The Christmas Wife (14 page)

“Quiet, Deacon,” she teased lightly.  “You don’t want your
employees knowing what we’re doing, do you?”

“Don’t stop, sweetheart,” he said hoarsely, “please don’t
stop.”

She grinned at him before taking his cock into her mouth
again.  She teased the tip with her tongue, licking and tracing the ridge as
she pumped the base of him with one soft hand.  His hips rose and fell with the
rhythm of her mouth and he couldn’t stop staring at her mouth as it moved
slowly up and down his throbbing dick.

“Oh my God,” he muttered, “Fuck, Claire, that feels so
fucking good.”

She squeezed him roughly in reply and he jerked wildly
before threading his hands into her hair.  “Suck harder, sweetheart,” he
demanded and moaned when she obeyed.

He wrapped her hair around his fist and watched as she
licked and sucked and drove him to the brink of madness.  His body began to
shake, he was on the verge of coming, and he cursed loudly when she released
his cock.

“Claire, you are fucking killing me.”  He glared at her as
she reached behind her and snagged the condom from the desk. 

“I know this is my way of thanking you,” she said as she
rolled the condom onto his cock, “but that doesn’t mean you’re the only one who
gets to come.  Does it?”

She stood in front of him and he leaned forward and kissed
the top of her pussy.  “No, sweetheart, it most definitely doesn’t.”

She turned around and straddled his legs.  He reached
between her smooth thighs and stroked her wet pussy as she lowered herself down
over his cock.  She moaned softly as he slid into her warmth and braced her
hands on his thighs. 

He curled his hands around her waist.  She was so short that
her feet couldn’t touch the ground and he moved her up and down, his hips
thrusting in short, powerful strokes as she leaned back against him.  He cupped
her breasts and rubbed her nipples as she reached between her thighs and tugged
on her clit.  He pushed her forward until she was leaning over his knees and
held the back of her neck firmly as he pumped in and out of her.  She was
starting to make loud, breathless cries of pleasure and he squeezed her neck.

“Quiet, sweetheart, remember?”

“Yes, quiet,” she moaned. 

One hand dug into his thigh while her other stroked and
rubbed at her clit.  She brought herself to orgasm with a hoarse cry, her body
shuddering around him, and he gripped her arms and pounded into her.  Her
slender body bounced helplessly on his, her pussy still squeezing and pulsing
around him, and he smothered his cry of pleasure as he came deep inside of
her.  She collapsed against him and he kissed her neck and cupped her breasts
as they waited for their breathing to return to normal.

“Hey, Claire?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you should bring me lunch every day.”

She laughed as he rubbed her breast with one large hand and
kissed the side of her neck.  “I can’t.  Hattie will be on Christmas holidays
starting next week.”

“We could get her a nanny,” he said as he licked her throat
and pinched one hard nipple.  “Then you’d have lots of free time to bring lunch
to the office.”

He reached down and stroked her clit and she twitched and
gasped loudly.  “Deacon!”

“Yes, Claire?”  He nuzzled her neck and kneaded her breast
again.

“That – that feels really good,” she moaned.

“I’m glad,” he sucked on her earlobe.  “Now, Mrs. Stone, why
don’t you sit that delectably firm ass on my desk and I’ll eat your sweet
little pussy for you?”

Fresh wetness coated his fingers and he grinned as she said,
“Oh, hell yes, Mr. Stone.”

She stood as there was a loud knock on the door.  She froze,
staring wide-eyed at him, when the doorknob rattled loudly.

“Deacon!  What the hell?  Let me in,” Jude’s voice bellowed
through the door.

“Shit!”  Claire whispered.  She hurried to the door,
grabbing her coat from the floor and struggling into it as Deacon yanked off
the condom and stuffed it into the trash bin under his desk before pulling up his
pants.

“Deacon?  It’s lunch and I’m starving.  Take a goddamn break
for once and buy me lunch.”  Jude knocked again as Deacon joined Claire by the
door.

She smoothed her hair down and grabbed his arm when he
reached for the doorknob.

“My bag,” she hissed at him.  “I need it.  It has my clothes
in it.”

He gave her a curious look as he grabbed the bag from the
floor and handed it to her.  She shrugged and murmured, “I took off my clothes in
the lobby bathroom downstairs.  I couldn’t drive here completely naked - what
if I got in an accident?”

He snickered loudly and she blushed furiously before
whispering, “How do I look?”

“Like you’ve just been fucked,” he whispered back.

“Deacon!”

She whacked him on the arm as Jude said, “I know you’re in
there.  I can hear you whispering.”

Deacon winked at Claire before unlocking the door and
opening it.  “Hello, Jude.”

