Trapped - Christmas Bonus Read online

  My grandparents have a guesthouse in the back, which is where my dad and my aunt stay with their families when they visit. I wouldn’t mind staying there now. It’d get me off of no-sex row for the next six days. My grandmother wanted us to stay through the New Year. Thank God Paige talked me into holding a party at our place New Year’s Eve. Well not exactly a party, more a small get together with friends.

  My parents are going to bring Bree back with them, which means I’ll have Paige to myself for two whole days. That’s my Christmas present right there. I can’t fuckin’ wait. Okay, wrong word. I can’t think about fucking if I want to survive the night.

  “Need some help, Dad?” I ask. Doing something constructive with my hands will help to keep my mind off all the others things I’d rather be doing with them. Like removing Paige’s bra and sliding her panties over her hips.

  God is it hot in here or is it just me? I won’t even look at Paige afraid there’ll be another ten-degree spike of the temperature in the room if I do.

  My dad’s brows go up as if surprised by my offer. His gaze shifts to Paige. “As long as you don’t mind me stealing him for a while.”

  She laughs, rubbing then patting my back. “As long as it’s for a good cause.”

  The touching, her hands on me, sends me to my feet in a flash. I definitely need time to cool down.

  My dad and I say our goodnights and I follow him out of the room. Just before I’m out of earshot, I hear my grandmother say, “So my dear, when can we expect a wedding? Soon I hope.”

  Yeah, I’ll leave Paige to that.

  *****

  An hour later, all the assembly-required toys are assembled, the bikes and dollhouse in the basement waiting to be put under the tree after the kids go back to the guest house.

  On the way to my room, I stop to say goodnight to my girls. I quietly duck into their bedroom to find Bree is already asleep in her bed and Paige nowhere in sight. I give Bree a kiss on her cheek and then go in search of her mother.

  Maybe she’s in my bed waiting for me. My dick perks up at the thought. Seconds later, the mystery of Paige’s location is solved, my hopes smashed to smithereens when I hear the sound of the shower running.

  Damn!

  I give the bathroom a wide berth and go straight to my room. There, I change into the flannel Christmas pajamas Paige bought for me and insisted I wear tonight. Don’t worry, she bought a pair for her and Bree too. Mine are dark-green with clusters of red hollies. Yeah, not too emasculating, right?

  I spend the next half hour lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying my best to fall asleep. A soft knock and the door opening has me jerking up to a sitting position. Paige steps inside and closes the door.

  I swallow hard at the sight of her.

  Beautiful.

  No one I know can make a pair of shapeless, red, reindeer pajamas look that good. Her dark hair, soft and silky around her shoulders, has my fingers itching to run through its long length and wind it around my hand to pull her close. She looks good enough to eat. And that’s something I love doing and that she fully appreciates.

  “Bree’s asleep,” Paige whispers as if Bree were feet away instead of across the hall.

  I fight back a smile. She’s alone in my room with me. She’s playing with fire and she knows it. “I know. I checked in on her when you were in the shower.”

  She nods and walks slowly to me. “I just wanted to say goodnight.”

  “Why are you whispering?” I ask in a mock-whisper. My grandfather’s company built this house. The workmanship is top-notch. The walls in the bedrooms are practically sound proof.

  Stepping in between my legs, she slides her arms around my neck. “I miss you.”

  I chuckle and pull her close. “We were together all day.”

  She peers down at me. “You know what I mean.”

  My hands slides down her back and over her ass. I cup both cheeks and pull her closer. She can’t miss how hard I am for her. “Go lock the door.”

  For a second she looks torn. Looks like she needs a bit of encouragement. Kneading her ass, I grind my dick against her so she can feel every inch of me. She bites her bottom lip and moans.

  My breathing shallows and my words take on an urgent tone. “Go. Lock. The door.”

  Her eyes glaze over with desire. “You’re going to have to let me go,” she murmurs.

