Holidays are Hell

Jill shuddered as his hands slid around her waist to her back before dropping down to cup her bottom. Gasping, she rose up on tiptoe as he cupped her there and drew her tight against his body under the coat. His jeans brushed erotically against the naked flesh of her legs and hips and the cotton of his shirt rubbed softly across her breasts, making her nipples tingle. Moaning under the erotic assault, she clutched at his shirt front as his tongue urged her lips apart and slid between them.

Shivering as desire rippled through her, Jill slid her arms around his waist under the coat. Then she let her own hands drop down to his bottom and urged him harder against her, unable to stop her hips from undulating against him.

Nick groaned and ground harder still, then slid one leg between both of hers, forcing a gasp from her lips as his cloth-covered thigh rubbed against her.

"Get a room."

The muttered comment was John Heathcliffe's as he passed them to enter the alley. Jill recognized his voice and instinctively started to pull away from Nick. Seeming to realize that she was about to end their kiss and unintentionally reveal his face, Nick rubbed his thigh against her more firmly, then slid one hand to her breast and squeezed gently to recapture her attention. It worked. His touch drove all thought of others from her head and drew a moan from her throat as she arched into both caresses.

Nick smelled and tasted so good and he felt wonderful, his body taunting hers from beneath his clothes. Jill forgot where they were and that they were hiding from anyone and wished they were both naked without barriers between them. She'd waited so long for this kiss… And she'd been wrong, her fantasies hadn't been better. No fantasy could live up to this molten heat and passion. The man was on fire, burning her up with his kisses and caresses. It made her wish they were alone somewhere, that she was herself and they were both naked without his clothes between them.

"Mommy, why is that lady naked?"

"Never mind, Virginia. Don't look. Come on."

Jill heard the exchange, but it didn't really register until an excited stir erupted around them and Nick suddenly stiffened and drew away to peer down with shock.

Dread suddenly a stone in the pit of her stomach, Jill tore her gaze from his to glance down at herself. Much to her horror, she'd somehow shifted back to herself and now stood there on the street, naked for all to see. And they were all seeing. Several people were now yelling, others laughing, and still others just gawking at her.

Nick's mind was acting more quickly than hers. Jill didn't notice his releasing her and shrugging out of his coat. She was still staring stupidly down at herself when he suddenly forced her arms into the coat, and drew it closed around her. In the next moment they were weaving their way through and around groups and couples, then Nick suddenly tugged on her hand and they headed down a side street.

"Where are we going?" Jill gasped, struggling to keep her feet.

"The parking lot. My car's there," he said.

Jill glanced anxiously behind them. At first she thought they'd given John the slip by veering down this road, but then she heard an alarmed cry and saw a lady stumble into the street and her gaze narrowed on where the woman had come from. Sure enough, John's head popped briefly into view.

"He's still behind us," she told Nick, wondering why she wasn't out of breath. Jill wasn't the most athletic person. Her life revolved around her shop for the most part and she spent a lot of hours there, leaving very little time for other things, including exercise, yet this race wasn't leaving her breathless as she knew it probably should.

Another cry drew her gaze over her shoulder and alarm raced through her as she realized John was gaining on them. The problem was that Nick was trying to avoid people, weaving through the crowds to avoid jostling anyone. John, on the other hand, was charging through the crowd like a football player, sending people stumbling and sprawling in his wake. He'd soon catch them at this rate.

"He's gaining on us," she gasped to Nick and he suddenly veered to the left, dragging her through the door of a store.

"Can I help you?" a clerk asked as they charged past.

"Just looking," Nick called out before dragging Jill behind a rack of sunglasses. He stopped so abruptly then, Jill nearly knocked them both over slamming into him.

"Do you see him?" she asked as Nick stuck his head around the rack and peered toward the front of the store. "Did we lose him?"

"I'm not sure, he—There he is," he interrupted himself and eased back a bit to make himself less conspicuous as he watched the front window of the store.

"What's he doing?" Jill asked anxiously.

"He's stopped on the sidewalk out front," Nick said, a frown tightening his lips as he watched. "He's looking around the street."

"He must realize we ducked into a store," Jill said with a sigh.

"Yes, but he doesn't know which one."