White-Hot Christmas Read online

  She’d been unable to lie, knowing if she did so, it would only drag out the misery. “Bree’s fine, Mum,” she’d said. “She loves it here and she’s happy. I’m sorry.” The irony of apologising for her sister’s happiness hadn’t escaped her, but Susan didn’t notice and burst into tears, and Merle spent an exhausting half an hour trying to comfort her. But at least the phone call was done for the day and she’d promised she would ring in the evening on their Boxing Day, and she would make sure Bree was there this time. She’d have to bully Bree to the phone. Bree didn’t feel half as much guilt as she did, and always got exasperated when she knew her mother was demanding to talk to her.

  Finishing their coffee and muffins, they went back to Bree’s house to get ready for the party. Merle looked through her clothes, wondering what to wear. It was a lot warmer in the Northland than she’d expected, and the T-shirts she’d brought seemed too warm in the sultry, humid weather. Eventually she chose a dark pink camisole and a beautiful, long multicolour skirt she adored but was also cool. It was too hot for underwear, and she left off her bra and panties. Luckily Neon wasn’t going to be there, or Lord knew what he would think. Bree had already assured her he was going to his folks’ for Christmas Eve.

  They arrived at around six at Jake’s parents’ house, a stunning four-bedroom house in the middle of nowhere, or so it seemed to Merle, used to terraced and semidetached houses with about an inch of garden, where you could hear the neighbours shouting or having sex through the walls. Several acres of paddocks and bamboo trees surrounded the house, with bush to the south, and the only sounds she could hear were the tuis in the trees and the rush of the river at the bottom.

  Jake introduced her to his parents and the rest of his family. Everyone was friendly and laid back. Merle wandered through the spacious living room and out the large sliding doors to the deck, humming to the Christmas songs playing. How wonderful to live in a place like this. A couple of bright-coloured parrots Bree had told her were called rosellas flew past her into the bush. She loved England, but there was something special about this country. She could see why Bree had fallen in love with it.

  She paused on the deck. There were more people outside, relaxing on the loungers, some playing with the kids on the lawn, others working on the smoking barbecue. A few looked over and nodded hello, and she smiled.

  Her gaze alighted on a figure lying on one of the loungers, and her heart seemed to shudder to a stop. She stared at Neon, who lay stretched out with his hands behind his head, wearing dark glasses and a brilliantly white short-sleeved shirt that made him look incredibly tanned, with dark blue shorts, barefoot as usual. Of course she couldn’t see what he was looking at with his sunglasses on. Had he seen her? She turned and went straight back inside, heart pounding, walking through the house until she found Bree.

  “You told me he wouldn’t be here.”

  Bree studied her. Clearly she knew exactly who Merle was referring to. “I lied. Now chill out and go and get a drink.”

  Merle glared at her, but Bree walked off to talk to Jake’s mum. Merle went over to the table where bottles of wine, beers and an assortment of alcohol-free drinks were scattered and started pouring herself a glass of Sauvignon. Shit, shit, shit. Her hand shook, slopping some of the wine over the side. Damn Bree and her stupid bet.

  She felt a presence behind her and closed her eyes, not looking around, knowing who it was likely to be.

  “Why don’t you let me do that for you?” His deep voice sounded amused. He took the bottle from her hand. “Seems a shame to waste it.” She heaved a sigh as he pressed against her back, leaning over to pour the rest of the glass. His voice, when he spoke again, was very close to her ear. “Well, look at you, Merle Cameron, blushing like a sixteen-year-old virgin. Aren’t you delightful?”

  Her cheeks burned. He filled the glass and placed the bottle on the table, but he didn’t pull away. His hand rested on her hip.

  She turned her head slightly but couldn’t look up at him. “Hello, Neon.”

  “Hello, sweetheart.”

  Her face was so hot she knew her cheeks were scarlet. Her body tingled where he pressed against her at her shoulder and hip. Best to address the issue immediately and then move on. “I didn’t get to say thank you, by the way…for the other night. And for the flowers. They were very…thoughtful.”

