“Hmm, I always wondered why Wendy did the dishes on your nights,” Mama said, shaking her head. “Now it makes perfect sense.”
I wasn’t too keen on Ainsley and Wendy being left together, so I followed them to the kitchen under the announcement that I was only overseeing.
“I think you don’t want to let Ainsley out of your sight,” Wendy stated as we cleared the table and moved to the kitchen. Aiden, Mama, and Dad moved to the living room, to watch the Christmas movie, Elf. I sat around the kitchen table and watched Ainsley moving around the kitchen like he belonged here.
“I gotta hand it to you guys,” Wendy remarked as she washed, and Ainsley rinsed. Mama had a thing about loading her best china in the washing machine so they were doing everything by hand. “I can’t believe you’re pulling this off. You guys almost have me believing this is real. Is it? Because I can’t help sensing this chemistry between you guys.”
Ainsley glanced over his shoulder at me. I wasn’t surprised Wendy had noticed it. With the way Ainsley and I looked at each other, our pheromones could not have gone unnoticed. I wanted to do unmentionable things to that round ass of his.
“Hmm, you’re not getting anything out of us,” I replied.
She shrugged. “Cool. Not that I’m complaining. It’s nice to see you happy. I was about to believe you would never find another special guy after Luke.”
Ainsley plopped down one of Mama’s china a little harder than necessary, and I winced.
“Okay, this is the second time I’m hearing about this Luke person,” he stated. “Will someone tell me what’s up with that? Who’s Luke? Will someone come through that front door and give me a black eye because I kinda need my face to make money.”
Wendy gasped and turned accusing eyes at me. “You didn’t tell him about Luke?”
I shook my head but kept my eyes on Ainsley rather than on her. He was frowning, his bottom lip pushed out a little like he was demanding something he expected to get.
“Luke is…was my husband,” I answered and left it at that.
“You’re divorced?”
“No, he died.”
The tone in the kitchen changed. I glared at Wendy for bringing up Luke now. I had meant to talk to Ainsley about it, but I didn’t talk much about my husband. My family didn’t mention him much either because they knew how melancholic I got thinking about him.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry,” Ainsley said on a gasp. “How long ago?”
“Four years.” I expected the usual feeling of self-pity and pain, but there was none, just a hint of sadness. Was I finally coping with Luke’s death, and did it have anything to do with Ainsley?
“That’s not so long ago.”
“Will and Luke were inseparable,” Wendy butted in, sharing more than I wanted to. “They were friends for so long, almost throughout high school. When they came out together, it was the sweetest thing ever. They were that couple everybody wished they were the other half of. It didn’t come as a surprise when they got married, but none of us expected Luke to get sick.”
“What happened?” Ainsley asked gently, his attention fixed on me rather than Wendy, like he wanted me to tell him the story, not my sister.
“He caught the flu,” I answered, still finding it unbelievable at times how something so commonplace could have claimed the life of my husband. “We didn’t think it was anything serious, but by the time we got him to the hospital, it was already too late. Only a day after getting there, he was gone. We ignored his symptoms for too long, and he died from organ failure due to septic shock.”
“That must have been tough.”
The familiar guilt returned as happened when I talked about Luke’s death. I rose to my feet so quickly I almost knocked over the chair. “Yeah, it was.” I righted the chair and headed for the exit. “It’s a little warm in here. I’m going to step outside a bit.”
I didn’t wait for a response but left the kitchen. I didn’t bother to get my coat from the closet by the front door. I was in too much of a haste to get away and be alone for a few minutes. I was foolish to ever think I would get over Luke’s death. It was one of the reasons I was never interested in being in another relationship, knowing I could have prevented his death.
If not for me, he would have been alive.
Chapter Ten
Ainsley
“You should go to him.”
No shit. I didn’t need Wendy to tell me to go after Willy. The second he left the kitchen, I was rinsing the final dish. Placing it carefully on the drainage wrack, I reached for the kitchen towel to wipe my hands.
“I wish he had told me before so I’d know what to say now,” I said, putting down the washcloth.
“Sometimes talking isn’t necessary. Just being there is enough.”
Instead of replying to Wendy, I headed after Willy. I wasn’t wearing enough clothes to be outside, but I didn’t want to go up the stairs either to put on a sweater. As I opened the door, a gust of cold air rushed in. Just my luck to be back in Alabama during an uncharacteristic cold Christmas. I almost closed the door, but I spotted Willy standing at the edge of the porch, leaning against the balustrade. His hands were deep inside his pockets, probably to ward off the cold. He was just staring out into the night.
He turned at the sound of the door opening. “You should stay in,” he said. “It’s cold out here.”
“I’ll stay in if you come back inside,” I told him.
“I really need some air.”
Mind made up, I walked out of the house and closed the door behind me. I hurried over to his side, picked up his left arm and placed it around my shoulders as I cuddled into his side. His hand was stiff at first before he relaxed and pulled me even closer. He leaned sideways and kissed the top of my head.
“This thing between us is crazy,” he murmured. “I’ve known you less than a day, Ainsley.”
