Read Online A Baumgartner Christmas by Selena Kitt - Free Book Online

baby’s.
    “But I am.” Daphne spoke
the words, matter-of-fact, sliding her hand down to press it into Carrie’s.
“Doc’s given you permission to have sex with me… if you want.”
    “Yes.” Carrie’s heart beat so
fast it felt like it might burst out of her chest. “If you want.”
    Daphne linked her fingers with
Carrie’s, smiling. “I wish I had a husband who was so open.”
    “You don’t have a husband at
all.” The words were out before she thought about them.
    Daphne laughed. “Thanks for
reminded me.”
    “You know what I meant.” Carrie
flushed, squeezing her hand. “You’re free to do whatever you want. With
anyone.”
    “I am.” She nodded, their eyes
meeting.
    “If you were me…” Carrie
swallowed. “What would you do?”
    Daphne said what she felt, as
always. “I’d have an affair with my best friend.”
    “You would.” Carrie couldn’t
catch her breath.
    “Hell yes,” she breathed.
    The front door opened and both
girls jumped, startled, as Doc came into the room, brushing snow off his
shoulders.
    “Hey girls! It’s snowing, but
they say it’s supposed to warm up, so I doubt we’ll get a white Christmas. Not
that we’ll be here anyway…” He slid his coat off, glancing at them sitting on
the sofa, and then stopped, looking between them, from one to the other. “Am I
interrupting something?”
    “No,” Carrie protested, trying
not to sound breathless as Daphne unobtrusively disengaged her hand.
    “I was just getting ready to go.”
Daphne stood, putting her wine on the coffee table. “Nice to see you, Doc. Have
a good holiday, if I don’t see you.”
    “You too,” he replied, watching as
she slid on her coat and boots. He held the door for her as the women said
goodbye, waving to each other before Daphne slipped out into the cold.
    Doc looked after her, curious.
“What was that about?”
    “Nothing.” Carrie wasn’t in the
habit of lying to her husband, but this time, this one time, she wanted to keep
this to herself. At least, for a little while.
    * * * *
    “It’s about time you picked up
the phone!” Carrie berated her friend over the wire, but she really felt like
hugging her through it. “Where have you been for the past three days?”
    “Home,” Daphne replied.
    “I was getting ready to come make
sure you were still alive,” Carrie scolded. “Why haven’t you picked up the
phone? Did you get my messages?”
    Of course she’d been worried
about just this thing, that Daphne would be scared off, that it would ruin
their friendship. And maybe it had, just the mention of it. The thought made
Carrie feel physically ill. She’d been feeling that way for days.
    “Yeah, I got them,” Daphne
admitted. “I just… I guess I’ve just been feeling sorry for myself.”
    Uh-oh. So this was it then.
    “Why?”
    “Oh I don’t know, because you’ve
got Doc, and now you’ve got Wilson lusting after you, and you pretty much just
get everything, and what do I get?” Daphne spat bitterly.
    Wow.
    “Wow.”
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.”
    Carrie stared at the receiver for
a moment. “What do you mean, I have Wilson lusting after me?”
    “He came over here the other
night and you were all he could talk about.”
    “…What?”
    “You heard me. You and your
temporary tattoo. And it’s not that I blame him—you’re fucking gorgeous, and
who wouldn’t lust after you? Hell, even I’ve thought about it. You know I
have.”
    “Daphne… stop.” Carrie really
wished her friend was in front of her, that this conversation had taken place
in person instead.
    “What?”
    She took a deep breath. “Listen,
I called you for a reason.”
    “What reason?”
    Might as just well come out with
it. “I wanted to invite you to Key West with me for Christmas.”
    Daphne was quiet for a long time.
“Are you serious?”
    “I already bought the ticket so
you better say yes.” She’d dipped into her own savings account, the one she’d
had since before