Take Me Home for Christmas

He dropped his head back as she increased the pressure. “What about them?”

She kissed his neck, tentatively at first but then with more abandon. “They’ll kill us if we wind up hating each other and refuse to be in the same room together.”

“Most of them are married. They have better things to worry about than what we’re doing. Besides, I could never hate you.”

He was afraid that he was going too far in his efforts to convince her. But she was so warm, so soft and pliable. He was dying to lose himself in her body, to do something, anything, to stop thinking of Sophia.

“I couldn’t hate you, either.” She rocked against him, creating sparks of pleasure. He could make love to her without a problem, just as he’d thought. But could he commit to her, as well? Because taking Eve to bed would be different from being with anyone else. He wouldn’t be able to move on afterward, not if there was any danger it would hurt her.

For a second he panicked, realized he’d be trading away too much. He loved Eve, but he didn’t feel the intense romantic attraction he’d experienced with Sophia. That was what passion felt like. That was what falling in love felt like, falling in love so deeply he didn’t care if he drowned. But Eve was a good woman, a woman who deserved to have the husband and babies she wanted. He could give her that, couldn’t he? Maybe, with time, he could feel about her the way he’d felt about Sophia.

Either way, once she untied her bikini top and let it fall, it was too late to back out.

15

Sophia was still worried about Alexa when she arrived at work the following morning. Her daughter had insisted on going to school despite yesterday’s attack. She was afraid she’d fail math if she didn’t. Her grades were slipping, which was no surprise given everything they were going through. But Sophia didn’t feel good about letting her go to class. Late last night, after spending the entire evening with her and not going out for Halloween at all, Lex had finally broken down and explained what had happened. Babette, the girl she’d hung out with most before Skip died, had turned on her. She’d told Connie, a girl who was often kicked out of school for fighting or ditching, that Alexa had said all kinds of terrible things about her. It was a lie, of course, but Connie had exacted her revenge while everyone else stood around, sealing off Alexa’s retreat and cheering the other girl on.

The whole encounter was senseless and stupid—mean, catty games. Babette enjoyed being the leader of the popular group now that Alexa had been deposed, and Connie was probably enjoying the notoriety her actions brought.

Sophia feared yesterday’s incident might not be the end of it. So she again brought up the possibility of moving. This time, Alexa was amenable to it, but Sophia knew they couldn’t go just yet. Relocating required money they didn’t have. There’d be rent and a car payment, neither of which Sophia was paying now. She would also need some assurance that she’d be able to get a job in their new town or city. She couldn’t risk giving Ted notice until then.

Bottom line, leaving Whiskey Creek wasn’t a viable option at the moment. But she’d promised Alexa they’d shoot for that. Eventually they’d leave and start over somewhere else.

She was so preoccupied when she arrived at Ted’s that she didn’t think too much of it when he didn’t answer the door. Her impression from yesterday was that he preferred to go about his business and leave her to cook and clean as she saw fit. So when she tried the handle and found it unlocked, she let herself in. She was looking up at the third level to determine whether he was on his computer, or maybe showering, when she saw several puddles of water on the floor.

She got a towel out of the cleaning closet and wiped up each one. They led up the stairs, past his office. She assumed he’d been in the hot tub last night and hadn’t bothered to dry off before coming inside, because they led all the way to his bedroom.

Then she spotted something else—a bikini top slung over the bannister. The bottom of the same suit was right outside his bedroom door, in the biggest puddle of all, as if it’d been cast off en route to his bed.

Holy shit! She turned to hurry back down the stairs. She didn’t want to see him with someone else—didn’t want to face the way it would make her feel. But his bedroom door opened at that moment and Eve, of all people, emerged. Wearing his sweats.

“Sophia, I’m sorry,” she said when they both froze and gaped at each other. “We couldn’t tell if that was the doorbell. We...we were groggy...not quite awake.”

We. Sophia felt as if Eve had slugged her in the stomach. She wasn’t sure why. Ted had the right to take whoever he wanted to bed, even a close friend. She’d always assumed he was sleeping with other women. He was a single, virile man in his thirties. Of course he was sleeping with other women. He wouldn’t remain celibate all his life just because she’d married someone else.

But she’d never had to encounter him with a love interest. He hadn’t had a single steady girlfriend since they broke up, not one she’d known about. And she’d certainly never dreamed he was sleeping with Eve!

When her cheeks flushed hot, she hoped Eve wouldn’t notice—but Eve seemed equally embarrassed. “It’s no problem. I...I didn’t see your car outside or I wouldn’t have let myself in. I figured Ted was in the shower.”

Eve’s hands kept messing with her hair, tucking it behind her ears or smoothing it down—more evidence of her self-consciousness. “My car’s not here. I—I rode over with Ted last night.”

Sophia nodded. The towel in her hands made what she was doing obvious, but she still felt compelled to explain her presence outside his bedroom door. “I only came up here because I saw the water on the floor and was trying to—to dry it before someone could slip.” She picked up the bikini and handed both pieces to Eve. “I’ll get breakfast and make enough for two.” She headed down the stairs but paused on the landing. “Should I set places in the dining room or would you like me to bring the food up on a tray?”

“I wasn’t planning to stay,” Eve said. “I need to get home so I can dress and go over to the B and B.”

Sophia willed her pulse to slow, but that seemed futile. “Are you sure? Because I could whip up some eggs really fast.”

“Ted’s getting in the shower. That’ll take a few minutes, so...I’ll go to work and eat there. Maybe the three of us can have a meal together another time.” She smiled as if that was a possibility but Sophia knew it wasn’t.

“Absolutely. Do you need a ride?”

Eve dangled a set of keys. “Ted’s letting me take his car.”

“I see.”

“Your costume’s folded on a chair in the game room, by the way. Thanks for lending it to me. Last night was a lot of fun.”

Sophia didn’t doubt it. How many times had she imagined herself back in Ted’s bed? Those fantasies, and a great deal of alcohol, had pulled her through thirteen years of being married to the wrong person.

A flash of pain warned Sophia that she was digging too deeply at her cuticles, but the pain didn’t outweigh the relief it somehow gave her. Even the knowledge that she was making her hands ugly didn’t stop her. “I’m glad I could help. You—you’ve been so good to me.”

Sophia heard movement in the room behind Eve. Afraid that Ted would appear wearing nothing but a satisfied grin and a pair of boxers, she made a concerted effort to get away. She didn’t want to see him kiss Eve goodbye. Nor did she want him to see her standing at the bottom of the stairs, gaping up at them in envy. “I’ll go and start the coffee.”

Once she reached the privacy of the kitchen, she sank into a chair and rested her head in her hands. What did you expect? That he’d choose you?

Of course he wouldn’t. Why would he? Besides, she liked Eve and wanted her to be happy.

“I’ll see you later.”

She jumped as Eve, still dressed in Ted’s clothes since she was returning the Halloween costume, ducked