His Winter Princess (Blushing Books 12 Days of Christmas 7) Read online

  "Your house is lovely," she cooed as she stepped into the kitchen. It was huge! She could see herself performing for a camera crew as she baked decadent morsels as if on her own food show. The thought of doing it all while dressed in her princess gown made her giggle.

  "Thank you, but what sort of images just ran through your head?" Clay smirked as he glanced the distance between them.

  "Oh, it's nothing. You'll probably think I'm silly." Audra glanced over the trays of food. He could feed an army and a half!

  "Indulge me."

  "What?" She raised an eyebrow and found herself flustered at his directness. "It's nothing. I just pictured a crew in here while I baked, then pulled fully iced cakes out of the oven like magic."

  "I'm so glad you admire my kitchen. You're more than welcome to come back sometime and bake." Clay checked his watch as she searched for something to say. "My guests are set to arrive at six o'clock. That leaves us an hour and a half to set-up the room and get ready. Will it be enough time for you?"

  "Yes, of course."

  "Would you like a glass of wine while we assemble?" Clay moved around her and plucked a bottle off the counter. "It's called Black-Rosy Finch."

  "I think it's so interesting that all of your wines are named after birds. Let me guess? It's a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé with black current or blackberry undertones or similar?"

  "You know of my wines?" He reached up to take down two long stem glasses. "That makes me so happy. Yes, you are correct. I haven't unveiled it yet, but I plan to for the New Year's Eve gathering at the vineyard."

  "I would love a glass!" Audra grinned as he opened the bottle and poured her a glass. It was a darker rosé than she was used to but still lighter than a red. She wasn't big on red wine, even from his vineyard. "Of course, I can only indulge in one. I don't want to spill anything on your guests."

  "Here you go." He handed one of the glasses to her then held his up to meet hers. "To a wonderful evening!"

  "To a successful party!" she agreed and clinked her glass to his. She took a small sip, and then another. The wine teased her taste buds. She expected a rich, bittersweet drink, but the berries gave it just the right amount of sweetness without being overbearing. "Oh! Your New Year's customers are going to love this. In fact, it might be my new favorite, especially paired with the right meal."

  "What would you pair it with?"

  "Ah, well, something light. It's definitely not a red meat type of wine." Audra smiled again, then set the glass on the counter. "I could talk about wine for hours, but there's still a lot to do. Do you have a pattern or is everything coming out at once?"

  "The actual appetizers can come out in any order as long as there is fruit prior and then fruit and pastries served last. I'd rather you relax with the atmosphere instead of being worried about the order of the food. And the wine flows freely tonight. How does that sound?" Clay took a sip from his glass. He watched her nod several times in agreement as she mentally prepared.

  "Right, I can do that. Let me get everything set then I'll run up and get ready." Audra immediately got to work. "I don't usually accept this sort of offer."

  "Is it for safety reasons or something else?" Clay found two silver platters for dessert as well as coffee mugs with shiny silver snowflakes on them. They fit nicely into his theme, just like Audra would.

  "You'd probably never guess, but I'm very shy socially. I, uh, don't have many friends. Or really any friends. I moved here a couple years ago and I get anxious when I even think about being in public."

  "Is it difficult for you to focus at large gatherings?" Clay handed one of the platters to her.

  "Sometimes, but I'm not really me then." She half giggled as he raised an eyebrow. "When I'm in my blue and silver gown I'm a princess," Audra offered as an explanation. "It's like playing dress up and having a tea party only on a grander scale."

  "I see. Well, I'm very happy you accepted my offer. I do hope you have a good time tonight as well."

  "Thank you, Mr. Lawson. I promise I will treat your guests very well."

  * * *

  The party took off without a hitch. Audra kept to Clay's decree, and let the wine flow. She made sure no one went hungry while she made small talk and smiled. Both the women and the men appeared easy going and quick to relate to. She found herself in more than one meaningful conversation without neglecting her duties.

