Chapter 65

Tessa dropped into her chair. Every single bone in her body ached as well as every muscle connected to said bone. Sweet hell, was Christmas over yet? Of course the lack of sleep only compounded it, but she just didn’t remember it ever being this hard to get through.

She let her head rest along the padded leather and ran through the rest of the things she had to do, letting her eyes close. If she just took a minute to shuffle all the things in her head she’d be able to get through to closing. If she just took…She felt the drift and the soft sensation of floating…just a little time.

A gentle kneading started at just above her knees and went up to her thighs and she sighed. Had her dreams known that it was just there that would make…”oh God,” she said and the liquid pleasure had her in a near purr.

“Tessa,” came a low rumble.

Her only response was an incomprehensible moan.

“C’mon beautiful, time to wake up.”

“Shhhh…not time yet,” she whispered back. When she felt the kneading turn inward, concentrating on her inner thighs with insistent thumbs circling higher into the curve where thigh met center, she jumped.

Unfocused and blurry, the features of a familiar face finally swam together. Instead of coaching her completely awake he sealed his lips over hers. His breath mingled with hers as the dream dissipated and there was only Jon. He stood and pulled her with him. Going with the flow, she curled her arms around his shoulders and balanced on the tips of her toes for better access.

He eased back and she studied him. His eyes stayed closed, but the laugh lines bracketing his mouth seemed deeper than last night. When he opened his eyes, they were a little sad. “Are you okay?”

She watched the smile bend his lips, but didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sure, everything’s fine.”

She gnawed on her lower lip. “Why don’t I believe you?” she asked while lightly scraping her nails along his nape.

He sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re much too observant.”

“Nah, more like you don’t have a poker face.”

He drew back and arched a brow at her. “I certainly do.”

“Oh the indignity, I guess we’ll have to play and find out,” she said with a laugh then brought her hand to cup his bristly jaw. “Now tell Tessa-“

There was a knock on the door. “Hey, can you come out here? I’ve got a customer asking for the manager. Evidently I’m not good enough,” came Nic’s muffled voice with more than a hint of frustration.

“Christmas is over on Monday. Christmas is over on Monday,” she said with a manic smile.

He just laughed. “We’ll talk tonight. Are you still coming over?”

“Oh absolutely,” she smiled. “I just have one errand after work and I’ll be there with bells on.”

A smirk reached his eyes this time. “Really? Where are the bells going to be?”

Her fingertips trailed over the stubble of his chin to the rasp along his neck to the snaps at his chest. “Well, I guess you’ll have to find them later.”

He growled low and dropped a quick, if mind bending kiss at her lips. “I’ll see you then.”

She caught his hand just before he turned for the door. “Did you need something, Jon? I didn’t even ask why you were here.”

His blue eyes were softer, more relaxed now. “No, I got everything I needed.”

She tipped her head to the side and tried to read the odd half smile. “Okay,” she said with a laugh and followed him out the door. Jon headed for the front with a wave and she turned toward the cash-wrap.

Pasting on her most complacent smile she found the woman at the registers with a pile of mismatched books. “Can I help you?”

“Are you the manager?”

“I’m the owner actually. Is there something I can help you with?”

Small, bird-like hands were wrapped firmly around a patent leather clutch purse and the woman’s mouth was just as pursed. “I advised that young woman that I should be allowed a discount on these books.”

Tessa blinked down at the stack of hard cover books that varied from novel to cookbook. “We do have a frequent buyer program that I’m sure Nich-“

“These books all have rips and scratches on the covers, I’m doing you a favor by buying them and I believe they should be discounted.”

She scanned the books that were slightly shop-worn from reading and re-shelving. “Well, any books that are scuffed from reader use are actually sent back to the vendor to be replaced. I appreciate the offer, but the prices are as marked.”

The woman’s lips thinned even more if it was possible. “That’s unacceptable.”

Tessa, well aware that the woman was just looking for a bargain, tried another tact. “We have a table full of Christmas sales that would certainly suit your needs and keep to a budget.”

“I have enough money young lady,” the woman said stiffly.

