A Peyton Family Christmas (4 page)

“
You
can't protect her from this because no one can.” Nick
slid her arms around him. “There's nothing to fight here,
Derek, and the only thing you can do for either of them? Is love them
both enough to stop blaming yourself for what happened.”

“
I
know.” He did, that was the hell of it. He knew, because he'd
done the same thing as Andrew. Pushed Nick away with both hands, for
all the good it had done.
And
that turned out okay...
“I might fly back down with Kat, then. It will give me a chance
to talk to Andrew.”

“
I
think they would both like that.”

Derek
grinned and eased his fingers down to her unprotected side. “And
I'm going to
ask
your father before I steal his jet.”

She
laughed and twisted away from the tickling touch. “Not to point
out the obvious, Gabriel, but that's called borrowing.”

Before
he could reply, Kat appeared, followed by a blinding flash of light
that made the room appear as a ghostly inverted image until he
blinked it free. “Candid shots,” Kat proclaimed, grinning
at them both. “This camera is so awesome it's wrong. The
digital zoom is out of control.”

“
Michelle
knows a thing or two about gift giving.” Nick rose and held out
her hand. “I want a few of you and Derek.”

Judging
by the reluctance with which Kat handed over the camera, Michelle had
indeed done an excellent job. Derek let his cousin drag him to his
feet and donned the required Santa hat with a dour expression he had
to feign. His family was happy. Nick's family was happy. They
were safe. They were together.

After
the last few months of heartache, it was the best gift of all. A
Christmas miracle.

* * *

Nick
almost tripped over the threshold and had to fight to keep hold of
her armload of presents as she steadied herself. “How much
booze did you guys put in the eggnog?”

“
Enough.”
Even Derek seemed a little unsteady, though he was carrying twice as
many packages. “Your sister takes her gift giving seriously.”

“
She's
always loved Christmas.” After a moment of trying to remember
whether she held anything breakable, Nick began to carefully place
the boxes and bags on the coffee table. “Can you catch the
lights? Just the tree, though.”

Derek
deposited his stash haphazardly on the table before moving to obey.
“It was a good night. Good food, family, I think I even saw
your father laughing.”

She
peeled off her coat, sank onto the couch and kicked off her shoes.
“He's happy,” she said simply. Happy to have his
daughters safe, not to mention... “You saw him laughing, and
I'm pretty sure
I
saw him holding Mahalia's hand.”

“
Bullshit.”
Even in the dark, Derek seemed to have no trouble finding the plug
for their Christmas tree. Lights flickered on, the steady glow of
white joined by the colorful bulbs that flashed in impossible to
predict patterns.

“
I'd
say it was the liquor talking, but I saw what I saw.” She held
out her arms. “Come here.”

He
did, but not into her arms. Instead he sank to the floor in front of
her, easing his body between her knees. “Thank you, Nicky, for
all the presents. Especially stealing your dad's plane.”

“
You're
welcome.” Her heart thumped, and she sat forward and framed his
face with her hands. “I love you.”

“
I
love you, too.” His breath ghosted over her lips as he leaned
in almost—
almost
—close
enough to kiss her. “So what's it gonna be, Peyton? Run
now, or run later?”

“
It's
cold outside.” She slipped one hand to the back of his neck and
eased it under his collar, relishing the heat of his bare skin. “Warm
in here, though.”

“
Mmm.”
His hands dropped to her hips and then slipped up under her shirt.
“About to get warmer.”

Nick
shivered and slid off the couch to land astride his lap. “On
the floor, no less.”

He
just laughed as his fingers danced up her spine, dragging her shirt
along with them. “Nothing new with that.”

“
No,
not new.” She raised her arms to let him coax her shirt over
her head. His hands were strong on her skin—confident, like he
was so used to touching her already that he knew exactly how to do
it.

“
Maybe
in twenty years I'll be patient enough to make it to a bed.”
In spite of the teasing words, he took his time, lowering his lips to
hers with only the slightest pressure. “Thirty years. Fifty,
tops.”

“
Who
cares? Floor's good enough for me.” She nuzzled his jaw
and wove her fingers into his hair. “The floors, walls, chairs,
kitchen counter—I'm game.”

“
The
woods.” He kissed her jaw and licked a path down her throat,
teasing every once in a while with a hint of teeth. “Plenty of
room to run here, as long as we don't spook the horses.”

“
Or
the ranch hands.” A careful shift of her hips settled her body
more closely against his, close enough to feel his arousal through
their clothes. She moved again, this time with a whimper, and bit his
ear.

“
That's
it.” One hand tangled in her hair, tilted her head back to bare
her throat for another bite. “Wiggle all you want. I like it.”

“
I
know.” She laughed and clutched him tight. “I want to
marry you. Be your wife.”

“
Good
thing I already proposed.” This time his teeth caught the strap
of her bra. “I'm not stopping for anything.”

“
Not
even if a jolly old man with a big belly drops down the chimney?”

