Page 94 of Christmas Criminal

I nod. "Mrs. Larson. She still has them up."

"Oh, really? That's too funny."

"To be fair, now that I've gotten to know her a bit, I think those posters are sarcastic."

Noelle raises her eyebrows. "You're kidding."

I shake my head. "She's a wild woman. Definitely the coolest teacher at school, but she has adrysense of humor that I think goes right over most students' heads."

Noelle nods. "Well, I think I like her even more now. She was always one of my favorites."

"I'm surprised you didn't get her a Christmas present," I say, knocking her shoulder with my knee.

Noelle's face flushes, and Christina's eyes narrow in on her. "Did you buy a teacher a present?"

Noelle takes a quick sip of her wine. "Well, I had to get Nick something."

"And Mrs. Nguyen."

It takes Christina a second to recognize the name. "Youdid? You're such a nerd, buying the librarian a gift!"

Noelle points at her. "You should be thanking her because the love for reading she gave me is what eventually led you to those spicy cowboy novels you love so much."

Christina flushes. "Noelle!"

Helen sighs. "Oh, Christmas."

Noelle twists to face me. "You better be careful or I'm going to rescind next year's invitation."

"I was already given an invitation for next year?"

She shrugs sheepishly. "I mean, you know, it's implied, if..."

I rest my wine on the coffee table and reach down to tug her up into my lap, audience be damned, and give her an indulgent kiss on the cheek. "This is my favorite Christmas."

She raises her eyebrows, one elbow propped on the couch next to my head. "Yeah?"

I nod. "You're going to have to fight me off next year. But don't worry, I'll come armed with an array of things to roast you over."

"Yes!" Christina shouts. "I knew I liked him!"

Noelle rolls her eyes at her sister but gives me a small smile. "I think this is my favorite Christmas, too."

And then she kisses me, and there's a part of me that's aware her mom is grumbling and looking away, and her sister is saying, 'Eww,' repeatedly and telling us to get a room, but I can't get over how nice it feels to hold her in my arms and know that I'll see her grumpy, smiling face all throughout my holiday.

On Christmas morning,I wake up to Noelle scooting her butt back into me. I give it a nice squeeze, groaning at the way it feels in my hand because it fitsjustright. When she notices I'm awake, she twists around and kisses me, hitching one leg around my waist and tugging me close.

"Merry Christmas," I say, as her lips brush against mine.

She hums. "MerryChristmas," she murmurs, her hand dragging along my dick. My arms tighten around her, and she takes the opportunity to straddle me, to tug my underwear down and have her way with me.

And I realize very quickly thatthiswas the Christmas morning I always wanted.

I know her body now, how she likes to be touched and what makes her cry out for me. I know the pinched look that overtakes her face as her movements become more languid means she's about to come.

I know she's going to whimper as I grab hold of her hips and tug her down underneath me. The feeling of her nails digging into my back and the way her legs will wrap around my waist and urge me deeper until I spill inside her.

And afterward, she's going to leave kisses all along my chest and my neck. She's going to make it to the coffeemaker first and somehow make it better than I ever do, despite using the same simple formula. She's going to smile as she opens her presents and laugh when she sees what I got her, and so help me god, I don't know if I can go back to Christmas without her after this.

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