Apparently, Adele’s busy day with Jace had been a lot more tiring than she’d thought. She hadn’t meant to pass out on the sofa; she’d just meant to lightly doze, listening to the last of the movie all warm and comfortable in Jace’s arms. But once she’d fallen asleep she’d been out for the count. Next thing she knew, she woke up in a bed, a soft bluish light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows in front of her.

The curtains hadn’t been closed, so she got a full view of the lake and the snow-covered trees that surrounded it. Adele’s room faced the front of the house with only a view of the forest, which meant Jace had carried her to his bed. He was at her back and much like how she’d fallen asleep on the sofa, his arms were wrapped around her, holding her close. The difference was that his mouth was at her shoulder, his deep and steady breaths hitting her skin in a slow, gentle rhythm.

It was the second morning that she’d woken up in Jace’s arms, the second morning she’d woken up with him surrounding her, the second morning she’d woken up feeling…well, she wasn’t exactly sure what this feeling was. Satisfied? Serene? Safe? Sound?

That was too many S’s.

She couldn’t think clearly. Her brain was still half-asleep and she really needed to use the bathroom. Reluctantly she slowly pulled herself away from Jace, gently lifting his hand up and rolling towards her side of the bed.

Her side of the bed…

She’d never really had a side of the bed. She’d never paid attention, but the last two nights she’d slept on the left side. Sitting up, she looked over her shoulder at Jace who was still fast asleep. He looked so peaceful…relaxed. Her hand lifted automatically, her fingers brushing across his forehead and pushing his hair back.

Did he have a side of the bed?

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and pulled her hand away. That wasn’t a question she was going to ask…wasn’t an answer she was going to get.

Getting up from the bed she crossed the room to the door. Katie was buried beneath a pile of blankets on the chaise armchair by the bed, and she stuck her head out as Adele opened the door.

“Come on,” she whispered, lightly patting her thigh.

The blankets fell from the dog as her body went long and she got up on her front legs, keeping her back legs down. Then she reversed it, front legs down and butt in the air. Nice and stretched out, she hopped down from the chair and followed Adele out the door.

After a quick stop by her room where she used the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth—those last two things something she hadn’t done before going to bed and was very aware of that morning—she headed for the front door. Katie danced around, clearly excited for her own potty break.

Slipping her boots on, she grabbed Jace’s jacket from the hook, sliding her arms inside of the sleeves before zipping it up. It swallowed her, but it was warm and smelled like him, so it was perfect.

Once the alarm was disabled and the front door opened, Katie took off like a shot, sprinting from the deck and off around the house. Adele pulled up the collar of Jace’s jacket and shoved her hands in the pockets, sitting down on the top step and settling in.

The temperature had gotten up to the high fifties the day before, and once it had gotten there, it stayed there for most of the day. That morning, the snow was down about a foot or so. It was supposed to get up to the fifties again that day, which meant they’d probably lose another foot.

Adele’s gaze moved to Bob the snowman over by the trees. He was looking a little thinner, but he was still standing strong. Just the sight of him in that silly little top hat and scarf made her grin. She’d loved building that snowman with Jace, being apart of that first experience of his, spending hours out here with him in the snow.

A bittersweet ache took hold in her chest. She wanted so many more of those moments.

It was just too bad for her that wasn’t reality. This was what she was getting with him, this little moment in time. A few days here, in this cabin, in Tennessee. And once it was over, it was over, and she was going to have to move on.

She had to keep telling herself this. Had to keep reminding herself of the fact that there was no future with Jace. That was her reality.

Katie came back up the stairs, her tail wagging like crazy as she pushed her head under Adele’s arm demanding attention and pets.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Adele whispered, pulling her hands from the pockets of the jacket and scratching the dog between her shoulder blades. “You all finished out here?”

Katie’s head came out from under Adele’s arm and her response was to lick Adele right in the face.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” Adele gave Katie another good head scratch before pushing up and off the steps and heading back inside.

