You

by Nella Tyler

  He opened the door on the driver’s side. “Stay right there,” he told me quickly, and I nodded, even though I was too turned on to be able to make sense of what he wanted from me. I watched as he climbed out and then walked around to the passenger side, opening my door for me. I unbuckled my seat belt and then somehow tumbled into his arms, bringing my mouth up to his for another kiss. We stayed like that for a few moments before the cold was too much for us both. I pressed my body against his, exploring his broad back, tasting his lips over and over again.

  Then Patrick broke away from my lips and closed the door behind me, taking my hand in his and leading me quickly to the entrance to his house. He dropped the keys trying to get the door unlocked and cursed, bending over to pick them up off of the welcome mat. His second try was more successful, and in the span of a few heartbeats, he had the door open and propelled me through it. Patrick pushed me up against the door and kissed me hungrily, his hands moving all over my body, touching and teasing me everywhere. I moaned against his lips, my nerves tingling, getting hotter and wetter every moment as I kissed him back and let my hands explored his body all over.

  Somehow, I realized, my clothes were starting to fall away; my coat was off, dropped to the floor, and I felt Patrick’s fingers moving up along the buttons on my sweater. He pulled me away from the door and broke away from my lips panting, his eyes dark with obvious desire as he met my gaze. “We can stop any time you want,” he told me, looking almost uncertain.

  “If you stop right now I’m going to be really upset,” I said, taking a moment to catch my breath. Patrick led me through the living room and I glanced around quickly, remembering his remark about the mess; I could barely qualify the few toys I saw scattered around the room to even be messy at all. I dismissed the idea, pushing it aside as Patrick stopped at a door. He turned the knob and pulled me through it in his wake, bringing my hand up to his lips to kiss it lightly. He didn’t close the door behind us, but just pulled me close to him in the darkness, wrapping his arms around my waist. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt myself heating up all over; I could feel my inner muscles flexing with the thought of the sex to come, the memory of how good it had been before.

  I gasped when I felt the cool air against my skin and realized that more and more of my clothes were falling away from my body, hitting the floor or flying across the room as Patrick stripped them off of me. I started to work on his clothes, tugging his sweater over his head, throwing it aside without even looking to see where it ended up in the darkness. I pulled the shirt underneath free of his pants, letting my fingertips graze his skin as I undressed him. I wanted to tease him every bit as much as he was teasing me.

  Patrick stepped back from me, turning a light on in the bedroom, and I blushed as he took in every inch of my body. “I was such an idiot,” Patrick said, shaking his head slowly. “Such an idiot for almost letting you slip away.” He stepped closer to me again and then started guiding me towards the bed, his hands trailing over my body slowly, caressing me everywhere. My pussy was already soaking wet, my skin tingling, and I stood up on the balls of my feet to kiss Patrick as he pressed me down onto the bed on my back.

  He reached down between my legs and I shivered as his fingers brushed up against me, stroking up and down slowly, pressing deeper as he teased me. My hips began to move in reaction, my whole body twisting and writhing as he found my clit by touch. I’d somehow managed to forget just how good it felt to have him touch me, play with me. He shifted on top of me and I felt the hardness of his cock digging into my thigh, the heat of his skin almost burning, the slickness of the precum already beginning to flow.

  I moaned out as Patrick started to rub and stroke my clit more firmly, one of his fingers drifting down to slide up and down my inner labia, not quite pushing inside of me, teasing me for what felt like ages. I squirmed underneath him, getting more and more turned on, my breath catching in my throat. Patrick kissed me everywhere, over and over again, capturing my lips with his and then trailing his mouth down to my breasts to worship them with his lips and tongue. He slid one finger inside of me slowly, pushing past the resistance of my body, the flexing of my muscles, and I cried out, arching up, twisting my hips down into his touch. I reached down and groped at Patrick’s body until my fingers found his cock, hard and heavy; I wrapped my hand around him and began to stroke him just like he was teasing me. Patrick groaned, shuddering against me, his fingers working me faster.

