Chapter 15 – Georgia
FIFTEEN
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
GEORGIA
A couple of days later
Iused to give all my family members the same thing for every Christmas: a handmade “rescue” sweater in a shade of their favorite color. Most of the time, they complained about it, but they never understood my reasoning.
I knew they’d re-gift it to someone who truly appreciated the craft of a handmade sweater, but more importantly I wanted to win our traditional family game of Dirty Santa.
Tucking my newest present under my arm, I take a deep breath before stepping into the main lodge.
“About time you showed up!” Taryn waves me over. “I think I’ve guessed about fifteen presents so far, and with any luck I can guess the rest before the game officially starts.”
“That’s cheating, Taryn.”
“I know.” She smiles. “You taught me well.”
I laugh and take off my coat. “Pass me a box.”
“Where’s your fiancé?”
“He’s feeling exhausted from the flight, so he sends his regards.”
“He’s become quite the topic of conversation around here.”
“Less chatting.” I shake a package, sensing a luxury bathrobe. “More subtle unwrapping.”
“He might be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” She’s not focusing on the gifts. “And that’s saying something because Savannah’s fiancé is pretty damn hot.”
“I’ll tell him you said that,” I say. “He’ll be back on the market after the holidays.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, if the two of us don’t work out, I’ll give him your number.”
“Ha!” She laughs. “The way he looked at you when you got here tells me that he’ll be yours forever.”
Right… “Pass me that maroon box.”
“I’m serious, Georgia.” She leans over and hugs me. “It’s good seeing my little cousin in love, and I’m really happy for you. I can’t believe you’re about to marry a sexy billionaire!”
“You shouldn’t believe it at all.”
“Maybe I need to find a terrible job with a good looking CEO and see if I can make that magic work for me, too.”
“Okay, look,” I say. “Can I trust you to keep a secret?”
“Only if you want me to share it.”
“That’s literally the entire point of—Wow.” I shake my head. “Thanks for being honest.”
“You’re welcome! How good is Dominic in bed?”
“What?”
“I need to know.” She lowers her voice. “I haven’t gotten laid in forever and he has total big dick energy, so you need to spill the tea.”
“There is no tea, Taryn.” I roll my eyes. “We’ve never had sex, and we will never ever have sex.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s impotent.”
She gasps. “You’re kidding!”
“Nope,” I say. “That’s the big secret. We’re with each other because we get along intellectually, and I understand that no matter how much money he makes, he’ll never be able to perform in bed. He’s super sensitive about it, so keep that fact to yourself.”
“Okay.” She looks distraught. “I’m so sorry, Georgia.”
“It’s okay.” I pat her knee. “We can’t have everything we want in this life. Pass me that pink box.”
She obliges, and I shake it.
“Tea cups?”
“Sounds like it.” She nods. “Pass me the teal one.”
I oblige and notice my phone glowing with a new message.
Dominic
I left the cottage to take a tour. I’ll be back within the hour, so you need to meet me there with the key.
No…You need to wait until I FEEL like coming back since you broke the only rule I have you to follow.
Annoyed, I set my phone on silent as Savannah and my other cousins arrive for the game.
As if she can read my mind, she hands me a bottle of wine and motions for me to drink it alone.
Somewhere between several boxes of cheap playing cards and a design Coach bag, Dominic walks into the room.
His eyes immediately find mine, and I jump off the couch.
“Oh, hey!” I rush over to him, then I lower my voice. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came here for the key.”
“You don’t get to hold onto it,” I say. “It’s mine until you leave.”
“I’m not your goddamn prisoner, Georgia.” He glares at me. “Give me the key. Now.”
“Hey there, Dominic!” Savannah calls out. “Would you like to join us for a few rounds of Dirty Santa?”
“I can’t,” “He can’t,” we say in unison.
“You can at least play one round then,” she says. “We’ll make it super quick.”
“This is a family game.” I shake my head. “Dominic is not a part of it.”
“Um…” She tilts her head to the side. “Isn’t he about to be, though?”
“No,” we speak in unison again.
“I mean, you never can be too sure about relationships these days, you know?”
I try to laugh it off, but Dominic doesn’t join me.
“Anyway, he got lost,” I say,”so I guess I need to show him back to our cottage.”
“Wait, Georgia!” Taryn stands up. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“How to tell the truth, sadly.”
“You’re under the mistletoe.” She points up at the white and green bough above us.
“So?” I scoff. “I’ll be back in a few. Can you hold off on that polka dot gift?”
