Tomorrow there would be breakfast and presents. Lunch and more presents. Dinner and even more presents. The West family was a giving family after all and now that there were kids to splurge on, the number of presents under the tree had swelled to an alarming rate that predicted they’d be overtaken with the newest babies arrived in spring.

  He was looking forward to that day, just as he was looking forward to tomorrow. He loved his family. He loved that they spent all of the major holidays together. He loved that his brothers were his best friends and that his wife was best friends with their wives. He loved that they were one big, family unit.

  He was also looking forward to finding a way to sneak off with his wife, a Christmas tradition all their own, but until then…

  “No. I came for something sweeter.” He brushed his lips over hers, “I missed you today.”

  “I was only in town for a few hours.” She kissed him back softly, “But I missed you too.”

  “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

  “I am.” She tilted her head back for him when he nuzzled her neck, “I made your mom push the buggy at the grocery store.”

  He snorted, “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know. You’re just worrying because that’s what you do, but I’m fine Zach. Promise.”

  “I worry because I love you.” He nibbled on her earlobe as he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.

  “I love you too.”

  “Say it again.”

  “I love you.” She made a breathy moan, “And I want you. God, how do you do that? Just that fast, I want you more than I want my cookies all of a sudden.”

  He chuckled, “Pregnancy hormones?”

  “No. It’s not new. I always want you. Zach…”

  She arched up into him when he slipped his hands beneath the shirt she was wearing and cupped her ass, which was a tad bit bigger than usual but the perfect size for cupping now. He loved her ass like this. Found himself contemplating spanking her, a lot, and then fighting off the urge because she was pregnant and that was not a polite, husbandly thing to want to do to his wife, and he wasn’t Devin after all. He’d bite her sweet ass and then kiss it instead. That seemed like a reasonable compromise.

  “Hmm?”

  “Make love to me.”

  “That was the plan baby-doll.” He rubbed her against his erection, “Let’s go upstairs.”

  “Can’t.” She moaned.

  “Can’t?” He repeated.

  “Cookies are in the oven. They’ll burn.”

  “You’re still worried about your cookies?” He smirked as he pulled back enough to look at her.

  Her big blue eyes were glazed already. He loved that he could make her look like this with barely a touch. He hadn’t even kissed her yet and she looked on the verge of orgasm. Some of that was indeed the pregnancy hormones, he knew, but the rest of it was simply her reaction to him and he wasn’t smug about that. He was humbled. That this incredible woman could love him and want him was a miracle.

  “I’m going to want my cookies after.”

  He snorted at that, “So you want me to make love to you but you can’t go upstairs. I wonder what you could possibly want.”

  “You don’t have to wonder.” She grinned, “I’ll tell you.”

  Saucy little woman. She knew just how to tease him. She was always up for whatever crazy shenanigans he thought up and he was always up for hers. Whatever it was she wanted, he would give it to her and she knew that. She was wearing nothing more than an oversized shirt of his, which she knew drove him crazy, and a pair of skimpy panties. She might have been cooking because she was hungry but she’d also known that he would come looking for her. He didn’t doubt that his wife had a plan of her own.

  “The counter or the kitchen table?”

  “Neither.”

  “No?” He raised a curious eyebrow.

  “I want you right here, just like this.” She twisted around to face the island and leaned back against his chest, “I want to feel you all around me, surrounding me, while you’re inside me.”

  He groaned when she rubbed that ass he liked so much back against his now throbbing erection. He loved it when she talked like this, when she told him what she wanted so he could make her fantasy come true. But this time he balked, holding her hip steady against his as he circled her stomach protectively with his other hand.

  “Baby, you’re pregnant.”

  “Yes. I am. Aren’t you going to give your pregnant wife what she needs?” She tilted her head back and kissed the underside of his chin.

  “From behind I’ll slam you into the counter. It’s not safe for you or for the baby.”

  “Mmm, I don’t know what’s sexier. The idea of you slamming into me or the fact that you’re being all sweet and protective. This side of you turns me on even more.”

  “Blue…”

  “I want you like this Zach. I guess you’ll just have to be careful with me, with us.” She stroked her hand over the one of his covering her stomach, “I trust you to go slow and easy.”