  We both squirmed and writhed and twisted against each other in Patrick’s bed, bringing each other to the edge of climax and then slowing down until I thought I might go crazy or maybe even die if I didn’t get off. I pulled back, panting and gasping for breath, and looked Patrick in the eyes. “I’m so close,” I told him, almost whimpering from how needy I was, how much I wanted him.

  “Me too,” he told me, his voice ragged and hoarse. He slipped his fingers away from me; the next moment I felt the heat of his hard cock pressing against my entrance as he guided himself along my folds. He shifted on top of me and my whole body tensed up, waiting for the next movement. Patrick thrust into me slowly, filling me up inch by inch, and I moaned out, wrapping my legs around his waist, pushing my hips down to take him deeper. His hands wandered all over me as he rocked against me, his hard, thick cock rubbing against my inner walls, and I kissed him everywhere my lips could reach. I fell into his rhythm, twisting my hips down and arching up as he thrust deeper and deeper inside of me.

  I lost all track of time, wrapped up in the sensations, how good it felt to have Patrick’s body pressed against mine, to feel his cock inside of me. He started to move faster and harder and I met his thrusts, moaning out again and again as I came closer and closer to orgasm. I felt the tension mounting inside of me with every movement of Patrick’s hips, and all at once something snapped, and the last of my self-control dissolved as wave after wave of pleasure washed through me, driving every thought out of my head. I barely even noticed Patrick hitting his own orgasm; but when I felt the sticky-slick heat of his come gush into me, my climax intensified and I clung to him, moving until neither of us could possibly move anymore. We both sagged against the bed, panting and gasping, and I fell into a happy, satisfied doze, my cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it slowed down.

  Chapter Four - Patrick

  I checked the time yet again as I tried to get the knot in my tie right. I was anxious to see Mackenzie in the dress she’d bought for her parents’ party, but even more than that I had to admit I was a bit nervous about meeting her family, even if it was just for New Year’s Eve.

  “Did you buy that tie for the party?” I turned to look at Landon, dressed in warm pajamas for the trek to his grandparents’ house. He always spent New Year’s Eve with Joanne’s parents, and normally I was with him—but this year would be different for us both.

  “I did,” I told him. “I bought it to match Mack’s dress.”

  “That’s silly,” Landon said, frowning in confusion.

  “It’s something you’ll understand when you get older and go to parties with women,” I explained. Mackenzie had sent me a picture of the dress she’d gotten a couple of days before, and I’d spent the day before New Year’s Eve scouring menswear sections to find a tie that would go with it. I’d even gotten her a corsage from the florist who’d had the peonies she loved; I knew it was a hokey tradition, but I hoped she would appreciate it.

  Mack had told me while we cuddled in bed the night of our last date that the party wasn’t a situation for a tuxedo, but that everyone tried to dress at least a little nicely, so I’d found one of my better suits to wear for the event, and made sure it wasn’t stained before I even went after the tie to wear with it.

  “What are you going to do with Mack at the party?”

  I smiled, checking my reflection in the mirror to make sure the tie looked right. “We’re just going to listen to music and dance, and talk to people. It’s not like a kid’s party.”

&
nbsp; “That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun,” Landon said, looking at me doubtfully.

  “There will be food and things to drink. It’s a grown-up party.”

  “No games?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. There might be.”

  “It’s going to be weird to not be with you at ball drop time,” Landon told me. I hesitated and looked at my son.

  “I know it’s going to be weird,” I said, crouching down and getting to my son’s level. “Maybe next year we can all go to a party together—me, you, your grandparents, and Mack.”

  Landon brightened. “Do you think so?”

  I grinned. “I hope so!” I tousled Landon’s hair. It occurred to me that according to the bet we’d made—that I could find Landon a new mom before the New Year—I only had one day left to win it. “Do you think I can seal the deal with Mack by tonight and win our bet?”

