Christmas Candy: A Holiday Second Chance Box Set Read online

  Cara glanced between the two of them, feeling very grateful for their friendship.

  She placed one hand on either of their shoulders. “Guys, seriously, it’s fine. It was actually exactly what I needed. The closure was necessary.”

  Lily raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t about closure, Cara. If anything, he’s not going to give up. It’s kind of admirable, actually, and that speech…” Lily whistled. “That was a good speech.”

  “Yeah, it kind of was, wasn’t it?” Cara smiled sheepishly as she caught Jack sneaking a peek at her.

  “Closure?” Jack echoed. “I thought things were going well with you guys?”

  “Closure doesn’t always mean an ending. Sometimes, it means closing that chapter, and starting a new one.”

  “Don’t worry, Jack. I think I’m smarter, and hopefully wiser this time around.”

  “Let’s hope he is as well then.” Jack muttered.

  “Are you going to talk to him?” Lily asked as she gave her boyfriend a quick wave.

  “I think I should, yeah.”

  Sam and Lara came up to their respective dates, and Cara excused herself as she went off in search of Jack. She managed to find him, sitting quietly in the basement downstairs.

  He was staring straight ahead, a melancholy expression on his face.

  “Cara I—”

  “Shh,” Cara brought her hand up to his lips before she pressed herself to him, and began to nibble on his neck.

  Jack sucked in a harsh breath. “Cara, what are you doing?”

  “Not talking.”

  “I thought you wanted to talk. You wanted proof that I’ve changed. I want to show you that I have. What I’ve been doing so far hasn’t been enough.”

  Cara let her mouth travel lower until she undid the first few buttons on his blouse. “You can show me the proof later. For now, I just want to lose myself in you, please.”

  Jack leaned back and looked at her carefully. “Are you sure?”

  Cara nodded. “Positive.”

  Jack lowered his lips to hers, and they began a slow sensual dance. Jack moved them, so her back was pressed against the billiard table. He gently nudged her legs apart, and pressed himself between them, his mouth nibbling on her lower lip.

  Cara arched her back and parted her lips as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed herself closer. Without breaking the kiss, Jack leaned down and grabbed her ass. He hoisted her up onto the table, and she slowly leaned backwards as he pushed himself forward.

  Jack tore his mouth away, and began to pepper her neck with light kisses as his fingers made quick work of her shirt. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  Cara shuddered as he splayed his hands across her stomach. “I’ve missed you too.”

  He reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting her breasts spill forward. Cara immediately moved her hands to cover her breasts, but Jack gently disentangled them. “Don’t. You’re beautiful, Cara. You always have been.”

  Cara made a noise in the back of her throat and began to tug on his jeans impatiently. He helped her undo the loop on his belt, and she pushed his jeans down to his ankles. He stepped back and quickly shoved his shoes to a corner of the room before reconnecting his lips with hers.

  His hand hovered over her center as pure heat rushed through every part of her. She squeezed herself around him and grinded her hips hard. Jack panted into her mouth as he buried his hands in her hair.

  Cara’s hands came up around his back, and she began to run her fingers up and down her back, allowing her fingernails to graze his skin. Goosebumps rose up and down his flesh as his hands moved down to cup her ass.

  His lips began to move down, over her breasts where he suckled them for a bit until they reached her center. He used the tip of his teeth to push the fabric of her panties aside, and he pressed his mouth to her soaking wet core.

  Cara gasped as his mouth began to dart in and out, lapping up her juices as his hands came up to play with her breasts. Cara threw her head back and bit her lip to keep from moaning.

  She quickly came, and before she could recover from her orgasm, Jack had buried himself deep within her. In one quick motion, he thrust, and they both grunted.

  His pace was slow at first, but soon, Cara urged him forward by wriggling her hips and sinking her teeth into his neck.

  Stars exploded in her field of vision as her orgasm rippled through her, and Jack followed not long after.

  ***

  “Wake up, Cara.”

  Her head felt like somebody was drilling holes, and her mouth tasted dry, like swallowing sand. Her entire body ached like she’d been just run over by a truck.

  “Hm-um,” she grumbled as she turned onto her side.

  “Come on, sleeping beauty, up and at ‘em.”

  Cara peeked one eye open, and hissed at the sunlight that was streaming in. “Do you want me to kill you?”

  “You couldn’t do it if you were sober, much less hungover.” Lily chuckled, the sound was like nails against a chalkboard, and Cara clenched her teeth as she clutched her head.

  “Please, lower your voice. It’s so loud.”

  “My voice is at a norJack register. How much did you have to drink last night, anyways?”

  Cara grimaced. “Not that much.”

  “Plus?”

  “Five,” Cara muttered as she shifted, so her back was against the mattress. It was better for her back, but it did nothing for her head.

  “It’s no wonder you feel this way. I don’t think you’ve ever had this much to drink in ever.”

  Cara gave a sJackl imperceptible shake of the head. “I haven’t, no. What time is it?”

  “Twelve in the afternoon.”

  “Shit.” Cara cursed as her head flew up, and went banging against the shelves. “Freaking shelves. Why did I put it there, anyways?”