  He smiled when he re
alized what he’d been missing. This was what she wanted. Not just here, now, against the counter in the kitchen, from behind. She wanted slow and easy. And he could give her that, despite the fact he ached to drive into her hard and fast. He would never, ever, put her or their baby at risk, so he would control himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t also control her.

  “You want nice and easy?”

  “Uh huh.” She sighed when he bunched the fabric of the shirt up until he could slip his hand into her panties.

  He slid a finger down along her folds and they both groaned. Wet and ready for him. Her hips lifted up, trying to get more of his touch but he purposefully pressed her back against him more tightly.

  “You wanted slow remember?”

  “I…” She twisted against his fingers as he stroked her clit, “What?”

  He chuckled. She’d already lost her train of thought. He liked that and so did his body. He ached to feel her around him so he pulled his hand away. She was ready and this was only teasing both of them. She whimpered at the loss even as he stripped her out of her panties and unbuckled his pants.

  “I’ll give you nice. I’ll give you easy. But you don’t want slow baby-doll and neither do I.” He nudged her legs wider, “Hold onto the ledge. Yeah, like that. Bend over just a… damn you look perfect just like that.”

  “Zach…”

  “I’m going to make you come before the timer goes off on your cookies.” He smirked when she twisted her gaze up to look at him. “Yeah, you heard me.”

  “I like a man with goals.” She smiled slowly.

  She was still smiling when he guided the head of his cock between her folds and pushed inside of her. Slow. So slowly. It was torturous for the both of them. Her heat enveloped him and her body was already throbbing she was so close. Still, he held tight to his control as he pushed deep, careful to shield her stomach from the hard edge of the counter with his arm. Only once he was as deep as he could go, did he start the long journey of pulling back out.

  “Oh God…” Bluebell moaned. “That feels…”

  “Perfect. You feel perfect baby.” He leaned over her until his front blanketed her back and kissed her neck, “Think you can come like this?”

  “I… Oh…”

  He chuckled when she broke off with a keening cry. He’d used his free hand to rub her clit again and her entire body jerked like he’d hit her with an electric current. She was so close she’d fall over the edge with just one more touch and they both knew it. And the fact that she was so close, that he could feel her body pulling at his, practically begging for release, dragged him towards his own.

  He abandoned her clit to stroke her breasts as he pumped into her. Deep. As deep as he could get. He pulled almost all the way out of her body, until she was tiptoeing and arching back trying to keep him inside of her. He held her steady as he made love to her just the way she wanted, until she was breathing hard and pleading with him for her release. And God, he loved it when she begged.

  “Please, Zach, please…”

  “Now?”

  “Now.” She arched back into him as her body strained.

  He groaned as her body fluttered all around him and gave in. He put his hand back between her legs and rubbed her clit. Not slow or easy because he knew her well enough to know what she really wanted now. He stroked her hard and fast, rubbing until he felt the first shiver work through her muscles.

  “Zach!”

  She called his name as she exploded. Her entire body shuddered as the orgasm swept through her. He held her tight, holding her up as her legs shook, and tried not to push her too hard when he jerked deep inside of her and his own climax barreled down his spine.

  Bluebell collapsed back against him and he held her close. They were both struggling to regain their breath. Sweat trickled down his temple and he wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt. It had been hot in the kitchen before but now it was stifling and he realized then that he hadn’t even bothered to undress her, or himself. Pants around his ankles, her shirt pushed up and her panties pulled down, he’d taken her like he had to rush, like he didn’t get to have her any time he wanted her, because she still managed to make him crazy.

  He figured she probably always would.

  “Wow that was…” She sighed but her thought was interrupted by the buzzer on the stove going off.

  She broke out in a fit of giggles. He chuckled and let her go since she seemed steady on her feet. He stepped back and pulled his pants back up, tucking himself inside carefully but not bothering with his belt which hung loose around his waist. She tugged her panties back up and then skated across the kitchen, flipping off the timer and pulling the cookies out of the oven.

  “That was…” He prompted when she gave him a goofy grin.

  “Well-timed?”

  He snorted, “I was going to say perfect, just like you.”