  Landon looked thoughtful. “I really want double presents,” he said slowly, “but I want to have Mack live with us, too. I wish she could be my mom.”

  My heart twisted inside of me and I felt happy and sad at the same time.

  “Well, it’ll probably take me a little while to get her to be your mom,” I said, holding Landon’s gaze. “But she’s in our life now, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep her with us, if she wants to stay. How does that sound?”

  “I hope she stays,” Landon said.

  “Let’s get your backpack packed, so I’m not late to pick her up for the party,” I suggested. Landon darted out of my room and into the living room to gather up the toys I’d told him he could take to his grandparents’ house, and I checked myself in the mirror one more time, and then left the bedroom to supervise the last mad dash of my son’s packing.

  I grabbed the corsage and a bottle of champagne out of the fridge, bundled Landon up into a heavy coat over his pajamas, and helped him get into his seat in the car. I would have just enough time to drop him off at my in-laws’ house, pick up Mackenzie, and get to her parents’ place outside of the city, assuming that traffic hadn’t started up early.

  “Are you going to kiss her at midnight?” I heard Landon kicking his feet against the seat bottom as we made our way to his grandparents’ house; traffic wasn’t as bad as it would be in a few hours, but it was still the same heavy Chicago flow as always.

  “Probably,” I said. “Think you’ll be able to make it all the way to midnight this year?”

  “Gramma said that I could have a little coffee milk to stay up,” Landon informed me; I laughed.

  “Well I will call you and let you know if I got to kiss Mack when the ball drops, how about that?”

  “Only if you’ve stopped kissing her,” Landon said with a giggle. “Otherwise I won’t be able to understand you.” I snorted, picturing Landon’s idea in my head. It felt good—and right—between Mack and me again. I was glad that Jess had made me clear the air and make the big, romantic gesture—I was glad that Mack had happened to see me with Jess so that we could get things straight between us. I was still nervous about meeting her parents, since I knew it was a big step, but I was ready for it.

  I got to Joanne’s parents’ place as quickly as traffic would let me, and my heart started beating faster as soon as I had given Landon a kiss goodbye for the night. I knew I’d be thinking of him while I was with Mack, but if she couldn’t handle that then it would just mean that things would have to run their course and the relationship wouldn’t go any further than it already had; but I thought I could count on her, of everyone I had ever dated, not to mind that I was thinking of my son while I was with her. I pulled out of my in-laws’ driveway and sped down the road to make sure that I could get to Mackenzie’s apartment on time. If I was lucky we might even have time for a kiss and a hug before we had to get back on the road or risk being late.

  Chapter Five - Mackenzie

  By the time I heard Patrick’s knock at my door I was almost in a frenzy, I was so anxious. I had spent most of the day—once I’d gotten out of work after lunch—getting ready, and my parents had called three times to confirm that I was coming and that I was bringing a date. I’d rushed home from the clinic and immediately started a hot bath while I took out all the things I’d planned to wear for the evening. My parents liked to see everyone dress up a bit for New Year’s, but it wasn’t quite a completely formal occasion; so when I’d known that I was going to be bringing Patrick with me, I’d taken the time to find the perfect dress, along with a great pair of shoes to go with it, and a little bit of jewelry.

  I had made sure that everything went together perfectly and put all the pieces where I could get to them and then I’d slipped into the hot bath, soaking in the fragrant water for almost an hour with a conditioning treatment in my hair. I’d pulled the plug and took a shower, rinsing the treatment out and scrubbing myself from head to toe. I wasn’t always as good about shaving in the winter as I was in the summer. I wore jeans or tights and long sleeves almost all the time, and until I’d met Patrick a few weeks before, I hadn’t been dating anyone. But I wanted to be as flawless as possible for the party, so I went over everything with the razor twice and made sure I was silky smooth everywhere.

