Page 6 of Zin and Celeste: A Fortis Family Christmas

Chapter 3

It was after dinner,all the kids were asleep in their rooms, and the adults had assembled in the main room. The lodge was massive, easily big enough for them all and with private spaces around the outside of the building with their own courtyards and balconies, a large open plan great room with fireplace and kitchen, and it was perfect for this large group.

A massive twelve-foot Norway Spruce sat in the centre of the room, decorated in white twinkly lights and baubles. When they had arrived, each family had hung a bauble with their name on it and the year as a memory for this Christmas together.

Celeste was sitting in an armchair on Zin’s lap, her favourite place to enjoy the chatter and the amazing hot chocolate that the resort had provided, when the conversation turned to the following day. Two days until Christmas and she was living her best life, the dogs curled up fast asleep near the floor to ceiling windows that afforded a magnificent view of the mountain and the falling snow, a crackling wood fire made everything seem so cosy and kept her warm.

“What about you, Zin, you fancy trying that trail on the south side of the mountain?” K turned to Zin, waiting for his answer.

Celeste knew he wanted to go, she also knew he would say no because he wouldn’t want to leave her, but she wouldn’t be the reason he didn’t do the things he wanted. He had earned the right to enjoy himself. “He’d love to.”

Zin gave her a gentle squeeze, and she looked up at his frown. “You should go, it will be fun, and I have a few more gifts to get so I’ll potter around the resort shop and maybe relax and get a pedicure at the spa with Roz.”

“Are you sure? I don’t like leaving you.”

The worry etched lines into his forehead, and she reached up and ran her thumb over them, smoothing them away. “Yes, go bond with my brother.”

“I might go along too if you don’t mind?” Will turned to Aubrey. “You fancy it?”

Aubrey grinned and nodded. “Sure, sounds like fun. Is it a black diamond?”

K shook his head. “No, just a black but it’s tricky to get to, probably a three-mile hike.”

Aubrey shrugged as Will grinned. “Sounds fun.”

“That’s settled then. You four go do your thing.” Celeste knew Zin would try and back out of it later. Not because he didn’t want to go but because he hated to leave her, especially now. She had no intention of letting him, though. “Roz, you want to hang out and go to the spa and do some shopping?”

Roz gave her a withering look. “Do I have a choice?”

“No, not really, and we can take the girls to get manicures.”

“Fine, we can do that, but not too much shopping.”

Roz was not your average girlie girl. Although she was a knockout and dressed the part, she was also the head of a secret group of female assassins which meant she’d rather stay home and clean her gun than shop. Celeste loved her to bits, and after a slightly hairy start where Roz had mostly barked at her and threatened her life every other sentence, they were now as close as sisters.

Which was just as well because they were sisters-in-law with Roz married to her brother and her engaged to Zin. Roz had it tough growing up, but she had protected the man Celeste loved as much as humanly possible, and for that alone Celeste would love her forever.

“What about the rest of you? What are you all doing?” Celeste could feel Zin’s hand on her back, his hand rubbing soothingly, his other hand resting on her thigh, his thumb moving in a slow circle that made her squirm slightly in his lap. She tried to listen as the others mentioned their plans. Zack and Ava were taking the kids on the green slopes to learn to ski, Nate and Skye were going too, as was Smithy and Mateo. Lucy and Jace were going to go into the main town to look around. Drew and Mara, who had only put in appearance an hour ago, were taking the lift up to the red slopes.

“I might come with you guys if that’s okay?” Lizzie interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes, absolutely.”

The feel of Zin’s erection pressing into her butt was making her body tingle with desire, and she fought the urge to wriggle as he held her still with a squeeze of her thigh.

Lucy smothered a yawn, and soon she and Jace were turning in, giving her the perfect excuse to make her escape with her sexy man.

“We should turn in too. My feet are aching and I need my bed.”

Zin was on his feet in a second, going into full-on protective mode as he clicked his fingers, and the dogs came running towards him so he could let them out one last time. When that was taken care of, they returned to the beds set up by the fire in the great room and put themselves to bed. They said good night and they arranged to see everyone at breakfast around eight am.

When they made it to their room, Zin closed and locked their door, but before he could speak, Celeste turned and pushed him lightly against the door as she fell to her knees in front of him. Looking up she saw the hard edge of hunger glitter in his eyes as she grasped the zipper of his jeans and drew it down slowly, before flicking the button open and tugging both his jeans and boxers down his muscular legs.

“Pixie.” The single word was both a prayer and a warning.

“Let me take care of you for a change. I’ve thought about this all day.”

His hands caressed her hair, and she leaned into the tender touch as her hand enclosed the hard length of him and stroked slowly. His hiss of approval when she took him in her mouth made her bob her head lower, taking more of him as she stroked the base. His hand fisted in her hair, the bite he knew she liked making her wet for him. The taste of this man was like every aphrodisiac known to man. His scent surrounded her, the body wash he used, the musky aroma of his arousal as she pleasured him.