Change My Mind

by Ali Parker

  I felt her relax. She didn’t fight me. It was another step back into her arms—literally. We were quiet for a time, both of us basking in the heat and the cozy warmth of the blankets.

  “We are going to need to check out that cellar again,” she commented.

  “For?”

  “Food. I hate to admit it, but I’m hungry again.”

  “Me too. We worked up an appetite out there.”

  “I don’t want to move,” she moaned.

  “You can stay here, and I’ll go see what I can find,” I offered.

  She let out a long sigh. “I should go. I can’t rely on you to take care of me.”

  “Sure, you can,” I answered. I wanted to take care of her. I wanted to show her how good I was for her, even if that meant scavenging a root cellar and finding her some canned food. I was tempted to kiss her but reminded myself I was still in the dog house and some privileges were not returned.

  I slowly backed away from her, immediately missing the contact of her body against mine.

  “I’ll go with you,” she said and got up.

  “I’ll use the flashlight on my phone,” I told her.

  “Is it spooky?”

  I pulled the rug back. “As spooky as a cellar can be.”

  “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  “It will be fine. I’ll protect you.”

  We walked down the wooden stairs, my phone light illuminating the many cobwebs clinging to the ceiling. She was walking so close to me, I could feel her breath across the back of my neck. It was making me a little crazy, but I forced myself to focus on getting her food.

  “Let’s see, we’ve got Swedish meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fettucine alfredo,” she read aloud as we both reviewed the offerings on the shelf.

  “There are some canned and dry goods over here,” I told her.

  “And wine!” she squealed, reaching for a dusty bottle lying across the shelf behind some cans.

  “No shit?” I questioned. “I wonder if it’s vintage yet?”

  She pulled it out and I shone the light on the label. It wasn’t a brand I ever heard of. “It’ll be fine,” she insisted.

  We scanned the shelves, tossing around some ideas before deciding to make pasta and our own sauce with the canned tomatoes and sauce. There were plenty of spices in the kitchen to dress it up. We carried our goodies upstairs and got busy.

  “Hope you like vegetarian,” she said with a laugh as I filled a pot with water.

  “I don’t know if I like it, but I don’t think beggars can be choosers at this point.”

  “Good point. I’ll light the stove. It will take too long to boil on the woodstove.”

  “Thank god it’s propane or we would be having a very late dinner.”

  “I’ll open the cans,” she volunteered. “I know I saw a can opener in one of these drawers.”

  I put in the pasta while she opened several cans. Together, we stood side by side, making our gourmet vegetarian meal with our scavenged goods. I wasn’t sure if it was going to taste good, but I didn’t care. It was by far becoming the best Christmas I ever had, and we had nothing except each other.

  “I’m going to open that wine and let it breathe. This could be dangerous.”

  “It could only be more powerful,” she said with a laugh. “It will be a one-glass drunk.”

  I wasn’t sure wine worked that way, but I wouldn’t mind getting a little tipsy with her.

  Chapter 55

  Harper

  We decided not to use our two candles to have a candlelit dinner. The woodstove provided just enough light for us to see our dinner. Neither of us jumped right into the pasta. I wasn’t a cook and I knew he wasn’t. We were both rightfully wary.

  I smelled the wine in the glass. “Bottom’s up,” I told him and took the first sip.

  He watched and waited. I let the liquid sit on my tongue before nodding. “Do you want some water?” he asked.

  “It’s actually pretty good.”

  He took his own drink. “Not bad.”

  “Now, the real test,” I said, looking down at the meal.

  “I’m not worried,” he lied.

  He took a healthy bite and made approving sounds. I dove into my own and was pleasantly surprised to find it really did taste good and I didn’t think it was just because I was hungry. We both continued to eat in comfortable silence. I wished I could pretend everything was okay between us. I wanted to forget the past and live in the moment. We did have some pretty amazing chemistry together. We could laugh one second and want to be rolling in bed together the next.

  He was everything I wanted a boyfriend to be until he wasn’t.

  I needed a man to see me as his partner. I needed a man that could talk to me about things, especially things that concerned the both of us. As much as I wanted to be with him, I knew it wouldn’t work out in the long run.

  But why did I have to spend tonight thinking about a month from now? I could live in the moment, in the little bubble we had right now. Tomorrow, we would be able to go back to the hotel. Tomorrow would be the time to say goodbye to Chase for real.

  I was going to take the job Tawny offered. It was a great fit. Even if Chase asked me to stay on in a professional capacity, I couldn’t do it. There was no way I could keep things separated. That had been proven time and time again.

  I had to get away from him. He wouldn’t be in residence at the hotel forever. He would soon leave, and I could have Vail and the new job to myself.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “It’s great,” I answered, holding up my now empty glass. “Can you pour me more please?”

  He happily obliged. I didn’t think any woman would be strong enough to resist the man. He was the total package. I couldn’t be expected to ignore what was staring me right in the face. We were all alone and there was no real reason we couldn’t have one last night together.

