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I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true oh
All I want for Christmas is you
Mariah Carey
December 2009
The snow crunched softly under Cameron’s boots as she wandered out into the Evans family’s backyard. The Evanses’ annual Christmas Eve party was in full swing in the house but Cam needed a few minutes to herself. She’d spoken to her family an hour earlier as they got ready to head down to Rockefeller Center to gawk at the huge tree then walk over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for midnight Mass. Although she was right where she wanted to be – with the love of her life – she couldn’t help but miss her people and the traditions that were so very much a part of a Kennedy family Christmas.
She stopped in front of the picnic table and brushed some snow off one of the benches. With a sigh, she sank down onto the cleared space then turned her face up toward the chilly night sky. It was really beautiful here in Sudbury. The sky was clear and cloudless, allowing her to see all the bright, twinkling stars. The weather was cold but not uncomfortably so. It had stopped snowing a few hours earlier but it had been enough to give the Evans family the white Christmas they’d been hoping for. Cam had never been a huge fan of snow but she got a kick out of how excited Chris, Scott, Lisa and the rest had been to see their lawn and backyard blanketed in the stuff. She even let herself be dragged out to the front yard to participate in a short but hotly contested snowball war. Yes, it was beautiful here and it was fun to participate in the Evans family’s Christmas traditions but she really missed her family and, oddly enough, it made her feel like she was being disloyal to her new family. Because they were. The Evanses were now her family. She smiled at the thought.
Cam’s reverie was interrupted by the banging of the back door screen. She looked over towards the porch and saw Chris coming her way, a smile on his gorgeous face and two steaming mugs in his hands. “Hey,” he said as he stopped in front of her and handed her a mug. She took an appreciative sniff of its contents – mmm, rich, dark hot chocolate with whipped cream – as Chris cleaned off a spot next to her on the bench and sat down. “I saw when you went and grabbed your coat but then I got sidetracked by my aunt. Figured you came out here so I thought I’d come keep you company.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “You’re missing your family, huh?”
She gave him a rueful smile. “You know me too well, Christopher Robert.” She took a sip from her mug. “I hope I didn’t turn into a wet blanket or anything in there,” she said. Chris shook his head as he motioned for her to go on. “It’s just…well, I’ve always made it home for Christmas from wherever in the world I happened to be.” She paused and took another sip. “Always,” she said softly.
Chris tunneled his hand under Cameron’s thick, jet black hair and wrapped his long fingers around the back of her neck. He gently pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers. Within seconds, Cameron opened her mouth under his and Chris didn’t waste any time deepening the kiss until they were both moaning in pleasure. Long, lovely minutes later, Chris broke the kiss then trailed his lips across her cheek and over to her ear. “I know how hard it is to miss your family during a holiday, sweetheart,” he whispered. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you giving up being with your family to be here with me and mine. I can’t imagine not having you with me during our first Christmas as a couple.” He smiled then kissed the shell of her ear. He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “We’re together now, we really are a couple. I still want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not having a very vivid dream or hallucinating or something.” He paused as she huffed out a small laugh. “But now that we’re together, well, the fun of divvying up the holidays begins. It’s probably one of the biggest pitfalls of being in love with someone whose family doesn’t live in the same city, state, or country as their partner’s people.” He kissed her temple as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tightly into his side. They sat in companionable silence as they sipped their hot chocolate.
“Chris?”
“Hmmm?”
“You’re going to think I’m crazy…”
“Babe, that ship sailed years ago.”
“You are such a dick, Evans,” she said with a chuckle.
“But I’m your dick, sweetie.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, you’re going to think I’m crazy but I’ve actually been feeling disloyal to your family because I’ve been missing mine.”
Chris did a double take. “Say again?”
“I know, I know, it sounds nuts but there you have it.” Her Irish brogue, which had finally receded in the last day or so, made a quick appearance then vanished again, much to Chris’ disappointment. “Your family has been nothing short of wonderful to me so when I quietly mope about how much I miss my people, I feel like I’m, I don’t know, tossing the amazing Evans hospitality back in everyone’s faces.”
Chris shook his head. “First of all, you are crazy but that’s nothing I didn’t already know. Second of all, you are allowed to miss your family as much as you want, especially since this is your first Christmas away from them. My family knows that, which might explain why they’ve been extra lovey dovey to you over the past couple of weeks. Third of all, my family’s been head over heels in love with you from the moment they met you…kinda like I was…and still am. So stop making yourself nuts over this. You haven’t been disloyal to anyone, not your people or mine. Got it?”
Cameron smiled. She knew Chris would both understand and blow all her worries right out of the water. He had always been good that way. He got her, just the way she always got him. It was one of the things that always made them work so well together, as friends and now as a couple. She leaned over and gave Chris a quick kiss. “Got it.” She kissed him again. “So, a ghra, are you excited about spending your first New Year’s in Ireland?”