  One of the women, Amanda, tugged her into the bathroom. It was a large guest bathroom on this floor and she was amazed to find two stalls!

  They chatted for a few minutes and she gave her cell phone number to her. Amanda seemed to be quite flushed from the wine, but felt genuine. They walked out of the bathroom shortly after that and rejoined the party.

  "Princess?" Amanda giggled. "I mean Ms. Princess?" She giggled again. "More of the Scarlet Tanager? It's my favorite!"

  "Amanda," a gentleman approached her and placed his arm around her waist. "I think you've had enough wine tonight."

  "Eric!" Amanda admonished. "It's my favorite!" She held her glass out to Audra. "Please?"

  Eric, presumably her boyfriend or husband, covered the glass with his hand. "You've had enough."

  Audra watched the exchange and felt uneasy. She wanted to give the guest, and hopefully new friend what she asked for but she did not want to witness a fight.

  "I'll say when I've had enough and thank you." Amanda stuck her tongue out at him and shook his hand off the glass.

  Eric promptly let go of her waist and swatted his right hand firmly across her bottom. The action sent ice-cold shivers down her spine. He did it only once, but the message was clear.

  "I'm sorry, Eric." Amanda let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, Ms. Princess."

  "It's... it's fine," Audra stammered. She needed to get out of there before he decided to smack her again. "Excuse me a moment." She approached the stairs at a fast pace to avoid running up them like she wanted to. Thank goodness she wore flats instead of heels.

  Audra intended to go into the bathroom but her panic made her forget which door it was. Now she stood nearly face to face with Clay in what she presumed to be his bedroom. She was truly mortified!

  "Are you all right?"

  "It's... he... she... just..." Audra fanned herself. "I'm so sorry—"

  "Are you sick?"

  Clay seemingly convinced of an ailment since she couldn't answer, wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and then led her into his private bathroom. He helped her sit on the edge of the tub and frowned down at her. "Audra?"

  "It's not that." She fanned herself again, unable to explain further.

  "Take a deep breath."

  "Clay! Hey! Can I talk to you a minute?" A strong baritone piped up outside the bathroom door. She assumed it was Eric, the gentleman friend of Amanda. Would he tell Clay that she ran out like an idiot?

  "Just a moment." He replied, then grabbed a washcloth from the sink. He ran it under the water, then returned and set it on the back of her neck. "Just sit here a second. I'll be right back."

  She nodded mutely and placed her hand on the washcloth as he left the room. The cloth felt cool on her neck and she used it to relax instead of focusing on the incident she witnessed.

  A few minutes later Clay walked back into the room. He approached the tub, then sat down next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her. She turned her head slowly to catch his eyes.

  "Are you feeling any better?"

  "A little." Audra did not want to tell him how awful she’d acted in front of everyone! She shrugged and he took it as a sign to remove his hand. "Your hand wasn't bothering me."

  "Shall I put it back?"

  "If you want to. I've got quite a lot going on in my head at the moment."

  Clay loosely looped his arm across both of her shoulders. His touch calmed the blaring thoughts of potential violence as they ran through her head. They sat like that for a little while until she completely relaxed. A few more minutes passed and her breath finally evened ou
t.

  "Eric told me what happened."

  "I can't think about that right now."

  "May I explain, please?"

  She nodded, but didn't expect him to make any statement that would excuse what she had just seen.

  "I've been friends with Eric and his wife Amanda for over five years. They are in a relationship which involves domestic discipline. Have you ever heard of it?"

  He paused as he waited for some sort of reply from her. She shook her head in response.

  "Basically, Amanda has asked Eric to take care of any task which is too much for her to handle. She has some anxiety issues too, which is probably why the two of you found it easy to talk to one another. She also asked Eric to set rules and boundaries, and they can include physical punishments. I assure you everything Eric does for Amanda is done with her best interests in mind. They are very much in love and have been married for almost fifteen years."