“What the hell are you doing in here, Deacon?”  Jude pushed
past him.  “Since when do you lock your…”

He trailed off as he caught sight of Claire standing to his
left.  She smiled nervously at him and clutched the collar of her jacket
closed.

“Hi, Jude.”

“Hello, Claire.”

There was an awkward silence before Claire said, “Well, I
should, um, get going.  Bye, Jude, it was nice seeing you again.”

“Bye, Claire,” Jude said.

“Bye, Deacon.”  Claire squeaked in surprise when Deacon
pulled her into his embrace and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

“I’ll be home for dinner tonight.”

“Okay,” she said.  “I’ll see you then.”

He nodded and she gave Jude another nervous smile before
leaving the office.  The door closed behind her and Jude stared at Deacon.

“What?”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”  Deacon, whistling softly, reached for his coat
hanging on the back of the door.  “Let’s grab some lunch.”

“Deacon, what are you doing?”

“Going for lunch?”  Deacon raised his eyebrows at Jude.

“You’re in a suspiciously good mood.”

Deacon rolled his eyes.  “So what if I am?”

“Deacon – “

“She’s my wife, Jude.”

“Your fake wife, Deacon.  She’s playing a part.  One that
you’re paying her a hundred grand to play.  You do remember that, don’t you? 
Claire will be gone by the new year.”

Deacon gave him an irritable look.  “Of course I remember. 
Do you want to have lunch or not?”

He stalked out of the office and Jude, a troubled look on
his face, followed him.

“Mama, wake up!  It’s Christmas!”  Hattie climbed on to the
bed and poked Claire in the stomach.

Claire groaned and snuggled closer to Deacon’s hard body. 
“Honey, it’s not Christmas.  It’s the first day of Christmas holidays.”

Hattie laughed and lay back on the bed, kicking her feet in
the air before singing, “I don’t have school today.  I don’t have school
today!”

Claire squinted at the alarm clock.  It had to be super
early if Deacon was still in bed with her and she was hoping that Hattie wasn’t
going to wake up early every single day of her holidays.  The little girl
usually took after her and liked to sleep in late.  She had no idea why –

“Shit!  Deacon, wake up!”  She sat up, clutching the covers
around her and squinted at the alarm clock again before shaking Deacon’s
shoulder roughly.  “It’s after nine, you’re late for work!”

He rolled on to his back and made a soft “oof” when Hattie
sat on his stomach.  “Hi, Deacon!”

“Hi, honey.”  He patted her back before yawning and rubbing
at his eyes.

“Deacon!  Get up!”  Claire shook him again.

He yawned again, “I’m not going to work today.”

“What?  But it’s Monday,” she said stupidly.

He grinned at Hattie, “I took the day off.”

“Yay!”  Hattie shouted.  “We can go rock climbing!”

“You took the day off,” Claire repeated.

“I did,” Deacon replied before winking at Hattie.  “Hattie
and I have a secret mission to complete today.”

“We do?”  Hattie said.  “What?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s just you and I.”  Deacon patted her
back again.  “Why don’t you go and get dressed and I’ll start the pancakes
while your mama showers?”

Hattie hesitated.  “You’re making the pancakes?”

Deacon laughed.  “I’ll get the ingredients out.  I know –
your mama makes better pancakes.”

“She does,” Hattie said bluntly.  “Yours taste funny.”

She slid off the bed and disappeared out the door.  Claire
stared at Deacon as he climbed out of bed.  “What’s your secret mission?”

“I can’t tell you.  It’s a secret,” he said. 

He headed into the bathroom as Claire sat up.  She felt
nervous and unsettled and she didn’t know what to do about it.  Hattie and
Deacon had grown close and the little girl was obviously attached to him.  She
should never have let that happen but it had happened so gradually and there
was a part of her that wanted Hattie to have a relationship with Deacon.  The
little girl had never had a father figure before and Deacon was the perfect –

No!  Don’t start thinking that way, Claire.  Deacon doesn’t
want a wife or a child, he told you that himself.  Don’t mistake his being nice
to Hattie, or the fact that he wants to sleep with you on a regular basis to
mean that he wants this fake marriage to be real.  He’s been honest with you
from the very start, and you yourself told him you only wanted sex.  Don’t go
changing the rules now just because you like how he is with Hattie.

She put on her robe and tucked her hair into a ponytail
before heading down to the kitchen.  Deacon was taking Hattie somewhere and it
would be the perfect chance for her to look at a few apartments.  She wouldn’t
be able to afford to rent a place until after Deacon gave her the hundred
grand, but she could at least see what was available.

* * *

“Deacon?  Where are we going?”  Hattie asked from the back
seat.

“We’re going to buy your mama’s Christmas present,” he
replied.

