A McKenzie Christmas (11 page)

Epilogue

Sometimes, Pippa felt her eighty-eight years, but as she watched her family that surrounded her husband and herself as they celebrated their sixty-eighth wedding anniversary, she felt tears threaten to fall.

She wasn’t as spry as she used to be, and neither was Elias, but they’d had a good life and, apart from a few health scares here and there over the years, they were both in good health, albeit old.

Pippa’s eldest son Lucien and his wife Sabrina had been late arriving because they’d had to detour to the airport to pick their son, Alexander, and daughter, Olivia, up. They’d flown in late from Montana, where they’d been visiting with their cousins. Elias hadn’t let on, but he’d been relieved to see them because he’d discovered a hate for flying, many years ago on their trip to Europe. That trip held fond memories, despite Elias’ discovered fear of being in the air. She shook that memory free and watched Michael.

Michael spoke to his youngest son, Joshua, who had just turned twenty-three and wanted to apply for the FBI. He had dreams of becoming an agent, which was why he majored in criminal psychology at college. His parents weren’t so keen, but Joshua could talk anyone into doing what he wanted, so Pippa knew he’d be an agent one day. His brother, Michael Jr., and sister, Charlotte, worked at McKenzie Holdings, now that their father had retired. Pippa knew that Michael would still be around the
office,
he wouldn’t be able to stay away from the company that he helped build all those years before.

It was as she glanced at twenty-five year old Sirena that a tear slipped from her eyes. Sirena carried her first great-grandbaby and Pippa was beside herself with excitement. Sirena’s husband, Harry, was absent, which she knew bothered her granddaughter. She’d find out from Lily what was going on. Lily would know because she had a way of finding out anything that involved her children.

“Grandma, are you okay?” Paige asked, passing her a Kleenex.

“I’m fine. I just get emotional at family parties. It makes my heart lighter seeing everyone together. Which reminds me, where is your twin?”

Paige smiled. “Rachel is over there talking to Dad.”

Pippa glanced over and smiled at her handsome son, Ramon, as he talked to his daughter. Paige and Rachel were twins, born by surrogate to Ramon and Noah, twenty-years ago.

Pippa turned back to Paige and asked, “What was going on between you and Dylan?” Her eyes narrowed as her granddaughter squirmed where she stood.

Pippa had seen Paige arguing with her cousin, Dylan, Sebastian’s son, not too long ago. It had appeared heated until Dylan had stormed off leaving Paige with an angry look on her face, or was it one of resignation?

“Nothing really,” Paige shrugged her shoulders. “He was trying to tell me what to do, and I didn’t like it.”

Rachel, Paige, Dylan, and Ruben’s son, Jaxon, all went to the same college so she had a feeling that it stemmed from that. She really didn’t like arguments between her grandchildren. But the McKenzies were damn stubborn when they wanted to be, none more so than her husband.

“Sofia says we have to cut the cake soon before her cake topper either melts or falls over,” Madison whispered to her with amusement in her eyes.

Madison, the oldest child of Sebastian and Carla had a wild streak a mile long, and Pippa knew it was her who gave her father the grey hair. Dylan was usually the calmer of the two, so he must have a good reason to have picked an argument with Paige.

“Grandma, don’t forget the cake.”

“I won’t Madison.” Pippa took Elias’ offered hand and got to her feet. “Tell Sofia to be ready.”

“I will.” Madison went off toward the kitchen to relay her message.

Sofia was Ruben’s middle child and she was the spitting image of her mother, Rosie. Her heart was set on a life in catering, and her all time
dream
was to have her own wedding cake business. Her granddaughter was just as strong willed as her father, so Pippa knew that Sofia’s dream would come true.

She hadn’t taken two steps when, Ryan, Ruben’s eldest, was beside them. “How’s my favorite girl.” He kissed her on the cheek.

“Stop trying to sweet talk your grandmother,” Elias mumbled.

She chuckled because they’d been saying that between them since Ryan was around sixteen. She had a feeling he liked the ladies a little too much with his sweet talk, and the
cowboy
swagger he had going on. She’d told Ruben that he was too young to be inside Kenza, let alone helping to run the place, but her son would just laugh.
Probably because it really was like father, like son.

“Help me sit.” Once she was settled next to Elias, she turned to Ryan. “Why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?”

Ryan blushed. “Now, grandma. I’m only twenty-three, there’s plenty of time to find ‘the one’.”

“I can see Alexander and Dylan carrying the cake so you’re off the hook for now.” Pippa chuckled to herself as a relieved sigh left her grandson.