  “How very British, so polite.” He nuzzled her ear. “You’re very welcome. It was my…pleasure.” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, sending a hot rush through her.

  Behind them, Jake said, “Come on you two, get a room.”

  Neon laughed, and she turned and glared at them both before picking up her glass and walking away. This was bad, bad news. She knocked back half the wine in one go. How on earth would she make it through the evening with him watching her with those gorgeous, hot brown eyes?

  Jake winked at Neon. “I can’t believe it. Looks like the ice queen’s finally thawed. Am I about to lose our bet?”

  Neon twisted the top off a beer and grinned. “I’m working on it.”

  “Bree told me what happened at the beach. You lucky bastard. Don’t know how you manage it.”

  “Neither do I, in this case.” Neon took a swig from the bottle. “I told you I wouldn’t make a move on her. It was her suggestion.”

  Jake’s eyes nearly rose off the top of his forehead. “You’re shitting me.”

  “I shit you not.”

  “Jeez… Bree said she’d bet Merle she wouldn’t have sex while on holiday, but I’d assumed you’d had to talk her into it.”

  Neon stared at him. “Bree said what?”

  Jake carried on, oblivious to the way Neon’s smile had faded. “She was talking to Merle about the fact that Merle hadn’t had sex for ages, and Bree bet her she wouldn’t be brave enough to ask a guy for a one-night stand. Bree was stunned Merle had the courage to go through with it.”

  Neon stared after Merle. She stood in the doorway to the decking, silhouetted by the sun. Once again her skirt was semitransparent and he could see the shape of her long legs. He could remember how it had felt to have them wrapped around him.

  So, she had asked him to bed her because of a bet? He felt strangely insulted. And yet, what difference did it make? Bree had only given her a gentle push—she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t want to. Though she hadn’t mentioned Bree’s part in it, it wasn’t as if she’d slept with him out of false pretences. She’d been quite willing to leave after the first time and had made no show of demanding to see him again afterward. She’d been quite clear she wanted a bit of fun and nothing more.

  And let’s not be so hypocritical. He had made the bet with Jake, after all, even if it had been in jest.

  Still, he felt annoyed at being manipulated. He wasn’t quite sure how he had been, but he felt certain it had happened. So, she thought she controlled this situation? Well, he had something to say about that.

  He sipped his beer. She stood slightly turned toward him and he could see the shape of her soft breasts beneath the pink top. Clearly she wasn’t wearing a bra, and he was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing panties either. Damn, now he had a hard-on. Perhaps she was more in control than he thought.

  He walked up to her in the doorway. She glanced up as he paused, stepping aside to let him pass, her back up against the edge of the sliding door, but he didn’t continue. Instead he moved closer until he was an inch away, looking down at her. Her eyes were the colour of a Kiwi summer sky. Her soft mouth was slightly parted, and her tongue moistened her lips as he looked at them.

  Lowering his head before she could move away, he kissed her. He kept one hand in his pocket, and the other held his beer bottle—the only place they touched was their lips. Once he knew she wasn’t going to move, he made it a long, leisurely kiss, stroking her tongue with his, enjoying the taste of her. It did nothing to help the problem in his shorts, but at that moment he didn’t care.

  Behind them, someone whistled and then everyone cheered.
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br />   Neon lifted his head, casting his family an amused glance before looking back at her. Her cheeks had flushed again, and she looked up at him, blinking a few times.

  “What was that for?” She sounded breathless. He looked up, and she followed his gaze, seeing the bunch of mistletoe nailed above the door.

  “Merry Christmas.” He lowered his shades and took a swig from his beer, walking back to his lounger. Stretching out, he watched her stare at him. He blew her a kiss. Slowly, her lips curled. She looked gorgeous standing there, blonde hair lifting in the summer breeze, and suddenly he was very aware he was interested in more than a one-night stand.