Katie didn’t linger in the entryway and instead headed straight for the hallway and back to the bedroom. Clearly, they were both of the same mind and wanted to go back to bed. Adele made to follow the dog, but stopped when she got to the living room. Her eyes moved around the space, taking in all of the decorations she and Jace had put up the day before.

It was another part of their time together that most likely wouldn’t be repeated. Who was she kidding? There was no way it would be repeated. After this year Adele wouldn’t be able to spend Christmas with Jace again. There was no doubt in her mind it would hurt too much.

Part of their deal was for things to go back to how they were before. But there was no going back. It was impossible. A lot of things were going to change.

One, there was no way in hell she’d be able to watch him date anyone else. It had been hard enough for her before and she refused to put herself through that kind of pain and misery. Two, she was going to have to distance herself, literally and figuratively. It was lucky for her that she still had a couple of months left in Scotland for the movie, but she was going to have to go back to Florida to start shooting Ponce in the spring.

That ache in her chest was flaring up again and something was burning at the corner of her eyes. She blinked a few times, the tears falling down her cheeks of their own accord.

“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered to herself as she wiped the moisture from her face. She didn’t want to think about this crap…so why was she?

Stay in the moment. Stay in this moment.

Quickly spinning to face the hallway, she headed down to the last door on the left; the one that Katie had pushed opened moments before. She was now in the process of burrowing beneath the pile of blankets on the chair.

Jace hadn’t moved in the bed. He was exactly where she’d left him just minutes before, still sound asleep…but not for long. Adele pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. Pausing by the side of the bed, she stripped off her yoga pants, bra, panties, and socks before she lifted the blankets and slid underneath.

The second she was close enough to Jace, she put her hands on his chest, realizing just how cold they were when she felt his hot skin beneath her palms. She wasn’t the only one who realized the drastic temperature difference either. Jace breathed in a startled breath through his nose.

“Del?” He whispered her name as his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her against him. One of his hands drifted down her bare back until it got to her ass, and he got a palm full of cheek. “You’re naked,” he said groggily, clearly confused as his eyes slowly blinked open.

“Yeah, I thought it might be easier to seduce you that way.” One of her hands slid up his chest and to the back of his head, fingers delving into his hair as she pulled him down while at the same time she stretched up.

It was clear Jace was still half-asleep, as his reactions were more than slightly slowed. But the second she thrust her tongue past his lips and found his, he caught up. His hand tightened on her bottom as he started to roll his hips, pressing against her. Adele moved her other hand down his chest and between their bodies, sliding it over the material of his boxers. He groaned against her mouth as she rubbed her hand over the cotton and stroked him from semi-erect to fully erect, something that took almost no time at all.

And she wasn’t the only one doing the touching. The hand at her ass moved down and between her legs, his fingers playing over her folds before he slid one inside of her.

He was breathing hard as he rested his forehead against hers. “Fuck, you’re already wet.” Pulling his finger out, he slid two back in.

Adele dropped the hand that was still at the back of his head, bringing it down and to his shoulder. She held on tight as her back arched, nails digging into his skin as he kept moving his fingers in and out of her in a slow rhythm.

“What do you want, Del?”

There was no thought on the matter; she knew exactly what she wanted. She was still stroking his cock with her other hand, and she lightly squeezed, eliciting another groan from him as she said, “I want you to take me from behind.”

His mouth crushed down over hers, thrusting his tongue past her lips as he kissed her. Hard. It took no time at all for the kiss to become frantic, demanding. When it got to be too much, they both let go of the other, and pulled away. Adele rolled to her stomach while Jace sat up, moving over her as he pushed her legs apart and knelt between them.

“Ass in the air,” he said as he grabbed her hips and pulled her to her knees.

And just that quickly he was the one in charge. But that was absolutely perfect for her, all part of the plan as it was another thing she wanted…another thing she craved. Keeping her chest down on the bed, she stretched her arms out in front of her, balling the sheets in her fists, and holding on tight.

