I shrugged out of my coat, dropped it along with my bag on the low, L-shaped sofa and followed Tim into the kitchen. When I’d ordered the tree I’d also arranged for a hamper full of luxury Christmas goodies to be delivered.
“You like brandy?” Tim asked already screwing off the top of a bottle of Sir Hector.
“Perfect.”
He poured three generous measures of amber liquid into fat-bottomed crystal glasses.
“Here.” He handed me one. “Happy Christmas.”
“Happy Christmas,” I said and raised the drink to my lips. The brandy was burning and tangy and coated my tongue with its syrupy texture.
Tim took a sip of his. “Do you like it?”
“Yes.” I placed it on the counter, feeling the heat spread in my belly. “It’s Christmassy.”
He smiled and placed his drink next to mine. “Did I tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve done for us this year?” he asked in a low murmur, and stepping closer.
I backed against the shiny white cabinets. He followed. I looked up at his handsome face, at the small groove in the center of his chin and his intense eyes. “Er, yeah a few times.” My breath hitched at his closeness. His shoulders were so broad, his chest so wide. He filled my vision.
“Did I show you?” he asked, cupping his palms around my cheeks. “How appreciated you are.”
“Well, you did send those flowers last week,” I whispered.
“Mmm, I don’t think that showed you just how grateful I am for all your hard work.” His mouth lowered another fraction and then he was kissing me, like he had before, hard and confident, his tongue probing for mine.
I didn’t stand a chance.
I opened up and let him in. Found purchase on the tight muscles of his upper arms as my body turned boneless under the lethal expertise of his kiss.
He tightened his fingertips in my hair and held my head still as he slanted his mouth and plunged deeper. We both let out a moan as our hot, brandy-laced tongues set up a wild, crazy dance.
“Ah, Sylvia, you have no idea what you do to me,” he gasped. He slid his hands from my face, down my shoulders and wrapped them around my waist. With one swift movement he plonked me on the work surface.
I landed on a wooden breadboard and a toaster rattled in the hollow of my back.
He reached around me and shoved them hastily to one side. “You’ve been like, driving me nuts, so nuts, right until I ache…in my nuts.”
“You should have told me,” I said breathlessly as his mouth trailed across my cheek to my ear. “I could have helped you out sooner.”
“Jeez, can’t happen soon enough,” he murmured, splaying out his hands on my knees. He began to push my tight pencil skirt upward, bunching it around his wrists as his kisses headed down my neck.
“But what about Dean?” I asked, tipping my head and delving my fingers into his thick hair as he kissed my neck.
“Don’t worry about Dean, he’s cool,” Tim muttered, shoving his hips between my legs as my skirt shifted high enough to allow my knees to part. “He’s a cool brother, real understanding.” He rocked back and looked down at my lace stocking tops. “Oh, fuck, you really are trying to finish me off. I’ve been imagining this sort of thing under these tight skirts for weeks.”
“Does it live up to expectations?” I asked as he plucked the thin satin straps that attached the stockings to my suspender belt.
“Hell, yeah.” He was kissing me again, with even more urgency this time, as if he wanted to devour me, consume me. I didn’t mind, I wanted to be devoured and consumed—by him.
Suddenly he pulled back. “What?”
“Lose these,” he said in a deep, husky voice, stroking the silky material of my panties.
I lifted my hips and he bunched my skirt around my waist then slipped my panties over my buttocks. My bare butt hit cool granite and he looped my underwear off my feet. I watched the thin slip of silk land silently on the white sparkly tiles of the kitchen floor.
He reached behind himself. Grabbed the back of a chair from a low breakfast table and set it in front of me.
“Like this,” he said, sitting down and reaching for my calves. “Put your feet on my shoulders.” His eyes caught mine. “I want to taste you. I want to sample the flavor I’ve been dreaming about.”