“I know.” For now, I went along with his little tactic to distract me. “But, I don’t think we can help it. I know I can’t. It took me completely by surprise.”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m not upset it happened.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and locked them, hugging him. The warmth of his body was already seeping into my skin from the close contact with him.
“I’m nothing like the guys you would have been in a relationship with before.”
“You’re right,” I agreed, rubbing my cheek on his shirt for added warmth. “You’re a whole lot nicer, responsible, and good.” When he didn’t say anything, I added, “And hurt. Will you talk to me about it?”
He sighed, the sound so sad I wanted to make him feel better. “What’s there to talk about? If not for me, Luke would still be alive.”
I frowned up at him, shivering when a cold air blew directly at us. “What do you mean?”
“He kept complaining about the chest pains,” he replied, his arm tightening about my shoulder. “But he had a temperature on and off, so I thought it was just your regular flu. I mean people get them so often, and although I’ve heard of people dying from influenza before, I never thought that would happen to us. When he asked if he should go to the hospital, I told him to let us wait it out a day or two first, and if he didn’t get better then we would go.”
“And he didn’t get better,” I ended.
“No, he didn’t. I blame myself. I should have taken him when he wanted to go.”
I hugged him tighter. “Oh Willy, you can’t blame yourself for that. You didn’t know. There’s no way you could have known. You weren’t unreasonable for wanting to wait first. It’s normal to wait to see how bad a condition is getting before we get medical attention.”
“But he ended up dying because of my stupid decision.”
“I know, but it wasn't purposeful. Unless you knew it was going to happen, you don't have to beat yourself up about it. I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”
In silence, we stood, holding each other, the cold air causing us to shiver every now and again. I
spotted the huge sleigh in the yard, and an idea began to form. We would probably freeze our nuts off, but the idea had already taken root, and I couldn't let it go.
“Don’t move,” I told him. “I’ll be back.”
He released me, and I ducked inside the house. I moved as quietly as I could, hearing Willy’s parents talking around the television in the living room. Wendy was still in the kitchen washing up. I squashed the twinge of guilt I felt for abandoning her to make Willy feel better. I took the stairs two at a time, hurrying to the bedroom. Once inside, I snatched the quilt from the bed, but I didn’t stop there. I fumbled in my wallet for a condom and the small packet of lube. Should I be so lucky.
Getting past everyone with my arms laden took proper timing, but I managed it. Holding everything away from the entrance of the kitchen, I poked my head inside.
“Wendy, will you cover for Willy and me?” I asked her. “We’ll be outside a bit.”
“But isn't it cold?” she replied.
“Not too cold. We’ll be fine. I just don’t want anyone worrying if we disappear a bit.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Thanks.”
I didn’t satisfy the curiosity in her eyes but made my way back outside. Willy hadn’t moved from where I left him. He frowned at me when he saw the quilt in my hand.
“Since you don’t want to come in to the warmth, I’m bringing the warmth to you.”
"You’re crazy,” he said.
I bit my bottom lip. “You’ve no idea. Come on.” I headed down the steps.
“What? Where are you going?”
"The sleigh!”
“What? Why?”
I didn’t reply but continued dashing across the yard with the quilt in hand, hoping he was following me. At the sleigh, I peered inside, which was a bit dark since his parents hadn’t turned on the Christmas lights out in the yard as yet. It seemed sturdy enough.
Willy caught up to me, his arms going around my waist. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“It’s dark. Nobody can see us,” I whispered to him, my excitement mounting. Before he could stop me, I started climbing into the sleigh. I jerked at the unexpectedness of his hands cupping my backside. I turned to him with a grin. “I see you’re in the mood too.”
“Shit. We’ll get caught for sure,” he said but climbed in with me.
The sleigh was huge, like the real thing Santa used to cart around a bag full of presents. I moved over to one end, and as he settled beside me, I arranged the quilt around us. The seat was cold from being out in the elements, but I figured our backside would warm it up soon enough. The quilt around us didn’t make it too cold.
I scooted over to him until I was up against him. It was dark, but I could still make out his features. I was relieved the haunting look in his eyes were replaced by desire. I could never get tired of seeing his desire for me.
“Kiss me.”
He didn’t hesitate but leaned sideways to capture my lips with his. I met him halfway, embracing his kiss. Dropping the quilt, I twisted, leaning into him as I cupped the back of his head and tangled my fingers into his hair. He grabbed at the quilt sliding down my body and brought it back up around my shoulders, holding it in place as we continued exploring each other's mouths.
“I want you,” I gasped, in between kisses. “So bad.”
“My place?”
I kissed the stubble on his chin. “Can’t wait that long. Now.”
“In the open?”
I nodded, dropping my hand from his hair to land in his lap. I palmed his cock through the material of his jeans, my breath hitching excitedly at the hardness of him.
“It’s dark,” I said, “And we’re under the quilt. Nobody can see us. Please, Willy, don’t think. Let’s just act.”
“You sure you don’t want me to think? Because I’m thinking how tempting this is.”
“Don’t mind if I tempt you some more.”
I fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, and he helped me to unsnap them. He raised his hips, and I tugged down his jeans and underwear to his thighs.
“Fuck, that’s cold.” He shuddered when I wrapped my palm around his cock.
