Tied Up in Tinsel Read online

  To ward off the frigid temps, she jumped up and down in place and rubbed her hands together. This was insane. She’d give Nancy hell tomorrow for asking her to do something so freaking crazy.

  Patience tried to focus on keeping warm and the fact that Kyle would be happy on Christmas morning. His happiness was all that mattered, even if it meant freezing her ass off.

  “Here, this should help until the store opens.”

  He’d come back. The sound of his voice felt like music to her ears. She turned to see him offering a cup of steaming-hot liquid.

  “Coffee?” While the gesture would’ve been nice, he had no clue how she liked her coffee.

  “Hot chocolate, with whipped cream.”

  “Ooooh, even better.” She’d been craving hot cocoa a few nights before. This was the perfect solution for her numb body.

  She lifted the plastic tab and tilted the cup slightly. Afraid she’d burn her tongue, she carefully sipped the liquid.

  “Perfect. Not too hot; not too cold.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at him while holding the hot cup between her hands. It brought instant relief to her chilled bones.

  A few grumbles came from the back of the line. The one thing she’d feared. William, clearly not one to be rattled, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Thanks, honey, for saving my spot.”

  The heat from his lips touching her skin didn’t go undetected. Desire filled her to the core. If she didn’t have to get this game for Kyle, she’d be tempted to proposition William. Lucky for her she couldn’t.

  “Anytime, sweetheart. Anytime.”

  They spent the remainder of the time talking and getting to know each other a little better. Patience learned he and his brother were born to parents who were a bit older when they’d had their children. He said they’d given their boys everything they could ever want; his only sadness was his parents had died just before William’s twenty-fifth birthday. She learned his mom died of cancer and his dad of a broken heart a few short months later.

  How sad. They’d been married for fifty years when they passed. Patience was amazed at the longevity. People didn’t seem to stay married for long periods of time any longer. They lived in a disposable generation. If it didn’t work, dispose of it and find something new.

  She wanted it to be for forever when she finally settled down, wanted the princess storybook ending. She didn’t want to throw away a marriage because it wasn’t working.

  Rustling at the front of the crowd drew everyone’s attention.

  “The store’s opening,” William said. “We’ll meet back here in, say, twenty minutes?”

  “Sounds like a plan. I shouldn’t be longer than that.” If all went well, it’d be less. She looked forward to going somewhere warm and talking more with him.

  The doors flew opened, and the crowd moved, rushing to get into the store. A roaring sound filled her ears as she was pushed forward. The swarm of people behind them shoved into her, practically trampling her to get in the store. Patience almost lost her balance, but William managed to grab her arm and pull her upright. A sea of arms and legs swam by her. Everything and everyone moved too quickly for her to absorb what was happening. People didn’t care that they were walking over others who’d fallen. They didn’t seem fazed by the fact that they elbowed and knocked into someone as long as they managed to get through the doors first. Patience knew what others must have felt like during a stampede. Fear gripped her tighter than William’s hand.

  He guided her toward the entrance, and once inside he released his grip on her arm.

  “Are you okay?”

  She gave her body a once-over and determined she was in one piece.

  “I am. Just a little shaken. I can’t believe how crazy people are. This is why I stay home.”

  “This is the last time I do this,” he said.

  “I’m gonna get what I need and get the hell out of here.”

  “Okay; I’ll do the same. See ya soon.” He darted off to the left.

  Patience stood there, momentarily lost. Finally she came to her senses and rushed off to the right. She raced down the large aisle looking for signs of electronics. She passed outdoor toys, books, clothes, no electronics in sight. She continued on the path around the store. She passed more toys, dolls, bedding, game boards, still no electronics.

  A third of the way around the building, she finally came upon the department she’d been looking for all along. Now to find the game.

  She scanned the shelves looking for the combat game, but didn’t see hide nor hair of it. If she wanted baseball, basketball, or football, she’d be in luck. Too bad Kyle wanted only the combat game. She moved deeper into the department until she came upon a display advertising the game.

  “Shit!” The shelves were empty. “Already? How can that be?” She moved closer, hoping by some stroke of luck there was one copy left. As she drew closer she realized her attempt was in vain. They were gone. In less than five minutes, all the copies had been scooped off the shelves.

  Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something on the bottom shelf. She bent and reached her arm out to grab whatever it was. As she leaned closer her fingertips touched the plastic cover, and suddenly it was gone.

  She pulled back to see what had happened. There, on the other side of the display unit, stood William, with her copy of the game.

  “Give it to me now.” She stood, held out her hand, and tapped her foot.

  “Excuse me.”

  “That’s mine. I had my fingers on it. Now hand it over.”

  “I don’t think so. I can’t leave this store without the game.”

  “Well, me either. And I touched it first. It’s mine.”

  “Sorry. Snooze you lose.”

  She charged forward, hoping to rip it from his grip. William pulled it away, holding it high over his head.

  “Sorry. I can’t give up the copy. I can offer to get an employee and see if they have more in the back. Does that sound okay?”

  “No. Give me the game, and you find an employee to help you.”

