Giving In: The Sandy Cove Series (Book 1) (29 page)

“See that’s where you’re wrong.”

He cups my face, strokes his thumb over my lips, across my chin and to the bridge of my nose. He lightly kisses both my eyes, then the tip of my nose before meeting back to my eyes.

“What I’m holding in my hands is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

I feel the pink creep into my cheeks, and the tears drift down my face.

I look up at him adoringly.

“You make me so happy. Thank you.”

He pulls my body closer to his own, and he feels warm and safe to me. He’s just home to me.

His lips graze my earlobe and he whispers seductively, “Have you ever had sex under a Christmas tree before?”

I giggle as his stubbly chin tickles me while nuzzling my neck.

“I don’t believe I have but there’s a first time for everything, right?”

Everything about this man makes me feel like I’m on fire, especially the way he eases into my body like he’s savoring every inch of me. The glow from the tree lights makes the sweat from our bodies sparkle, and that’s how I feel inside, sparkly. It may sound a bit immature, but it’s the truth. My body reacts to his in ways I’ve only read about or dreamt about.

When he suckles my nipples and palms my breasts as they heave from the relentless pleasure, he surges into me. I swear if I didn’t hold back, my orgasm would take over, and I’d be lost and upset that it was over. With Cruz though, there’s no holding back. His tenderness and forcefulness is unlike anything I could have ever imagined. I never thought being with someone like this could do the things his body does to me. His lips heighten my release when he goes down on me, tasting me like I’m his last meal. Licking me, sucking me and his fingers invading all the sensitive areas he’s become so familiar with. He brings me to the hilt of pleasure over and over again. The way he grips my ass just to pull my center closer to his mouth, it would honestly take no more than that to make me come. Just seeing the top of his head, gripping onto his thick waves and watching him, watching me as he eats at me makes me feel like I could drift into another world, and sometimes I feel like I actually do. When he comes up for air and kisses me, I can taste myself on his lips and the thought of that used to make me feel uncomfortable, but with this man, there’s nothing hotter, nothing more erotic than the fact that my taste remains on the tongue of the man I love. God, the things he can do with that mouth of his.

It’s so intimate and hot all wrapped up in the only package I need this Christmas, and it’s him. Our bodies slap together with the cries and moans that I’m sure my neighbors can hear, but I don’t care. My wish is for it to always be like this. When we fuck, we fuck and I discover things I like more and more when we do. Cruz likes to experiment, and I’m opening up to the fact that I do too. When we make love, that’s a different story. Our high is being with each other, wrapped up in a tangled mess of lips, arms, legs and tongues.

Yes, when I come with him I see stars. I bask in the glory of our bodies intermittently coming to life. The desire when we are with each other is beyond any words I could possibly speak. People in movies make it look glamorous and dramatic and sometimes with the two of us, it is. Other times it’s nothing but sheer, mind-blowing, hot-as-fucking-hell, stick-a-cherry-on-top-of-the sundae and fuck-me-into-next-week kind of experience.

When we finish, Cruz reaches back and grabs a blanket off the sofa. He nestles his front against my back and wraps us up in it, and we revel in the beauty of the twinkling lights.

“That was unbelievable.”

“I’ll say,” he whispers as his big arms surround me.

“It’s been almost a month, baby.” He wiggles his eyebrows and beams up at me.

I’m very aware of how long it’s been. Phone sex only takes you so far. Nothing compares to the real thing.

“Thank you for this, Cruz. It’s so wonderful and special. My first Christmas tree in my very first home. I don’t know how to thank you.”

He kisses my cheek and sits up.

“No need to thank me, Turnip. But there’s more.”

I sit up clutching the blanket to my body.

“More? What more could you possibly do?”

He goes under the tree and retrieves two small boxes, and I look at his fine as all hell naked ass.

Oh, sweet lord, I only need that under my tree.

He turns to me smiling.

“Well, presents, of course, and stop looking at my ass.”

Busted.

I’m shocked and giddy all at the same time. I didn’t get a chance to get him anything yet, and now I feel embarrassed because of it.

“Oh, babe, I haven’t gotten you anything yet. I wasn’t expecting you till the twenty eighth.” Cruz hands me the first box, and I hesitate with it in my hands.

“Open it, Turnip. It doesn’t bite.”

I rip open the shiny paper to reveal a white, square box. I pop open the lid and take out the tissue paper on top, tossing it aside.

I pull out… A mug. Yes, a mug. It says ‘I heart cops’. I laugh.

“Oh, honey you shouldn’t have.”

He smiles at me. “Smart ass.”

“Look inside.”

I pull out a t-shirt that’s stuffed inside it.

Baby blue, like his eyes and I unroll it.

It says ‘Property of Sandy Cove Police Force’.

“You like it?” I hold it to my chest. I beam at him. My smile is so big. My cop. I’m property of Cruz.

“Of course I love it. It came from you.”

With a devilish grin and a raise of his eyebrows he tells me, “Now this is to be worn to bed every night by you when I’m not here, but when I am here I expect it to be worn sans panties. Got it?”

