by Karla Doyle
He groaned as she shimmied the leggings up, over her hips, making her ass jiggle way too invitingly.
She tossed a glance over her bare shoulder. “Was that your stomach growling?”
He shook his head and lifted the blanket. “The hunger is lower.”
Her eyes sparkled and her bottom lip fell open as she zeroed in on his rock-hard cock. “Again? So soon?”
“That’s what you do to me.”
“But I’m getting dressed, not taking my clothes off.”
“Which is a crime. We should cancel all outside contact for the day so you can stay naked.”
Laughing, she twined her arms behind her back to give him a full frontal view of her bare tits. Probably because she knew how much he fucking loved them. Naughty little elf.
“I’m five seconds away from dragging you back to this bed and keeping you here all day, friends and family be damned. What happens next depends on you.” To prove his seriousness, he threw the blanket off and put one foot on the floor. “Five.” He pushed up to a sitting position and dropped the second foot to the floor. “Four, three.”
“Hey, no fair.”
“All’s fair in love and sex with you.” He stood. “Two.”
She squeaked and grabbed her hoodie, then scurried from the room, laughing as she went. “I win,” she called from the living room.
Yeah, but he’d won, too. If he had his way, the jackpot would last a lifetime.
In the time it took him to use the washroom and throw on some sweats, Addie had turned on every Christmas light in the house, prepared two mugs of coffee, and planted herself of the couch, cross-legged. She was bouncing, smiling, totally wound up. Same as every other Christmas morning, only better. Because now she was his smiling, bouncing, totally wound up, cute-as-fuck girlfriend.
“Ready?” she asked, after he kissed her and settled in beside her.
“Have at it.”
“Okay, me first.”
“Every time, baby.”
“Lucky me,” she said, leaning over for a too-quick kiss.
He let it go at that, this time. Only because he loved her enjoyment of Christmas gift-giving almost as much as he loved kissing her.
She hopped off the couch and retrieved an armful of brightly wrapped presents. “So, this one,” she shook a small box in front of him, “is now pointless, because it’s a box of condoms.” She chucked it over her shoulder and shrugged. “Sorry, not sorry about that.”
“Me either.” He slid his hand up her thigh, all the way to the prize at the top. “Being inside you, skin-to-skin, was beyond amazing.”
“For me, too.”
The sweatpants had ample space for his dick to expand, and right now, it was testing those limits. He moved his hand away from temptation and shifted his single-minded cock to a less obvious position. “Are we taking turns with presents, or doing all of yours first?”
“Mine, then yours.”
“All right. Hit me.”
She plucked a blue-papered box from the stack and handed it to him. “I bought this back in July. It was sooo hard not to give it to you back in the summer.”
Then it couldn’t be the cock ring. He ripped the paper and tossed it aside, smiling as he opened the lid. “These are awesome.” He lifted two personalized steak-branding irons from the box. One said The Horne Dog, the other had his logo. “Seriously awesome. I can’t wait to use them.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She thrust a green package at him. “Next.”
He didn’t care what was in the boxes. Her happiness at giving them was better than any material item. And on the subject of material items, he chuckled while unfolding a white-and-blue-plaid shirt very much like three—no, four—others that he owned. “Am I that predictable?”
“When it comes to your clothing, yes. And since you look extremely handsome in your collection of plaid shirts, I fully support your plaid-iction.” A coy smile curved her lips as she handed him the final box, wrapped in the same red paper he’d seen on her dresser. “This one is mostly for my enjoyment.”
The cock ring. Had to be. “If you’re enjoying it, I’m sure I will, too.”
“Oh, you’ll reap the rewards of this gift.”
Yeah, it definitely had to be the cock ring. He tore the paper and pushed aside the box’s flaps, expecting to find the packing paper he’d hurriedly stuffed in it twelve days ago. Instead, he found white material. White boxer briefs, to be precise. Pair after pair of them.
Her smile faltered when he reached the bottom of the box and looked up at her. “You don’t get it,” she said.
Get the cock ring? Apparently not.
She sighed. “I should be glad, I guess.”
Now he was really lost. Or just totally distracted. Probably the second one. “Jog my memory.”
“The night of Jenna’s bachelorette, when I was super drunk and told you—”
He snapped his fingers. “How horny you get when I walk around in my white underwear.”
“I did not say I get horny.”
He caught her arm when she swatted at him playfully, using it to drag her onto his lap. “But you do. Own up to it.” He hit all her ticklish spots with precision while doing his best—but still terrible—Austin Powers impersonation. “Tell me I make you horny, baby.”
She answered with a fit of giggles that had her squirming all over his hard-again cock. “Okay, okay,” she said, breathlessly. “You make me horny, I admit it. And you do a very fine job of taking care of that horniness.”
“Damn right, I do.” He kissed her before setting her free, then pushed up from the couch to collect the two small boxes from under the tree. “For you,” he said, kissing her again as he set them on her lap.
