Aurora - Christmas Eve

“You’d better quit, or I’m going to drop dessert.”

“Mmm, promise it will be worth it.” His voice rippled through me, sending shivers down my spine and making me want to say to hell with the dessert we were bringing to his mom’s house tomorrow in favor of fucking him right here on the marble kitchen floor.

No wonder Declan had assumed I’d be moving in to his place. It was beautiful from top to bottom. Two-story fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, a top-of-the-line kitchen… It was heaven.

I half wished for a storm just to be snowed in up in the mountains with him.

“Looks done to me anyway.” He poked at the tiramisu with one finger, licking the chocolate off as I set the dish on the counter.

“Hands off, Callaghan!” I giggled when he spun me in his arms, carrying me across the kitchen and into the living room. He plopped me on a pile of blankets, a little nest he’d made in front of the fire where we’d been camping out all afternoon.

The man had plenty of oversized leather couches for sitting, but somehow, being down on the floor in front of the fireplace while snow swirled around outside felt so much sweeter.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” he grunted.

“I’m only wearing an apron!” I huffed, giggling again at the memory of him insisting “If you’re going to cook, it’d better be naked.” I’d learned to stop wearing panties around the house too—I was sick of having to replenish them every few weeks when he ripped through them all.

“Exactly.” He pulled the neck strap of the apron over my head and discarded the messy garment, then laid me back onto our little love nest.

“I’ve got a confession,” he breathed, sliding his palms up my torso.

“Oh?” I purred.

“Should have told you this last week, maybe before.” He kissed his way down my neck, latching on to my nipple as the tip of his cock nudged between my thighs.

I groaned, arching in search of him.

“Greedy pussy, huh?” He cocked my hips up to meet him, angling me just right so he could slide into me. I sighed, clutching at the broad muscles of his shoulders, losing a little touch of reality whenever he was inside me. “Been carrying something around with me.”

His heavy breath washed over my skin, lighting my nerves on fire.

Something about this man lived inside me, had taken root and refused to let go. From the first moment we’d met, I’d known it; I just hadn’t wanted to believe it.

He fisted the root of his cock in his hand then, tilting it deeper, sliding in and out of me at a new, even more delicious angle.

“Love when you beg for my dick, Snow,” he teased, licking at the skin between my breasts. “But you should know, it’s me who’s begging you. Begging you’ll have me. Begging you’ll be mine.”

“I already am, Callaghan.” The words came out ragged, desperate.

“Yeah, baby, I know.” He fucked me harder, pounding me deep with masterful strokes. “But I want all of you.” He lifted my hand in the air, pausing only a moment before he was settling a heavy diamond engagement ring on my finger.

My heart flew into my throat, and tears instantly burned behind my eyelids.

“I own this sweet cunt—” he thrust quickly “—I own this body—” he hit the end of me “—and I want the rest of you, heart and soul.”

His lips attached themselves to mine, and he fucked me with his tongue, long and slow, stealing my breath. “I’d like to think I’m a modern man who doesn't need his woman to take his name and all that shit, but truth is, I need it. I need to know you're mine. I need everyone else to know who you belong to. I share you enough at the hospital already. I need you in my life permanently, Snow. Marry me, put me out of my damn misery. I’m yours, I need you to be mine.”

My eyes latched on to his, his words rattling around in my heart as tears began a slow slide down my cheeks. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes!”

His hands locked with mine, our lips melded as his thrusts grew more erratic, his hips hit me at just the right angle to draw an orgasm from me. My own orgasm set his off, and he started coming hard and fast inside me. “You didn’t even have to ask, Declan Callaghan. I’ve been yours since the first damn moment we met. I couldn’t get you out of my mind then, and I can’t now. No matter how much I may have tried at first.”

His grin crooked up, his sweet lips kissing down my arm, across the inside of my elbow, then landing on the rock that sat atop my finger. It was beautiful. So was he.

I’d never imagined life could be the sweet.

I’d never imagined the holidays could be this happy.

I’d never imagined I’d meet the cockiest bastard in all of Snowpass Mountain, and then I’d marry him.

“I love you, Declan.”

“Love you so much more, Snow.” He pressed his lips to mine in another kiss. “My beautiful ice queen.”

“Mm, are you ever gonna let me live that down?”

“Not if I can help it.” He slid out of me, nestling me into his side as the flames of the fire licked and warmed us. “Now, stay still, want to make sure my come stays right where it belongs.”

“Oh my God, my favorite Neanderthal.”

“This Neanderthal is soon to be your husband.”

“What a turn of events,” I sighed, pulling him back to me. I couldn't get enough of my fiancé. And the way he was looking at me right now, like he couldn't wait to eat me again, was the only proof I needed that he couldn't get enough of me either.

I was lucky to find such an amazing man to love me so unconditionally. He knew just what I needed, even when I didn’t know I needed it. He put up with my mood swings and took all my sass in stride. But he was pretty lucky to find me, too.

I grinned up at him, unable to keep the happiness from taking over my face.

“Finding you is better than winning the lottery, Snow.” He slipped his hand between my thighs, dancing it around the bud of my clit again. “Gonna be torture waiting for the day I can give you my name.”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re an impatient man, Callaghan?” “Only you, baby. Only ever you.”