Holly's Christmas Dom-Brieanna-final edit, page 1
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 Raven McAllan
ISBN: 978-1-77233-631-3
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Brieanna Robertson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
HOLLY’S CHRISTMAS DOM
Winters’ Tales, 1
Raven McAllan
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
"I'm gonna deck Mac Hall if he doesn't stop ogling me," Holly Winters told her triplet siblings as they stood in the snow along with a couple of dozen others and sang carols outside the war memorial in the village square, a few yards from the old stone kirk. The singing was with more gusto than tone on Holly's part, and there was a lot of and mutters between each verse as Mrs. McKillop, the organist, and the minister's wife, got her keyboard to work in the cold.
It was tradition that once the annual Christmas Eve church service finished, the congregation went outside to sing—something Holly usually enjoyed.
Not tonight, though. Tonight, she was unnerved and jittery, and it was all Mac Hall's fault.
Noel sniggered. "I know what I'd like to do to him, and hitting him...well, not violently, isn't it. Hitting on him, hmm, now that's a different matter. Sadly, he doesn't swing my way." He rolled his eyes. Noel was happy in his own skin. As he said, being gay wasn't just a state of mind, it was a state of being. And for all his joking, Noel knew that even if Mac had been gay, he wouldn't fancy him. They'd grown up together and would always be more like brothers than lovers. Sharing a bath, your first skinny dipping, and secrets of the heart did that to you.
"Ssh," Carol, the third triplet, said. "We're being glared at from all corners."
Holly, Noel, and Carol. They often joked how glad they were there hadn't been another boy in the family. As their mum was sappy over all things Christmas, the poor thing would probably have been called Mistletoe, even if he was born in June.
"Mac always looks at you," Carol said. "That's why we used to sing this as kids." Carol began to sing in a tuneful voice, "Deck Mac Hall with blows, says Holly. Tra, la, lala, la, la, la, la, la." As she was the only one who could carry a note, it sounded tuneful.
Her siblings laughed and sang the traditional version.
"If he doesn't stop checking out my boobs, I'll deck him out, with my fist in his balls," Holly said once the last lines of 'Deck the Halls’ ended.
With what her siblings called her "hard stare," after a storybook character and his propensity for giving "hard stares," she glared at the offending guy. He, the bugger, winked.
Holly turned her back on him and ground her teeth. Yes, Mac Hall was everything a girl wanted in a man. He made her clit clench, her thong damp, and her nerve endings tingle as she thought about him. In fact, he was too much of everything. However, she so wished he'd stop looking at her as if she was his dish of the day.
That thought made her remember something she'd received a few weeks earlier and, damn it, her juices began to coat her pussy. Her bare, as requested, pussy.
Perhaps she was the dish of the day.
"And that would help you when you give in and have your wicked way with him, how?" Carol asked as she linked arms with Holly.
"Eh?" Holly had no idea what Carol was talking about. Then she remembered her own last words about checking his balls with her fist. "As I'm not giving in, it would give me satisfaction. Great satisfaction."
"Come on, Holls, stop kidding yourself. I don't know who you're punishing and for what, but I know how you feel about him."
You don't, you really don't.
"Why don't you just put him out of his misery and let him have a grope?" Carol said in such a tone Holly wanted to hit her instead of Mac.
"You can mark him ten out of ten for artistic merit and skill, and that would be it. Everyone’s happy. Well, not Noel, who still thinks he might have a chance, but we all know he's delusional."
Holly giggled as Noel pretended to be offended. She knew fine well Noel neither wanted a chance nor had one.
All of Mac's attention was on her. He was open and honest about it, and had warned her what he wanted and what he expected from her. It scared her shitless as well as made her wet and excited. No soft and gentle wooing. No flowers and candlelit dinners. More orgasm torture, nipple clamps, and butt plugs. Macdonald Sutherland Hall wanted the lot. Immediately.
And if I say yes, that's it. No turning back. And I'm not sure I dare.
Holly was scared. She'd fought long and hard to get where she was, and she wasn't prepared to give it all up. She wanted a two-way street, not a dead end. Whatever Mac had said in the past about partnerships and trust, Holly was skeptical. His reputation went before him. But oh how she hoped she'd have the guts to give it all a chance.
"Earth to Holly." Carol poked her. "Your ogler is approaching."
Holly blinked. She'd been miles away, in her own little world.
"Incoming ogler at eight o'clock." Noel smirked.
"Sod off, Noel, or I'll tell Miriam Black you've gone straight and fancy her."
Noel winced theatrically and got down on his knees in front of her. He wrung his hands and, in a very over-the-top, dramatic way proclaimed, "No, no never that."
"Oh get up, you numpty, you're all snowy now." Holly tugged his ear.
Noel laughed as he scrambled to his feet and dusted snow off his knees. "Hey, I'll leave you to him. Mind you, sister mine, it pains me to see such a good body wasted on someone who doesn't notice it. A woman at that. Laters, girls." He sketched a wave and walked off toward the village pub, his boots crunching on the crisp snow.
