A pounding in my head is the only sound I heard when I opened my eyes the next morning. As much as Kevin claimed I was too drunk to remember anything, I did. I remembered it all. I wanted it all.

His body was lying, fast asleep next to me. I twisted in bed to stare at him. His jaw was covered in a light stubble which had grown heavier overnight.

His dark hair fell across his forehead, and his features were mesmerizing. I couldn’t stop staring. One brown eye opened and shut just as quickly.

“Are you watching me sleep,” Kevin said.

“Yes.”

“Will you stop?”

“No,” I giggled.

He opened his brown, dazzling eyes to me and smiled. I loved his smile, it would immediately make me smile.

I craved it. I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. When I came back, Kevin was up and getting dressed.

It was Christmas Eve, and we only had a two days left as an imaginary couple. I didn’t want it to end.

“Good morning.” I felt odd talking to him. Like something had shifted between us. There was an air of something I couldn’t quite identify, and I wanted to right the wrong. I wanted to apologize for throwing myself at him. Although I had wanted it, I knew it wasn’t right.

He turned to face me. “Hey.”

The moment our eyes met again my heart slammed into my chest all at once. Hard, rapid, and out of control.

Our bodies pulled together like magnets, and we were across the room in a flash. His arms encased me in their masculinity. His lips were on mine within seconds.

What was I thinking? We were drawn together, and it had been so long for both of us. In some sense we were a lot alike. Kevin and I, we were both living a lonely life. A life with no meaning, and in this moment we understood one another.

Heated passion erupted all around us. Scientist would say we were attracted to each other in this moment because we hadn’t had sex in a long time. Psychiatrists would probably say, because of our past relationships we were both searching for something. Something we both found in each other.

But for me, I say we were attracted to each other because we were each other’s one. He was the one for me, and I wanted to be the one for him.

So as he flung me onto the bed, I smiled. As he ripped my clothes of, I smiled. I smiled because I wanted this more than anything. I tried to push all the negativity and repercussions out of my mind.

I just went with it.

Kevin’s eyes seared into mine as he positioned himself on top of me, his hands wrapping around me. Our lips couldn’t connect fast enough, our bodies were fighting the fact we hadn’t done this ages ago.

His hand reached across my cheek. “You’re so beautiful. I need you.”

Without a word, I answered him. I answered him by bringing my lips to his. I answered him by bucking my hips beneath him. I answered him by running my hands across his chest.

We moved together on the bed, united by this common need, this common want of each other. My body was firing on all cylinders. His hands were working a condom on himself as he kissed his way all over my body.

I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think- passion had taken over. The primal instinct to mate had won out and I was no longer thinking as Holly Mathis, no I was thinking as a woman who needed this man with everything that possessed her.

He stilled his body on top of mine, the sunlight pouring through the window and his eyes sought mine.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes.” I shook my head up and down as a smile spread across his face.

Who was this man? Who was this man who knew my body so well? Every touch was a new experience, every kiss a new feeling. He knew how to make me feel alive.

I’d never felt anything so mind-numbingly amazing before. He placed himself at my opening, and I held my breath.

All at once he entered me, and my body shot off the bed. My body acclimated to his size as he moved slowly in and out. His hips rocked and my legs wrapped around his back.

His kisses trailed along my neck which kept me rooted to the spot. Without his kisses, I would have escaped the moment. He would never allow it. He plunged deeper inside me, he was exploring me inside and out. Reaching into my soul, and connecting on a deeper level. I couldn’t allow myself to fall for him, but who was I kidding? The way he touched me made me believe this was real. Made me pray this was real.

I moaned his name, as he kept focusing on his mission. The task of making me fall. Fall completely, and utterly into him.

His breathing was labored, ragged even. I opened my eyes, and he was there. His brown eyes spilling into mine.

“You feel so fucking good.” He sank deeper inside me with every thrust of his hips.

My body was on the verge, on the verge of unleashing an orgasm I never thought I could experience. In all my life no man had ever made love to me in such a way. He was gentle, yet rough. He was caressing, yet, unforgiving.

My body climbed to the point of where it could go no higher, and then came crashing down around me. Intensity, fire, tingles, and tremors exploded from every pore. My inner walls clenched his firmness as he stared at me. Gazed at me as if there were no other women alive. No other woman who could make him feel this good.

Fascinated by my orgasm, his eyes rolled back. “I can’t hold on anymore. Holly, I’m going to come.”

I ran my nails down his back and landed on his perfectly formed ass. His orgasm shot through him like a billion stars exploding all at once. A supernova of emotion, and he kept pushing. Kept pulsating on top of me.

His body was laced with a pure sheen of sweat, and I smiled up at him.

Once it was over, and we both came back to this level of awareness he climbed off me. He walked to the bathroom to rid himself of the condom.

