Breach of Honor by Naomi Porter

16 Will

ALONE IN MY bed Christmas morning sucked balls.

Last night after sharing a twelve pack of beer with Jason and shooting the shit until well after two in the morning, I had gone to bed with Miranda on my mind. No bloody Christmas miracle had occurred overnight. She wasn’t in my bed, and I had a morning erection with her name on it.

Fuck, I ached for her.

I pulled the covers back, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and sat there remembering her sweet kisses before I left her apartment.

“Just give me this one day to break the news to Lily,” she’d asked in her honeyed voice. Break. Miranda had emphasized the word when we were on the flight home from Carmel. As if moving in together was a ludicrous idea. When I had said as much, getting hot under the collar, Miranda had kissed me until I relaxed. She knew how to possess me with her delicious mouth.

I shifted on the bed, adjusting myself, willing my dick to shrink the hell down. I wouldn’t jerk off on Christmas morning… I wanted Miranda.

She had continued to reassure me on the flight. “I’m yours, Will. Try to understand. It’s like I’m breaking up with Lily. It’s been just the two of us for years. I need to let her down easy.” Then she pushed out her pouty lips and hypnotized me with her eyes, and I was done for.

Admittedly, spending two nights away from her wasn’t the crux of my troubled spirit. Up until this point, it had been only Miranda and me. No family. No friends. Moving in together would expose us to each other’s worlds. And mine had a lot more drama in it than I preferred.

Had I been impetuous asking her to move in after a month? Maybe. But I was falling in love with her. How could that happen seemingly overnight? It was insanity.

I’d asked myself how dozens of times, and I didn’t have an answer. It had to be the universe’s fault, and I wasn’t about to argue with an entity that had made me the happiest I’d ever been.

I shuffled to the bathroom to relieve myself and brush my teeth. I had two hours before I picked Miranda up, and I couldn’t wait to see her. Christmas with my family would be formal and elegant. My mother wouldn’t allow for less. As a kid, it had been rigid and boring: instrumental music, lavish desserts, minimal gifts. And to please my mother, I wore a suit.

Usually, I dreaded the holidays.

Not this time, though. Having Miranda with me would improve the experience tenfold.

“Shitty night’s sleep?” Jason snorted, putting his mug of coffee to his lips as I entered the kitchen.

I ignored him while I assembled my pod into the Keurig.

“We should’ve gone out last night. Could’ve had your pipes cleared.”

I shot him a pointed look. “Don’t be an ass.”

“I’m just saying. Since you returned from your little holiday, you’ve seemed, um, sexually frustrated. She suck in bed or something?”

I ground my teeth, controlling the frustration building inside me. “Why do you always have to be a slimy sleazeball?”

“Well, Mr. St. James, because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth like you. Some of us went to the school of hard sleazy knocks.” Jason drank his coffee. “If you didn’t want me here, you should have said something.”

Did I have to be such a jerk? And on Christmas no less.

I took my mug and sat at the table with him. “I’m sorry. But honestly, you cross the line too damn much. Miranda is off-limits. Don’t talk about her or lust after her. If you do, we’re going to have problems.”

“Whatever you say, sir.”

“Don’t be like that. She’s a nice person and deserves to be treated with respect.”

“I got it.” He waved me off. “Your newfound love life is new to me, but I’ll get used to it. I’m just going to miss whoring around with you.”

“I never whored around.”

“I suppose you didn’t but at least you played my wingman well.”

“Hey, I’ll always be your friend,” I assured Jason. “Just because I have Miranda in my life doesn’t mean our friendship is over.”

“Oh, yeah? Then why didn’t she stay here last night?”

I took a deep breath, feeling her absence. I missed her like crazy. “She wanted Christmas Eve with her friends.” I shrugged even though I understood why she had asked this of me. Our lives would be changing once she moved into my beach house. Still, it hurt like hell that I hadn’t been invited to their Christmas.

“Damn, that sucks, getting cut out like that so early in your relationship.”

I clenched my jaw, a smoldering of defensiveness taking root in my gut. “I wasn’t cut out. And it didn’t bother me. Miranda is entitled to her own friends.”

“Right. Keep telling yourself that. You’re jealous, and you know it.” Jason stood from his chair and proceeded to make another cup of coffee. “Women are nothing but trouble. They have ridiculous expectations and double standards. They’re nothing but a headache. You watch. If you want a night out with your friends, she’s going to cry foul.”

I drummed my fingers on the table. Jason didn’t know shit about anything, especially anything about Miranda. “I’m going to take a shower.” A long, scalding-hot shower. “Remember, my mother expects everyone to be there by one.”

“Yes, I know. This isn’t my first time at the grand St. James Christmas pageant.”

I rolled my eyes, walking out of the kitchen. That answered my question: Jason did have to be an ass.

Christmas at the St. James mansion would be an experience that would either put Miranda at ease or end us. I hoped to hell the festivities today didn’t end in disaster.

The sun warmed me as I strolled to her door in my mandatory suit. Maybe it would be an uneventful day, and I had nothing to worry about. At least every St. James was a well-bred, honorable person. The name required as much.

