upstairs alone. If the kids went to bed first, he wanted to make sure it remained safe to do so. Since last night, no one had experienced anything unusual or unfriendly. But he wasn’t convinced the hostile presence wouldn’t come back—especially after telling the entity to get the hell out of their house.
He moved quietly up the staircase, cursing under his breath when the floorboards squeaked slightly. Once he reached the second floor he stopped and listened, peering in either direction along the hallway. It seemed deathly quiet, but after focusing his attention like this for a few minutes, he prepared to head back down the stairs.
“ What are you looking for, hon’?”
Miriam stood at the bottom of the stairs, a knowing smile on her face. Startled, he nearly lost his balance and was a hair’s breathe from tumbling down toward her. Her frightened squeal matched his surprised gasp. He grabbed the banister’s edge and regained his footing atop the staircase.
“ You scared the holy shit out of me!” he scolded her, rubbing one hand nervously through his thick blond bangs as he considered how close he came to a hospital visit just now. “How long were you standing there watching me?”
“ You scared the shit out of me, too, Mister!” she retorted, her tone more annoyed than fearful. “You could’ve seriously hurt yourself, David, and possibly me too! And, to answer your question, I watched you for the past minute or so, after Chris told me he saw you sneak out of the living room.”
So much for discreet cleverness.
“ You’re looking to see if it’s come back yet, aren’t you?”
Why does her timing always have to be so damned impeccable?
“ Yeah, I was,” he confirmed. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “But I don’t think it’s coming back…not yet, anyway.”
“ Hopefully, it won’t.” She waited for him to join her at the base of the staircase. “Jillian’s sleeping with Ruth tonight, and Ty agreed to let Chris join him. I guess Sadie can stay in whichever room she prefers.”
“ When did this get decided?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked back toward the living room. “I hope Ty realizes that Chris will be up at least an hour before dawn.”
“ He knows,” she confirmed. “He and Jill are just as anxious to see what will be waiting under the tree for them as he is. So, get ready to go to work, Mr. Claus!” She winked impishly and gave him a light jab in his ribs with her elbow.
“ Hell, I was hoping you’d take care of the main chore this time, Mrs. Claus, and allow me to sit back and watch while I take care of the milk and cookies!” He returned her playfulness with a mischievous grin, spurred on by where their jovial mood might lead.
Christopher soon began to nod off, and Tyler retired with him upstairs. Ruth and Jillian followed, leaving David and Miriam alone downstairs. They set the presents from Santa around the Christmas tree and shared the treats left on the kitchen table by Christopher. Afterward, they nestled close together on the loveseat. With only the illumination from the Christmas tree and the dying flames in the fireplace, they picked up from where they left off earlier, their passionate kiss in the kitchen being a mere hint of things to come. Soon their foreplay brought them both to full arousal, and once David ensured that the remaining wood coals were safely under control, Miriam led him upstairs.
Everyone else fast asleep, they quietly locked their bedroom door behind them. Forgetting the entity that in David’s mind watched from somewhere, perhaps in amused silence, they muffled their orgasms only on account of the close proximity of their children and his aunt at the other end of the hall. They then fell asleep, Miriam’s head resting upon David’s chest and their limbs entwined together in blissful contentment.
Chapter Twelve
“ What in the hell’s this?” muttered John Campbell as he
He moved quietly up the staircase, cursing under his breath when the floorboards squeaked slightly. Once he reached the second floor he stopped and listened, peering in either direction along the hallway. It seemed deathly quiet, but after focusing his attention like this for a few minutes, he prepared to head back down the stairs.
“ What are you looking for, hon’?”
Miriam stood at the bottom of the stairs, a knowing smile on her face. Startled, he nearly lost his balance and was a hair’s breathe from tumbling down toward her. Her frightened squeal matched his surprised gasp. He grabbed the banister’s edge and regained his footing atop the staircase.
“ You scared the holy shit out of me!” he scolded her, rubbing one hand nervously through his thick blond bangs as he considered how close he came to a hospital visit just now. “How long were you standing there watching me?”
“ You scared the shit out of me, too, Mister!” she retorted, her tone more annoyed than fearful. “You could’ve seriously hurt yourself, David, and possibly me too! And, to answer your question, I watched you for the past minute or so, after Chris told me he saw you sneak out of the living room.”
So much for discreet cleverness.
“ You’re looking to see if it’s come back yet, aren’t you?”
Why does her timing always have to be so damned impeccable?
“ Yeah, I was,” he confirmed. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “But I don’t think it’s coming back…not yet, anyway.”
“ Hopefully, it won’t.” She waited for him to join her at the base of the staircase. “Jillian’s sleeping with Ruth tonight, and Ty agreed to let Chris join him. I guess Sadie can stay in whichever room she prefers.”
“ When did this get decided?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked back toward the living room. “I hope Ty realizes that Chris will be up at least an hour before dawn.”
“ He knows,” she confirmed. “He and Jill are just as anxious to see what will be waiting under the tree for them as he is. So, get ready to go to work, Mr. Claus!” She winked impishly and gave him a light jab in his ribs with her elbow.
“ Hell, I was hoping you’d take care of the main chore this time, Mrs. Claus, and allow me to sit back and watch while I take care of the milk and cookies!” He returned her playfulness with a mischievous grin, spurred on by where their jovial mood might lead.
Christopher soon began to nod off, and Tyler retired with him upstairs. Ruth and Jillian followed, leaving David and Miriam alone downstairs. They set the presents from Santa around the Christmas tree and shared the treats left on the kitchen table by Christopher. Afterward, they nestled close together on the loveseat. With only the illumination from the Christmas tree and the dying flames in the fireplace, they picked up from where they left off earlier, their passionate kiss in the kitchen being a mere hint of things to come. Soon their foreplay brought them both to full arousal, and once David ensured that the remaining wood coals were safely under control, Miriam led him upstairs.
Everyone else fast asleep, they quietly locked their bedroom door behind them. Forgetting the entity that in David’s mind watched from somewhere, perhaps in amused silence, they muffled their orgasms only on account of the close proximity of their children and his aunt at the other end of the hall. They then fell asleep, Miriam’s head resting upon David’s chest and their limbs entwined together in blissful contentment.
Chapter Twelve
“ What in the hell’s this?” muttered John Campbell as he
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