Holiday Spice Read online

  Holiday Spice

  A collection of four festive (and steamy) short stories to put you in the holiday mood!

  by Abbie Duncan

  INTRODUCTION

  Romance, and an occasional dose of erotic fun, reign supreme in this special collection of four short stories, all set around the holidays.

  A Thankful Reunion

  Jenna travels home to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her mother, but a chance meeting at the supermarket changes everything…

  Annie’s Real Life Romance…

  Annie is unlucky in love, to the point that she’s become a virtual shut-in. Drowning her sorrows in romance novels, little does she know that her life is about to take an amazing turn…

  Simon’s Letter

  A mysterious holiday invitation from a dead man threatens to turn Elizabeth’s life upside down…

  Rekindling the Fire

  John and Andrea have fallen into a familiar trap that plagues most married couples, theirs is an existence totally devoid of romance. Thankfully, Mother Nature offers them an opportunity for a second chance...

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  A Thankful Reunion

  Annie’s Real Life Romance

  Simon’s Letter

  Rekindling the Fire

  A Thankful Reunion

  Jenna studied the massive list her mother had given her as she pushed her shopping cart around their local grocery store. She was happy to be home for Thanksgiving as it was never quite the same spending such a family-oriented holiday in her apartment a thousand miles away from the town where she grew up. Even when she was surrounded by friends, nothing was quite like a holiday celebration at home.

  Judging from this list, her mother had quite a feast planned.

  Suddenly a familiar and very masculine voice called out to her.

  “Jenna? Jenna Hudson, is that you?”

  Startled, she looked up to see who it was and found herself standing face to face with the man she had once believed was the love of her life.

  “Oh my god! Brad?” she exclaimed.

  “It IS you!” said Brad as he reached for her and the pair exchanged an enthusiastic hug.

  “Wow. This is such a surprise! Are you back in town for the holidays?” she asked him, still startled by this blast from the past.

  “Well, yes and no. My parents decided to spend this month touring Europe so I offered to come and check on the house, you know, make sure everything’s ok.”

  “That’s so awesome that they’re finally getting to do the traveling they always talked about,” Jenna replied politely. “So you and Karen are spending Thanksgiving here then?” Jenna hoped that her faint smile masked the disdain she felt when saying that woman’s name.

  “Ah, I guess you didn’t hear,” Brad said, pausing uncomfortably as he considered how to phrase the news. “We split a couple of years ago.”

  “Oh! I’m so sorry to hear that! The last thing I heard is that there was a huge wedding planned,” Jenna replied.

  Even though she was outwardly sympathetic, inside a small part of her was doing a little jig. Karen was a bitch. She had begun an all-out campaign to steal Brad away from her when Jenna had gone to college. In the end, Karen had won.

  But now, it seemed that maybe Jenna needed to rethink some things.

  “Yeah, she did have a huge wedding planned. It just didn’t happen. Hey, do you have time to get a drink or coffee or something? I would love to catch up with what you’ve been doing!”

  “Well, I do have to finish getting this list of stuff for my mom, but after that, sure,” Jenna replied with a sly smile.

  In the end, Brad walked with her as she did her shopping, picking up a few things of his at the same time. Once their purchases were completed and paid for, he walked with her to the car and unloaded the bags for her. As she watched him, it was almost like going back in time. He still looked so good and she realized then just how much she had missed him over the years.

  As the final few bags were being hoisted into the trunk, Jenna’s mind began to wander. What would it feel like if this was her real life? Living here. With Brad. They would shop together, he would cook, and maybe they would raise children.

  It was a flight of fancy that came crashing to the ground as the trunk slammed closed.

  “Oh Brad! I just thought of something! A lot of this stuff has to be refrigerated! Maybe we should re-schedule our coffee for another time,” Jenna said regretfully.

  “Aw, no!” he said, sounding just as disappointed as Jenna.

  Brad squinted his eyes for a second and then suggested a solution.

  “Hey, if you don’t mind coming by the house, we can put everything in the refrigerator there. I’ve got some great French Vanilla coffee and my mom left me a pretty good looking cake.”

  Laughing, and now a little nervous for some reason, Jenna agreed and got into her car.

  She followed Brad to his house, even though she could have found the way blindfolded because of all the time she had spent there when they were teenagers. When she pulled into the driveway just behind his car, it was like taking a step back in time. Nothing had changed here at all, but then, it rarely does in small towns.

  After helping her carry the bags inside, Brad stashed the perishables away in the refrigerator and set about making coffee and slicing the pound cake. While they waited for the coffee to brew, Brad started a fire in the den and told her to make herself at home.

  Jenna found that she loved simply watching him move. His body had always been fit but he seemed to be even hotter now than when they were in high school. And there was something else too… like he was waiting on her every need! That was just too much for her to comprehend.

  As they sat enjoying their coffee and pound cake before the fire, they caught up on what each other had been doing since college. Jenna had gone to work for a publishing company as an editor just after graduation but recently, she had decided to go freelance. It gave her more freedom and she had enough contacts and clients now that she didn’t need the drudgery of an office job.