Jace’s hands moved from her hips to her thighs, caressing her body. His palms were calloused, long fingers gently massaging. She reveled in his touch, wanted to savor every slide and stroke of his skin over hers, wanted to feel him around her, wanted to feel him inside of her.

But he wasn’t done with his touching, his hands moving from her thighs. One went to palm her ass again while the other moved between her legs, tracing over her slick folds, but not penetrating her like she so desperately wanted.

“Jace, please.” Those two words were so damn needy, but she didn’t care because she needed him.

He didn’t make her beg for it, didn’t hesitate as he moved his fingers and replaced them with the blunt tip of his cock at her entrance. And then he was pushing forward, filling her in one even stroke.

The cry that escaped her lips was unavoidable, and she let herself go over to the exquisite sensation, hands tightening in the sheets to try and anchor herself.

“Del?” Both of Jace’s hands were at her hips now, moving and massaging again, holding them both steady. There was something about his gentle touch on her body, and the tone of his voice as he made sure she was okay, that had that prickling feeling happening at the corner of her eyes again.

No, no, no. This was not that kind of sex. She wanted hard and fast.

“Fuck me, Jace. Harder.”

And just that quickly his touch became not so gentle, his hands tightening at her hips, fingers digging into her flesh as he pulled out of her and forcefully slid back in. He wasn’t the only one setting the pace either, as he moved into her, she moved onto him, upping the tempo, upping the force.

Every time they moved, her beyond overly sensitive nipples brushed against the sheets, adding to the overwhelming pleasure shooting through her body. But it was nothing to the feeling of Jace’s hand coming down on her ass in a quick slap.

“Oh, God.” She gasped as her body tightened around his still thrusting cock. “Do it again.”

He didn’t even hesitate, giving the other cheek a sharp little slap. Making her tighten around him again.

“Adele,” he whispered her name on a low, gravely breath. “Yes, just like that, baby. Just. Like. That.”

Adele cried out, hitting that peak of pleasure at his words. Her orgasm went on and on, her body pulsing around him. Jace didn’t last that much longer, just a few more thrusts before he let go of his own release, emptying himself inside of her.

His hands tightened on her hips, squeezing just hard enough before gentling his hold. He pulled out of her and slowly lowered her hips to the bed, which was good as she was pretty sure she wouldn’t have been able to hold herself up for much longer. A second later he landed next to her in a hard flop that had her bouncing.

And then he was pulling her into his arms again, wrapping her in his strong, solid embrace as his lips found hers. His kisses were soft and sweet, pulling out all of those emotions in her that she’d tried to cover up with really intense sex.

It was a while before he pulled back, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “What are you doing to me?” he asked in a whisper.

What was she doing to him? No, the real question was what was he doing to her? And would she survive it?

Jace held her for the next few minutes, while her brain went through a myriad of thoughts that confused her more and more. Like the fact that she’d come when he’d called her baby.

Good Lord, how stupid was she? A little pet name from him and she’d lost it.

But it didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t have. Just a heat of the moment thing. He probably hadn’t even realized what he was saying. She’d heard it though. How many years had it been that she’d craved affection like that from him?

Six years. That was how long.

That prickling feeling was starting up at the corners of her eyes again, and it took everything in her to keep it in check. She would not cry right now.

She couldn’t. If she started, she’d never stop.

Jace had never experienced a wake-up call quite like the one that morning with Adele. Nothing even came close. But as he’d learned rather quickly, nothing came close to Adele. She was without a doubt ruining him.

Once they’d both regained enough energy to get out of bed, he pulled her into the shower where it took them a good long while to resurface. Then there’d been a breakfast of strong coffee (obviously), chocolate chip pancakes, and bacon. The eating of the food was followed by the watching of other people making food on TV.

