Blame It On The Carols (Sugarplum Falls #6)

Ten | Makayla

Ten

Makayla

“I ’ll call a cab and get out of your hair,” I offered, not sure what to do with myself now that my mom conveniently bailed on me.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Aiden, I’m not going to make you uncomfortable by having me here. I can come back later with the rest of the girls if that’s even still the plan. I swear, I’ve never been lied to as much as I have this morning by my mom.”

“You don’t make me uncomfortable,” he said, though I could see the way his body stiffened as he said it.

“You don’t have to be nice or pretend that you’re okay with this,” I replied with a heavy sigh. “I get that things between us have changed. I don’t know how to fix that, or if we even can, but I do know that my leaving will give you some space so we don’t have to pretend like things are fine between us.”

I turned to leave, startled when his hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. He pulled me into him, and suddenly, all of the tension that had been lingering between us faded away. My body melted against his, missing the way it felt next to mine.

“Some things will never change between us, Mak,” he said softly, lifting my chin with his finger so I had to look up at him.

Then, without any warning, his lips were on mine, and my fingers were wrapped tightly in his hair as the kiss intensified. It didn’t matter how much time had passed; our bodies knew each other and acted as if nothing had changed.

I moaned against this mouth, that yearning feeling building between my legs again. His hands slid down my waist and grabbed my ass, lifting me to his hips as he backed us up against the low counter behind the bar.

“Fuck, Mak,” he breathed, my name sounding sinful coming off his tongue. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

I reached down and cupped my hand over his erection, grinning when I realized how affected he was by this as well.

“It seems our bodies haven’t forgotten how much they like each other,” I offered, leaning my head to the side as he kissed my neck. A shiver ran through me as my nipples hardened beneath the lace fabric of my bra.

“Not even a little bit.” He growled as he gripped my ass harder, his need for more matching my own.

“Hey, it’s just me,” a female voice called, startling us as we quickly separated.

I wiped at my mouth, turning away from her as Aiden shifted out from in front of me.

“Hey, Jackie,” he said, sounding way too out of breath to pretend we weren’t doing anything.

“Oh my God,” she shrieked. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know there was anyone else here. I just saw your truck was here, and you always come in early—”

“It’s fine.”

“No. No. I’m gonna go. I’ll just come back later,” she insisted.

I tried to keep from looking back at her because I didn’t want her to see the embarrassment on my face from being caught. I could only imagine what would have happened had we not been.

Just then, my phone started ringing.

Perfect time for a distraction .

“Hey, Curtis. What’s up?” I answered, twirling a strand of hair around my finger while ignoring the conversation Aiden was having behind me.

“Where are you?”

His voice sounded panicked, which immediately made me feel panicked.

“I’m in Sugarplum Falls. Remember, I told you I was coming here to spend time with my mom and do that caroling competition?”

“Shit.” He exhaled heavily on the other line. “How big is the town you’re in?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, trying to keep myself calm. “It’s not big by any means. Why? What’s going on? You’re starting to freak me out.”

I wasn’t sure if it was the tone of my voice or my words that grabbed Aiden and Jackie’s attention, but it was now on me.

“We got a few packages delivered to you today. I went ahead and opened them, and....”

I raised my eyebrows, sitting on pins and needles while I waited for him to spit it out.

“And?” I prompted.

“It’s bad.”

“Curtis, you’re killing me here. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t want to freak you out, but it seems Kevin is back.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I wish I was. The packages have lingerie and toys inside them, but I think it’s definitely him. We also checked your PO box, and there were a handful of letters, all from him.”

I puffed my cheeks full of air and slowly let it out. This was not the news I wanted to get.

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, fuck is right,” he agreed. “Send me the info on where you’re staying, and I’ll send a security team your way. We already know this guy is crazy. I don’t think we should risk your safety right now. Especially in a small town with few places to hide you.”

“I’m staying with my mom,” I whispered, immediately hating that I was now putting her life in danger. “Shit.”

“What’s going on,” Aiden asked, gently touching my elbow to get my attention. His eyes were locked on me, worry evident by the way his brow creased in concern.

“Hold on for a second, Curtis. I’m going to put you on speakerphone.”

“Okay. Are you trying to set me up with someone? I mean, I’m not opposed to small-town life, but I could get on board if he’s cute. Is he cute?”

