by Kristen Echo
“Looks like mistletoe to me,” I said with a wide smile.
“Do I need to explain the tradition of what should happen when two people stand under the mistletoe?”
“We kiss.” I lifted onto the tips of my toes, bringing our lips closer.
“We do.” He cupped my face with both hands. “The plant is associated with fertility and in some cultures this kiss binds us for life.”
Without hesitation, he kissed me. Our second kiss consumed me even more than our first. My leg lifted like from a scene in a classic movie and I melted into him. Our lips smacked as our tongues tangled. I held him close; scared if I let go, he’d change his mind. He made love to my mouth. Each stroke of his tongue brought another wave of arousal cascading through me. His ruthless pursuit of discovery left no nook or surface unattended.
“This is probably my favorite Christmas ever,” I said breathlessly as he kissed along my jaw. “Don’t stop.”
“I won’t stop until you are mine. Every part.” His hands trailed down my arms and landed on my hips. “I’ve placed mistletoe around the cabin. Shall we go exploring?”
“Hell yes!” I jumped on him, wrapping my arms and legs around him. “Lead the way.”
He stumbled back a step but grabbed a handful of my ass with each hand. Twisted like a pretzel, he carried me to the Christmas tree. “Before we find the next present, I want to capture your beautiful smile.”
Using his phone, Matteo snapped a picture of me beside the tree. The twinkling lights no longer bothered me. I pulled him closer, and he snapped a few photos of us.
“Can I see?” I grabbed the phone and scrolled through the shots.
Standing behind me, he wrapped me in his arms and placed his chin on my shoulder. We looked through his pictures. My hair was a mess of curls, but my smile overshadowed any flaws. Our matching checkered shirts made me laugh.
“All keepers,” he proclaimed.
I nodded as I swiped to a picture of him with Noelle. She was radiant. I placed one hand over my stomach as I stared at her pregnant belly. I snorted, remembering my initial impression of this picture.
“Tell me your thoughts.”
“When I first saw this image, I was jealous.”
“Jealous because you wanted to be with me?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I wanted to be the woman under your arm.”
“You are,” he said, hugging me tighter. “There is no one else. I dreamed for you, Leah. Never expecting a woman so talented, loving and beautiful to land on my doorstep.”
I giggled at my own ridiculousness. “I was also jealous because I thought she was carrying your child. For a split second, I wished I was the one pregnant with your baby growing inside me. Crazy, right?”
“Not crazy at all.” The rasp in his voice tickled my heart. “Follow me.”
We moved towards the kitchen island. Dangling from the rack of pots and pans was another sprig of mistletoe. He lifted me onto the counter. My bottom slid on the butcher-block surface as he settled between my spread thighs and claimed my lips again.
This kiss was unrushed and sensual. Long languid licks followed by gentle suction rendered me boneless. If I hadn’t been seated, I might have fallen over. His kiss was that powerful.
“Leah, I can’t get enough of your lips. So soft and plump.” He trailed his lips over my throat as he ripped open the shirt, exposing my breasts. Buttons bounced off the counter and floors. “Your skin tastes like sugar.”
The cool air drifted over my naked torso. My nipples hardened. My body trembled as he engulfed my breasts in his hands. He kissed his way down my chest. Unhurried. When his mouth covered my pebbled peak, I tossed my head back and moaned. Using his teeth, he nibbled and tugged, sending electric shocks pulsing to my core. My wails of pleasure filled the cabin.
With my hands in his hair, I rocked against his body. He lavished my breasts with attention. I was so close to coming yet dying for more. I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to give myself to him; body and heart.
“That’s amazing. Your mouth is driving me insane.” I looked up at the berries and twigs and giggled. “You didn’t need the mistletoe to seduce me. I’m yours.”
He released my erect nipple and kissed over my heart. “Are you mine?”
“Yes,” I groaned as he nudged my sensitive tip with his nose.
“I’m not convinced.”