  “I really want to, Patience. I just can’t. Here, let’s ask this guy over here.”

  She couldn’t believe the audacity of this guy. He stole her game, and now he wanted to help her? He could just give her the game, and they’d be all set.

  “Excuse me, sir. I’m wondering if you have any of this game left in the back. We really need another copy.”

  “Let me check.” The employee started to walk away, and Patience followed him. She’d be damned if she’d allow William the chance to steal another copy from her.

  “You coming?” She turned to find William gone. He’d disappeared into thin air—taking her game with him.

  Patience waited for the employee, silently cursing William for being a jerk. She couldn’t let Kyle down. Her sister said it was the only thing he wanted. It’d break her heart to see him disappointed on Christmas morning.

  “Sorry, ma’am. There aren’t any left in the back.”

  “Thanks.” She wanted to scream at the guy for calling her ma’am. She wasn’t old. Why did they have to use the word “ma’am.” Why not Ms.? She was angry, only she was pissed at William. The dirty rotten bastard robbed her of the one and only game left in the store. If she yelled at this employee, she’d only be taking her frustrations at William out on him, and it wasn’t his fault. “Do you know if you’ll be getting more soon?”

  He shrugged. “I can’t imagine we’d go the rest of the holiday season with no games. But it is a limited edition.”

  Of course.

  She thanked him again and walked around the store, looking for a replacement gift. She had to find something supercool for her nephew. It didn’t take long for her to find the action-figure section. They had all sorts of cool trucks, planes, and cars. Within moments she spotted a Black Hawk and knew she had to buy it for Kyle. It was electronic to boot.r />
  She scooped it off the shelves before anyone else could beat her to it. She’d be damned if she allowed another William to take advantage of her.

  After checking out, she left the store. She glanced around to see if, by some crazy notion, William waited for her. As she suspected he was nowhere in sight. Just as well, she was exhausted. She wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and forget she ever met him or braved the crowds on Black Friday.

  Chapter Two

  The sun streaming through the partially opened blinds glittered in her face. She pulled the pillow over her head to block it out. Her phone rang, but she did not want to get out of bed yet. It was too early. Though she wasn’t sure what time it really was, anything would be too early today. After standing in line in the bitter cold, losing the last game to some hot-looking jerk, and staring at the alarm clock on the nightstand for hours, Patience was done. Stick a fork in her. If she didn’t have to go to her sister’s to break the news in person, she’d stay in bed the entire day.

  The phone stopped ringing for all of two minutes, before the incessant sound started up again. Patience groaned and rolled over. She reached her arm out from beneath the covers, searching for the cell. Once she wrapped her fingers around it, she pulled it to her face. She peered at the number.

  “God.” It was Nancy. She hit the Ignore button and tossed the phone to the end of the bed. She had to get up, drive over to her sister’s, and tell her she’d be breaking Kyle’s heart. She didn’t understand how one store had the monopoly on one game. It wasn’t fair. And to make matters worse, they’d only brought in a small number as far as she was concerned.

  Off to the kitchen she went in desperate need of coffee. She turned on the machine, measured her sugar, and popped a pod in. She rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for something to munch on while she drank her coffee.

  With coffee and yogurt in hand, she headed to her couch, where she settled in to watch a show on the DVR. She’d deal with Nancy once she had her caffeine fix.

  The television roared to life, and she quickly found the ghost-hunting show she loved so much. As she watched them talking about the devices they planned to use in their investigation, she couldn’t help but think about William. His striking gray eyes had haunted her thoughts all night. She’d sat up thinking about him and why he decided to pull such a stunt with her.

  Had he been using her all along to get in line and get closer to the game? She’d explained to him the need for her to have the gift. Yes, he’d had a good reason too, but she’d promised her sister. He didn’t have to deal with the wrath of Nancy or the tears from Kyle on Christmas morning.

  Nausea rolled through her stomach as she considered the conversation she’d be having soon. Maybe they could order it online. Maybe the store would get more in before the holiday. The employee didn’t seem too confident, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen.

  “Yeah, and pigs could fly.” She attempted to concentrate on the show, but it was fruitless. The only thing she could focus on was Nancy and Kyle.

  Not wanting to think about the hurt she would inflict later today, she turned her focus to the man who caused all this—William. Her mind drifted back to the sexy stranger. She cursed herself for allowing him to consume her thoughts, but she couldn’t help it. William’s eyes and his sexy voice brought moisture to her panties she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. The sensations she’d felt were overpowering. She’d thought she knew what it felt like to be turned on by a man with her ex, Steven. She’d been wrong. Totally wrong. William had her near climax from simply touching her skin. A mere kiss on the cheek turned her to mush.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be a willing participant in bed or if he’d want it vanilla like Steven. Missionary was nice, but she wanted to get on top of her man and look down at him while riding him. She wanted to know what it felt like to have nipple clamps pinching her buds. Patience wanted to be spanked or caught off guard, overpowered, and fucked like she was a captive.

  What she didn’t want was to be looked at like some kind of slut.

