A Down-Home Country Christmas (7 page)

“Sorry.” Robbie eased the plane into a gentler turn. “This baby is so maneuverable I forget not to fly like a stunt pilot.”

As they approached the town of Sanctuary, Holly found herself glued to the window so she could puzzle out familiar landmarks from this unique perspective. “That’s the Baptist church,” she crowed, recognizing the distinctive red and tan shingles on the roof. “And the cemetery. I see Washington Street.” That anchored the rest of the town and suddenly she could find anything she wanted to.

“There’s my house!” She recognized it by the gazebo in the back yard since the roofs all looked almost identical in the housing development. She was struck by how small and close-together it all appeared.

Robbie pointed out the Boone farm on the other side of the highway and then traced along the Limestone River toward Flat Top Mountain. “Call Claire and tell her to bring the girls outside. We’ll give them a wing wave.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to use a phone in a plane,” Holly said, as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

“It’s fine.” Robbie winked. “If it messes up the navigation, I know where I am.”

“I guess that’s true,” Holly said, admiring the shining ribbon of water winding through the valley.

Claire answered the phone. “I thought you were flying,”

“I am.” Holly felt a burst of pride at how calmly she could say that. “We’re about to fly over your house. Bring the girls outside.”

As the big house Tim had built halfway up the mountain came into view, Robbie let the plane drift downward until she could see three figures standing on the back deck.

“I’m going to do a wing wobble now,” Robbie warned.

Holly nodded, her attention on her family members below.

The plane rocked side-to-side several times, as Holly waved at Claire, Brianna, and Kayleigh. “Do you think they can see me?” she asked.

“No, but you can tell them you waved.” He banked the plane away from the mountain. “I’ll make another pass.”

He brought the plane even lower this time, giving the girls the same wing signal. Holly thought she could see Kayleigh jump up and down. “Thank you for that,” she said, as they gained altitude again. She hoped her daughters would think of her as adventurous. Not that she had told them she was afraid of flying; she didn’t want to put fear of any kind in their minds.

“I’m going to show you my favorite view now,” Robbie said. He steered the plane away from Flat Top Mountain and began to climb. The winter sun burned through a sky so blue its intensity made her blink. After several minutes of upward flight, the plane leveled off.

“Look down,” Robbie said.

The river had shrunk to a mere golden thread, and the trees and snow covering the mountains looked like gray and white velvet draped over the underlying rock. She scanned forward to find ridge after ridge running horizontally beneath them as they sailed through the high blue sky. The world seemed both smaller and larger as it spread out under the plane.

“The only limit is the amount of gas in the tank,” Robbie said, his eyes on the horizon. “And we’ve got a thousand miles before we run out of that.”

Suddenly she understood. Up here, he felt freed of the constraints Sanctuary and his family had laid on him.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “No boundaries.”

He nodded before turning to her. “Want to take the control stick?” he asked with a look that invited her to share his joy.

No, she didn’t want to touch that stick but she wasn’t going to admit it. “If you’re sure I won’t crash the plane.”

“We’re up high enough so I can fix any mistake you make before we hit anything.” He gave her a smile. “Put your hand on the stick and just feel how I’m moving it. Don’t try to steer it yourself yet.”

She took in a deep breath and gingerly wrapped her fingers around the joystick beside her seat. It vibrated and swayed as Robbie made small adjustments to keep the plane level and straight.

“Now see what happens when I move it this way.” He pushed it gently sideways and the plane tilted slightly before he moved the stick back. “Now forward.”

She began to anticipate what the plane’s response would be as Robbie manipulated the control in various directions, steering the plane through several gentle turns and circles. Her hand relaxed into a more natural grip on the stick and she started to move with it.

“Take over,” Robbie said, taking his hand off the control and dropping it onto his thigh.

“What!” Holly’s fingers convulsed on the joystick and the plane’s nose rose sharply.

“Ease it forward,” Robbie said, his hand still on his thigh.

She shoved the stick away from her and the nose plunged.

“A little less forward.” Robbie’s voice was unruffled.

She adjusted the stick slowly back and the craft righted itself. She breathed in and out to dispel the panic adrenalin.

“Robbie McGraw, you scared the heck out of me,” she scolded.