I yelped as he tossed me over his shoulder and carried me across the room. He stopped and set me on the recliner next to the fireplace. The heat from the flames paled compared to the fire burning between us. Our eyes locked. The intensity of his gaze gave me goosebumps. I slid my hands along the smooth leather armrest and connected with leaves and berries.
“Where shall we kiss next?”
If it was my choice, I planned to kick things up. I placed the sprig over my panties. “Maybe this will convince you.”
Matteo dropped to his knees. His fingers scraped over my hips and down my legs as he pulled my panties off. He gripped my ankles and shook his head as I tried to close my legs.
“Don’t hide.”
My legs quivered as he placed them over his shoulders. “I’m not trying to hide. It’s just… I’m naked and you’re not.”
As he inched closer to my core, his smile grew wider. “We have a full day ahead,” he said before he buried his face between my thighs.
The first contact forced my hips off the recliner. His beard scratched and tickled as his mouth covered my sex. My nails dug into the armrest. He inhaled and released a wild, almost primal growl. As he stared into my eyes, he parted my folds with his fingers and kissed my clit. His tongue licked my outer edges, teasing me.
I’d never seen anything sexier in my entire life. “Holy! I might cum just from looking at you down there.”
He pushed one long finger inside as he latched onto my clit. His eyes switched from chestnut brown to espresso. Dark and mesmerizing. My orgasm grew stronger with every slide of his finger and pulse of his tongue. He added a second finger, stretching my walls. When he twisted and pressed deeper, I lost my breath along with any notion of self-preservation. If I left with a broken heart, it would be worth it. Matteo was worth the risk.
I was wound so tight it didn’t take long to shove me over the cliff into a molten river of rainbows. I screamed his name and ground my pelvis against his mouth. He devoured my orgasm and lapped at my cream. My body drifted on the waves of ecstasy.
Once I caught my breath, I pulled his hair until his face was fully visible. My release coated his mustache and beard. He licked his lips and lowered my shaking legs off his shoulders. The second my feet touched the floor, I dove on top of him and tackled him. As I straddled his hips, I peppered his face with kisses.
“You’re wearing way too much. It’s time for you to get naked,” I said, lifting his t-shirt.
“Gladly.” He pulled the cotton fabric over his head and discarded it.
We kissed as my hands roamed over his chiseled chest and followed the trail of hair down to his jeans. I tore open his button and lowered the zipper with my greedy fingers. Lifting his hips, he helped me remove his pants and briefs. His magnificent cock sprang free.
“Have I mentioned his is my favorite Christmas ever?”
I kissed his abs. Delighted as his muscles flexed under my lips. My tongue glided across his pelvic bone as I circled my fingers around his girth. From base to tip, I squeezed his erection. He trembled and moaned. Copying what he’d done earlier, I held his gaze as I kissed the tip of his cock. A pearl of moisture glazed my lips, and I licked it off.
“Leah…”
I swallowed the thick head and wiggled my tongue along the underside. His eyes rolled back as he filled my mouth. There were too many inches to take all at once. Hollowing my cheeks, I sucked hard. His gravely grunts encouraged me. My experience with blowjobs was limited, but he didn’t seem to mind. Saliva dripped down his erection as he pumped his hips faster.
“You can come in my m
outh,” I offered and licked the pulsing vein along his shaft.
“Not in your mouth.” He gripped under my arms and pulled me towards his mouth. “When I come, it will be inside you.”
He kissed me hard and rolled me onto my back. His weight settled against me. I raked my nails down his back as he teased my pussy with his erection. He reached towards the bed and pulled the blankets down. We inched onto them and closer to the fireplace.
“Do you have a condom?” I’d never had unprotected sex. I rarely had sex, so I wasn’t on birth control.
“Having company wasn’t in my plans. We can stop. We should stop because once I’m inside you I won’t be able to pull out.”
His words didn’t match his actions. My juices covered his cock as he continued teasing my entrance. It was the most pleasurable torture. I wanted us to make love. I didn’t want to wait another minute to be joined with him.
