by Lara Norman
He went flying down the relatively short hill. He couldn't help hollering in excitement as he picked up speed, only to come to the end and go shooting across the packed snow on the sled. He managed to avoid running into anyone only because they dodged out of his way as he shouted. He slowed and came to a stop, climbing off and carrying the sled back up the hill with the others.
“That was great, Cora!” He dropped the sled and picked her up, spinning her and giving her a smacking kiss.
She laughed and threw her arms around him. “I knew it would be fun!”
“Hey, lady, you wanna turn before I get back on?”
Warren let go of Cora so she could face the teenager and thank him. She accepted the sled he was holding out to her, and she let go of all her reservations and went for it. She went flying down the hill, and though she didn't love it, she was proud of herself for doing it. When she finally stopped moving she had to press a hand to her stomach to help keep in the eggs she’d had for breakfast.
She made it to the top of the hill with minor huffing and puffing. Warren took the sled and handed it back to the kid. “Thanks, man.”
The kid went face first down the hill and Cora had to look away. She wasn't quite that brave.
“You didn't like it, did you?” Warren asked in an undertone.
She glanced up at him. “No, not really. It was a little too much for my stomach to take.”
“I take it you’re not a fan of roller coasters, either?”
She shook her head. “I just wanted to give it a go, but once is enough for me.”
“You tried. That takes guts.”
“Thanks.” She leaned into his kiss on the top of her head.
“Let’s go back home.”
They walked a different route, and Cora couldn't help staring at the window displays of the small downtown stores. Santas and trains and lights were everywhere, and she enjoyed it more than she would have thought. Wreaths adorned the light poles, and there were even carolers stationed in the center of a courtyard. They stopped to listen to several sets of songs, holding hands the entire time.
“At this point, I feel like offering you hot chocolate is an erotic suggestion.”
Cora smirked up at Warren. “Try it and see if it gets you lucky.”
“I plan to, but only once we’re back home.”
“I can’t wait.”
Twenty-Three
Here was the fervor Cora anticipated, with bumping teeth and tangled coats, boots to trip over and soggy socks. She couldn't get close enough to him due to the sheer number of layers they were wearing, but it was not for lack of trying. When she was half naked she stopped peeling off her own clothes and attacked him. She bit his jaw while unbuttoning his jeans and shoving them down. Eager hands meant fumbling mistakes, but soon enough she had the pants off along with his boots. His sweater was harder because the neckline caught on his head, but she worked it off as well. The long johns were a pain in the ass because they were built to be form-fitting and they were as bad as peeling off pantyhose. Finally, he was bare and she worked to remove her clothes from the waist up. Warren was more than eager to help, but he kept getting distracted by her breasts every time she pulled off another shirt. He took handfuls and mass- aged them, staring at her dark nipples and wanting so badly to tug on them with his teeth.
They didn't make it past the kitchen table before Warren picked her up and held her tightly, trapping his leaking cock between them when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He wanted to bury himself inside her, but his condoms were in the bedroom. He settled for kissing her throat and sliding his hands up her shoulders to lean her back and gain better access to her skin. She rubbed against him, wetting his dick and making him see stars.
“Warren, for God’s sake, fuck me, already.”
Her hips worked relentlessly against his, and he groaned into her mouth as he gave her a bruising kiss. His ass bumped into the table and he was desperate to throw her down on it.
“I can’t.” He thrust his tongue into her mouth in an imitation of what he wished he was doing.
She let out a frustrated sound that got trapped in his mouth. She pulled away to speak. “Now, please.”
“Condoms, Cora. Upstairs.” His mouth went to work on the side of her neck and she gripped his hair in her fist.
“Mmmmmm. Now,” she insisted. “I’m covered, and I trust you.”
“God, you have no idea how good that sounds.”
He spun them around and laid her gently on the table before grabbing her knees and pushing into her swiftly. She cried out and held onto his forearms as he pounded into her with a fierce rhythm. When she reached between them to rub her clit he thought he might embarrass himself and come early. Not more than a few minutes passed before he felt the tightening that signaled the end.
“Fuck, Cora!”
She let go, coming loudly and gripping him tightly with her inner muscles. He couldn't hold out, releasing inside her so strongly he wondered if he would lose consciousness.
“God.”
That was all she said, but it was the tone of voice that made it clear how much she enjoyed it. He had to sit in the nearest chair and pant for a full two minutes to catch his breath.
“How about that hot chocolate?” he finally said with a chuckle.
“Yeah. I think I need to clean up first, and you need to sanitize this table.” She laughed. “And that chair.”
He did sanitize everything while she used the bathroom upstairs. He used the half bath near his office to clean up and get dressed, then he got started making hot cocoa from what he had in the pantry. He wasn't positive that he was doing it right, but it would be good enough. It was clear that Cora wasn't picky. He got a fire going in the living room fireplace and pulled the big pillows off the couch just as Cora came back downstairs.
“That looks romantic,” she commented as she hit the last step.
“Well, I was originally planning on seducing you in front of the fireplace, but you've more than satisfied my lust for the moment.”