“Seriously excited. It will be kind of weird, though, ringing in the new year five hours ahead of everyone here.”
Cam shrugged and drank more of her hot chocolate. “You’ll get used to it, I suppose.”
Chris nodded then drained his mug and set it aside. He watched as Cam finished hers then took her mug and put it next to his. “I guess next year, we’ll spend Christmas with your family in Dublin and be here for New Year’s.” He wrapped both arms around Cam and pulled her onto his lap. She giggled as she looped her arms around his broad shoulders.
“That will most likely be the plan, a ghra, unless your family is willing to spend the holidays in Ireland. I can make that happen, you know. I know someone with a private jet…”
Chris grinned at her. “You’d be willing to fly my family to Ireland? Seriously?”
“Sure,” she said, really warming up to the idea. “We own a ton of land just outside of Dublin and my paternal grandparents, my parents, and I all have fairly large houses built on that land. Your family would have a place to stay and plenty of room to roam around. And you and I wouldn’t have to be apart from our families at all yet still find time – and plenty of places – to be alone. Huh,” she said with a rueful grin, “some genius I am – I could have set that up for this year!”
Chris laughed and shook his head. “I’m kind of liking the way this holiday worked out, babe. You coming to me was a huge and welcomed surprise and made your declaration to me that much sweeter. And our being able to get away by ourselves for a couple of days – well, those are memories I’ll carry with me to the grave.” He kissed her cheek.
Cam snuggled deeper into Chris’ warm embrace. “Me too,” she said shyly. She was still pretty awestruck over the fact that she’d finally lost her virginity to the one man she’d always fantasized about…the one man she’d always loved. “Chris?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“I…I have a present for you. I have a bunch of stuff for you under the tree, of course, but there’s something special I wanted to give you while we were alone. May I, or do you want to wait until midnight, when it’s officially Christmas?”
“Well, we wouldn’t be able to do it then since we’re going to be sitting in church for midnight Mass.”
Surprised, Cam pulled away from him slightly. “Midnight Mass? You’re going to take me to Mass?”
Chris nodded. “Isn’t that what you always do on Christmas Eve? Attend midnight Mass?”
“Yes, but…well, you don’t really go to church anymore so I wasn’t going to make a big deal of it.”
He shrugged. “You know I was raised Catholic, just like you. I know that you’re not the overly strict type of Catholic but you do attend Mass fairly regularly and I thought it might be nice if I went with you when you go.”
“You would do that for me?” she whispered.
“Sweetheart, there’s very little I wouldn’t do for you. I love you – remember?”
Cam grinned as she cupped his cheek in her gloved hand and leaned in to give him a gentle kiss. “I love you, too, Chris, so much.” She kissed him again then pulled away and said, “So, I guess that means you get your gift now.” She got off his lap as she pulled her left glove off and reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out a small box wrapped in deep red paper with a sheer gold ribbon around it. Instead of sitting down next to him, she stood between his legs and offered him the gift. “I saw this and I knew you should have it. It’s exquisite, just like you. I love you, Christopher.”
Chris took the box from her with a shaking hand. He recognized the color of the wrapping paper. He knew that whatever was in that little box had a very, very big price tag. He held the box for a moment, staring at it, then he looked up at her. She was watching him nervously. He gave her a small smile then went to work unwrapping the box. It was just as he suspected: the gift was from Cartier. He held his breath as he opened the box then exhaled sharply. Nestled in a bed of white velvet was the most stunning watch he’d ever seen. It had a pink gold band with a chocolate brown face. He carefully pulled it out of the box and marveled at the weight of it then suddenly realized why it was heavy. This watch was solid gold. He looked back up at Cam, shock written on his face. “Cameron…?” he said hoarsely.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and back again. “That’s a Calibre de Cartier watch, honey. One of the finest they make. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I know you don’t have anything like it, but I felt that you should.” At this, Chris arched an eyebrow; he loved a good watch but the thought of going out and buying one like this that was probably upwards of forty thousand dollars really hadn’t crossed his mind – ever. He smiled as Cam nervously continued, “Every man should have at least one really fine watch in his lifetime. This thing should last you next to forever.” She stopped abruptly, aware that she was babbling. She was suddenly terrified that Chris wouldn’t accept so extravagant a gift. He was no fool; he had to know the watch he held had cost tens of thousands of dollars. Money extremely well spent, as far as Cameron was concerned. She crouched down in front of him and said, her voice barely above a whisper, “Do you like it, Chris?”
“Cameron, honey, this is…wow…I can’t get over how beautiful this watch is. I mean, it pales in comparison to the woman who gave it to me but, yes, I like it. I love it, actually. This is amazing, Cam, absolutely amazing.” He reached out to cup her cheek with his free hand. “Thank you, baby, so much. I will wear this with love and pride, always.” He leaned forward and gave Cam a long, loving kiss. When he finally pulled away, he said, “I have something for you, too. Come sit next to me.”
