Connor 7
Twenty-five minutes later, with wet, slicked-back hair, and wearing a simple red dress with a full skirt, Miss Merry Christmas sashayed back into the living room that had somehow been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Lorelei Gilmore was even sipping coffee with her daughter Rory inside Luke’s Diner on the small TV in the corner. No volume, which was probably a good choice.
Normally, I’d hate all of this and want to get out of here as soon as possible, but because I knew where we were headed, I dug in deeper.
Hell, I even wore my old Santa hat that I’d tossed into a box in the back of my closet three years ago. It still looked great.
“What’s all this?” she asked as she strolled in closer, looking positively stunning.
I’d quickly showered and pulled on a pair of clean jeans, not taking the time to button my black shirt or step into shoes. I figured shoes were optional.
“Wait… you didn’t do any of this?” I asked, as she gazed around at the twinkling white lights strung around the windows and the archways and even dangling in long strands along one of the walls. The tree was completely decorated, and garland had been added on every surface. Even our dishes had been cleaned up.
“No,” she said, slowly spinning around in the middle of the room. Evergreen garland had even been strung around the little fake fireplace that emitted a warm glow, and soft Christmas music serenaded us. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“Neither did I.”
“Then who…”
“Noelle!” she said, cutting me off. “It had to be her, but she barely had enough time. I’m convinced she’s magical. I’m sure of it. There’s something special about her that I can’t pinpoint, but she keeps fulfilling my Christmas wishes, and I haven’t a clue how she gets them done, but she does. Like, how the heck did she know neither of us would be in this room? And that I wished that I had taken the time to finish decorating? And what about the TV? Weird. She must be an angel or an elf or something unworldly.”
I walked in closer to her. “Who is she, anyway?”
“What do you mean? She’s our neighbor.”
“From which apartment?”
Thinking about Noelle was getting to me now. Like she really was some kind of angel or elf.
“I don’t know, exactly. I haven’t had the time to figure that out yet.”
Merry smelled like lilies and orange blossoms and roses. Her scent drove me crazy, and I couldn’t wait to kiss her, really kiss her.
“There are only four apartments in this building and the loft on the roof that Ethan rents. Unless she lives in the basement or in the back of the laundry room, she can’t live here. I’ve seen her around, at least I think I have. She’s been to my coffee shop before, but I’ve never really spoken to her before today, so how the hell does she know anything about me? It’s some kind of Christmas mystery.”
“She knows everything about you… and about your two best friends, as well.”
This was getting creepy. I barely knew her, yet she knew all about me. How did that work?
“And what about you? Does she know everything about you?”
“I think she does, yes. I believe there’s a bit of magic to her, more than I probably think, but let’s not talk about Noelle right now. I see you poured the wine. I’d love some,” she said, holding out her delicate hand. I’d already opened the bottle in my apartment and grabbed our glasses off the table. Now, everything sat on a small end table. I handed her a filled glass.
“To us,” I said, clinking her glass.
As soon as our glasses met, I wondered how the hell this ever happened. Why was I feeling so happy? I hadn’t felt pure joy in so long, I was scared to allow it in. Ever since the wedding debacle, and even before the wedding, I’d been chronically sad. Which played right into the runaway bride scenario. I thought my bride would make me happy. Instead, the reality of my overcompensating for her apprehensions before the wedding, which I felt but dismissed, made everything worse.
Happiness had to come from within, not from outside of me.
I learned that the hard way.
I couldn’t pinpoint my recent joy on Merry’s influence, not entirely, anyway. Sure, some of it had to do with her, but it had more to do with how I felt even when she wasn’t around. Like I was going to be all right. Like, the worst was over. So, for now, I was simply going to accept these foreign emotions, and just be grateful that I could feel anything good again.
“To us,” she said, her grin contagious. “May we have one of the best Christmases ever.”
“Ever!” Before she could take another sip, I slipped her glass out of her hand and placed them both on the table. Then my lips were on hers, and I walked her back to her sofa, where we fell back onto it but never broke the kiss. The last thing I saw other than her lovely face was the view out the window where snowflakes the size of quarters drifted over the entire town, which triggered a thought about Ethan and Lucas out there in the square, trying to sell paintings Ethan never thought he would even show anyone, much less sell.
Ethan, Lucas, and I had snuck a short conversation about the possibility of sharing Merry while she had run off for a pit stop this morning during the setup. I didn’t think anything could come of it, but Ethan wanted to get everyone’s buy in, just in case.
I thought he was overly optimistic about this little Christmas spitfire.
What did I know?
Obviously, I still couldn’t read women and never would.
Ethan had assured both of us that it was fine with him. Whatever Merry wanted, he’d go along with. She wanted me because I was willing to take this as far as she’d let me. Her lips were the absolute bomb. Kissing her stirred up way too many dirty thoughts that I couldn’t seem to control. The woman was pure fire. There wasn’t the slightest bit of hesitation on her part, and hesitation certainly wouldn’t be coming from me. I was all in… so to speak.
