Read Online Meet Me Under The Mistletoe (O'Rourke Family 5) by Julianna Morris - Free Book Online Page B

half the day collecting ornaments and specialty items for that darned Christmas tree, and the second half showing Shannon how to properly decorate it.
    She had it so bad for Alex, she hadn’t even tried to make light of things with her sister. She’d tersely explained the decorations were for her next-door neighbor and his little boy, and to please not ask any questions. By now everyone in the O’Rourke family would know she’d gone around the bend. They would tease and tease, and she’d toss her head and give it right back to them.
    Her feelings didn’t get hurt.
    She was too tough for that. Her heart might have gotten broken when she was younger, but at twenty-eight she’d seen enough of the world to know better.
    Right.
    And Santa Claus was going to climb down her chimney on Christmas Eve.
    “These are stockings for the mantel,” she said, getting up quickly.
    The mantel didn’t have anything on it. For that matter, aside from Jeremy’s bedroom, the inside of the condo was generally bleak, with only toys and books adding color to the off-white walls and beige furniture. She arranged the two stockings on their hooks, then stepped back and bumped into Alex.
    “Sorry,” she muttered, jerking away as every atom in her body reacted to the contact.
    Leaning down, she collected a garland of silk holly leaves and berries and arranged it on the mantel, then put two battery-operated candle lights on one end. With her sister’s design, Alex McKenzie’s living room looked quite festive.
    “How’s that?” she asked.
    When he didn’t say anything, she dusted her hands. “Guess I’d better get out of your way. You can finish putting the train together later.”
    Before she could do something stupid like cry, she headed in a beeline for the door. She had it open a few inches when Alex’s hand slapped it shut, his breath coming raggedly as he arched over her. She twisted in the small space between him and the door and looked up.
    Blue eyes, dark as a midnight sky, gazed down at her, eyes filled with regret and frustration…and heat.
    “You get to me,” he said harshly. “You must know that. You’re a sexy woman and I haven’t been with anyone for over a year. But I can’t get involved with my next-door neighbor, not with my son looking on. Particularly when I don’t plan to get married again. Do you understand?”
    Despite Alex’s declaration, she felt the hard bulge at the top of his thighs as he leaned into her. There seemed little difference between the muscled length of his body and the unyielding door, and an answering warmth radiated out from Shannon’s breasts.
    Her arms found their way around his neck and bubbles seemed to be sliding through her veins instead of blood.
    “I understand,” she said, though it wasn’t true.
    Alex’s hand cupped her chin, and he pressed a kiss to her mouth, his tongue thrusting boldly inside, claiming her as easily as he breathed.
    Shannon’s moan was lost in the dark, hot joining. It had never been like this with another man, so out-of-control, so improper, so very good. His thumb rubbed across her nipple, then the world spun and there was a sensation of going down, of weight descending on her. She squirmed, inviting it.
    He shoved her sweater and bra out of the way and his hands closed over her breasts with a hungry demand. She arched into the caress. Suddenly, Alex froze…and a second later she knew the reason. From the second floor came the faint sound of coughing.
    Alex stared at her as she breathed in deep gasps, trying to clear her head. His eyes darkened, his gaze lingering on the sensitive peaks of her breasts. Her nipples tightened as if they’d been stroked and a low moan rose from her throat. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt anything close to the way he was making her feel.
    “Daddy?” Jeremy called in the silence, still sounding hoarse from his cold. “Can I have a drink of water?”
    “Stay where you are ,” Alex ordered