  I reluctantly do as I’m told, and watch her sweet ass as she hurries to do the same.

  The sudden knock on the door—an unwelcome one this time—stops Paige dead in her tracks. My hands still on the hem of my shirt. Eyes wide and her face a guilt-ridden red, Paige turns and looks at me.

  “Mitch honey, are you awake?”

  My grandmother? Are you serious?

  My hard-on dies a swift and violent death at the sound of her voice. I motion for Paige to open the door. We’re fully clothed. Nothing to see here. Nothing to feel guilty about.

  Visibly panicked, Paige can only stare at me. Sighing heavily, I get up and walk over to her. She’s going to get us busted if she doesn’t get that look off her face. Why are guys so much better at this sneaking around shit?

  “You came to say goodnight. Don’t look so damn guilty,” I murmur, stroking her smooth cheek with the pad of my thumb before I open the door.

  “Oh good, you’re still up. Your father—” My grandmother breaks off when she spots Paige, who is behind me probably doing her best to melt into the wall. “Oh, I didn’t realize Paige was with you.” There’s no censure in her voice but there is a gleam of suspicion in her brown eyes.

  “She was checking to make sure I wore these to bed.” I go full throttle on the self-conscious act by pulling sheepishly on my pant leg.

  My grandmother takes in our matching pajamas and smiles indulgently, swallowing my lie hook line and sinker. “Why, how festive.”

  I guess that’s another term for it.

  Tightening the sash of her light-blue robe around her waist, she continues. “Your father needs your help getting the dollhouse upstairs,”

  “Okay, tell him I’ll be down in a minute.”

  That should have been the end of it, but she makes no move to leave. And I can almost feel Paige’s anxiety rising with every passing second.

  I clear my throat and try again since it appears I wasn’t clear enough the first time. “Right. Well I’ll be down as soon as I say goodnight to Paige.”

  My grandmother lets out an awkward laugh. “Oh. Yes of course. I’ll let him know you’re on your way. Goodnight, m’dear,” she says, addressing Paige.

  “Good night,” Paige replies but goes overboard with the whole bright and bubbly act. It’s clear she needs to take lessons from the master.

  I turn to her after my grandmother leaves. She immediately presses her hot-pink face against my chest, her words muffled by my flannel shirt. “I’ll never be able to look her in the eye again.”

  I chuckle, tipping her chin so I can see her face. “Don’t be silly. She didn’t suspect a thing.”

  “How do you know?”

  Instead of answering, I kiss her softly on the lips. She feels like heaven. I stay the course, deepening the kiss, my tongue dipping inside for a longer, sweeter taste of her. My dick stirs back to life.

  “Mitch we can’t,” she whispers against my mouth, her hands pressing gently on my shoulders.

  I reluctantly lift my head and step back, hands up in surrender, completely breaking off all physical contact.

  “Now go and help your father before you get us in trouble.”

  “I wasn’t the one who came into your room looking for—”

  “One more word and you’ll never see me naked again,” she warns, a teasing smile pulling at the corner of her full, pink lips.

  “Okay, but be warned. If you’re within ten feet of this room when I get back, I will fuck you tonight.”

  She instantly corrects me, saying, “Make love.” But her words are at odds with the breathy quality of her voice. />
  “Believe me, you’re going to want to be fucked tonight,” I tell her in a low growl.

  With lust and desire blazing in her eyes, she does the smart thing and hightails it out of my room.

  Merry Christmas

  Paige

  “And this is the last one from me.” Mitch drops a lingering kiss on my lips as he hands be a gold-foil wrapped box. Not the size and shape of a ring box, but if he’d done that, it would have been a dead giveaway.

  I waste no time ripping away the wrapping and opening my gift.

  Nestled inside is probably the most beautiful gold and diamond necklace I’ve ever seen.

  A necklace not a ring.

  Tears pool in my eyes.

  “Do you like it?”

