by Lexy Timms
"Not just the night. Forever." She turned before she could get a read on his reaction. They hadn't really talked about marriage, and she wanted to discuss it so damn bad, but some part of her felt like it was still too soon. It hadn’t even been a year since they'd met, and even less since they’d started dating, but she wanted him forever. At one point she was sure he would ask, but it had been a box with a key to his mansion. She’d just have to wait till he broached the subject. She smiled to herself; she wasn’t going anywhere in the meantime.
After setting up their place settings and rearranging the coffee table, she slipped off her elf booties and got down on the floor. Tucking her legs under her, she turned in time to watch him walk from the kitchen. The swell of his erection was far worse than it had been earlier, his cock having hardened and taken its place down the inside of his thigh. Seeing him like that left her a bit overwhelmed. He was a large guy, but something about the tight Santa suit made it even bigger.
"Hey... eyes up here, woman." He set the wine down and dragged his fingers from his erection to his eyes, teasing her.
She laughed and took her glass. "Just admiring your assets."
"Good. I'll give you an up-close visit here shortly." He moved to sit down beside her and reached over, pulling her into a quick kiss. "I love you. Thank you for your help today. You were brilliant. Best thing to ever happen to me."
Her chest constricted with the warmth of emotion that rolled over her. "I love you too."
They ate for a few minutes and laughed over the various things that had happened during the day, just enjoying their time together. When they were done, Alex wiped his mouth on a napkin and leaned back against the couch.
"My brother is coming in tomorrow?" He reached over and took Jamie's hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her fingers softly as he watched her.
A shiver raced through her, and she moved closer, leaving the rest of her dinner untouched.
"Yeah. He should be here around ten, I think. I figured we could have breakfast ready, and then head over to see my parents. I assume you and Mark are coming with me?" She was hopeful, and had already planned to have them beside her, though she really hadn't asked.
"You want us there?" Alex scooted even closer and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yes, I do." She leaned in and touched the side of his face. "I think it’ll make things a lot easier."
"Then we'll be there." He kissed her softly. "It's cold in here. Right?"
"Yeah, a little chilly. Start us a fire, and I'll take this stuff to the kitchen."
"Perfect." He kissed her again before moving back and crawling toward the fire on his hands and knees. He sat back on his heels, and damn if he didn't look like a little boy trying to look grown up. How a man could be so damn cute and sexy at the same time was beyond Jamie.
She shook her head, gathered up their dishes, and walked into the kitchen, a little overwhelmed with gratefulness again. The Christmas before had been a disaster of epic proportions. Not only had Steven left her for Christine, but her car had broken down for the last time, and she’d had to move into her parents’ basement. She’d been broke, and miserable, and so alone.
"Wow. Things can change so drastically in the blink of an eye." She put the dishes in the sink and tugged off her little elf hat as she walked back to join Alex.
"You say something, baby?" he asked, looking over his shoulder and scooting over to make room for her in front of the fireplace.
"Just thinking out loud about how much my life has changed. Last Christmas was horrible, but this one is already the best I've ever had." She took the hand he offered, and sat beside him.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek before getting back to starting the fire. "Same here. I honestly figured one day I'd end up marrying some rich bitch who wanted my money and very little of my time. I thought that's how it worked for guys like me, but coming from poor beginnings, I knew it was a damn lie I kept feeding myself."
“I might be that bitch who’s just after your money and soon won’t want any of your time, except for sex. I’ll use you and abuse you.”
Alex burst out laughing.
“It’s not that funny,” she said, chuckling herself.
“Jamie, you are so far from that kind of person!” He leaned forward and nibbled her neck before leaning back. “You’re like an angel.”
“Angel in an elf outfit?” She shook her head. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, you know?” Jamie leaned back, sliding her hands behind her as she stretched her legs out. "I think having someone beside you who you not only trust, but honestly, truly love, has to be the greatest gift ever."
He brushed off his hands and moved back to his hands and knees. Crawling over the top of her, he lined his body up with hers and kissed her a few times.
"I couldn't agree more. You're quickly becoming everything to me." He moved off her to lie on his side just beside her. "Come lay like this with me. I want to feel you."
Jamie obeyed immediately, wanting to be pressed against the front of the handsome, buff Santa Claus. She chuckled at the thought and moved onto her side, facing him.
He reached out with his free hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "What are you giggling about now, beautiful girl?"
"Just the fact that I'm getting turned on by Santa Claus," she chuckled again.
His smile was sexy and a little naughty. "You think it's hot, actually."
Soft fingertips brushed the side of her thigh, dragging her dress with them. Alex leaned up a little, glancing down the line of her body and letting out a groan.
"Fuck, that's so hot." He pulled her in closer, forcing her leg to drape over his legs. The thickness of his erection rubbed along her thigh, and she was done playing around. It was a romantic moment, but after watching him prance around all day in the tight red suit that left little to the imagination, she wanted him violently.
