Mischief and Mistletoe (11 page)

He raised her then pulled her back down firmly, driving his cock deep inside her. She cried out with pleasure, sinking her nails into his chest.

He hefted her back up once more before dragging her down, this time slowly so she could feel every inch of him.

Her hips rocked faster, taking him deeper into her body as it adjusted to his thick shaft. “
Ty…umm…”

His eyes rolled back into his head and he inhaled with a hiss.
“Take me. Take all of me.”

“Yes.
Yes. Yes,” she chanted as she rose and sank in a rhythm all her own, moaning her pleasure as she rode him.

He could feel the walls of her pussy contracting around his cock as she neared her release.
He moved his fingers down to her clit and rubbed in firm and sure circles. Her voice came out in tortured gasp
as Charlotte bucked wildly against him, pressing herself against his fingers as she rode his dick with all her might.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

“Ty. Ty. Ty—” She raked his chest with her nails, screaming his name as she came.

His release was seconds after hers. He pushed up into her one last time and came, spilling his seed inside her tight sheath.
With a shudder and a moan, Charlotte limply lay forward on his chest. Breathing heavily, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his heart. Her skin was damp with perspiration as was his, and he knew if they didn’t move soon, the ick factor would kick in, but that was still moments away. For now he was just going to enjoy the few minutes of silence they had and the feeling of the woman he loved in his arms.

“Am I too heavy?” she asked after a few seconds.

Ty laughed at the sheer silliness of that. She weighed like seven pounds. “Not at all.”

“Good, because I’m thinking of staying here for the foreseeable future.”

“In this exact spot?” He looked around the room, then down at his wife. “Might get chilly and dusty…and we’d have a lot to explain to Candace.”

“Okay fine.” Charlotte propped her hand under her chin, her eyes twinkling with joy. “But at least for the next five to seven minutes.”

“Let’s comprise. Three minutes more, then we take a shower and try this again but in a bed, but this time, I’m on top.”

“You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can learn to like it.”

Ty placed his hands under her arms and pulled her farther up on him so her lips were closer to his own. “I promise I’ll make you love it.”

She smiled then closed the rest of the distance between them, kissing him as passionately as she had the first night, the night when everything in his life changed for the better. Lost in the memory of that night, lost in the taste of his wife, Ty allowed himself to be so gently persuaded to let his three
-minute mark turn into five that then turned into ten, which, of course, led to round two but this time with him covering her the way a stallion covers a mare. The shower took place much, much later, and when they finally went to sleep, Ty’s back was a little sorer, his hips a bit more achy, but it was worth it for her.

Epilogue

Many, many, many years later…

Charlotte and Tamara snuck into the kitchen, hands over their mouths as they tried quite gallantly to keep their laughter at bay. It was official. This Christmas was topping every single Christmas beforehand, including the birth of Tyson, and that was saying something.

The second
she and Charlotte were in the middle of the room and far enough away from the door not to be heard, they let loose and fell into each other laughing. It took them several long minutes before they were finally able to get themselves together.

Pulling apart, Tamara took a seat at the kitchen table, da
bbing at her eyes as Charlotte headed over to the wine shelf and selected a vintage perfect for celebrating. She grabbed two glasses and made her way over to the table where Tamara was waiting. Spreading her arms wide, she asked, “What the hell was that?”

Tamara
took the glasses from her friend so Charlotte could open the bottle. “I think that was Tyson’s final breaking point.”

“I thought they had agreed to take a break.”

Tamara wasn’t quite sure when Tyson and Candace had started to see each other, she’d like to believe it was seconds after his eighteenth birthday, but she wasn’t naïve. The two had been dancing around each other since Candace was in college but they decided to call it quits a few months back. “Yeah, I always had a feeling that was more because of my stubborn son thinking he didn’t want to tie her down too young.”

“So Candace was trying to show him the error of his ways by showing up with…” Charlotte paused. “What was that young man’s name again?”

“Doesn’t matter. He won’t ever be back.”

“I can’t believe Tyson knocked him out.”

