Page 43 of The Holidays with Dr. Mitchell
This train car was something else. It was like a suite on rails, decorated like a small, luxury apartment with a queen-sized bed, fireplace, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the corner.
I sat up and moved to the chair by the fireplace, allowing my sleepy brain to wake up some more before I fixed my hair, changed clothes, and rejoined everyone in the other train cars.
I sat in the red velvet chair next to a small table with cakes and tea, situated by the window that framed the glistening, snowy white mountains and hillside we were traveling through.
“Gosh,” I said to myself, taking the teapot and pouring myself a cup, “this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.” I smiled, choosing the peppermint tea bag to accompany the Swiss chocolates arranged on a tiny silver platter.
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Jake said, entering the room as I began talking to myself. “But you should know,” he crossed the room and bent to kiss me, “none of this beauty compares to yours, angel.” He sat in the chair on the other side of the small table filled with Christmas goodies.
I grinned at my husband’s lively and excited expression, “It seems you’re in much better spirits?”
He took a decorated Christmas cookie and bit into it with a flirty grin. “I’ve been in a much better mood since being reunited with my wife, especially after you and I went all night to make up for lost time in the Maldives,” he said.
After all the years I’d known my husband, I prided myself on knowing all his looks. I knew the excited look he got on his face after great, satiating sex. I also knew the look he wore when he was thrilled to get away from work and take a vacation. And then there wasthisparticular look. It was like a combination of excitement from having fulfilling sex, going on vacation, and, I don’t know, getting a new sports car. It was the look of knowing he was about to exact perfect revenge on someone for tryingto beat him at his own game. And I knew this look very well because he and his best friend were notorious forgetting each other backat any cost.
“I see you’ve come up with a brilliant way to get Jim back,” I said, not needing to question the sparkle of mischievousness in his vibrant blue eyes.
I sipped my delicious tea and smiled at him as he tried to cover up his expression, which was a dead giveaway.
“No,” he brought a piece of dark chocolate to my lips, “I’m just happy.”
I rolled my eyes that this man thought I would believe a lie from him after all these years of marriage.
I leaned back in my comfy oversized chair and glanced out the window again, taking in all the beautiful scenery. “You’re justhappy?” I asked, looking back at his calculating expression. I could only imagine what was going through his head.
“Absolutely, baby.” He snapped out of his thoughtsof revengeand smiled at me, “In fact, if you weren’t just waking up, I’d prove that happiness to you on that Christmas-themed train bed.”
“Jacob Mitchell,” I said. “We’ve been married forever and a day. Do you think I’m going to buy into the fiction that you’rewaiting for me to wake upto have sex? No, my darling.” I smiled at him. “Theonlything that stopsyoufrom having sex with me isknowingyou have a retaliation plan to enact on some poor soul for pulling a silly prank.”
He eyed me skeptically. “That’s not true at all,” he lied straight to my face.
I sighed. “Listen, I have no idea what you and Collin have planned, but I’ve been in here sleepinguninterruptedfor at least three hours, which has given you two more than enough time to mastermind something. So, here are the rules I am enforcingifyou and Collin are up to no good with your revenge plans.”
“Rules?” Jake chuckled. “Baby, I always follow the rules, unlike my brother, who went completely outside of them by ruining our vacation.”
“Jim didn’t break any rules,” I laughed. “Why else do you think Elena and I were so relaxed and well taken care of while they got you two goofballs back for all the shit you’ve done to them?”
“So, you’re saying that you were perfectly fine not seeing me for four days when you expected that to be asexualretreat?”
“I’m saying that you and Collin were beaten at your own game, and I know that will never sit well with you. I also know the look of the devil in your eyes right now. I know you and Collin will not stop until all the men who had any part in getting you back are paid in full for evenconsideringpulling one over on you two,” I eyed him, feeling like all I was doing was encouraging him more.
I couldn’t help but laugh at this man I was so deeply in love with. He was so serious, brilliant, and commanding in nature; however, he had this child-like side that made me love him with every ounce of my entire being. Unfortunately, if we let Jake and Collin run wild with their plots and plans, there was a good chance this whole trip to Switzerland would be ruined, and everyone would be pissed off in the end.
“Listen up,” I said. “I would like this trip to Switzerland to be spent withyou, enjoying the festive season. Is there any chance this retaliation can wait untilafterthe holidays?”
Jake studied my expression and smiled adoringly, “Baby, I wouldneverruin our Christmas. In fact, the way Collin and I plan torepaymy brother for helping us focus on our wives and families this holiday season is to ensure this is a Christmas that none of us will ever forget.”
“That’s what worries me,” I said with a laugh. “How about we do it this way? Tell me what you have planned, and I’lldecide whether all of us will be victims in your and Collin’s little schemes.”
“If I told you, then it would ruin Christmas,” he said, trying to shy away from revealing anything to me.
“It’s going to ruin Christmas if you keep secrets from me,” I said, standing my ground with my stubborn husband.
“Fine,” he conceded like our son would when being scolded for upsetting his little sister. “But you won’t believe me when I tell you.”
“Try me,” I said. “And trust me, all I’ve wanted this holiday season is you.Us. I’ve missed us and was willing to do anything to return to the days when it was just me and you. So long as I have my husband every night and wild and crazy sex to complement it, I’m sure I’ll be fine with your plans.”
“And that’s exactly what the plans entail,” he said, walking over to me and helping me up from my chair. “To ensure,” his lips claimed my neck in a hungry way that instantly pulled me out of questioning wife mode and turned me on so much that he couldn’t get me over to the bed fast enough, “that everything we do is to make sure our wives will never forget this Christmas.” His warm breath tickled the base of my neck while his hands worked to remove my velvet lounge pants, “Then Jim and hisbestieswill be forced to do all the festive activities, forcing them to close their laptops and not check their phones for the entire time we’re here.”
