A Winter Sabbatical (Books We Love holiday romance) by Cheryl Wright

by two at the latest he said. Otherwise he’d never sleep
tonight.
    Marissa sat stroking Ceefor as she purred
to her heart’s content. It was so nice having a kitten around again. Except for
the toilet training, that was. She’d already cleaned up a couple of small
puddles today.
    Still, Ceefor was young – she’d learn
quickly. At least Marissa hoped she would.
    A noise behind her alerted Marissa that she
was no longer alone.
    “Hey, sleepy head.” She reached up and
touched Travis on the arm, and Ceefor scampered off her lap.
    “Hey, yourself.” He was so darned sexy, it
was almost killing her just to look at him. He had on his black jeans, the ones
that always got her heart racing. They were only half zipped, and his chest was
bare. How could she survive?
    Marissa’s eyes slowly travelled from the
top of his beautiful head right down to his bare and sexy feet. The air between
them sizzled.
    She felt the heat creep into her cheeks as
she realized Travis was watching her.
    Travis laughed. “Had a good look?”
    “Guess so.” She shrugged her shoulders at
him. “Would’ve been better if you didn’t have those jeans on, though.” Did she really say that?
    Travis squatted down beside her, and
Marissa wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in and kissed him square
on the lips. Life was so complicated, and she was making it even more
complicated with her reactions.
    She was lost in his kiss, his arms, his
lovemaking. Travis deepened the kiss, and Marissa felt her nipples tighten into
tiny little peaks as Travis slid his hand leisurely along her thigh.
    “Oh, my, God,” she heard herself whisper.
    “Ditto,” Travis whispered back.
    They stood together, still in their
embrace, and Travis lifted Marissa into his arms, then strode into the house.
    “Are you sure you want this?” he asked.
    Marissa nodded confidently, then leaned
forward and began the kiss again.
    Travis stood at the bedroom door. “Last
chance to change your mind,” he asked.
    “I’m absolutely positive.” This was what
she wanted. And she was sure it was what Travis wanted too.
    Her eyes searched the room. It was no
longer a cold, harrowing place to sleep. It seemed to have new warmth. It was a
place of comfort now, not a place of terror.
    She scanned the clothes thrown hurriedly on
the floor, the comforter ruffled beyond belief, and the pillow scrunched into a
little bundle where Travis had laid his head.
    The room had somehow undergone a
transformation. It had become a haven. Travis had given Marissa back her life.

 
    ***

 
    Travis stood under the warm water of the
shower, Marissa next to him. He needed a shower to wake him up. Not that he really needed waking up. Marissa had
done that.
    Maybe he should have had a cold shower? An
icy cold one.
    He looked down at Marissa. Her hair was
pinned back into a neat little bun, so that it wouldn’t get wet.
    His eyes travelled further down. He licked
his lips as he gazed at her shoulders. Her beautiful bare shoulders.
    Those shoulders just turned him on.
    Boy oh boy – so did those breasts. Those
wonderful breasts with their tiny little buds, just waiting for him to touch
them, to suckle them, and to tantalize them.
    Travis rubbed his soap-covered hands over
Marissa’s back. He loved the feel of her; he loved to touch her – anywhere. And
she wasn’t complaining either. She had her hands lathered up too, and was
roaming his body. Her tiny hands were moving in circles all over his buttocks.
    Oh Lord, how could he cope?
    She picked up the soap again and lathered
her hands once more, this time rubbing his chest; around and around in tiny
circles, then bigger and bigger. Travis felt the friction of the soap, and
Marissa’s hands, running through the hair on his chest.
    “It’s definitely time to get out of here,”
Travis whispered. He lifted Marissa’s chin with his fingers, and kissed her
lips as the water continued to run over them, tantalizing and tormenting him
even