“’Night.”
I get up and leave Isla to kiss him, and go out into the living room. I pour us both a glass of wine, then take mine over to the window and look out at the ocean. The sun is setting, and tonight everything looks as if it’s coated with a thick layer of honey, a beautiful warm gold.
“Thank you for that.” Isla comes up behind me and slides her arms around me. “I appreciate you taking the time to read to him.”
“It was a pleasure.” I put my arm around her as she moves to my side. When I arrived this morning, I asked her if Rob had rung to wish Max Merry Christmas. She shook her head and didn’t elaborate, but I’m conscious that he hasn’t rung today. “Did Max ask after his dad?”
She shakes her head again and rests her cheek on my shoulder. “I feel a bit guilty now, that maybe I should have told Max to ring him. But I don’t think he would have wanted to anyway, and I was also worried that Rob was drunk.”
“In the end, it’s just one day. They can always talk tomorrow.”
It’s true, but I understand why it stings that, even though she told him not to come up, Rob didn’t bother to call.
She looks out at the view, then turns and buries her face in my neck. “You make me feel so much better,” she whispers. “It’s so easy, being with you. Rob was such a difficult guy. I had to read between the lines all the time to figure out what he was thinking. It was as if the air was full of smog when he was around. But you’re crystal clear. I feel as if I can breathe when I’m with you.”
“That’s a lovely thing to say, thank you.” I kiss the top of her head. I’m aware that she’s on the rebound, and she’s vulnerable right now. I don’t want to take advantage of that. But equally, we’re both lonely, and this feels so right. Why should either of us fight it?
She lifts her face, and I lower my lips to hers. She accepts the kiss willingly, and opens her mouth to accept my tongue as I brush her lip. Mmm… there’s nothing like an unrushed kiss, taking your time just to enjoy the sensation of touching and being touched, and showing someone else how much you like them.
She moves back, and her eyes sparkle with the light of the setting sun. “I’ll go get the duvet,” she whispers.
My heart leaps as she goes into her bedroom. I’d told myself not to expect sex. I was grateful for yesterday, and I was determined not to assume it would happen again today.
But she comes out with the duvet, checks on Max and gives me a thumbs up to show he’s already asleep. Then we go overto the sofa, and we cover ourselves up, and before I can take a breath, she’s kissing me again. Aaahhh… she wants me, and that’s the best Christmas present a guy could ever have. To be desired… to be needed… it’s more of a turn-on than anything else.
I slide my arms around her and lean back, so this time she’s on top of me. She stretches out along me, and we lie there like that for ages, kissing, stroking, and just enjoying being close. I slide my hands down her back, then lift the hem of her tee and stroke up her ribs, enjoying her soft skin and the way she shivers at my touch. She releases her hair from its clip, and it tumbles around her shoulders and falls like a curtain around me.
After a while, I unclip her bra, and she sits up and removes it, tossing it onto the floor before pulling the duvet over us and lying back on top of me. This time, when I slip my hands back up, I fill my palms with her breasts, and feel her give an answering shudder as I tease her nipples.
She rocks her hips, arousing herself on me, and it’s not long before she pushes herself up and says, “I’m taking off my shorts.”
Once she’s done that, and removed her underwear, she climbs back on. I’m worried that I haven’t spent long enough on foreplay, but she pushes down my shorts and boxers to release my eager erection, and within seconds she’s maneuvered herself so I’m pressing into her. Then she impales herself on top of me, and I have to stifle a groan at the sensation of being buried inside her, all the way to the hilt.
“Cullen…” she whispers, kissing me as she begins to move. “You feel so good.”
“You feel amazing. So warm and soft.”
“I want to do this all day, every day, with you.” She delves her tongue into my mouth, sliding up and down my shaft and giving a little moan every time I plunge into her.
I think about her words while she makes love to me, wondering if it’s just the wine or Christmas working its magic, or if she really meant what she said. Is she saying she’d like a relationship? It’s the first time either of us has come close to talking about whether we have a future together. There are so many ifs and buts… but essentially, it’s a simple question. Do I want to be with her?
Am I going to stay?
She’s moving faster now, and so I banish it to the back of my mind, determined to enjoy the present rather than worry about what happens next. She pushes up so she’s sitting astride me, and I slide my hands up her tee and cup her breasts, teasing her nipples while she rocks. She drops her head back, arching her spine and pushing her breasts into my hands, and I give a husky groan, superheated at the sight of her hair tumbling down her back, and her breasts gleaming in the last rays of the sun.
She leans forward to kiss me, then bites her bottom lip and mumbles, “Mmm… oh God…”
“Yeah, baby, come for me…” I slide a hand into her hair and pull her head down so I can kiss her again, and feel her sighs whisper over my lips as she clenches around me, her body trembling with the strength of each pulse. Ahhh, it’s fantastic to give her pleasure like this, and when she’s done I wrap my arms around her and hug her tightly, brushing my hands over her warm, damp back.
“Mmm,” she murmurs, kissing me. “That felt wonderful.” She starts moving again, giving little thrusts of her hips. “I want to make you come. I want to make you feel good.”
“You do. You make me feel amazing.”
“Do I?” she whispers. “You like my body, Cullen?”
“Mmm.” I squeeze her butt.
“You like my ass?” she murmurs.
