“I’m sorry I made you tell me about her.”
He shook his head and smiled. “You didn’t. It was just a hard time for me. A time I don’t like to think about. My parents have been bugging me for years to find someone else, so it never really goes away. Very few women don’t want kids, you know? I know I wouldn’t have the time to be a good dad, and that wouldn’t be fair to a kid. I think that’s why I feel like I can be myself with you. I know we both want the same things.”
“True,” I agreed. “It works out well for both of us.”
Wyatt smiled, the last of the darkness vanishing. He kissed the side of my head and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We walked to the bakery where he had a crustless cheesecake with strawberry sauce waiting. I took the bag while he paid. It wasn’t long before we were headed back to his SUV in the freezing December cold.
“I’ve never liked the winter,” I whined, knowing I sounded like a petulant child. “It’s miserable. I should have done my residency in San Diego.”
Wyatt laughed. “You’re crazy. I can’t imagine not having four seasons. It’s nice to see things change, the freshness of the spring, the beauty of the summer. I love the crisp fall weather and the bite of cold in the winter. Come on, isn’t this beautiful?”
I laughed at him. “Not even close. The streets are full of mush. My boots get ruined. My pants end up with white streaks from the salt. The only good part is that these bulky clothes hide my ample supply of curves.”
He stopped and turned me to face him. His eyes blazed with a look I’d never seen from him before. A look that warmed me from the inside out. My breath froze as quickly as the winter snow fell around us. He stepped closer, cupping my cheek and tilting my chin up.
“You know you’re beautiful, right?”
I shook my head, dislodging his palm. Cold rushed to my skin, chilling me.
Wyatt moved closer again, his palms on my cheeks, both of them, holding my head still. “You’re alluring, Peyton. You draw me in and make it hard for me to breathe. I know we said we’d be friends, but I’ve never thought of you as a friend.”
“Why not?”
He grinned. “Because friends don’t do this.”
His lips came down on mine, stealing the cold from my lips. A soft kiss, sweet, but not. He teased me, pressing kisses against my lips and his body against mine. We were on the street, in broad daylight, so I knew it wouldn’t go far, but I couldn’t deny that I wished it could.
Then his lips parted and his tongue brushed against mine. I had no choice but to moan into his mouth, needing more of him. My arms wound around his neck, drawing him closer.
He pulled back, breathing heavily, his warm breath on my face. “Let’s get outta here.”
I nodded, willing to follow him anywhere.
I swore he sped home, running yellow lights and pausing instead of stopping at stop signs. I didn’t care. I was as anxious as he was to get back to his place.
We kissed on our way upstairs but kept moving. There was an energy between us, a need that went beyond just sex. A need that stemmed from what he shared with me. From knowing how he felt about me, and that I felt the same closeness.
I knew I owed him the truth about my family, about why I became a doctor. He shared his painful past with me, and I wanted to share mine with him. But my confession could come later. I wanted to heal him first.
“Bed, Peyton. I can’t wait for a fire right now.”
I set the cheesecake on the counter and stripped out of my clothes as I walked to his bedroom. By the time I got there, I was down to my bra and panties, a surprise I bought just for him.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I thought you’d like your Christmas present a little early.”
His eyes blazed from my red lace bra with the fluffy white trim to the matching panties. “Peyton,” he choked. “You’re… I’ve never seen a woman more beautiful than you. I can’t believe you did this for me.”
I shrugged, trying not to read too much into his words or the way he looked at me. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“You did. Shit, you did. Is it bad that I really want to rip those to shreds because it’ll get them off you faster?”
I laughed and reached behind myself. He stepped up to me and pushed my hands away.
“Let me do it.”
He kissed me gently. His hands ran up and down my sides, teasing me since they never touched where I wanted him. I wanted him to claim me, to thrust hard into me, to leave no room for thinking about what was going on between us.
But Wyatt moved slow. Painfully slow. Slow enough that I could evaluate every single move he made. From the glide of his fingertips over my skin to the throb of his cock against my belly to the delicate brush of his tongue against mine.
He guided me back to the bed and unclasped my bra, tickling me with the soft fluff. Before he let it fall, he nuzzled me, his face rubbing against the fuzzy trim and my sensitive skin. The bra disappeared and I was left with just Wyatt to rub against. His hands slid to my hips and eased my panties down my legs until they fell. I stepped out of them and scooted up the bed, ready for him.
Wyatt rolled a condom down his length and positioned himself between my thighs. He guided himself into me with a slow, smooth stroke that had my back lifting off the bed.
We didn’t talk. We didn’t make any noises. Our bodies joined, our hearts intertwining, I knew I’d fallen for him. I watched him and he watched me. My breasts rose with each breath I took and my channel clenched around him. I’d never come with such ease, but I couldn’t stop the rush of orgasm that crashed over me with Wyatt’s eyes pinned to mine.
I whispered his name, unable to say it any louder. He leaned over me, kissing me and hitting deeper inside me. I rose my knee, spreading myself wider. He stroked into me, his jaw clenched and his eyes boring into me.