Jace and Adele snuggled up on the sofa to marathon watch the last three episodes of the season they’d started of The Great British Baking Show. Once that was done—and inspired by what they’d seen created on the show—they embarked on their own culinary masterpiece: a gingerbread house.

The gingerbread biscuit and icing were made from scratch, but most of the decorations were found in the pantry. Marshmallows were stacked for pillars, the windows were made of pretzel, the roof intricately shingled with a pattern of M&Ms, the driveway was paved with mini Kit-Kats, and a peppermint wreath was hung on the door. Cocoa powder was used to dust the chimney, while a light coating of powdered sugar sufficed for the snow.

It was actually quite impressive if Jace did say so himself—and he did—even if it was slightly lopsided and they’d had to use a pretty big glob of icing to patch a crack at one of the corners. But who needed perfection? Sometimes messy was so much better.

All the while, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was playing in the background and Adele whipped up another batch of Nutella hot chocolate. As they’d been drinking the stuff like crazy the last couple of days, it was very fortunate that there was a pretty good stash of boxed almond milk in the pantry.

One second they’d been decorating their gingerbread house (complete with a mini marshmallow Bob the snowman at the front), and the next they were making dinner. So much of their time was being spent in that kitchen cooking and eating, eating and cooking.

Good thing they were burning off a lot of those calories.

Their Christmas Eve dinner was a take on Beef Wellington (not all of the ingredients were available, but Adele was good at improvising and made it work), steamed carrots, and a spinach, cranberry, and walnut salad. They sat at the dinner table, candles lit, red wine poured, fire blazing, and Christmas music playing in the background.

It was perfect.

Afterward, full and just a little tipsy, they returned to their respective spots on the sofa, his arms wrapped around her, and watched It’s a Wonderful Life, something she watched every Christmas Eve.

And it was indeed a wonderful life. Jace just needed to tell her we wanted to keep this life, wanted to keep her in his life in this new way…and not the old way.

He didn’t want Vegas rules. He didn’t want this to end. He wanted to see where this whole thing could go with her. He wanted more than the present. He wanted to see where the future could go, what the possibilities were with them.

The need to broach the subject was getting stronger and stronger, the tick of the clock getting louder and louder in his head. He needed to figure it out.

When the movie finished, she’d been the one to grab his hand and lead him to the bedroom. They’d undressed each other between kisses, and then he’d laid her out on the bed. He had no idea how long they spent driving each other wild with their hands and mouths, but when neither of them could take it anymore, he’d hooked her knees over the crooks of his arms and spread her wide.

It wasn’t that much later that he held a sleeping Adele in his bed, her back to his front. She didn’t like to sleep naked but there was still plenty of her bare body touching his. As was becoming her habit, she’d put on the T-shirt he’d been wearing along with a lacy pair of panties before climbing into his arms. Her naked legs were tangled with his, the backs of her thighs resting on top of his. Brushing his mouth against her temple, he tightened his arms around her, holding her close.

He knew there was no going back with her. He’d been beyond idiotic to think for even a moment there was a chance that things could go back to how they’d been before. It wasn’t possible. Not when he knew what it was like to be with her. Knew the intimacy of her touch, knew the heat of her skin beneath his hands, knew the sound of her voice in his ear, knew the taste of her on his tongue.

He’d been done for the second he kissed her, and he’d been lying to himself to think any differently. He liked it all too much. Liked having her within arm’s reach. Liked talking to her, hearing her laugh. Liked being able to hold her and kiss her. Liked making love to her.

No, he loved making love to her, because he loved her. Was in love with her.

The realization hit him like he’d just been body checked into the boards. It was a force to be reckoned with for sure. Skates out from under him, ass hitting the ice, head ricocheting around in his helmet, wind knocked out of him, hard.

Well, damn, he hadn’t seen that one coming. But he hadn’t seen a lot of things coming. This whole thing with Adele was completely and totally unexpected. But now that he had her, now that he knew what it was like, he didn’t want to let her go.

He never wanted to let her go.