"I'm with him." Carol kissed Holly on the cheek before she moved away. She turned suddenly and went back to Holly's side. "Remember, Holly. Have an open mind here. The man has depths you want to explore and share. Don't shut your mind off. Every relationship is equal. Just some equality is different than others."
Holly stared at her in concern. Carol didn't look tipsy. Her voice was steady, and they hadn't been to the pub yet. Surely Communion wine couldn't affect you? Wasn't it non-alcoholic?
"Vern the vibe is a poor substitute for a man," Carol said, using the nickname of the vibrator they'd bought from a sex shop when they were giggling schoolgirls. "After all, he's only got two speeds, on and off."
Holly giggled as she remembered the furtive way they'd gone into the shop and hoped no one noticed them. Of course Mac had seen them and teased her unmercifully for weeks afterward. She wondered whatever had happened to good old Vern. They'd tossed for it, and Carol had won.
Carol hugged her and followed Noel. Holly shivered. It was bloody cold and the wind must have come straight from the Arctic. She needed to go inside before her bits froze. Why the hell did she have a skirt and stockings and suspenders on?
Because he told me to.
Damn Mac. All she wanted was a quiet life, not a clit-quivering tingle every time he came within five yards of her. Liar. On cue, her body responded to his presence, and her nipples chafed painfully on her lacy bra. Damned if she shouldn't have said fuck it and worn her thermal vest.
"Your eyes are saying, take me, I'm yours," a deep male voice whispered in her ear. "Have you decided yet? I told you, Holly. It has to be your decision, not mine. If you say yes, we'll set the rules. Not until then. If you say no? Ah well, only I'll know what you've turned down." His kiss on the nape of her neck sent a totally different sort of shiver through her. If his look dampened her thong, his kiss had soaked it.
"Well?" he asked. His voice was patient, his tone as conversational as if they were talking about the weather, not their future, and like they were alone instead of in the middle of a crowd of locals. All who looked at them without any curiosity. Mac and Holly, Holly and Mac. Old friends who had bickered their way through school, and stood up for each other when necessary. Everyone knew that.
"Holly, you've had time. We decided on Christmas Eve. That's tonight." Mac stamped his feet in the snow. The air was frosty, and his breath created white misty swirls around his lips.
"You said midnight," Holly reminded him. "And if we're being precise, I've had ten years. Now I still have half an hour." She pointed at the church clock.
The nip on her neck made her jump. "Sassy. Twenty-seven minutes and counting. But remember, so did I. Wait ten years. So?"
Damn him, I'm so not ready. However, deep down, she knew she was more than ready, just scared to admit it.
"So you can wait. I'll meet you in the Cock and Bull then."
Mac spun her around to face him. His eyes narrowed, and the flecks of gold in the dark brown irises were hidden from view. "You wouldn't be thinking of reneging, would you?" His voice was enough to make her want to sink to her knees. Talk about dominant and commanding. It was all that and more. It was just as well they were in the village square and there was ice and snow on the ground. Her at his feet? Now that would give the locals something to talk about. "I'll be mighty pissed if you are." He put his arm around her, and his hand
Scary and, damn it, exciting. Sod him. If he moves that finger any harder, it'll be in my asshole. It was a thought that made her breath hitch.
"Whatever you decide, I want to hear it from you," Mac said. "To look into your eyes and see if it's the truth or you're running scared. "
"I don't break promises, Mac. If you think I do, let's call it all off now." Holly knew her tone reflected her hurt, and she didn't care. Even if she still didn't know what her answer would be, she had no intention of chickening out of their meeting.
Liar. You do know. You've always known.
"Oh no. You're not getting out of it that easily," Mac warned her. "If you want to be a coward, you'll tell me face-to-face. We've waited this long. It's going to be full-on reasons. Okay, I'm off to grab us a table. See you soon." He turned on his heel and left her standing in the now almost deserted square. She guessed a lot of people had gone home, it was too damned cold to linger, and those who weren't now in front of their own fires were in the queue to fill the pub.
Holly watched his progress. He was popular like her brother and one of the local “boys done good” brigade. A lot of people stopped him to talk as he made his way up the queue. Of course he'd have a table booked. Mac thought of everything.
Was that good or bad?
She noticed that even though he passed a few words with each of them, his steps hardly slowed. Deep in thought and still not sure exactly what she was about to say—and it would no doubt be life changing whatever her answer was—Holly wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk slowly in the same direction.
"Hey, Holly!" Noel shouted from a group chatting outside the pub. Nearly all of them held cigarettes in their hands. Since smoking was banned in public places, most pubs and office blocks had a group of people puffing away outside. Holly hated it and told him that as often as she could.
"Kissing an ashtray, Noel," she said as she passed her brother. "Who wants that?"
One of the other guys laughed. "Hey, Holls. Tell him I'd love to please. He so doesn't believe me."
Holly rolled her eyes. Poor Jason, he'd fancied Noel from afar for years. If only Noel would fancy him back, life would be a lot simpler for both of them. Although, no, strike that. She'd then be the only single triplet—Carol being long married and happy in wedded bliss—and everyone's attention would turn to her.