He waited until she was seated then removed the watch he was wearing, set it in the Cartier box then placed his new watch on his wrist. He admired it for a long moment, enjoying the way the moonlight and the snow on the ground made the watch appear to glow. He looked at Cam, a huge smile gracing his handsome face. Cam released a quiet sigh of relief. Chris chuckled. “Honestly, honey, did you think I wouldn’t like it?”
“No, no, it’s just that, well, I was afraid you wouldn’t accept it. You know, because it’s expensive. Even though you know that I can more than afford it.”
“I know it’s expensive, babe, and of course I know you can more than afford it but you gave this to me out of love, not out of a need to be extravagant with me or to show off to me, so of course I was going to accept it. Thank you again, sweetheart, I really love it.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss then straightened and said, “My turn.” He turned slightly and put the watch box and the wrapping paper on the table then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. He shifted on the bench so he could face Cam. He watched as her gaze drifted down to his hands and smiled when he saw her eyes widen when she caught sight of the box. She looked back up at him, startled. “Babe, you know you are my whole world, don’t you?” He paused as she nodded slowly. “I know it’s too soon for us to talk about planning a wedding or even getting engaged but, I got this for you as a symbol of my love, my fidelity, my desire for you…and my utterly caveman need for everyone to know that you are mine and mine alone.” With his thumb, he popped open the little box. Cameron gasped.
Sitting against the black velvet was one of the most beautiful and unusual rings Cameron had ever seen. It was a diamond band with oval cut-outs through which was woven a thinner band of what looked like sapphires at first glance, but what she soon realized were Alexandrite stones – Chris’ and her birthstone. The ring sparkled in the bright moonlight and it seemed almost ethereal. Cam looked up at an anxious-looking Chris. “Chris, ba mhaith liom a bheith onóir a chaitheamh an fáinne exquisite. Tá sé foirfe, mo ghrá, go hiomlán foirfe. Go raibh maith agat, go raibh maith agat an méid sin!” she said softly, not even realizing she was speaking to him in her native Irish.
Chris shook his head and grinned. “I’m going to assume you said you liked it and I think I caught a couple of thank yous in there.”
Cam gave him a puzzled look then rolled her eyes in amusement. “I spoke in Irish again, didn’t I?” Chris nodded. “Sorry, a ghra, I was just so blown away by this ring. Translation: I would be honored to wear this exquisite ring. It's perfect, my love, absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you so much!” She extended her trembling left hand towards him. “Will you put it on me, my love?”
Chris pulled the ring out of the box then hesitated. “Babe, are you sure you want to wear it on your left ring finger? People might start asking questions…”
“Let ‘em,” she replied cheerfully. “As far as I’m concerned, this is kind of like a promise ring, to be replaced only by an equally exquisite engagement ring.” She looked Chris in the eye, one perfect eyebrow arched high. “Right?”
He grinned as he slid the ring home. “Absolutely right, my love.” He leaned forward and captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss as she wound her arms around his shoulders. A few moments later, they broke the kiss but remained in each other’s arms, holding tightly to one another. Cameron lifted her left hand and stared at her ring over Chris’ shoulder. It was these kind of beautifully romantic gestures that reminded Cameron that the long wait to be together made what they had now deeper, richer, more solid than anything they could have ever imagined before. “I love you, Chris. Merry Christmas.”
“I love you, too, Cameron. Merry Christmas.”
It took a couple of hours but we finally got anyone who wasn’t already staying over out of the house. When I told my mom that I was going to help Cameron honor one of her family’s traditions and take her to midnight Mass, Ma decided that she, Scott, and my sisters should go as well. Everyone was up for the idea, and Carly talked her husband into it, saying that midnight Mass would be a nice experience for their daughter, Alyssa. Needless to say, Cam was beyond touched when I told her that my family was joining us. I knew how badly she’s been missing her people but hearing that my family was going with us really lit her up. So, we managed to empty out the house, save for those relatives who were staying with us. They decided to continue the party down in the basement.
At eleven p.m., I stood at the bottom of the stairs as I waited for Cam, my mom, and Shana to come down. Carly and her family and Scott were already in the living room. I straightened my tie for what had to be the tenth time since I put it on and I checked the gorgeous watch Cam gave me. I still couldn’t believe it. Scott almost had a stroke when I showed it to him. He recognized it immediately and gave me a big grin. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea to insure that bad boy, big bro,” he’d said with a laugh. Jesus, I knew this thing was super expensive, but it’s Cam’s money and she looked so damn happy when she gave it to me and saw my reaction to it. I love it; it’s unbelievably cool to own a solid gold watch. This thing will be on my wrist for every special occasion I’ve got coming up. I know Cameron will get a kick out of that.
“Admiring your gift again?” Scott asked as he came up behind me.
