Page 16

The way she says my name nearly does me in. Her fingers tighten against my shoulders and her hips lift to meet me. She takes what she wants instead of waiting for me to give it to her, and it's blowing my mind.

I get my mouth against hers.

She comes with a sharp breath into my mouth, her body tightening around me hard enough that I lose whatever control I had left. I bury my face against her neck and come with her.

For a few seconds, neither of us moves. Then she laughs softly against my shoulder.

"Your feet are hanging off the bed."

"A little late to complain about the accommodations."

"I'm not complaining. Are you okay?"

I lift my head and kiss her once before I pull out.

Something looks wrong. I reach down, and my stomach drops.

"Fuck."

Mackie pushes herself up on her elbows. "What?"

I look at the condom again, even though there's no mistaking the split in it.

"It broke."

Her eyes meet mine. "Oh."

"Yeah," I say, my mind racing. I knew I should have thrown that thing out. For about three seconds, we just stare at each other.

Then she looks down at herself, back at me, and lets out one short, disbelieving laugh. "Of course it did."

I sit back on my heels. "You're laughing?"

"I don't know what else to do. Christmas cheer?"

That pulls a laugh out of me, too, although there isn't anything particularly funny about it.

I get rid of the condom and grab my shirt off the floor to clean myself up. When I sit back against the headboard, Mackie covers her face with both hands.

"I came over here to look at a Christmas tree."

"I remember."

She peeks at me between her fingers. "This got out of hand."

"It got out of something."

She stares at me for a second, then laughs and drops her hands. Some of the tension leaves her shoulders.

She pushes herself up beside me and checks her watch.

"Twelve-oh-four," she says.

"Merry Christmas."

She leans over and rests her forehead against my shoulder.

"Merry Christmas."