  "No one else but me looked shocked. Are all of your guests in this domestic discipline lifestyle?"

  "Yes, all of the couples you met tonight are. I wanted to tell you before the party, but I truly didn't think anything would come up. If you want to leave now—"

  "No, no." Audra carefully got to her feet, then set the washcloth down in the tub to dry. "I believe everyone has a right to be in any lifestyle he or she chooses to be in. As long as no one is getting harmed, it's none of my business. I apologize. I shouldn't have run out like that."

  "I understand why you ran. My friends understand. It's getting late anyway, so they will be leaving within the hour." Clay stood up, then gestured for her to follow him out of the bathroom.

  "Thank you for telling me about everything. I'm not closed minded like a lot others might be, but I've never seen behavior like that. Amanda even apologized to me." Audra smoothed her gown down to avoid his stare. She almost leaned in and kissed him when they were side by side. Even with his oversight she really wanted his attention. "I'll go get started on the cleanup." She swiftly exited his room to put distance between them.

  The thought of being in his bedroom made her stomach clench, as well as other parts of her, and she didn't want to act any more unprofessional than she already had tonight. If only she could hold on to that thought after all of his friends departed and left them alone in the house together.

  Get yourself together!

  Whatever chance she might have had was long gone.

  Chapter Three

  The guests finally said their goodbyes and left. Audra breathed an audible sigh of relief as she could now easily focus on the task at hand – cleaning up from the party.

  She changed out of her gown and took an extra few minutes to scrub her face clean. It would save time later on, and since she was sure Clay had no interest in ever inviting her back, she didn't care if he saw her bare face. She undid the silver clips in her hair then pulled it up into a high ponytail. It would get in her way if she left it down.

  Audra grabbed her bags, then made her way to the landing. She set everything near the foyer, then moved quickly from the living room and dining room to the kitchen and back.

  She’d cleaned a few things throughout the night like the big platters to minimize the time spent at the house all alone. It wasn't because she didn't trust Clay to keep his hands to himself. No, she didn't trust her own hands, at least she didn't at the start of the party. Now she felt sure he wouldn't want to be near her, so it didn't matter what her hands did.

  Audra sighed again as she gave the dessert plates a once over with a soapy sponge, then placed them in the dishwasher. The dishwasher looked fancy too. It had three rows, something she didn't even know existed.

  "You can leave the rest of it if you like." Clay's voice carried over the sound of the faucet and she glanced up to seem him standing by the middle counter island.

  "I'm almost finished. I don't mind." She shut off the water, then closed the door to the dishwasher. "Unless you'd like me to leave right now?"

  "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. I have no plans." Clay frowned as he looked at something on her neck. "Somehow you managed to get soap on your neck." He pulled a towel from a nearby drawer then wiped it off. It put him very close to her with little personal space.

  "Oh, I washed, uh, my face. It wasn't dish soap in case you were wondering." She risked a look up at him, though his eyes had traveled downwards. From this position he could probably see down the front of her flimsy shirt. He met her gaze when he realized she’d caught him, but his eyes burned with desire. For some reason, he still seemed to want her. "Mr. Lawson?"

  "I thought I saw more soap," he admitted casually then traced the dishcloth over the top of her breasts.

  She’d forgotten to change bras and had left her strapless, push-up one on. It literally presented her boobs to him like one might show off ripe fruit. It wasn't so bad to have him admiring her, was it? Audra swallowed hard. "I think you, uh, missed a spot."

  "Did I?" Clay dragged the rag carefully over her collarbone to the base of her throat. He boldly leaned forward and planted a kiss there, then another and another until she breathed out a moan. Her fingers clawed at empty air until she grabbed his arms. Her original intention was to tell him she should go, but his tongue tickled over a sweet spot in her neck and she threw her head back in bliss.