That made her shudder in not a nice manner. Holly was very much a private person, and the thought of being in the limelight was anathema to her. I will be if I go along with Mac.
Nevertheless, Noel’s mates were all good guys, and she loved her brother. If she were honest, she wished Noel would give Jason a chance. Noel had told her in one drunken confess-fest he fancied Jason, but was very much a believer in the adage “not in my back yard.” As Noel only came back to the village once in a blue moon, Holly couldn't see how it mattered. He had told her it did. Because if everything fell through, how would he be able to cope? It didn't seem to matter how much she told him she was sure it wouldn't, this was one scenario Noel wasn't at all confident about.
Now, Noel waved a bag at her. "Want your shoes? I'll take your boots." Holly thought for a second. She'd forgotten she'd stashed her more elegant footwear in his car. It would be good to ditch her fur-lined, elephant-patterned wellies and meet Mac in her hard-saved-for Jimmy Choos. They were guaranteed to make her feel her best. Someone had cleared the pavement of snow to create a narrow strip of path, so she could access the building easily and not ruin them. Later? She'd worry about later when she had to. Wasn't running barefoot in the snow supposed to be good for the circulation?
And frostbite.
"Why not?" She swapped footwear, gave a grinning Noel her wellies, and ignored someone who whistled “Nellie the Elephant,” as with a wave, she walked past them and opened the pub door.
The warmth—and the noise—hit her. Along one wall the fire glowed and Christmas music blared out of the speakers. The bar was crowded, and everyone seemed to be talking at the top of their voices. How on earth was she going to find Mac in the crowd, let alone have a serious conversation with him? A quick glance at her watch told her she had five minutes to find him. Mac had warned her ages before that he would never tolerate lateness.
As she stood on tiptoe wishing she were taller than five-foot- seven, even in killer heels, she realized her feet had left the ground.
"You trust me, Holly? Nod if you do." She recognized the voice immediately. Of course she did. Her thong was soaked again, and boy was it uncomfortable.
She nodded.
"Will you come with me?" he asked quietly. "We can tell Noel if you want. He'll know where we're going."
He will? So how come I don't? Holly opened her mouth to speak and realized Mac wouldn't hear her. She'd only heard him because his mouth was close to her ear. She nodded again, and his breath feathered over her cheek.
"Good girl. Hold on." She was propelled back outside a lot faster than she’d gone in.
When they were once more in the cold, he put her down and she moved from one foot to the other. Dammit. Fur-lined wellies were so much more sensible, elegant or not.
"Silly girl," Mac said in a voice that made her shiver, but not with the cold. "You'll freeze. Mind you, I love the way they make your legs go up to your armpits. I can see you in those and not much else in my mind."
Damn him. Do lady juices freeze? Because if they do, so will my clit and pussy.
Chapter Two
Mac watched a host of emotions in her expression and wished he knew what they all meant. His body was tight, his cock hard, and his heart thumped. These next few hours were going to be the most important in his twenty-eight years.
"Addy?" Holly asked him. He told her his address quickly and watched her eyes widen as she took in the information and passed it to Noel, who had now entered the pub and propped a tiny bit of the wall up.
He grinned. "Yeah, I know, Holls. See you later. Remember, Mum and Dad will expect us all for brunch." Noel winked. "Including Mac, now she knows he's here. Enjoy yourself and remember do as I say not as I do."
"What do you mean by that?"
Noel flicked her nose. "You know. Remember, don’t be late at the parents’."
"As if I could dare," Holly said, and rolled her eyes. "Smoked salmon and the third degree. Not a good mix."
"Never mind. There's a long while until brunch time and, who knows, you may be too knackered to care."
"Noel Winters, that is enough."
"Yeah, okay, off you go, my children, and remember safe—"
"No more, or I'll tell Mum who ate the pies."
Noel laughed. He gave a mock salute to Mac and a thumbs-up. Mac returned it. Noel's acceptance of his plans for a relationship with Holly meant a lot.
"Come on before he gets even more outrageous." Mac pushed the pub door shut behind him and looped his arm across Holly's shoulder. Well, that went a lot easier than I imagined. Let's hope it augers well for the rest of the night. He hadn't been this nervous since he accepted what he was and how he wanted Holly. "No one knows what we are or aren't up to."
"Ha," Holly said, and then giggled. "Come on, Mac. This is my mum we're talking about." She'd returned to the topic of her parents. "She who can winkle out your secrets with one look. Remember you and Noel and your senior year bunk offs? I swear she knew even before you two did you were going to skip school."
Mac laughed as he remembered those days. He hoped he was a little less easy to read nowadays or there could be problems. His intended actions were not likely to impress a doting, conventional mother.
He and Noel had been best buddies ever since, aged three at playgroup, Noel hit him over the head with a plastic hammer and Mac had retaliated by shoving Noel in the sandpit. They'd stayed friend through school and beyond. Shared homework questions, a love of music and fish and chip suppers, and cried on each other's shoulders when it was needed. But they never shared lovers. Mac was hetero, and Noel, by his own admission, wanted cocks, not cunts.
