The next morning, I’m filled with an extra pep in my step. I feel stupid hopping around the kitchen in just his shirt, crazy sex hair, and an actual sex scent lingering all around me. I know I smell like I should take three hot showers and a bath, but I’m too giddy to stand still in the shower. But I can somewhat stand still and make breakfast. I play music and dance in front of the stove as I do.
I hear the shower running as I make bacon. He must be going somewhere. But he’s not the only one. I didn’t get up early for my health. Well, it felt like I literally had to with this much energy wired throughout my body, but it was for another more important reason: I have to buy gifts, since Christmas is so close. I’m normally such an organized person, and I would have gotten it done a month ago, maybe even October. But I guess I’ve been so wrapped up in all the craziness happening with Grey that I completely blanked.
But I have a little problem; I don’t have any way of getting there. The snow is coming down hard today, and the bus delay will be insane. I would have Grey drive me, but I can’t do that and buy his present. So I call Jaimie and plead for her to take me. She was hesitant, pissed that I ruined her party with the fight outside, but after I promised her a two bags of her beloved cronuts, she agreed.
I flip the last pancake as Grey emerges from the hallway. He is ruffling his wet hair with a towel, wearing a black shirt, as usual, that hugs his biceps and jeans hanging dangerously low on his hips. I stare at him shamelessly as he grins, walking into the kitchen. I’m pretty sure I’m drooling, but I couldn’t care less. He’s my man and boy, does he look good…
He rounds the counter as I slide the pancake on his plate and set it on the island in front of me. His arms snake around me, and he bends down and stuffs his face in my neck. I smile as he deeply inhales me and kisses my neck. I moan softly and briefly worry I smell nasty, but the way he’s kissing my skin right now, I don’t think he cares or even notices. Maybe he loves the scent of what we did on me…the thought makes me wildly aroused.
“Buenos días, princesa,” he whispers in a raspy voice that makes my stomach tingle. (Good morning, princess.)
“I made pancakes,” I say excitedly, turning off the stove.
He groans and grips my waist. “Is that all I get?” He picks me up and sets me on the counter beside the stove. His nose nuzzles in my neck, and I let out a giggle and wrap my arms around his neck.
“Okay, okay.” I whisper, “Good morning, Grey.”
He sighs contentedly and pecks my lips. “Much better.”
“Where you headed off to? You washed your hair.” I scrunch my nose, and he rolls his eyes.
“I have some business to take care of,” he vaguely says, and I lift a questioning brow. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that’ll be dick-ish.” Then what is he going to do? I’m curious and I want to ask, but I told myself I wouldn’t hound him like a clingy girlfriend. Just because we’re together doesn’t mean I have to know what he does every second of every day.
“Good.” I simply pat his shoulders, and he looks at me weirdly.
“What about you? Got any non-dick-ish things to do today?” He reaches behind me and takes a chunk out of a bacon strip.
“Oh, just a few things.” I clear my throat and grin.
“You’re hiding something,” he states, and I wave a hand at him. He raises his eyebrows and chews with a bemused expression. I know I’m a terrible liar. He knows too, but he just nods. “But I guess I’ll see you after you do your mysterious non-dick-ish thing.”
“I guess you will.” I lean forward and cheekily take a bite of the end of his bacon strip. He stops chewing, and I bounce my eyebrows up and push him back. I hop off the counter and walk toward the bathroom, flashing him a small smile over my shoulder. I may be more than a little giddy this morning…what? He’s insatiable and, honestly, so am I.
After stripping, I enter the shower. The water feels amazing as I scrub the soap against my skin. I look around and make a mental note to buy shampoo—meaning shampoo that smells like lavender, not cinnamon spice.
Not even five minutes pass before the curtain is pulled back. I jump, shocked, because I thought he’d wait until after I showered. He stares at me with an unreadable expression.
“What are you doing—” He cuts me off in the most shocking way.
He steps inside, fully clothed, and swallows my laughter when he smashes his lips on mine. He presses me against the tile and lifts me up. I can’t help but laugh in his mouth as he becomes soaked, but he doesn’t even mind. He is absolutely insane…and, really, so am I. Because I wouldn’t have this any other way.
***
Shopping for a present for Grey proved to be a harder task than I thought. I have been to countless clothing stores, the jewelry store, hardware stores—everywhere—but I can’t find anything he would like or even use. I could buy him a pair of socks, but that’d just be too much of a cop out and insensitive. I give my father top-notch golf putters, which are not cheap; I can’t just give my boyfriend socks for our first Christmas.
It sucks because I’m usually great at buying presents. I could look at a person and buy them the perfect gift. Like, for Jaimie, I got her a pair of Ray-Bans since she broke hers and has been complaining about it ever since. I think they’ll look great with the ridiculous boots she nearly burned a store over that Julia got her for her birthday. I got Julia an expensive leather jacket, one that comes with hidden pockets that I actually thought were admittedly cool. As for Mason, I got him a collection of silk ties from Nordstrom that were quite expensive, even though they’re just ties since he’s becoming a lawyer.