  At the expectant look on his face, I’m hit with a rush of guilt because I should be happy. “It’s beautiful,” I somehow manage to choke out while inside my heart endures a sizeable crack.

  Grinning happily, he pulls me into his arms and hugs me tight.

  “Mommy, Daddy, I wan hug.” I feel Bree’s small hands tug on my pant leg.

  It’s the perfect excuse to extricate myself from Mitch’s embrace and pick up our daughter. When she sees the tears that are now rolling down my cheeks, her eyebrows draw together in the most adorable expression. “Don’t cry, Mommy.”

  Mitch laughs. “Mommy isn’t crying because she’s sad, sweetheart. She’s crying because she’s happy.”

  I force the corners of my mouth up in a smile. If he only knew.

  *****

  “Okay, show me the ring.”

  Erin is the second in a string of calls I have to make today. Mom and Randy had been first, and my phone had exchanged hands I don’t know how many time as they’d wished everyone Merry Christmas.

  But talking to Erin required privacy, which is why I’m sitting alone in the living room staring at her pretty makeup-free face.

  Her excited demand threatens to bring another wave of tears but I manage to hold them back. If anyone walked in, there’s no way I’d be able to play them off as tears of joy this time. I’m just not that good an actress. I shake my head.

  Her eyes go wide with surprise and after a pause she asks, “You didn’t get a ring?”

  Again I shake my head, scared to say anything that will break the dam and release the tears.

  Her mouth slowly closes and she pulls back from the screen revealing the headboard of her bed behind her. “You’re kidding,” she exclaims.

  The disbelief in her voice brings out my protective side and the need to defend him. “But he did give me this.” I hold the diamond pendant up to the camera. “Isn’t it pretty?”

  “Hold it back a bit, I can’t see it properly.”

  I do as she says.

  “Oooooh, it is pretty. Your man’s got great taste.”

  I nod as I try to think of something else to say. Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind.

  “He’s going to ask you. You know that, right?” Erin says in a gentle reassuring voice. “He’s either waiting for New Year’s Day, your birthday or Valentine’s Day.”

  I emit a dry laugh. “You said that about Christmas.”

  “But now that I think of it, Christmas isn’t really a romantic holiday.”

  “It can be if you want it to be.”

  She raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Really? With a kid and a house full of in-laws?”

  “They’re not my in-laws.”

  “Not yet. But they soon will be.”

  I know she’s right. I know I’m making more of this than I should. Mitch loves me. We talk about getting married all of the time. He’s going to propose, just not today.

  “Okay, enough about me. Get anything good for Christmas?” I ask.

  “Just a couple of gift cards, three sweaters, new boots. Oh and a new car.”

  I bolt up off the sofa and let out a squeal to rival one of my daughter’s. “You got a new car?”

  “Don’t get all excited. It’s a guilt gift.”

  That instantly sobers me. “A guilt gift?”

  She looks away for a second before her gaze comes back to mine. “You know, because they are the way they are.”

  An impossible to please mother and an indulgent but distant father, who’d sooner spoil her than spend time with her. Not that they’re not nice people—they’ve always been nice to me—but watching them in action always make me appreciate my mom more. Makes me appreciate my stepfather too.

  “Where are they now?” I ask briskly.

  She becomes flushed and mutters, “Th-they went out.”

  “What?” My gaze narrows at the way she refuses to look me in the eye. “Where?”

  “I—I’m not sure.”

  I don’t believe her. “Erin, go downstairs and show me your tree.”

  When she doesn’t budge an inch and continues to evade my gaze, I know what she’s hiding from me. “You’re alone, aren’t you? They left you alone on Christmas.”

  She finally looks at me and shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”

  A tightness grips my chest that leaves me winded. “Where are they?”

  “In Spain.”

  “What about your sister?”

  “At her in-laws.”

  I collapse back down onto the sofa and let out a long breath in attempt to ease the pain in my heart.

