The Holiday Inheritance (Naughty and Spice)

8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Briggs

The rest of our day was spent checking on things around the house. I told her I would do it, but she was eager to learn, so she followed me around and helped where she could. The generators are still good to go, filled with petrol and kept dry out in the shed. Getting out there was an experience . We opened the door to a wall of snow, and I realized quickly that I am not in as good of shape as I thought.

Ren helped me carry firewood and clean the fireboxes and hearths, and luckily, she found some old men’s clothes hiding away in one of the rooms. The sweatpants are a little on the small side, but it’s better than wearing the same boxers for days on end. She was dressed in these tight, silky-looking leggings, with tall, fluffy socks and a hoodie. Her hair was tied up in a knot of waves, exposing her long neck to my wandering eyes.It’s been a testament to my self-control that I haven’t taken her in one of the many rooms.

More than a few times, she looked over at me, giving me a look that was pure heat. The tension between us is insane. I never thought I would feel something like this, especially so quickly. I don’t know if it’s the low lighting of the Christmas decorations, painting everything in a warm, romantic glow, or if it’s just us . Just her .

She’s upstairs taking a bath and soaking her sore muscles. Between the rough shagging I gave her last night and the manual labor she insisted she do today, I think she’s a little exhausted. Which is fine with me. It gives me time to clean up the kitchen and cook her a meal. I can’t really take her on a date since we’re stuck here until the plows can make it to us, and with the Christmas holidays happening for the next three days, I don’t think that’ll be happening anytime soon.

There are lighted swags on both of the windows in the kitchen and a warmly lit tree in the corner. I rummaged around in the decorations that Mary left lying out and found a plaid tablecloth and some old candles. They’re not the prettiest, but they’ll do. The table has also been disinfected since our little romp, and the rolls in the oven are filling the room with the scent of garlic.

I decided to make her some pasta. She is a carbs girl, and I love that about her. Because with all the labor I do on a daily basis, I tend to eat my body weight in carbs. So I threw together a little cheese tortellini with a creamy tomato sauce and found Mary’s recipe for her famous garlic bread knots.

Her footsteps fall on the stairs, and I’m eager to see what she’s decided to wear. I told her I’d have a surprise for her once she was ready and asked her to wear her nicest outfit she brought. While I don’t have many options, I did wash my clothes, buttoning the flannel up to the top for a bit more formality, and hoped that pairing it with my jeans would look good enough.

“Should I announce myself?” she calls out as I hear her shoes click against the wood floor in the hallway.

I smile as I stir the sauce. “Probably best!” I shout back. “I have an unblemished record of never hitting a woman. Would like to keep it that way!”

“So? How do I look?” she asks when closer, her voice low and sweet.

When I turn around to look at her, I can feel the smile on my face drop. Because fuck me , this woman is exquisite. The dress she’s put on is a dark red velvet, and it hugs every single one of her curves. Her sleeves are long, and the neckline is dangerously low. She does a spin, causing the bottom to flare out and up, almost giving me a glimpse of her luscious arse. Her hair hangs around her shoulders in waves, framing her round cheeks and hazel eyes.

“Wow.” It’s all I can manage. I’ve thought she was stunning every step of the way, from her being travel-tired to middle-of-the-night sex to waking up on the sofa with me. She’s been stunning…breathtaking, even. But now? Good god. She radiates in the low, cozy light from the Christmas tree and candles.

Her eyes move from my stunned face to the table, where I’ve set up our nice plates, the candles, and the on-theme tablecloth. In a split second, her eyes are watery, and her hand goes to her mouth.

“I wanted to do something nice for you,” I tell her, walking over to where she stands in the doorway. She has heels on, making her just as tall as I am, and I love that I now have even easier access to her mouth. Her eyes struggle to meet mine, and I see a few tears escape. “Hey,” I whisper, taking her in my arms and kissing her on the cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“This is really nice,” she whispers, finally able to look me in the eye. She wipes away the tears and then rolls her eyes to hide the emotions rolling through her. “No one has ever really done this for me. And while I knew you were down here doing something, I didn’t think it would be…this.”

I take the opportunity to kiss her, my hands moving straight to the soft curls in her hair. Nothing makes me happier than this. Just to hold her and taste her, it’s fucking ruining me in the best way.

“Come, come.” I break the kiss, grabbing her hand and leading her over to the table. Pulling out one of the chairs, I gesture with an exaggerated bow that she should sit. “For you, my lady,” I say in the poshest voice I can manage. I grew up in the moors, so my accent is thick and country. The Queen’s English feels like a foreign language on my tongue.

But Ren just laughs, curtsies, and mimics the accent as well. “Why, thank you. What a gentleman.”

“Okay, maybe don’t try that again,” I tease, poking fun at her failed attempt at the accent. Mine was bad, but hers? Woof.

She gives me a playful smack on the hip and then leans back, picking up the glass of wine I poured for her a few minutes ago. Her pouty lips take a sip, and I have to fight the urge to groan. I’ve yet to see what those lips look like wrapped around my cock, and I’m desperate to experience it.