“After you kiss your fiancé, sure.” Savannah leans forward in anticipation. “You made me and Garrett do it when we checked in. No big deal.”
“I did that because you two are actually engaged.”
“Just like you and Dominic, right?”
“I meant to say that he’s not that good of a kisser.” I try to save myself. “I don’t enjoy kissing him and he doesn’t enjoy kissing me.”
“He’s also impotent!” Taryn slurs loudly. “They have an asexual relationship because he can’t get it up, so she doesn’t like to tease him with any type of sexual behavior. Not even kissing because it gives him ‘The Sads.’”
“I’m fucking what?” Dominic looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“It’s okay, Dominic.” Taryn presses a hand against her heart. “This is a judgment-free zone. No one here cares about the condition of your penis as long as you make Georgia happy.”
“Well, at least they know the truth about you now!” I laugh nervously and step away from the mistletoe. “Ready to go, Dominic?”
“Not quite.” He pulls me into his arms, holding me taut against his body.
Without warning, he presses his lips against mine, kissing me so long and hard that I almost lose my balance.
“Why are you fucking with me, Georgia Grey?” he whispers before slapping my ass.
I gasp, but my reaction is short-lived by the overwhelming feel in his next series of touches.
He rubs his palms up and down my back, steadying me, testing me as he positions me to where I can feel just how aroused he is. How he does not give one fuck about the fact that he’s controlling me in front an audience.
I start to panic about what this looks like to them, if I’ll ever live this down, and as if Dominic knows that, he cups a hand around my neck and holds me still for a long, lingering kiss that makes every single one of my toes curl.
When he finally lets me go, my cheeks are burning and I can’t bear to look at anyone in this room.
“He looks like a pretty damn good kisser to me…” “Right?” “I guess that answers my ‘How good is the sex?’ question from earlier.” Their whispers and giggles are loud enough for me to hear.
“I’m far from impotent,” he says to Taryn. “Your cousin has a very strange sense of humor.”
“Clearly.” Taryn fans herself, and I struggle to catch my breath.
“Now, I’m ready to go,” Dominic says to me.
“Yeah, um…Okay.” I pick up my coat and look over at the game. “I’ll be back.”
“No, you won’t.” Savannah and Taryn laugh, and I’m too stunned by that kiss to say anything else.
I follow Dominic outside and into a waiting trolley, and instead of asking the driver to take us to the cottage, I request that we go to the lodge.
“I think we should get you your own set of keys first,” I say.
“I would appreciate that.”
We ride in silence, and I pretend his hand isn’t caressing my shoulders the entire way.
“Well, well, well.” Dante steps in front of us when we enter the lobby. “Long time no see, Mr. Reiss.”
It honestly hasn’t been long enough.” He looks at me. “I’ll meet you at the front desk.”
He takes his place in line behind another guest, briefly leaving me alone with Dante.
“It’s a really small world huh?” Dante shakes his head. “I mean, it almost feels like last Christmas all over again for you, doesn’t it?”
“I’m not dating a liar and a cheater this year.”
“I didn’t lie about cheating on you. I omitted it until it was absolutely necessary to disclose.”
“Okay, bye.” I start to walk past him, but he blocks me.
“I’m not done talking to you, Georgia.”
“Don’t you have a fiancée to hang out with?” I ask “Someone who actually wants to be around you?”
“I’m treating her to a spa day. I was hoping to catch you with your fiancé so we could have a nice chat.”
“He’s not your biggest fan.”
“But I’m one of his, since we both know that he’s really me.”
Ugh, God…
“Georgia! My youngest cousin, Ciara, runs over and hands me a picture frame. “Can you ask your fiancé to sign this gift for me? It’s for Cousin Savannah’s wedding.”
“So, you’re going to be Type-A like she is?”
“Never mind!” She snatches it away. “I can ask him myself.”
She runs over to Dominic and tugs on his pants leg.
“Oh you’ve got to be fucking with me…” Dante crosses his arms. “Don’t tell me that your family thinks he’s your fiancé?”
I can practically see the wheels turning in his head as he throws his head back and laughs.
“That’s why he’s here, isn’t it?” He snorts. “Do you really think I’m going to let you get away with this?”
“I don’t see what it has to do with you.”
“Well, we’ll see about that. I believe I’m meeting your grandmother for dinner this week, so I’ll let you know how she takes the news.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would, and I will.”
I walk away from him as his laughter follows my every step.
If there was any doubt before, now it’s official.
This is definitely the worst Christmas ever…