Once we moved over to the comfort of the sofa, I had to tell myself about a hundred times to take this slow. I hadn’t had sex in a long time, and to be sharing this moment with a Christmas-obsessed woman didn’t even seem possible.
The music, the low lights, and being surrounded by all the decorations only enhanced my feelings for her. How that was even possible had to be some kind of Christmas trick.
“You’re like a human gift that I get to unwrap. Are you sure you want to do this? What I mean is, well, Ethan told me that you two shared something truly magical. You’re the reason why he’s out there right now, showing his more colorful work instead of his dark, bleak paintings.”
“I think… wait… I know he’d be happy for us. He loves you, just like you love him. No jealousy, only a strong bond.”
I needed to hear it from her as well as Ethan. Cheating on any level wasn’t something I wanted to get involved in.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” I said while I cupped her chin, and I meant it. I didn’t deserve her… none of us did. Miss Merry Christmas was some kind of angel, and we were all wicked devils when it came right down to it. Okay, maybe not in the evil sense, but in the greedy for sex way. I wanted her all to myself, but yeah, I could share… just not right now.
“You haven’t met anyone like me because I’m one of a kind… just like you are… and Ethan… and Lucas, who I need to bring into this circle. I can tell he’s hurting.”
I didn’t know exactly what she meant with “bring into this circle,” but if it was any kind of group sex thing, I was all for it. Way too fucking hot to even imagine.
“Lucas is a kitten under all that swagger.”
“Good to know, but let’s concentrate on us and what we need.”
She sat next to me now, her lips swollen from my kiss. I brushed them with my thumb, and she sucked my thumb into her mouth for a moment, sending heat right down to my already hard-as-a-rock dick.
“So, tell me, Merry Everleigh, what do you need?”
“I’d like it if you really kissed me, like you mean it this time.”
“I meant it last time,” I told her, lying a bit to protect myself. How she knew I was holding back was beyond me.
“You’re guarding your emotions. Making sure you don’t fall too fast or too hard. You’re still guarding your heart.”
“Can you blame me? We hardly know each other.”
How this woman could read my soul was a mystery.
“Okay. I get that, but you asked me what do I need, and I need you to relax into this moment and go where it takes you. No limits… just an open book that we’ll write as we go along.”
I couldn’t lie when she was so open. So authentic. “I’m not sure I can do that.”
“First, just admit that you like me, despite my Christmas cheer. That you were attracted to me from the moment we first met, and you’re enjoying all this Christmas shit, as you like to call it.” She swept her hand around, reminding me of the decorated room.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Fine, I was attracted to you from the start, and all this Christmas sh… stuff… is growing on me.”
We kissed again, only this time, I couldn’t help but slide my hand over her cheek and feel her skin on that lovely long neck of hers.
When we pulled apart, she said, “See, that wasn’t so hard.”
I could only grin knowing I was so fucking hard, that if I didn’t get out of these jeans soon, I’d cream ‘em.
“You have no idea,” I told her, then we slid down on the sofa, as I ran kisses down her neck and my hand over her firm, round breasts, I knew it was hopeless for me to try to fight my emotions.
She helped me get out of my shirt and jeans and loved on my dick as soon as it sprang free. Her mouth felt so fucking good on my dick, that by the time I looked down at her pumping me, I was already down her throat.
“What the fuck?” I said, as I reached down and ran my hands over her head and face. “That feels so fucking good! Oh man!”
I watched her for a little longer, hoping she would stop so I could fuck her, but then realizing that I didn’t care either way. I told myself to just relax into it, so I took a strong stance and just enjoyed the show, loudly pulling in air between my teeth.
When she finally pulled away, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and asked, “Do you want me to finish you off or did you have other plans?” I swiftly pulled up her dress, letting her know, in fact, I did have other plans.
“You’re naked,” I told her as soon as I saw her bare pussy.
“Makes things easier,” she whispered.
“Merry as in Merry Christmas, you have no idea what this has done for me.”
“I think I know exactly what it’s done,” she said and opened her legs wide, trusting me in her most vulnerable position.
“Oh, babe,” I said, then I rolled on a condom and entered her sweet, hot pussy with a slow thrust, enjoying every fucking sensation until all my apprehensions were totally and completely gone.
“Kiss me,” she ordered, and this time when I kissed her, I fucking meant it.
THE BANGING ON the apartment door woke us with a start.
“What the hell?” I said, trying to wake up.
“Merry. Merry Everleigh, I know you’re in there. You may as well come out before I break this door down.” More banging. “Merry. Come on out. I’m not going away until you tell me what the hell you think you’re doing.”
I hurried to pull on my jeans, and Merry sat up, looking startled.
“Shit,” she said. “I never thought he’d find me here.”
“Who’s he? You know this crazy person?”
She nodded. “He’s… he’s… my husband, but it’s not how you think.”