She swallowed back the deep sigh. It didn’t matter how much money a person had, they always wanted a deal. “I’m sorry ma’am, but I have a business to run. I’d be happy to sign you up for the Chapters Savers group. For every one hundred dollars you spend, you get a-“

“I’m not interested in your group,” she said and turned on her heel.

Tessa sighed and gathered the books in her aching arms. She’d lost count of the armloads she’d taken care of today. She waved to Nichole to let her know everything was alright and absently returned the books to their rightful spots on her way through the store.

The store did a steady business right through until closing and she couldn’t say she was sorry to see the last customer leave. Locking the door, she leaned on the cool glass and closed her eyes.

“You look like hell.”

She opened one eye, “Gee thanks.”

Nichole folded her arms over her ample chest. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

“I’m just tired, Nic. It’s been a helluva week.”

“Yes, it has but there’s more to your tired than just retail madness.”

“Well, add in retail hell with a dollop of new boyfriend sex with just a touch of tension and you get one tired, Tessa.”

“Why the tension? And he’s officially boyfriend?”

She stood upright and grabbed yet another armload of books off the small table by the tree. “Who the hell knows what he is. Forty something year old men shouldn’t be classified as boyfriends.”

“Lover?”

Laughing, she dumped half the load in the kid’s shelves lining the side of the store. “Much too posh for me.”

“Does he love you?”

Tessa stopped, jamming the last of the children’s books in its place. “I really think he does. I don’t have any reason to disbelieve him.” She turned around and faced her best friend. “I know I love him.”

“He’s told you he loves you,” Nic’s face was inscrutable.

“Said the words, in that pretty order that girls love.”

Nic gave her a bored look. “This is no time to be cute.”

“Oh, Nic if I don’t laugh I’d cry. Jon is everything I want, both in and out of bed…”

“But…”

“But he comes with a lot of baggage.”

“I thought you liked his kids.”

“Hell, I don’t know his kids. That’s not the baggage I’m worried about.”

Nic put a hand on her arm. “Then what are you talking about?”

“He’s so worried about protecting everyone, that he’s making it more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Well, he’s got to be careful, Tess.”

“I know that. And I’m more than happy to stay in the background when it comes to meeting his children, but this whole secretive thing makes me insane. I feel like a sixteen year old sneaking around with my bad boy boyfriend.”

“Is he bad?” Nichole asked curiously.

She thought about it for a moment. “I see little hints of it here and there, but he’s all grown up with a full plate of business, family and a good dose of control freak.”

Nic’s smile suddenly turned sly. “So he likes control?”

Tessa’s wrists tingled a little as she swallowed. “He’s not exactly kinky.”

“Yet,” Nichole said with a laugh.

She couldn’t help but laugh with her. “I think there’s a fair amount of that lurking. And God, I hope I get to find out.”

In the very Nic way of things she impulsively hugged her. “Oh honey, just give it some time. You guys haven’t known each other for very long. Everything between you two has been very intense.”

She hugged her back and slipped away. “I know. I guess I just have a weird feeling in my gut that I just can’t shake.” She pushed her sleeves up and gathered the last of the books lying around the children’s corner. They both worked in silence, used to each other’s rhythm of working.

They plowed through the store and gave it a rough straightening. She flipped her watch around to read the face and swore. “Okay, the rest we’ll finish up in the morning. I want to stop by the tree lot before I head to Jon’s house.”

“Tree lot?”

“Yeah, he’s got the kids coming over for Christmas Eve and he hasn’t put up a tree yet. I figured I’d bring one over.”

“You’re going to meet his kids?”

“Oh God, no. Well, not yet anyway, and certainly not during their first Christmas since the divorce. No, I just don’t think he’ll think of it in time.”

The continued chatting about the best tree to get and the size of the room the tree would be in as they gathered their things from her office and headed out the front door. Tessa punched in her codes to lock up for the night and turned toward her best friend.

“Thanks for letting me just blabber on.”

“That’s what I’m here for sweetie. I love to listen to you babble.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good thing, because that’s just what I feel like I’ve been doing since we closed the doors.”

“Have fun picking out the tree.”

