She moaned at his strangled admission, her pulse flying now, knowing that she had driven him to the point of no return, she had led him from arousal to ecstasy, she had pushed him over that edge. His shout of release echoed like an aria through her head and she tasted the salt of him as she swallowed, keeping up the rhythmic bobbing of her head until he was spent and gasping against the benchtop, his hands in her hair lax as the tension leached from his body.
“Jesus,” he panted as Vivian pulled away, nuzzling up the inside slope of his hip. “I’m never going to be able to drink hot chocolate again without remembering this.”
Viv smiled, propping her chin on the bony crest and looking up his body at the rise and fall of his chest still a little on the fast side. “There are worse crosses to bear,” she teased.
He smiled, his hand pushing into her hair again, his fingertips massaging her scalp, and Viv wanted to arch her back and purr it felt so good. It sure stoked the flames that had been burning in her core. “Well…” She straightened, her gaze taking another tour of his body before finally meeting his. “I’m heading back to bed for round three.”
Because Jesus she just couldn’t get enough of Reuben.
Viv was suddenly worried that two months wasn’t going to be enough to burn him out of her system. But, as Gaylene had pointed out—Bozeman was only thirty minutes away.
Maybe five months would be enough?
He gave a half laugh. “I’m probably going to need a minute or two to recover.”
“Sure,” Viv said stepping into his line of sight as she shrugged out of her gown, letting it drop to the floor. “I’ll get started without you.”
His eyes went round as he stared at her naked body, lingering on her breasts and the juncture of her thighs, his greedy gaze eating her up. He executed a perfect sit-up. “I’m recovered.”
Viv smiled and said, “Atta boy,” as she sauntered for the door.
*
The following weekend, with much excitement and anticipation around town, the annual Marietta Stroll finally got underway. She’d listened to so many of her customers reminisce about past Strolls, Viv had been looking forward to it herself and not just because it was the day of the hot chocolate judging. But because everyone in town seemed to be involved in some way and the feeling of solidarity, of belonging, of coming together and being a small part of something bigger, permeated everything.
Delish was one of the many vendors—over thirty in all—that would be setting up in the closed-off main street. They were giving away free hot chocolates and displaying a selection of their stock, hoping to attract customers after sweet treats for Christmas stockings. It was the kind of event that wasn’t available to a big-city store and their chance to really cement their presence in the community.
Saturday arrived, a crisp, cold morning, under a cloudless blue sky as the many vendors set up in their allocated spots along the street. At the end of the street the domed courthouse resided over the proceedings as the historic hub of downtown Marietta was transformed into a magical Christmas fair.
Behind it, the stark majesty of Copper Mountain stood sentinel over the town, dominating the landscape as usual, its craggy peak crowned in thin blue air. Its snowy slopes shone bright as diamonds beneath the golden rays of sunlight, the blazing white interrupted lower down by the tall, steady presence of evergreen conifers, their dark green, needle-like foliage providing a splash of color despite the snow on their tops and branches.
Viv, Robbie and Mackenzie worked in tandem to get their stand set up. The event didn’t kick off till the afternoon but there was plenty to do to keep them occupied—making several hundred hot chocolate stirrers for a start—and many hands made light work. The camaraderie between all the vendors as everyone went about their jobs also helped pass the time.
It was hard to believe just over a month ago, she’d been regarded with mistrust and suspicion. Now people were dropping by for a chat, lending a hand if she needed it, having a laugh, pointing at the board Mackenzie had brought over from the shop proclaiming Delish’s hot chocolate as the best in town and asking Viv if she was nervous.
Viv was not nervous. She knew the popular vote was a lost cause even though Marietta had warmed to her significantly and the stirrers had proved very popular but she was still utterly convinced Delish sold the better hot chocolate and she was looking forward to proving it in front of the entire town.
Maybe it didn’t matter anymore who won with Delish forging ahead as it was. She didn’t need to win the friendly comp to increase their exposure—just having the audacity to throw the challenge down had been enough—but it would be the icing on the cake. And, if she was being honest, Viv’s pride was on the line.
In the beginning that’s all she’d had against the naysayers in Marietta and she’d like to be able to prove it was justified.
Despite the freezing temperatures as the day started to fade, Viv was warm from all the activity and raring to go when the event opened at four thirty. The smell of roasting chestnuts and hot dogs spiced the air as Santa arrived and led the lighting ceremony down Main Street to the courthouse where the special Christmas lights that had been installed over the past few days were lit up with the flick of the ceremonial switch.
The street, which had already been picture-postcard pretty took on an extra festive glow, the fat red bows on the giant wreaths that hung from the light poles went from merry to radiant. Everybody’s eyes seemed to sparkle a little more. The children’s cheeks got pinker.
And, despite being crazy busy for that first hour Viv made sure to lift her head every now and then and soak in the atmosphere. She could hear sleigh bells somewhere in the distance and see the hay wagon piled high with hay and laughing family groups departing to do its loop out to the fairgrounds and back again. Children ate cotton candy with one hand while in the other they clutched their precious free photo with Santa being offered in the foyer of the Graff.
But she loved the carolers the best. A dozen strong, they moved up and down the street serenading at will in their Victorian costumes. The women wore long dresses and bonnets, their hands stuffed into faux fur muffs. The gentlemen wore long coats and top hats. And with the lights and the festive air abounding it was just like a Hollywood movie set.
Reuben arrived at their stall at about six looking sexy as ever in his uniform, his hat pulled low despite the sun having gone down well over an hour ago, a hot dog in his hand. He was on duty till six thirty, just in time for the hot chocolate judging, although clearly he was already indulging in some of the goodies.
He leaned in for a kiss and he looked big and hale and hardy and so freaking hot beneath the twinkle lights it caused a hitch in her breath and she let him linger a little despite there being a queue. He smiled as he withdrew. “Could I get a Pop Rocks hot chocolate to go?” he asked, his smile morphing into that smile, the one that told her he remembered how skilled she was with a hot chocolate stirrer.
She shot him a prim and proper look but he only smiled bigger and she rolled her eyes and handed it over. “Come for a hayride with me after the judging,” he said, placing his elbows on the makeshift benchtop and leaning in again showing no signs of moving on.
He was lucky the people in the queue were full of the season of good cheer. Or maybe that was the mulled wine.