Christmas in Whitehorn by Susan Mallery Page A

exactly did you plan on us… "
    He smiled. "Trust me."
    He turned her so that her back was to him. She didn't mind because he nibbled down her neck and reached around to play with her breasts. When she was trembling and desperate, he urged to her raise one leg so her foot rested on the rim of the tub. Something hard probed at her from behind.
    Instinctively she bent forward. As he entered her, filling her and making her gasp, he slipped one hand around and began to rub against her most sensitive place. His fingers matched the pace of his thrusting, robbing her of will. She braced her hands against the wall of the tub. The cold tile contrasted with the heat they generated between them.
    Faster and faster, everything so incredibly perfect until she had no choice but to surrender to the climax. As her body began to shudder, she felt him stiffen. He breathed her name as they both spent themselves in the glory of their joining.
    *
    "At least the cleanup was easy," Darcy muttered to herself as she drove to the Hip Hop Café twenty minutes later.
    She avoided glancing at the clock in the dash – she already knew that she was late. She couldn't believe it. After five years of near-perfect behavior, she'd lost control twice in less than twenty-four hours – and with the same man. Although she supposed that was better than losing control with a different man. Apparently all she had to do was avoid Mark and she could return to her previously calm, if lonely, existence.
    She couldn't believe they'd done it again. She also couldn't believe how good it had been. In her past, lovemaking had been something the man wanted. She had en- joyed herself on rare occasions but she'd never felt the earth move. Nor had she ever done it in the shower, or in that particular position. It had been – she shivered – de- lightful .
    She pulled into the back parking lot of the Hip Hop. There were three other employee cars there, along with four belonging to customers. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was the morning after Thanksgiving and most people were going to still be too stuffed with turkey to bother with breakfast out. Trying not to notice it was
six thirty- five
, she grabbed her purse and dove out of the car.
    "I know, I know," she said as she entered the alcove with the lockers and quickly put away her things. She looked at Janie and sighed. "I'm twenty minutes late. I'm really sorry."
    Janie shrugged off her apology. "Darcy, this is the first time in what – six months? We're not even busy. I think I can cut you some slack."
    "Thanks. It won't happen again."
    At least she didn't think it would. She couldn't imagine Mark showing up at her door to make love with her every morning. Although the thought of that made her heat up in the best way possible.
    "How was your Thanksgiving?" her boss asked.
    Darcy tied on her apron and tried not to blush. "Great," she said, hurrying toward the front of the café. Janie followed. "I'd planned on having several people over. Mostly ones with nowhere to go on the holiday. But everyone canceled on me so Mark Kincaid was my only guest."
    She grabbed a pot of coffee and quickly made a swing through the restaurant. There were only three occupied tables, along with a single man at the counter. Everyone al- ready had food, except for one couple ready to order. She wrote their requests onto her pad, then delivered the information to the kitchen.
    Janie was waiting for her back by the coffeemaker. Her long blond ponytail swished like a horse's tail as she shook her head. "Excuse me, but did you say Mark Kincaid?"
    Darcy smiled and prayed that she didn't look guilty. "Uh-huh. He lives next door to me and he's a regular here. I don't see him with a lot of people so I thought he might be alone for the holiday. This time of year can be tough on people who don't have family locally."
    Janie stared at her as if she were crazy. "So you just invited him over?"
    "Uh-huh."
    "And he just accepted?"
    Darcy tried to