Annihilate Me: Holiday Edition Read Online Free PDF Page A

a long moment before I had to pull myself together.   One more kiss, one more brush of his stubble against the base of my neck, and he might
as well have at me on the sofa.
    “Hold
on there, cowboy.”
    “Why?”
    “Because
we ’ re in the middle of
a....ohhh, why do you always do that to me....”
    He
brushed his lips close to my ear, one of the most sensitive parts of my body,
and then he kissed me again as he pressed his hand between my legs.   “Maybe later?” he said.
    “Is
that even a question?”
    “After
last night ’ s acrobatics, it is.”
    “Then
you should already know the answer, although the next time we do that?   Let ’ s at least have some stage lighting.   If we’re going to be watched, I ’ d prefer to look my best.”  
    He
smiled at that and squeezed my butt.   The moment my nipples responded to that gesture, I pulled away from
him.   We needed to focus.  
    “Let ’ s be good and commiserate,” I said.   “If we ’ re going to pull this off, I have to be able
to think clearly, which I can ’ t do when
you do whatever it is that you do to me.   It ’s impossible. ”   I pointed at the sofa beside us.   “Don ’ t think I ’ m above throwing myself down on that.”
    “Don ’ t think I ’ m above bending you over my desk.”
    “Don ’ t think I ’ m above lying down on the floor and having
you strip off my clothes.”
    “Don ’ t think I ’ m above ripping them off you before you even
have a chance to start.”  
    I
closed my eyes and tried to collect myself.   Worthless.   “OK, so now I totally want you.”
    “Later.   Let ’ s talk first.”
    “Oh,
so now he puts on the brakes.”
    “I
believe you suggested that we commiserate?”
    “Fine.   Blackwell and the girls are a go.”
    “Great!”
    “But
here ’ s the catch.   Daniella and Alexa challenged her to
cook Christmas dinner alone. ”
    “That
sounds like them.”
    “She
said they can be rude.”
    “I’ve
witnessed my share of that.”
    “I’m
worried that she might fail.”
    Alex sat
on the arm of the sofa.   “Maybe she ’ ll surprise us.”
    “It
could happen.   I know she wants to
prove them wrong.   Lisa and I are
prepared to step in and help if she needs it, but I have a feeling that she ’ ll keep us out.   She ’ s nothing if not determined.”
    “Lisa
is coming?”
    “She
is.   How about Tank?”
    “He ’ ll be there.”
    “Praise
Jesus,” I said.   “Lisa was worried
that he wouldn’t come.”
    “What ’ s up with those two anyway?” he asked.   “I thought everything was going well.”
    “I
don’t know.   There’s no question
that they like each other and that there’s a mutual attraction, but both have
been burned.   Getting over that hump
can take a lot of faith, as we both know well.”
    “Maybe
this will do it for them.”
    “I
hope so.   I told Lisa that if Tank
did come that they could have the two bedrooms on the first floor.   That way, if something should happen
between them—and let’s have a moment of silence that something happens between them—they can have their privacy.”
    “Makes
sense to me.”
    “So,
it looks as if this is going to happen.   What do we do next?”
    “I ’ ll take care of everything.   Just a few phone calls, and the house
will be ready for everyone.”
    “I’ll
need to do some shopping.   I might
steal Blackwell away with me for a day if that’s OK.”
    He
shrugged.   “Fine by me.   You’ll also bring Lisa?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “The
three of you out together?” he said.   “The city isn’t ready for that hurricane.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
    CHAPTER FIVE

 
    The
next morning, Blackwell called Lisa and I at ten on the dot.   “Come on, ladies,” she said over the
speakerphone.   “Let’s do this.   The stores just opened, and we’ve got
some serious damage to do.   I’m
downstairs parked in front—of course, I am.   Where the hell else would I be?   The back?