To reach the age that she was, and to still have all her family alive and well, touched her beyond anything she could imagine. Pippa knew that she was lucky and not a day went by that she didn’t thank God that she had been blessed with so much love.

This isn’t the end, but only the beginning…

Lucien & Sabrina

Alexander 25

Olivia 23

Michael & Lily

Michael Jr 27

Charlotte 27

Sirena 25 (spouse Harry 27)

Joshua 23

Sebastian & Carla

Madison 24

Dylan 20

Ruben & Rosie

Ryan 23

Sofia 21

Jaxon 19

Ramon & Noah

Paige 20

Rachel 20

The music blasted through the nightclub as the crush of bodies on the dance floor went wild. They thrashed around in a sensual frenzy, which drew the attention of Sylvia and her friend, Russian-born, Talya.

As the music pulsed and slowed, the lights dimmed to almost dark. If it weren’t for the colored spotlights, Sylvia wouldn’t have been able to see her friend, who stood beside her.

Sylvia sighed as she rubbed her temple. She was tired and, after the long workweek, had wanted to curl up in her pajamas and read. Instead, Talya had persuaded her to go out with her and that was why she was dressed in a short, skin-tight, dress that barely covered any of her assets.

Once dressed, Talya had dragged her to the club. She’d love a drink, but the last thing she really wanted was to cloud her judgment with alcohol. She didn’t want a pick-up, or a one-night-stand; she just wanted to dance.

Sylvia knew the owner of Kenza, Ruben McKenzie, because she worked for the McKenzie brothers, mainly, Sebastian and Michael. And there was the youngest brother, who had taken her out around town for a while, but she sensed something was going on with him. At one time, she’d imagined things would get serious with Ramon, but they hadn’t. And because of that, she’d started to let their cousin, Eric De La Fuente, get under her skin.

She didn’t know why. Eric hardly had anything pleasant to say to her, he usually just glared. On the odd occasion that he opened his mouth, snide remarks would pop out. That he disliked her so much when she couldn’t get him out of her head was annoying.

“You’re doing it again,” Talya shouted into her ear.

She frowned and wondered what her friend meant. What was she doing again?

“Thinking too much.” Talya grinned, and grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her onto the dance floor. “Think while dancing.”

Sylvia could do that.

The bodies already taking up space on the tightly packed dance floor, writhed together, and the ones closest to Sylvia appeared lost in a sexual haze. Not wanting to be caught staring, she closed her eyes and let the beat pull her under.

Her arms rose into the air as she started to move like only a professionally trained dancer could. Her body shimmered with an air of mystery and the sensual pull kept her where she was, song after song. The music flowed together and she wasn’t aware of the crush of the crowd or when the song changed, all she was aware of was the beat and the way it pulsed through her veins. She lost herself in the music, lost her sense of time. Strong hands gripped her hips, snapping her back into focus. She froze. Her eyes snapped open and were captured in the angry green ones of Eric.

Although Eric was related to the owner, Kenza was not a place she’d ever expected him to be. He seemed more like a quiet bar with a beer in his hand kind of guy.

Unable to hold his gaze, Sylvia tried to step out of his grasp, but he dragged her into his body, and insinuated a leg between hers. Her dress crept up but stayed covering her ass when his large hands clamped down on her bottom.

She quickly grabbed hold of his shoulders for balance, and to keep
herself
upright because being so close to him had turned her legs to Jell-O.

The music had her blood flowing, but being so close to an aroused Eric caused the blood in her veins to overheat—and aroused he was. There was no mistaking the length of his cock, which throbbed against her hip as they rubbed together in sensual heat.

She’d never danced with anyone the way she was with Eric. His hands kept her riding his thigh, as his fingers brushed the hem of the dress and made her skin crave his touch. Her fingers twitched to reach down and grasp his hard dick. Instead, she slid her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and brought her chest flush with his.

Her nipples were hard, aching tips, which he’d feel as she rubbed against him. She’d never been so aroused while dancing before, and Eric had her ready to orgasm.

With each movement, their groins rubbed together, and it wouldn’t surprise her if Eric could feel how wet she was through his jeans as her pussy rode him. It had been so long since she’d had sex, and something told her that sex with Eric would be like nothing she’d experienced before.

Wait! What the hell was she thinking—contemplating?

Moving her chest away from his, she tried to put much needed space between them, but then his gaze captured hers. She wasn’t going anywhere. It was a look she’d never seen reflected toward her before, and she wasn’t sure that she had the strength to walk away from him.

He brought her back against his chest, and growled into her ear, “I’ve tried keeping my hands off you.” He sucked her lobe into his mouth.