“I can hardly take my eyes off of it,” I answered. “It’s really beautiful. I still can’t believe she got it for me.”
“She loves you, bro. I’m sure she was just as blown away by your gift.”
I smiled at the memory of Cam’s reaction to the ring I gave her. She was blown away. “Yeah, it certainly wasn’t something she was expecting.”
Scott smiled. “Those are the best sort of gifts.” He checked his own watch then said to me, with a laugh, “The womenfolk are taking their sweet time, aren’t they?” I just rolled my eyes. A moment later, we heard voices and looked up. Mom was making her way down the stairs with Shana just behind her and Cameron bringing up the rear. My mouth dropped open when I saw Cam. She looked amazing, as always, but she also looked totally different than I expected. She had on a forest green coat and dress combination which she wore with a wide black belt. On her head she wore a pillbox hat in the same green as her coat and draped over her left shoulder was a plaid shawl, which was held in place by an ornamental pin on her shoulder while the ends of the shawl were held against her body by the belt. Her hair was pulled back. When she met me at the bottom of the stairs, she gave me a bright smile and said, quietly, “Do close your mouth, a ghra, you’ll catch flies like that.” She leaned up and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. She then cocked her eyebrow and asked me, “Why do you seem, I don’t know, surprised by what I’m wearing?”
“Well, for one thing, I’m not used to seeing you wear a hat like that.”
“It’s tradition; all the women in my family wear a hat to church, always. A holdover from the ‘old country,’ if you will.” She shrugged. “I prefer this style of hat, along with a fedora. You should see what some of the ladies in my clan wear. Yipes!” We both laughed.
I trailed my hand along the plaid shawl. “And this?”
Her smile now turned to one of pride. “This is the Kennedy family tartan, my good son. Another tradition among the women in my family. This is especially meaningful to me tonight, since I’m not with them.” She gave me another quick kiss. “You’ll get used to it, love. My family is huge on tradition.”
We arrived at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Cam’s rental car, while the rest of the family rode in Scott’s and Ma’s cars. It was a good thing we arrived when we did – the parking lot was almost completely full already. We found spots relatively close to each other, met in the middle of the parking lot and walked to the church as a group, Cam, my mom, and I leading the way.
The parishioners were being greeted at the door by my family’s old friend and favorite priest, Father Joseph McDonald. The priest’s eyes widened when he saw us come up the walk. “Christopher! This is a most welcomed surprise!” he said, his voice colored by a lively Irish brogue similar to Liam Kennedy’s. Cam ducked her head to hide her smile as she bumped my shoulder with hers. I had neglected to tell her the good Father had a fairly heavy brogue. Father McDonald gave my outstretched hand a hearty shake. “Welcome back, son. Good to see you. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Father Joe, it’s good to see you too. Please let me introduce you to my girlfriend…”
“Cameron Elyse Kennedy!” Father Joe exclaimed. I grinned; I wasn’t used to hearing Cam addressed by her full name. “This is truly a pleasure and an honor, lass. I’ve been following your career since you were a wee girl.” He shook Cam’s hand then kept it in his as he said with a grin, “I almost can’t believe I’m about to do this, but I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t take advantage of having you in my church for midnight Mass. May I be so bold as to ask you to favor my congregation with a song or two this night?”
Cameron smiled. She didn’t seem surprised by the request. I guess she’s used to getting such requests from her parish priest. “Father, it would be my pleasure and honor. Anything in particular you’d like to hear?” To my utter delight, Cameron’s brogue reappeared as she spoke to Father Joe. As far as I’m concerned, Cam is sexy all the time but there is something about that brogue of hers that just melts my insides.
“Well, this is going to be a big surprise to the choir so why don’t you go inside and find the choir master, Peter O’Shea, and tell him that I asked you to sing. You two can decide amongst yourselves and he can signal you when it’s time to join the choir. I’ll see to it that Christopher and his family get good seats so you won’t be too far from the front.”
“Sounds like a plan, Father.” She turned to me and my family. “If you’ll all excuse me, then. I’ll join you shortly.” She raised her gloved hand to caress my cheek before leaning up to give me a soft kiss. “See you inside, a ghra. Love you.”
I kissed her back. “Love you, too, sweetheart.” She gave me a wink then smiled at Father Joe and disappeared into the church.
“You’re a very lucky man, Christopher. She’s absolutely lovely…and she’s Irish. You’ve hit the jackpot, my son!” Everyone laughed. “So, what are your plans? Is there a wedding in the near future?”
I smiled and shook my head. “There will be a wedding, Father Joe, but that’s a ways down the road.”
“Well, you just make sure you do right by that young woman. She’s rather spectacular.”
“Yes, she is,” I answered with a big grin.
Father Joe nodded and turned to greet my mom and the rest. When he’d said hello to everyone, he waved over one of the ushers who was hovering just inside the church doors and told the man, “Make sure you get the Evanses as close to the front of the church as you can, Donald, if you please.”