The standard had begun with my grandfather, William Howard St. James. He led by example, teaching my dad and Uncle Peter to be men of honor. In my family, respect was more valuable than money. Whether my grandfather had truly believed it or not was neither here nor there. He was a respected businessman and family man in the world of finance. And he expected nothing less from the rest of us.

I knocked on the door, listening for Miranda’s sweet voice, and when the door opened, I nearly wrapped Lily in my arms. “Oh, hi,” I said with a sheepish grin as I stepped back.

“Aww, Will almost kissed me,” Lily hollered over her shoulder.

My face heated. That was close. Calm the fuck down…

“Let’s save it for the mistletoe.” She winked, waving me in. “Please, come in.”

“Thank you.”

Lily certainly had spunk and pretty much left me speechless.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Miranda called. The sound of her voice excited me. I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. I exhaled, sticking my hands into the pockets of my dress pants, trying to contain my need for her.

On the white loveseat were Tate and Vivien, I assumed. I approached them. “Hi, I’m Will.”

“Tate and my wife, Viv.” Tate extended a hand as he stood. Miranda had told me Tate was tall with a basketball player’s physique. At least six four, I estimated. His dark bushy brows had not been mentioned.

“Good to meet you both.” We shook hands, and his firm grip surprised me. I’d liken it to a silent warning that I better not hurt Miranda. Noted. Wasn’t planning to.

Vivien flashed a full smile, raking her copper-brown eyes up and down me. Miranda had mentioned Vivien was biracial in passing and how she envied her golden skin and full lips. I didn’t see the draw; I loved my beauty’s fair skin and pouty lips.

“I see you’ve met Tate and Viv.” Miranda walked over to me in the reddress.

I gasped, all the air leaving my lungs.

She gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. You look…beautiful.”

She turned in a circle playfully. Her cleavage called to me, and my cock twitched. The red dress. It spurred sinful desires in me.

“Thank you! Let’s sit for a bit.” She took my hand, pulling me to the sofa. I preferred to take her to the bedroom and have our own private celebration.

“So…I hear you’re moving in together?” Lily asked, sitting beside Miranda. “I knew it was coming.”

“I think it’s too soon, personally,” Tate interjected. His wife nudged his shoulder.

“Tate’s old-fashioned in his sensibilities,” Viv said in a hypnotic British accent. “I, on the other hand, say live and let live.”

“Even I think moving in together after one month is fast, and I’m not straitlaced like Tate,” Lily stated, taking hold of Miranda’s hand. I sensed a stiff shift in the room as if I were a thief trying to steal a priceless porcelain doll.

“Hey, I just don’t see what the rush is. How much can you possibly know about each other after a month?” Tate questioned, a passionate quality in his voice.

Viv took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“What?” His eyes cut to hers, then to Miranda’s. “I know you, sweets. You never rush into this kind of thing. You’re thoughtful… careful.”

Sweets? Every muscle in my neck tensed. I was about to give Tate a piece of my mind when Miranda spoke.

“That’ll be enough, Tate. Us moving in together is not up for discussion. It’s a done deal. So, deal.” Miranda shot an unyielding glance at Tate and Lily. “I mean, it’s a done deal unless Will changes his mind.” Her sapphire eyes flashed up at me.

I couldn’t help myself; I cupped the back of her neck and reeled her in for a real kiss. Her mouth opened, welcoming my tongue, and the world around us faded away.

Tate cleared his throat several times, but I didn’t stop until Miranda pulled back. One thing I had learned during our trip was that Miranda wasn’t shy about PDA. She’d kiss me anywhere and in front of anyone.

Miranda bit down on my lower lip, then released it. “Whoa. That was nice.” She exhaled, fanning her face. I loved how her cheeks flushed when she was aroused. “I’ll expect more of that tonight,” she whispered. Damn, I was glad to hear there’d be more.

“Lucky you,” Lily grumbled, arms crossed. “It’s rude to kiss in front of those of us who are unattached.”

Tate chuckled. “Now who’s the fuddy-duddy?”

Lily stuck her tongue out and disappeared down the hallway.

It seemed the previous tension had dissipated, much to my relief. It felt like a glimpse of what might ensue at my parents’ home.

Miranda casually chatted with Tate and Viv, then Lily returned with her handbag. Topics changed quickly: New Year’s Eve, some wedding details for this weekend, and other business issues I knew nothing about. It seemed I was the fifth wheel.

But I liked watching Miranda with her friends and appreciated how she’d touch my knee or hold my hand. It helped me relax, especially when Tate’s gaze would narrow in my direction. I wasn’t sure what his beef was, but I guessed it had to do with a protectiveness he felt for Miranda. I couldn’t fault him for that.

“We should go. I don’t want to be late.” Miranda stood. “Are you going to ride with us?” she asked Lily.

“Nah, I’m taking my car so I can escape when I want.”

I cringed, hoping Miranda wouldn’t feel the need to flee with Lily.

My stomach twisted, and a sudden uneasiness passed over me. I couldn’t lose the one person who saw me and not my money. I could be real with her, authentic, and not keep my shield up.

Even so, it didn’t mean she would want the drama that sometimes invaded my world. Having York in Carmel revealed an unpleasant part of being a St. James, a life Miranda may not desire. I couldn’t say I’d blame her, but it would fucking crush me if I lost her.