She walked right up to him and kissed him. It was a little more than a casual peck, causing Warren to reconsider how sated he truly was. Her nearness caused the muscles in his belly and groin to clench pleasantly.
“I made cocoa, but I don't know how spectacular it is.”
She smiled. “I don't mind.”
“I love that about you.”
His words were whispered as he leaned down to kiss her once more. He didn't care what else he had to do at that moment, he just wanted to stay there and kiss her for as long as she would let him.
“It turns out I love a lot of things about you,” he added as he broke away to kiss her
cheeks and her forehead. “I don’t know how we got so lucky, but we’re very compatible, it seems.”
“It does seem so.” Cora leaned in as he kissed her forehead and then laid her head on his chest. His arms went around her and he simply held her for a few minutes. Then her stomach growled.
“Oops. I forgot to feed you lunch.”
She laughed lightly. “We were otherwise occupied.”
“I have stuff for sandwiches. Maybe a can of soup if you’re lucky. If you want, I’ll put it together and bring it in here so we can sit in front of the fire while we eat.”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “You don't have to cater to me. I’ll help you fix lunch.”
“Don’t get too used to it, but I want you to relax. You deserve some downtime after all the work you’ve put in this month.” He kissed her head. “You can read by the fire with your cocoa and I’ll be right back.”
Cora smiled in contentment. Her chest was warm, and she knew it was her heart sighing for the love of the man in front of her. He smiled in return and went off to the kitchen, only to come back with a tray that held two mugs. He set it down on the coffee table and headed back to the kitchen. Cora hurried up the stairs to get her book and made her best effort to get comfortable on the floor once she was back
downstairs. There were pillows from the couch, so she propped one behind her and leaned against the ottoman. The fire crackled quietly and she realized she hadn’t felt so at peace in ages. She could hear Warren moving around in the kitchen and she made a mental note to ask him to show her his office after they ate. She was curious what it would look like in there, whether he had plans and drawings or even pictures of the house he was working on. Perhaps she could even convince him to take her to the Victorian. She still thought it would be a lovely place to live, and she considered asking him what he thought about living there with her. She was positive Warren was it for her, and she wanted to move forward with him in whatever way he was comfortable with. If he wanted to keep the house they were currently in, she would ask him how he felt about her living in it with him. If he didn't want to live with her at all, she would think about buying the Victorian for herself with the eventual plan of him moving in once he was ready.
She hadn't realized he was done with making lunch and coming back into the living room until he was standing directly in front of her. “Cora?”
He sounded like he'd said her name a few times already, judging by his curious tone. “I was deep in thought, sorry.”
He sat down next to her and handed her a plate with a sandwich on it. “Not about work, I hope.”
“No, about your office and what the Victorian house you're working on looks like.”
“Oh, that I would love to talk about.”
She took a bite of ham and swiss and watched as he set up a comfortable spot for
himself on the floor next to her. “The Victorian will need flooring and a bit of electrical next. We’re installing heated floors in the bathrooms and kitchen, so the pipes have to be laid for that before the laminate goes over the top.”
“How do heated floors work?”
“Narrow pipes hooked up to the water heater. Hot water runs through them and they’re laid out in a continuous pattern across the floor.”
“That’s pretty neat. It would be nice to not have cold toes in the winter.” She flexed her sock-covered feet.
“It will be nice, yes. Finishing work comes after that, such as the bathroom tubs and tile, then everything in the kitchen has to be installed. The cabinets, the appliances. The estimate is another four to six weeks before completion, depending on the weather and the materials being delivered on time.”
“And then what do you do when it’s all complete?”
“I list it for sale. Why?”
“Oh, you know.” She looked away from him and picked up her sandwich.
“No, I don't know.” He touched her jaw with his fingertips.
“I love the look of the house online. I love the look of the neighborhood. I would love a bigger place to live, one that has a garage.” She braced herself for his outburst telling her it was too soon to even vaguely suggest living together.
“Oh, you’re thinking of buying it? That would be amazing. Usually, I have to say goodbye to the houses I’ve spent so long working on and never get to see the inside after someone has made it their own. I didn't know you were looking for a new place.”
She looked at him, surprised that there was no outburst. “I haven't technically looked yet. And now, with us . . .”
He waited for her to continue, but she didn't. “With us, what?”
She took a bite of her sandwich and didn't reply. She looked directly at him, but she wasn't sure what to say.
“Cora, what are you thinking?”
“That I don't want to start a fight or screw this up if I say what’s on my mind.”
“Please, tell me. I don’t have any intention of fighting with you over your thoughts and opinions.”
“Okay.” She shifted her legs. “I want to live in the Victorian, assuming it's as beautiful finished as I believe it will be. I hadn't thought of living together at first, but now it’s all I can think about.”
He sat back in surprise. “Oh.” He pondered what she’d said, and he had to admit that he’d had those same thoughts. “The last time I looked over the plans for the kitchen I was imagining you there cooking something.”
She felt her face grow warm as she blushed. “I want that.”
