The flames in the middle of the table kick to life, and Mia and I both clap happily.

Benjamin chuckles and lowers his lips close to my ear. “I don’t know who’s more excited,” he whispers huskily, “you or her.”

“I know, right?” I smile at him. For good measure, I let my eyes linger on his face before giving him a wink. His pupils dilate, and I know I’m having the intended effect on him.

“Here are the s’mores fixings,” the waiter announces, setting a plate piled high with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers on the table.

The table is on a patio that’s closed off with glass and warmed by tall, big heaters. On the other side of the glass, Aspen’s lights sparkle. It’s a gorgeous sight, and every time I look at it, I melt a little bit more.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sore,” I announce, taking one of the metal skewers and popping a marshmallow on the end. “Especially my butt,” I add, because I know it’ll make Mia laugh, and Benjamin think about massaging my sore muscles.

As predicted, Mia giggles, scrunching her nose in only that way little kids can. “Your butt?”

“So sore,” I say with as serious of a face as I can muster.

“You did fall down a lot,” Benjamin points out.

“Hey.” I lightly elbow him in the side. “I bet you fell down a lot your first time out there.”

He holds his hands up. “True. I did.”

Mia laughs more. “Was your butt sore, Daddy?”

“My butt was sorer than any butt has ever been in all of history.”

“Wow.” I give Mia a flabbergasted look. “That’s serious. I hope he went to see a butt doctor about that.”

Noticing my marshmallow is getting dangerously close to burning, I pull it away from the flames and slip it onto a graham cracker. After adding chocolate and another cracker, I serve it to Mia with a dramatic flourish.

“Madam,” I say.

She’s already too busy eating to respond, chocolate and melted marshmallow running from her mouth and through her fingers. Under the table, where she can’t see it, Benjamin puts his hand on my leg.

I glance over at him, and, again, that look is there; the unreadable one I’ve seen several times today.

My breath hitches in my chest. Is he feeling all the things that I am?

I swallow and try to calm my heartbeat. “Do you want a marshmallow?”

“I don’t know if that will be sweet enough for me,” he whispers.

I inhale sharply, my stomach doing flips. “Oh.”

“I want another one,” Mia says.

I clear my throat and look quickly away from Benjamin. His hand in still on my leg, and I’m worried that I’m about to faint from desire.

“Coming right up,” I tell Mia.

A half hour later, I’m opening the door to our suite so Benjamin can carry Mia to her bedroom. She’s fast asleep, so we work as a team, doing the best we can to change her into pajamas and brush her teeth.

I hold back giggles as he puts a toothbrush between her lips and scrubs around.

“I can’t believe she’s not waking up,” I whisper.

“She’s exhausted,” he agrees.

Eons from waking up, Mia starts snoring. Benjamin finishes the teeth-brushing job best he can and lays her gently in the bed, tucking a blanket around her before we creep out of the room.

“Drink?” he asks, already walking for the minibar in the kitchen.

“Yes, please.” I kick off my shoes and curl up on the couch, my eyes drifting to the windows. “Oh, look. It’s snowing.”

Though it’s dark out, the thick flakes are illuminated by the lights of the town.

Benjamin is next to me, handing me a glass, and I take it without fully looking. At the feel of an ice-cold glass, I flinch.

Benjamin laughs. “Chilly?”

“Eggnog,” I state, looking at it. “Nice. Is it adult eggnog?”

“Is any other kind worth it?” He sits next to me and holds his own glass up. “Cheers.”

“What are we toasting to?”

His eyes drift toward the ceiling as he thinks about it. “To the best weekend I’ve had in a very long time.”

“Same here,” I murmur.

We make eye contact, and I can’t help but smile as our glasses clink together. The eggnog is cold going down my throat, but within a matter of seconds, the brandy is warming me from the inside out.

“Thank you,” I tell him, setting my glass on the coffee table and adjusting my weight on the cushion.

“For what?”