  Once I finished in the shower I wrapped myself up in my thickest, fluffiest robe and slathered lotion everywhere that would show with my dress. I blow-dried my hair and took a minute to gulp down a cup of coffee and eat some toast to keep my stomach from going sour, and then I was back to getting ready for the big night. I did my makeup more carefully than I had in weeks, and pulled my hair back into a style I’d looked up while I had a lull at work.

  By the time I hurried to the door at the sound of Patrick’s knocking, I was as flawless from head to toe as I could possibly be: perfumed, made up, my hair done, and in a dress that fit me just perfectly. I’d be a little bit cold going to and from the car, but I had a long coat to wear and it wouldn’t be too long before I was in the warmth again.

  It was all worth it when I opened the door and saw Patrick’s reaction. For a moment he stood in my doorway, staring at me in obvious amazement, speechless. I took in the sight of him in the suit he’d chosen, and I realized that he’d either found or bought a tie that would go perfectly with my shimmery blue-and-green dress; it was the same colors, but without the sparkle. Then I noticed that he had a box from a florist shop in his hand.

  “You got me a corsage?”

  Patrick shook his head quickly, the surprise disappearing from his face as he smiled. “I know it’s corny, but I thought you might like it because it’s corny,” he admitted. I blushed, and Patrick opened up the box to reveal the corsage: it was a white rose in full bloom, with ferns and baby’s breath tied to it.

  “Pin it on me,” I said, tingling all over. Patrick took it out of the box and carefully pinned it to the front of my dress, and I took advantage of how close he was to kiss him quickly, barely remembering not to press myself against him or else I would crush the flowers.

  “I bought a bottle of champagne to bring with us, too,” Patrick told me, taking my hand in his. “Are you ready to head out?”

  I kissed him again and nodded. “Let me just grab my purse really quick and then we can go.” I locked the door behind me and pulled my coat tight as we walked down the hall and then made our way to where the SUV waited outside. I was so excited—and so nervous at the same time—that for a minute or two all I could do was shiver in silence, waiting for the heat to come up in the car as Patrick pulled out of the parking structure attached to my building and got onto the road.

  I’d told him that we needed to be there by seven o’clock sharp; technically the party wouldn’t start until seven-thirty, but I wanted to have a chance to introduce my parents and siblings to Patrick before everyone started to arrive. “Landon didn’t think the party sounded too exciting,” Patrick told me, adding with a grin, “Of course any party without a ball pit or a clown would be boring to him.”

  I laughed. “There’s going to be lots going on,” I
told Patrick, settling in the seat as the heat started to kick on in earnest and the chill melted away from me. “My parents have had years to come up with a bunch of silly traditions that they have to do on New Year’s Eve.”

  “Traditions are great!” Patrick pulled onto the highway, headed out of the city. “What kind of silly traditions are we talking about here?”

  “Everyone has to put their resolution down on paper and put it in a fishbowl,” I told him, shaking my head as I remembered when my parents had first come up with that particular tradition when I was about ten years old. “Then, before midnight, they read out the different resolutions and everyone has to guess which one belongs to who.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Patrick said, smiling. “Good way for new people to get to know each other.”

  “They also do this thing where they do joke awards for the people attending the party,” I said. “Like, most likely to get arrested in the New Year or most likely to have a new kid, things like that.”

  “Does everyone get a ballot?”

  I smiled. “I’ll help you fill yours out,” I told him. Patrick got up to cruising speed and reached over to take my hand.

  “There is one thing I want your help with tonight,” he told me, bringing my hand up to his face and kissing my palm; it was just enough contact to send a jolt of heat through my body.

  “What’s that?” I asked, once I was able to breathe again.

  “I want to call Landon just after midnight. Do you want to be in on the call? I think it’d be really special for him.” Patrick glanced at me quickly. “Normally I’m with him—and my in-laws—for New Year’s Eve, and this is the first year since he was born that I haven’t been there.”

  “You should have told me!”

  I felt a flicker of guilt for taking Patrick away from a tradition with his son.