Chapter Twenty-Eight
Xander
The gift station was a small wooden cabin far away from the main square. It had no windows.
“Why is it empty?” I inquired.
“Most vendors drop off whatever is left after the celebration is over. No one usually leaves this early.”
After Bailey put the basket on a table, I turned her around, kissing her deeply.
“Xander,” she murmured. “I just ate corn. Let me pop a praline.”
“You’re delicious no matter what, Bailey.”
I unbuttoned her coat, putting my hands on her waist. She instantly softened against me. Kissing her again, I walked her backward until we rested against a wall, then deepened the kiss until she rewarded me with a moan.
“I need you, Bailey. Right now.”
She gasped but didn’t protest. Instead, she tipped her head back, humming. I kissed down the front of her neck, pushing her jacket out of the way.
“Xander...,” she half whispered, half moaned. “What if someone comes in?”
“Then we’ll stop. But I’m too hungry for you.”
I moved one hand under her dress. She was wearing tights. I yanked them down past her ass and then fondled her cheeks.
“Where do you need me to touch you?”
“Everywhere,” she whispered. “I love it.” Her voice was hoarse.
I lowered myself to my haunches, turning her around. While I traced her ass with my mouth, I brought one hand around her thigh to her pussy. Fuuuck! She was already touching herself. She’d slipped her hand into her panties and was applying gentle pressure. It was so damn sexy.
Pushing the fabric between her thighs to one side, I rubbed two fingers up and down her entrance, checking how wet she was. Soaked already. She coated my fingers instantly, so I slid one inside slowly. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, gasping. When I slid in a second one, I could tell by the way her body was tensing up that she needed it.
I would never tire of giving pleasure to this woman, of reading her body, taking in all the cues only to give her exactly what she needed. No more, no less.
“Xander!” Her voice shook.
I was so turned on that I could barely think straight. Every time I moved my mouth from her ass up to her lower back, my cock pressed against the side of her ankle. Even though it was warm in the cabin, her skin still turned to goose bumps. I increased the rhythm of my hand, pushing my fingers in and out of her faster and faster. Gasping, she arched her back, and both her hands fell to her sides.
“Xander. Oh God, I can’t...” She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t need to. I knew what she meant. She couldn’t continue like this. She needed my cock too much, and I wasn’t going to withhold it from her.
I took my fingers out slowly and then rose to my feet. Bringing my hand back to her pussy, I strummed my fingers over her clit, the way she’d done before. She leaned back, dropping her head onto my shoulder. With my free hand, I quickly undid my buckle, taking the belt out as much as was necessary so I could lower my pants and boxers. I gave my cock a good squeeze, nudging her entrance, then slid in. She tightened more and more around me as I pushed in.
Fucking hell! This was too intense already. She was even closer to climaxing than I thought.
“Fuck, Bailey.” I could barely breathe. The shock of the sensations coursing through me was simply too much. I forced myself to breathe in and focused on my rib cage expanding, all the while feeling her pussy clamp around my cock. I wanted to drive this woman crazy, but every time we were together, all I managed was to fall for her even more.
“I like being connected to you like this!” I wanted to stay like this for all time. I pulled back and then slammed into her again.
“I’m going to be rough, Bailey. I need it, and you’re ready.”
“I need it too,” she said between whimpers. “I need it so bad. Please. Please.”
Her words were everything I needed. I slammed into her again and again. Her body thrust forward every time, and she reached back, digging her nails into my thighs, spurring me on. She needed this even more. Then I realized she’d love another angle more.
I pushed her slightly forward. “Put your hands on the wall.”
She did it instantly, and I thrust forward to the hilt.
“Xander!” Her cry was fucking delicious. I knew she was feeling me even deeper right now. I could reach her G-spot too. I moved out of her and then pushed in at a different angle.
“Touch your clit. Touch it the way you’d want me to do it.” My voice was already hoarse, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t holding back with Bailey. I wanted her to know exactly what she did to me. To be an open book with her, to lay bare every side of me.
“Fuck,” I growled as I buried myself deep inside her, the tips of her finger grazing my balls on every thrust. It only urged me on more. I thrust blindly, closing my eyes and listening to her pants and moans.
I climaxed brutally. My eyes were completely blurry, but I was hyperaware of Bailey’s cries and the way she pushed herself back into me, making the contact impact even harder. She was taking exactly what she needed, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to give her every last bit of pleasure.
When her moans turned into a shattering, guttural groan and her pussy became even snugger around me, I stopped moving and just let her enjoy being full of my cock.
She shuddered, her body completely taut. Then she pushed herself off the wall, holding only one palm on it and resting her head on my shoulder just like before.