Pushing at his chest until he rolled over onto his back, Jamie moved up to straddle him. His hands massaged her thighs and played with the straps of her garter as she worked on the buttons of his Santa jacket. She opened the soft felt and slid her hands against his skin, scraping him with her nails a little before leaning over and replacing her hands with her mouth.
He jerked and groaned as her teeth encircled his nipple. "Fuck, Jamie."
"Exactly. I want to," she purred softly as she moved up to his neck, licking and kissing him as he played with the edge of her panties along her rear.
"Then get me out of these damn pants and you can take what's yours." He turned his face toward hers and slid his free hand into her hair, pulling her in for a long, hot kiss. She rocked against him, rubbing herself over the thickness of his cock. Remembrance of him buried deep inside her during their mid-morning escapade swept through her vision, and her body reacted.
"But they look so good on you," she teased him playfully as she moved down his body and tugged the pants and his black boxer-briefs off of him. She stood while he worked his arms out of his jacket, and she took off her elf dress. The little red see-through lace teddy under it left hardly any of her covered.
He let out a long groan. "Turn around slowly and let me see you."
She half expected nervousness to overwhelm her, but it didn't. It was the difference in knowing that the man lying at her feet actually loved her, not just desiring the pleasure she could provide. Turning slowly, she slid her hands over her hips and upper thighs over and over, wanting to tease him mercilessly.
"Enough," he barked and sat up, reaching up and clasping his hands on the back of her thighs. He pressed his face to her center and breathed deeply. The sound of hungry appreciation that left him almost broke her in two. "Come ride me."
He laid back down and took his cock in his grasp, pumping it slowly as he watched her. "All I want for Christmas is you."
"I know the feeling all too well." She slid her panties down her thighs and moved toward him, only to have him stop her.
"No. I want you completely
naked. I love the way this thing looks on you, but I want to feel your skin against mine. Come here and I'll take it off of you." He reached for her, pulling her down to straddle him again.
Jamie lowered herself onto him, pressing the wet warmth of her body to the hardness of his. He worked to get the top off of her as she slid along his length, working herself toward orgasm with the deliciousness of their contact.
He chucked the dress behind them and left the garter and stockings on as he reached up to palm her breasts. "That's it, Ms. Connors. Work yourself against it. Tell me when you're about to come, and I'll slide in and fuck you right over the edge."
His words did it for her.
She nodded, unable to speak as a fire erupted in the center of her stomach. "Now," she whimpered, unable to find the depths of her voice.
Alex grabbed her hips tightly and shifted her as he pressed himself deep inside of her. The sound that ripped from her was guttural and needy.
"There you go. Fuck!" He tightened his grip on her hips as she began to take from him exactly what she needed to ride the high all the way through.
She slowed as the orgasm dissipated, her breathing off, and her hips still rolling rhythmically. "Shit, I love you!" She smiled helplessly.
"Me too. You're so beautiful. I love how you take what you need. Anything you want from me, Jamie... it's yours." He slid his hands up to hold onto her waist as he carefully rolled them, leaving her on her back and him between her legs.
She wrapped her legs around him and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.
He pressed into her hold and worked himself into her again, deeper this time. Pressing his lips to hers, he emulated the sex they had with the thick pumping of his tongue into her mouth.
Jamie whimpered at the hot deliciousness of his abilities, and sucked hard at his tongue as he made love to her body. They gave and took from each other throughout the night, each of them reaching the peak of orgasm three or four times.
By the time they were done, the fire had gone out, and Alex had gotten up to get them blankets and pillows.
Jamie moved back to press her back against his front as he wrapped his strong arm around her. Completely sated, and lost to the unbelief that someone as great as him would even consider her, she started to drift off into sleep.
"Merry Christmas, baby," he mumbled against her skin.
"Merry Christmas," she whispered and tightened her arm around his as he held her.
"Did you mean what you said earlier?"
Jamie reached up and covered her mouth as she let out a long yawn. "Mean what?"
"That you wanted forever with me?" He nuzzled the side of her neck and tightened his grip around her.
"Absolutely. You're all I want." She closed her eyes, wishing she could have heard what his response was, but their day had been too long, and she was too tired to keep her eyes open anymore.
Chapter 5
Christmas Day
Jamie woke the next morning to find Alex gone already. A smile touched her lips, and she snuggled under the covers further, letting the memories they’d made the night before rush across the back of her eyelids. He was such a generous lover, and for the few moments where he slipped into carnality, and took for himself, she was delighted. His body was made for sex, but his heart for love. He was the full package, the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life getting to know.
It was almost too much to hope that he would feel the same toward her, but he seemed to. The fact that they both had changed so much in the last ten months meant something. He was jolly. She giggled as she thought of his Santa costume again. But he was happy, and he was working on his relationship with Mark, due in part to her, but he wasn't the only one who was changing. She wanted a clean slate with her own family.
She waited a few minutes before realizing Alex wasn't coming back any time soon. After getting out of the warmth of the blankets, she walked into his large walk-in closet and stretched, yawning loudly. He must have moved them to the bed sometime during the night, though she couldn't remember when.
