“Ah, she’s reaching, love. Come on,” he said into my ear and pulled me away from her toxic antics.
Maddie’s voice bounced through the hall as we put more distance between her. “He will never forgive you for what you did!”
I jerked my head around right before Ollie opened the door to my room and pulled me inside. “Fuck her,” he breathed as soon as the door closed. “Remember what I told you about jealousy? Well, she’s jealous of you. Forget her.”
“What do you think she meant by it, though?”
“Who the hell cares? She’s like a little rat, crawling and scratching at whatever she can get her claws on.” Ollie weaved his long fingers through his thick hair before cupping the back of his neck. “Let’s not waste any more time on her. Christmas is in six days, and I was going to wait until then to give you this, but I’m like a kid when it comes to these things.” Ollie dug his hand into his back pocket.
He groaned. “Shit. Hold on.” He turned around while I sat at the edge of the bed and watched his shoulder blades move against his white shirt.
When he turned back around, he dangled a white origami rose from his finger by a ribbon attached. My eyes darted back and forth between the rose and his lopsided grin as I brought my hand to my mouth.
“You like it?” he asked, crouching down in front of me.
“Ollie …”
He took my hand from my mouth and laid it flat before placing the rose inside. “Truth is, I’d never cared much for Christmas. Most people don’t know it’s a busy season for prostitutes.” He shrugged. “Growing up, I spent all day on Christmas in a bloody closet, and as I got older, the day only got worse. But with you, I want to experience everything. And when we leave here, together, we’ll have a tree, lights, music. A proper Christmas. And this here is going to be the first ornament on our tree.” He grinned. “If the paper survives.”
I ran my fingers over the delicate edges. “Where did you … How did you learn to do this?”
“Zeke knows origami. I went to the library the other day and tore a page from one of my favorite books and Zeke taught me the rest.”
Zeke. My heart swelled. Ollie kissed my forehead.
“I didn’t know we were … I didn’t get you anything,” I quickly said, then let out a deep sigh. “I always hated Christmas, too.”
But suddenly, I wanted to decorate a tree, play Christmas music on the piano for him, send out ridiculous Christmas cards fromOllie & Mia, and surprise him with gifts, wanting to experience all of it—with him.
Ollie removed the rose from my palm, stood, and set it carefully on my suitcase. “I already have you. What more can I ask for?” His eyes held the daydream look, and I knew what was coming next. “Well, if you really want to give me something … you, on top of me, naked, always works.”
There it was, and when he talked like this, it was no underlying joke. He wanted menow. This very moment. No filter, always telling me what was on his mind.
Me. On top of him. Naked.
He tilted his head, spiked an eyebrow, and his eyes held on strong. My insides pulsed as the tingling sensation ignited. Leaning over, I wrapped my hands around his legs and pulled him toward me between my knees. Glancing up at him standing over me, I slipped my fingers into the waistband of his joggers.
“Mia …” he breathed. My name falling from his lips meant everything. It was a beg, a plea, a demand, a promise, a relief, a praise, a question, an answer, a longing, a desire.
It was everything, all in one breath.
“I want to give you something I’ve never given anyone.” And it was true. Before, my egotistic needs were my only concern. Giving head was a purely selfless act, and I had been a self-centered, egotistical, bitch before Ollie.
Ollie grabbed my wrist and stopped me. “You never had your mouth around anyone?” He was surprised. I didn’t blame him.
Staring up at him from the edge of the mattress, with his fingers wrapped around my wrist, I shook my head. “No.”
He turned his head slightly as a dimple beamed from his cheek, and he ran his palm down his face and through his hair. When his eyes met mine again, his smile was everything. “I can’t seem to wipe this stupid smile off my face.”
“Why are you smiling?”
He sighed, still smiling, still in awe. “I haven’t gone down on anyone either before you …” A laugh pushed through his lips.
My brows pulled together as I leaned back on my hands. “You never went down on anyone?”
Ollie shook his head. “Not until you.”
“But you’re so good at it.”
