by Ivy Jordan
I sat at the island counter in the kitchen and peeled what felt like a hundred potatoes, when in actuality it was only about nine. I remembered my grandmother making mashed potatoes from a box, a red box that contained powdered flakes that magically turned into delicious mashed potatoes. I giggled at the memory, feeling blessed that I was able to see my grandmother's face on Christmas, even if just in a long lost memory returned.
I had everything that would make Isaac’s Christmas meal nostalgic, giving him the warmth of home, but I had to add a few healthy options. Sweet potatoes were peeled, diced, and baked with ginger, honey, garlic, and a smidge of brown sugar, a large salad with baby spinach, arugula, and romaine tossed with loads of veggies, and whole carrots, peeled and roasted on the rack below the pecan pie.
“Baby,” Isaac called for me from the other room. I assumed it to be his thirty-minute kiss break, so I decided to surprise him with one of the deviled eggs I’d made. I reached into the fridge, grabbed one that was perfectly filled, and headed into the living room. “Are you done yet? I miss you,” he whined so sexily my body shuddered.
“I’m almost done, I promise,” I smiled and brought the deviled egg from behind my back. “Would you like to try?” I asked.
His eyes widened and followed the egg as I twirled it around near his face. “Yes, please,” he grinned. “But, I have to warn you, Uncle Greg made the best-deviled eggs. I have no idea what he did to them, but I’ve never had one like his, so don’t be offended if yours don’t bring me to tears like his did,” he teased.
“Yeah, yeah, just try the egg,” I snickered.
He opened his mouth and let me slide it inside, one entire bite for the half of egg. At first, he didn’t react, just chewed, and then suddenly his eyes lit up, and his smile stretched across his face. “Oh my God! I’ve searched the world for an egg like his; that’s exactly like the ones he made. What did you put in those?” he exclaimed, standing from his chair and twirling me around in his arms.
“I can’t tell you. It’s an ancient family secret,” I giggled.
“That just made my day, baby,” he beamed.
“There’s more,” I smirked, and disappeared back into the kitchen. Damn, those eggs must be good; he didn’t even ask for a kiss that time.
Everything was finished and ready to eat when the doorbell rang. I untied my apron, hung it on the back of the pantry door, and began setting the dining room table with all the delicious dishes I’d made. I stood back, staring at the table with pride as I heard Elijah and Beth in the other room.
I greeted them with a glass of red wine and invited them to enjoy the meal I prepared.
Isaac’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “You called someone and ordered this; that’s why I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen all day,” he teased.
Elijah and Beth both complimented my presentation, and Beth admitted she didn’t eat at the nursing home so she could enjoy the meal here. There was a strange satisfaction I got deep in my soul from having everyone compliment my cooking. I knew I’d never felt this same satisfaction before, so maybe cooking was what I was meant to do, not instructing yoga.
“Everyone, please say what this year has brought to you that you’re appreciative to take into the next,” I instructed, motioning to Beth to go first.
“I’m appreciative that I made a good friend, Maddie. She is my first true girlfriend, and I hope that we are friends for years to come,” she smiled in my direction.
“I’m appreciative for my SEAL brothers, especially Isaac, one of the most stand-up guys I’d ever met,” Elijah noted. “I’m also appreciative of Maddie, the woman that brought a light into my good friend's life. May that light never dim,” Elijah boasted.
“I’m appreciative that I got to experience what it’s like to be with the girl of my dreams,” Isaac smiled directly at me.
“I’m appreciative that even if my old memories never fully return, I’m surrounded by amazing people who will help me create new ones, better ones,” I beamed.
Talk about Elijah’s and Isaac’s SEAL brotherhood was a heavy topic at the table. I noticed Beth taking a very strong interest in Elijah.
Isaac took a bite of the dressing and then the turkey, staring at me the entire time he chewed. I was giddy with nervousness as he stared me down, confused as to how I made food that resembled his favorite dishes. He shoved another deviled egg in his mouth, taking his time to savor the flavor with small chews.
“Okay, what’s going on here?” he asked, staring into my eyes. I shrugged with a wide grin. I watched his eyes move to the pecan pie near the center of the table. “Beth, would you mind passing that pie down here please?” he asked sweetly.
He cut a thin sliver of it and placed it on his plate. I watched him poke it with his fork, checking the texture, and then tap the top to ensure it was nice and crisp. He looked up at me as he filled his fork with a bite, and tears flooded his eyes as he took the bite into his mouth. “How is this possible?” he asked, wiping his tears from his cheeks and shaking off the overflow of emotion.
“I didn’t have money to get you a gift since I didn’t have my new cards delivered here. So, Beth helped me gather up the recipes you said you missed the most so you could enjoy your Christmas favorites, even if you couldn’t have the loved ones that made them here with you,” I smiled.
He stood from the table, rushed to my side, and held me tight in his arms. His body shuddered, and I knew he was still fighting back tears of joy, but I couldn’t contain mine. My cheeks soaked with salty tears, spilling onto his shoulder as I laughed from nothing more than sheer happiness. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known,” Isaac said, kissing me softly on the lips.
He moved to Beth, giving her a heartfelt hug as well, telling her how much it meant to him that she’d help make this day happen.
