by M Andrews
She pushes me back, springs out of bed, and darts towards the bathroom, calling out that she will be down in five minutes. I chuckle to myself and head downstairs to get her pancakes ready.
I flip the last pancake onto the plate just as a pair of arms circle my waist, and a pair of lips kiss the middle of my back. “Just in time,” I say, looking over my shoulder at Eliza.
“We match,” she says, stepping back to give me space to turn around.
I look her up and down in her red and black flannel dress. “We are appropriately dressed for going to cut down our own Christmas tree,” I reply.
“But we already have a tree,” she counters.
“Indeed, but it’s not a real one. You said every Christmas Eve your family would put up the tree your dad cut down. I thought we could keep that tradition going and go cut down our own tree.”
She jumps into my arms, raining kisses down all over my face. Punctuating each kiss with a thank you. Just then her head darts back. “We’ll need more ornaments if we are to get another tree. I used all the ones I found in the attic and the ones I bought.”
“We can run into town and pick up some more,” I suggest, handing her a plate of pancakes, following her over to the kitchen table. Once she is comfortable, I sink to my knees and crawl under the table. The chair legs screech across the wood floor from the force of Eliza jolting back in her seat when my hands slide between her knees.
“Oh my, you were serious,” she whimpers, as my lips ghost along the inside of her knee.
“I never joke about giving my woman pleasure.” I slide my hands under her ass and guide her toward the edge of the chair. The air is thick with the scent of her desire. There is a little wet spot on her pretty white cotton panties. I’ve barely touched her and she’s already wet for me.
“Your woman? I quite like the sound of that.” She reaches a hand down under the table and slides her panties to the side, showing me her perfect pink pussy. My tongue darts out licking the length of her warm wet lips. Eliza was mine the moment I saw her standing in the kitchen wearing that red and green tulle skirt.
* * *
“Derek, I found the perfect tree,” Eliza gleefully calls out from three trees down. We’ve spent the past hour and a half traipsing through the snow-covered woods behind my family’s cabin looking for the perfect tree. One was too fat, one didn’t have enough of a pine smell. I have no clue how a pine tree doesn’t smell enough like pine. Under normal circumstances, this would drive me insane, but for Eliza I would bear the intense freezing cold of Alaska to find her the perfect tree.
I walk up behind her and crane my head back to get the full view of the massive ten-foot pine tree standing before us. “Eliza, my love, I don’t think this tree is going to fit in the living room.” I hold back a chuckle.
She turns around and flashes me a sad puppy dog look. “Please Derek,” she pleads. “We can trim it down a little. Oh please, oh please.” She clasps her hands in front of her chin and bats her long dark lashes at me.
“How can I possibly say no to that. Okay, you win.”
I drop the rope tied to the end of the sled I’d been pulling along behind me with the ax and extra rope to secure the tree once we found one. I turn to pick up the ax and, when I turn back to face Eliza, she has her head cocked to the side and is curiously eyeing me up and down.
“With that ax you look like one of those sexy wood cutters.”
I cock an eyebrow up at her. “You mean lumber jack?”
“Yes, a lumber jack. All you’re missing is the beard.” She giggles.
“You’re adorable, Eliza. Now stand clear while I cut down this behemoth.
I wipe the sweat off my brow as I pull the freshly cut pine behind me. This bastard has gone from ten feet to eight but seems to be getting heavier by the minute. I stop to take a quick break and adjust my grip on the rope. Just then a snowball hits me on the back. I glance over my shoulder to find Eliza giggling behind her gloved hand.
“I thought you could use a little cool down.” She snorts.
The rope drops from my hand, and a devious smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. I bend down, scoop up a handful of fresh snow, and mold it into a ball. Standing back up, I slowly turn around, tossing the ball up in the air. “You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish.” I catch the ball back in my hand, then launch it straight at her but, at the last second, Eliza ducks her head. Grabbing another handful of snow, I bolt in her direction. She squeals and runs in the opposite way. We run through the trees and fresh powder, laughing, and throwing snow at each other.
We burst out of the woods and into a clearing covered in a blanket of snow. I catch up to Eliza and tackle her to the ground. The air is filled with our laughter as we roll around in the snow. I haven’t felt this carefree since I was a child. I want to feel this way with Eliza all the time. I’m falling hard for her.
“I love you, Eliza,” I say, brushing off the snowflakes covering her dark lashes.
“I love you too, Derek,” she replies with a beaming smile.