My heart skipped a beat with those surprising words, and my head had a hard time grasping the significance of those words.
“Your husband! What the fuck? You can’t be serious. You’re married?”
“Technically, yes, but it’s not what you think.”
“You already said that and admitted you’re married… so I think you’re… married. How could you be married? We just had sex. You had sex with Ethan. What the hell kind of marriage are you in?”
“I can explain everything. I promise,” she said, looking frantic.
“Merry, Jamie and Bethany miss you. I miss you. You’ve got to come home, baby doll. Merry… do you hear me? Merry!” His voice echoed through the apartment and hit me like a punch to the gut.
“Okay… don’t even tell me that Jamie and Bethany are your kids, or I’m going to open that door and walk right out of it.” My heart was beating so fast, I felt like I’d just run a marathon.
She brought her thumb up to her mouth and gently chewed on her nail. “Technically, they probably are, but… but…”
I didn’t want to hear any of this. I felt like I was back in that church, watching my bride run for it. “Oh my God, woman, what the fuck is this? You’re married with kids?”
“You don’t understand.” I could see the tension on her face. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell whether it was for my learning about her husband, or that she was genuinely scared of this guy.
“Merry. Open the goddamn door, or I’m going to break it down,” he yelled, kicking it. The guy was over-the-top angry, and I didn’t want anything to do with that kind of anger. I had no way of knowing what he would do with that much anger.
“Will he?” I asked her as I zipped up my jeans and slipped on my shirt.
She twisted her face. “I kind of think he will, yeah.”
“Should I be prepared for something physical?”
She shrugged. “I don’t really know what he’s capable of.”
“Maybe I should call the sheriff,” I said and pulled out my phone.
She stopped me. “No. I can handle this.” She trotted off to the door and swung it open.
I came up and stood right behind her, hoping this guy would take a step back when he saw me, which he did, two, maybe three or four steps back.
Age wise, early forties, height, five feet six or seven inches, and couldn’t weigh more than a wet noodle. For all his bravado, the only threat I saw was a marriage certificate, if there really was one.
“What are you doing here, Benny? I thought we came to an agreement,” she told him, sounding official and nothing like the Merry Christmas I’d come to know.
“I changed my mind. I want you back.” Then he turned towards me. “Who is this guy? Your new lover?” He took a step closer to me. “She’s still my wife. Did she tell you that? And we have two kids. Did she tell you about our kids?”
“Benny. You know Jamie and Bethany aren’t my kids. They’re yours.”
Well, at least that was something to hang onto.
“They became yours when you married me,” he told her, sounding like a man on the brink. The words that came out of his mouth caused my stomach to pitch.
“I thought we settled all this,” she said, her voice shaky but curt and stern. I only knew the happy Merry, and this was suddenly more like the Merry Widow.
Just who was this woman I’d been falling for?
I didn’t know what was going on, but I wanted out. Wanted to walk the hell away and never look back. I’d been down this road before, and the view sucked.
“We didn’t settle anything,” he spat back. “Nothing was signed, and nothing’s gonna get signed. You have to come back where you belong… and you belong with me, in Omaha.”
Merry turned to me. “Maybe you should go. This might take a while.”
“I don’t think so,” I told her, worried for her safety. “This guy’s too angry.”
“Damn right, I’m angry. I’m shit-faced angry.”
“Okay, let’s calm the fuck down,” I told him, holding up a hand of warning. I’d seen enough fights in my life to know when someone was about to lose it, and I didn’t want him losing it on Merry.
I’d already secretly sent a text to Lucas to get his ass over here. I was hoping I’d hear him on the stairs at any minute.
“Who you talking to, hot shot?” he said, getting up in my face. “You think because you’re taller than me and younger that you scare me? I got news for you… nothin’ scares me. I fought in Afghanistan. In Iraq. Got shot twice and watched my buddies die. Nothin’ scares me.”
“Thank you for your service, but until you calm down, I’m not going anywhere. And even then, I’m not going.”
His hands fisted, and I mentally prepared for that first punch. This guy had seen too much and was in pain. That was now obvious, and although I had respect for him, I also knew what that kind of pain could do, and I wasn’t about to let anything bad happen to anybody.
“Maybe you should come inside,” Merry told him. Her voice calm now, back to normal. “I’ll make some hot tea. You like tea, Benny, remember? I’ll make some mint tea with lots of honey, just the way you like it.”
And with that, his entire demeanor changed. Like she turned off a switch.
“Orange blossom honey?”
“Your favorite!”
I could hardly believe the change in him. Like she’d just drugged him with something powerful.
“Sure. It’s cold out here. And there’s a lot of snow. You know how much I hate snow. It sticks to everything like glue.”
“It does. So come on inside where it’s warm. I have a tree up, and you love Christmas. It’s your favorite holiday.”
She patted his shoulder and guided him inside. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, I heard not only Lucas running up the stairs, but someone was with him… most likely Ethan.
This could get ugly… fast.