  I knew it wouldn’t be a permanent thing. He wasn’t really looking for that either, which meant we could simply enjoy one another’s bodies and be blissfully happy for one night.

  “I’m stuffed,” I told him after I basically cleaned my plate. If he were any other man, I would have been a little embarrassed by my appetite, but it was Chase. He knew I wasn’t a bird and liked real food.

  “Me too.”

  Together, we cleaned up the mess we made before settling in on the mattress. Chase brought the bottle of wine. We sat cross-legged facing each other. It felt very natural to be with him like this.

  “This is certainly a strange way to spend Christmas,” I said.

  He smiled. “Strange but not bad.”

  “No, not bad. I hope my parents aren’t worried.”

  “Were you supposed to go home?”

  I shook my head. “No. I told them I would be working this year. I feel bad I can’t even call them though.”

  “I’m sure they’ll understand once you get back to civilization and explain it.”

  “What about you? Were you supposed to go back to Malibu?”

  “No. I was going to be at the hotel.”

  “Do you normally go home?” I questioned.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Christmas was a big deal in our house. We never really had a lot of gifts, but my parents always made it special.”

  “Us either,” he said.

  Initially, I was offended. He was trying to compare his Christmas to mine? His family was wealthy. We were not. “Were your parents the type that chose not to spoil you on one day but preferred more of an everyday thing?”

  “No, definitely not. My parents created an illusion. Despite what everyone thought, we weren’t well off. I mean, we weren’t broke, but we were cash poor. The business was hemorrhaging money. Every penny my father had went back into the hotels to try and keep them afloat. At Christmas, they bought us one nice thing. That was the gift we could talk about because it worked with the narrative. We couldn’t tell people it was the only gift
or that my parents had to sell something in order to buy us that gift.”

  I was surprised. I knew they weren’t as rich as they’d pretended to be, but I never knew it was that bad. “Is that why you didn’t go to college?”

  He shrugged. “Partly. My parents couldn’t afford to send us both. I knew they would have but I didn’t want them paying for an education I probably wouldn’t value. I didn’t want the pressure of bombing a class and costing them thousands of dollars. I wanted to get in and get my hands dirty. I was probably a little cocky thinking I could wave a magic wand and fix things, but that’s what I wanted to do.”

  “And you did it.”

  He smiled. “I suppose I did.”

  “I think Christmas is overrated now anyway. I mean the idea itself is nice, but after working in a department store for years, it’s not the same. People are willing to beat the hell out of someone else to get a handbag for a gift. Like their daughter or wife isn’t going to love them if they don’t get that particular gift. That’s not what Christmas is supposed to be about.”

  “You’re right. It is heavy on gifts and light on appreciating the family you do have. This Christmas isn’t terrible,” he said.

  I smiled, sipping my wine. “No, it definitely is not terrible.”

  “I think it’s going to be one of my favorites.”

  I looked into his eyes. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  When he leaned forward to kiss me, I didn’t stop him. I wanted the kiss. It was what I was looking forward to. It was my little Christmas gift to myself. I was going to allow myself one beautiful night with him before I walked away for good.

  His lips brushed over mine, gently searching for an okay. I gave it to him, opening my mouth and pulling him close. The kiss was sweet and tender and nothing like the passion-fueled kisses we normally shared. I felt his hand on mine, taking the glass of wine from my hand.

  He pulled away before coming back and holding my face in his hands. His eyes locked with mine. It was a soul-deep connection. I felt my breath catch. The way he was looking at me was so intense. When his eyes closed and his mouth moved over mine, I gave myself to him. It was one night. One night only and I wanted it to be amazing.

  He slowly reached for my sweatshirt and lifted. I hadn’t bothered putting a bra on after I changed out of my wet clothes. I lifted my arms and let him pull it away. I heard his sharp intake of breath when he discovered I was bare underneath.

  He gently laid me back, my head resting on the pillow. He looked down with a soft smile on his face. “I feel like I’m unwrapping my one really nice gift.”

  I smiled up at him, my hand touching his face. “You’re not finished yet.”

  His eyes flashed with desire before he moved to the end of the mattress and pulled my pants down, leaving me naked. He quickly removed his own clothes and crawled up to lie beside me. One hand reached out, barely touching my breast. It felt like butterfly wings brushing over me.

  He lowered his face to one breast, sucking my nipple into his mouth before gently kneading the other. I closed my eyes, my hands running into his hair while he worked his mouth over me. It was delicious and sweet and making me extremely hot and horny.

  When his hand finally moved south, parting my legs and cupping me, I nearly exploded. It was a light touch, but I was supercharged. Sex between us was always fiery and passionate. This felt different. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and for the first time, I wasn’t either. I wasn’t chasing the orgasm. I wanted to savor every moment.

  “So good,” I breathed when his finger slid over my folds, parting them and sliding inside me.

  He was on his elbow, looking down at me. “I want to watch you orgasm.”

  I wanted to tell him I didn’t want to, but my body had other plans. I thought I was going to be able to hold out. I couldn’t. Our eyes were locked together. It was a connection I wasn’t prepared for. I gasped, my back arching as he pushed the finger in deeper.

