Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Washington, DC

Christmas Eve

Sixteen years ago

T he suite door closed behind JT. He leaned back against it as he watched Lex move deeper into the room.

He no longer had any doubt that Alexandra Vargas would bring him to his knees. She’d shown up at the event not because she wanted to ingratiate herself with his dad. Not because she wanted something from the CEO of Talon & Drake.

No. She wanted Jay and had decided to pay the price he’d set: her time and her name.

She turned to face him and said, “What does that grin mean?”

“You decided to buy the cow.”

She smirked and shook her head. “I’ve never met a man who was so willing to call himself a cow.”

“Pumpkin. Cow. I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me.” He took a step toward her.

“You were pretty confident I’d give in.”

“I was. But I like that you did it on your terms instead of caving because you wanted sex in the moment.” That was true. He’d fully expected to learn her name tonight. But he figured it would happen here, in bed.

“Getting the text from your stepmom about the Santa costume was too tempting to resist.”

“So that’s how it happened. I guess she didn’t see my message with my new cell number. Fortuitous.”

“You might want to message her again. If she keeps texting me thinking I’m you, it could get awkward.”

“You can tell her. Or just keep pretending to be me.”

“I feel like this relationship is too new for me to be fielding messages from your stepmother.”

He grinned again. “So this is a relationship now?”

“No. It’s a…holiday fling.”

He’d slowly moved toward her, and now they were nearly chest to chest. He stroked her chin, running his thumb along her jaw. “Call it what you want. I figure I’ve got until January first to convince you this is more than a fling.”

“What makes you so certain you’ll still be interested in me tomorrow, let alone in a week? Maybe you only want me because I’m a challenge.”

It was a good question. She was the first woman he’d dated who more than made it clear she wanted to use him for sex and walk away. That absolutely had secured his attention.

Before that, she had been the fierce woman who’d invited him to her hotel room to assert her bodily autonomy. But he knew that deep down, she simply hadn’t wanted to be alone. She’d chosen him for that. And she’d let him comfort her. Without sex.

Tonight, however, the last thing he wanted was to remind her of the night they met, because this relationship, if it were to go anywhere, would be based on this good, wild energy they generated. The trauma that followed their first meeting would only be a footnote.

“You had me when you challenged me at the bar, assuming I thought you didn’t work for Talon & Drake because you’re blonde.” He leaned in and ran his lips over her neck. “When you questioned whether or not I had a penis.”

She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. “Am I finally going to learn the truth?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. “You tell me.” He was hard against her belly, his cock thickening by the second.

“I want to taste you.”

His mouth found hers, and he kissed her deeply. Her arms circled his neck, and her fingers threaded through his hair.

She let out a soft moan as he explored her mouth with his tongue and stroked her ass, holding her firm against his erection.

He wanted to take her straight into the bedroom and bury himself inside her. It took a great deal of restraint to end the kiss. He raised his head, and her mouth moved to his neck. “Don’t stop,” she whispered as she kissed him, sliding her tongue across his collarbone.

“We need to order dinner before the kitchen closes. Santa needs to eat before his big night.”

She stopped kissing him and muttered against his neck. “Crap. I suppose it’s important to keep up your strength.”

“Even elves need to eat.”

“So, we order the food, then sex?” she asked hopefully.

“I’m not rushing the first time we’re together because room service might interrupt.”

“Promise you’ll put out after the food arrives?”

“You make it sound like you only want me for my body.”

“I said what I said.”

He kissed her nose. “Sweetheart, tonight I’m going to give you everything you want and a few things you didn’t even know you needed.”

She laughed.

Damn, she was beautiful.

He placed their dinner order and was told they had a forty-five-minute wait.

To avoid temptation, he turned on the TV. TBS was showing A Christmas Story on repeat. He set the remote on the coffee table and settled back. “One of the greatest movies ever made. I, um, hope you like it. It could be a deal-breaker.”

She laughed. “No worries. I love this one. I even remember seeing it in the theater. I was four, so my memories are vague. But it was still fun.”

“I was ten—a year older than Ralphie. I had a BB gun that my new little stepbrother coveted.”

“Aww. I bet you two were adorable together.”

“Eh, he was already taller than me.”

She snorted. “You must be joking.”

“Yeah, but he was always tall, like his dad. He didn’t pass me until he was fourteen or fifteen though.”

Ralphie was still on his quest for the ultimate Red Ryder when the food was delivered. JT tipped the server, giving a hefty cash bonus as a thanks for working on Christmas Eve, then closed and locked the door.

“So, eat first?” he asked as he crossed to the laden table.

Lex gathered his dress shirt in a fist, then turned toward the bedroom, pulling him behind her.