  Bluebell moved back towards him, tossing the oven-mit down along the way, “And with the sweet talk? Baby, I’m a sure thing.”

  Instead of following her down that particular rabbit hole he sighed and looped her back into his arms, “I love you Bluebell West.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Mmm, you happy now?”

  “Always.” She leaned up and kissed him lightly.

  “Happy enough to share your cookies with me?”

  She laughed, “It was all a con to get to the cookies. I should have known.”

  He watched as she carefully moved the hot cookies from the baking pan to a decorative plate. Her hair had come loose during their lovemaking and a few strands framed her face. She looked disheveled and lovely and his, just the way he liked her. He imagined them doing exactly this for the rest of their lives.

  “I’d say that orgasm earned you at least two cookies.” She blew him a kiss across the counter.

  “Just two?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want you to get too cocky.”

  “And here I thought you liked me cocky.” He teased and then laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him. “Speaking of spoiling though, I have an early Christmas present for you.”

  She glanced up, her eyes sparkling, “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Oh, I love presents!”

  “I know.”

  And he did. She was like a little kid when it came to presents no matter the time of the year. Whenever he gave her anything, she acted as if nobody had ever given her something so great before, even if it was something small. Giving her flowers made her day, particularly when he managed to track down her namesake, so he had a feeling what he was about to give her was going to earn him a lot more than two cookies.

  The idea wasn’t something that had just come to him. He’d thought about it once, when she first got pregnant. But it had drifted away and had only just returned and he knew that now was the perfect time to bring it up. It was Christmas after all, the time of giving, and he would give Bluebell anything.

  “What is it?” She glanced around, “Is it under the tree?”

  “No.”

  “You hid it from me?”

  “You unwrapped everything with your name on it under the tree early last year so yes, of course I hid your presents from you.” He chuckled as she stepped closer, “But this isn’t a present I could wrap.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Come here for a second.” He circled the kitchen counter and sat down on one of the stools, pulling her between his legs so they were at eye level.

  “Uh oh, this seems serious.” She studied his face, equal parts confusion, apprehension and excitement.

  “What you said earlier about us planning for girls, I realized you’re right. We’ve gone about all of this like we were destined to have a daughter. We even picked out names we liked for girls but we haven’t done any of that for a boy.”

  “Oh…” She tilted her head slightly, “Okay… does this have something to do with my present?”

  “Focus baby-doll.”
He brushed her hair back, “This is your present.”

  “What?”

  “If you’re right, if we’re having a boy, a son… I want to name him after your father.”

  Bluebell gasped and her eyes went wide. Tears instantly pooled behind the big, blue depths. Her bottom lip quivered but she bit it. He started to pull her closer but she shook her head and held her ground, holding the tears back the way he knew now her father had taught her to.

  “Are you serious?”

  “I am.”

  “I… I thought you’d want to name him after your dad.” She sniffed.

  “I know. I thought of that too. But the truth is, Devin already named Ellie after Dad. He has his namesake. I think our baby should be named after your side of the family.”

  He was named after his own father. His middle name was Ellis. But Devin had already used their father’s first name and he wasn’t jealous of that. He loved that the first-born grandchild was named after their father. He loved that Ellie would grow up on their father’s land, in the same house they’d grown up in, not just as a West but as Ellison West.

  He thought that as an only child, it was far more important that Bluebell keep her family name alive than he attempt to use his again. Their son would be a West for the rest of his life. But he wouldn’t only a West, he would also be part of Bluebell’s family.

  She squished her nose up again, “I love you so much and I love the idea but… honestly, Zach, I’m not a big fan of naming our baby Lyle.”

  He chuckled, “You know, I thought you might say that.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah, but that’s okay because I wasn’t going to suggest we name him Lyle.” He smiled, “I was thinking we could call him Carter.”

  “Carter.” She repeated, a small smile inching up her face, “My last name? My dad’s last name?”

  He nodded but she remained silent. He didn’t know what to make of that. He’d thought it was a good idea. Bluebell had been named after her mother’s side of the family because there were no more Montgomery’s to carry on the family name. She was also the last Carter and he’d thought she would like the idea of continuing her family name since she was now a West too.