Well. She’d come around. Hell, she was about to come now, he thought as he lifted her hips the slightest bit and increased the pressure on her clit with his tongue.
Instantly, she shuddered out another climax. He drew away from her, leaning his elbows on the seat of the chair, and watched her. Her thumbs and forefingers were locked around her nipples, her eyes squeezed shut, and her cheeks a flaming pink. He reached down and adjusted his erection, pressing painfully against the confines of his jeans.
“Mmm,” came a satisfied sound from the spread-eagle blonde in front of him.
“Cupcake,” he said, his eyes going back to her small breasts. “Could watch you do that all day.”
Her eyes opened. She licked her parted lips. “I could do it all day.” She rolled her nipples between her fingers and thumbs again.
God help him.
He took her hands away and replaced them with his mouth, suckling each nipple gently while she squeezed her legs around his torso. Her fingers went to his cropped hair, massaging his skull. He could tell she was close to going over again, and for that, he wanted to be inside her.
He stopped tonguing her and kissed her lips. She was panting, which made him very pleased. Nothing stroked his ego like pleasing a woman. And he pleased this woman repeatedly whenever he touched her.
“Up, babe,” he instructed. “Bend over the table.”
“That sounds…” She smiled. A sated, and heaven help him, drop-dead gorgeous smile.
Eyebrows lifted, he waited.
“Naughty.”
What a word. He shook his head. “Oh, here we go.”
She grinned. “And nice.”
“I sense a theme.”
“Well, it is Christmas. And for my present this morning, I want to be on top. I’m guessing we’ll break the table if we attempt that.”
He took one look at the wobbly legs. “Probably.”
“Chair, then.”
“Not much better, Cupcake.”
She stood, pressing her small breasts into his face where he stole another kiss or three. Then she stood and pulled at his hands until he stood with her. She instructed him to sit. He did, pushing his throbbing erection to one side of his fly.
“Dying here,” he let her know.
“Don’t move.” Wearing only her socks, she pranced out of the kitchen. “One second!” she called. He heard her rustle around in the living room, heard what sounded like a few utensil ornaments hit the floor, followed by a solid thud. When he figured out what she was doing, a smile pulled his mouth.
Sure enough, she clicked into the kitchen a moment later. Gone were the socks. Now, she was dressed only in the tree topper, and its mate: two black high-heeled shoes that pushed her tight little ass into the air and made her legs go on forever.
Her body shifted and she propped a hand on one delicate hip, her curves gentle but downright lethal. “Mr. McClain, did you order a holiday lap dance?”
If this wasn’t proof she loved him, he didn’t know what was. His grin got bigger. Along with other parts of him.
She approached, her hair cascading over her shoulders and brushing those pointing nipples, her lithe body moving like she knew how to use it. And she did. Moving over him, she straddled him and he lifted his palms.
“No touching,” she whispered against his mouth. “Or I’ll stop.”
He lost her in a blur of lashes when he narrowed his eyelids. “No deal.” He palmed her ass and pulled her close.
“You’re terrible at being submissive.”
“Damn straight. Undo my pants, Cupcake. Skip the dance. I want inside you.”
He helped her with his jeans, standing and kicking them off. She tugged at his shirt, which he helped her with as well. Naked save for his socks, he sat on the chair, and Faith, every inch of her long and lean body, straddled him. She lowered onto his length, and his hips rose to meet her.
Hands on her ass, he plunged her downward, and when she was encased, and he was pulsing deep inside her, they both let out a helpless breath.
“Every time,” he said against her mouth, his eyes sinking shut.
She kissed him and said no more, but there was no need. He guided her, hands around her hips, up and down, kissing her mouth the entire time. Her fingers played at the back of his neck, stroking his jaw and sliding up into his hair and back down and over his shoulders. As if she was memorizing his body with her touch.
