Page 19 of Christmas in His Arms

"I got it," I told them, holding the star up, and I had to force a smile. Whatever was going on between me and Ryan was just a fling now. It had to stay that way too.

"Good, let Ryan put it on!" Mom clapped her hands with glee as I handed him the star. He smiled at me, but it didn't move me the way it used to, mostly because I now knew nothing could ever really develop between us. I had to do this on my own.

But I did have that job opportunity in New York coming up, and that was something to look forward to. If that panned out, I'd have a fresh start on life all over again, even if I had to leave Ethan in Chicago. I’d make enough money to be a single mom and a jetsetter, just to keep in touch with my best friend and my family. I had to focus on that.

So why did my heart already feel like it was breaking at the thought of losing Ryan?

14

RYAN

Carrie seemed different after I put the star on the tree. She looked a little sad, and I wondered if it was her job to put the star on the tree and Helen had asked me, or if it was something deeper. We seemed to be hitting it off so well. I was hoping to enjoy some cocoa and a Christmas movie. So when Carrie kissed her father goodnight and excused herself, then Helen said she had to get Walter settled in bed, I didn't know what to do. I offered to sweep up the pine needles and stack the empty decoration boxes.

The quiet of the house seeped into my bones and wrapped around my shoulders, making me feel like I was at home instead of mere feet away from the woman I was slowly falling in love with. It was a strange dissonance—wanting to go to her but knowing Walter lay only a few feet away too, down the hallway. I drew the broom across the floor and swept the needles into the dustpan before taking it to the bin to dump it out. Everything was tidy now. It'd only taken me a few minutes, but I just didn't want to leave. I wanted to know why Carrie rushed off and didn't say goodbye.

Maybe it was because she didn't want her parents to see the chemistry between us, but I got the feeling something had shifted. When I smiled at her as she handed me the star for the tree, the chemistry didn't seem to be quite as strong. She didn't look away, but the smile on her face didn't reach her eyes either.

I glanced at the clock and realized it was encroaching on nine p.m., and I had no reason to stay here—no excuse to go upstairs to speak with Carrie. If Helen saw me, there'd be a lot of uncomfortable explaining to do, and if that was going to happen, I wanted to make it on Carrie's terms. She didn't need this stress added to what she was already feeling.

Moving toward the door to get my coat, I heard some rustling upstairs. I reached for my coat, but Carrie appeared at the top of the stairs wearing a sexy nightgown and her bathrobe, which hugged her curves perfectly. It made me stop mid-reach and stare at her. My mouth was watering and her expression made me start to swell.

"Leaving so soon?" she said, but her voice was so hushed I didn't think Helen or Walter could hear her.

"You went to bed…" I withdrew my arm and turned toward her, taking a few strides toward the stairs. She was gorgeous. The negligee she wore dipped low in the front, giving me a great view of her tits, her nipples appearing beneath the silky fabric.

"I was hoping we could talk?" she whispered, but I glanced nervously at the hall.

"Your parents…"

"In my room?" she said with a hopeful expression on her face.

I knew better than to follow her up there. If Helen saw us, she would be furious, and what would Walter truly think? I knew the man had a level head and that if we discussed this with him the right way, he would eventually come around. But hearing this way, how I disrespected him by screwing his daughter under his own roof without having the balls to seek his blessing to even date her?

"Carrie, I don't know…" I frowned and again glanced the direction I knew Helen was. She'd only been gone ten minutes, and I didn't know if she was going to come back out here after she put Walter to bed.

Carrie's fingers rested on her thigh, the tips barely brushing her naked leg. When she started inching the fabric up slowly, my eyes caught the action, and I couldn’t look away.

"I'll make it worth your while," she mewled and continued sneaking that silky fabric higher until a hint of her pussy peaked out. My God, she wasn't wearing panties either. She was killing me—trying to seduce me right under her parents' noses, and my cock loved it. I felt the urge building in me to take her. "Please…"

I sighed and looked at Walter's bedroom door and quickly realized the pull she had over me. I stepped forward toward her and cupped both of her cheeks. "This could go very, very wrong," I whispered.

"I'm willing to take that risk." Her cheeky smirk made my heart race, and she took my hand and pulled me toward the steps. At least she wasn't brazen enough to do this right on the couch, but I thought I'd come here for Christmas tree decorating. I didn't have protection of any kind, and it didn't work out so well on pie night. That could've been a huge mistake.

Carrie led me into her room and shut the door, and I noticed the glaring lack of a lock on it. But she didn't seem to have any hesitation as she started stripping off. Her robe went first, then the negligee, and soon she was completely nude, standing in front of me with a grin as wide as the Grand Canyon.

"I thought you wanted to talk…"

"I do, but first…" She walked over to me and unbuttoned my slacks, then my shirt. She slid the shirt off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor, then she pulled my dick out of my boxers and dropped to her knees. "Shh," she whispered before she started stroking, and all I could think was how fucking sexy she was looking up at me as her tongue swirled around my dick.

I leaned against the wall, my hands balling into fists at my sides. Carrie was a masterful little minx, and I was falling for it… hook, line, and sinker.

After a few moments of her teasing, I couldn't take it anymore. "Bed," I growled, hauling her to her feet and tossing her on it. "This is all on you. If we get caught, I'll say you seduced me."

"Mmmhmm," she purred, wiggling her hips as she lay back and spread her legs for me.

I kicked off my shoes and tore my slacks off, leaving my socks on, then crawled across the bed until my lips crashed into hers.

I plunged into her tight heat, and she gasped, one hand balled in the sheets as I supported myself on my forearms. If her parents weren't downstairs, I'd make her scream my name as I fucked her into next year. Instead, I had to be content with making a low growling sound as I kept up a steady pace. Carrie wrapped her legs around my waist, and she dug her nails into my back as we moved together silently.

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