  Cara’s eyes flew open as she began to massage her skull to alleviate some of the pain. “Bloody stupid idea, that’s what it was.”

  Lily shrugged. “I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen. You know how stubborn you can get.”

  Cara exhaled. “I’ll get it fixed later.”

  Lily whistled. “Whoa, dude. Somebody had a good time, last night. Are those hickeys?”

  Cara scrambled out of bed, pausing as a wave of nausea hit. As soon as it was gone, she was able to check the mirror, and sure enough. There were hickeys all over her neck.

  So much for discreet she thought to herself.

  “We might have gotten a bit carried away.”

  “Judging by the way you’re walking, it seems like it was more than just a bit.” Lily winked at her before her face turned somber. “Does this mean CarJack has returned?.”

  “What the heck is CarJack? It sounds like cough syrup or something.” Cara made a face.

  “It’s your ship name. Duh.” Lily grinned. “Well, you two weren’t as subtle as you could’ve been, but to be fair, you looked like you had way too much to drink. I thought you guys were just going to talk though, otherwise I might’ve tried to talk some sense into you.”

  Cara buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t mean to sleep with him. Well, I mean I did, but I didn’t mean for it to happen when it did. It did, but not like that…”

  Cara trailed off. “Bah, whatever. It’s not a crime.”

  Lily gave her an amused grin. “No one said it was, but did it help you figure out things, or was it just pure aniJackistic sex?”

  Cara began to chew on her bottom lip. “It was supposed to be wild and stuff, but I guess it wasn’t just that. There was an undercurrent of emotion there.”

  Lily nodded. “And did you talk to him afterwards?”

  Cara ducked her head. “No, I left soon after, and I was kind of avoiding him until then. I felt so embarrassed, Lil.”

  Lily reached out to squeeze her hand. “Embarrassed, why?”

  “Here I was preaching about self-worth, and appreciating myself, and how he should do that, but the secon
d he said those things, I all but threw myself at him.”

  Lily gave her a soft smile. “You’re only human, Car.”

  “A human with a wacky libido.”

  “It’s okay. It was consensual. Sometimes exes sleep together after a break up, and it doesn’t mean a thing. Other times, they do, and end up getting matter.”

  Cara sat on the edge of her bed. “I’ve heard about that, yeah. However, that’s never happened to me before.”

  Lily took a seat next to her. “It’s okay. You just need to figure out what your options are. Before that though, do you regret sleeping with him?”

  Cara pursed her lips. “No, I don’t. Is that bad?”

  Lily titled her head. “Not necessarily. I just don’t know what it means in terms of a future you guys might have.”

  “I think I want to give him a second chance, Lil. I know I must be crazy to want that after everything we’ve been through, and everything he’s done…”

  Lily shook her head. “Not at all. Humans are given something that is considered both a blessing and a curse. Our memory. We forgot some things while others last, but thankfully one of the things we do manage to handle over time is pain otherwise we’d never have been able to move on.”

  “Yeah, but what does it mean?”

  Lily stood up. “It means you have a decision to make. Are you ready to close that part of your life for good? Put the book away, and start a new one? Or do you want to turn the page and see if maybe the next chapter has an ending you might like.”

  Cara drummed her fingers against her lips, and made a humming noise. “I’m not sure.”

  “Nobody said you have to decide right now, but there is another equally important decision to make. One of the most important ones you’ll have to make today.”

  Cara nodded gravely. “I think I know which decision you are referring to.”

  “Jack is downstairs making breakfast, and he doesn’t know whether to make you eggs and bacon, or waffles with French toast?”

  “Now that is the true existentialist crisis. I couldn’t possibly decide.”

  “Why not go wild and eat both?”

  Cara pretended to gasp. “Now you’re just trying to upset the balance of things.”

  “I know, but you only live once, and who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too?”

  Cara threw her head back and laughed. “I always wondered about that….”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Hey, you.” Jack gave her a beautiful smile as she walked into his office. She had planned on getting here soon, but it snowed on her way. “This is a surprise.”

  “Yeah, I was going to head over to your apartment, but I remembered you mentioning you had a shift tonight.”

  “I do, but it’s over. Actually, almost everyone has gone home for the night. Do you want to head out?”

  “Before we do, I need to talk to you.”

  Jack gestured for her to continue. “Sure, what’s on your mind.”

  “First of all, I want to apologize for yesterday. I should not have thrown myself at you that way while we’re still trying to figure things out. It’s a tentative process, and it requires delicacy.”

  “We’re not crocheting, Car. You do realize that, right?”

  Cara smiled in spite of herself. “The thought occurred to me. Anyways, I realized I can’t talk about self-worth and self-respect then do something like that when I haven’t even made a decision yet.”

  Jack brought his finger up to her lips. “Cara, I don’t respect you any less because of what happened last night. I want you, and I know you want me too. There’s no shame in that.”

  Cara smiled at him as he removed his finger. “I know. I just didn’t want to confuse things by maybe leading you on.”

  Jack’s expression fell as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh.”

  “No, I don’t mean it like that.” Cara ran her hands through her hair. “I just wanted to be sure before I make my decision.”