  “I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

  I simply stare at her in my six-inch screen. While I’m sitting here crying and moaning to her about not getting a ring from the man I know loves me with every breath in his body and whose family couldn’t love me more if I’d been born into it, my best friend is spending Christmas alone.

  I couldn’t sound more self-centered and pathetic if I tried.

  “Now, aren’t you going to ask me about the car?” A smile returns to her face. It’s forced and desperate, begging me to let it go.

  I can do one of two things; bemoan her current situation and rail about what horrible people her parents are, and in turn, make her feel worse than I’m sure she already does. Or I can let her change the subject and not make a big deal of it. I choose the latter. But if she honestly thinks this is the end of it, she’s seriously fooling herself.

  As soon as I get off the phone with Erin, I return to the family room and talk to Mrs. Tolston and Diane. They not only approve my request but Diane motions Mitch from across the room where he’s watching Bree and Tess playing with Bree’s new tea set in front of the eight-foot Christmas tree.

  He approaches, his questioning gaze going from his mother, to his grandmother before settling on me.

  I take his hand in mine. “C’mon, hon, get dressed, we’re going to pick up Erin.”

  Forty minutes later, we’re on the highway in Mitch’s car heading south.

  “What if she refuses to come back with us?” Mitch asks for the second time since I explained what was going on with Erin and our subsequent mission. Apparently my, “She’ll come,” response the first time he’d asked hadn’t been satisfying enough.

  “I’m going to tell her if she doesn’t come with us on her own, you’re going to throw her over your shoulder and we’re going to kidnap her.”

  Mitch snorts a laugh. Without taking his eyes off the road, he places his right hand on the area above my left knee. His touch floods me with warmth.

  “Besides Erin, are you having a good time?” he asks, his hand slowly kneading my leg, sending chards of desire to my core.

  “If you mean besides Erin’s crappy parents and us not having sex, then yes I’m having a good time. I love your family.”

  He growls deep in his throat, his hand drifting higher up on my thigh. “Don’t remind me.”

  I let out a choked laugh as all the blood in my body feels like it’s pulsing strongly between my legs. “Then you better move your hand or you’ll run this car into a ditch.” And I’m not kidding.

  “How about I pull off at the next exit and check us into a motel
before we pick up Erin?” he asks with a quick glance at me and the suggestive lift of an eyebrow.

  Since he can’t be serious, I don’t bother to answer. But the creep of his hand on my leg is serious, acting like a magical wand on my upper thighs that has them spreading farther and farther apart.

  Being turned on and not really being able to do anything about it isn’t my idea of fun. And right now, it’s driving me crazy. I push his hand off my leg and squeeze them tightly together. “Stop that. This whole thing is hard enough. Don’t make it harder.”

  “Put your hand right here and you’ll feel how hard it already is,” he says in that low sexy rumble that strums every one of my erogenous zones.

  I honestly try to avoid looking down at his crouch but it’s like trying not to look at the sun after a month of nothing but gray skies and rain. My sex clenches at his very noticeable bulge. I quickly look away.

  “Forget about sex right now. You need to concentrate on the road.” I, on the other hand, will think about sex. How much I need it. How much I want it. How much I miss making love to him.

  I’m so lost in thought that it takes me a minute to realize we’ve taken the wrong exit if we’re going to Erin’s house.

  I glance over at Mitch. “Why are you getting off here?”

  “It’s a short cut.”

  I look around and realize we’re not that far from where we live. And there are no shortcuts to Erin from here. All that’s down this way are new homes and a fairly new elementary school.

  My gaze narrows in suspicion when it returns to him. “No it’s not.” Something is definitely up.

  Without looking at me, he says, “Humor me. I want to show you something.”

  “Mitch Aaron Kingsley, I am not going to have sex with you in this car.”

  He throws his head and barks out a laugh. And he keeps laughing while I fail to see the humor in it. It’s not as if it’s a preposterous idea. People do have sex in cars.

  “Okay, what did I do now?”

  “I didn’t think it was that funny,” I mumble, staring out my window.