“It has occurred to me that I was more attached to this house than any other I’ve remodeled. I had thoughts of us living there together, Cora.”
“So I’m not alone in these thoughts?”
“No. It’s not going to be finished by the first of January or anything so we have time to decide how we’re going to work this out.” He was renewed by the thought of the two of them living together in the gorgeous Victorian house he’d dreamed of owning. “When we finish eating, I’ll show you the plans in the office. You can help me with the final decisions.”
“That would be great.”
Twenty-Four
Cora was impressed. His office faced the back windows, and she couldn't help but look out at the heavy snowfall that had picked up again sometime during their lunch. The office was white, spacious, and had a large elevated desk that was sitting at a tilt.
“That’s my drafting table. I use that when I’m working on the structural plans for a house. It’s easiest for the hand drawing that’s required, especially because of the size of my scale.”
She didn't think that was meant as a euphemism. “Scale?”
“An architect’s scale is a fancy ruler. See?” He pulled it out from its spot in a drawer and showed her the measurements that he utilized in drafting his plans.
“Oh.”
He pulled out the design board for the kitchen of the Victorian. “This is what I have mocked up so far. Here’s a sample of the countertop material, and this is the backsplash tile. I was thinking of this color for the walls, and this is the flooring throughout the house.”
She studied everything stuck on that thick white board that Warren had chosen to go in the kitchen. It was just a snapshot of the whole, but she could see the big picture. She could envision not just the finished project, but herself in the kitchen. And for a brief moment, she had a vision of the future. In that vision, she and Warren were laughing at something while standing together at the island. Cora saw her belly expanded to hold their child, and the suddenness of that sight made her gasp.
“Do you hate it? I can make changes.”
Warren set down the design board and moved to cup Cora’s face in his hands. She had gone white and was staring off into the distance. When he touched her she blinked and focused on him. “Oh, Warren, it’s absolutely perfect.”
He was concerned when a tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb. “Then why are you crying?”
“I guess I didn’t expect everything to be so right.”
“Is it? It’s what you like and you wouldn't change anything?”
She returned his gesture by putting her hands on his face. “I wouldn't change a single thing.” She kissed him gently. “I can’t believe how much I love you.”
“I have to agree with your taste.” He grinned. She should chide him for his foolishness, but it didn’t bother her.
“Can we go and see it?”
“Now?” He looked at his watch and then out the windows. “With this snow, I don’t know if we could make it, not to mention that it’ll be dark soon.”
“I hadn't thought of that. Will this snow never end?” She buried her head against his chest in irritation before deciding it didn't matter. What was important was that they were together, and they could go another time.
Warren tipped her head up so he could look down at her face. “I’ll make an effort tomorrow to get us there, even if it’s snowing. I’d like for it to be your Christmas gift.”
“That would be a nice gift.” She pushed up the few inches it took to reach his mouth so she could kiss him. “Unfortunately, the gift I ordered for you is stuck in the warehouse somewhere.”
Warren followed her mouth as she pulled away and kissed her as she finished speaking. He began slowly as the pleasure built,
then their mouths moved in a frenetic dance. He cupped Cora’s ass and pulled her flush to his body as he slanted his mouth to avail himself of her lips. Her tongue found its way into the recesses of his mouth and tangled with his. Their breathing labored through their noses as they refused to pause for a proper breath. Cora’s breasts were the perfect size for Warren’s hands and he was not afraid to squeeze them and mold them as he teased her nipples until she was whimpering.
Cora had to break free of him so she could breathe. Great gulps of air were just barely enough to keep the dizziness at bay. “That escalated quickly.”
“I can’t help myself.” He shrugged, unrepentant. “That you would even think to get something for me shows me that you’ve been falling for me for at least the past few days.” He winked.
She smiled at his playfulness. “At least.”
“Okay, how about a movie? I think I have a frozen pizza that we can heat up for dinner later.”
“I’d like that.” She bit her lip and he quirked an eyebrow at her, thinking that maybe he’d found something she didn't like when he mentioned frozen pizza. “What Christmas movies do you have?”
He laughed in relief as much as amusement. “All kinds. I’ll let you pick.”
“I won’t even complain if you want to make out instead of watching the movie.”
“Now that’s my kind of date.”
They curled up on the large gray sectional in the living room and turned on a movie. Cora had not ever seen the movie Elf, so she was actually interested in watching it. She laughed so much that tears were running down her face, and Warren loved watching her. She was relaxed, and not just that, but happy. She was no longer lonely and bitter about everything. She was enjoying herself over something as simple as a movie he’d seen countless times. When the phone rang in the middle of the scene in Central Park, Warren untangled himself from Cora and went into the kitchen to answer it.
Cora wondered who was calling him on Christmas Eve. He’d told her that his parents didn’t have cell service where they were without paying an arm and a leg for international calling. She focused back on the movie, tearing up a bit as everyone in the crowd sang together as proof that they believed in Santa. When Warren came back she held out her arm so he would sit next to her again and then she snuggled into his side. She didn't ask about the phone call, figuring it wasn't her business. When the movie was finished they went to the kitchen together to make dinner.