“I’ll do my best, Father Joe,” Donald said as he turned to smile at Mom. “Good to see you, Mrs. Evans. If you and your family would follow me, please?”
Ten minutes later, Cameron walked up the aisle and came to a stop at the pew Donald had managed to stuff us into. “Well,” she said to me, “you guys must rate. The choir master said these pews close to the front are usually reserved for the glitterati of the community, not that you guys don’t fit that description.”
I stood up and stepped out into the aisle to let Cameron into the pew to sit between me and Mom. “I’m guessing you’re the first Academy Award winner they’ve ever had at midnight Mass so it’s really your clout that got us this close,” I replied with a smirk. Cam just rolled her eyes and sat down. I took my place next to her and immediately took her hand in mine. When she’s close to me, I have to touch her. I simply have to. “So,” I said, leaning into her, “what are you going to sing?”
“You’ll hear soon enough.”
“Wench.”
“Love you, too, Chris.”
Fifteen minutes or so into the Mass, I felt Cam nudge me with her elbow. I looked at her and she nodded her head toward the choir. She’d gotten the signal to come up. I stood and let her out of the pew as the choirmaster, Mr. O’Shea, said to the congregation, “We are honored to have a special guest sing with us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Cameron Kennedy.” There was a surprised gasp from the parishioners then thunderous applause as Cam walked up to the front of the church, genuflected in front of the altar then stepped over to stand in front of the microphone Mr. O’Shea set up for her. She took a moment to take a few deep breaths then she nodded to Mr. O’Shea who, in turn, nodded to his choir and the musicians that sat off to the side of the choir in the large chancel.
The choir began to hum softly then Cameron’s silky voice came in. She was singing “Silent Night” but not in English. As a surprise for Father McDonald – and for us – she chose to sing it in her native Irish. Cam didn’t often sing in her native tongue but when she did, she sounded…exotic, I guess; different from the flirty, funny singer I’d grown accustomed to.
When the song was over, a profound silence settled over the church then Father Joe slowly rose from his seat behind the altar and began to applaud. The congregation immediately followed his lead, standing up and giving Cameron and the choir a huge ovation. Cam stepped away from the microphone and dropped into the deep curtsey that she always gave her audience when she performed. She bowed her head and held her right hand over her heart, her way of acknowledging how much her audiences always meant to her. It was a truly lovely gesture on her part, one that I found so endearing.
In our pew, every member of my family alternated between applauding wildly and wiping their eyes. I just let my tears stream down my face. I was so proud of my Cameron. She really knew how to knock an audience dead. Besides, her music always moved me, especially the serious stuff. And how much did I love that she sang in Irish? If Father Joe wasn’t already a fan, he’d certainly be completely devoted to her after that performance.
Cam nodded to Mr. O’Shea and the choir and musicians then left the chancel. She waved to Father Joe, genuflected then headed back up the aisle towards our pew as the congregation continued to applaud. When she reached me, I stepped out and impulsively slipped my arms around her waist and gave her a tight hug. We held each other for a moment then I kissed her cheek and let her go. She preceded me into pew and we sat down. Only then did the applause die down and the congregation took their seats.
Father Joe, clearly moved by what he’d just heard, wiped his eyes with the hanky he apparently had stuffed in the sleeve of his vestments. He stepped up to his microphone and said, “We were truly blessed tonight. Thank you, Cameron. That was lovely. And it was in Irish!” he said with a chuckle. The congregation gave a brief round of applause then settled back to hear the readings.
Cameron leaned over to me and whispered, “Were you crying, Chris?”
I nodded as I tightened my hand around hers. “We all were,” I whispered back. “That was really beautiful. ‘Silent Night’ sounds amazing in Irish. Father Joe grinned like a fiend through the whole thing.”
Cam chuckled softly. “That must have been a sight.” She pressed a kiss to my jaw then lifted our joined hands and kissed the back of mine. “Is breá liom tú le mo chroí go, Chris,” she whispered as she laid her head on my shoulder. I smiled. For once, I actually understood what she’d said. I’d heard her parents say that to each other quite often and had asked Cam to translate the phrase for me. I love you with all my heart.
“Is breá liom tú níos mó, Cameron,” I murmured as I kissed the top of her head. I love you more. I got her brother Jeremy to teach me that when I spoke to him on the phone a few days ago. It was totally worth it to see the way Cam smiled when she heard me say it.
After the homily and communion were done, Mr. O’Shea signaled to Cameron again. She nodded then asked me to let her out of the pew. As she passed me, she whispered, “This one’s for you, a ghra.” She went back to her place with the choir. Moments later, the opening strains of “O Holy Night,” our favorite Christmas carol, were played. I saw her seek me out in the crowd. When she caught my eye, she sent me a beautiful smile that was for me alone. I blew her a kiss in acknowledgment.