“You don’t need to give me more presents. You gave me the lamp and all those pretty panties a few days ago.”
“The lamp was a just-because thing and the cheeky panties were really a gift to me.” He nodded while picturing the purple ones she’d worn last night. “Yeah, the cheeky panties were definitely for me.”
“I think you bought them just so you could continue to say ‘cheeky panties,’” she said, rolling her eyes at him, but smiling brighter than the brilliant, morning sunshine outside the living room window.
Maybe now was the time to say it.
“So.” She shook both packages gently. “Does it matter which one I open first?”
And…moment gone. Again. For now. He tapped the short, rectangular box. “This one first.”
“Okay.” She set the smaller, square box aside and tackled the first poorly wrapped package with its excessive amount of tape. “Whatever it is, I hope you’re not in a hurry to see it.”
“No rush at all. I already know what’s inside.”
“Meanie.” She laughed while struggling with a single strand of tape he’d wound around the end multiple times. “It’s an adventure, that’s for sure.”
He chuckled. She had no idea how close she’d come to a correct guess.
“Ooh, a necktie,” she said, once the box he’d used was revealed. “I hope it’s plaid.”
“Is there any other kind?”
Her laughter sputtered to a stop, her delicate eyebrows drawing together as she removed the envelope from the box, then shook its contents into her hand. “Are these…tickets?”
“Sort of. They’re travel vouchers. Open-ended, no dates, just a destination.”
She inspected the vouchers closer, then met his gaze. “You taking me to North and South Carolina?”
“Yeah. We need to check off the places in that Chase Rice song. I figured we’d start with the Carolinas, then work our way through the rest. Might take some saving before we can hit London and Paris, but we’ve got plenty of time.”
“That’s so…”
“Weird?”
“Romantic.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. Rick thought it was a stupid idea,
and said I should take you to Mexico or some other Caribbean tourist destination.”
“Thank you for not taking Rick’s advice,” she said, easing back from the hug. “Your idea is special and personal. It means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me.” Should he say it now? Or wait until she opened the other gift?
She leaned forward and cupped his neck, pouring more into a simple kiss than any words he could say. Her face was glowing when she sat back. “This is the best Christmas ever.”
“Definitely. And it’s still early.” He motioned at the other present on her lap. “Open it. Then I’ll make breakfast. Or take you back to the bedroom.”
Her eyebrows rose as she turned the gift around in her hands. “Now I’m really curious about what’s in this box.”
“Not a sex toy. Saving that for Valentine’s Day.”
“Ooh, I can’t wait.” That’s all she said. Nothing about the cock ring she’d purchased online a couple of weeks ago. The item that’d been on her dresser four days ago, but hadn’t made an appearance in the gifts she’d given him.
Maybe she’d returned it. Or, stashed it away to give him at a later date.
He had no physical proof she hadn’t given it to another guy. He didn’t know for sure she’d ended it with cock-ring guy. He didn’t need those details. She was with him, and him alone. That he knew without a shadow of a doubt. They’d proven their commitment to each other this morning, with full, skin-to-skin sex. The best of his life, and not only because it’d been bareback. Like puzzle pieces, they fit together perfectly. In and out of the bedroom.
“Need help?” he asked, after her third attempt at picking an opening in the wrapping paper failed to yield the desired results.
“Somebody used a lot of tape.”
Dentists everywhere cringed as she used her teeth to bite through the transparent tape. The paper had barely hit the floor before she tore into the cardboard box, her eyes opening wide as she saw the jewelry store pendant box contained within.
“You certainly got crafty with the packing boxes this year,” she said, pulling the smaller package free of the tape loops he used to secure it.
The necktie box had thrown her off, as he’d hoped it’d do. She had no idea this gift had actually come from the jewelry store inscribed on the black box.
He did his best not to stare like a freak as she lifted the lid. He sure as hell wasn’t looking away, though. Not even for a millisecond.
She gasped as the necklace entered her view. “Oh, my God, Kelly. This is so beautiful. I love it.” Necklace in hand, she lunged at him in a kiss-first, talk-later motion that had him fully hard—again—in under ten seconds.
Another opportunity to tell her had eluded him. The opportunity to get her naked, however, was still up for grabs.
So, he grabbed. A fistful of her soft hair, a palmful of her squeezable ass. Holding her tight, he flipped them, then nestled nice and tight between her legs. He rocked his hips, rubbed his Addie-focused dick back and forth against her clit, making her moan into his mouth. Too many layers separated them. He needed to feel her. Be inside her. Make her come.
“There’s not enough time,” she said the words against his lips when he reached between their bodies to get rid of the barriers.
“There’s always time to get you naked.”
Giggling, she squirmed beneath him. “That time will have to be later. Our parents will be here soon. And yours have a key.”
“Shit.” He wasn’t one of those guys who refused to be wrong, but at this moment, he would’ve done just about anything to be right. He stole one more taste of her sweet lips, then righted them on the couch. “We should have canceled all plans for the day that included anybody other than the two of us.”