“You’ve been flying the plane for the past five minutes and didn’t even know it,” he said, his grin flashing. “I was just resting my hand on the stick to make you think I was steering.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

She kept the plane straight and level for a few minutes. Then she began to give it little nudges in one direction or another. “Can I turn it in a circle?”

“Go right ahead.”

Carefully, she moved the stick until the left wing tilted up slightly and the plane began to bank. She held it steady, making tiny adjustments to keep it on a smooth path.

“Nice work,” Robbie said as she brought it back level again. “Now turn it the other way.”

She made a tighter circle this time.

“Now do a loop-the-loop,” he said after she straightened out.

“Not funny.” She flexed her fingers around the grip, noticing the slight dampness of perspiration on her palm. “And don’t you do one either.”

He chuckled. “Turn her south, and we’ll head back to the airport.”

“Which way’s south?”

Robbie pointed to one of the screens on the dashboard and explained how to fly by the compass.

Soon she began to recognize landmarks and a sense of regret nipped at her. “I guess it’s time for you to take over. I don’t think I’m ready to land the plane yet.”

Wrapping his fingers around the joystick, Robbie said, “Take a lesson or two and you will be. You’re a natural born pilot.”

Gratification rolled through her. “I don’t know about that, but it’s fun.”

His eyes rivaled the brilliance of the sky when he turned to face her. “I knew you’d feel that way.”

He clearly didn’t know her very well because she was shocked at herself. She’d expected to grit her teeth and get through the ride with Robbie. The thought of actually flying the plane had been as remote as the prospect of walking on the moon. Yet she hadn’t wanted to give up the controls.

“How about we have a little fun with the descent?” Robbie asked.

“What does that mean?”

“I’ll take her down in a spiral.”

The old Holly would have wanted a straight, gradual descent, but she grabbed her seatbelt with both hands and said, “Go for it.”

Chapter 9

“That was amazing! I didn’t know a plane could even do that.” Holly vibrated with excitement as she climbed into Robbie’s Dodge Ram. “And I sure didn’t think I could fly a plane.”

“I’m pretty sure you could do anything you put your mind to,” Robbie said before he closed the door he was holding for her.

She stored his comment away to think about later as she waited for him to come around and swing into the driver’s seat. “How high can that plane go?” she asked.

“Twenty-five thousand feet.” He backed out of the parking space.

“Have you ever been that high?”

“Once or twice.” He took his eyes off the road to slant her a smile. “Crystal’s already rubbing her hands together at the thought of all the flying lessons you’re going to take.”

She couldn’t afford flying lessons, but that didn’t take away from how elated she was about her experience. “I didn’t expect it to be so…so thrilling. Wait till I tell the girls I flew the plane. Even Claire will be impressed.”

She felt so different. She, Holly Snedegar, elementary school secretary and divorced single mom, had flown an airplane the first time she’d ever been in one. It wasn’t that she thought she was now a competent pilot. It was that she’d fought through her fear to try out something far outside her comfort zone… and she’d succeeded. What a gift Robbie had given her!

“Robbie, you are…”

She turned to look at him. His hands rested on the steering wheel with a sure but relaxed grip. The leather of his jacket pulled tight over the muscles of his arm as he steered around a curve in the highway.

The excitement thrumming through her body took on a whole new quality. It transformed itself into a desire to run her fingers over the muscles outlined by the jacket and an even deeper yearning to have his hands glide over her body the way they did the truck’s steering wheel.

He glanced at her. “I am what?”

“You are…” She couldn’t find the right words to describe everything he was, so she switched gears. “Do you ever go somewhere else and land?”

“I’ve gone up to Maryland to eat fresh crab and down to Georgia to pick up ripe peaches. Maybe you’d like to take a ride and have lunch somewhere. What’s your favorite food?”

“Italian. Can you fly me to Tuscany?”

He chuckled. “I’ll see if I can borrow a 747.” He turned onto Cornsilk Lane. “I hear there’s a real good Italian restaurant in Greensboro. How about that as a substitute?”

“I’d love that.” The prospect of another flight with him sent joyful anticipation bubbling through her. She wanted to bounce up and down in her seat like Kayleigh.

He pulled the truck into her driveway and killed the engine.

Now came the really nerve-racking part of the day. She tried to figure out how to choreograph her seduction. Did she lead him into the bedroom? Or snuggle up to him on the sofa?

