by Krista Lakes
He dipped his head, putting his mouth to her chest. Her breathing became ragged as he caressed her nipple with his tongue and then gently took it between his teeth.
“So beautiful,” he whispered against her skin. His finger drew the curve of her breast into her rib-cage. “So, so, beautiful.”
She grinned at him. “Take me to bed,” she told him.
His dark eyes flashed with lust and he grabbed her hand. They practically sprinted across the living room, past the fireplace, and into the luxurious bedroom. The lights were low and the firelight cast flickering shadows across the bed.
She bit her lip and reached for his belt. He helped her, able to undo the belt and buttons faster than she could. He kicked free of his pants and hooked his socks with his fingers, tossing them to the floor. Then he slipped free of his briefs, leaving him gloriously naked.
She stared for a moment, amazed by his body.
He was perfect. Strong and lean but not overly so. He didn't look fake or like he spent every moment of the day in the gym with steroids. He looked real. Strong.
And totally ready to go.
He hooked his fingers into the tiny fabric triangle at the apex of her legs. With a confident smile, he tugged downward and suddenly she was naked.
“I was right,” he whispered, a smug grin on his face.
“What?” she asked.
“Still absolutely beautiful,” he told her.
She grinned at the compliment. “Do you have a condom?”
He walked to his suitcase on the side of the room and knelt, searching the front pouch. She took the opportunity to admire the curve of his ass and the muscles of his leg.
Nathan did not skip leg day.
He held one up triumphantly, slid it on, and then walked back to her. She liked the way he looked, excited and ready to go.
He kissed her as they tumbled together onto the mattress. The soft, poofy comforter cradled their bodies as they landed. Her legs wrapped around his, wanting to join with him.
His hand went to her belly, then slid south. She groaned as he pressed his fingers against her. He swirled his fingers, listening as her breath caught and finding just the right places to touch. Muscles tightened and her legs spread, giving him access to more of her.
He slid one finger first, testing the waters. She heard a groan and saw him bite his lower lip as he slid in a second finger. His thumb stayed out, strumming her like a guitar as his fingers explored.
“So tight,” he whispered, working magic with his entire hand.
Her brain fuzzed with hot lust. Her eyes fluttered and heat coursed up and down her spine with every thrust of his fingers. She wanted so much more, but she didn't dare ask him to stop. Not when it felt this good.
Her muscles tightened and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She was surprised at how quickly she found her climax. Nathan made it easy. There was almost no effort needed because he turned her on that much. His touch, his scent, and the sexy sound of his excited breathing put her over the edge and into pure bliss.
She lay gasping, her legs twitching with the intensity of pleasure he'd managed to find so quickly.
“More?” Nathan asked, his smile smug and proud of what he'd just accomplished.
She pointed to his very impressive erection. “More,” she agreed.
He angled over her, his strong arms holding him above her. She looked up and into his brown eyes, seeing galaxies in them.
Slowly, so slowly that time seemed to hold its breath, he pressed into her. Completing her.
The first thrust was ecstasy. The second, heaven. She almost hated that he had to pull back in order to thrust again because it felt so damn good to have him inside of her.
She loved the way he groaned, the ragged way his breath caught as he filled her. There was a reverence, as if every motion of being with her was a little piece of heaven for him as well. Her hands went to his muscled back, reaching to pull him further inside of her. It felt like she could never get enough, even though she was full to bursting.
He kept a slow and steady pace, taking his time and exploring her. He dipped his head, his mouth finding her breast again, his hands exploring her curves as he worked his hips. Together, slowly, they worked towards climax.
It wasn't a sprint. It was a slow burn that slowly turned into a raging inferno. She'd never wanted someone this badly in her life. She needed him to explode into her. It was the only way to put out the fire raging inside. The fire that he had built.
Holly opened her eyes and found herself looking into heaven. Nathan stared down at her, sweat on his brow and desire in his eyes. He looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He looked at her like she was magical.
It was enough to send them both spiraling into beautiful oblivion together. Holly wasn't sure who came first. It didn't matter. They came together, their bodies finally finding the release they both desperately needed. He claimed her. It was primal and powerful, but she claimed him as well in that moment.
Time stopped and ceased to matter. Nathan was the only real thing in her world.
They shattered and reformed around one another. This was something special. It was more than just a shared sensation. It was a shared connection. Their eyes held, finding that they shared the same heartbeat.
This was magic.
Chapter 16
Nathan
Nathan woke to the soft sound of snoring.
He opened one eye, and found the most beautiful woman in the world sleeping next to him. Her head had fallen off the pillow, but her arm was draped across his chest. He smiled, watching her sleep for a moment.
He still couldn’t believe this was real. The connection. The way she made him feel. It was like fireworks going off inside of him the moment he touched her. He felt like a sixteen-year-old boy, unable to contain his unending enthusiasm for her. Luckily, he managed to perform better than a sixteen-year-old boy.
Not to mention, he’d felt this attraction before she knew who he was. That almost kiss after the snowball fight told him that she’d wanted him even then. For the first time in a long time, he felt confident that she wasn’t just interested in him for his money.
