Combust (Electric Series #4)

by E. L. Todd

  He kissed my neck then my jawline before he placed a soft kiss on my lips.

  I cupped his face and deepened the kiss further, falling harder for him than ever before.

  He pulled away and slowly eased his cock out of me, its semi-hard shape still coated in my wetness. His fingers moved to my lips and made sure his come wasn’t leaking out. The fact that he wanted to keep it inside me was sexy in its own way.

  He lay beside me then wrapped his arms around me, returning to a quiet cuddle. He faced me on the pillow we were sharing and looked into my eyes, his thoughts a mystery.

  I ran my hand up his chest, feeling the strength of his muscle underneath. I loved his body because it was powerful. But I also loved it because it was his. He was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen in my life.

  I treasured him.

  “Can I ask you something?” he whispered.

  He could ask me anything and he knew it. “Yes.”

  “Have you ever had sex without a condom?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you ever let a guy come inside you before?”

  I knew what answer he wanted, and judging by the excitement in his eyes, he already expected it. It was just another way to claim me, to possess me. “Just you.”

  His chest shivered in a growl and approval was clear in his eyes. He’d never been jealous of my former lovers before, but that detail seemed important to him. His hand snaked up my hip until it rested at the curve of my waist. “That’s really sexy.”

  “I like it too…not sure why.”

  “I know exactly why you love it so much.” He brushed his nose against mine. “Because it’s me.”

  I sighed happily when he touched me like that, in the tenderest way. He could screw me in the dirtiest ways possible, but then he treated me like a delicate flower, something fragile that he never wanted to hurt. “I missed you so much…”

  His eyes fell in sadness. “I missed you too.”

  “I spent all my time trying not to think about you…but that just made me think about you.”

  “I noticed the bedding is new…and the house is strangely clean.”

  “Futile attempts.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t forget about me.”

  “It’s not possible.”

  He pressed a kiss to my forehead then ran his fingers through my hair. “Every night I went to sleep drunk. Otherwise, I could never get to sleep. Your ghost kept haunting me.”

  I stroked his chest, feeling my pity rise.

  “My parents have been hammering me about you, asking if you’re coming to dinner. I didn’t know what to say so I kept dodging the question. I couldn’t tell them we broke up. Then it would be real.”

  “I didn’t tell my parents either.”

  “At least now we don’t have to,” he whispered.

  “So, does that mean we’re going to dinner with your parents tomorrow? For Christmas?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t really want to go, honestly.”

  “You don’t?” I asked in surprise.

  “I just want to stay home with you. I want to make love in front of the fireplace. I want to put up a Christmas tree. I want to do all the things we couldn’t do before because we weren’t together.”

  “I think it’ll hurt your parents if we do our own thing.” As much as I also wanted it just to be us. “Maybe we can have a quick lunch with them or something.”

  “I guess.” The sadness left his eyes. “No wonder why my parents like you so much. You’re on their side.”

  “I’m not on anyone’s side.”

  “Doesn’t seem that way.”

  “They’re excited you have a girlfriend for the holidays. Doesn’t happen very often. I know my parents are sad I won’t see them for the holidays.”

  “I’ll buy your plane ticket.” He said it without hesitation, wanting to give me the world on a platter.

  “No, it’s okay,” I said. “But thank you.”

  “Please,” he pressed. “What’s mine is yours.”

  “It’s too late now anyway. Maybe we can go see them for New Year’s.”

  He nodded. “That’s a fair compromise.”

  “Thank you for the offer. That’s very sweet of you.”

  “You’re my best friend. I would do anything for you.”

  Chapter Five

  Volt

  Her apartment was nice, but it was cramped. I had a spacious penthouse on the top floor of my building, and in general, it was much nicer. So we decided to shack up there instead.

  I dragged the Christmas tree into the apartment and erected it by the window. I hadn’t had a Christmas tree in my apartment since…actually, ever. I just wasn’t into the Christmas spirit. But with Taylor, I wanted to make our first Christmas together special.

  She carried the box of lights into the house and set them on the ground. “Do you need help?”

  “I got it, baby.” I inserted the stump into the clamp and the tree stood up tall. “Smells good.”

  “Yeah. It’s going to look so nice with these lights and ornaments.” She opened the box and pulled out the lights. “I haven’t done this in forever.”

  “Me neither.” Together, we decorated the tree with lights and ornaments. It went from a blank tree with deep green needles to a present of its own, twinkling with lights and sparkles.

  She pulled her phone out. “Can we take a picture together?”

  I wasn’t big on pictures. It was just strange. But, I would do anything she asked. “We should.” I grabbed the phone and held it out so we could take a picture together. I snapped the shot and handed it back.

  “I’m going to send it to my parents. They’ll be so happy.” She typed a message then sent it off.

  I looked down underneath the tree. “But we don’t have any presents to put underneath…besides the one I got Clay.”

  “That’s fine,” she said. “That’s not what Christmas is about.”

  I grabbed the present I got Clay and placed it under the tree.

  “That was nice of you to get him something.”