“Gonna be fast,” he informed her, pushing into her again. Lightning fast. He couldn’t—
Faith settled her ass against his thighs and leaned back into his hands at her back. She put her fingers to her nipples and tugged, moaning for his benefit or hers, he wasn’t sure. Also: It didn’t matter. Watching her turn herself on while he continued slamming into her was enough to cause his release to build in record time.
Her moans got louder, her fingers plucking her nipples as she rose and fell to meet his every thrust.
Incapable of words himself, he increased the speed of his thrusts, and she arched into him, her moans now for her and not only for him. He watched her exquisite face pinch, her mouth drop open, and her hair fall over her face as she hunched forward. What he felt was better—her clamping around him, tightening and letting go over and over as her climax took her. He followed, holding her against him as he buried his face in her hair and rode out his release.
She laid her head on his shoulder and he held her, their bodies shuddering, a faint sheen of sweat where their skin touched.
* * *
One wide palm held her close where she collapsed against Connor’s shaking body. They were both breathing heavily, sweating and spent. He didn’t let her boss him around, instead grabbing on to her and slamming her down onto his rigid length with a force that almost had her coming on the spot.
Seriously. How many more times could she orgasm? With the man currently inside her, she was beginning to think there was no end in sight.
He slid his palm to the back of her head and pressed a kiss to her temple. He did that a lot, she noticed. Could do the most mind-blowing things to her, talk dirty to her, then offer the sweetest, softest press of his lips and make her feel precious.
“Love those shoes,” came his low, rocky voice in her ear.
Love.
“Not because they’re fine Italian leather, I’m guessing,” she teased, rolling her head to the side and kissing his throat.
“Leverage, Cupcake.”
“I love…these shoes, too.”
“Tease.”
She blew a laugh through her nose. He was never going to let her get away with her private thoughts. Lifting her face from his neck, she asked, “How do you know everything I’m thinking?”
“Because I’m observant.” His hazel eyes twinkled. “And you’re easy to read.”
“Am not.”
He put her face into his hands. Still closed around him, the moment was as intimate as it got. Especially when he locked his eyes on to hers. “Beautiful, yes you are. And I love that, too.” He pressed a kiss to her nose. “Have a surprise for you. At first you’ll hate me for it, then you’ll get into it and thank me repeatedly for hours afterward.”
She felt her eyebrow lift in curiosity.
“Yes or no.”
Unable to turn down a promise of thanking him repeatedly, she said, “Yes.”
The unmistakable heat in his smile made her tingle all over.
“Okay, but you asked for it.”
* * *
A long, low groan worked its way from the soles of her warm feet, up to the heated center of her chest, and through her throat. Her breath came out as steam, mingling in the cold air threatening to frostbite her nose.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice barely audible over the sound of Connor groaning from his side of the hot tub. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
His rumbling chuckle shook his shoulders. Eyes closed, he lounged on the far side of the Jacuzzi, arms out, steam curling off his broad shoulders. “Told
you.”
He had told her. And he’d been right. When they bolted, bare-assed naked across the snowy porch wearing only towels, she’d cursed him high and low. But then he threw open the top covering the four-person hot tub and helped her with her shoes. She’d climbed in and sank into oblivion. And thanked him repeatedly.
“I had no idea this place was equipped with a hot tub,” she told him now.
“Got it up and running a while back. All I had to do was slip out here and turn up the heat. Then get you to join me.”
“I thought you meant sex. This might be better.”
He opened his eyes to slits and took her in. Steam lifted into the air between them. “Wait’ll we have sex in here. That’s next. But first, recovery. You wear me out.”
“Me? I don’t have any oomph left in me after that session.”
“Waiting for a ‘no,’” he said, his eyes sinking shut again.
“I’m serious. I’m spent.”
“Still not a no.”
Dammit. He was right. Because she wouldn’t say no to what he was offering.
“Fine, but give me a minute or ten.”
“Take ten, Cupcake. I’m in no hurry.”
