A Baumgartner Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page A

lump growing in her throat
and a tight ball of fire in her belly. She knew the feeling immediately,
although it surprised her beyond words. She was actually jealous.
    “Dance with me.” Doc pulled her
into his arms on the floor, leaving Wilson and Daphne alone at the table. It
was a slow song and they swayed together, quiet. Finally, Doc leaned over and
whispered, “You can have her.”
    Carrie startled, raising her gaze
to his. “What are you talking about?”
    “Green isn’t your color.” He
pulled her closer, nuzzling his face against her hair. “Don’t tell me you’re
not. I know that look. You’re jealous.”
    “I am—” Not, she thought,
but she couldn’t say it, because she knew he was right. “Does it really
matter?”
    “Of course it does.” Doc tilted
her chin up and their movement slowed to practically nothing. He looked at and
talked to her like they were alone, as if they were the only ones out there on
the dance floor. “I see the way you look at her. You think I’m bored with you,
that I’m pushing my own agenda, but I’m not. It’s you, Carrie. You want
something else. Something that includes more than just me.”
    “I don’t—” She shook her head,
confused, resting her cheek against his chest, feeling the steady beat of her
husband’s heart. Was he right? Things had been difficult between them at times
lately, far more tense than ever. She’d been short and angry, more of the
“nagging wife” she swore she’d never be. She’d even asked him on occasion what
was wrong with her. Doc just kissed her and held her and told her he loved her.
    But things had started falling
apart like this right about the time she’d met Daphne. That couldn’t just be a
coincidence—could it?
    “Trust me.” His lips pressed
against her ear. “I know you better than you know yourself.”
    And she knew that was true.
    “I love you.” She closed her eyes
and let that dizzy feeling take her as they danced, spinning on the floor,
letting him lead, always.
    Carrie spent the rest of the
night watching her friend fall for Wilson, trying to drown her jealousy with
Fuzzy Navels. When that didn’t work, she switched to Seven and Sevens, and by
the time they made the announcement for last call, she was doing shots of
Cuervo Gold.
    Doc practically carried her to
the car and she rode the whole way home listening to Wilson and Daphne laughing
and talking about The Violent Femmes in the front seat like teenagers, comparing
music collections and remembering first concerts.
    “You sure you remember where you
live?” Carrie asked, leaning forward to ask Daphne, who was giggling in the
front seat as they neared Carrie and Doc’s apartment.
    Her friend laughed. “Well if I can’t,
maybe Wilson has room for me at his place?”
    “Sure.” Wilson smiled, easing his
Camaro up to the curb outside their apartment. Carrie felt Doc’s arm tighten
around her waist.
    “Goodnight you guys.” Carrie
pushed the door open and got out, Doc following close behind.
    “Talk to you tomorrow!” Daphne
waggled her fingers through the window and then Wilson was pulling away,
leaving them alone.
    Carrie swallowed the bitterness
in her throat. “Think Wilson is gonna find out if she’s wearing her red
panties?”
    Doc unlocked the front door.
“Lucky bastard.”
    “Hey, I’m not wearing any panties
at all,” she announced, peeling off her coat and letting it drop to the floor.
    “Brat.” He grinned and she
pressed herself up against him as the door closed, sliding his coat off too.
    “You could see right through her
top,” she whispered, nuzzling his neck, feeling his cock pressed against her
hip, already hard.
    “I
noticed.”
    She
smiled, sliding her hand down to rub him through his trousers.“I noticed you
noticing.”
    “How
come we never do stuff like that anymore?” His hand was wandering too, checking
to see if she’d been fibbing about her pantiless condition and finding that
she’d been telling the