by Tory Baker
“I’m with you, but I can still buy my own tree.” Eve’s eyes are peeking up at me beneath her lashes.
“I know you can, doesn’t mean I don’t want to help where I can. Think of it as an early Christmas present if you need to, but no way would I let my woman buy a tree from my own farm. You know better than that.” I lean down a bit. Even with her sitting on my desk, we’re still at a height disadvantage, something I can’t say that I mind, not one bit. Especially when she spreads her legs, allowing me to get closer to her.
“Fine, that means your present from me will be just as extravagant.” She can fucking try, but I know already that having her in my bed, her body beneath mine, my ring on her finger, that will be the ultimate Christmas present.
“We’ll see about that. Now that we’re on the same page, we’ll head on out to your place and get you all set up. That good with you?” I ask her.
“Why don’t you finish up around here first? My stew takes a few hours, plus I don’t even have the area cleaned out for the tree.” I won’t lie and say I’m not surprised, because I am.
“Alright, I’ll be by around six. You need me to bring anything?” I ask.
“Yourself, well, and the tree.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, kiss your man, unless you want to do it by your car. Then everyone will know for sure you’re mine,” I grunt.
“I’m not sure it makes much of a difference, but in here works. Nothing like having the town librarian being called a harlot over a chaste kiss.” Her head tips up. My eyes watch hers the entire time. This time, I don’t wait for her. My lips meet hers, tasting her softly at first, but when she moans, fuck, does it do something to me. My tongue laps at her lips before I take her mouth with mine, letting her know she’s mine and will always be mine.
“Tyson,” she moans beneath my lips, and I know I have to shut this down before I take her right here on my desk.
“Sweetheart.” Her hands are gripping my shirt. I take a step back, watching as she hops down, those tits of hers bouncing as she does. It only makes my cock harder.
Her gaze flickers to my pants. There’s no way to hide or adjust myself without drawing more attention to it. I watch as she bites that bottom lip of hers. “Can you at least put that away or something? If I’m yours, then you’re most definitely mine. The town of Mistletoe doesn’t need to know what you’re packing.”
“Yeah, you remember that, though, the next time some young and slick guy walks into the library making deliveries.” Which happened just the other day when I was in town. He’s not a local guy, so when I saw his eyes linger on Eve, I waited and cleared my throat when he stepped outside the library. He apologized and ran like a little boy.
“You act like I want their attention. Yuck.”
“Come on, sweetheart, the faster I get back to work, the faster I get to you.” I kiss her lips, will my cock down, knowing that won’t work with her near, and grab my flannel and cover myself instead. Eve may not know it right now, but what she wants, she’ll always get.
“I like the sound of that, Tyson. Probably too much.” I stop us in our tracks.
“Never. Love that you have no problem with telling me how you feel. Now, are you ready to get out of here?”
“I guess,” she sasses. I swat her ass as she walks in front of me, letting her know what I think. She giggles. Jesus, that sound, it’s enough to make me do whatever I can to hear it again.
When we reach her car, I give her a kiss, nothing like what we shared in the office, but it’s still something. Though I’d give anything to have her flavor lingering on my lips to last me the rest of the day.
“See you soon,” she murmurs against my chest as she hugs me.
“Yeah, you will. Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll call you before I leave.”
“Okay.” I watch as she gets into her car, my eyes never leaving that car of hers until she’s out of sight before I get back to work. I’ll be counting down the hours until Eve is back in my sights, that’s for damn sure.
Four
Eve
I hurried home, a smile plastered on my face the entire time. Heck, even while I cleaned my place, which wasn’t too dirty, but when you have to rearrange furniture to fit a tree, let’s just say the dust bunnies attacked me. Still, my smile never faltered, even while sneezing. As soon as all that stuff was cleaned up, I reorganized my plethora of books that were stacked everywhere instead of on the built-in bookshelves. Clearly, I’m an organizational nightmare. I live by myself, even at the age of twenty-seven. I never thought I’d still be single, not when I think about what my parents have, at least. They’ve been married for almost thirty years, live on the other side of town, and Sunday dinners are an absolute must unless you’re dying.
