Chapter Twenty-Four
I parked in front of Mallory’s house at eight in the morning. That was when it hit me this might not be a good idea. I’d left at five, stopping for an extended breakfast outside of town. Mom always got up at six alongside Dad who would feed the animals before leaving for work. This morning would be different, but not by much. Instead of heading for work, Dad would be doing whatever it took to stay out of Mom’s way. I smiled to myself. Normally, I’d be hiding with him in the basement. With both sets of grandparents set to arrive today, Mom was always hell-bent to make sure her spotless house was also sparkling.
This year would be different.
I stared at the front door, hope deflating in my chest. Finals, along with her job at the bookstore and my packing for break, had kept us apart since the near disaster at O’Malley’s. We exchanged text messages, but Mallory’s schedule at the bookstore went full time the minute the semester ended. Add Christmas into the mix and she was damn near impossible to reach. Fortunately, the bookstore closed Christmas Eve and reopened after New Year’s. Steeling my nerves, I climbed out of the truck and strode up to her door. I wasn’t this nervous in the bottom of the fourth inning during last year’s championship game when we were already down by six runs and the bases were loaded with two outs. That moment had felt like a turning point before I hit the slam. That was easier than knocking on Mallory’s door.
It took a few minutes before she answered wearing flannel bottoms and a tank. Her hands warmed around a steaming coffee mug. I wanted to throw her against the wall and kiss her in a way she’d never want anyone else to kiss her ever again.
“Hey,” I said.
“Aaron? What’re you doing here so early?” A breeze skirted around me and lifted her wild hair. She shivered and stepped away from the open door, motioning me inside. Mickey strolled up to us, swatting my leg with his tail before heading into the living room and curling up in his bed by the heat vent.
“I…” My mind froze when I noticed her living room. No Christmas decorations. No tree. Nothing but the wreath on the front door to even indicate a holiday. I stared at her, a new idea smacking the back of my head. “Don’t you celebrate Christmas?”
Mallory shrugged and shuffled into the kitchen in a pair of bunny slippers. If it wasn’t for the sad atmosphere, I would’ve found them endearing. She kept her back to me, but her shoulders sagged.
“Mallory?” I hurried into the kitchen, reaching for her. My hands fell to my sides before I touched her. Fuck it. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her against me.
Mallory turned and buried her face in my shoulder. “Not really. I…”
I kissed the top of her head. A crack showed in her steely resolve.
“Christmas is hard.” Her raw voice tore at me. “After… So, I…just don’t.” She exhaled sharply. “Mom loved Christmas. She’d go all out on decorations and the tree. We’d have so many cookies, we’d give them to our neighbors.”
There wasn’t anything I could say. I wanted to kick myself for not thinking this out. Here I had expected Mallory to be happily sitting alone in her living room, waiting for me to take her home. It hadn’t occurred to me that she would be miserable. That she didn’t celebrate Christmas at all.
Mallory pushed away from me. “I’m sorry. I… You never answered my question. What’re you doing here so early?”
I kissed her forehead. “I thought we…I just thought we could spend some quiet time together before we left. We’ve seen each other for five minutes in the last few days.”
Her mouth froze in an “oh.”
“I didn’t think…you might not want to spend Christmas with me. That you weren’t much of a holiday person.” My chin hit my chest. “I didn’t want you to be alone on Christmas. I wanted you to be with me. So, if this is too weird…”
I felt her before she touched me. Her hands slid up my chest and moved around my neck. My body melted as her lips brushed over mine. I tightened my arms around her waist, pulling her as close to me as I could. The chaste kiss turned hungry. She opened her mouth, her tongue darting into mine. I pulled away, letting my arm loosen around her waist. She stared at me, wide-eyed with need. She took my hand again and walked toward the stairs in the back of the house, pulling me up each step to the loft bedroom.
My gaze traveled around the small room. It was simple with a queen bed, a dresser, and more books than I could count stacked along the walls. My thumb caressed the palm of her hand. Finally, she turned around to face me. She stared into my eyes; no words were necessary to convey her determination. Her hand fell from mine. As much as I wanted to reach out and take it again, I didn’t. Mallory was in control of what happened next. I wasn’t going to push her into doing something she didn’t want.
I waited, my gaze traveling her body. She closed the distance between us. Her hands slid up my chest, under my jacket. Slowly, she pushed the leather from my shoulders until it fell to the floor. Her hands retraced their steps, stopping at the first button on my shirt. One by one, her fingers opened a button. My breathing was out of control. It was taking a supreme amount of resistance to not grab her.
My shirt was opened, exposing my chest. She ran a finger from the center all the way down to my waistband. I let my head fall back. Ecstasy was an understatement. She slid my shirt off in the same manner as the jacket. Then her touch left me.
I glanced down at her, waiting for the next move. She stared up at me before reaching again. She pulled my head toward hers. I kissed her as if she might break under the pressure. My hands found her hips, my thumbs dug under her shirt, touching the softest skin God ever created. She moaned into my mouth. Slowly, my hands traveled higher, lifting the delicate cotton off her skin. She shivered beneath my touch.