“Sorry. It’ll warm up a bit.”
I kissed his lips hard and fast before ducking beneath the quilt. There was enough leg room for me to crouch over him. I combed my fingers through the thick patch of hair around his cock and captured his tip with my mouth. I would have loved teasing every inch of him, but I wasn’t about to push our luck since we didn't have all night. I slid my lips down his cock, deepthroating him.
“Holy shit, Ains!”
Willy’s girth filled my mouth as I found a rhythm that was comfortable for both of us. I alternated sucking him lightly then harder, tasting his precum on my tongue. I cupped his balls, gently squeezing them. His moans were snatched by the wind and carried away by the cool night breeze. I’d never get tired of the sounds he made as I made love to him.
“So close,” he moaned. “Don’t stop. I’m so close.”
I pumped the base of his cock with my hand while sliding my lips up and down his shaft. Beneath the quilt, he cupped the back of my head while thrusting upward. His cock eased down the back of my throat, pulled out then went back down again. His soft cry rented the air as he spilled his cum down my throat. I swallowed before another spurt splashed my tongue. With a moan, I sucked him dry and licked his tip clean.
For an odd moment, I remembered another time, in the janitor’s closet, me cleaning Joey’s cock. After almost five years, I still remembered the way he dismissed me right after. I’d made this so easy for Will, but what now? Would we walk back inside his parents’ house and continue to be pretend boyfriends? Or would he think me being easy meant I was of little worth than another hole to fuck?
I released his cock with a plop.
“That was so hot,” Willy remarked, and with a quick snap pulled his jeans and underwear back up. He left it unzipped but reached for me and lifted me onto his lap, the quilt settling about my shoulders. I straddled him, looking anywhere but at him. I didn’t want to see the smug look on his face.
“Ainsley.”
I couldn’t avoid looking at him then. “Yeah?”
His hand slipped between our bodies to cup my semi-hard cock between us. “I need to get you unzipped so I can make you come too.”
I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I felt my lips stretch into the widest smile. This was nothing like what had happened years ago. For one, we were under the blanket of the stars in a fucking sleigh not a janitor's closet. And the guy I was with was no Joey. He was nice guy Willy who had no problem giving back the pleasure he received.
I cupped his face between my hands and smashed my lips to his. “I’m perfectly fine just kissing you.”
“Then be quiet so I can do it properly.”
His hands cupped under my bottom, and he pulled me up his thighs so I rested more snugly in his lap. I closed my eyes and gave myself up to the moment. I forgot that we had just met. I forgot that I almost overlooked him at the airport. I forgot he was a horrible dresser with a penchant for plaid. All that was mattered was the magic I felt in his arms.
Light filtered through my closed eyelids, and I opened my eyes. So did Willy. Someone had turned on the lights, and the yard was illuminated in yellow, green, and red.
“Are you cold?” Willy asked me. “Ready to go in?”
I was cold, but I would survive. It was more important for me to savor the night. I entwined my hands around his neck and leaned back into him. “I’m not done kissing you yet.”
His grin said he felt the same.
Chapter Eleven
Ainsley
I nearly tore my pocket off to get to my phone when it rang. I was bored, sitting on a sofa in the living room, flipping through the TV channels. Earlier, I had tried to entertain myself on social media, but it didn’t hold its usual appeal. I missed Willy, and I couldn’t wait until he left work so we could hang out togeth
er.
Yesterday, we had barely spent any time together. As promised, yesterday morning, he had been at the door promptly at five thirty to take me jogging. With a little prodding, he had gotten me out of bed, and we went out together. It had felt great to be about, but it had taken some getting used to in the coolness of the early morning. While I was no stranger to keeping fit, most of my exercise took place at the gym in my apartment building. Running outside was a completely different experience, one I would have never undertaken alone but was nice with Willy as a companion.
The cold had ceased to matter the longer we ran, and my body warmed up to the weather conditions. By the time we arrived at the park, I had been in good spirits, feeling more energetic than I had in a long time. Willy had insisted I got on the swing while he pushed me. I hadn’t done anything like it in a while, but it had felt weightless and free flying in the air away from him before plunging back to him. When it was his turn, instead of pushing him, I had climbed onto his lap, legs wrapped around his waist as I straddled him. We had kissed, while he used his feet to push us back and forth.
Instead of jogging, we had walked back to the house, holding hands, the journey taking twice as long since he stole so many kisses on the way. I hadn’t complained because I didn’t want him to go to work. I had even asked him if he could take the day off, but he’d replied in the negative. He had to cover a shift yesterday and today so he could take the day off tomorrow to drive me to my parents.
We had walked back to the house in silence as I contemplated whether or not I still wanted to see my parents. Why ruin the holiday which was so perfect right now,d by involving my parents who were never quite comfortable with me around?
Although I had invited Willy in for coffee, he had declined, insisting that he had to go. At my pout, he had backed me against the door for a hot kiss that left me melting against the wood. When he stepped back, I’d allowed myself to slide to a sitting position on the floor, and he had laughed while jogging to his car, promising that he would see me later. I couldn’t forget his laugh nor the twinkle in his eyes.
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