then sucked the flesh. Jonas marked the area, and she trembled beneath him, as her hands rose to clutch his shoulders.
His head lowered more. He licked down her abdomen and let his breath blow against that lace.
“J-Jonas…” Sweat beaded his brow as he looked up at her. Lust and need burned in her eyes. “Jonas, I want you to—”
Taste me.
The words hung in the air between them. But she bit her lips and her gaze dropped.
He blew against the lace once more. Her hips lifted helplessly. “You want me to touch you again?”
A jerky nod.
His fingers caressed her through the lace. He traced lightly over her sex, feeling the material dampen. Christie was ready for him, and he was insane for her.
He lowered his mouth to that lace. Jonas kissed her through the fabric and felt her body go bow tight. It wouldn’t take much to push her into a climax. Not much at all.
His fingers pulled on the lace. His control slipped away, breaking from him as her scent teased him and—
And the lace ripped.
“Buy you more,” he promised as he tossed the scraps aside. He put his mouth right on her and tasted her flesh like he’d wanted. When his tongue pressed against the center of her need, Christie came, shuddering beneath him as she whispered his name on a long, hard sigh.
But he didn’t stop. Wasn’t close to stopping. He tasted and he took and when she came against his mouth a second time, he felt the trembles of her orgasm.
He pushed away from her. The drum of his heartbeat filled his ears. It took two seconds to ditch his jeans. Two more to slide on his condom and then he was plunging into her. Driving as deep as he could go. The ripples of her release teased his cock, and he drove into her, faster, harder.
His hands caught hers. Their fingers threaded together. Their eyes locked.
Thrust.
So blue. So dark. Her eyes held his. Wild with lust.
The tree lights glittered down on them. Shining.
Thrust.
Her legs were around his hips, holding so tight. Her ankles pressed against him, and she met him, thrust for thrust. He drove into her, deeper, harder.
“Jonas!”
He climaxed with her—and it was fucking incredible.
Eventually, they made it to her bed. Had sex again. Slow and tender this time. Christie was pretty sure there wasn’t an inch of her body that Jonas hadn’t kissed.
She felt so good. No, better than good. Better than she’d ever felt.
“You sure know how to deliver on a promise,” she murmured as her hand trailed down the muscular expanse of his chest.
His eyes opened, and he turned his head toward her.
“That was definitely the best sex I’ve had,” she told him.
His lips parted, but she leaned forward, fast, and kissed him. Don’t tell me any lies. Don’t tell me I’m the best. Don’t.
Jonas wasn’t like her. Sheltered didn’t enter his vocabulary. She knew the guy had been with more sexual partners than she had. She didn’t want to hear lies from him, not now, not ever.
“Another rule for us,” she whispered as she pulled back and smiled at him. Christie smiled so he wouldn’t see that it mattered to her. “No lies, okay?” She’d had plenty of those from her other lovers.
From Benjamin, her first lover. He’d sworn he loved her, but really just loved her family’s money. Yes, she’d found out about that. Thanks to Jonas. When Ben had started talking about an engagement, Daniel had used Jonas to dig up background information on the guy. It hadn’t taken long before they found out about Ben’s debts. When her dad had offered Ben ten grand to walk…the guy had run.
And now the dust was still settling from Charles. Another lover who’d lied. Another mistake.
“I’ve never lied to you.” Jonas’s deep voice rumbled beside her.
No, he hadn’t.
“Then let’s not start.” Her hand stilled on his chest. “I don’t want you to promise me forever.” Ben had done that. Forever had lasted two months. “I don’t want you to tell me I’m the love of your life.” Ronnie had done that. He’d told her she was great. Wonderful. They’d had sex—the sex that had just been…bad. The great love affair had ended fast. “I don’t want to hear all the pretty lies that men can use.”
His hand caught hers. “Didn’t realize you were so cynical, Christie.”
She laughed at that. “I didn’t realize I was, either.”
He brought her hand to his lips. “Then let’s go ahead and clear the air.”
Her brows rose.
“I’m not sleeping with you because I want a slice of that Tate money.” He bit the pad of her palm. “Yeah, I remember that dick Ben. He thought he’d hit pay dirt when he found you in college.”
Had she really been so naive? No. But it hadn’t been college, she’d been in grad school then. “I never agreed to marry him.” She hadn’t loved him. Even then, she’d—
“I didn’t want him using you. I know it pissed you off the way that scene went down.” Another bite, then a lick of his tongue. “Daniel and I wanted you safe.”
“And here I didn’t think you’d ever cared.” She tried to sound flippant.
His hold tightened on her hand. “There’s a lot you don’t know.” His breath feathered over her hand. “When I’m with you, I’m with you. There’s no one else for me.” He paused. “Or for you. I’m not the sharing kind.”
“Neither am I.” But how long would they have together? Just how long would her wish last?
“This holiday is mine,” he told her, and he leaned forward, catching the back of her head. “You made your wish, and this year, you’ll get it—me—as many times as you can handle.”
His lips were so close to hers. “I-I think I can handle quite a lot.” Everything.
This holiday. She’d take him, she’d take the pleasure he gave, and when the new year came…well, she’d deal with that then.
Now, she’d deal with the big, bad, sexy detective in her bed. Christie parted her lips and kissed her Santa Claus.
The beeping woke her hours later. A long, steady pulse of sound. She threw out her hand, reaching for her alarm clock, and her hand hit warm, male flesh.
“It’s mine,” a deep voice growled.
Her