My fingers tangle in her hair, guiding her crimson lips to mine. I want to freeze time so I can live in this moment forever. To be carefree and happy. To feel my heart beating in my chest again. A heart that only beats for her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eliza
A Christmas Story is playing in the background while I’m sprawled out on the floor by the fireplace sipping spiked peppermint hot cocoa and sifting through the old vinyl Christmas albums I picked up while we were in town. I let out a blissful sigh as I sit up and rest my back against the couch. The smell of fresh pine and vanilla from the cooling sugar cookies in the kitchen fill my senses. I gaze up at our two beautiful trees flanking the fireplace. Having two trees seems so decadent to me, coming from a household that could barely afford one at Christmas time. I have a feeling everything with Derek will be decadent. This could be our first Christmas tradition. Assuming he still wants me around after the holidays. We haven’t exactly spent much time talking since the sex started. Sure, we’ve said we love each other, and yes, I do love him very much, as crazy as that is, but that doesn’t guarantee we are going to run off into the sunset together.
I shake off the thought and numb the feeling of possibly losing Derek with another sip of cocoa. Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Derek sauntering into the living room. My head turns to look up at him, and my lips curl into a smile when I see him dressed in a silly bright red Christmas sweater with white reindeer and snowflakes, the words “Ho Ho Ho” knitted into the wool, and a pair of red and green flannel pajama bottoms.
“You are looking rather Christmassy and adorable,” I say, climbing up from the floor.
“You can’t be the only one around here who gets to look adorable,” he says with a cheeky grin, sliding an arm around my waist. His other hand appears from behind his back, holding a sprig of mistletoe. He holds it over our heads. “Well, look at that, we are under mistletoe.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me.
“Get those lips over here,” I reply. He dips his head down and captures me in a tender kiss that quickly turns deep and hungry. I am completely and utterly addicted to this man’s kiss.
“We will need mistletoe hanging off every archway in our house,” I say absentmindedly and drunk on Derek. It takes a full three seconds for my brain to process what just came out of my mouth. Oh, bloody hell.
Without skipping a beat, Derek says, “I’m gonna hang it on every doorway, light fixture, the pot rack in the kitchen and, of course, above our bed.”
“Our bed?” I give him a sideways glance.
“Yes, our bed in our home. I want you to come back to San Francisco with me after New Year’s. Or if you still want to live in New York, we can move there. It doesn’t matter to me as long as we are together.” The words come out so casual and relaxed. I’m in shock by how calm and confident he is about all of this. I, on the other hand, am experiencing a brain malfunction.
“You really want me t
o move in with you?” I manage to put a coherent sentence together. This must be a dream. How else could you explain why this gorgeous caring man would want anything to do with me? My hand moves around the back of my thigh, and I pinch the flesh hard between my fingers. I stifle back a yelp. Okay, I’m awake, and this is happening.
“I love you, Eliza, and I can’t stand the thought of you leaving me.” He grabs my hand and places it on his chest. I can feel a steady powerful beat. “You thawed my frozen heart. My heart beats again because of you. It beats only for you, Eliza.” He gazes down at me with soft sincere eyes.
My own heart begins to match the beats inside his chest. We’re in perfect rhythmic sync. My journey through this world now makes perfect sense. It was leading me to Derek. To the other half of my heart.
“Can we live here?” I ask.
“You want to live here, in the cabin?” He cocks a curious eyebrow at me.
“Yes, I love it here. It’s where I met you, and it’s like our own little world here. You did say you would move anywhere I am. This is where I want to be. This is our home.”
“Then this will be our home. I know my parents will be happy to sign the deed over to me.”
“I completely forgot about your parents and my job as your father’s assistant. I can’t up and quit.”
“Don’t worry about my parent’s, my dad can find a new assistant. You can follow your dream of writing children’s books. We can set you up an office. Maybe we could share an office, but I don’t know how much work either of us would get done in the same small room.” His hands slip under my sweater, gently stroking my lower back. “I can’t keep my hands off you.” His fingers move to the hem, pulling it up over my head. A deep growl rumbles in his chest as he gazes down at my bare breasts. My nipples harden from the hungered look he is giving me.
“Separate offices. I already know I won’t be able to tell you to get your hands off me. Every inch of me craves you.” I bring his hands up to my breasts. A soft moan escapes my lips as his thumbs lightly sweep over my swollen buds.
“Okay, we can do separate offices, but I have a few conditions,” he adds, tweaking my nipple between his nimble fingers.
“What are your terms?” I murmur, my head dropping back when his warm tongue meets my cold flesh.
“Mandatory two-hour lunch break where I get to ravish your body on top of my desk. Morning blow jobs during my coffee break, and an hour break in the afternoon so I can eat . . .” He drops to his knees and roughly yanks down my leggings and thrusts my leg over his shoulder. “ . . . this delicious fucking pussy.” Oh God, I love how dirty he is.
Before I can say a word, Derek buries his face between my legs. His tongue ravages my lips and clit before plunging deep inside me. I brace my hands on his head, steadying myself, while he licks me from ass to clit. He pushes two of his long thick fingers inside me, curling them up to massage my sweet spot.