“I don’t have any money,” she said.  “Only ten dollars.”

“That’s okay, honey.  I’m going to help you buy her
present.”

“What are we going to buy her?”

“You’ll see, honey.  But you have to keep it a surprise from
your mom, okay?”

“Yep,” she said cheerfully.  “Then can we go rock climbing
together?”

He nodded and smiled at the little girl.  “We can.”

* * *

Claire could hear Hattie shrieking with laughter as she stepped
into the warm house.  She hung her jacket on the hook as Hattie came tearing
out of the living room.

“No running, honey,” she said.

“I have to,” Hattie shouted.  “Deacon’s chasing me and – “

She shrieked with delight when Deacon appeared and picked her
up.  He turned her upside down and tickled her belly as he grinned at Claire.

“Hello, Claire.”

“Hi.  Sorry I wasn’t home when you got here.  I didn’t mean
to make you babysit Hattie.”

“I didn’t mind.  We had fun, didn’t we, Hattie?”  Deacon
said.

“Yep!”  Hattie giggled.  “And we have a secret, mama.”

“Shh,” Deacon said before tickling her again.  “Remember,
what I told you.”

“I remember,” Hattie said as Deacon, still carrying her,
followed Claire into the kitchen.

“What were you doing today?”  He asked curiously as he set
Hattie on her feet.

“Hattie, why don’t you go and wash your hands and then we’ll
bake some Christmas cookies before Mrs. Crane gets here.  What do you think?”

“Okay, mama.”  Hattie skipped out of the room and Deacon
pulled Claire into his arms and squeezed her ass before kissing her firmly on
the mouth.

“Where were you?”  He asked again.

“I was checking out a few apartments,” she said.

He stiffened and let her go before backing away and crossing
his arms over his chest.  “Did you find something?”

“Uh, I found some good prospects,” she replied.

“Did you rent one?”  His face was growing more distant by
the moment.

“Not yet,” she said softly.  “I’ll have to wait until after
I, um, receive the money in order to afford it.”

“Right,” he muttered.  “Where will you go until you can get
an apartment?”

“I’ll probably rent a hotel room for us until – “

“You can stay here until you’re ready to move,” he said
abruptly.

“No, I can’t do that,” Claire protested.  “The agreement was
until the first of January and I don’t want to take advantage of your
generosity.”

“You’re not,” he said.  “I don’t mind.”

“It’s probably not a good idea, Deacon,” she said quietly.

He studied her silently before nodding.  “Yeah, you’re
right.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”  He shrugged but she thought she saw a flicker
of disappointment in his eyes.  “Listen, I forgot that I have a few work emails
I need to answer.  I’m going to go to my office for a while.”

She bit her bottom lip as he headed out of the kitchen. 
“Deacon, are you okay?”

“Just fine.”  Without looking at her, he stalked down the
hallway.

* * *

Claire studied the ceiling of the guest bedroom.  She moved
restlessly under the sheets and quilt and tried to clear her mind and fall
asleep.  It was impossible and she turned on her side and stared at the wall. 
Deacon had disappeared into his office for the rest of the day.  He had joined
them at dinner but he was silent and withdrawn and he had immediately gone back
to his office after they had finished eating.

He had helped her tuck Hattie into bed, reading her a story
and kissing her goodnight, but when they had left her room, he had mumbled
something about work and disappeared back into his office.  She had watched TV
for a couple of hours, flipping aimlessly through the channels, before giving
up and going to bed.  She had stared longingly at Deacon’s bed before heading
to the guest room.  Deacon was obviously upset with her and she was fairly
certain that he didn’t want her in his bed tonight.

She heard Deacon’s footsteps in the hallway and froze, her
pulse beating heavily, as his bedroom door opened and closed.  She sighed and
closed her eyes.  She didn’t want to be in this stupid bed by herself.  She
wanted to be in Deacon’s bed, wanted to feel his arms around her and his mouth
–

The door flew opened and Deacon, wearing only his pajama
bottoms, stormed into the room.  He scowled at her as he yanked the covers
back.  “What are you doing in here, Claire?”

“I’ve upset you and I didn’t think – “

He lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the guest
room and into his.  “You sleep in my bed and only my bed.  Do you understand?”

“Deacon – “

He dropped her on the bed and covered her body with his,
sliding his hands into her hair and holding her head firmly.  “My bed.  Say it.”

He kissed her roughly, claiming her mouth as his, until she
was moaning softly and running her hands restlessly over his naked back.  He
pulled his mouth away, ignoring her cry of dismay, and muttered, “Say it,
Claire.”

“Your bed,” she whispered.  “I sleep only in your bed.”