I nod. “Got it.”

I lean over and give him a lingering kiss.

“So perfect,” he whispers against my lips. “Open the other one.”

It’s a smaller box, long and rectangular in shape. I rip open the paper and inside is some kind of gift certificate.

“YMCA?”

He shakes his head and points to it.

“It’s for swim lessons.”

I’m amazed at his gift. It’s not diamonds. It’s not pearls. It’s not airline tickets for some exotic island destination. It’s something from the heart. Something I need, not what I want, and I think it’s the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.

“It means a lot to you that I do this, huh?” and I know it does, I just need some clarification. He takes my hand and puts it to his lips. Kissing each finger, then reaching the palm of my hand.

“You are precious cargo my dear, and I want you safe. You mentioned it to me after the whole dipping the toes in the water thing so I thought it would be perfect.”

I reach up to stroke his perfect face, looking into his perfect eyes, feeling his perfect skin.

“It’s perfect. Like you.”

Our lips meet and Cruz gives me a kiss that should be in the Guinness Book of World Records for the hottest, most loving kiss.

That kiss sounds the bell for round two with my perfect man.

Christmas was wonderful. Craw, Greta and I spent the night at my parents, waking up to Mom’s French toast, and Dad making us open presents one at a time. Mom was a bit melancholy knowing that this would be the last time all three of her children would ever be under her roof on Christmas morning.

And I’ll never have that. I mean I could adopt. I can’t see myself going through life without children. If I end up with Cruz, who has made it clear to me in the past that he doesn’t want children, that is either something I’ll have to deal with in order to be with him, or something we must discuss. I’m getting way ahead of myself. I mean the man can’t even tell me he loves me, even though I know he does.

Greta’s wedding is tonight. My sister is getting married, and as happy as I am for her, I can’t wait for it to be over. She’s a pain in the ass, to put it lightly.

Grandmother had Christmas Day at her house. It’s cold in there. No pictures of family, only old portraits of strangers. Like the ones you see on the Antique Road Show. She really doesn’t engage in any conversations with me. Mostly Greta. Craw and I stick together because we were cut from the same cloth.

The only time she actually asked me a question that day was if Chad was looking forward to the wedding. Now she damn well knows we aren’t together, so I don’t follow what kind of game she’s playing. Then Greta lets out of the bag that I have a boyfriend, and he will be my date. Grandmother’s only reply was “Oh.”

So much for a delightfully stimulating conversation between the two of us.

I wake Cruz up by doing none other than sticking my hands down his boxer briefs.

Don’t judge.

Cruz groans, but has a smile on his face at the same time.

“Woman, didn’t you get enough the last few nights and days for that matter.” I remove my hand from his hardness, and I straddle him.

“Nope. I can never get enough of you. In the kitchen, on the stairs, on the sofa, under the Christmas tree, on the bathroom sink, in the shower. Would you like me to go on?”

He laughs and pulls my body down onto his.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve covered every inch of this place.”

I kiss both his cheeks and his nose, and my hand goes back to where it previously was.

“I think we have time to check out a new location? You game?”

He sends a fiery kiss to my lips, and I’m lost, as usual.

“I could never deprive you, but look what time it is. You don’t want your sister going crazy ‘cause you’re late for your hair appointment.”

I groan. “Ugh, I guess not, but you could always join me in a location we have already visited.”

He looks at me with the devil in his eye. Yes, he is the devil, my devil, and if this is the way I’m going to hell, I’m fully prepared.

“And where is that?”

“Care for a shower?”

I can’t think straight walking down this aisle. I hate that there are three hundred people staring at me, but my eye catches only one person. His blue eyes brazen, dressed in a tux, looking like sin on a shingle, and he’s all mine. Cruz looks at me as I take each step slowly as instructed by my sister. The organ and trumpets make their sounds reverberate throughout the church. Cruz winks at me as I try to be as steady on my heels as I can. I wear heels all the time, but today I’m nervous for some odd reason. Could it be that all eyes are on me right now, or someone in my grandmother’s circle is thinking ‘oh, there’s the granddaughter who doesn’t like money,’ or is it that I know Chad is going to be here and so is Cruz, and I do not want any trouble? Maybe a bit of all of the above. I take my place in one of the aisles with the rest of the bridesmaids and wait for my Cinderella looking sister to come down the aisle. She is breathtaking and looks so happy. Her fiancé, Jeff, stands in front of the altar, beaming from ear to ear. In spite of all my sister misgivings, and her unreasonable ability to make a simple situation all about her, when it doesn’t, I love her very much and am so happy for her. I know she’s going to have a beautiful life.

We arrive at the reception venue, which is my grandmother’s country club., Well my dad’s too. She is an owner of it, and my dad has a piece of the pie even though he doesn’t have anything to do with it. Grandmother insisted he have some. Mom told him just to go along with it for argument’s sake. So he’s been a silent partner, only golfing there on an occasion with Mr. Knox and clients. Dad could care less about the social aspect of it, as well as the monetary part of it.