“I will never tire of making you come like this. You’re so damn beautiful.” She looked so raw and vulnerable in this moment, and it was all for me to watch and soak it all up.
“You’d better not,” she murmured, “because the more I get, the more I want. Then she gasped. “Oh my God, Xander. I just realized... the ferry!”
“Shhh, I have everything under control. Let’s just stay like this for a few more minutes.”
***
Bailey
––––––––
We arrived at the square right on time. I smiled and turned to Xander. He was smiling too. It was impossible not to. The atmosphere was infectious. Seeing so many people gathered here in front of St. Louis, ready to sing their hearts out, was so amazing. Some held a booklet of songs, but others weren’t. Plenty knew the program by heart. I was one of them.
“Avery’s winking at me,” I said. She’d texted me that she was in the square waiting for us. She was looking at us with a huge grin.
“You earn so many points right now,” Avery told Xander. “Look at the smile on my sister’s face.”
I looked from her to Xander, who nodded solemnly. “I thought you just told him where I was.”
“You know what? That doesn’t even matter. It’s Christmas Eve.”
“How about we find my family and join them?” Xander suggested.
“I can’t wait to see Isabeau and Celine,” Avery said. “She told me that they double-checked this afternoon that everyone can sing in tune.”
I looked at Xander. “Everyone except you, huh?”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t sing, babe.”
My jaw dropped. Even Avery gasped, but she didn’t say anything. I didn’t either.
“One step at a time.” I had many skills, but I couldn’t turn someone into a singer in the span of thirty seconds. But he had potential for next year.
I passed a few people who were wearing red Christmas hats. Damn it. In all the frenzy, I’d forgotten my own hat at the confectionery.
“Here’s the gang,” Xander said, pointing to a cluster of people. It was all very tight here, but the crowd made way for us as they noticed we were heading forward in a clear direction.
Isabeau saw me first. “My darling, you brought Xander too!”
Xander rolled his eyes. “ I brought Bailey .”
She was just beaming at us.
Avery waved to the group. “Hi, everyone. I think I know most of you. For those I don’t, I’m Bailey’s sister, Avery.”
Anthony, Beckett, and Zachary greeted her, then focused on Bailey and me, flashing us shit-eating grins.
“So, rumor has it that this one took the ferry over to Algiers Point,” Beckett said.
“We almost thought your assistant got it wrong,” Anthony joined in.
Oh my God. They weren’t going to give it a rest even on Christmas Eve. Then again, if I were them, I wouldn’t either.
“How the hell would you even know?” Xander asked.
“I called Lydia because we needed to sort out some last-minute details. One thing led to another, and then I thought this was too good not to share with these two,” Zachary said.
Xander raised a brow. “Is there a reason why you’re not playing peacemaker right now?”
“I feel like giving you a hard time. Just woke up this morning and thought, ‘How can I possibly tease our big brother?’”
“Hey, everyone,” Bella cut in. “We’re supposed to start soon. We should pay attention.”
“See, even our niece is taking this seriously,” Zachary said, the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Oh, Zachary,” Adele replied. She and Remy were both dressed to the nines, just like Isabeau, David, Celine, and Felix. But the younger generation was all casual, so I didn’t feel out of place.
“Avery, Bailey, let’s move away from these poseurs. We can go over next to Celine and Felix,” Xander said.
“You’re afraid of your own brothers tonight?” I teased him.
“He always is. He just doesn’t want to admit it,” Zachary said.
Celine and Felix chuckled. “Your brothers are on a roll tonight. In their defense, we all had a great laugh about it as we were rehearsing,” Felix said.
“Good to know.”
Celine handed him a music sheet. “I brought an extra for you.” She glanced at me. “You don’t need one, right?”
I shook my head vehemently. “I’m up-to-date with everything.”
She grinned. “Fantastic.”
I took my place in line, standing as close as possible to Xander. Not only because the place was crowded, but because I genuinely craved the warmth of his body. I loved that we were sharing this together.
“You’re my favorite part of this whole evening,” he whispered, as though he’d read my thoughts.
“You Grinch,” I murmured back, then fell completely silent because the crowd started singing. I could hear the LeBlancs clearly. They were very good. I almost felt bad for not really rehearsing.
To my astonishment, I realized Xander was singing along, too, following his sheet carefully. He winked at me but didn’t stop singing.
I spotted Celine and Isabeau looking at him with wide eyes. Bella was bent at the waist, grinning. Then she glanced at me and gave me a thumbs-up.
I smiled even wider when I felt Xander’s arm around my waist, pressing me against him. Even the Grinch had joined us in caroling. This was truly a Christmas miracle.