Page 11 of Christmas in His Arms

"Well, yeah…" Carrie didn't back away as I moved closer. I didn't even know why I moved closer. I just had this urge to be nearer, to put my arms around her.

"You should feel that for yourself too. That anger you feel inside when they speak about you like that is the part of you that loves yourself. You want to defend yourself because no one else does. That is a good thing. It means you're human and that you don’tsink to the level of your critics." I stepped closer still and reached down and took her hand. "People are awful, so when you meet someone as breathtaking and refreshing as you, it's such a good feeling.”

"Ryan, I…"

Carrie's soft whisper only encouraged me to move closer still. Her eyes searched my face, and she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. I couldn't help myself. It was like I was being sucked into her gravity. My hand floated up to her face, cupping her cheek. I brushed my thumb over her cheekbone and let my fingers curl around the back of her neck, tangling in her long, brown hair.

"You, my dear, are as breathtaking as a summer sunset after the rain." I leaned in and hovered so close to her face that I could feel her breath dust my lips. When she didn't pull away or offer a sour expression in response, I let my lips brush hers.

The kiss was so gentle I didn't know how she'd react, but I felt her hands slip under my coat and rest on my sides. I was so thankful I was born a Midwesterner who never buttons up. Her touch sent a flood of hormones through my body that made me warm from the inside out, and I kissed her harder, eagerly devouring her lips and tongue. My hand pulled her hard against my mouth, and I felt her grabbing fistfuls of my sweater.

When I finally pulled away, it wasn't very far. I stayed so close to her that our noses rubbed and I said, "What's going on between us?"

And that's who it was right in this moment. Just her and me. The world around us just disappeared. I didn't care if Marge Evans orJudy Baker saw us and started new rumors. I was only interested in this beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent woman in front of me.

"I, uh… I don't know." Carrie's hands never left my sides. "But I like it," she breathed, and I took that as an invitation to kiss her again, harder this time.

I let my other hand hook around her back and pulled her against me, still cradling her head. She slid her hands farther around my body and wrapped her arms around me, and we kissed and groped for a few minutes. When a bird flew overhead and cast a shadow, it startled me for a second and I pulled away, but her kiss-swollen lips wouldn't let me forget how incredible I thought she was.

I stared at her for a few long seconds, and she smiled. Her cheeks were as red as her lips, and she took a step backward.

"I should probably go home. Dad wants help with a bath, and Mom can't really do much on her own." Carrie's excuse was valid and legitimate, but I wished she'd blow it off and stay here with me. There were so many thoughts zooming through my head. Not to mention the growing bulge in my slacks.

"Yeah, well… Thank you for coming. Tell Walt I'll stop by tomorrow." I ached to take her back into my arms, but she inched farther away from me.

"I hope we can do this again sometime." The way she bit her lower lip made my dick twitch. She was suggesting we dothisagain, and it made me want to take her back to my house and bend her over my kitchen counter.

"How about tonight? I have to bake pies for the community dinner." I took a step toward her, still aching to steal another kiss, and she grinned at me.

"Tonight, then… Seven p.m." With a wink, Carrie turned and walked away, and all I could do was watch that perfect ass of hers sway.

I didn't know what the hell I was doing hitting on a woman sixteen years younger than me, but she didn't seem to be averse to it. The reality hadn't even set in yet, but I knew it would. That and the fact that she was Walt's daughter. It was going to smack me hard, but for the moment, I just wanted to enjoy the rush of chemistry and attraction. It'd been forever since I felt this amazing.

9

CARRIE

Iglanced at the clock nervously, watching the seconds tick by. I had to leave in just a few minutes to get to Ryan's house, and Dad was telling stories to me and Mom about his time in the service. I tried to listen attentively, but the searing feeling of Ryan's lips on mine just kept coming back to remind me of how hot he was and how I'd be alone with him in only a few short minutes.

"Anyway, you get the point," Dad said, flagging his hand in the air. I was happy to see him beginning to get more mobility back in his upper body. He still wasn't steady enough to feed himself, but now he could at least talk with his hands.

"I never knew any of that, dear." Mom looked surprised but happy to share in Dad's memories, and I wondered how a married couple could go thirty-plus years of marriage without sharing things like that.

"Well, I have to take off." I found my out and stood up, already feeling jittery about what might happen tonight with Ryan. Another kiss, maybe? Maybe more…

"Well, where are you off to?" Dad asked, giving me a concerned look. Even his speech wasn't quite as slurred as it had been all week. Being home was already helping him recover faster.

"You? Leaving home?" Mom scoffed and snickered in a conspiratorial way, and I rolled my eyes as I moved toward the coat tree.

"Yeah, Ryan needs some help with baking. He has to make some pies for the community dinner Wednesday. He asked if I could help, so I told him I would." I took my coat off the tree and put it on, and as I zipped up I remembered the way his body felt against mine, all crushed up against me this afternoon in the park.

"Well, that's really good, dear. It's a good thing to help, and I'm happy you're getting out of the house. You send Ryan our love." Mom snuggled up closer to Dad on the couch, and both of them had pleasant expressions. If they knew what I'd done with him earlier, they wouldn't be happy for me.

"Tell him poker is here this week," Dad called out, and I chuckled. The man was an addict, but he'd never admit it.

"Don’t wait up. I'm not sure how long it takes to bake twelve pies." I just threw out a number. I had no way of knowing whether Ryan was actually baking pies for the dinner or if this was his way of luring me into someplace private to spend more time with me, but even if he was luring me, I didn't care. I wanted to go. I wanted to feel that exhilarating rush of endorphins when he looked at me the way he did.

"We'll leave the front door unlocked," Mom said, and I waved goodbye as I stepped out onto the front porch.

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