* * *
The snow was officially done falling according to the weather reports. There was no television in the cottage, but remarkably, he had a signal on his phone and was able to check the weather.
Connor had made a call to his buddy later in the day to talk logistics. He needed to get a plow down here, and stat. Donny assured him once he got out of his own driveway, he’d be down to help dig them out. The drive stretched a long, long way into the woods, and even if Connor could get his Ram up and over the piles of snow back here, they’d likely get stuck before making it to the road.
Donny agreed and offered to give Connor as long as he needed. “You have plenty of food?”
“Yeah, we’re not gonna starve.”
“Yeah, I bet she’s keeping you warm,” Donny had said with a chuckle.
He’d laughed it off, called his buddy an asshole, and hung up with a “Merry Christmas.” Donovan was not wrong, though. Faith had warmed him, body and soul. And the hot tub earlier. Lord. She’d be the death of him.
They hadn’t attempted sex in there after all, but they had let their hands wander under the bubbles. She’d stroked him, her hands magic, her tongue in his mouth turning him inside out. He didn’t realize how lonely he’d been until today.
Until just now, actually.
“Gin!” Faith shouted, holding both fists into the air in triumph. “McClain, you suck at this game!”
She’d found a deck of cards in a drawer in the kitchen, and after determining all fifty-two were there, sat down and revealed her competitive side. Gin Rummy. She owned his ass in this game.
“Who knew you were such a bad winner?” he grumbled.
“Who knew you were such a sore loser?”
“Three out of five. I’m just getting warmed up. Unless you want to switch it up. Strip poker?”
She grinned at him, but refused. They went from cards to dessert. She had slipped a package of cookies into her Abundance Market basket. Paired with almond milk, they were not half-bad.
“They’re no Devil Dogs,” she commented, shoving the rest of the chocolate chip cookie into his mouth. “But they’ll do.”
He swallowed and licked his lips, taking another two cookies from the plastic tray. “You are addicted.”
“I don’t see you resisting the pull of sugar, either.”
Or her, he thought to himself.
“You’re wearing off on me.” He meant it in more ways than one, but illustrated by shoving an entire cookie into his mouth.
She took a bite and chewed, her gaze focused on her lap. “What’s…I mean. I’m just curious. What’s next? For us?”
Way to ask him that when his mouth was full. He swallowed, guzzled down a drink of milk. He knew getting out of this cottage wasn’t what she meant, but he went with it anyway. “Donny’s coming to help dig us out tomorrow after the plow trucks come by.”
She nodded. Still wouldn’t look at him.
“We have enough to eat for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. You worried?”
A tiny frown pulled her lips. “No. Not at all.”
He waited for her to fish, but she must have decided against it. Either that or he wasn’t as good as reading her as she’d accused him of being.
“I have a surprise for you,” she blurted, climbing off the couch. She went to her suitcase leaning against the wall. He turned his head to watch her rummage, curious. And he admired her slim curves, the graceful way she bent down and stood again.
Then she came to him with a wrapped package. Red with silver polka dots and a silver ribbon wrapped around it. “Here.”
“You bought me a Christmas gift.” He was…flattered. She didn’t have to do that. He didn’t get her anything, unsure if they were to the exchanging gifts portion of their relationship. Other than the kinds of gifts that turned them each inside out and made them shout one another’s names.
“It’s not a big deal.”
He patted the couch where three big blankets were piled. The fire was doing its job, however, and so did the hot tub. It was toasty in here. “Sit with me.”
She did, sitting on the sofa and folding her knees to her chin. “Really, it’s nothing.”
“It’s something. And I didn’t get you anything.”
“You did.”
He paused with his finger under the tape to look over at her.
She pointed at the tree, decorated in her frilly undergarments and the cheapest flatware imaginable. His back still ached from sawing that fucker down.
Smiling, she said, “You made sure I had a tree.”