Tamara wasn’t surprised at all. The young man, whatever his name was, had dared to try and kiss Candace under the mistletoe. He puckered up and Tyson knocked him out. Then boldly turned to Candace and told her the only man she’d be kissing from here on out was him, and to everyone’s surprise and amusement, Candace simply said, “It’s about time, Pinkie Pie,” and walked into his arms. They stayed locked in their embrace as Russell and Ty helped the dazed man up and out to his car.

While the men were doing that, Candace and Tamara had snuck out. One, because they didn’t want to see their kids making out
, and two, they wanted to talk about it.

“Do you think they’re just going to date for a
while?” Charlotte asked.

Tamara shook her head. “That boy is as stubborn as his father. He’s not going to chance her escaping any time soon. I bet by this time tomorrow they’ll be discussing wedding plans.”

Charlotte dropped into the chair, bottle still in hand. “But they’re so young. Candace is only twenty-seven and Ty is twenty-three. That’s way too young to marry.”

“Hey
, don’t blame me. Blame your daughter. She’s the one who put a claim on him minutes after he was born.”

Charlotte s
et the bottle on the table with a sigh. “I thought she was joking.”

“Me too. Who would have
thunk it?” Definitely not her. Then again, everything that had happened over the last twenty-odd years had been both a blessing and a surprise to Tamara.

Both couples had been blessed with prospering ranches, although her and Russell’s wasn’t on the same par with Ty and Charlotte’s, they still managed to find happiness and contentment on their little piece of land
, and somehow between PTA meetings and dragging two kids to soccer practice, Tamara had managed to publish two photography books and a very popular cowboy calendar.

The calendar had been for a fundraiser Charlotte had set up to help one of their neighboring ranchers who had lost not only his ranch but his family in a tragic fire, but what had started out as a kind thing to do for a friend had turned into a foundation to help ranchers in need that Charlotte ran from her house
and benefitted ranchers all over the United States. They both had been blessed, really blessed, but it was nothing Tamara would have ever foreseen so many years ago.

“Life is wild
, I tell you,” Tamara said fondly with a shake of her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to figure it out.”

Before Charlotte could comment, Tamara’s daughter walked in
, smiling so brightly she could have lit up the Vegas strip.

“Where’s everyone?” Charlotte asked.

“Dad and Uncle Ty are still outside. Nevaeh went up to her room and told me to call her when we started opening presents, and Russ had to take a call.”

“So,” Tamara said
, drawing her daughter’s attention to her. “What do you think of what just went down?”

“Are you kidding? I thought it was the most romantic thing ever.” Kenya let out a happy little sigh, spun around one time and dropped into a chair next to her mother. Her daughter’s hazel eyes sparkled with laughter and she could barely contain herself in her seat.

Tamara brushed the back of her fingers against her mini–me’s face. “Yeah, it was.”

“I would never have thought it was in Tyson, but he surprised me.” Kenya grinned deviously. “But I think he surprised Candace even more. And now we’re going to be related. Life is perfect.”

“It doesn’t take much to please you, does it, my dear?”

“Not really.” Kenya leaned her head to the side and pressed her face against her mother’s hand. Tamara stared down at the lighter
-skinned version of herself and just smiled.

It really was easy to please Kenya. She was simply a good person. She had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone and was forever bringing animals home for Tyson to fix. The fact he hadn’t yet graduated from Vet school didn’t matter a hill of beans to Kenya. She idolized her brother, worshiped the ground the older boy walked on
, and the feeling was returned tenfold. But Tyson’s adoration for his sister was nothing compared to how Russell felt about her. She was his little girl. Even though she was seventeen now, Russell still considered her his little girl and he’d dare anyone to argue with him about it. They were by all accounts a loving and happy family, and even though Tyson’s little announcement had thrown everyone for a loop, Tamara couldn’t say she was upset about it. How could she be? She’d loved Candace from the moment the girl was born, and despite the small age difference between the two, she couldn’t think of another young lady she would rather have as a daughter-in-law.

Before she could get too maudlin
, Charlotte’s middle child, Russ, pushed the kitchen door open then walked in with a frown on his handsome face. “I feel sick.”