“Let’s hope there’s a decent one left,” she said with an eye roll and climbed into her car. She made the five minute trip over a few streets to the tree lot she had used for her own, hoping the same man was on to help her once more.

There were still a few trees dotting the lot as she pulled up and parked. The owner of the seasonal lot smiled and waved at her as she headed toward a large tree much like her own. “Hey Brad,” she said warmly.

“Hi, Ms. Donovan, I didn’t expect to see you until next year.”

“Well a friend of mine has a completely empty house. That’s just not right, so here I am.”

“Well, everyone needs a Christmas tree, that’s for sure. What are you looking for?”

“Something like I got last time. I think you said it was a Scotch Pine?”

“Yes, ma’am those are wonderful trees, sure can take a beating with kids and ornaments and lights.”

Tessa tucked her hands into her jacket pockets, and smiled up at the man in his mid fifties with his craggy face and weather worn skin. “Well, it’s a bigger room than I have so I’d say go for the biggest tree that will fit on top of my car.”

Brad turned to her car, then back to the large tree they were standing by. “I could deliver it on the truck if you want?”

Smiling she shook her head. “Nah, it’s going to be a surprise. Just make sure I can maneuver my half of the tree. He’s got a pretty wide door to get it through.”

Tugging on heavy, sap stained work gloves he pulled and eight foot tree up to its full height. “This one’s pretty nice. Not too heavy as long as you have some help.”

The deep green of the needles were healthy and there weren’t any noticeable holes in the branches. “Perfect! And I’ve got the bungee cord you have me last time to attach it to the car.”

“Let me make you a fresh cut and I’ll load it up for you. I think I have some burlap left from my morning delivery, just give me a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” she said and hoped Jon had a tree stand. That was one thing she hadn’t thought of with all her planning. There had been no way for her to get away from the store to do any shopping with the level of customers she’d had.

Ten minutes later she was gingerly closing her door and praying to God that the tree survived the trip to Jon’s house. The tree was pretty much the entire length of her car and then some with the width. Driving well beneath the speed limit she approached his house and breathed a deep sigh of relief when she parked near his door without mishap.

Hey, this is Jon Bon Jovi. Yeah, I put your phone on vibrate, hehehehe.
Hey, this is Jon Bon Jovi. Yeah, I put your phone on vibrate, hehehehe.
Hey, this is Jon Bon Jovi. Yeah, I put your phone on vibrate, hehehehe.

Chirped from her purse and she fumbled with the phone on an exasperated laugh. God, she had to change that ringer. “Hello.”

“Where are ya? The pizza’s gettin’ cold.”

“Is that guy speak for you already ate it?”

“Maybe a piece.”

“Or three,” she said with a half laugh.

“Okay so it was four, but they were small.”

“Liar.”

”I keep tellin’ people that, they just don’t believe me. Must be the teeth. Where are ya?”

She gave an unladylike snort, “Outside your door.”

He opened the door with his cell in his hand as his arm dropped to his sides. “Well hello.”

“Surprise!”

He laughed and tucked his phone into his hip pocket. “Holy shit, babe.”

She winced and turned back to see the car from his point of view. “Too big?”

He looped an arm over her shoulder and around her neck to tug her in for a quick peck on the mouth. “I don’t think anyone’s complained on that end.”

She wrapped her arm around his back and belted him one in the stomach. “Shut up. Do you like it?”

He grunted and rubbed his belly. “Hell yeah, I like it. There’s a tree wrapped in all that stuff right?”

“It’ll make it easier to get in the house and less pine needles to clean up.”

“Mmm-hmm, so who’s gonna get it in the house?”

She patted his chest, “Some guy with strong muscles.”

Jon pursed his lips. “Joe, my gardener will be here at eight.” He turned them back toward the door.

“Jon!” she jerked him back to her side.

“What?” he asked with almost a straight face.

She gave his ass a good smack. “We’re going to do the tree.”

“We?”

She wrapped her hands around his bicep. “Strong muscles.”

He grinned and flexed giving her a stupid and very girly thrill as she tugged him toward the car. “C’mon stud, I’ll even help.”