“
Woman,
your dirty talk is getting twisted.”

Nick's
giggle dissolved into a moan. “Yeah? I haven't even
gotten to the part about the elves yet.”

Derek
groaned and lifted his head. “This better not be some kinky
roleplay fantasy, because I'm not putting on a big red suit.”

“
That's
okay.” She tugged impatiently at his shirt. “I like you
better naked anyway.”

“
Naked's
good.” The shirt fell away, leaving his chest bare to her
touch. He caught both of her hands and pulled them to his shoulders
with a soft growl. “Touch me, Nicky.”

Her
fingers curled, just a little, molding to the hard, muscled planes of
his chest. She shuddered, suddenly desperate to do more, so she
licked his collarbone. “Taste you?”

“
Only
if you want me to return the favor.”

He'd
do it, too—push her down to the rug and make her scream with
his fingers and tongue. Nick gasped a curse and rocked down against
him as she scraped her teeth over his shoulder.

Derek
let out a choked noise and closed his hands on her hips. The world
tilted as he lifted her, almost threw her back on the couch, then
groped for the fastening on her pants. “Naked. Naked is
necessary
.”

She
lifted her hips so he could strip the denim away and clutched at the
back of the couch as he started at her chin and began a slow,
dedicated march down her body, dropping kisses to her collarbones and
nips to the curve of her breast.

It
was sheer sensual torture, and Nick whispered pleas and encouragement
when he lingered over sensitive spots. Her body throbbed with
pleasure and anticipation, both of which skyrocketed when he settled
between her legs with a wicked smile. “Now?”

She'd
beg if she had to. “Please, Derek. Make me come.”

He
gave her a soft touch. Knowing fingers stroking over her, teasing her
with the promise of pleasure. Then his lips, his tongue, and he
wasn't teasing anymore, but demanding, using his knowledge of
her body in the very best way.

It
made no sense that he could know her so well so quickly, but he did.
Nick clutched his head, her fingers tight in his hair. She clenched
her jaw, but couldn't stay silent. “Christ,” she
panted, arching off the cushions. “Jesus
Christ
.”

“
Come
on, baby,” he whispered, stroking his fingers deeper. “Come
for me.”

Come.
Yes, another gift she could give him—the gift of her pleasure.
Her trust. She sucked in a ragged breath as the tense wave crested
and crashed through her, but all that escaped her lips was a whisper.
His name, as much of a prayer as a plea.

His
touch vanished as she drifted down, and she heard the sound of
frantic rustling. He had to be looking for the box of condoms he'd
stashed under the couch, and Nick groaned. “I tossed it. We
used them all.”

“
Already
?”
The word came out as a snarl. A second later, she was over his
shoulder, and they were already halfway to the bedroom. “We
need to buy them by the pallet.”

She
swallowed a giggle. “That delivery might be hard to explain.”

Derek
spilled her onto the bed and swatted at her hip. “So have pity
on me. Find a damn condom while I get my pants undone.”

It
took her only moments to dig through the nightstand drawer. Nick
dropped the foil packet on the bed and reached for him, nipping at
the flat expanse of his stomach as he opened his pants. They both
pushed at his underwear, and she laid her hand over his, curling his
fingers around his cock as she looked up at him. “I want you in
my mouth.”

He
panted heavily, his eyes glazed, fingers shaking. “Honey,
that'll pretty much render the condom unnecessary.
Self-control's not running high right now.”

He
was beautiful like this, as snared by need as she. Nick dropped her
hands to the bed. “I'll give you whatever you want,
Derek, all you have to do is say the word.”

For
a moment, he stayed frozen. Then he collapsed on the bed with a
groan. “Have your way with me.”

Whatever
she
wanted, his gift to her. “You sure?” She pulled at his
boots and jeans, leaving him naked on the bed. “My way's
terribly dirty.”

“
At
this point, that's about as newsworthy as electricity.”

“
Smartass.”
She knelt over him, letting her hair brush his skin. “I love
watching you like this.”

He
reached down, wrapped those strands of hair around his fingers and
tugged. “Funny, I like the view, too.”

She
moved slowly, closing her hand around his shaft with a light touch
meant to tease.

“
Nicole
.”
His grip tightened. “Please.”

“
Yes.”
One more quick tease with her tongue, and she licked her lips and
slid them down around the head of his cock. It was his turn to beg,
and he did, without hesitation. The words slurred as they stumbled
free, all variations of encouragement mixed with pleas, and the
occasional promise to do anything she wanted if she'd take him
deeper, or harder, or faster.

She
did all three, trembling when he pulled her hair so hard it hurt. It
was something he only did when his orgasm was imminent, when release
loomed so close and sure that he forgot to be gentle or careful.

She loved it.

When
he came, it was with a sound that started as her name and ended with
a growl of helpless pleasure that left her shivering. Nick stroked
him, every inch of her body alive with satisfaction and the knowledge
that he belonged to her.