She actually liked him. That alone made her precious to him.
She murmured in her sleep, moving closer to him. The sheet fell from her chest, exposing one perfect breast in the pale morning light. He stared at it. She was better than a work of art. Her lines and curves were worthy of famous painters, and yet he was the one able to touch them. He wished he could paint, if only to capture her beauty for a moment in time.
He lay there, struggling with a dilemma. If he woke her, they could have sex again. If he let her sleep, he could continue to watch and admire her. Both options were fantastic.
He decided to let her sleep. When she woke, he could have the second option then. He could be patient, even if it was growing increasingly hard to do so.
Her eyelids fluttered and she took a deep breath. One green eye peeked open and a slow smile filled her face. She ran her hand across his chest, smiling wider as she did so.
“I thought I might have dreamed you,” she said, her voice rough with sleep. The rasp was sexy as hell and his body instantly responded.
“I hope it was a good dream,” he replied, reaching over and stroking a stray strand of hair from her cheek. She hummed with pleasure as she leaned into his hand.
“Very,” she told him. And then she froze. Her eyes went wide and she sat straight up. “What time is it?”
“Does it matter?” he asked with a shrug.
“Check out is at ten-thirty.” She threw off the covers and then stared down at her naked body for a moment. “And I have work tomorrow.”
She picked up her phone, unlocking it and then sighing.
“It’s only nine.” She flopped back into bed, now scrolling through her messages. Her smile grew bigger. “And we’re snowbound. There is no checkout today.”
“Snowbound?” Nathan
repeated.
She nodded and jumped out of bed, full of energy. He liked that. He liked that energy and hoped she’d bring it back into the bed with her. Instead, she threw open the curtains, nearly blinding both of them with the sudden influx of brightness.
The world was solid white outside. The lifts weren’t running and even the edges of the windows were frosted with snow.
“Aliyah messaged me,” Holly explained. “We got so much snow last night that no one can leave. We’re staying an extra night.”
“So that means you don’t have to leave today?” he asked, suddenly no longer angry at the brightness outside. Not if it meant more time with her.
She shook her head, smile beaming. “Wanna hang out with me?”
“Hell yes.” He threw off the sheets and enjoyed her reaction to his nakedness. Her eyes widened and her lip sucked between her teeth as she smiled.
She giggled and jumped back into bed with him.
Best snow day ever.
They barely made it down to breakfast before closing time. Nathan was tempted to never leave the bed at all, but his body needed a little bit of recovery time. He was good, but he wasn’t a machine.
Holly stopped at her room on their way down to the restaurant. She looked just as amazing in her dress as she did the first time around, although he preferred her messy sex-hair to the fancy up-do of the night before. The soft look fit her better.
“I’ll be fast,” she told him, unlocking the door. “I’ll be right out. I’d let you in, but my roommate isn’t feeling well. And I’m not sure she’s dressed.”
He leaned against the hallway door as she hurried inside. Gregory emerged from a shadow to check in with him.
“Hey,” Nathan greeted him.
Gregory grunted.
“Yes, I had a fabulous night. And yes, she’s amazing. No, she’s not leaving today, and yes we will be going to the hot-spring later.”
Gregory nodded, pleased that Nathan had gotten all the nuance out of his message.
“She’s something else,” Nathan said.
“I like her. She’s good for you.”
Nathan looked over at him surprised. “What do you mean?”
“You’re smiling. I haven’t seen you this happy in ages.”
Nathan thought about it for a moment. “Maybe it’s just because I got some.”
Gregory shook his head. “This is different.”
Nathan looked at him and Gregory grunted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nathan asked him. He couldn’t always speak Gregory.
“There’s ‘I just got laid’ happy, which granted, you have going on right now, and there’s ‘I’m actually legit happy,’” Gregory explained. “You have the legit happy look. It’s different.”
“And you can tell?” Nathan crossed his arms.
“I’m paid to watch you. It’s my job to read your body language to better keep you safe.” Gregory shrugged. “You’re legit happy.”
“Huh.” Nathan leaned back against the wall, letting the back of his head rest on the wood.
He was happy. He hadn’t thought about work for hours. The dread wasn’t there. The worry, the anxiety, the ache for something more – none of it was there when he was around her.
Nathan chuckled. This is what he had wanted when he came here this weekend: peace. He hadn’t expected to find it in the arms of the sexiest schoolteacher he’d ever met.
“You really like her?” Nathan asked Gregory.
Gregory grunted.
Nathan knew that one. It meant yes, in a completely non-sexual way.
“I like her, too. It feels like I’ve known her my whole life. I don’t know how that is.”
“Soul mates,” Gregory supplied. “I’m not saying that’s what it is, especially since you’ve known her for about twenty-four hours now.”
“Soul mates?” Nathan grinned at his friend. “I didn’t know you were a romantic, Gregory.”
Gregory just grunted.
A few moments later the hotel room door opened. Gregory melted back into the shadows as Holly emerged. She’d brushed her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail with loose strands that framed her lovely face. She wore leggings and a soft looking sweater.
