Holly's Christmas Dom-Brieanna-final edit by Raven McAllan Page A

well as made her wet and excited. No soft and
gentle wooing. No flowers and candlelit dinners. More orgasm torture, nipple
clamps, and butt plugs. Macdonald Sutherland Hall wanted the lot. Immediately.
    And if I say yes, that's
it. No turning back. And I'm not sure I dare.
    Holly was scared. She'd fought long and hard to get
where she was, and she wasn't prepared to give it all up. She wanted a two-way
street, not a dead end. Whatever Mac had said in the past about partnerships
and trust, Holly was skeptical. His reputation went before him. But oh how she
hoped she'd have the guts to give it all a chance.
    "Earth to Holly." Carol poked her. "Your
ogler is approaching."
    Holly blinked. She'd been miles away, in her own
little world.
    "Incoming ogler at eight o'clock." Noel
smirked.
    "Sod off, Noel, or I'll tell Miriam Black you've
gone straight and fancy her."
    Noel winced theatrically and got down on his knees in
front of her. He wrung his hands and, in a very over-the-top, dramatic way
proclaimed, "No, no never that."
    "Oh get up, you numpty, you're all snowy
now." Holly tugged his ear.
    Noel laughed as he scrambled to his feet and dusted
snow off his knees. "Hey, I'll leave you to him. Mind you, sister mine, it
pains me to see such a good body wasted on someone who doesn't notice it. A
woman at that. Laters, girls." He sketched a wave and walked off toward
the village pub, his boots crunching on the crisp snow.
    "I'm with him." Carol kissed Holly on the
cheek before she moved away. She turned suddenly and went back to Holly's side.
"Remember, Holly. Have an open mind here. The man has depths you want to
explore and share. Don't shut your mind off. Every relationship is equal. Just
some equality is different than others."
    Holly stared at her in concern. Carol didn't look
tipsy. Her voice was steady, and they hadn't been to the pub yet. Surely Communion
wine couldn't affect you? Wasn't it non-alcoholic?
    "Vern the vibe is a poor substitute for a man,"
Carol said, using the nickname of the vibrator they'd bought from a sex shop
when they were giggling schoolgirls. "After all, he's only got two speeds,
on and off."
    Holly giggled as she remembered the furtive way they'd
gone into the shop and hoped no one noticed them. Of course Mac had seen them
and teased her unmercifully for weeks afterward. She wondered whatever had
happened to good old Vern. They'd tossed for it, and Carol had won.
    Carol hugged her and followed Noel. Holly shivered. It
was bloody cold and the wind must have come straight from the Arctic. She
needed to go inside before her bits froze. Why the hell did she have a skirt
and stockings and suspenders on?
    Because he told me to.
    Damn Mac. All she wanted was a quiet life, not a
clit-quivering tingle every time he came within five yards of her. Liar. On cue, her body responded to his
presence, and her nipples chafed painfully on her lacy bra. Damned if she
shouldn't have said fuck it and worn her thermal vest.
    "Your eyes are saying, take me, I'm yours,"
a deep male voice whispered in her ear. "Have you decided yet? I told you,
Holly. It has to be your decision, not mine. If you say yes, we'll set the
rules. Not until then. If you say no? Ah well, only I'll know what you've
turned down." His kiss on the nape of her neck sent a totally different sort
of shiver through her. If his look dampened her thong, his kiss had soaked it.
    "Well?" he asked. His voice was patient, his
tone as conversational as if they were talking about the weather, not their
future, and like they were alone instead of in the middle of a crowd of locals.
All who looked at them without any curiosity. Mac and Holly, Holly and Mac. Old
friends who had bickered their way through school, and stood up for each other
when necessary. Everyone knew that.
      "Holly,
you've had time. We decided on Christmas Eve. That's tonight." Mac stamped
his feet in the snow. The air was frosty, and his breath created white misty
swirls around his lips.
    "You said