Cameron killed that song. I’ve heard her do “O Holy Night” many times before but this was truly her best rendition of it. She hit her two big high notes perfectly, her left hand grasping the microphone while her right hand wrapped around the mic stand. The beautiful ring I gave her sparkled under the lights. As usual, the love of my life moved me to tears. When the song ended and her amazing voice echoed throughout the church, silence once again reigned but this time, instead of Father Joe leading the applause, it was my family who stood up and began to clap. I could see Cameron blink back her tears. This was something her own family would have done. She gave us a small wave then turned to the choirmaster, the choir and musicians and gave them a deep curtsey, then repeated the gesture to the congregation. When she stood up, she found Father Joe standing to her right. The priest stepped up to her and gave her a big hug, which she returned with a laugh. When she finally got back to us, I hugged her again and she wiped the tears from my cheeks with the backs of her fingers. She stepped into the pew and got a hug from my mother, who also had tears running down her cheeks.
“Oh, Cam, you were wonderful up there!” my mom gushed.
“Thanks, Mama.” Cam kissed both of Mom’s cheeks, waved at the rest of the family then did a full circle as she waved to the still applauding congregation. As she sat down, I slipped my arm around her waist and said in her ear, “I can’t wait to get you home.”
Cam blushed furiously and whispered back, “Good Lord, Christopher, we’re in church. Behave yourself!”
“Around you, my love, never!”
When the Evanses got home after Mass, they decided to turn in. They would all have to get up bright and early anyway so Alyssa, who was still little enough to believe in Santa Claus, could be the first to dive under the tree. Everyone said goodnight after lots of hugs and kisses and some not so subtle ribbing for Chris and Cam from Scott. Chris and Cameron drifted into the living room where they shared a drink then a long, dreamy kiss in front of the Christmas tree. Eventually, they headed upstairs to his bedroom, into which Cam had been moved by Lisa and Scott while she’d been at the Boston Harbor Hotel with Chris. Cam had turned beet red when they got home Christmas Eve morning and Lisa announced, in front of God and country, that Cam’s stuff was now in Chris’ room because, honestly, it’s not like no one knew what had gone on while they were away. Chris had simply taken everything in stride and said, “Great, saves me the trouble of doing it.” Cam had just nodded, her face still aflame.
They reached his room and Chris pushed the door open, stepping aside to let Cam pass him. He followed her in, shut the door and locked it. He turned and leaned against it as he watched her take her hat off and put it on the dresser. Next she undid her belt and unbuttoned her coat, her movements slow and deliberate. Chris grinned – the little minx was doing a striptease for him. He watched as she let the coat slip down her arms and drop to the floor. She made no move to pick it up, instead reaching up and back to get to the zipper on her dress. Chris stepped away from the door and came up behind her. “Let me do that, sweetheart,” he said softly, “but let me move your coat first.” He bent over and snagged her coat off the floor. He tossed it towards the wing chair that sat near the window. Moments later, his own suit jacket landed on top of her coat.
Chris brought his hands to either side of her waist and pulled her back towards him. He reached up and gently pulled out the pins that held her braided bun in place. He tossed the pins on his dresser then spent the next few minutes undoing Cam’s braid and running his hands through her thick, glossy hair, taking special care to trail his fingernails lightly over her scalp, delighting in the shivers he felt running through her. He swept her hair over her shoulder then reached for the zipper on her dress, pulling it down with agonizing slowness, placing kisses on every inch of skin he exposed until he finally reached the small of her back. He straightened then slid his hands under her dress and pushed it off her shoulders. The dress slithered down her body to land in a heap at her feet. He turned her around to face him and gasped. She was wearing a matching set of lacy undergarments that was designed to make even the most stoic of men insane with lust. “Jesus Christ, babe, you’re wearing a fucking garter belt,” he whispered hoarsely. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Now why would I want to do that?” she asked with an amused smirk. “I can’t fuck you blind if you’re dead, now can I?” She loved watching him get all worked up over the sexy things she wore under her clothes, all of which were brand new. No one but Chris could ever tempt her to wear, much less buy, the kinds of things she purchased at Victoria’s Secret last week.
“Oh, sweet Jesus, baby, you are so fucking hot,” he said as he leaned into her and captured her lips in the kind of hot, wet kiss he knew would bring her close to the edge. He kissed her until she was moaning and clutching handfuls of his suit vest and shirt. He pulled away and watched, mesmerized, as her full breasts heaved with every shuddering breath she took. He ran his hands over her shoulders, down past her collarbone to her beautiful breasts. He cupped their fullness in his palms and brushed his thumbs over her taut nipples, reveling in the gasps she emitted at the contact. He found the bra’s front clasp and deftly unhooked it, freeing the heavy globes and exposing them to his hungry eyes. “So beautiful,” he murmured as he removed her bra, “you are so perfect. So perfect and so mine.” He reached for her left hand and brought it up to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on the ring she wore, the ring he’d given her as a tangible symbol of the deep, deep love he felt for her. She smiled at him and caressed his cheek with her free hand.