As soon as I get things put back in their place, I make my way into the kitchen. At least there’s one good thing to be said about that. Nothing is out of place, unless you count my tea kettle that sits on the stove and a mug sitting in the sink.
I get everything I’ll need out of the fridge, including the roast that I had the butcher chop into smaller pieces, carrots, potatoes, and tomato paste. This recipe isn’t my own, sadly, but it is one of my favorites, and with the amount I make, I have no problem bringing some into work and feeding the volunteers lunch. Next, I sear the floured beef, throw everything in the Dutch oven along with the homemade beef broth and spices before I put it in the oven to cook for the next couple of hours. Looking at the clock, I see I have just enough time to make some homemade biscuits before I need to go into the garage and pull out the lights and ornaments for the Christmas tree Tyson is bringing. Something tells me he won’t let me do it on my own, so the least I can do is get everything out so he won’t have to do that too.
“Damn man. I’m going to have my hands full with him.” I walk out to the garage to grab my three totes of Christmas décor, which I’m sure if the town of Mistletoe ever came inside my house, they’d lose their minds. The truth of the matter is, it’s a smaller place, one thousand square foot, a two-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin. The plus is definitely that it’s on an acre of land and I’m left alone quite a bit. Even the outside gets decorated, which is no easy task. Thankfully, my parents do come over and help, or more likely my mother directs, while my father and I obey. She means well, but oh my goodness can she be a handful.
After lugging the bins inside, I decide to take a break, check on dinner, and then take a shower. After cleaning and cooking, I’m a mess. There’s flour on my clothes, I’m sure in my hair as well, not to mention I’m still sneezing from cleaning. This first date, or whatever it is Tyson is calling it, sure is going to be a fun one.
My house phone ringing stops me in my tracks. I’m not sure why I even have the thing at times, except it came with my internet package as a freebie. Mostly everyone uses cell phones for everything. I don’t look at the caller ID, just pick the phone up. “Hello.” I blow out a breath, annoyed for no good reason.
“Sweetheart, what the hell is wrong?” Tyson asks on the other end of the line.
“Hey, sorry. Oh, nothing. Cleaning, the least of my favorite things to do, and cooking. I think the dust got to me.” I pause to sneeze.
“You okay though? I can bring you your tree and make you dinner instead?” he offers, his voice sounding more and more concerned.
“Dinner’s already in the oven. I think I just need a shower and some allergy medicine, then I should be good as new.”
“That shit could have waited. Fuck, woman, I don’t want you trying to kill yourself just because I’m coming over.” He groans into the phone. The way his voice rumbles causes shivers to race up my spine.
“I’ll be alright. Promise.” I really need a shower now, just to cool off.
“As long as you’re sure, Eve.”
“I am. Now, I’m going to get off this phone, take a shower, and wait for you to come over,” I tell him with all honesty.
“Goddamnit, woman. There’s no way
I’m going to be able to stay away from you knowing you’re slick with water, wondering just how wet you are, wanting to be the one to get you there instead of your hands or some fucking shower head.”
“Tyson,” I moan.
“Yeah, sweetheart. You save that just for me. Your next orgasm is mine, and you keep that in mind. If not, I’ll spank your ass red.”
“I wasn’t even thinking about doing that, but now that you put that thought in my head, maybe I’ll do just that. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“You have no fucking idea. I’ll know if you do it, Eve. And, sweetheart?” His voice is deeper now.
“Yes, Tyson?” I purr through the line.
“I want to be there the next time you orgasm with your fingers or that shower head.”
“Well, then, I guess if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get to experience that with me,” I joke with him.
“Oh, my Eve, I’ll most definitely be there. Get your beautiful self in the shower. I’ll be there within the hour. Do you need anything?” Tyson is most definitely self-assured. The only difference in this case is, I’d give him exactly what he’s asking for.