She gasped in pleasure as her arousal flooded her thong.

“I’ve been watching you since I spotted you lost in your own world. I couldn’t help wondering what it’d feel like to have you dance on my cock.”

He shouldn’t talk to her like that. Like he wanted nothing more than to find a dark corner to fuck her. It was clear that he was ready for that.
Ugh—the image!
She squirmed in lust and tried to close her legs, forgetting that his was between hers, and then she caught the knowing smirk on his handsome face.

“Let me take care of you.” He rubbed his chest against the twin peaks of her breasts, drawing a hiss from her lips in protest.

She couldn’t pretend that she didn’t want him since the evidence spoke for itself. She wasn’t so far gone that she didn’t realize tonight with Eric would be a one-time deal.

The sensuous feel of having a virile male body—hot and hard against her—played with her common sense because she wanted to say yes. She wanted to go some place with Eric and let him fuck her senseless. Something told her that he fucked like he went about his daily business—
full speed
.

Her back hit a wall. When Eric’s hands slid up her thighs as he wrapped her legs around his waist, she stopped thinking and went with the flow.

His large cock felt so good against her wet pussy that she didn’t even mind having her dress around her waist.

Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers, and as their mouths joined, a whole lot of fireworks exploded behind her closed eyes. They snapped open in shock, and stared into his passion hazed ones.

She could feel the warmth of his jeans on her folds as the thin fabric of her thong had been pushed to the side from her grinding. All she wanted was for him to open his jeans and impale her; finish what he started.

It wouldn’t take much to send her into complete bliss. She just didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted. What she shouldn’t want, but couldn’t get out of her head.

Groaning, she searched out his tongue with hers and sucked—hard—pulling it into her mouth. He hoisted her further up the wall, and his fingers…searched, and found...and then she came back to her senses.

She wasn’t into a public sex show, which is how her dance with Eric had turned out. At least she came back to her senses before it was too late, and he was inside her.

She briefly closed her eyes at the thought of him being buried between her thighs. Because the idea of his huge cock, as it slid back and forth inside her, caused her vaginal walls to clench with hunger.

Slowly, Eric realized that she was no longer taking part, and, as he struggled to catch his breath, his eyes met hers. Before his mask of anger slipped back into place, hurt flickered in the green depths.

“You’ll never belong to Ramon,” he growled as he lowered her to the floor.

“I know that.” She didn’t want him thinking she’d stopped because of Ramon. “We’re in a club.” She laughed. “We’re not even in private. I didn’t stop for any other reason but me remembering where we are.”

“Bullshit,” he shouted in response. “You stopped because you don’t want word getting back to Ramon that you got down and dirty with me.”

“That’s—”

“The truth. I know your history with him, and I’m telling you that nothing will ever come of you being with Ramon.”

“Don’t presume to know what I’m thinking. I wanted you. You big idiot.” She shoved him in the chest with her finger. “If you’d started that outside my apartment then I’d have dragged you inside to finish what you started, so don’t go making excuses up for me. I don’t need one.”

Well, that argument had slightly cooled her libido. He really was an idiot. In fact, she was one as well for letting him bewitch her on the dance floor. Her head was always full of him, so she would never say no to having his hands on her.

She felt more screwed up than ever. She knew Ramon was out of the picture, at least where a relationship was concerned. But before tonight, she had no idea that Eric wanted her. In fact, she thought he hated her.

She shook her head to clear it of the emotions that tried to drown her. How the hell would she be able to forget the feel of Eric against her? Or how it felt to have his hands on her ass?

“Sylvia, Eric,” Ruben greeted, having suddenly appeared.

Thank God it wasn’t a few minutes ago.

“Ruben. How’s Rosie?” She asked to distract him from the knowing look he passed back and forth between Eric and her.

Ruben grinned, wide. “She’s amazing. It’s her night off tonight or I’m sure she’d have enjoyed the show.” He smirked, but looked at Eric as he cleared his throat.

Oh, he saw
.

Her face heated, but she decided to turn it into an opportunity to prove to Eric that she hadn’t stopped because she didn’t want Ramon to know.

“I’m going, and Ruben, feel free to tell your brothers about what you’ve just seen. This ape,” she glared at Eric, “is under the impression Ramon is the reason why I stopped, but it isn’t.”

She pushed past Eric, and hissed, “Ass,” over her shoulder.

He glared in her direction, and she felt his eyes on her all the way to the exit where she met up with Talya.

“He’s not finished with you,” Talya observed as they left.

Love in Montana, De La Fuente Family #1

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