Chris lowered himself to his knees. He pressed his face against Cam’s stomach and felt her hands come up to tangle in his hair. He kissed the soft skin on her tummy as he brought his hands around to the back of her legs and let them trail up her thighs until they cupped her shapely backside. He lowered his face until his lips hovered right above her womanhood. He could feel the wet heat coming from her, and, with a moan, he pressed a kiss to her mound.
Cam fought to stay upright when she felt Chris’ lips against her. She could feel how wet she was and knew that if he touched her there, just once, she would go right over the edge, she was that close from just his nearness and the feeling of his hot hands on her body. She also knew, instinctively, that Chris wouldn’t be satisfied with bringing her off just once. She was in for some good loving, and she feverishly hoped she would be able to meet him stroke for stroke. She didn’t want to disappoint this incredible, beautiful, and impossibly sexy man.
Chris pulled back far enough so he could look up and admire how staggeringly gorgeous Cameron was, standing there with her breasts bared and wearing those lacy panties, garter belt, sheer silk stockings, and high heels. Victoria’s Secret models had nothing on his angel. He watched as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. The gentle sway of her hips as she moved made him moan. She always moved with such grace – her background as a dancer influenced even the smallest movements she made. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that watching her dance was like an aphrodisiac to him – many of her performances, especially when she danced the tango, caused him to cross his legs until the evidence of his desire for her had passed. And he knew that she got a major charge out of the fact that she held that kind of power over him. Despite her innocence – and that had never been an act with her; she truly didn’t realize how sexy she was – she exuded a sexuality on stage and onscreen that was mesmerizing. You simply couldn’t take your eyes off her. And from the first moment he became aware of Cameron Kennedy’s existence, when he was just a teenager, he had never wanted to take his eyes off her. Who knew that, one day, his teenage fantasies would become such an amazing reality?
Unable to wait much longer, he reached for the garter belt and began unhooking the little straps from the stockings she wore. He fought against the urge to simply rip the rest of her clothes away and love her until they both couldn’t see straight, but he knew that she was still so new to all of this and he needed to take it slow with her. He wanted to make it good for her, for both of them. He eased the stockings down her legs then finally got rid of the garter belt. He hooked his fingers into her panties then, after pressing another kiss onto her mound, he removed them as well. Her womanly scent drifted to him, and he had to stop for a moment to regain control. Dear God, he needed to mate with this woman. The need was pounding through him, driving him perilously close to the edge, but he gathered his strength and found his patience.
When he had finally divested her of every stitch of clothing, including her shoes, he sat back on his heels and once again took in the wondrous sight she made. This was truly the most magnificent specimen of woman he’d ever seen. She was toned and tight, but she was also soft and curvy. Cameron was every inch a real woman, not the stick figures he’d become accustomed to seeing in the film industry. No, Cam had curves exactly where they belonged and he loved every single inch of her.
“You know,” came her sultry brogue from above him, “it just occurred to me that you have pretty much all your clothes on. We need to fix that, a ghra.” She reached down and grabbed his tie. She gently tugged on it until he was back on his feet. With her eyes staring into his, she undid his tie and tossed it aside then unbuttoned his vest, pulled his shirt out of his pants and went to work on undoing the buttons. A few moments later, his vest and shirt joined his tie on the floor. Now it was her turn to look at him to her heart’s content. God almighty, what a man. He rivaled anything that came out of any ancient Greek sculptor’s workshop. Although he often stated how much he hated going to the gym, he worked out enough – in his own way – to keep his body toned. Unless a film called for it, he didn’t go all out with his training but when he did, good God. She remembered seeing him briefly in Germany in 2006 – a rare occasion when they were both in the same place at the same time. He was filming Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and her tour was taking a swing through several German cities. They decided to capitalize on so rare an opportunity and have dinner together. She met him at his hotel and almost lost her balance as she walked towards him. He’d buffed up for his role as Johnny Storm – it was the first time she’d ever seen him like that in person – and he was just too hot for words. Now, three years later, his body had matured a bit more and he carried a little more weight on his frame…and he looked glorious.
Cameron trailed her hands across his shoulders and down his muscular arms, tracing his veins with the tips of her fingers. She moved her hands to his tiny waist – seriously, how unfair was it that he had that magnificent shoulder-to-waist ratio without even trying? – and slowly, deliberately smoothed her hands over his stomach and ribs, letting them come to rest against those impressive pecs that always made her knees weak and her mouth water. Without thinking, she leaned forward and ran her hot, open mouth along the skin where her hands had just been. She smiled when she felt rather than heard the moan that escaped her gorgeous beloved. She let her mouth linger over one of his nipples, her warm breath making it pucker. She heard his sharp intake of breath as her tongue darted out and licked his sensitive skin. He moaned again when she directed her attention to his other nipple.
