Jaci Burton - Holiday Games

“That’s all right. Carry on.”

He pulled her bags out of the trunk of her car and carried them upstairs. She shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up, then followed him.

She’d been exhausted driving home, thinking of nothing more than throwing off her clothes and climbing in bed next to her sleeping husband. But since he wasn’t asleep . . .

When he set her bags down, she came up behind him and pressed her body against his. “I missed you.”

He grasped her hands. “I missed you too, babe.” He turned around. “Did you have fun in Jamaica?”

“We did.”

He ran his finger across the tip of her nose. “It looks like you got a little sun.”

She laughed. “Yeah, very little. You know my skin.”

“I do. But I think I should inspect you fully to make sure you didn’t get burned.”

She kicked off her shoes. “Yes, you probably should.”

He undid the buttons of her blouse one by one, his gaze burning into hers, making her hotter by the second. Her nipples tightened, achingly sensitive against her bra as he pushed her blouse off her shoulders.

Gavin traced the swell of her breasts. “I thought about you a lot while I was in Vegas,” he said.

She shuddered as she inhaled. “Did you? I thought about you, too.”

“Yeah.” He walked around behind her and unhooked her bra, then leaned in to lift her hair and press a kiss against the side of her neck. “We’re always apart when I’m playing ball, so I like being with you during the off-season. It sucked being separated.”

“It did.” Goose bumps prickled across her skin as he kissed his way across her neck toward her shoulder. He nipped at her shoulder and she tilted her head back. “Gavin.”

“I like the way you say my name when you’re turned on.”

He came around and faced her, dragging her bra down her arms. Her pants were next, and she held on to his shoulders while he tugged them down, then looked up at her, pulled her by her hips toward his face.

He nuzzled her sex, making her draw in a deep breath. She’d missed this closeness, this passion they shared when it was just the two of them. And when he drew her panties down and put his mouth on her sex, her legs trembled. Gavin grasped her thighs and held her in place as his tongue and lips did magical things to her clit.

She threaded her fingers through his dark hair as she watched his tongue roll over her clit. “You make me want to come. I’m ready. So ready.”

He put his lips flat against her and sucked, catapulting her into orgasm. She rocked against his face, crying out as her climax sent her reeling. When he stood, she cupped the back of his neck and brought him down for a deep, soulful kiss that only made her pussy quiver more.

Gavin pushed her onto the bed and dropped his jeans. He was inside her a heartbeat later, her pussy still spasming. She tightened around his cock, feeling every inch of him thicken inside her. And when he began to move within her, it was the sweetest pleasure, a reminder of why she loved being with him. He knew just how to touch her, the exact rhythm that would get her primed and ready to go again.

When he ground against her, she lifted up, making sure he was buried deep, loving the look of fierce passion that furrowed his brow, the dark, predatory need reflected in his eyes that told her he was right there with her.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and held him there, her body hovering on the brink of oblivion. He knew it, too, because he stopped moving, and it was as if the earth had stopped spinning, as if the two of them were suspended in space. All she could hear was their breathing, all she could feel was the hard pounding of their hearts against each other and his cock twitching inside her.

It was heaven, and pure, torturous hell at the same time.

Then he kissed her, drove hard within her, and she shattered like a broken lightbulb, every piece of her gloriously illuminated from the inside out as he shuddered and came with her. He groaned against her mouth, his tongue twining with hers as they rode out their orgasms together.

Out of breath, she held tight to him, so glad to be home and in his arms. Because nothing was more perfect than this.

“All is right in my world again,” she said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

He disentangled and pulled her against him. “Mine, too. I had fun this weekend, but I’m happy to be back home. Happy to have you back, too.”

She tilted her head back and he brushed his lips against hers.

She was glad to have this idyllic moment with him, because she knew the next few weeks were going to be anything but calm.

Nathan had come home, and Tara and Mick were having everyone over for dinner to welcome him. Plus, he'd brought his girlfriend with him, and he wanted to introduce her to the immediate family before the wedding so she wouldn’t be too overwhelmed.

Which immediately made Liz curious because she’d known nothing about this girlfriend.

