Snowdrop Kisses Part Twenty-Three
A Christmas love story featuring a plucky florist and a tall dark and handsome entrepreneur
Previously… in part 22 Wendy’s car won’t start and she and James enjoy some companionable time together.
Chapter 45
Wendy was relieved at James’ suggestion. Their time in the kitchen was getting entirely too intimate. They put on their coats and went outside into the fading sunshine. James led the way along a path through the snow leading to an evergreen forest. Shadows enveloped them as they strolled amidst the cluster of pine, balsam and fir, the air smelling wonderfully Chirstmassy. The big day was only a week away, but she didn’t feel the usual pang of loneliness at the idea of spending it without her family.
They emerged from the wood at the top of a small bluff overlooking the countryside. Farms and rolling hills spread before them. A hawk floated far above. The sun was setting and its bright orange and pink colours filled the western sky.
“This is beautiful.” Wendy looked around. “Are we still on your land?”
“Yeah. I own two hundred acres around Stonehaven.”
“Are you farming all this, too?” Wendy knew how hard that work was. How could James manage it all?
“I rent out most of it to local dairy farmers. In fact, there’s an old milking shed not far from here. Want to explore?”
She nodded, struggling with her feelings of happiness. It was much more dangerous, she was realising, to like James Crofton, then to hate him.
They walked through another field, and came to a barbed wire fence. Wendy placed her hands carefully to avoid cutting herself.
“Here, let me help.”
Before Wendy could protest, he took her by the waist. He leaned down and his hair tickled her cheek. She fought the urge to turn and let her lips brush against his.
He spoke, “Once I lift you, just swing your leg over.”
Wendy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She placed his hands on his shoulders, feeling the muscles ripple as he easily swung her up. She had never considered herself particularly little or petite, but in that moment she felt like a ballerina.
“The shed is through these trees,” James said after he climbed the fence. They pushed their way through the young maples and emerged in another pasture. A small dilapidated shed listed slightly to the side.
“It’s a lot smaller and more rickety than I remember.” James’ face fell, and for an instant Wendy caught a glimpse of the little boy he must have once been. He shrugged and smiled. “You can’t recapture the past, eh?”
Wendy shook her head.
James headed to the door and yanked. It opened with a creak. He stepped inside.
“Are you sure you should be doing that, James? It doesn’t look safe. There might be nails and things.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve had my tetanus shot. Besides, they built things to last in the old days.” To illustrate he gave a little hop. With a creak, the board he was standing on split in two, and James lost his footing. He grabbed at air for an instant, and then lurched forward, hitting the ground with a thud.
Wendy sprung toward him, but tripped on the split board, losing her footing and landing on top of him. The floor was dusty, but seemed stable. That’s all Wendy absorbed of her surroundings, before becoming conscious that she was draped over James. She could feel his hard legs through her jeans. He lay absolutely still and his eyes were closed.
“Are you okay?” She put her hand on his chest, intending to push herself off.
His eyes flicked open and he stared at her. Wendy felt his broad chest through her palm. All her senses vibrated with an electrical awareness.
His hand snaked around her neck, and he drew her head down. Their other embraces had been nothing compared to this. James kissed her hungrily, ruthlessly, as if he could not get enough of her. Wendy kissed him back with equal ardour. She longed to touch his bare chest, to feel the muscles ripple beneath her hands, to sense the pulse of his heartbeat. She yanked his shirt from the waistband of his pants.
James wriggled her out of her coat, and pulled off her t-shirt. He groaned when he saw her breasts straining against the white lace of her bra. “Oh, Wendy,” he said. His fingers brushed against her soft skin. “Let’s keep you warm.” He rolled her underneath him and bent his head to kiss her neck.
Dimly, she heard a faint droning sound. She needed to feel his mouth on her naked breasts. She groaned and arched her back. He took her cue, and undoing her bra, placed his mouth upon her erect nipple, sucking on it gently, overwhelming her with sensation. The droning was more of a thrum, really.
She was lost in a joyful haze as he covered her body in kisses, exclaiming over the beauty of her breasts and the contours of her stomach. She could not stop touching his strong sleek body. She was frantic with the need to feel every inch of him. She tugged at his jeans and he suddenly pushed himself off her. The thrum was a roar; deafening and terrifying. The walls of the rickey shed vibrated. The scent of gasoline filled the air.
James stood and crept to the window. “Snowmobilers,” he said. “A dozen of them.”
“Are they going to come in here?” Wendy hissed, grabbing her t-shirt and pulling it on. Nothing killed a mood faster than a phalanx of snow-suited men roaring up on Skidoos.
James pulled on his shirt and sweater. They both stood at the window, peering out as the group zoomed past. Thankfully, none of them glanced at the shed.
Once they were gone James held the door open for her and they started walking back to the house. Evening had settled in, but luckily the sky was cloudless and the early moon shone brightly. James laughed. “Man, Wendy. I think we’re cursed.”
Wendy didn’t join in. As soon as the sound of the snowmobiles faded, the full weight of what happened asserted itself. She realised with a sickening jolt that the only thought racing through her mind as she and James had touched, was how much she loved him.
She hugged herself and closed her eyes, trying to absorb this new truth. She loved him. How had she let this happen? James was just a better-dressed version of Martin. She was repeating her doomed pattern.
James noticed her silence. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.” His voice was soft.