I came again, seconds before he did. He held my eyes the entire time. Watching me. Loving me.
I never wanted to leave.
Wyatt acted like nothing changed after that, but everything did for me. I’d never fallen in love before. It was a new feeling. One that both scared me and excited me.
I wished I could ask him if he felt the same.
He sliced mushrooms and chatted like normal. Music played softly in the background and a fire was starting to really warm up the space. I stood to the side sipping wine, wearing one of Wyatt’s t-shirts. He insisted, saying if I wouldn’t walk around naked, I had to wear something of his.
I couldn’t say I minded. Especially since he was only in boxer briefs.
“I guess I should have asked, but you like shrimp, right?”
I nodded. “I pretty much like everything.”
“Me, too. Except lima beans. My mom couldn’t ever get me to eat those.”
“You said you’re seeing your family for Christmas?”
He nodded. “Always. My mom tries to get me to stay over Christmas Eve, but I never do. My sister and her family did when the kids were younger, but Sharon likes to be home on Christmas morning. She said it’s easier to hide presents now that the kids pay attention to what they carry into my parents’ house.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I imagine it would be tough to hide everything going under the tree.”
“Yeah, and my niece and nephew count presents when they come in the door, so they’d know in a hurry if there were the same number coming in the door as under the tree on Christmas morning.”
“Sneaky little things.”
He nodded, laughing. “They definitely are.”
“I bet you’re a good uncle.”
“I try to be. I feel guilty that I don’t want to give them cousins, but I’m hoping my brother takes care of that soon.”
“I’m guessing he and his wife are trying to get pregnant?”
“Yep. They just got married a couple years ago so they wanted to wait a little while. He told me they’ve started trying, so hopefully it’s only a matter
of time.”
“I hope so,” I agreed. I did not want Wyatt’s brother and sister-in-law as my patients.
“Are you off Christmas Eve and Christmas?”
I nodded. “Yeah. People need time to be with their family. I’ll probably go in on Christmas Eve and get some work done, but Vicki and my friend Laura give me shit if I work too much.”
“They should give you shit for it. Why aren’t you going home if you have a four day weekend?”
I took a deep breath and knew I needed to explain. Most people didn’t get why I wasn’t close to my family. They didn’t know the truth.
“My parents never wanted me.”
“What?” Wyatt asked, his lips turning up at the edges. He thought I was joking.
I wasn’t.
Chapter 18
“I was an accident. And I know a lot of kids are, but my parents just got married when my mom got pregnant with me. Or maybe right before they got married. I’m not really sure. Either way, I wasn’t wanted.”
“I’m sure they wanted you once they found out. Just because you weren’t planned doesn’t mean-”
“I heard them talking, Wyatt. When I was thirteen. They said things would be much easier if they’d never had me. They regretted it.”
“They said that?”
I shrugged. “They didn’t have to say those exact words. I heard it in their tone. I was the unwanted child. The one that ruined their lives. We never had as much money as everyone around us because my mom couldn’t go back to school like she planned. My dad couldn’t work as many hours and earned less because of day care. It was a spiral, and I was at the center of it.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Peyton.”
“It’s made me who I am. I always wanted to adopt a bunch of kids, but I know I wouldn’t be the kind of mom they’d need. I wanted to help kids who weren’t wanted so they knew someone wanted them, you know? If I didn’t have to work, that’s what I would do, but I love my job. I love bringing children into loving families. Knowing that every kid I help create is loved and will never feel like they weren’t.”
“What you do is amazing. And you’re stronger than I’ve ever been facing your own issues every day.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes searched mine. He moved closer to me, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. I wanted to burrow into him and forget all about my parents. “You stare into the face of your demons constantly. I don’t think I could do that. My dad died when I was only twelve. I couldn’t be a grief counselor or anything like that. I couldn’t do anything close where I’d think about my dad all the time. I imagine you can't go into work without thinking about your parents.”
“True. But I’m doing this in spite of them, not because of them.”
“All the harder. You’re strong, Peyton. And you’d be a great mom. You care.”
“Thanks, Wyatt.”
He grinned at me and went back to cooking. Slowly, delicious smells filled his kitchen. He was stirring something in a pan when he turned to me.
“You were supposed to help me cook. How did you get out of that?”
I shrugged. “Distracted you with good sex?”
He shook his head and walked over. I tilted my head back to look up at him.
“Great sex. But I want your sexy ass helping me.”
I pushed off the edge of the counter and carried my wine to the stove. “What do I need to do?”
“Just stir this,” he said, handing me a spoon.
“Are you sure? Because I warned you how bad my cooking skills are.”
“I’m sure. Stir Peyton.”
I slid the wooden spoon through the… “Is this rice? I thought you weren’t supposed to mess with rice?”
“It’s risotto.”
“Isn’t that really hard to make?”
Wyatt shook his head and came back to check on me. “It’s easy, but it takes constant stirring.” He put his hand over mine on the wooden spoon. “Make sure you stir the bottom, too. If you just stir what’s on top, the bottom will burn.”