“Okay, the door’s unlocked, if I don’t hear you pull up,” I tell him.
“Lock your doors, sweetheart. I’ll call you if you don’t answer.” I roll my eyes but head to the front door and do as he says.
“Alright, it’s locked. Later, Tyson.”
“See you soon, sweetheart.” I stay on the phone until I hear the dial tone, then hang up and toss the cordless phone on the couch before heading to the shower, already knowing full well not giving myself pleasure is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I’ll do it, not just for Tyson but for me too.
That smile that disappeared reappears, along with the excitement I know this evening will bring with it.
Five
Tyson
I can still hear the desire in her voice—it’s on a reel, replaying every single moment even an hour later. I’m taking the turn into her driveway. Her place is a small cabin, nothing overly extravagant, but that’s not who Eve is. Not my woman. She likes that simple life, a home, a few books, and cooking food for an army. Especially around the holidays. I swear that woman cooks morning, noon, and night when this time of year comes around. Too bad she hasn’t cooked for me, well, at least not yet. Tonight, though, everything changes, and I’m chomping at the bit.
My truck is barely in park when she’s flying out the front door, running towards me like I’ve been away at war. And fuck do I love the way that makes me feel. I amble out of my truck, plant my feet on the ground, and my Eve blows into me. Her arms wrap around my neck. I grab her by the back of her thighs as her legs wrap around my waist.
“Fuck, that is one hell of a hello, sweetheart.” Her head is wedged in the crook of my neck. I breathe her in, taking in the scent that’s my Eve and basking in her presence surrounding me.
“Hey, Tyson.” When she pulls away from my neck, I see the puffiness of her eyes, and her nose is red.
“My Eve, you’re not feeling good, are you?” I murmur, hating like hell she’s miserable our first time together.
“I’m okay, just kind of sleepy. The only medicine I knew would knock these allergies out also makes me tired,” Eve tells me.
“Not a problem. How about I get your tree set up while you park your gorgeous ass on the couch? Maybe after that’s done, you’ll get to feeling better, okay?”
“This sucks. It’s not at all how I was imagining our first date.”
“Sweetheart, we’re not dating. You hear me?” I state.
“Oh, well, if we’re not dating, then I guess this is just dinner?” She slides down my body, not grasping what I’m trying to tell her.
“Eve.” I grasp the back of her neck, massaging it as I do. The soft moan she gives me, yeah, I’m ready to hear more of that. “We’re not dating. We’re doing so much more than that. I thought I made myself clear back at the farm, but in case I didn’t, I’m telling you now that I’m your man, and you’re my woman. We’re in this together. If today is a wash, we’ll have plenty more. Now, let’s get you inside.” I wrap my arm around her waist, guiding her up the steps to the house. My only goal is to get her comfortable.
“Alright, I suppose I’ll watch you do all the work.” Another yawn works its way out. Once she’s settled on the couch, I take a look around. No wonder she’s fighting off sleep. Her house is sparkling, and the aroma of the dinner Eve cooked, it’s enough to get me moving my ass.
“Where’s your tree stand, sweetheart?” I see that she has her storage bins set off to the side of where she cleared a spot for the tree, but I don’t see a stand.
“Oh crap, I’ll get it. I forgot to grab it when I was in the garage.” Eve starts to stand up. There’s no way I want her to do that. She needs rest more than anything right now.
I walk towards her, dropping into a squatting position in front of her. “Eve, I’ll go get it. You close your eyes for a few minutes, let the medicine run its course, then maybe you’ll feel up to helping string the lights?” The way I’m crouching means we’re at eye level. As much as I want to kiss her right now, that won’t be happening, not while she feels this way. Instead, I place a soft kiss on her forehead, reluctantly pull away, and head to the garage. The sooner this tree is up, the faster I can sit with her and let her rest on me instead of a pillow.