Nerves tied her stomach into a knot. The thought of taking off her clothes in front of Robbie McGraw made all the confidence she thought she’d built up from flying the airplane evaporate like snow in June. Not even the sexy lingerie Claire had bought for her could bolster it back up again.

She opened the truck door and slid out before Robbie could get around to help her. Her high-heeled boots skidded on an ice patch as she started for the house.

“Careful there.” Robbie reached her in time for her to stumble against the solid wall of his body. Her embarrassment vanished as yearning spiraled through her.

She looked up and found his eyes blazing with the same fire that licked along her nerve endings. She waited for him to lower his head and meet her lips with his, but he took a step away and turned her toward the sidewalk. “Let’s get you indoors before you take a tumble.”

She hoped he hadn’t noticed her expecting his kiss.

He walked beside her up the steps to her front door and stood aside as she unlocked it. Gesturing her through first, he closed the door behind them and shot the deadbolt home.

Unbuttoning her coat, she turned and said, “Would you like a—? Oh!”

He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her close as he slid his other hand into her hair to angle her head. “I’m sorry, Holly,” he said. “I’ve wanted to do this all afternoon.”

He bent his neck and his lips touched hers. It was a claiming kiss, hot and intense with all the pent-up desire he’d been holding in. Her bones seemed to melt, and she slid her hands under his jacket so she could press her palms against his back. She dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulders to hold on as he tilted her head back to drag his mouth down her throat and lick the hollow at the base. The swirl of warmth and moisture made her gasp and pulse her hips against him.

“Yes,” he rasped, sliding one of his hands down to cup her bottom and pull her in so she could feel his erection.

He held her there while he kissed her eyebrows, her eyelids, her cheeks, her mouth, and her neck. The contrast between his light sensual kisses and the pressure of his hand holding her against his hard arousal sent heat searing through her to coil deep in her belly.

She wanted—no, she
needed
—more contact. She wound her arms around his neck and said, “Lift me!” as she gave a little jump. His hands went to her waist and she wrapped her legs around his hips, her skirt hiking up so her lace panties met the denim of his jeans in a near-explosion of sensation. They both moaned at the same time.

He turned so that her back came up against the wall of the little foyer. Then he shifted his hands to her thighs. “Holly!” he breathed as his palms found the bare skin above her thigh-high stockings. His fingers curled around to caress the soft inner skin.

She arched into the wall to rub herself harder against his erection, as the tension inside her wound tighter. He helped her by grinding his hips between her spread legs as he devoured her mouth.

It wasn’t enough. She wedged her hands down between them to rip the buttons of his shirt open, spreading her fingers over the skin of his chest. She wanted to feel that warm wall of muscle against her breasts, so she began to pull at her blouse.

“No,” Robbie said, shocking her into looking back up. A wicked smile curved his lips. “I want to undress you.”

He reached back to unhook her legs from his waist so she slid down his body. Her feet had barely touched the floor before he wrapped his arm around her waist and hustled her through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom. She refused to think about the reason he knew every room in her house. She didn’t want her ugly past to sully this moment.

Once in her bedroom, he kept moving until they were beside the bed. Bracing one of his knees on the mattress, he lowered her backwards until she was lying down, looking up into his fiercely blue eyes.

“Don’t move,” he said, straightening to shrug out of his jacket and his shirt so his torso was bare.

This was perfect. He would undress for her, and she could keep her clothes on.

“You’re so beautiful,” she breathed, lifting her hands to trace the sharply defined muscles of his abdomen before she skimmed over the golden brown hair tracing a line down to the waistband of his jeans. His muscles contracted but he let her continue to explore until she thumbed his nipples.

Then he pushed her back on the bed as his fingers went to the buttons of her blouse. She still wore her winter coat and he had to move it aside as he flicked open the first button. Blessing Claire for the pushup bra, she watched his face while he worked his way downward. His gaze went sharp as the cream silk slid away from the red lace.

Pulling the hem from her skirt to reach the last button, he took the edges of silk and spread them apart, pushing the coat open farther at the same time. Her breath quickened as her lace-covered breasts were exposed to him.

“This is what I wanted.” He stared down at her.

It was what she wanted too, except his intent gaze was beginning to remind her of the shortcomings of her body. She shifted nervously. He was still holding her blouse so the backs of his fingers brushed against the sides of her breasts.