“What’s on the menu, chef?” she asks as I pull the garlic knots out of the oven. They’re a perfect golden brown, and I grab the melted butter to pour over them while they’re still hot.

“Well, I know you mentioned liking a good pasta dish, so I made you a cheese tortellini with a tomato sauce from scratch. And I was lucky enough to find Mary’s garlic knots recipe, so I threw those together as well.”

“It smells amazing. My stomach was growling while I was in the bath.” She laughs, and the sound makes my stomach flip. Christ, when did I turn into a teenage boy with a crush?

“Lucky you,” I say, shoving the nerves down deep as I load up our plates with food. “It’s ready now.”

Once the plates are on the table, she tugs me down for a kiss and whispers, “Thank you,” against my mouth. Our eyes lock, and I swear everything pauses for a second. What a sap , I think to myself. But honestly, it’s okay with me. This woman deserves a man who will be a sap for her, cook her food, and dote on her. And I’ll be damned if it’ll be any man but myself.

Our plates are empty, the sun has fully set, and her cheeks are pink from the wine. She looks gorgeous sitting there with her legs crossed and a glass of wine in her hand. Ren smiles at me over her glass before finishing what’s there. I think we’re both thinking about what happened right here less than twenty-four hours ago. I’ll never be able to look at this table again.

Shit, maybe we should replace it. Thinking about all of my coworkers eating at the table I fucked their boss on gives me a not-so-great feeling.

“Do you have any Christmas traditions?” she asks, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Actually, yes. Good thing you brought that up.” I laugh. “I normally go to my sister’s. I’ll have to call her to let her know I won’t be there.”

“I’m just now realizing how little I know about you,” she says, giggling. “Tell me about your family. Is she your only sister? What about your parents?”

“Seeing as I met you yesterday, I don’t think I should expect you to know my family tree.” I grin in her direction before pulling her chair closer to me. Grabbing her calf, I place her right foot on my lap and work on the small buckle at her ankle. “Tess is my only sibling. She’s been married for about ten years now. Dom is a great guy, and they have two kids together: Maya and Oliver.”

Her head falls back when I begin to massage her foot and ankle, one of those sensual little moans escaping her lips. “That feels so good. I’m rethinking the marriage proposal.”

I wink at her. “Don’t tempt me, little duck.”

Smiling and rolling her eyes, she continues. “Maya and Oliver.” Her lips form a cute little pout. “What cute names.”

“Cute, but mischievous little buggers. They’re twins,” I tell her, widening my eyes and shaking my head. “I think Dom almost shit himself with that ultrasound.”

“God,” she groans, making a strained face. “Twins are what nightmares are made of. I mean, not that your niece and nephew are nightmares.” Her face scrunches up.

“No offense taken,” I tell her sincerely. “Trust me, they’re the stuff of my nightmares as well. Love them to pieces, but love even more that I can give them back at the end of the day.” I finish my own glass before continuing. “As far as our parents go, they passed away in a car accident a few years back. Drunk driver.”

“Oh, Briggs.” Her eyes instantly lose all their humor, and she reaches out to grab my hand. “I’m so sorry.”

“Still hurts sometimes, but I’m a firm believer there’s something there when we go. Not Heaven , necessarily. But something. And I figure they’re looking down on me right now, hoping I don’t fuck this”—I gesture between us—“up.”

Her smile returns, and it takes some of the sting away. I wish they could’ve met her. Dad would’ve loved her sass, and Mum would’ve just loved that I found someone.

Jesus. Listen to me. Smitten after just a day.

“Can I ask about you?” I ask gently, knowing that since she inherited this place, it means she doesn’t have any family left. “I don’t want to bring up anything you don’t want to talk about.”

“No, it’s fine.” She smiles as I move to her other foot, taking off her shoe and digging my thumbs into her arch. “I lost my parents a long time ago. I had just turned eighteen, and Mom had been battling cancer for a long time. She was surrounded by love the day she went, and thankfully, she just closed her eyes and went to sleep. Dad took it hard, though.”

Her voice breaks a bit, but she’s strong, my girl. And she continues on with a forced smile. “They loved each other so much, you know? Dad just couldn’t live without her. He left me a note, apologizing, but I’ve never blamed him or hated him for leaving me. They had been high school sweethearts, and he just couldn’t do life without her.”

Suicide. That is not what I was expecting. And I can’t imagine the pain.

“But,” she says, her voice returning to normal, “we did have a tradition of watching Christmas Vacation every year while we decorated the tree. Well, they decorated. I just ate the cookies and watched the movie.”

“That’s what we should do tomorrow, then. We can eat junk food and watch Christmas movies all day. How’s that sound?”

Her lip quivers, dimples forming in her chin as she holds back her emotions. “That sounds amazing, actually.”

I abandon her foot and pull her into my lap instead, her dress rucking up around her hips as my hands run up her thighs and over her ass. Her arms rest on my shoulders as I kiss up her throat to her jaw. “It’s a date.”