Chris buried his hands in her hair as she dropped soft kisses along his collarbones. She kissed her way up the side of his neck to his jaw then worked up to his ear into which she whispered, “I know I haven’t seen very many naked male bodies – at least not up close and personal – but yours is…incredible. I almost can’t bear to look at you, Chris. You’re gorgeous, you’re perfect, and your beauty overwhelms me. I see the way you look at me and what is in your eyes when you do, and I think I finally understand how you feel,” she looked up into his amazing blue eyes, “because when I look at you, I feel it too.”
Cam pushed up on her toes to give Chris a gentle kiss as she moved her hands down to his waist again and unbuckled his belt. She fumbled with the button on his pants for a moment then let out a little sound of triumph when she finally got his pants undone. She pushed them and his boxers down past his hips in one swift move. His massive erection sprang free and they both moaned loudly. They looked at each other in surprise then burst out laughing. “Shhh,” he said with a chuckle as he toed his shoes off then stepped out of his pants and boxers and kicked them aside, “I don’t want my family to hear us!” He leaned down and pulled his socks off, tossing them onto the steadily growing pile of his clothes.
“You should’ve thought of that before you started revving both our engines, Evans!”
“God, I love it when you talk in euphemisms,” he said as he pushed her back against the wall next to his wardrobe. He took her mouth in a long, fierce, passionate kiss as he ground his erection against her. He lifted his mouth from hers and kissed his way down to her breasts. He nipped and teased at first one, then the other, then finally drew one of the taut nipples into his mouth. He laved it with his tongue then began to suck greedily. He heard her gasp and could feel her tossing her head back and forth as she cupped the back of his head with both hands and held him to her breast. She really liked having her breasts kissed and sucked. He pulled away from that breast and gave attention to its twin, all the while relishing her soft moans and the constant shudders that ran through her body. She was getting close to erupting; he could feel it.
After a few hot minutes, Cameron couldn’t take it anymore and she pushed him away from her breasts. “Please, Chris,” she whimpered, “please, take me now. Oh, baby, please don’t make me beg. Now, please, now!” She didn’t have to beg. He was beyond ready. His need was as great as hers. He kissed her again and slid his tongue past her lips as he nudged her legs apart and entered her with one hard thrust. He immediately began moving against her, stroking her faster and faster as Cameron struggled to keep pace. They were both frantic with need, their desire for one another a living, breathing thing.
“Oh, God, Chris, I’m close, I’m so close…” she gasped against his mouth.
“Christ, babe, I’m right with you. Oh, baby, you feel so fucking good. Oh, God, sweetheart, hold on, hold on, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna…” the rest was lost as a deep moan erupted from his mouth at the same time he exploded within her. Seconds later, the back of Cam’s head connected soundly with the wall as she went over the edge. Chris covered her mouth with his and swallowed her cries of ecstasy. They stood against the wall, intimately connected from head to toe, for many long moments. Gradually, Cameron felt herself come back to earth from her mind-numbing orgasm. Chris lifted his lips from hers and they stared at each other for a long moment.
“Damn,” she whispered. “Oh, damn.” She let her forehead rest against his as she fought to catch her breath.
“Yeah,” he said, his breath still coming in pants.
They stood together for a few more minutes, fighting to calm the frantic beating of their hearts. Chris gave Cam a soft kiss then slowly pulled out of her. He stepped over to the wardrobe, opened it and reached in to grab a small towel. He came back over to Cameron, who was still leaning against the wall as though her life depended on it, and knelt down in front of her. With infinite care, he cleaned her up. She watched him as he worked on her, tears gathering in her eyes. He’d gotten into the habit of doing that since their first time together. She was touched and grateful and so in love with him, she thought her heart would burst. When he looked up at her and smiled, she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “Thanks, baby. Just…thanks,” she said softly.
“My pleasure, sweetheart,” he answered quietly as he stood up and wiped himself off. He tossed the towel aside and took her in his arms. He gave her a long, slow kiss. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he kept her wrapped tightly in his arms. “Merry Christmas, Cameron,” he whispered against her shoulder. “My God, I love you. I’m so happy to have you in my life and to know that you’ll be in my life forever.”
Cam sniffled as she placed a soft kiss just under his ear. “Merry Christmas, a ghra. I love you, too. I will always be here, I will always be yours, just as I know you will always be mine.”
“Always,” he agreed softly. He pulled away from her slightly and smiled. “Let’s go to bed, sweetheart, and grab as much sleep as we can. Alyssa will probably have us all up at the crack of dawn.”
She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “I don’t blame her. I want to see what Father Christmas brought me, too!”
Chris smiled. “I’m standing right here.”
Cam chuckled as they moved over to the bed. “True. All I did want for Christmas this year was you.”