Her eyelids slammed shut to savor the flare of sensation.

Then his fingers were on her shoulders, shoving the coat and blouse down before he dragged them off her arms and tossed them on the floor. He braced his palms on either side of her and bent to bring his mouth to the swell of her breasts, tracing his tongue along the edge of the filmy red lace.

She let him tease her for a moment or two before taking his head between her hands and guiding his lips to her hard, aching nipples. She threaded her fingers into his hair and held on as he sucked on her, making the lace hot and damp against her skin. A rope of desire burned straight from her breasts to spin in an ever-tightening knot of arousal between her thighs.

She shuddered and arched against him, making his teeth graze the exquisitely sensitive peak. An orgasm hovered but she fought it back.

He slipped his hands behind her and unhooked her bra, pulling it down her arms and tossing it away. Then his palms were cupping her bare breasts as he stared down at her, his jaw tight with control.

The feel of his skin against hers nearly sent her over the edge again, so she ripped his belt buckle open and went to work on the snap of his jeans.

He huffed out a raspy laugh. “I’m trying to take it slow.”

“Maybe next time.” She yanked his zipper down so his erection pushed out under the black briefs he wore.

He helped her out by toeing off his boots and shoving down his briefs and jeans. She lay back and took in the sight of the sculpted lines down the front of his thighs and the flex of his buttocks as he bent to rip off his socks.

He put one knee on the bed again, and reached for the buckle of her slim belt. As she watched the fluid slide of his muscles under his skin, she thought of her own body.

Her stomach rounded outward no matter how many crunches she did. There was a scar from the Caesarean she’d had for Kayleigh. Her sun-starved skin was so pale it was nearly blue.

Robbie was so perfect. He wouldn’t want her.

She reached for his hands to stop him, but he misinterpreted her gesture, thinking she wanted to hurry him. He caught her wrists and stretched them above her head, bending so his chest brushed her nipples, making pleasure flare so she involuntarily arched up against him.

“I want to unwrap you,” he said, his eyes locked on hers. “Like a Christmas gift.”

All she could manage was a tiny whimper of agreement. As long as he was hiding her body with his, she was happy to have nothing covering her so she could feel his touch. He released her wrists and ran his hands down the length of her arms until she felt his fingers at her belt buckle.

She closed her eyes as her belt was whipped out of its loops with a whisper of leather against fabric. He found the button on the side of her skirt and slid the zipper down. She lifted her hips so he could pull her skirt down. As the fabric slithered past her knees, he made a strangled sound that startled her into opening her eyes.

He stood with her skirt dangling from one hand, his eyes blazing with desire. He dropped the skirt and bent to trace the tops of her thigh-high stockings with both hands. “I’m leaving these and the boots on,” he rasped, his gaze following the path of his fingertips.

A wave of feminine power surged through her as she saw his erection tighten. His exploration drifted around to her inner thighs and she moaned, spreading her legs to give him access to the place that ached for his touch.

Then he knelt, and she could no longer see his face. She was about to tilt her head up when she felt his fingers at the sides of her panties, moving them down carefully over the stockings and then swiftly down the boots. She closed her eyes and grabbed fistfuls of quilt to keep from covering herself with her hands.

Her hold on the quilt convulsed when she felt his lips press against the inside of her thigh and his fingers slide between her legs and inside her. He murmured something against her, the whiff of his breath stroking her skin, and then she lost all thought as his thumb touched the center of her ache. She lifted her hips to offer him more of herself and he accepted, moving his mouth to where his thumb had been. She whimpered in protest as his fingers came out of her, but then he flexed them around her behind, holding her so he could use his mouth and tongue to wind her closer and closer to orgasm.

Now her desire was wound so tightly that she no longer cared what he thought of her. She simply wanted him to release her into an orgasm.

“Robbie,” she begged, releasing the quilt to thread her fingers in his hair. All sensation focused on his touch between her legs, but she ached to have him inside her before she exploded over the edge. “Robbie!” With a supreme effort, she curled her torso upward to see his blue eyes glazed with arousal. “Come with me.”

“I wanted to give you this first,” he said, lifting his head.

She shook her head. “Together.”

He let her hips down on the bed and bent to grab his jeans, pulling a condom out of the pocket and ripping the packet open with his teeth.

“Let me.” Holly held out her hand. “I want to touch you.”