  Brad was also his own boss. He had worked for an architecture firm for a while until he felt that he wanted to be more creative in his designs. Now he worked for himself and had a partner. The two of them each worked out of their homes most days, unless they had a job that required some special travel. They both loved the flexibility of their mobile lives. It’s why Brad was able to be here housesitting for his parents.

  Finally, the conversation died down and the two of them went quiet, just watching the flames in the fireplace dancing around. Brad cleared his throat and looked at Jenna.

  “You know, I’ve missed you so much, Jenna. I’m still not completely sure what happened between us but I never stopped thinking about you.”

  “R-R-Really?” she stuttered.

  The tension in the air was thicker than the slice of pound cake they had just shared.

  “Yes. In fact, I think that’s why Karen and I never got married… I just wasn’t in love with her.”

  They both breathed heavily, captivated in the moment. Unsure what would happen next.

  “It’s always been you,” Brad exhaled.

  Jenna didn’t quite know what to say at first. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she was pretty sure he could hear it.

  “Brad, I’ve missed you, too. But you remember why we broke up. You cheated on me with Karen. I mean, I’ve moved past that, but please don’t deny the reason that we aren’t together.”

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “What are you talking about? I never cheated on you with Karen. Never.”

  “I came over to your house the morning that I was supposed to leave for college. I wanted to say goodbye one more time. Your parents weren’t here and Karen answ
ered the door wearing a towel. She said that you were in the shower but she would tell you that I stopped by.”

  “No, no, no!” he exclaimed. “That never happened! I mean, she and I never did anything together! She did show up while I was taking a shower but I only talked to her through the door. When I got out, she was gone! Oh my god, Jenna! Is that why you wouldn’t talk to me again?”

  Jenna was stunned. Could he be telling her the truth? She searched his face for any trace of deception and could find none.

  Jenna looked away. Dazed. Angry.

  Oh that bitch Karen! How could I have been so stupid? I knew she was capable of doing almost anything to get Brad!

  Slowly, she turned to him as tears began to fill eyes. She was going to apologize to Brad but never got the chance. Instead, their mouths suddenly met. Hungry for all the time they had spent apart.

  As their tongues tangled together, their hands began feverishly exploring familiar territory, finding that some welcome changes in their journey.

  Brad wasted no time in hitting all of Jenna’s hot spots such as her neck and earlobes. As he teased those areas with his mouth and tongue, he slid his hands underneath her sweater. His hands on her bare skin felt like fire branding her. Oh god, she had missed so much! Now, she couldn’t seem to get enough of him.

  His thumbs slipped under her bra and started to tease her nipples, something that he knew had always sent her reeling. As she groaned and arched her back to give him better access, he knew that she still loved it. Meanwhile, her own hands were moving up and down his back, nails digging in just the way he liked it. As he continued to turn her nipples into hard little pebbles, he broke their kiss and moved his mouth southward, sliding her sweater and bra up as he went. Her full breasts were finally in his hands and his mouth sucked each of her nipples in turn.

  Jenna gasped as he worked his particular brand of magic on her body. Oh, how she had missed holding him in her arms like this! Moving one of her hands down between them, she began to unfasten his jeans. She made short work of getting them unzipped and was rewarded with his engorged member leaping into her welcoming hand. As she closed her hand around him, a groan escaped his throat and he involuntarily pushed against her even harder.

  With no words needed, they managed to discard their clothes quickly. Brad couldn’t take Jenna fast enough. He positioned himself over her and with one swift movement, plunged into her deepest recesses.

  In a sudden flash, Jenna remembered that she had not been taking her birth control pills for the last week. Too late anyway; the damage was done. In any other situation, with any other man, she might be freaking out right now. She wasn’t. A warm calmness swept over Jenna as her mind briefly wandered back to the supermarket. Thoughts of shopping together and the life she once assumed would be hers someday.

  As Brad’s formidable mast slid in and out of her, he slipped one hand down to simultaneously stroke her little rose bud of pleasure. Jenna wrapped her legs around the lower part of his back and lifted herself up to meet him thrust for thrust.

  This felt like coming home.

  It took no time for her orgasm to crest. As her intimate muscles massaged Brad’s steel-like rod, he gave into the sensation of ecstasy that was overtaking him. They both cried out as they were swept away in wave after wave of pleasure, his climax filling her completely.

  Afterward, they lay together on the sofa, a hot mess of tangled limbs, catching their breath.

  Suddenly, Jenna started to giggle.

  “What?” Brad asked.

  “I just keep expecting your parents to come down the stairs and catch us,” she laughed.

  “That never happened,” he protested.

  “Not that you know of,” she teased back.

  She became aware of her cell phone buzzing on vibrate and sat up to get it from her purse.