Speaking of, I haven’t talked to him since I told him his sister missed him. I thought for sure he would have gone to Jaimie’s birthday party, but he didn’t, and I’ve been worried ever since. I’ve called, texted, and left voicemails, but he has yet to return any of them. Instead of damn ties, I want to give him a stern lecture that he can’t just fall off the goddamn planet without any warning. And a hug. I miss him a lot.
“Find anything for your man yet?” Jaimie plops down beside me on the bench. She went off to shop while I shopped for her, Julia, and Mason. Using her car keys, I put the shopping bags in the back of her car and came back inside, fully intent on finding something good for Grey—nay, something perfect. I’ve been sitting here for a good ten minutes, literally thinking of any possibility for a good present for Grey. But I came up with nothing.
“I am the worst girlfriend ever,” I groan and cover my face with my hands.
“No, you aren’t.” She slings a hand over my shoulder and forces my hands down. I curl my fingers in my lap and frown.
“Yes, I am. I don’t know what to get him. It’s like I don’t even know him at all.” I cover my face again and lean my head into my lap. “Our relationship is a sham!” I whine. I probably look like I’m having a psychotic breakdown. I think I am…
“What am I gonna do, Jaims?” I sit up and face her, but she’s too busy eating a cronut to pay attention to my meltdown. “Jaimie!”
“What?” she mumbles and looks at me with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I was mid-cronut. Look, don’t worry. Your relationship is not a sham. I didn’t know what to get Julia for our first Christmas together, either.”
“Really?” I find it hard to believe. They’re amazing together.
She nods. “Mm-hmmm. But you know what I did give her?”
“What?”
She gestures to her body with a smile. “My body, and boy did she love it. Wrapped up a certain box all good for her, and she ate it up…literally.” She bounces her eyebrows. I gasp and slap my hands to my ears and sing over her words. She laughs a gut-wrenching laugh and tears my hands from my ears. “We went at it allllll night.”
“Gross. Stop, Jaim!” I plead, and she rolls her eyes.
“You can’t be all innocent, not after he banged you against the windows,” she says with a devilish smile, sliding her tongue across her teeth, standing. I follow after her and groan, instantly regretting telling her what happened this morning.
“I should not have told you about that.”
“Would it make you feel any better if I told you all the locations Julia and I got it on?” She bumps my shoulder, and I quickly shake my head. “You’re too tense and bummed out. How about you come with us to the annual ‘fuck off school, Christmas is here’ kegger tonight?”
“I don’t know what that is, nor do I want to go to it.” Knowing how much Fate hates me, Diana will probably be there. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around someone I punched in the face. Do I punch her again? Does she try to instantly tear my face off? I don’t want to find out, either way.
“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun,” she promises. “There’ll be beer, music, and no Diana. Yeah, don’t think I can’t read your mind.”
“I don’t know…” I don’t want to take the chance.
“Just think about it, okay?” she sighs, and I nod. “Good, now help me find the perfect outfit for one of my gifts to Julia.” She pulls me to Victoria’s Secret.
Oh God…
***
“Higher…higher…okay, to the left…just a little more…and…stop!” I gently place the bright red ornament on the tree, centered between a green and a golden one. I play around with it and space them out just perfectly until my ladder beneath me groans and begins to complain.
“I’m sure it’s fine. You don’t exactly weigh a feather, you know.”
“Are you calling me fat?” I gasp and pause when placing another ornament. This one’s a miniature snow globe. I thought it was cute when we went shopping for decorations. He was just as grumpy as he is right now. He really doesn’t like this holiday. And knowing why, I get it. But I still want to do everything to make him comfortable and not have him do something that would displease his little Scrooge heart.
“Of course not,” he says. I frown and lean over. He smiles as I press my nose against his, clutching his cheeks. His tough exterior is cracked as I stick my tongue out and lick his bottom lip.
“You just…” he sighs and shrugs. “You know why I’m not exactly best friends with this holiday…” An image of him, sixteen, spending Christmas in a new state, bloodied and broken both physically and mentally, makes my heart ache.
“I know…” I have to distract him, even if it means I may have a little stain on my image of Christmas. I’d do anything for this man. Anything. “You feel like getting away tonight? I can finish decorating by myself. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable in any way.”
“No, no, I don’t mind.” He smiles, but I know he doesn’t mean it.
“Put me down.” I straighten and wobble when he sets me on my feet. Light-headed, I twirl on my feet and place my hands on his chest, craning my neck back to look into his eyes. “I know I’m pushing it already with the tree and the pajamas.” I tug at my snowman print pajama, which I also bought for him as a matching set—he’ll never wear it—and he laughs. “So let me take you out tonight and make you forget a little. Like you did last night?” Images from last night flash through my mind, and I know they do for him too, because he smiles that crooked smile and narrows those dark eyes.
“All right…yeah.” He nods. “But where are we going?”
I take a deep breath and tilt my head. “Ever heard of a ‘kegger’?”