  “He’s a good kid.” I cared about him more than I could put into words. He didn’t feel like a friend or a student. He felt like a son to me, even though I was too young to really understand how that felt. “I hope he has a good Christmas.” Taylor and I never saw eye to eye on this matter. She still thought I should have involved social services and had Clay removed from his home, but nothing had happened since I beat the shit out of his father. He was close to getting out of there anyway.

  “Me too.” She didn’t venture into the argument because she knew it wasn’t the time.

  “Now what?” I took off my jacket now that we were inside. It still had flecks of snow from the blizzard that raged outside.

  She eyed the fireplace in the wall. “Does this work?”

  “It’s not just for show,” I teased.

  She shot me a half assed glare.

  “I can start it up if you want.”

  “If you don’t mind. Maybe we can lie in front of the fire.” Her cheeks reddened and her thoughts gave her away.

  “That sounds like the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had.” Just a few days ago, I thought I was going to spend it drunk off my ass. Now, I was happy again. It was so disconcerting it was hard to believe. “But I do have some bad news.” I walked to the wall and flipped the switch. “It’s gas.”

  “You have gas?” she asked with a cringe.

  “No, the fireplace,” I said as I rolled my eyes.

  She saw the gas flames burn through the glass, deep blue and purple. “Oh…”

  “But it’ll still be warm.”

  “And romantic.” She gathered a few blankets and pillows and set up everything on the floor. She placed an air mattress next to the fireplace so we wouldn’t have to lie on the hardwood floor. “This looks cozy.”

  I stripped down to my boxers then got under the covers. All the lights in the apartment were out except the Christmas lights on t
he tree. Flames burned behind the glass, and heat escaped through the vent.

  Taylor lay beside me in just her panties and bra. I preferred her naked, but when small articles of clothing covered her body, it looked extremely sexy. Her tits were pushed together in the fabric, showing off that bombshell figure.

  My cock was hard in my boxers, just as it was anytime this woman was near me. We’d made love several times already, and I didn’t want to ruin the tender moment by immediately going for sex.

  She cuddled beside me and ran her fingers down my chest. Her nails slowly dragged into my skin, scratching me in the same way she did when we made love. The scent of vanilla and oranges washed over me.

  I loved that smell.

  “There’s nothing better than being tucked inside on a winter day while a sexy stud keeps you warm.”

  “Sexy stud, huh?” My fingers glided through her hair, feeling the soft strands.

  “Oh yeah.”

  I didn’t get her anything for Christmas because I hadn’t thought about it during our break up. I was too depressed to participate in the Christmas spirit. While everyone else ran around getting gifts for people, I moped around in my apartment. I was too depressed to even order from Amazon. “I wish I had a gift to give you…” It was our first Christmas together, and we had nothing but an empty tree.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “We don’t need gifts when we have each other.” She moved on top of me and a strand of hair escaped from behind her ear. It fell onto my face, hitting me right in the nose.

  I tucked it back and let my hand linger on her cheek. I watched the stars sparkle in her eyes before I inched her face closer to mine, planting a soft kiss on those sexy lips.

  My hand migrated behind her back, and I unclasped her bra, feeling it come loose against my chest. Her tits peeked out, perky and round. She had the nicest tits in the world. I couldn’t wait to slide between them again. It was something we needed to do more often.

  Her boobs brushed against my chest as she moved. They were soft, even the nipples, and I loved feeling them drag across my body. There was nothing sexier than feeling a woman press up against me like that. It made my cock twitch in anticipation.

  She straddled my hips and dug her nails into my stomach like it was the reins on a horse. She vibrated her hips against me, dragging her wet pussy against my length. Her juice lubricated me, preparing me to enter her hard.

  She was the sexiest woman I’d ever been with—hands down. She had confidence that was enjoyable to watch. She loved making me feel good because she got just as much pleasure out of it as she did when I made her feel good.

  She rocked her hips back and forth, teasing me. Her eyes locked to mine, and her hips shook with every thrust she made.

  She was making me wait. What a brat. “Baby…”

  She rocked into me harder.

  “Don’t tease me.” My cock was already irritated it wasn’t inside her, stretching her wide.

  She grabbed the base of my cock and pointed the tip at her entrance. Slowly, she slid down, taking me all the way until I was balls deep. She moaned when she had all of me, and her nails dug into me like blades.

  This was the best Christmas ever.

  I grabbed her hips and guided her up and down, feeling the air mattress shake underneath my body. Her hair bounced on her shoulders, and her tits shook every time I thrust into her.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  I groaned as I felt her slickness. I slid between her lips with ease because she was so wet for me. “Merry Christmas.”

  ***

  Taylor fell asleep on my chest, her small body rising and falling steadily with each breath I took. Her hair was sprawled out across my skin, tickling me slightly with every move she made.

  I ran my hand up her back, feeling the tiny muscles of her frame. Her waist was petite and her back toned. I loved touching her, exploring her in ways I never had before.