He stirred, digging the spoon into the bottom of the pan. “I warned you I wasn’t a good cook.”
“You’re fine, Peyton. Just keep stirring.”
I stared at the pan, stirring the risotto. “There’s a reason Vicki won’t let me help in the kitchen.”
“Yes, well, I’m not your sister.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
Wyatt snorted. “Agreed.”
Wyatt put another spoonful of liquid into the risotto and gave it a good stir before handing the spoon back to me. He dropped shrimp into the pan next to me, mixing it with garlic and olive oil. Another spoonful of liquid went into my pan.
“Keep stirring.”
“I’m stirring, I’m stirring!”
Wyatt laughed and gave his shrimp a good stir. They flipped over, revealing a perfectly pink side.
“How do you do that?”
“Lots of practice. Keep stirring.”
“Jeez. If I knew you were going to be so bossy I never would have agreed to this.”
Wyatt barked out a laugh. “You definitely don’t like someone telling you what to do.”
“Nope. That’s why I own my own business.”
“Just one more thing to be impressed by. If only you enjoyed cooking, you’d be the perfect woman.”
“Again, what is it with men thinking we all belong in the kitchen?”
“And what it is with women thinking the kitchen is a punishment? I love to cook. I like having someone to cook with. Even if she is a whiny pain in my ass who won’t keep stirring!”
“Sorry!” I said, dragging the spoon along the bottom of the pan.
Wyatt took his shrimp away then dumped another spoonful of liquid in my pan. “Almost done,” he declared. “When that’s absorbed, we can eat.”
I stirred some more, enjoying the savory scents filling my nose with each slide of the spoon through the risotto. It looked good, and I was definitely hungry.
Wyatt came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my stomach. “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“Is it done?”
“How would I know?”
Wyatt chuckled, kissing the back of my neck. Goosebumps swept over my skin, lighting me up. I swayed into him involuntarily and felt his cock twitch.
“Peyton?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Of course. I just like it when you kiss my neck.”
“Good to know,” he murmured, doing it again.
Wyatt reached around me and turned off the stove. He took the pan from the burner and carried it to the counter on the other side. He scraped the risotto onto a serving dish then topped it with mushrooms he cooked earlier and the shrimp.
Then he turned back to me with a look I was beginning to understand well.
“Forget dinner, Peyton.”
“But I’m hungry,” I protested playfully.
“So am I.”
I tried to move away from him, but he caught me by the arm. He pulled me close and lifted his shirt off me, dropping it on the kitchen floor. His eyes darted to the fireplace and my skin heated.
I’d never had sex in front of a fireplace before.
The condoms he brought into the living room were on the ottoman waiting for us. Wyatt promised to use all three before we went to bed, and then to use some more.
I was really liking this holiday tradition of his.
Of course, then my mind wondered who he celebrated the tradition with.
“Where’d you go?” he asked, tilting my chin to look at him.
I shook my head.
“What?”
“It’s silly.”
“Nothing is silly. What’s going on?”
“You said this is one of your favorite traditions. I just couldn’t help but wonder…”
“Who I was with,” he finished for me. “Shit, Peyton. I didn’t think about ho
w that sounded. We don’t have to.”
I shook my head. “I told you it was silly. I have no reason to be jealous of your past.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s easy to overlook. I never should have said anything about that.”
“But you did do this with your ex?”
He nodded.
“Anyone else?”
He shook his head.
“Another thing you’ve only done with her and now are doing with me. I don’t know if I want to be in the same category as her or help you make new memories, good ones.”
He cupped my jaw and my greedy self rubbed against his palm. The look in his eyes was so sincere I wanted to cry. “You could never be in the same category as her, Peyton. You’re a much better person. I know you’d never trick someone the way she tricked me. I just wanted to see your silky skin in the firelight. I wanted to have you like that. With the fire warming us. We don’t have to.”
“Wyatt.”
“Hmm?”
“Let me help you chase away your memories of her.”
He crushed his mouth to mine, devouring me. He lifted me and walked us over to the fireplace. Wyatt set me down and stripped out of his boxer briefs, smoothing a condom down his length. He laid down on the floor and encouraged me on top of him.
“This is my favorite position,” I said as I took him inside.
“No talking about other men when I’m inside you,” he growled.
I pinched my lips shut. Just like he did, I didn’t think about what I was saying.
“If you like it so much, talk to me, Peyton. Tell me what you like.”
“I love feeling you slide in and out of me,” I said, lifting my hips to move away, then lowering myself back down onto him. “I love knowing I have the power. That you have to do what I want.”
“Oh really?” he teased. “You don’t think I could flip us right now?”
I smirked. “I’m sure you could, but I hope you won’t.”
He groaned when I squeezed his cock inside me.
“More, Peyton. What else do you like?”
“I like tilting back and feeling where you shift inside me.” I leaned back and gasped when his cock hit my g-spot.
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