Charlotte immediately jumped up and went to her son’s side. Even though he was a grown
-ass man she instantly went into mommy mode. “What hurts, baby?” she asked as she placed her hand on his forehead.

“Mom. Stop.” Russ grabbed his mother’s hand and brought it down to his lips and kissed it. Russ was a darling, a bit of a rake and a scoundrel
, but there was a good heart underneath all the bustle and sass. “Not that kind of sick. But like
ugh
sick. They’re still in there kissing. I think we might want to turn the water hose on them.”

Kenya pulled away from her mother and crossed her arms over her breasts. “You’re just jealous that my brother is going to be entering the world record of best proposals ever and you still can’t figure out how to get a girl to go out with you.”

Russ was a handsome, strapping lad, with his mother’s mocha-brown skin and his father’s height and strength. Love her daughter as she did, Tamara didn’t believe for a minute Russ was sitting at home alone on Saturday nights, and from the way he threw back his head and laughed, Tamara knew her assumptions were right.

“What’s so funny?” Kenya asked.

“You are. Don’t get it twisted, pest, I date all the time.”

“Really? Like who?”

“No one you’d know.” He leaned back against the island and stared at her with something akin to amusement. “They aren’t still in high school like you.”

“This is my last year, thank you very much.”

“Come talk to me when you graduate?”

Tamara and Charlotte shared a look.
What in the hell was this all about?

“Please,” Kenya said as she rolled her very expressive eyes. “Like I’d even waste my time on you.”

Russ frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re like a pencil, the more you’ve been used the less you’re worth…”

Ross tossed his hands up. “I thought you just said I wasn’t dating anyone.”

“Unlike my brother,” she continued just a little bit louder, “who is the prime example of what a man should be. He’s not afraid to admit he’s in love with your sister, or to go after whatever he wants, consequences
be damned. You should take lessons or you’re going to end up alone.”

“I’m only twenty. I have all the time in the world to find the one. Besides,” Russ leaned over and tugged the sable braid that hung halfway down Kenya’s back. “If I don’t find anyone
, I’ll always have you for my backup plan.”

Kenya knocked his hand away. “If I’m your plan B
, you might want to come up with a plan C, because I’m no one’s second choice. Not even yours. Besides, you’re not even on the list of candidates I’d share water with if we were trapped on a desert island, let alone a kiss.” Without saying another word, Kenya rose and headed for the door.

“I was just teasing
, Kenny.” He rolled his eyes and reached for a brownie next to his arm on the island. He broke off a small piece and held it halfway to his mouth before he frowned and dropped it as if it singed his fingers. “Wait a minute,” he called out to the girl who’d just slipped through the door. “You have a kissing list? I don’t think so. Show it to me right now. Kenya,” he yelled as he pushed through the door with a frown on his face and fire in his blood.

The second he left the room Tamara and Charlotte turned to stare at one another, eyes wide and mouths agape. In the midst of the silence
, Charlotte reached for the wine bottle and poured a liberal amount in both their glasses before setting the bottle back on the table with a thump.

“The day keeps getting stranger and stranger.” Charlotte picked up her glass and took a delicate sip. “But after taking it all in, I have a deal for you.”

“Tell me.”

“I pay for the first wedding and you pay for the second.”

Tamara burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. She’s always hoped that the kids would love each other the way she and Russell loved Ty and Charlotte, but apparently they were loving each other more like the way she and Russell loved each other. And not just one set of kids, but two. “I guess I should be happy we stopped at two and not three like you guys did or we might be planning a third wedding.”

“I don’t know,”
Charlotte said slyly. “People our age are having kids every day. Make it happen.”

“Bite your tongue off.” Although thankfully her second delivery had gone more according to her birthing plans, she was in her fifties now. The only babies she was interested in were grandbabies
, and she didn’t want them for a long, long time. “You do know what this means, right? We’re going to be sisters.”

“We always were. A piece of paper doesn’t change that for me.” Charlotte reached her hand out and Tamara met her halfway. They clasped hands together and smiled.

“Me either.” They had been through so much together over the years, good and bad, and now from the looks of it their life journeys had just intertwined even more, and honestly, Tamara really wouldn’t have had it any other way.