  “Chase,” I breathed.

  “That’s it. Let me have it.”

  My eyes slid closed as my body slowly spiraled out of control. It wasn’t fast and furious. It wasn’t violent. It was a slow unfurling of white-hot ecstasy. “Oh god,” I groaned.

  “Look at me,” he whispered, his mouth close to mine.

  I opened my eyes and found his gaze still locked on me. I groaned as a fresh wave of desire flooded over me. “Yes.”

  “You’re so beautiful. I love watching your lips part and your eyes glaze when you come.”

  I had no words. My body was locked in one of the longest orgasms I’d ever experienced. “Oh god,” I cried out again.

  His mouth moved over mine, swallowing the whimpers and moans that came with the orgasm. When my body felt drained, like I had nothing more to give, he gently rolled me to my stomach. I automatically moved to get on my knees, but he stopped me.

  “No,” he whispered. “Stay down.”

  I was a little dazed and did what I was told. I stayed flat on my stomach while he crawled over me. His hand moved between my legs, opening them just enough for him to guide his swollen cock to my opening. “Close them,” he panted the words.

  I did what he said, feeling the tip of his cock probing my entrance and setting off a fresh wave of need. He pushed himself in. He felt massive, like his cock would not fit. I fought the urge to open my legs and give him better access. What he was doing felt too good. I moaned loud and long as he filled me completely. His body rested against mine for several seconds, covering me from top to bottom.

  “So good,” I whispered.

  “Don’t move. Your body fits me like a glove. I can’t move. Give me a second.”

  I didn’t move a muscle. I didn’t even blink. The sensation of being completely joined with him was too good to risk losing. He waited several minutes. Every passing second was a tease. My body was tightening around his erection, clamping down and triggering little bursts of electricity throughout my body.

  My body was going to betray me. I could feel it happening and I was helpless to stop. It started slow again, down in the very tips of my toes before the slow burn coursed through my veins.

  “Oh shit,” he breathed. “Already?”

  I answered with a loud groan. “I can’t stop it.”

  “Don’t stop. You feel so good. That’s it. Yes, more, let me feel you.”

  I cried out as the full strength of the orgasm slammed into me. I could hear his ragged breathing and knew he was struggling to stay in control.

  In a flash, he pulled out of me and moved beside me. “Roll over,” he grunted.

  I could barely move. My arms and legs felt like wet noodles. I slowly rolled to my back, my body jerking and spasming as he stared down at me. I reached up, my hand cupping the back of his neck and pulling him down to me for a kiss that would rock both our worlds.

  Chapter 56

  Chase

  I moved over her, sliding between her legs and slowly penetrating her body again. It was where I belonged. She was mine. Every inch of her beautiful body was mine. Her arms came around me, hugging me close to her. I kissed her, joining our bodies together in every way. I felt a sense of calm come over me. I was still crazy excited to be inside her, but it was more sensual than passionate.

  “I want to stay inside you forever,” I breathed the words that I was thinking.

  A slow smile spread over her face. “I wouldn’t mind.”

  It was all I needed to hear. My body was wound so tightly already, I was barely keeping it together. I slowly moved my hips, rocking inside her. Every soft scrape of her tight little pussy over my dick felt like a million little electric shocks attacking me.

  It was so good. Better than it had ever been with her. We were finally in tune. We were finally on the same page. I was actually very happy she ran away and left me. It led me here to this point, and this was not something I would ever forget.

  The orgasm came over me low and slow and so damn powerful I nearly passe
d out. I could hear my grunts and weird animal sounds, but I was helpless to stop them. They were raw and from my very core. It was me giving her my entire mind, body, and soul.

  When I lay down beside her, both of our hearts were pounding hard. I didn’t say anything. I kissed her cheek and then her ear before pulling the blankets over our naked bodies. I fell asleep with her wrapped in my arms and our bodies snuggling against one another. It was the best Christmas in all my twenty-eight years. I would never forget it.

  When I woke the next morning, Harper was already awake. Coffee was percolating on the woodstove and she was already dressed for the day.

  “Good morning,” I said with a smile.

  “Morning.”

  “You’re up early,” I said.

  She shrugged. “The sun coming through the window woke me up. Plus, the fire was almost out.”

  “Did you sleep okay?”

  “I did.”

  She was holding back, acting very aloof. I was going to chalk it up to an awkward morning-after situation. “It doesn’t feel as cold in here,” I commented for lack of anything better to say.

  “It looks like it’s going to be a nice day again. A lot of the snow has melted. I think we’ll be able to get out today. I heard the plow truck earlier.”

  “Great,” I said and rose from our bed in all my nakedness. I was hoping for a little something to get our day started right.

  She turned away, pretending to be busy cleaning her coffee mug. I wouldn’t let it bother me. We had plenty of time to make love. We would wake up together tomorrow and would get what I craved. I dressed in my dried clothes and went to give her a proper good-morning kiss. She only let me get a kiss on the cheek.

  “There’s coffee,” she said as she stepped away from me.

  “Thanks.”