“Do you agree to my conditions?” he asks, looking up at me with dark seductive eyes. His lips glistening with my desire. Derek has me on the brink of coming, he could ask me to run naked in the freezing snow and I would say yes.
“Yes,” I scream as my orgasm washes over me.
Derek rises from the floor and seals our agreement with a kiss. I suck and lick at his lips. The addictive combination of Derek’s kiss and my juices deepens my hunger for more. My hand fists into Derek’s sweater, pulling us both to the ground. He straddles my waist and pulls off his sweater, then leans over me and captures my lips in a deep kiss. I work his pants off his hips. He kicks them all the way off. The warmth of his cock glides between my folds.
He rests his elbows on either side of my head. The light from the fireplace dances in his blue-gray eyes. He sweeps away a loose strand of hair from across my forehead. “I have one final request.” With each word, he pushes an inch inside me. My eyes fall closed as he slowly fills me. I’m so lost in the pleasure I can barely hear his words. “Open your eyes Eliza,” he murmurs, filling me to the hilt.
My eyes flutter open. “Mmmm, Derek.” Is all I can get out. I rock my hips, needing some friction, but Derek doesn’t move, just gazes sweetly into my eyes.
“Marry me Eliza.”
“Are you insane, we barely know each other.” He has officially lost his mind. Living together sure, I’m all for that. It will give us time to get to know each other better. What’s strange is, I already feel like I know Derek. I feel so connected with him. Okay, maybe this is not so crazy.
“I’m taking a page from your book and taking a leap of faith. I love you, Eliza, and I want to take care of you and make all your dreams come true. You’ve opened my eyes to see that there is still so much more to life. You’ve given me hope again. I don’t need months or years to know what my heart is already telling me. You’re it for me. Will you marry me?” He pulls me up into his lap, and we are now nose to nose. “Marry me, please?” There is a pleading tone in his voice.
“Yes.”
EPILOGUE
Derek
A year later
“Everyone, please rise and help me welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Derek Erickson,” the bandleader announces as the doors to the barn open. The room is filled with gold twinkle lights and a Christmas tree in every corner. And, most importantly, there are balls of mistletoe hanging from every rafter in the place. Our friends and family cheer and clap as we walk toward the dance floor for our first dance as husband and wife.
I twirl Eliza into my arms as the music starts. Eliza is a vision in her gown. Red and black plaid and a white tulle skirt. It reminds me of the outfit she was wearing when we first met. The night that she changed my life forever. After I lost Sonia, I thought my heart would never beat again. I was stuck going through the motions, then Eliza and her wild spirit came into my life, and she gave me hope again. She gave me a new purpose in life. To take care of her and our family.
By the first of the year, Eliza and I were making Aspen our new home. Like I told Eliza, my parents were thrilled to sign the deed to the family cabin over to me. They welcomed Eliza with open arms, and my father even helped her find a book agent. Eliza has published four children’s books already this year and has five more scheduled for release next year.
Six months ago, Apple bought out my company for more money than our kids will ever be able to spend. Now I have the time to spend with Eliza and our beautiful new daughter, Poppy. Two months after I proposed, Eliza announced she was pregnant. A shock to us both, and a little ahead of schedule, but just like everything in our relationship, it felt right.
Eliza and Poppy are the best things to happen in my life. I know Sonia would be happy I found love again. I’m blessed to have found two great loves in my life. I never thought I would be so lucky. Thanks to a little snow and a sprig of mistletoe, my life is overflowing with love and happiness.
“Looks like we are standing under the mistletoe.” Eliza sweetly grins, tilting her head up to the ball of mistletoe hanging above us.
“Someone once told me that it’s against Christmas law not to kiss a beautiful woman standing under mistletoe,” I tease.
“She sounds like a very smart woman.”
“She is incredibly smart, and she’s now my wife.” I lean in and seal my lips to hers.
“Merry Christmas Eliza.”
“Happy Christmas my darling husband.”
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M. Andrews resides in the suburbs of Seattle with her family. She is a self-proclaimed cupcake hound and coffee addict who loves to write sticky sweet erotic romance.
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MORE BOOKS BY M. ANDREWS
Click on the links below to add to your TBR list.
The Big Gamble—Gambling on Love Book 1
Lucky Strike—Gambling on Love Book 2
Taking Chances—Hot Hollywood Nights Book 1
Cupcake—Sticky Sweet Series Book 1
Sweet Sedu
ction—Sticky Sweet Series Book 2
Coming soon
Add to you TBR on Goodreads
Partners in Crime—Gambling on Love Book 3
Queen of Hearts—Gambling on Love Book 4
Sweetest Wedding—Sticky Sweet Series Book 3