“Did Mick tell you anything about her?” Liz asked Gavin as they drove over to the house.

“Just that she’s pretty and she plays for the basketball team at UT.”

“Hmmm.”

Gavin glanced over at her. “What does that mean?”

“Absolutely nothing. I wonder if this is a new thing, because Tara hasn’t mentioned her to me.”

“Imagine that. You, not in the know about something.”

She laughed. “Shut up.”

“I guess you’ll just have to find out about her like the rest of us.”

“I suppose so.”

They pulled up in front of the house and parked, then headed to the front door. “Looks like everyone’s already here.”

He grabbed her hand. “We’re not late, Liz. You’re just worried you’re going to miss some vital gossip about this hot mystery girlfriend of Nathan’s.”

She squeezed his hand. “I am not. I couldn’t care less.” Okay, maybe she did care. She’d kind of taken it upon herself to become Nathan’s not-quite-related-except-by-marriage-but-cared-about-the-kid-deeply aunt. Plus, she was firmly convinced Nathan had a profound athletic future, so she was a little overprotective of him. The last thing he needed was some gorgeous groupie sticking her claws in him and riding his coattails all the way to the NFL.

Gavin paused. “Liz.”

“Yes?”

“Mind your own business.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nathan. You don’t want to step into that again. You know what kind of trouble you got yourself into before with Mick and Tara. You don’t want to do it again.”

“For God’s sake, Gavin. I’m not even thinking about meddling in Nathan’s personal life.” Geez, her husband was annoyingly psychic at times.

And of course he was right. Which didn’t mean she wouldn’t ask this new girlfriend of Nathan’s some probing questions. She wouldn’t interfere, of course. It was more like . . . protecting him.

“Oh, you’re here.” Tara greeted them at the front door and led them inside. “The guys are in the game room.”

“Later, gorgeous,” Gavin said, giving her a swift kiss before heading toward the men.

Liz rolled her eyes. “I knew I’d lose him as soon as we walked in the door.”

“I know, right? Mick loves the game room. So do his dad and his uncle. They’re all like kids in there with the TV, pool table and video games and the rest of the stuff.”

Tara led her into the kitchen. “Something to drink? I made this amazing nonalcoholic punch, plus there’s wine, beer, and tea.”

“I’d love some punch.”

Tara poured her a glass. “Everyone else is in the family room.”

“Is Nathan here?”

“I sent him and Sonja on an errand. They should be back soon.”

“Sonja, huh? Nice name.”

Tara smiled. “Nice girl. Wait ’til you meet her. You’re going to fall madly in love with her.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. She’s sweet. I can’t believe he met someone like her. She’s smart and so athletic. And funny, too.”

Liz was going to reserve judgment about Sonja until she had a chance to grill— uh, talk to her.

She settled into the family room and visited with everyone, including Mick and Tara’s little boy, Sam, who was pulling himself up on the furniture. His hair was dark and curly, and when he giggled, it shot straight to her heart. He had the sweetest smile and charmed everyone in the room as he made his way over to them, laughing every time he fell down.

When Sam came over to her and rested his cheek on her knee, every part of Liz ached. She picked him up and kissed his cheek, but after only a few seconds, he wriggled to get down.

“Okay, mobile man, I know you don’t want to be cuddled right now. Off you go.”

“I told you,” Tara said. “I think my cuddling days are over.”

“You might be surprised how much he still wants to cuddle his Mama,” Gavin’s mom said to Tara. “He might want to be moving around right now, but wait until he falls and cries. Then he’ll want you holding him.”

“You’re right, of course,” Tara said.

After a few minutes, Liz heard the front door open.

“Mom, where do want this stuff?”

“Excuse me,” Tara said. “If I don’t direct Nathan, he’ll end up putting milk in the pantry.”

Liz got up, too. “I’ll help you.”

She followed Tara into the kitchen.

Nathan was in there and she was struck by how much he’d matured in the past few years. He was taller, and had picked up a lot more muscle. He wore his hair shorter now, and it was a darker brown. Though still young, he was no longer a young boy. Now he was a young man.

“Hi, Nathan,” she said.