  “I wonder how long this has been ringing…”

  Taking a few steps across the room in her birthday suit, Jenna glanced back at Brad. He was drinking in every square inch of her naked body with his eyes. His breathing became deeper. In an instant she could tell that he wanted her again and she felt absolutely powerless to resist him.

  On the phone, it was her mother wondering where she was as it had been quite some time since she had left for the store.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I ran into an old friend and we were just… catching up. I’ll be home soon,” she stammered. “Oh and, by the way, do we have room for another guest for Thanksgiving dinner?”

  Jenna winked and Brad accepted the invitation with a smile.

  It would be almost another 2 hours before Jenna and Brad would make it home for dinner. But they were both truly thankful this year.

  Annie’s Real Life Romance

  It was a lovely December morning, with a crisp and chilly breeze in the air.

  One of those mornings that always made me feel in dire need of some hot chocolate and someone to cuddle up with by the fire. The problem with that was, as a single woman living in the secluded mountains of Colorado, there were no men immediately in sight.

  I’d been living alone for the past 5 years in a log cabin that my dad had built for me with his own bare hands.

  Sitting alone by the fire, hot chocolate in-hand and my favorite quilt draped over my shoulders, I buried my face in a romance novel. This particular book was placed at a beach house where a group of single women went to enjoy a summer vacation; little did they know that they would all come back with handsome men on their arms.

  I longed to be Claudia, the beautiful, blonde and tan lead character. She seemed to have everything figured out and I felt like I related to her so well. But, alas, my dreams of love and companionship remained dreams.

  A woman with a cat, brunette, pale and shy… seriously, who would want someone like me? Well, at least I had Mr. Reshimi, the rescue cat whom I found in a ditch three years before as a barely weaned kitten.

  He was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a husband in my decade of legal adulthood.

  When I finally set down my novel, Mr. Reshimi curled up in my lap and quickly fell asleep.

  I always petted his black fur delicately, treating him like he was my own heart. Before him, I never had an animal, so even though we lived together for so long, I still marveled at almost everything he does. We’d often stumble over each other in an awkward dance going to the kitchen. He was my shadow, constantly following me from room to room and purring loudly, as if to assure me that I’m never really alone. And yet, I was so very lonely.

  The phone rang.

  “Hello?” I said, disoriented.

  “Are you okay, dear?” a soft yet toughened voice answered back.

  “Oh, yeah, I’m fine, mom. Was just thinking…”

  “Well, I’ve been worried about you all alone up there without a single phone call!”

  “Mom, it hasn’t even been two weeks since we last-”

  “Doesn’t matter, your father and I are coming up for a visit! Don’t worry about your house being a mess if it is one, you know I could care less as long as I see you.”

  “Um…. Okay, when should I be expecting you?”

  There was a knock on the door that echoed through the phone.

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  I hung up the phone and scanned the room in a flash of panic. A mess is one thing, but there are certain substances and devices that a single gal who never entertains company might find herself casually leaving out in plain sight. They were the kinds of things that would horrify well-meaning parents on a surprise visit.

  Whew, we seem to be all clear.

  I proceeded to the door as the second round of knocking began. Cracking it open for a peek, and there stood my parents, dressed heavily in their winter clothes while I was still in sweats and a messy ponytail.

  “Hi, how did you-?” I couldn’t decide how to end my own question. They lived in Texas, how could they get all the way up here without letting me know?

  My dad spoke first, “
Your mother has been bugging me to come up here for weeks, she told me not to tell anyone so we could surprise you.”

  “And here we are!” Mom shouted with a giddy tone. She quickly shuffled up to hug me and proceeded to kiss me on the cheek.

  “You must be freezing,” I said, “come in, I have a fire lit and hot chocolate on the stove.”

  Endless time seemed to pass as we sat, discussing old memories and how I still read ‘filthy trash’ as my father called it. Then the infamous questions about marriage and grandchildren arose. This kind of talk made me sick to my stomach.

  I discretely changed the subject to my sister, who was due any day now with her second child. They thought very highly of her, happily married, successful photography career, and with dogs and children in her home in Sugarland, Texas. My parents complained that we all lived too far away since they moved to Galveston, and my brother now lives in Pearland with his wife.

  I was the rebel – the only one to live in a different state, and the only one not married, of course.

  When lunchtime rolled around, I remembered that I hadn’t gone to the grocery store in a while, so I invited to take them out to lunch. We drove down to the neighborhood lunch spot, where we were sat quickly in a corner table. As I was browsing the menu, my mother noticed something.

  “Annie, you have an admirer…” She whispered with a wink, and gestured to her right.

  “Mom…” I was mortally embarrassed, but I took the bait and looked anyways.

  ‘Damn!’ I thought, looking at the most handsome man I had ever seen in my life, similarly sitting with an older couple whom I presumed to be his parents.

  He smiled and waved at me and I felt my whole face go red, but I returned the gesture. He was tan, with jet black hair and the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

  After we had eaten our lunch, we decided to browse the little shop across the street, and my parents dragged me to the kids section. I rolled my eyes every time they picked up something that had to do with a baby.