“We are not stopping!” I wrapped my legs around his waist. “I’m clean. I trust you.”
“Are you sure you want to make love without protection?”
“Yes.”
“Are you prepared to give me what I want?”
“Yesss,” I hissed as the friction intensified.
He reached between us and rubbed my clit with the head of his cock. “Tell me.”
I closed my eyes as an orgasm bloomed. “What do you want to hear?”
His lips slid across my jaw, and he nibbled on my neck but didn’t answer. Using his body, he owned me. He wasn’t playing fair. I’d thought he was nice, but this man was very naughty. The pressure was too much.
“You can have my heart. Take my everything,” I exhaled as I shattered. “I’m yours.”
The tremors spread like an earthquake, rocking my world. I couldn’t breathe. Never in my life had I felt so raw and exposed. This was happiness in its purest form. A tear leaked from my eye.
“I’ve got you,” he replied as he thrust into me. “I will love you right.”
“Fuck!”
My walls stretched and burned to accommodate the invasion. He silenced my screams with his mouth. Soon the pain turned to pleasure. His hips moved with purpose and precision, driving his manhood deeper. He slammed into a spot that made my toes curl. Sweat coated his skin as we moved together.
His grunts matched mine. Faster and faster. “Cum with me,” he demanded.
I couldn’t hold back. “Matteo! Yes!”
My orgasm was so powerful, my body shook, and an avalanche of desire devastated my senses.
“I love you,” I panted.
My eyes widened as soon as the words tumbled out. I meant them. His half-lidded eyes reflected the sentiment. He stilled and splashed his release against my womb.
“Ti amo, Leah. I love you too.”
We kissed. We made love again and again. No protection. No barriers. Only love.
Chapter 7
We spent Christmas morning attacking each other like savage beasts in the wild. One orgasm rolled into another until there were too many to count. He made love to me against the wall, on the bed, the stairs and in the shower. We stopped only long enough to eat and make another insanely over-the-top holiday memory.
“Until I met you, I had never actually roasted chestnuts on an open fire or kissed under mistletoe,” I said as I rummaged through my bag for a clean pair of underwear.
Matteo swatted my backside as he passed. “Neither had I, but I like our new traditions.”
“Tradition implies we’ll do these things again.” I slipped into a red thong and the matching bra.
He stopped mid-stride and glanced over his shoulder. “It does. Is that a problem?”
“Not for me.” I smiled and stepped into a pair of jeans. I could easily see my life with him, which scared me and thrilled me. “Are you sure you can handle having a twenty-two-year-old girlfriend?”
We hadn’t mentioned labels or talked about the future, but sex without condoms and dropping love-bombs left and right made me hopeful. The past few days had been a whirlwind. I hadn’t been someone’s girlfriend since high school. I was out of practice, but ready to try.
“I am. Can you handle having an old man as your boyfriend?”
“Well, I don’t see any old men in this cabin.” I closed the distance between us. “But I am head-over-heels in love with the man in front of me. If you want me to stay, I’ll stay.”
He grabbed the back of my head and kissed me. A hard, demanding and passionate kiss. The type of kiss I had become addicted to and wanted to spend a lifetime claiming.
“Stay. Not just in Golden, but here with me.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “I will start working in a few weeks and you’ll have plenty of time to write your amazing books. Your career is just beginning.”
“Books will one day be my full-time gig. For now, I can get a job and my own place in town. I appreciate the offer but—”
His lips smashed against mine, suppressing my protest.
“You could do those things, or you can stay for as long as you like. Leah, you don’t have to decide today. It’s Christmas.”
“Exactly. When the magic wears off, you might be sick of me. Or vice versa.” Though I knew that would never happen. “Plus, I could be facing charges for borrowing that snowmobile and destroying it.”
“We’ll pay for the damages. It will be fine.”