It was a perfect meal, and a perfect Christmas. Even though I couldn’t really remember any of my past Christmases, I was certain this was the best one yet.
Isaac offered to help me clean up after dinner, refusing to let Beth or Elijah help. As I gathered the last dish from the table, I noticed Elijah and Beth sitting close to one another on the couch. Beth’s eyes were sparkling as she stared up at Elijah, and his hand rested on her knee as they spoke.
“I think they hit it off,” I told Isaac, who immediately denied the possibility.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Elijah is a wild man; he will never settle down, and Beth, well, she has a lot of pain still from her last man,” he explained.
“Elijah seemed very touched by our relationship, and Beth is ready for love. I’ve seen how she looks at us when we’re together, how hard she’s worked for both of us,” I smirked, knowing I was right, and Isaac, well, he was wrong.
Elijah stood, hugged me tightly, and thanked me for the meal. He slapped Isaac on the shoulder and called him a crybaby little bitch before pulling him in for a tight hug.
“Where are you headed?” he asked Beth.
“Probably home to watch a movie or do some paperwork,” she replied.
I was watching how they looked at one another. There was something there. “You can’t work on Christmas. Come with me; I’m meeting up with some of the guys. They are wild and crazy though, just to warn ya,” he laughed.
“Okay,” she agreed. I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement.
What better way to start off the year than in love?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Isaac
“Okay, so you’re right,” I laughed as I watched my best friend and partner leave together. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of them together, especially if things didn’t work out. I’d spend the rest of my life listening to how the other one sucks, and possibly the one pining for the other. Fuck that!
Maddie stood at the front door, leaning on it as she closed it behind our guests. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have someone like her love me. Her hair was pinned up in a messy bun, she had gravy splatters o
n her pretty white blouse, and there were no signs of exhaustion showing, even though I knew she had to be tired.
“Thank you for my gift,” I praised, still in awe that she’d gone to so much trouble for me.
“I wanted you to have the Christmas like the ones you told me about,” she smiled, her left dimple pushing deep into her cheek.
“I haven’t given you your gift yet,” I noted.
“You’ve given me so much already; what else is there?” she giggled as her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink.
I walked towards the door, pinning her between my arms, and lowered my mouth to hers. Those sexy red lips drove me wild, and it felt like an eternity since I’d tasted them. I pulled back just as her hands gripped my waist. There was time for that, and I was going to make damn sure it was special, just in case it was our last time.
“First,” I whispered, taking her hand and pulling her gently into the front room. I motioned for her to sit on the couch while I got her gift from the other room. “Close your eyes,” I ordered and then brought the small box into the room. I knelt down in front of her, placing my hands on her knees, and the gift in her lap. “Open them,” I instructed.
Her baby blues stared at the box, wrapped with plain gold paper and a silver bow. “You shouldn’t have,” she smiled softly, lifting her eyes to mine. They were filled with love, pure love. I wanted to remember that look forever. That look she gave me right then, that would carry me through this life, and the eternity thereafter.
“Go ahead, open it,” I urged.
The palms of my hands were growing sweaty, and then my hands started to shake as she removed the bow. Her fingers carefully found the crease in the paper, and she slid a long fingernail across the tape, releasing the package from its binding. I stared at the little brown book with the gold lock on her lap, suddenly terrified that I’d given her something so personal.
“What is it?” she asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
I swallowed hard enough that it was audible. My throat was drying up as I looked up at her and those baby blues. “I know I can’t give you your own memories back,” I started. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath before finishing. “But, I’ve loved you my entire life. I know boys aren’t supposed to have diaries, so let’s call it a journal. I’ve written in it since third grade, when we met. The last entry ever made was after your trip here, just as friends. It will tell you who you were, who you are. The entire book, except one or two other love interests, which I urge you to skip reading, is about you.” I gasped for air. My throat was beginning to close again. Why did I give her that? What made me think she’d want some obsessed little boy’s diary—excuse me—journal, especially since I wrote in it as an adult as well, all about my obsession for Maddie.
Tears fell from her eyes so hard they skipped her cheek and bounced onto her lap, and the book. “This is so sweet,” she gasped, wrapping her arms around me tightly while she sobbed, with what I hoped were tears of joy.
“You don’t think I’m weird?” I whispered in her ear.
“I think you’re amazing,” she boasted, squeezing me tightly into her chest.
Her fingers ran through my short strands of hair, instantly giving me goosebumps all over my skin. That tingling sensation started to explode throughout my body, and soon the blood that had been pumping my heart so fast and hard moved south, enlarging another area of my body.
“You need a bath,” I whispered, standing, and gently pulling her up by her hand.
I guided her upstairs where I’d already had candles placed all around the room. I started the oversized tub, lit the candles, and stripped out of my clothes. I loved how Maddie’s eyes lingered on my cock with such enthusiasm. I helped her undress, slowly sliding her clothes away from her body.
I helped her into the tub and then slid in behind her, letting my erection press into her back as she leaned against me.