I dressed back in my clothes when he finally appeared from the bathroom.

He stalked across the room and brought both hands to my face, crashing his lips to mine.

I didn’t know what to make of the situation. Everything was different now. Yet, I felt comfortable around him. I was freaking out, yet calm. My body didn’t know what to do.

Do I ask him what all this means? Do I keep quiet?

I decided on the latter.

After we went downstairs and had breakfast, everyone was gathering around to decorate the tree. We laughed while we decorated, and something had changed between Kevin and I. We didn’t need to pretend anymore, it almost felt real. We laughed and clung onto each other while we sat cuddled on the couch.

Amy and Abigail sat on the floor with the baby, Skye as they decorated the tree. Christmas music filled the house and for once on the holidays I was happy. Pretend or not, I wanted this feeling to never end.

Kevin and I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting by the fire, wrapped in each other’s arms. We watched the activity of the house as we nestled into each other.

Abigail began preparing a few dishes so she wouldn’t be cooking all day tomorrow, and after a while I made my way into the kitchen.

“Need any help, Abigail?”

“Holly, I don’t need any help but I could always use the company.” She stirred together the contents of a green bean casserole she was preparing, so tomorrow she could just stick it in the oven.

“Okay sure.” I sat at the small table in the kitchen as I breathed in the smell of her cooking.

“You know over a year ago, I didn’t know how to cook a thing. My only dish I could make was spaghetti, but we all change when we meet the right one. I didn’t want my husband to starve, so I learned real quick,” she said, laughing.

“Well, I think you’re cooking is amazing.”

“Thank you.” She stopped what she was doing and turned around to face me for a moment. “So, what about you?”

“Can I cook? Sure,” I said.

She laughed. “No, I mean do you think Kevin is the one?”

I was shocked for a moment, and I was sure the evidence was written all over my face. Abigail turned back around to continue stirring as I contemplated. I wanted Kevin to be the one. But was he? I wasn’t too sure, I knew I had never felt this way about anyone ever. Yet, the one?

“I don’t know, we’ve only been dating for a little while.” Like not at all, I thought to myself.

“I think you two are made for each other. You want to know a secret?” She came and sat beside me at the table, her casserole abandoned while she spoke. “I’ve never seen Kevin this happy. I mean the way he looks at you, I’ve never seen him stare at anyone like that before.”

I felt a sense of pride escalate through me as the words left Abigail’s mouth. “Thank you,” I said as I thought about Kevin.

The rest of the day was uneventful as we ate dinner, and then nestled around in front of the fire to chat the night away. It was amazing, and I wanted to come here every year. I felt like I belonged here.

Kevin held my hand, and walked me to our bedroom at the end of the night. As we lay in bed, he scooted me closer to him as we made sweet love all through the night. Tomorrow was Christmas, and I couldn’t wait to figure out what would happen afterwards. But, I knew Kevin and I would be together forever.

Christmas morning, waking up in Kevin’s arms was like a fairytale.

We dressed and rushed downstairs as Abigail was placing the last of the presents under the tree. Skye was hyper and running around, while Brandon chased after her.

“Present time,” Abigail said as we made our way down the staircase. Amy and Dan were both seated on the couch and smiling brightly as I gazed to Holly. I couldn’t wait to give her the gift I’d picked out. I hope she liked it.

We opened each other’s gifts for the next hour, laughing, and chatting. Brandon had given Abigail a beautiful weeping willow charmed necklace with beautiful sapphires in it, and we all ooh’ed and aww’ed over it.

Kevin turned to me when everyone went into the kitchen to start cooking for the day and held in his hands a jewelry box. The red velvet box sat in his hand as he gazed into my eyes. “For you,” he said as he handed it to me.

“You didn’t need to get me anything,” I said, shocked.

“Holly, I want you to know how thankful I am you came here with me. I also want you to know I care about you.” He nudged the box further into my hands as he kissed me on my cheek which sent chills down my body.

I opened the box and there sat a beautiful silver bracelet with cute charms along it. There was a charm with a cute silver handbag, a music note, a slipper, and a star. I laughed when I held the slipper one and he smiled.

“The music note is for your love of Christmas tunes, and the star…well it’s the one thing I still want to show you.”

He took my hand and led me off the couch. Hand in hand we walked out the back door and over to the barn. We climbed the steps and Kevin opened the door at the top.

When we stepped back it was like being transported into a planetarium. Stars hung from the ceilings, and clung to the walls. Large Christmas lights lit the room up, and it truly was magnificent. I couldn’t believe it, gone were the flowers and couch. In its place a big silver pillow. A huge pillow type couch where two people could lie comfortably on.

We headed over and took a seat as Kevin kissed my shoulder. “Holly, I’m falling for you,” he said as he peppered kisses down my neck.