  The Christmas tree twinkled from the corner of the room, the lights reflecting off the golden ornaments that hung from the branches. It filled the room with the scent of pine, smelling like a lush forest. The fire in the hearth crackled and popped. It was a night I wouldn’t forget, the kind that was magical because we made it so.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  I flinched at the noise because I wasn’t sure who would come knocking at that time of night. My watch said it was almost midnight—and it was Christmas Eve. It could be one of my booty calls, but they still thought I was in a relationship. Who else would it be?

  Unfortunately, Taylor woke up at the sound. She rolled off me, her eyes drooping with sleep. “Is someone at the door?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you expecting anyone?”

  “No.” Now I really didn’t want to answer the door. What if it led to bullshit that would ruin our night together?

  The knock sounded again.

  I sighed in annoyance then quickly threw my clothes on. “I’ll see who it is.” I walked to the door with my hands balled into fists, irritated this person was so needy. I threw the door open without bothering to check the peephole.

  Clay stood on the other side, bundled up in a thick jacket, the only one he owned, and a beanie.

  “Clay?” He was the last person I expected to see on my doorstep at this time of night. “Is everything okay?”

  He pulled off his gloves then wiggled his fingers, willing the life to come back into them. “Is it cool if I crash with you tonight?”

  “Yeah, of course. Come in.” Now that Clay was there, I forgot about Taylor. When it came to this kid, I didn’t think about anything else. My entire focus was on his wellbeing.

  He walked inside and stripped his jacket away then removed his muddy boots.

  That’s when I realized Taylor was still naked under the sheets in the living room. “Uh, wait right here, okay?”

  “Alright,” he said as he kept undressing.

  I walked into the living room and saw Taylor getting dressed. “It’s Clay.”

  “Is he alright?” She buttoned the top of her jeans and straightened her shirt.

  “Not sure.” I turned back around and walked into the entryway. “So, what’s going on, buddy?”

  He looked at the ground as he spoke. “My dad has been…drinking a lot tonight. Nothing has happened recently, but I can tell something bad is going to happen. I thought it was best I left. Normally, I would sleep in the park, but it’s too cold. They say it’s the coldest night of the year.”

  Sleep in the park? He did that normally? “I’m glad you came here.”

  “I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” I tempered the rage behind my eyes, irritated this kid had to spend Christmas Eve like this. And what kind of child sleeps in a park? He deserved a roof over his head and a place where he felt safe.

  Taylor entered from the other room, her hair fixed and the sleep gone from her eyes. “Hey, Clay.”

  “Hey, Taylor,” he said automatically. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.” He gave me a pointed look, wanting an explanation.

  Silently, I told him I would explain later.

  “Well, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” She gave me a quick kiss before she walked down the hallway and entered my bedroom. The door shut quietly behind her.

  I knew she didn’t want to leave. She just wanted to give Clay and me some privacy. He liked Taylor, but I was the only person he trusted. “You probably want a hot shower, huh? Thaw out those bones.”

  “I’m okay,” he said. “Honestly, I’m starving.”

  Of course. How could I be so inconsiderate? “You’re in luck because I’m a pretty good cook. How about grilled cheese and tomato soup?”

  “That sounds bomb. I’m so hungry I’d get it out of your garbage can right now.”

  It wasn’t funny because I knew it was true. “Coming right up.” I went into the kitchen and whipped him up a hot meal. I made it extra cheesy and crispy and thre
w the soup in the microwave. When I was finished, I set everything on the kitchen table.

  Like he hadn’t eaten in a week, Clay inhaled everything. He had crumbs and soup stains all over his mouth but didn’t seem to notice.

  “Have you been buying lunch every day?” I gave him enough money to get through the holiday break since we weren’t supposed to see each other. I hoped he was using it.

  “I got mugged at the subway station.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask me for more money?”

  “Because I’m not doing that,” he said with a mouthful of food. “That’s lame.”

  “That’s not lame,” I argued. “I would much rather give you more money than let you starve.”

  “It’s my fault. I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”

  “Clay, no,” I snapped. “That criminal chose to mug you. He knew what he was doing. Don’t blame yourself.”

  “Either way, you already do a lot for me, and I’m not asking for anything else.”

  “But I don’t mind. Don’t you get it?”

  “Well, I mind. I’m not your kid. I’m not your problem.” He finished his food then pushed the plate way. “Thanks for dinner.”

  “Yes, you are my problem. Because I love you.” I’d never told him that to his face before because it was implied in everything I said and did. But he needed to hear it. He wouldn’t have been there on Christmas Eve unless he felt insignificant. “You always have me. I’ve told you that so many times, but you never believe me. When have I ever let you down?”

  He propped his elbows up on the table. “Never.”

  “Never,” I repeated. “Please come to me when you need help. If you really don’t want to take money from me, fine. But come here and get some food. My fridge is always full of groceries.”

  His voice came out quiet, defeated. “Okay…”

  Hopefully, I got through to him. “So…your dad was drinking?”

  “He always drinks, but tonight was really bad. It was all hard liquor. He started knocking stuff over, and I knew things were only going to get worse. So I climbed out my bedroom window and took off.”

  “I’m glad you came here.” He always had a home with me.

  “Thanks…”

  “Did he hit you?”