Passion overtook me. I needed Mallory like I needed air. Screw patience. I pulled her shirt over her head, our lips breaking contact only long enough for the shirt to pass between us. The feel of her skin against mine, the scent of her excitement. My hands moved back to her hips, and I lifted her toward me. She responded by wrapping her legs around my waist. Turning, I pressed her against the wall. My lips moved down her neck, tasting every inch of her. Her moans grew louder as I kissed the skin above her breast. With one hand on her perfect ass, I reached her bra, tugging the cup down to free her, taking her into my mouth.
“Aaron,” she breathed. Her nails dug into the skin of my shoulder.
“You’re so soft,” I whispered. My fingers glided over her skin, around her back, and unhooked her simple white bra. My mouth grazed across her chest, taking her other breast into my mouth. God, she tasted good. “So beautiful.”
Her legs tightened around me. She grabbed my face, bringing our lips crashing back together. Using her shoulders, she pushed us off the wall. I took two steps back, my knees buckling as soon as they hit the bed. We fell back onto the mattress. Mallory straddled me, dragging her lips away from mine and down my chest.
Nothing had ever felt like this. Nothing had felt this right.
Her kisses were torturous, slow. She moved down my body, exploring each inch of it. Her fingers found the zipper of my jeans. My dick was pressed so hard against it that I thought I would explode the minute her skin hit mine. She lowered the zipper and unhooked the button. Her hand yanked my boxer briefs down as if she could no longer wait to see me completely.
Then I was in her mouth.
Her tongue circled me as she took me farther inside.
“Mallory,” I moaned. “Oh God, Mallory, please.”
She raked her teeth along my shaft, making me shudder.
I couldn’t take it anymore. Reaching for her, I pulled her toward me by the shoulders, flipping her onto her back. Two could play the torture game. I took her hands, pushing them above her head and grasping them with my fingers. Leaning away from her, I stared into her eyes. The heat, the desire that I saw reflected my own.
But I had to tell her something before we went further. “I love you, Mallory. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.”
I leaned down, kissing her before she could respond. With my free hand, I skimmed over her skin until I found the elastic waist of her flannel pants. My fingers slid underneath, slowly, waiting for her to tell me to stop. She didn’t. I pushed her panties to the side, my fingers exploring her until slipping one inside. She was so wet, so soft, so ready for me. God, I wanted to be inside her, to feel her skin against mine. She struggled against the hand that held her wrists. I let go. She dug her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer still.
Mallory moaned and shuddered. She tightened, and I wanted nothing more than her pleasure to explode around me. She moaned my name as she went over the edge. It was like having heaven open before me. When her body calmed, I slipped off her pants. Kneeling back on my heels, I memorized every freckle on her body.
She stared back for a moment before sitting up and tugging my jeans and boxers off my hips. With a smile, she pulled my wallet out of the back of my jeans and found the ever-present condom. Her hands slid over my dick. I could fuck a thousand women, and nothing would ever be as good as the feeling of this girl’s hands around my cock. She tore the foil open with her teeth and rolled the rubber over me.
I bent down to kiss her. Our lips met, and I worshiped them. She pulled me down on top of her, lifting her hips and wrapping her legs around my waist. I slipped into her and stilled when she gasped. This was so right. So perfect.
Kissing her gently, I pressed myself farther into her. “I love you, Mallory Fine.”
“I love you, too, Aaron Betts.” She groaned. “I have for a long time.”
Need controlled me, and I showed her how much I loved her, slowly filling her and savoring every touch of our skin. Mallory moved with me, meeting each thrust with an intensity that drove me closer to release. Her gaze held mine with so much emotion that I needed to claim her completely, to make her scream my name. My pace sped up as she tightened around me until she broke and moaned “I love you.” I gritted my teeth, riding out her orgasm until I couldn’t control my own. I almost blacked out from the pleasure. Mallory sighed as I collapsed on top of her, inhaling the sweet smell of vanilla mixed with her sweat and sex. It was almost enough to make me hard again.
Rolling to my side, I pulled her against me. “Wow.”
She laughed into my chest. “I’d say wow is an understatement.”
She was right. It was more than sex.
I kissed the top of her hair, digging my hand into the locks like I’d imagined so many times. “I meant what I said, Mallory.”
“I know.”
I couldn’t stop the yawn that left my mouth.
“Did I wear you out?” Mallory asked. I could almost feel the heat of her blush.
“I would say that’s an understatement.” I chuckled.
Her hand slid over my chest in a slow caress. “Thank you. For showing up early for me.”
“Always.”
Mallory leaned over me. “Are you sure you want this? For me to meet your parents and all the baggage that comes with it?”
I pressed back into her pillow to get a better look at her face. “I want you with me.”
A smile spread across her face. “Okay.”
I kissed her nose. “But not yet, right?”
Mallory laughed, a carefree laugh that was so rare for her. It warmed my heart. I flipped her onto her back, letting her feel why we didn’t need to go anywhere immediately. I’d never get enough of this woman.