I knotted my fingers. “Easy for you to say. I… I need to talk to Kelly. She’s probably freaking out because she can’t reach me.”
He arched an eyebrow and rubbed my arms. “You think she’s in Hawaii, worrying about her big sister?”
“Fine,” I huffed. “Maybe I’m the one worrying. But I can’t make a massive life altering decision without including her.”
“Wasn’t your move a surprise and—”
I silenced him with a kiss. In truth, Kelly would be happy for me. She’d tell me to live a little and do something for myself. I worried Matteo and I were moving at supersonic speed towards the edge of a cliff. We barely knew each other. Moving in together was a huge step in a relationship. Then again, so was having a baby, and that prospect didn’t seem to bother me in the slightest.
“Your kisses are distracting in the best possible way, but we need to go.” He turned me around and shoved me gently towards the bed. “Get dressed. Let’s get your car and see what fun is lurking in town.”
The power wasn’t restored, but the snow had stopped. The blizzard was over. It was time to leave our bubble. I had to face reality. I dragged a shirt over my head and pulled my hair into a ponytail. The strands were too short, and several curls tumbled around my face.
“Nothing will be open in town.” I met him by the door and stepped into my boots. “I’m not sure why you’re so hot and horny about heading down the mountain.”
“Hot and horny. I like that,” he said with a smile. “My family will be in town. I’m excited for you to meet them.”
I hadn’t considered that his family would be back from their trip. What if they hated me? What if they saw a young gold-digger and warned him to stay away? What if…
“Stop whatever nonsense is running in your mind.” He tapped my temple. “My family will fall for you just as I have.”
“There’s a difference between lust and—”
“My mamma is the one who introduced me to your book. She’s already your fan. Don’t worry about the rest.” He held one of his black wool, knee-length jackets open for me to put on since mine was ripped and bloody. “I’m more worried about my youngest brother Vincenzo.”
“Why? You don’t think he’ll like me.” I smoothed the wrinkles from the front of my shirt.
“He’s a breast man. Yours are full and perfect. He’s going to love your curves and your wit. I’ll just have to remind him that you’re mine.”
“And you’re mine,” I said, hugging him.
I wondered for how long. The annoying thought chipped away at the serenity of the moment.
“If things don’t go well
in town or with your family, I won’t hold you to your offer. Moving in together is a huge step and the future isn’t set in stone.”
He tilted my chin up until our eyes locked. “I’ve planted my seed in your belly. Our future is together.”
“I love it when you go all mountain man possessive and domineering. Sexy as fuck!” I grabbed his ass and fused our lower bodies together.
“You like it when I fill you with my sperm. I bet you’d like me to bend you over right now and fill you again,” he growled. “Make your sweet pussy squeeze every drop from my cock.”
We had made love slow and gentle as well as rough and ruthless. I couldn’t pick a favorite, but I loved when he took charge. He didn’t ask what I wanted, he just knew and gave it to me.
“I wouldn’t say no.”
The idea of being pregnant delighted me. Since Kelly left, I’d been missing something. I wanted to be a mom again. I wanted Matteo to be the father. Based on his reaction, I wasn’t the only one who desired a baby.
He dropped the coat, turned me around and marched us towards the table. I bent over the wood. He unzipped my jeans and pulled them and my panties down to my knees. His fingers prodded my wet entrance as he undid his pants with his other hand.
“Dripping wet,” he grunted as he coated the tip of his cock with my arousal. He lunged forward, impaling me with one long stroke. “Mine.”
A satisfied wail escaped as he filled me to the hilt. I gripped the edges of the round table and smiled as I rested my cheek against the wood. His nails dug into my hips, and he pumped in and out. The slow and steady thrusts morphed into a frenzied pace. Our grunts and the slapping of skin on skin echoed off the walls.
His hot breath caressed the side of my face when he leaned over me. “You feel so good. No matter how many times I take you, I can’t get enough!” He emphasized each word by pushing deeper and grinding against my ass.