“For this entire trip. I know it’s only been one day, but it’s been amazing.”

His eyes never leaving my face, he takes hold of my legs and guides them so that they’re stretched out across his lap. For a second, I feel again like I’m coming undone. The simple act of us relaxing like this is such a sweet one—something that couples do.

But I’m not going to bring that up. This trip is not the time to talk about our relationship. Things only just started between us. Who knows where the road will take us. If in six months, we’re still going on this way, then yes, it will be time to have “the talk.”

For now, though, everything is about enjoying the moment.

Take that, Amy.

“What are you smiling about?” Benjamin asks.

I laugh. “Guess.”

His eyes light up. “Me?”

“If you want to be that presumptuous, yes.”

“Hah. Okay then.” He puts his drink down next to mine and tickles my side.

“Stop,” I giggle, swatting at his hand.

His smile flickers the slightest bit. “You’re spending Christmas day with us, right?”

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling too wide, but it’s no use. With Amy visiting her family for the week, and with things always uncertain with my parents, I’m looking at a holiday alone if I’m not with the two of them.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I quietly tell him.

Benjamin beams. “Good.”

He’s reaching for my waist, and before I know it, I’m in his lap, straddling his legs.

One hand stays on my waist while the other presses gently against the back of my neck. I lower my head toward his, and my hair falls forward, creating a screen around our faces, blocking the rest of the world out.

I wait for him to kiss me, but it doesn’t happen. Instead, we stay as we are, our foreheads pressed together. Benjamin runs his thumb across the back of my neck. Every nerve in my body is on high alert. He could move the most incremental amount possible, and I would feel it.

Finally, he kisses me. When it happens, it’s like he’s using his whole body. His back arches up toward me, and his fingers splay against my skin. I’m keenly aware of everything about him.

Benjamin kisses me deeper, and I lean against his chest, lifting myself up some. He takes the opportunity to slide his hands down my hips to cup my butt.

The kiss becomes hungrier, but stays slow. We search each other’s mouths, desperate to find the best parts of each other, but we also know we have all the time in the world. This passion is ours for the taking, and there’s no rush.

Still kissing, Benjamin hooks his arms around me and stands. I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks us across the living room. Luckily, it’s a short distance to the main bedroom, and we don’t bump into anything on the way to the bed.

Benjamin lays me gently down before shutting and locking the door. His eyes are ravenous, dancing as if they were reflecting flames.

He makes his way over to me, and I scoot up the middle of the bed. Just as my head hits the pillows, Benjamin comes down on top of me. His fingers lace between mine, and our lips sweep together.

The kiss go on and on, making my head spin. Heat boils in my core, spreading through my body until I can take it no longer. Breaking my hands from Benjamin’s, I tear at his clothes.

He sits up, but instead of the knowing smirk I expect, he wears that intense look again. It makes me suck in a harsh breath.

Pulling off his sweater and shirt at the same time, he tosses them to the floor. I start to go for my own sweater, but he leans back in and takes both my hands, locking them into place against the bedspread.

“I’ll do that,” he whispers.

I just nod.

He’s true to his word, but takes much more time undressing me than he did himself. He unzips my jeans slowly, working them gently down my hips, over my calves, and off my feet. My panties get the same treatment, along with my sweater, my shirt, and my bra.

When I’m left laying naked in front of him, he runs his palms in smooth, wide circles over my torso and hips. It’s as if he’s committing the feel of my body to memory.

I squirm under his hands, reaching up and trailing my fingers down his abs before hooking them in his belt loops.

“Take these off,” I command.

He grins. “If that’s what you want.”

“What do you think?”

Benjamin holds my gaze as he stands and kicks his pants and boxers off. Freed from his clothes, he’s back on the bed in an instant. His arms go under me, and I wrap my own around his neck, pressing my whole body to him, trying to get as close to him as possible.

