Healing Love at Christmas by Sam Crescent Page B

his manhood hard against her thighs. Now he didn’t even get eye contact.
    He placed the logs down in a neat pile and went to the table.
    “ I made you some coffee.” She handed him his cup, her hand gone before he could even touch her.
    “ Thank you,” he said, taking a sip. She'd made it exactly the way he liked it.
    Natasha nodded but went back to looking out the window and Jake took the time to observe his wife. She was younger than him by two years. He was thirty.
    Her blond hair lay down her back in a tangled mess. She hadn’t been up for long. Last year before all the trouble they came to this cabin for Christmas. In the morning, he would sit next to her on the overstuffed, taupe sofa, brushing her hair, untangling the knots. He loved seeing her blond tresses wild and free and felt an intimacy with her when she left him fuss over her. He missed the times they'd sit and watch television or the sunset. He missed the simple pleasures of sitting on the bed, laughing, talking and being completely at ease and content with each other. They'd lost so much the silken feel of her hair was a distant memory to him.
    “ I don’t think we’re going to make it back home in time for Christmas,” Jake said softly. They usually spent a few days in the cabin by themselves before the actual holiday then made it down to London to spend time with both of their families.
    “ I’ll phone Cassie and let her know.”
    He nodded.
    “ Maybe we can decorate this place. Spend Christmas here, just the two of us?” He suggested. He really wanted to spend some time with her alone. They needed to work through their problems before facing their families given her sister Cassie and Jake’s brother were the only people who knew their marriage was in danger.
    “ Should we bother?” Natasha choked out.
    Jake glanced up in time to see tears streaming down her face and his heart broke a thousand times over once again. He never, ever wanted to hurt her.
    Getting up from his chair, Jake surrounded her with his arms. Her chest heaved with the heartbreaking sobs of loss and he held her through it.
    Jake had severe trouble knowing what to say in emotional situations, a handicap which only worsened the trouble his marriage was in right at the moment. If only I’d demanded an explanation, demanded she listen to me, he thought . Maybe I could've put an end to this nightmare.
    “ Don’t cry, Natasha,” he whispered, kissing the top of her hair, smoothing it out of his way. He kissed her head, each of her eyes and the tip of her nose before his lips met hers. It had been six months since he last kissed her. Jake was dying kiss her long and hard.
    His lips pressed against hers and felt the wonderful plumpness, the softness quiver against his own. He was unshaven and his kiss would leave a mark but that was fine. He wanted to see the marks on her skin. To know she was his woman. He loved her with all of his heart, the feelings so consuming they terrified him. He truly believed he'd die if Natasha ever left him.
    Her hands came up but instead of circling his neck and dragging him closer., she tried to push him away and her lips became unresponsive. He cried out as he moved his lips away but his hands held her close. No longer could he live with letting her go.
    “ Stop , Jake,” she was breaking inside. He could hear it. He understood it because he was breaking too.
    “ Don’t, Natasha. Please don’t push me away.” His hands caught her head between his palms, forcing her to look at him.
    “ Don’t do this,” she begged him.
    But he was begging her. “Don’t shut me out, Natasha. Don’t, please! I beg you. Love me, just love me.” He collapsed to his knees at her feet, his head in her lap.
    “ You cheated on me!” She threw her pain at him, anger and hurt forcing her to finally face up to the accusations.
    “ I would never cheat on you,” he cried.
    “ I saw you with her,” she accused. Her fingers tightened in the hair on his head