His smug grin of satisfaction should have pissed her off but
instead she found herself inexplicably turned on by his alpha behaviour.

“You didn’t strike me as the caveman type, Mr. Stone,” she
said in an effort to hide her obvious lust.

“You like my caveman behaviour,” he said with that same smug
grin.

“I certainly do not,” she said tartly.

“No?”  Before she could stop him he had stuck his hand under
her nightgown and was cupping her bare pussy.  She was soaking wet and he
rubbed at her clit before grinning at her.

“You do like it, Mrs. Stone.”

Liquid dripped over his fingers and an odd look crossed his
face.  “And you like it when I call you Mrs. Stone, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she whispered. 

“I like it too,” he whispered back.

“Deacon.”  She touched his face.  “What are we doing?”

He hesitated before turning his head and kissing the palm of
her hand.  “We’re two adults having a no-strings-attached good time together. 
Isn’t that what we both said we wanted?”

“Yes,” she said softly.

“Then let’s have a good time.”  He kissed her again and she
closed her eyes and lost herself in his warm touch.

* * *

“Claire?  Hattie?  I’m home.”  Deacon hung his jacket up. 
The house smelled delicious, obviously Mrs. Crane had made her famous lasagna
for dinner today, and he smiled happily as Hattie’s laughter drifted down the
hall.  It was nice to come home to a house filled with warmth and light instead
of the usual empty darkness.

“Claire?”

“We’re in the living room,” Claire called.

He stuck his head into the room. “Hey, I’m starving.  Are we
going to eat or…”

He trailed off as Hattie clapped her hands.  “Are you
surprised, Deacon?”

“Very,” he picked her up and she kissed him on the cheek. 

“Do you like it?  I helped mama decorate it.”

“It’s beautiful, Hattie.  You did a good job.”  He kissed
her forehead before crossing the room to kiss Claire.

“Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.”  She finished hanging the last ornament on
the tree and stepped back to survey her handiwork.  “I hope you don’t mind. 
Mrs. Crane said you don’t normally decorate for the holidays but Hattie really
wanted a tree.”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said.  “It’s nice.”

She grinned at him.  “You might mind when you realize I took
cash from the wad of bills you keep in the bottom drawer of your desk to pay
for the tree and decorations.”

He laughed.  “I told you to use that money for whatever
household stuff you needed.”

“Shut off the lights, mama,” Hattie said.  “I want to see
the tree glow.”

Claire flicked off the light switch and the three of them,
Hattie still in Deacon’s arms, stared at the tree.

“It’s so pretty,” Hattie whispered as she watched the small
lights blink on and off.

“Yes, very pretty,” Deacon replied.  He was staring at
Claire, watching the glow of the lights on her face and she smiled at him as he
leaned down and kissed her on the mouth.

Hattie tapped him on the back.  “Look, Deacon.  Mama and I
put your present under the tree.”

He glanced at the slim, brightly-wrapped box tucked under
the branches.  “Thank you.  We’ll have to put your mama’s present under the
tree too.”

“I’m going to go get it!”  Hattie shouted.  She squirmed to
be released and Deacon set her down gently.  She streaked from the room and
Deacon put both arms around Claire, tugging her back against his chest as they
continued to stare at the tree.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”  She asked.

“Of course I don’t.  There should be a Christmas tree at
Christmas.”  Deacon kissed her neck and she shivered in his arms.

“Behave.  Hattie will be back any minute.”

“Good point.”  He sucked lightly on her earlobe.  “You
should know that I plan on thoroughly ravishing you later this evening, Mrs.
Stone.”

“I look forward to it, Mr. Stone,” she replied.

He kissed the top of her head as she stroked his arm.  “Do
you think you could bring Hattie by the office tomorrow afternoon?  I know it’s
Christmas Eve but I have a surprise for her.”

She nodded.  “Yes.  What’s the surprise?”

“You’ll find out.”  He grinned at her like a little boy as
Hattie came racing back into the room.  She had a small box, it was wrapped
clumsily in bright green Christmas paper, in one hand and she stuck it under
the tree next to Deacon’s.

“I helped Deacon wrap it, mama,” she said proudly. 

“You did a great job, honey.  Now, why don’t we go and have
some lasagna?  I’m starving.”  Claire stroked Hattie’s hair.

“Me too!”  Hattie yelled.  “Piggy back me into the kitchen,
Deacon!”

“Say please, Hattie,” Claire said.

“Please!”  Hattie climbed on to Deacon’s back when he knelt
down in front of her.  He tickled the little girl as they started toward the
door and she squeezed his neck.

“I love you, Deacon.  Do you love me?”  She asked. 

Claire’s smile faded as Deacon stopped in his tracks.  He
stared silently at the little girl and Claire hurried forward.