He smiled back at her, feeling his chest swell with pride. “You love Christmas. You can’t have Christmas without a Christmas tree.”
“I could have.”
“I didn’t want you to.”
She uncurled and put her knees on the cushion, leaning close and kissing his lips. He moved his present to the side and feathered his fingers into her hair, kissing her back.
When she drew away, she whispered, “I know” followed by, “open your silly present.”
“How silly could it be?” He tore at the paper, revealed his gift, and promptly laughed. Laughed so hard, his stomach hurt and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. When his vision cleared, and his laughter ebbed, he looked up to see Faith smiling, too, and looking pretty proud of herself.
“Cupcake.” He held up the box. “You bought me a Chia Pet.”
“Like it?”
“No.”
Her smile faltered the least little bit.
“I love it.” And he loved her. But he was going to ease off that topic for a while. Until she realized the same thing about him. And she would. He knew what they had wasn’t normal. Wasn’t typical. Wasn’t the kind of thing you could overlook and ignore for long. “Get over here.”
“I can’t have any more sex today,” she said, crawling to him like he asked.
“Not what I want,” he said when she nestled into the crook of his arm.
“What do you want?”
Arm around her shoulders, he gave her a light squeeze. “This.”
“Hmm. This is nice.” She picked up the box holding his topiary-to-be. It was terra-cotta in color and in the shape of a dog. The chia seeds would sprout into the dog’s fur. “I figured you liked to grow things. And I figured you’d have room for it in your apartment.”
“It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever given me,” he admitted.
“That’s how I feel about our tree of cutlery and camisoles.”
Another deep laugh echoed in his chest and made him wipe his eyes. Seriously. Had he been this happy in…ever? Sure, he’d laughed. Yes, he’d had great times with his family and friends, but this easy, relaxed, carefree feeling? He’d never had this with Maya. Never had this when he’d lived with his family.
And he sure wouldn’t use the term “carefree” when describing scorching days and nerve-racking nights in Afghanistan.
“Forks and frills,” he said as she leaned against him and they admired the tree.
“Silver and…skivvies.” This time she laughed, and he’d be damned if it didn’t echo the way he was feeling at the moment. Light. Relaxed. But then didn’t she echo the way he was feeling most of the time?
He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. “Christmas nap, Cupcake.” Suddenly, he was beat. It’d been a fun, but long, day.
Snuggling against him, she laid on his chest. He pulled her into him and she arranged her arms and legs until she was fused to his side. Not for warmth this time, just because she wanted to be there.
“Pine needles and panties,” he murmured against her hair, and felt her shake with laughter again.
He slid into sleep seconds later.
CHAPTER 24
Faith had never been so tired in her life. After a holiday packed with sex with Connor, and sleeping half on him, half on a sizable but not that comfortable couch, she needed a night in her own bed. A night where she slept for twelve to fourteen hours straight. She also needed coffee.
Lord, how she needed coffee.
So when her best friend in the whole wide world showed up in the freshly plowed driveway—thank you, city of Evergreen Cove—with a thermos full of coffee, Faith launched herself into Sofie’s arms.
“Will you marry me?” Faith asked, cradling the coffee thermos to her chest.
“You’re too late,” Donovan commented as he and Connor brushed snow off Connor’s Ram with brooms.
“We’ll be back.” Sofie laughed, then took Faith’s elbow and led her to the cottage.
“I want some of that, Cupcake!” Connor called after her.
“Thought you had some of that,” she heard Donovan mutter.
Sofie clucked her tongue. “Boys, I swear.”
But Faith found herself giggling. Like there had been any doubt in anyone’s mind what happened over the holiday.
Sofie entered the cottage and gasped, and Faith instantly realized why. The tree. Thankfully, she’d already taken down her underthings and stowed them into her suitcase. The flatware, however, still dangled from the branches. Without the lace, or the lit fire glowing in the room, the tree looked pathetic and sad.
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