Grabbing one of his plain white button-down shirts, she slipped it over her shoulders and buttoned it up. Jamie stopped by the bathroom to check herself and couldn't help but smile. A year ago she'd never have gone out to greet a guy with her hair a mess and her lips swollen like they were. She'd have taken a shower, fixed herself up, and tried to cover all the signs of their love-making.
Alex left her feeling beautiful, adored – loved. It changed everything.
Walking out into the living room, Jamie paused and glanced around. "Alex?"
He didn't answer, and she walked around the house looking everywhere for him, but found it empty. Slipping on a pair of jeans and some outside boots that Alex had sitting on the back porch, she walked down to her old place to get the present she wanted to give her new beau for Christmas. He didn't want anything that money could buy. Of that she was sure. Not only did he have everything, but he had mentioned it far too many times over the last few months that she wasn't to spend any money. None.
She sat down at her kitchen table with a pad of Christmassy paper and a pen, and tapped her lips with the writing instrument a few times.
Having been gifted with words, she tried to decide between a poem and a song, or maybe a letter. He would be back soon, and they were welcoming Mark in a couple of hours. How she was up so early after spending the night having the best sex of her life, she had no idea.
"A letter might work best." She pursed her lips and started to write, quickly filling up three pages of how much he meant to her. He'd given her back her confidence, her belief in something better and bigger than settling, and her heart. He needed to know more now than ever that she was completely sold out for him.
She got up and walked to her jewelry box at the back of the studio apartment and pulled out a small white rock with the world 'believe' engraved on it. Her father had given it to her when she was six. It was one of the most precious things she still had from her childhood. It seemed a little silly, but she couldn't shake the fact that it was supposed to be Alex's now.
She tucked it into a piece of white paper and put the letter with it in a small Christmas bag. After checking out the apartment to make sure everything was ready for Mark's visit, she walked back up to the house and kicked off the boots.
Slipping out of her jeans, she left the gift sitting on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to start working on a big breakfast. Alex loved to eat, and one thing she’d learned was that breakfast was his favorite.
The back door open and the sound of him verbally shivering caught her attention.
"Jamie? You up?" he called out to her.
"Yeah. I'm starting on breakfast." She cracked three eggs into the frying pan and figured he would come into the kitchen with her. When he didn't, she stuck her head into the living room. He was sitting at the couch, her letter in his hand and his head turned down as if reading it.
"Oh. That's from me." She walked toward him and chided herself. As if he was too dumb to realize the damn gift was from her. She was the only one in the house.
He stood and rolled the stone in his hand. She didn't notice the tears in his eyes until he glanced up. "I love it."
"Oh, shoot, Alex. I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know that you've given me my life back. Or a life really." She moved toward him and unbuttoned his jacket before sliding the snow-laced coat from his big shoulders.
"You've done the same for me." He slipped the stone into his pocket and pulled her into a warm hug. "I'll carry it everywhere. I wanted to always be reminded to believe in the impossible. That's what's happened between us. I thought I would just settle, and I see now that you thought you would too. But we don't have to."
"No. We don't. I hope it's enough. It's not much." Jamie adverted her eyes as she questioned the value of the gift.
He pulled her against him tightly and pressed his cold lips to her, showing her that it wasn't about the amount of money
spent. He kissed her long and deep, exploring her mouth as if getting to do it for the first time.
She slipped her warm hands under his sweater and rubbed the thick muscles of his back, reveling in how good his skin felt against her hands.
"Oh, fuck." She jerked back as the smell of burnt eggs caught her attention. She raced to the kitchen and pulled the black mass from the stove, running it toward the back door.
"Jamie," he called after her as he followed her, but she didn't stop until she was standing on the patio.
A little furry brown puppy turned from where he was tied to the porch, and looked up at her before tilting his little head to the side.
She set the pan on the ground at the edge of the patio, away from the little guy, and let out a soft sound of adoration.
"So freakin’ cute! Alex! Come check this out!" She sank to her knees and picked up the fur-ball, snuggling him against her chest. "Oh, I love him. Whose do you think he is?"
Alex wrapped his strong arms around her from behind and kissed the side of her face. "Yours. Merry Christmas."
"What?" She turned in his arms as tears blurred her gaze. "Are you kidding me? I've wanted a dog for years."
"Really? I kinda always wanted one too. Just never figured I was home enough to take care of one. Then I figured we could manage between the two of us. So I spent the past two months trying to find the right one. He was a stray at the pound, and they called this morning. I was on a wait list."
"So are we just foster caring for him?" Her smile drooped as the little pup started to lick her chin and neck. "I can't do that, Alex. I'll fall in love." She glanced down as tears rolled over her cheeks. "I already have."
"Baby." He wrapped her up tightly against him, pressing his lips to the top of her head and breathing in deeply. “He's not just here for Christmas. He's here for good. He's yours for the rest of your life... If you'll have him."
Something about his words hit her deep inside her chest. "I want him forever."