  Chapter Six

  The evening grew long as the sun gradually set, and Jake’s mum brought out some citronella candles and lamps to keep the insects away, bathing the decking in a yellow glow. The warm, humid air made Merle’s hair stick to the back of her neck, and her skin was damp with perspiration.

  Neon had kept his distance since he’d kissed her, choosing a seat across the other side of the decking when the barbecue was ready and not approaching her, even when he walked inside to get another drink.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t help Merle at all. She was as acutely conscious of him as if they were attached by a piece of electric cable. Every time he moved, or said something, or laughed—which he did a lot—she felt as if a thousand volts had passed along the cable between them. Eventually she sat back in her chair, brooding as she listened to him relating anecdotes to the members of his family sitting around him, causing everyone to laugh frequently at his amusing tales. He was funny and smarter than she had given him credit for—he had to be or he wouldn’t have such a sharp wit and the ability to give such a quick retort.

  She drank steadily as the evening progressed, knowing she was getting tipsy but finding it the only way to cope with her increasing agitation as the night wore on. Why the hell wasn’t he just a meathead? Why did he have to be all suave and charming and funny? And why on earth had she slept with him? Now she couldn’t get the thought of him kissing her out of her head. And the way he had thrust so deep inside her… Oh dear God…the thought made her grow wet between her thighs and that was not good news when she wasn’t wearing any underwear.

  Jake now teased Neon about his work, and she remembered he’d been on shift that day. “No, no, Neon’s job is very important,” Jake protested to everyone around them. “I’m telling you, when the one fire in a gazillion years happens in this town, the phone call will wake him right up in his office and he’ll be raring to go.”

  Everyone laughed. Neon gave him a reproachful look, pointing a finger at him. “Now I’ll have you know there are cats around here that would still be stuck up trees if it wasn’t for me.”

  Something about his self-deprecating manner blew Merle’s mind. Lust swept through her like a tsunami, roaring through her veins. She was so hot for him she was going to supernova.

  At that moment he looked over at her as he sipped his beer, and electricity fired through her as sure as if he’d scuffed his feet on a carpet and touched his finger to her damp skin.

  Cursing, she got to her feet and went inside, carrying her wineglass. She shouldn’t drink any more, but she was desperate to stop the fire rushing through her veins and maybe, if she drank enough, she’d be too numb to feel anything.

  She poured herself some wine, smiling as the woman next to her held out her glass, gesturing for Merle to fill hers up too.

  “There you go.” Merle finished off the bottle.

  “Thanks.” The woman smiled. She was in her early fifties, slender and beautiful, her brown hair peppered with grey and cut into a neat bob. “You must be Merle.”

  “Yes, that’s right.” Merle shook the other woman’s hand as it was offered. “I’m sorry, you are…?”

  “I’m Julia. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” said Merle, wondering who she was.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “Oh?” Merle raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Good things I hope.”

  Julia gave a small laugh. “Oh yes.” She didn’t elaborate, but her eyes smiled, crinkling at the edges as she sipped her wine.

  “And what are you two talking about?” Neon walked up to the table and poured himself a Coke.

  “Nothing.” Julia’s face was the picture of innocence. Merle looked from her to him and back again. The two of them were staring at each other, some message passing between them, although it remained unspoken. Neon gave Julia a glare followed by a slight shake of his head. She tipped hers in reply, her eyes dancing.

  “Go away.” He turned Julia around and pushed her toward the garden. Laughing, she acquiesced, casting a last look over her shoulder, winking at him.

  Merle raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t very polite.”

  He shot an exasperated look in Julia’s direction, then looked back at Merle and sipped his Coke, his other hand on his hip. “She’s got a naughty streak—I was avoiding disaster.”

  Merle stared at him, puzzled. “What’s going on?”

  He finally realised she didn’t know who Julia was and sighed, pointing with the hand holding the glass toward the older woman. “That’s my mum.”

  “Your mum? Oh shit!” Eyes wide, Merle clapped a hand over her mouth, laughing. “How the hell did she know who I was?”

