Page 144 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
I chuckle. “Probably, but I won’t hold it against you.”
“Thanks,” he murmurs.
Still stroking his beard, I ask, “Are you proud of yourself for today? Because you should be. You got a tree, Cole. You decorated it, you decorated your house…you took down that poster. Those are big steps.”
“I know,” he says and sighs. “I just felt…confident. Like I could do it because, well, because you were here.”
That pulls on my heart as I sit up and bring my mouth to his. I kiss him for a few seconds as his grip on me grows tighter, but I pull away and stare down at his handsome face. “I’m glad I could be a part of it, Cole. And I’m glad Taran and Aunt Cindy are gone so I could be here.”
His hand slides over my backside. “You don’t think they would appreciate you being here with me?”
“No, I don’t,” I say as I slide my hand down his neck and across his chest, the short stubble prickling my palm.
“Why not?”
“The whole competition thing. I don’t think they’d want me to get wrapped up in feelings when there’s a crown to claim.”
“I get that,” he says. “And I hope you know this isn’t about the competition for me. You and me—it’s separate. I’m not trying to distract you.”
“Oh, I know,” I say quickly as I caress his chest. “I know you wouldn’t do that.”
“Okay, I just want to make sure,” he says, insecurity in his voice. “What’s happening between us, it’s on a different level for me. Kringle competition aside, having you here feeds me in a way I wasn’t expecting.”
“Really?”
He nods and brings his wandering hand to my stomach and then up between my breasts. I lower onto my back, and it’s his turn to lift up on his elbow. He undoes the one button I have holding the flannel together and then he parts the shirt, baring my front.
Lightly, he trails his fingers up my stomach and around my breasts, teasing. “You’ve brought some life back into my mundane days,” he says softly. “I knew I was living in the dark, going week by week, month by month, but I didn’t realize how far I’d sunk until you came back.”
His finger moves inward, twirling around my nipple now, creating a tingling sensation throughout my body.
“You made me feel things again, Storee. Anger. Annoyance. Determination…lust. Whereas before, I’m not sure there was much that I felt at all.”
I shift my legs, spreading them ever so slightly, letting him know exactly where I want him. But he doesn’t give in, he keeps circling my nipple, turning me on, making me wet, bringing me to a point that I’m going to beg soon.
“I feel the same way,” I say in a breathy voice. “I’ve felt more alive here then I have in a while.”
“Because of the competition?”
I shake my head. “A little maybe, but also because of the town. Because ofyou. This feels right, being here, and I hate that I stayed away for so long.”
“Yeah, that was pretty stupid,” he jokes as his fingers trail down my stomach and circle around my belly button.
“Very stupid,” I say as I make more of a show of spreading my legs.
He glances down my body and then back up. “You telling me something, Storee?”
“Yes,” I answer.
“Say it.” He drags his fingers right above my pubic bone and then back up my stomach, making me groan in frustration.
“I’m wet, Cole. I’m turned on. I want you to make me come again.”
He smirks and then circles my nipple again. “How wet?”
“Very wet,” I answer.
“Show me,” he says.