She blinked back tears. No, of course he wouldn’t mean it to happen. She was just a boring little florist, after all. She didn’t say anything, keeping her head down.
“But I’m glad it did,” he continued. Her eyes flew to his. He looked at her with such tenderness that her heart leapt. “I’ve been attracted to you since the day we met. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like this before.”
She wanted love, but he was talking about sexual attraction. It confirmed her worst fears, and yet at this stage, did she really care? Maybe a short dalliance was better than nothing. “I’m attracted to you, too.”
He closed the small gap between them and pressed her to him. They kissed again. “Let’s get out of here,” James said. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and they raced back to the house.
Chapter 46
James fumbled with the front door and Wendy’s impatience mounted. When he swung it open, they burst into the foyer. Their embrace was hot and urgent. Wendy kissed James’ neck and his ear. He tugged at her pony-tail and sent her hair cascading down her back. He groaned. “You were so pretty last night with your hair loose. All I could think about was how it would look spread out on my pillow.”
They both dropped their coats. Wendy tugged at his sweater and t-shirt, half pulling them off his head, but was too short to finish the job. “Here,” he said, and ripped them off. Wendy took a moment to drink in the sight, before stroking his warm skin and feeling the soft down of his chest hair.
“Come on.” James pulled her towards the master staircase. Wendy went up one step and turned back. Now she was almost the same height as James. She kissed him, and he lifted her up. Wendy wrapped her legs around his waist, and James gave another low groan. She could feel his arousal through the thick fabric of their jeans and she rubbed her body against it.
“Oh God, Wendy,” said James. He twisted and sank down onto the stairs, with Wendy straddling him. He kissed her neck and her ear, and then yanked off her t-shirt. She hadn’t bothered putting her bra back on in the shed, and he moaned when he saw her breasts. His fingers brushed roughly against her nipples, sending a pleasurable jolt directly to her groin.
Some distant part of Wendy realised that making love on the stairway was not comfortable, but as that thought occurred to her, James slid a hand into her jeans, and all that mattered was his touch.
Luckily rational thought hadn’t abandoned James. Wendy was unzipping his jeans, when he said, “Wait. We need a condom.”
Wendy was in no mood for hesitation. “Let’s go.” She raced up the stairs.
“This way,” said James, pulling her to the bedroom.
Wendy’s blood sang with anticipation as they burst into his room.
They fell onto the bed and James kicked off his jeans. He rolled on top of Wendy, and she traced his back muscles with her fingers. Her hands came to rest on his bum.
James reached over and pulled a condom from the bedside table. Wendy lay back, opening herself to him and he entered her. James thrust into her, and she moaned in pleasure. She needed more, and he gave it to her until his cries were mingled with hers. Every inch of Wendy’s skin was alive, her toes curled and she called out his name in ecstasy as her orgasm rolled over her. James’ movements were frantic until he too cried out in release.
He collapsed on her for a moment, and then rolled off. He smiled lazily. “That was incredible, Wendy.”
She smiled back. Her orgasms with Martin had been ticklish sneezes compared to the heights she reached with James. She sighed in contentment and snuggled next to him, idly tracing his collarbone with her finger.
He stretched and said, “I’ve worked up an enormous appetite.” He rolled out of bed. “I’m going to need some sustenance to keep up with you!” He shrugged into his bathrobe and disappeared.
James came back with their t-shirts, which had been abandoned on the staircase and strawberries left over from the brunch. He fed her the berries, watching intently as she bit into the fruit. He kissed the juice off of her lips and they made love again. This time, rather than the intense driving passion of the first encounter, they took their time to explore what gave each other pleasure. Exhausted after this second bout of lovemaking, Wendy fell asleep, curled in James’ arms.
She awoke the next day to a shaft of sunlight piercing through the window. A glance at the clock told her it was only seven-thirty. She stretched luxuriously in the big bed. Her body ached like she had run a marathon. In a way she had. She smiled at the memory. They had been so passionate, so fierce, so needful of each other; yet there had been gentleness too. She never knew she could feel like that, respond like that, and give pleasure like that. She turned to give James an early morning kiss.
The bed was empty, although she could smell his warm male scent in the sheets. She was puzzled by his absence until she remembered how he liked to swim in the morning to clear his head. If James was feeling any of her delicious bewilderment , he was going to have to churn out a lot of laps before attaining clarity.
Wendy lay back, letting her thoughts wander. She had been hesitant to get involved with James because she thought he was a selfish womanizer, but they couldn’t have shared last night’s amazing intimacy without him caring about her a little bit. Beneath his playboy exterior James was a sensitive guy and she loved him. She was anxious for him to come back so they could talk.
She got out of bed and dressed in her wrinkled clothing. They’d never have a conversation if she was lying alluringly in bed when James returned. She would have expected James’ bedroom to be ornate, with a four-poster bed and impeccable furnishings. She was pleased to see that it was messy, with clothes flung everywhere. His dresser was a huge oak thing and looked like it might have been used in a store at one time. She wandered over, picking up the brush that lay on top. She smiled dreamily as she remembered their frantic race to the bedroom the night before.
Wendy frowned. A thought niggled. She put the brush down. Last evening they had run up the main stairs and turned right at the landing. But on the night of the party James was coming out of a different room, one to the left.
Her eyes widened. That night, when they’d shared that 3 a.m kiss, James had been coming out of someone else’s room.
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