  “Of course.” Jack leaned back against his desk, his expression carefully neutral. “Ask me anything you like.”

  “Why do you love me, Jack?”

  He looked surprised for a second. “What?”

  “I said, why do you love me?”

  “I’m not sure I can articulate it,” Jack admitted.

  “Don’t do that, please. Not after how far we’ve come.”

  Jack watched her carefully before he took both her hands in his and began to rub them. “I freaking love you, Cara Tyler. You are a pain in the ass, and you cry over the weirdest crap-fictional or real, you hoard books, and you make obscure references to old movies no one has ever seen. You steal food off my plate especially if its fries although I ask you if you want some, but you always say no. You always look to me for strength when in reality you’ve always been stronger than I am.”

  Cara placed her hand on his shoulders and leaned her forehead against his. “What else?” she whispered.

  “You make me want to shield you from the world because of how good you are, but at the same time, I want to knock some sense into you and tell you to grow thicker skin because I don’t want you to have a hard time. I wouldn’t have it any other way because you are both strong and soft.”

  Jack chuckled as he tweaked her nose. “I hate that you correct my grammar, and that you love healthy food that everyone else is forced to eat. I love the way your eyes light up when you see a little puppy, and the way you laugh like a child whenever I tickle you. Every time you’re too hard on yourself, I want to make you look into a mirror and see what I see.”

  Cara trembled as she brought her hands up to his face and traced his eyebrows. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear you say, Jack. To let down your guard, and let me in. All those times, I pushed you to talk about how you feel. It’s because I knew it was bubbling close to the surface, but for some reason, you were afraid to let it out.”

  “I was, but I’m not anymore.”

  “I freaking love you too. You know exactly how to get under my skin, and it irritates me to no end how logical you always are, even when the situation is emotional. It really bugs me that you think that fries, pasta and any type of meat is all you need to survive in this world.”

  Cara shook her head. “Half the time when you’re rattling off statistics, I’m not sure if I want to throw something at you, or kiss you senseless. Sometimes, it’s both. You can be insufferable, and overbearing, but I love the way your eyes sparkle when you’re around your niece, or how your entire face becomes animated when you’re talking about something you love.”

  Cara took a deep breath before she continued. “I hate that your pride gets in the way sometimes when I’m right, and you’re wrong, but you make me want to hold you and never let go when your curl up next to me afterwards and apologize.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Jack Frost. You’re stuck with me for good.”

  “Aw, damn. What am I supposed to do now?” Jack joked.

  “There’s only one thing to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Kiss me properly.”

  Jack kissed the tips of her fingers before he brought her hand to his face and placed a kiss on the palm of her hand. Cara pressed herself closer to him and pressed her lips to his for a sweet kiss. Soon, the kiss deepened, and their tongues were battling for dominance.

  Jack moaned in the back of his mouth, and pulled Cara forward, so they were moving towards his desk. He broke away from the kiss for a second to sweep away everything on his desk to the floor before he reattached his lips to hers.

  His hands reached down, and hoisted her up onto the desk before he kicked her legs apart and stood between them. Cara moaned as her hands began to claw at his back trying to remove his scrubs. She finally managed to do that, and she chucked them to the side of the room, then she took off his shirt as his hands began to rub her chest over her shirt.

  She pushed herself closer into his hands as he smiled against her li
ps, and allowed his hands to travel down. He placed one hand on the crotch of her jeans while the other snaked its way under her shirt until it made contact with her bra.

  Cara gasped as his hands moved under her bra and began to play with her nipple. The other hand began to rub her over her jeans until she began to grin against his hand. She fumbled with the button on his pants, and she made a noise in the back of her throat when she was finally able to undo it.

  His erection sprang free, and once it did, Jack quickly helped Cara kick off her jeans and remove her shirt. He murmured appreciatively as he undid the clasp of her bra, and her breasts sprang free.

  He began to suck on one breast, while he played with the other. Cara began stroking him over his boxers until she felt him shake beneath her hands.

  He bit down on her nipple hard, causing her to dig her teeth into his shoulder to keep from crying out. His hips began to gyrate against her hands as one hand moved down and snaked underneath her panties. He began to rub her furiously as his tongue swirled around her nub.

  He brought her face to his and kissed her deeply as she swallowed back her moans of ecstasy. Cara came with a shudder that vibrated throughout her entire body, causing Jack to smirk against her mouth.

  He pulled away and smiled at her gently. “I’ve still got it, huh?”

  A strangled laugh escaped her lips as she came down from her high and smacked his arm. “Modest, much?”

  Jack laughed huskily. “For you, baby, always.”

  Cara shook her head and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “I’m scared, Jack.”

  Jack rubbed her back soothingly. “I know, but it’s going to be different this time, you’ll see. I won’t ever seek solace somewhere else, especially not in the arms of an ex. I’ll come to you with my problems, and I’ll let you in. I will do my best to deserve you, Car, because you deserve that.”

  Cara kissed his neck. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Jack. Consistency and someone who will keep trying even when things get hard.”

  Jack kissed her forehead. “That and someone who’s great in bed, right?”