Benjamin’s kiss takes over my mouth before going lower, his lips dragging down my throat and across my breasts. He pulls a nipple into his mouth, biting it slightly with his teeth before letting it go. I groan against the intense sensations, grasping at his hair and bucking my hips up against him.

His mouth and hands move to my stomach, kissing, caressing. Down my hips they go, pushing my legs open.

Benjamin slowly tastes me, taking his time licking and sucking. His touches are feather light, but they bring an intensity that makes me shudder with pleasure. Heat ricochets through me, and I explode against his mouth.

I’m still shaking as he clambers up my body and comes in for another kiss. My still-hungry tongue runs across his. My heart is so full, I want to cry.

Our hands are everywhere. Though we know each other’s bodies well at this point, tonight feels different. We’re in uncharted territory, sailing on a passion that’s unprecedented.

Moving as one, we flip over onto our sides. My leg ends up flung over Benjamin’s hip, and I snuggle in close to his chest. The tip of his hard dick pushes against my folds. I’m aching to have it in me, but I’m not ready for it. Not quite yet.

Kissing him, I wrap my fingers around his length. It pulses in my hand, adding to my constantly building desire. As our mouths take over, I stroke him slowly at first, before building up the pace.

A bead of pre-cum wets my finger, and he jerks against my palm. I know it’s getting harder for him to wait, but still, he doesn’t say anything. He just twists his fingers in my hair and kisses me back.

Waves of warmth and relaxation crash over me. Combine them with the heady need, and I’m shaken by everything happening.

Without warning, Benjamin seizes my waist and, with one small move, sets me against his dick. I gasp in surprise as he glides into me, but then I’m too overcome by the new sensations to do anything else.

He takes his time, slowly driving into me as our mouths tell their own story. The heat from our bodies rises up and envelops us. Each thrust Benjamin makes is smooth and focused. I can feel every ridge and silky inch of him. My channel squeezes him tighter, drawing him in, memorizing it all.

Benjamin breaks his mouth from mine, placing it instead on the sensitive spot beneath my ear. It’s too much to handle. Guttural sounds are coming from me, and I’m shaking like a leaf.

Holding me close, he flips us over partway, so that I’m on my back and he’s on top of me. Folding my knee up toward my stomach, he gains deeper entry. All my muscles seem to melt, going beyond resistance and allowing Benjamin to have whatever it is he wants.

I seize his lips with mine and wrap my legs around his waist. He hasn’t picked up the pace at all, instead keeping to that lethargic rhythm. Pleasure slowly stacks deep in my core, one building block at a time, until suddenly I’m on the edge.

My release ripples through me, drawn out and shuddering. My mouth falls open in a silent cry, and Benjamin closes his lips over mine, kissing me passionately as he takes me to a place I’ve never been.

I’m still riding the waves when he tightens against me. His grunts grow harsher; I can feel he’s getting close.

Pressing my palms against his lower back, I urge him on, pushing him deeper into me. With a hot exhale, he explodes.

Stars hover in my blurry vision. Closing my eyes, I drop my head back and press the back of my hand to my forehead. I’m breathing like I just ran a marathon, and Benjamin seems to be in the same state.

He lays down next to me and pulls me against his chest. A light kiss hits my hairline, and I smile to myself.

We stay as we are, waiting for our breathing patterns to calm down. The world inside of Benjamin’s arms is warm and safe. Perfect.

If there’s anything that could make this moment better, I don’t know what it is.

“Cold?” he murmurs.

I shrug against him. “A little.”

With one arm still locked around me, he tosses a blanket over us and firmly tucks it around my side.

“Thanks,” I sigh happily.

Benjamin strokes my arm and kisses my head again.

The suite is quiet, only our even breathing filling the space. I stifle a yawn but can’t stop my eyelids from growing heavier.

I feel like my whole being has been turned inside out, reworked, and put back in place. Benjamin has reset me in a way I don’t understand.

But as I sink deeper into unconsciousness, one image stays with me: I’m down the rabbit hole, now, and I’m in serious danger of getting lost in here forever.