The roses were still high on her cheeks as she laughed. “We couldn’t do that. Not on Christmas Day. Especially this one, since we have Jenna’s wedding at noon, then the dinner and reception later tonight.”
“Too many hours where I have to share you with other people,” he said, pushing his hand through his hair and flopping back, against the couch cushions.
She laughed. “You love spending time with family and friends.”
“Not today. Today, I want you all to myself, all day long.”
“Why, Kelly Horne. When did you become the possessive type?”
“Twelve days ago.”
Her eyebrows shot up nearly to the ceiling. “You say that as if it’s factual.”
“Because it is.” He sat forward and stroked her cheek. “Twelve days ago, I realized that my feelings for you went a lot deeper than friendship. There was no turning them off after that. I had to make you see what I saw—that we’re great together, that we should be together, in every way.”
“I already knew that.” Her voice was as soft as the skin beneath his fingers. She lifted the necklace so it dangled in the air between them. “Put it on me?”
“With pleasure.” He waited for her to sweep her hair to one side, then secured the clasp at her nape. “Done.”
“It’s really beautiful.” Her silky hair fell forward, over her shoulders, as she fingered the silver, filigree heart pendant resting against her breastbone. “Are those our birthstones inside?” she asked, meeting his gaze.
He nodded. Bit his tongue on the rest. Too soon to tell her that more stones could be added to the heart. One day.
“I wish I could go back a few days and get you a better gift.”
“What’re you talking about? Your presents were great. I’m going to enjoy them all.”
“Exactly. I got you a few practical things you can use. I went the cutesy route, whereas you—” She released the pendant to fidget with the travel company envelope. “You got me extravagant, thoughtful, romantic gifts.”
“Hey.” He corralled her hands and squeezed gently. “You put as much thought into your presents as I did. Hell, you ordered me a custom-made Christmas gift back in July. We’ve never been one of those couples who need to set rules and spending limits, or turn one of the best days of the year into a contest. Let’s not start now.”
A smile better than any sunrise broke across her face. “You talk about us as if we’ve always been a couple.”
“We kind of have. It feels that way to me, anyway.”
“To me, too.”
Now was the time. “I—”
“Good morning, Merry Christmas, we’re here! Actually, we’re all here!” His mother’s voice accompanied the creak of the front door and clomping of multiple sets of feet on the hall floor.
Shit. “I should have confiscated their key before they went to the hotel.”
She laughed as he pulled her up, by his side. “What were you about to say to me?”
Not now. Definitely not. He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. “It’ll keep.”
“Are you sure? It seemed important.”
He dropped a kiss on her beautiful lips. “You’re important, and you’re right where you belong.”
Chapter 11
December 25
ADELINE
Christmas Day had been her favorite day of the year since forever. This year had surpassed even the best of the best that’d come before it. Wakeup lovemaking with Kelly. The unspoken commitment that came with having barrier-free sex. His incredibly romantic gifts. Everything about this Christmas morning had been straight out of a dream.
Hosting both sets of parents had gone smoothly, even if their arrival had interrupted what would’ve been another toe-curling round of sexy times with her boyfriend.
Her boyfriend. When they walked into the church holding hands, everyone in town would know she and Kelly were a couple. Not because the entire town would be at Jenna’s wedding, though she had invited the maximum amount St. Paul’s would hold.
News traveled fast in Hope Harbor. Their new relationship status would be public knowledge before tomorrow’s Boxing Day sales began. Despite her recent concerns, she was ready for the big reveal.
Her reflection smiled back at her as a fresh flush of pink painted her cheeks. Good thing she was going to a wedding, because there’s no way she could look unhappy today.
She turned sideways to make sure the seams of her stockings were straight. Perfect. As was her new pendant, resting just above her cleavage. The filigreed heart and gemstones within sparkled in the lamplight. Yes, she was overwhelmed by emotion today, but she honestly couldn’t imagine a prettier necklace. One that Kelly had chosen. For her, to signify them.
If she got through this day without blurting the L-word—while sober—it would be a Christmas miracle.
If they didn’t leave in the next few minutes, getting a decent seat in the church would require a Christmas miracle.
She added one more swipe of Santa-suit red lipstick, collected her clutch purse from the bed, and stepped out of the bedroom—to a vision that made her weak in the knees.
Kelly looked handsome in anything. And in nothing. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and red tie, he looked like a god.
“Wow,” they said, in unison.
“You look like you stepped out of a magazine,” she said, as he took a predatory step toward her.
“You look like you stepped out of my hottest dream.”
“Okay, I know we’re not competing, but you win the best compliment category.”
He slid his arm around her waist and tugged her in close. “I win the best girlfriend category, too.” He coasted his palm down her back, past her waistline. “And she wins the best ass category.”
She wiggled free before his affectionate squeeze turned into a lust-filled heatwave she couldn’t resist. “We can’t miss Jenna’s wedding, no matter how sexy you look in that suit, or how you’d look even sexier out of it.”