Her skin was like silk as my hands caressed her fingers, up her arms, to her shoulders, and then forward to her breasts. I closed my eyes as my hands traced her entire body, embedding her silhouette deep into my memory. Her body melted into me, totally relaxed as I ran the soapy loofah across the places I’d just traced. She exhaled, pushing more of her weight onto me, and increasing my arousal as the rough loofah grazed her hardened nipples.
I reached behind me and hit the jets on low, filling the tub with bubbles from the small amount I’d added before we’d started our soak. Her in my arms like this, I could do it forever. I wanted nothing more than for this very moment never to end.
“Tell me something you wrote in your journal,” Maddie requested.
“Wouldn’t you rather read it?” I asked.
“No, I want to hear it in your voice,” she insisted. I reached for the journal that was placed just behind me on the shelf. “Just open any page,” she instructed.
It had been so long since I’d even looked at what I’d written, it was a little intimidating to just pick something so random. Her head turned, looking up at me as I opened the book. She turned back around, nuzzling in my chest as I started to read.
“Keep in mind, this entry is from when I was only fifteen,” I chuckled.
“Okay, so I was thirteen?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Maddie’s hair blew like strands of gold on the track field. I wasn’t sure if she came to watch me, or Doug Kline, as we both were competing for the top spot on the team, and most of the school was there to watch. She kept pushing her hair back away from her face, giving me a glimpse of the most beautiful blue eyes, but just for a split second as the wind would roll through again. My heart was pounding so hard, and we hadn’t even started the race yet… wow, I was a corny little dude,” I chuckled.
Maddie’s hand reached between her legs and pushed behind her to my cock, her fingers clamped around my erection, playfully dragging the pre-cum from the tip, and using it to slide her hand up and down my shaft.
I dropped the book behind me, gripping her breasts, and rocking my hips with the motion of her hand. The jets were blasting into my backside, tickling my skin and creating a strange excitement throughout my body.
My fingers reached between her legs, sliding between her swollen lips and spreading them open as one worked its way inside. Sweet moans escaped her lips, her hand worked harder and faster at pleasing me manually, but I needed her to stop. “I want to try something,” I suggested.
She hummed and then squeezed my cock hard in her hand. Oh hell, I can’t take much more.
I pulled my finger from inside of her and pulled her back centered on my chest. My lips sucked on her neck, her earlobe, and then slid to her soft cheek. My hands were massaging the inside of her thighs as I moved her towards one of the tub jets. “Can I?” I whispered in her ear.
“Yes,” she gasped, her body squirming on top of me, grinding her flesh into my cock.
I shifted our position, turning us sideways in the tub and opening her legs directly in front of one of the larger jets. The water pushed hard from the jets, but only rippled as it neared her warm pussy.
My hands pulled her up higher on my chest so I could see her beautiful butterfly unfolded and pink just above the water. Fuck, that’s a pretty pussy.
I moved forward, closer and closer to the jet. The water pressure increased with every inch I moved. Her moans were growing louder and her body twitching as I pushed her ass down into the water, level with the jet, and just a few inches from the strong force.
Her back arched, lifting her tits from the water’s surface, and her moans turned into wild cries of ecstasy. “Do you like that?” I whispered in her ear.
I pulled my hands out from under her, letting her hold herself in place. The stream blasted into her body, spreading her open, and circling her clit in one motion. My hands moved to her breasts, playfully tugging on them as my mouth teased her neck with kisses.
Maddie’s legs slammed shut at the knees with a violent force, and her back pushed h
ard into my chest. Suddenly she shook, pulsated, and let out one loud moan after another. I let my fingers trail to her pussy so I could feel the powerful contractions from her orgasm.
Her head fell back against my chest, and she worked on calming her breathing. I lowered her back into the water, turning her way from the jet, and rolled her around to face me. The look in her eyes was wildly satisfied. Her lips parted, and I knew she was about to say something. Something that I’d been dying to hear.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Maddie
Isaac’s mouth was lowering to mine, but I couldn’t let him stop me from what I wanted to say, what I needed to say. “I love you,” I uttered, breathless from the powerful orgasm rocking aftershocks through my body.
He paused, his eyes wide and filled with what looked like pain. My heart raced and my breathing picked back up its rapid rhythm as his mouth lowered to mine. His lips were gentle, delicate, and sensual as they clamped onto mine, sucking them into his mouth, and them coming back for more.
My entire body relaxed in his arms. “I love you too, I always have, and I always will,” he whispered, his eyes still filled with pain.
“I want to be inside of you,” he growled as he gripped my hips and pulled them upward on his body. My ass cheeks rested on his hard chest, his cock resting on his belly button, hard and threatening penetration. “Grip it. Guide me inside you,” he gasped.
I wrapped my hand around his large cock, sliding up and down his slippery shaft as he began sliding me down towards it. I did as he instructed, guiding him inside of me, but he stopped just at the tip. I wanted to push my hips down and swallow him whole, but he held me in place, teasing me. “Please,” I moaned, pushing myself down his slippery chest another inch and him inside of me another inch as well. It wasn’t enough; I wanted more. “Fuck me,” I whispered, leaning my head back onto his shoulder and letting my hot breath blow against his ear. Oh yeah, there was that growl, that groan of excitement I’d been waiting to hear.