  He looked uncomfortable. “I might have mentioned something about meeting a hot girl the other night. I guess Jake filled her in on the rest.”

  “Oh for the love of… She’s going to think I’m a right hussy.”

  He started to smile. “Well, if the wide-brimmed hat fits…”

  She glared at him but couldn’t stop a smile creeping onto her face. She had taken off her shoes and now, in spite of the fact that she was tall for a woman, he towered over her, taking her breath away. There were very few men around who could make her feel small, but he definitely fit into that category.

  He glanced at her breasts, which were outlined nicely by the tight pink top, the nipples standing out like embroidery on the cloth. She didn’t try to cover herself, but bravely let him look, waiting for his gaze to come back to hers, which it did eventually, his eyes warm and lit with the mischievous look she was beginning to know and love.

  For a long moment they studied each other. Desire swept through Neon, which was unsurprising as he’d been watching her all evening, unable to stop thinking about their night in the tent. That evening had imprinted itself on his mind. He’d been captivated by her luscious curves and her incredible sense of fun that had kept him laughing all night, until she finally drove him to the point where his body had taken over. She’d enjoyed sex more than any woman he’d ever been with, and he’d been with a few. Maybe it had been because she hadn’t expected to see him again, and it was easier to be open and abandoned with a stranger. Would it be that way if they had sex again?

  As he looked at her, he wondered what was going on behind her cool blue eyes. He could tell from the way her body reacted to him that she wanted him, but he was well aware your body and your mind could desire two completely different things. However, the urge to drag her off somewhere and re-enact their previous encounter crowded his mind like too many people trying to get into a lift, and he was going to have to act on it, even if it meant getting shot down in flames.

  He glanced over at his family sitting outside. Actually he hadn’t mentioned to his mother exactly what had happened at the beach, although he’d admitted to her on the following day he’d met a girl he liked. She’d put two and two together, knowing her son well enough, and had teased him about his ability to charm women on first sight. She’d then been intrigued by his offhand comment that Merle was “special”. Seeing the light in her eyes, he’d immediately tried to correct himself, but had been too late to stop her being interested and then had to endure half an hour of grilling as to exactly why he’d found this English girl so entrancing. Unable to answer her, he’d eventually lost his temper and stormed out, but she�
�d merely seemed to take that as a sign that this Merle had somehow got to him in a way no other woman had lately.

  Shaking his head, determined not to get dragged into such womanly scheming, he noted currently he and Merle were the only ones inside the house, and nobody seemed to have noticed they were missing. He looked back at Merle. She sipped her wine, her eyes gleaming, a small smile curving her lips behind the glass.

  He cleared his throat. “Would you like to…maybe…”

  “Oh, thank God.” She put her glass on the table. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Laughing, feeling a surge of pleasure, he grabbed her hand and led her across the room, heading for the bedrooms at the far end of the house. She followed him on light footsteps, her laughter echoing behind him, and he grinned as he pulled her into the right-hand bedroom, closing the door behind them. He went to lock the door, only to realise it had no lock.

  “Shit.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, saw the en suite bathroom in the corner and headed over to it, taking him with her.

  “Merle…”

  She pulled him inside and shut the door, twisting the button and locking it. When she turned around, her eyes were alight with amusement.

  “Are you serious?” He glanced around. It was a nice bathroom, fairly large, and he rather liked the tiling, but it was still a bathroom, not the most romantic of settings he would have chosen. “Here?”

  She began undoing his shirt buttons. “I’m so aroused I was close to doing you in the living room. Get your clothes off, Carter.” Releasing the last button, she pushed the shirt off his shoulders. “We’re going to have to be quick.”

  “Speed is not a problem, believe me.”

  She started laughing, and he joined in, letting his shirt drop to the floor, desire making him hard as a rock. He pulled her to him and nuzzled her ear. “Are you drunk?”

  She ran her hands up his chest, sighing as her fingers brushed his defined muscles. “I might have had a couple of glasses. God, you’ve got an incredible body.”