On my way to the door, I stop by the kitchen to check on dinner so Eve won’t have to. The biscuits are in the warming tray in the oven. The smell of her beef stew when I open the lid, it makes my stomach growl. This woman, she’s fucking amazing. Though, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her sometimes. She’ll be a handful, there’s no doubt about that. I have a pretty good feeling my palm is going to feel her ass quite a bit, especially now that I’m in her garage and see her dismal pile of wood she has stored for the winter season. I shake my head, knowing I’ll be coming back to this. Hell, she’ll be lucky if I don’t cart that sexy ass of hers to my place after tonight.
The tree stand is nowhere in plain view, so I do some meandering, finding a few odds and ends, some yard tools, before I spot it in between a folding lawn chair and what looks like leftover soil from who knows when. I dust it off while in the garage so I won’t bring something in that will bother Eve more, but boy am I good and pissed. There’s no way she should barely have any firewood. This is Montana, for Christ’s sake; we could get bad weather any time of the year, and who the hell knows how long power will be out or when someone would even be able to get to her place if we had snow, and no one can get through here unless they have a snowplow.
I shake my head as I walk back inside. When I go to check on Eve, she’s passed out with her head tipped back and a blanket pulled up to her neck. There’s no way that can be comfortable. I place the tree stand in the corner, a spot that’s right next to the fireplace, and make my way back to her. She’s in a pair of soft pajama pants and a form-fitting shirt with some kind of sweater. I move her until she’s lying down, placing her feet up on the couch. Eve does this soft little hum when she settles in, and I’m finding that all these little nuances do nothing but make me want to hear them over and over again. I kiss her forehead, then I get to setting up my woman’s tree, lights and all. This way, she can do the fun stuff without having to bother about the monotonous shit like stringing lights on a tree that’s ridiculously taller than her. I bet she would have stood on a chair to do this, and all on her own too, damn independent streak a mile wide.
Eve only moved to Mistletoe a year ago when she got the job as the town librarian. Before that, she lived in another town. Hell, the minute she stepped into town, I clocked her, but she wasn’t ready, and neither was I. Now, both of us are, and I’m ready for whatever life has in store for us.
Six
Eve
I wake up to a tree already put in the corner where I made room, lights twinkling, and I’m warmer than I was. I start to think that maybe Tyson h
as the fireplace roaring, but the scent surrounding me is definitely not that of fire. No, it’s more of a crisp smell, mixed with my favorite scent, that of a fir and pine.
My head turns, my face burrowing into Tyson. He somehow didn’t wake me up when he laid down beside me. Not only that, I’m practically on top of him, and that had to be the best sleep I’ve ever had.
“You sleep well, my Eve?” When he talks to me like that, his voice low, husky, with that hint of sexiness, it does nothing but make me need that orgasm he deprived me of earlier today.
“The best. I should probably go check on dinner though.” I start to move out of his arms, but he tightens his hold on me.
“It’s in the warmer beside the biscuits. Took care of that before I grabbed a nap with you. Gotta say, sweetheart, having your body pressed against mine was something else. Feeling all these curves, knowing that they’re mine. I see a lot more of this in our future.” He tips my chin up, letting me know what he wants even though I’m looking into his eyes.
“Thank you. There are so many things I’m thankful for, but you taking care of me, Tyson, it means more than you’ll ever know. I liked waking up in your arms too, and the tree. Oh, my goodness, it’s beautiful. I could have never done what you have with the lights. They twinkle and everything. Did I even have those lights?”
“You have nothing to thank me for. I wanted to do it. And sweetheart, there isn’t much I’ll do that I don’t want to.” His hand, rough from years of working on the farm, cups my neck, massaging like he did earlier today. My body relaxes more, a purring noise escapes my mouth, and that’s when I feel Tyson consume me. I’m flipped onto my back, Tyson hovering over me, his body wedged between my thighs. I can feel every inch of his body. He’s firm and hard in all the right places, especially when I hitch my legs over his hips, pressing myself into him.