  Maybe she was a slut for wanting to experiment, but she’d read up on the subject online, and there was lots of information. Droves and droves, in fact. She’d read quite a few romances with sex toys, sex slaves, and couples who enjoyed pleasuring each other in ways she’d only imagined.

  Yes, she knew there was someone out there who would want to play with her, but finding him might prove difficult.

  With her coffee cup empty, Patience threw on a pair of sweats and a warm shirt. No need to get all dressed up to hang out with Nancy. She pulled her long brown hair back in a ponytail and covered her head with a baseball cap.

  “No time like the present to crush some spirits.” Out the door she went.

  The drive to Nancy’s lasted only ten minutes. She pulled into the driveway and noticed another unfamiliar car.

  “Must be that manny Nancy bragged about.” Patience took her purse off the passenger’s seat and headed to the house. She knocked once and walked in, as she’d done on numerous occasions.

  “Hello.” The house seemed eerily quiet. Her overactive imagination got the better of her, and she immediately thought the worst. The manny had killed them or harmed them. Nancy hadn’t mentioned doing a background check on him. Maybe he was a serial killer or something. What kind of guy wanted to be a manny? It didn’t make sense to her.

  “Nancy? Kyle?” She’d call for the manny, but she had no clue what his name was.

  “Hey there.”

  Shock consumed her when she heard the voice. She closed her eyes and prayed it wasn’t who she thought it was. Taking a deep breath she counted to ten and slowly opened her eyes. Standing right in front of her, wearing a huge grin, was none other than William.

  “What the hell are you doing in my sister’s house?”

  “I’m here for Kyle.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re going to the batting cages. Nancy’s upstairs trying to help him find his glove. Seems to have disappeared.”

  “Happens a lot when you’re around.” Patience walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. She twisted the cap and swigged the cold liquid. She found herself parched near William.

  “Funny lady.” He moved closer. When he reached out to move a wild strand of hair, she flinched.

  “I won’t hurt you, Patience.”

  “No, just my nephew.” She watched him visibly wince.

  “I’d never do anything to hurt him. The game is for him. I was there for Kyle.”

  “What?” She slammed the water bottle down on the counter. Water spewed into the air and dropped all over.

  William rushed to grab the paper towels. “I’m not a horrible person. Your sister sent me out to get it.”

  He bent over and cleaned up the mess for her. The muscles in his biceps stood out, causing her to momentarily be distracted. It took a few extra seconds for what he said to register.

  “Excuse me?” His statement floored her. Why would Nancy send them both out to the same store on the same night for the same game? And what were the chances of them running into each other? Realization knocked her upside the head.

  “Nancy said Kyle really wanted the game, and she asked if I minded.” He stood up and shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else going on, so I figured why not.”

  “For one, it would have saved me a headache.” Then again, she wouldn’t have met William and fallen for him.

  “What? You didn’t enjoy the time we spent together?”

  Now he was reading her mind?

  She brushed him off with a wave of her hand. “It was nice.”

  He inched closer. “I think it was more than nice.”

  She stepped back, bumping into the counter. He needed to back off. She could make out the scent of his woodsy cologne, and she wanted to crumple into his arms. It’d be a tragedy to fall helplessly into his embrace. Imagining those strong arms and those lips touching her body caused her
to shudder. God, she was pathetic.

  How she wished he’d grab her, rip off her clothes, bend her over the kitchen sink, and fuck her senseless.

  She whimpered.

  “Something wrong?” He closed the inches that separated them. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I’ll bet you make that cute sound when you orgasm.”

  She cleared her throat, looking for her voice that seemed to have disappeared on her. She wanted to argue that she wouldn’t, but it was hopeless.

  “Hey, I didn’t expect you here today.”

  “Auntie, this is William. Isn’t he awesome?”

  William retreated from her personal space, and Patience latched on to the water bottle and chugged it. Her panties were soaked, her mouth dry, and she had the need to rush home and get with Perky. Somehow she knew Perky wouldn’t cut it this time. She needed a large, strong, thick cock pounding away at her.

  “William’s taking me to the batting cages.”

  “I heard.” Patience tousled his thick brown hair. He looked just like his father but with his mother’s thick hair.

  “Wanna come with us? I think you’d have fun.”

  “What a great idea, Kyle. Let’s see if we can’t convince her.”

  She shot William an evil look. She didn’t want to be stuck with William.

  “Please,” Kyle begged.

  She looked down into his big blue eyes, and all her resolve melted away. She was a sucker for him. He knew it. Nancy knew it, and now William knew it.

  “Okay,” she relented, “as long as William buys us lunch afterward.”

  “Yeah. I say hot wieners.”

  “The boy has a fantastic idea,” William said. “Hot wieners and the batting cages. This day is looking better and better.”

  “You three have lots of fun today.”

  Patience looked to her sister, who wore a grin like a Cheshire cat. She’d deal with Nancy later. Right now she had a date with William and Kyle.

  “We’ll talk later, Nancy.”

  “Can’t wait.” Nancy pushed her sister toward the door. “Hurry along now.”