New Year’s Eve
Paris
I ARRANGED FOR us to spend a quiet night at home.
Tyler Justin Ryan Holiday, IV was spending the night with Wilhelmina and Buck, who had remodeled my father’s house and moved into it last month. They’d decided to live together and since Buck had ten grandkids, the guesthouse was way too small.
Tonight was a quiet party for two—party girl and party boy. I wanted to create a happy memory for him.
The cake was giant and I set it in front of the birthday boy. “Blow out your candles,” I quipped.
He shook his head. “This is ridiculous. I haven’t had a cake in years.”
I raised a brow. “Blow.”
“Why do I feel like that’s my line?”
Getting his dirty humor, I swatted his shoulder. “Blow, now, party boy.”
He did, and all twenty-eight candles went out at once.
Happy, I smiled at him and got to my feet. “Do you want your present before or after cake?” I asked in a seductive tone.
“Depends on what it is,” he said, his tone full of erotic expectation.
It wasn’t wrong.
The air between us felt like fire and when I bent to kiss his lips, I swore we were about to go up in flames. Taking care of the baby was both exhilarating and exhausting and somehow we had adopted the Tabitha plan—sex after baby feedings—so sex while we were wide awake and alone was my present to him. And he wasn’t complaining one bit.
The feel of his tongue pushing my lips apart and taking, dominating, tasting, kissing was so hot it took me a few seconds before I could pull away.
“Where are you going?” he murmured.
Walking backwards, I took one step and then another until I was halfway down the table. “Just over here.”
“That’s too far.”
He was wearing those jeans that were low on his lean hips and I pointed to them. “How about you get naked and join me?” I said in a husky voice.
With a grin on his face, he got to his feet. He put a hand over the bulge in his pants and stroked himself a few times through the cloth, but he didn’t move.
As I swallowed hard, I pulled a chair out and sat on it. “You’re such a tease.”
He stroked again. Watching him touch himself was so hot, but that wasn’t what tonight was about. “How about you come back over here and finish undressing me?” he drawled.
With a shake of my head, I untied my wrap dress and let it fall open. I was naked beneath it and I spread my legs. “I’m good here but thank you for the offer.”
His tongue snuck out to swipe across his bottom lip, and when it did, I started stroking myself.
With gleaming eyes, he stared at me. Slowly, he stripped off his shirt and tossed it to the ground. I gave myself another stroke. He unzipped his jeans and pulled them down just enough for his erection to spring free.
My pulse was going wild, and I reached across the table and scooped some frosting with my finger. I used my tongue to slowly remove it.
He licked his mouth again. “Now who’s the tease?”
I shrugged and did it again. “You could be next,” I said but it came out a little strangled.
That changed the dynamics between us entirely. He was standing in front of me naked with his erection bobbing in a matter of seconds.
I scooped up three fingerfuls of frosting and got to my feet before sinking to my knees. “Happy birthday, Tyler,” I said as I lathered the frosting around the tip of his cock.
“Oh, fuck,” he murmured when I started to remove it slow lick by slow lick and when I was done, I went back for seconds.
Soon after, I took him in my mouth, inch by inch, steadying myself by holding on to his muscular thighs.
The sound of his breath started getting faster. He groaned out in pleasure and whispered my name. “Paris.”
I felt the ecstasy flowing between us like electricity.
Gripping my hair, he surged forward and I heard that familiar sound of his dog tags jingling. “Best fucking present of my life,” he murmured.
God, I loved him. Loved what I could do to him. Loved what we were together.
This.
Love.
Lust.
Everything.
The muscles in his thighs trembled beneath my fingertips as he thrust his hips faster. I thought he was going to come but instead, he pulled me to my feet and took my place in the chair.
He pulled me onto his lap and with one quick lift, I was on his cock. With my clit against his belly, our mouths locked.
Pushing upward slowly, he cupped my rear with his hands. We didn’t fuck, we made love, slow and easy.
Up and down.
In and out.
Still, it didn’t take long before I was coming. My fingers dug into his shoulders. He called out my name. I called out his. We both came, pleasure overtaking us in hot waves.
He kissed my shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
When our breathing settled, Tyler put his arms around me and held me tight.
“Your turn,” he said, pointing to the cake.
My body shivered with the endless possibilities the night held. Cake. Tyler. Sex. “Hold on, party boy,” I said.
He shook his head. “It’s cake time, and I want to eat my piece off your tits.”
Oh, yes, I thought as I untangled myself from him. “You can eat that cake from my entire body, but first I have one more present for you,” I told him as I opened a cabinet and pulled out a wrapped box.
I handed it to him and he looked at me in question. “Open it,” I said.
He unwrapped it and then took the lid off. Inside were two glasses and a bottle of champagne with a red label on it and the name Highway Jane scribed across it.
“Where did you get this?” he asked in shock, surprise, and awe.
I felt very proud. “I worked with Paulo on it to surprise you,” I told him. “Happy Birthday, Tyler.”
Those blazing blue eyes stared at me for the longest time. “Thank you, Love,” he said, his voice low and raspy, and I knew it was for more than the new vintage.
I was his wife. The mother of his child. His business partner. I was me. And I wasn’t a replacement. I felt whole in that moment and I had a feeling he did, too.
Birds in flight, both learning to soar, safely.
Without wasting a second, he popped the cork. It was like watching shooting stars whirling and spiraling upwards. And as the tiny globes shattered into fragments of gold all around us, my heart felt whole.
The aroma of white flowers was the prelude to the hint of orange peel and wild berries, each an ingredient I knew well. A crackling, fizzing sound erupted as the liquid effervescence whooshed with the most magical bubbles and I smiled.
Magic.
That was what we shared.
What we were.
Two broken kids who had grown up and were putting the past behind them. Living our lives to the fullest and only looking back to rewind us.
Grabbing the glasses, Tyler quickly filled them. When we each had a full flute in our hand, I clinked his. “To happily-ever-afters,” I toasted.
“To party-ever-afters,” he grinned, eyeing the birthday cake. Yes, my party boy had been subdued, but definitely not tamed.
And I drank to that.
Cheers.