“Oh my God,” I said with a laugh, which felt good given the way my blood pressure had spiked from the worry he’d created. “Stop being ridiculous. I’m at my friend Aiden’s bar, so I’m going to put you on speakerphone so we can figure out the next step.”

“Aiden, as in the guy you’ve been desperately in love with since the day I met you?” he asked the second I turned the speakerphone on. I closed my eyes and winced— and now s uch unfortunate timing .

“Aiden, this is Curtis, my manager. Curtis, this is Aiden,” I said through gritted teeth, feeling the heat of Aiden’s gaze on my face. I knew my cheeks were flushed with heat, but it wasn’t like I could try to deny anything after what had just happened between Aiden and me.

“Nice to meet you,” Curtis said. “And since it seems I’m not your type, I’ll get straight to it. Makayla has had a stalker for at least six months now, and we got packages delivered to the studio for her today. When I checked her PO box, I saw a stack of letters he’d sent as well. I know that she’s planning to spend Christmas in Sugarplum Falls, but I would feel better if I sent a security team down to watch over her.”

“A stalker?” Aiden questioned, looking directly at me as I let out a shuddered breath.

“It’s a long story,” I said, dismissing the look he gave me. “I don’t know that it would be the best idea to send a team here, Curtis. We’ve seen how much attention they draw when I go on vacation. I can only imagine what would happen if they tried to blend into a small town.”

“I can’t just pretend I don’t know that there’s a threat,” Curtis objected. “According to the photos he attached to his most recent letter, he knows you’re traveling.”

“What do you mean he knows I’m traveling?”

“He included pictures of you at the airport in LA. I don’t know that he knows exactly where you’re going, but that doesn’t make me worry any less. He’s smart, and he knows how to stay in the shadows. That’s why we have yet to catch him.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, already feeling frustrated with the situation.

“Your safety is the biggest concern right now, so let’s figure out how to keep you safe.” I knew he meant well, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

“Alright. I’m staying with my mom, but I don’t want to put her in danger. Maybe I should check into a hotel instead?”

“I feel like that would be even riskier. Even with extra locks in place, that doesn’t guarantee that he won’t find you there. Or worse, that he won’t be able to get in. We’ve already had an issue with him showing up at your house and you have security in place there, remember?”

“Are you fucking serious?” Aiden questioned, his jaw tense again.

“As a heart attack,” Curtis responded. “We’ve been trying to figure out who he is for months but can’t catch him. He signs everything as Kevin, but we don’t even know if that’s really his name. Everything he does is very calculated and planned out.”

“I can’t stay with my mom,” I objected, chewing my lower lip between my teeth. “A hotel is going to have to do because there aren’t any other options.”

“Yes, there are,” Aiden interrupted, his green eyes blazing as they found mine again. “She’s staying with me.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but how can I be sure this is a safe option for her?” Curtis questioned.

“Because I would die before I would let anything happen to her.”

Chills ran up my spine as he reached for my hand and squeezed it.

“Sorry for interrupting,” Jackie said, stepping closer. “I just wanted to assure you that we take care of our own in Sugarplum Falls. You don’t have to worry about Makayla’s safety. I’ll work on letting everyone in town know to be extra cautious with any outsiders they encounter, and I’ll help keep an eye on her. Aiden and I both carry, and I have yet to miss my mark.”

“Well, shit. Maybe I should up and move to Sugarplum Falls... Sounds like a safe place to me.”

“Thanks for the update, Curtis. I’ll keep you posted on whether I need anything.”

“Sounds good. I’ll note that you’ll be staying with Aiden, but when you get a chance, send me his info so I can get in touch if needed. I know you don’t want it, but I’m still going to send a few guys out there, just to be safe.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I objected, not wanting to tell him that I, in fact, would not be staying with Aiden.

“But it is. Stop trying to plot things behind my back. I know you better than that, Makayla,” Curtis warned.

Before I could say anything, Aiden snatched my phone out of my hand and walked off as he rattled off his info for Curtis.

“Guess you have a new roommate,” Jackie teased, setting her stuff down on the counter behind the bar.

“So it seems.”

“Want me to make you a drink? You seem a bit frazzled.”

“Do you have anything strong enough to handle living with Aiden?”

She looked past me to where he was standing in the corner, arms folded over his chest and brows pinched together from whatever it was Curtis was telling him as he held my phone out in front of him.

“Honey, I don’t think there’s anything in the world that’s strong enough to prepare you for living with him. But we can try.”