  Clay continued kissing along her neck, which opened a floodgate between her thighs. He trailed up to her mouth and kissed her passionately.

  Audra kissed him back hungrily as she moaned into his mouth. She moved her hands away from his arms and looped them around his neck. He responded by lifting her up onto the counter without breaking their kiss. His right hand found her nipples and he pinched each of them in turn. Hard. It turned her on even more, but the movement pulled her back to reality.

  "Clay!" She broke away with a gasp. He startled and let go. "I'm sorry, it's just... I don't know... if we keep going—"

  "And then if I hand you a check, it will make you feel used? I'm dreadfully sorry for my behavior."

  "No, please don't apologize. I was sure I’d embarrassed myself earlier. I figured you would be relieved when I left." Audra shivered when he set his hands on her waist and lowered her to the floor. She extended her legs as he did, to stand on her own. "I really should go."

  "Would you please come over for dinner tomorrow? I should have given you more information about the friendships I keep. I really want to make it up to you."

  "Yeah, okay," she confirmed, then carefully shifted out of his reach. If he looked at her again with such want and need she wouldn't be able to pull herself away again. She wondered if her own looks mimicked his. Surely he felt something or he wouldn't have lifted her up onto the counter. Damn. That memory would fuel her fantasies tonight, even if that's the only moment she shared with him. How could one man drive her so wild?

  * * *

  Clay watched Audra slink out of the kitchen and he followed. She put on her heavy wool coat, gathered her bags, then straightened and stood at the front door. "I don't have any more hands," she admitted.

  "You also forgot your check." Clay tugged it out from his pants pocket, but felt lost in where she wanted him to place it.

  "Can you, um, put it in my right pocket?"

  "Gladly." He fought the urge to grin down at her like an idiot and finally tucked the paper inside her pocket. "Please put it in one of your bags when you get into the car. I'd hate for you to lose it."

  "Yeah, will do." Audra looked like she wanted to say something else but then she stepped out into the night.

  "Drive safely," he commanded, and heard her laugh lightly under her breath.

  "I will!" Her laughter floated over the blowing winds and he longed to call her back.

  What could he say that would make her understand how deeply he wanted her? He’d watched her entertain all night, shamefully unable to keep his eyes off of her.

  "Sorry for wanting to make love to you on my counter," Clay mentioned to himself as he shut and locked the d
oor. He glanced over the empty rooms and let out a long breath. The party was a success as it always was, but this part of the evening always left him unfulfilled. An empty house.

  Each of his friends had such lovely wives or girlfriends. Each man would certainly do anything for him, but they had what he missed the most. A woman to submit to his commands and in turn allow him to treat her like an absolute goddess.

  He knew each of the couples were surely in bed by now. They were either spooned against each other or maybe having sex early into the morning. It made a twinge run through his body and he hung his head. What would it take to find someone to make his?

  He surveyed each room for anything out of place, then turned out all the lights downstairs. He started up the staircase, but paused when he heard the sound of two loud bangs with the door knocker. Who could be knocking on the door at this hour?

  Clay left the lights off and traced his steps back to the front door. He opened it slowly and was more than a little surprised to see Audra on the door step. "Are you all right?"

  "It's um, really cold out here."

  "It's December."

  "I, uh, don't usually ask this... but... um... can I have some more wine?"

  "To stay warm?" He frowned as he leaned against the door. She’d waited outside for twenty minutes to get the nerve to come back and ask for wine?

  "Well, no. I figured it takes about two hours for each glass to wear off. So, if you kindly pour me three glasses, seeing that it's ten-thirty—"

  He cut off her request with a kiss and pulled her up into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck and kissed back. Clay hit the door shut with his hip, then locked it after several tries with one hand.

  Audra managed to get her coat off, somehow, as he carried her to the couch. He broke away from her for a moment. She wasted little time, and set to removing her shoes and socks. Audra peeled off her pants, then quickly shimmied out of her shirt.