“I’ve got my swimsuit on and brought a change of clothes.” She held up a small tote bag. “The lifts are closed for the day since there’s so much snow, so we can’t go skiing anyway. I’m looking forward to your idea of swimming after breakfast.”
The idea of Holly in a swimsuit, the two of them alone in one of the pools, instantly cured him of any tiredness. He was ready to go again in an instant. He told himself to cool down. Breakfast first. Then more sex. And more sex. And more sex.
It seemed that the more he got of her, the more he wanted.
“I love that idea,” Nathan replied, managing to keep his voice from betraying his lusty thoughts. “How is your roommate?”
“Better.” Holly smiled at him. “Thanks for asking. I think she’s finally got it out of her system. Now she’s just glad we have an extra day so she can make it through a few more episodes of her show.”
Nathan chuckled and together they walked down to breakfast.
The breakfast area was comfortably busy. Usually by this time of day the place was deserted as everyone had already hit the slopes, but with the lifts closed, that meant that everyone could linger over their breakfast and coffee.
Holly found a small table off to the side next to the fireplace and they both sat down.
“What can I get you?” a familiar voice asked.
Merryweather, with her strange knowing eyes and soft smile stood before them.
“You work here too?” Holly asked.
“We’re short-staffed with the snow,” Merryweather replied. “Can you believe how much we got? The weatherman says it’s the snow of the century. Maybe even a couple of centuries. I think I believe him.”
“It came down so fast,” Holly said, looking out the window. “It almost feels like magic.”
“Maybe it was.” Merryweather’s eyes twinkled. “Anyway, what can I get you? We have a full breakfast today.”
“Waffles and coffee for me,” Holly answered. She grinned at Nathan. “You were right about the waffles.”
He chuckled. “Waffles and coffee for me as well. And orange juice.”
“Coming right up,” Merryweather said with a smile. She bustled off to the kitchen, weaving her way between tables and smiling at guests.
“So, can you believe there is so much snow the lifts are closed?” Holly shook her head. “It seems funny to me to be snowed in at a ski ranch and unable to ski.”
Nathan chuckled. “Maybe we’ll be stuck here for longer than just a day.”
“I don’t know.” Holly scrunched up her nose, shaking her head. “It’s almost Christmas. I would miss all the holiday fun.”
Nathan had almost forgotten that it was Christmas. He now noticed the Christmas tree off to the side. There was a menorah in the window. An instrumental version of Silver Bells played overhead.
“Right. I forgot, you don’t really do the holidays,” Holly said.
“What if you came with me to San Francisco for the holiday?” Nathan wasn’t sure where the request came from. It wasn’t something he’d been thinking of, but the words just came right out. “I know it’s not a traditional Christmas location, but I think you’d like it.”
A soft smile crossed Holly’s face, telling her she was considering it. Then she shook her head. “I can’t. I promised to help with the school, the parade, and the store’s party.” Her smile faltered. “It’s probably the last one, so I can’t miss it.”
“The last one?” Nathan asked, wondering what she meant. But, right then, Merryweather arrived with their food and drinks.
“Here you two go,” she said, setting the food down in front of them. Nathan’s mouth began to water. He was hungry from their exertions.
They both dug into their breakfasts.
“
These are so good,” Holly moaned, pouring syrup onto her plate. She smiled. “Waffles always make me think of my mom and Christmas.” She shook her head.
“Why’s that?”
“When I was five or six, my mom decided that we needed to have waffles on Christmas morning, just like they do on TV. ‘Santa’ brought her a waffle iron and while we played with our new presents, she attempted waffles.”
Her smile went distant.
“Were they good?”
“Oh god, no. They were a disaster.” She chuckled. “The waffle iron melted. All we had were these melted black plastic hockey pucks. The smoke detectors were going off, the dog was barking, and my mom just stood there with a spatula laughing. We had Eggo waffles the next year. Now they’re tradition.”
“She sounds wonderful,” Nathan said. He wouldn’t mind meeting this woman. The thought made him pause. He’d known Holly for twenty-four hours and was already considering meeting her parents. In fact, he was excited about meeting her parents.
What was in these waffles?
“She was,” Holly replied. Her smile remained, but her eyes saddened. She saw him looking at her and explained. “She died three years ago. Cancer.”
Nathan suddenly felt horrible. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.” She shrugged and put a smile back on. “This time of year it’s hard not to think of her. All the books say to focus on happy memories. And there’s just so many happy memories of her around Christmas.”
“Like the waffles?”
“Yeah.” She chuckled. “One year, she decided that our house wasn’t festive enough. She wanted it covered in lights like one of those holiday Christmas cards. So, she spent hours outside hanging lights and nearly broke her neck on the ladder. She was so excited to turn them on, and when she did, only half of them worked.”
“Oh no.”
“She called it art,” Holly laughed. “The next year, she took the same lights and spelled out ‘Merry Christmas’ on the lawn with them. It was great until the local teenagers came by and changed it into the shape of a giant penis.”