Page 9 of Dad Bod Secret Santa

It’s silly, right?” I whisper to my friend Claire. I’m sitting on the porch, a fleece blanket wrapped tightly around me, pressing the phone to my ear and trying to avoid the girls eavesdropping. “I mean, he’s wonderful, but the girls aren’t subtle about trying to play matchmaker, and I’m…I’m so confused. He’s being a good Samaritan, but we kissed. You know I swore off men after Oliver, but now…I don’t know if I’m just horny because it’s been a while—and Hank isveryhot and sexy—or if I should trust that there’s a real connection between us.”

Claire laughs, and I relax a little. “Maggie, if you’re feeling something for him, go with it. Maybe this is the best thing to come out of that storm. You say you’re not ready for a relationship, but your heart is telling you otherwise.”

I lean back in the chair, considering Claire’s advice. “I don’t know, Claire. It’s just so…fast. One moment, I’m worried about keeping the lights on, and the next, I’m kissing the man who bails us out until the power comes back. I have to consider Wendy. His daughter is Wendy’s best friend, and I couldn’t bear to jeopardize their friendship.”

“You’re not the only one who deserves happiness,” she replies gently. “If Wendy likes him, maybe it’s worth considering. Just enjoy everything, okay? You’ve had a tough couple of years, and you, more than anyone I know, deserve something good in your life. Plus, it’s not like you’ve just met—you’ve known him for years.”

“That’s true,” I concede. “We’ve never talked a whole lot, but there have never been any red flags.”

“That is more than I can say about the men I’ve been meeting lately.” Claire sighs. “If you’ve found a good man, you need to go all-in with discovering if what you’re feeling is the real thing. You also deserve to get laid.”

“Claire!” I hiss, my cheeks coloring. It’s not like she’s wrong…

The rumble of Hank’s truck catches my attention as I watch him pull up in front of the cabin. He left earlier, saying he had to run some errands. He steps onto the porch, tilting his head when he sees me sitting in the cold.

“I gotta run. I’ll catch up with you later,” I murmur, quickly ending the call and tucking the phone into my coat pocket.

Hank raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Aren’t you cold out here?”

“I needed a bit of peace, you know?” I wrap the blanket around me more snugly. “I love the girls, but it’s full-on when they’re together.”

Hank glances in the front window, then back at me. When he smiles, it goes straight to my core, and I forget it’s freezing. “No privacy in there, huh?”

I laugh, trying to regain my composure. “Not much. Your home isn’t cramped at all, but with the girls… I thought they would’ve run out of energy by now.”

He laughs, the sound rich and warm. I find myself leaning toward him, yearning to hear him laugh more because it fills my heart with an ease and happiness I haven’t felt in a very long time. Maybe Claire is right—maybe what I’m feeling is more than lust. “Could you give me a hand unloading my truck?”

“Of course,” I reply.

We reach the truck, and Hank opens the back, revealing a few bags of groceries.

“You didn’t need me for this,” I say, confused.

Hank pauses, his gaze softening as it meets mine. “But I needed you so I could do this.”

Before I can blink, Hank steps closer, brushing a snowflake off my cheek, his thumb tracing my jaw and down my neck. His lips meet mine in a powerful kiss. It’s not the slow, passionate kiss we shared under the mistletoe. This kiss is raw and probing, our tongues tangling with a fierce hunger. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer and pressing my body against his.

When we finally pull apart, a blush creeps over my cheeks. My head spins, and I’m certain I must look as dazed as I feel.

“You… You don’t have to…” I start, my mind short-circuiting and unable to string words into a sentence.

Hank looks at me like he doesn’t understand what I’m saying. Before I know it, he’s pulling me into the truck and guiding me into the passenger seat while he climbs in behind me. We’re pressed together in the cab, close enough that I can feel thewarmth of his breath on my skin. He reaches for me again, one hand resting on the side of my face as he kisses me, this time with a newer, deeper intensity that has my body burning with sexual need.

“Are you okay with this?” he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough. “I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

“Yes,” I say breathlessly, placing my hands on his chest and moaning as he pulls me onto his lap. Every wall I’ve placed around my heart is crumbling.

Hank runs his hands down my back, cupping my ass and squeezing.

“Oh my God,” I moan, lowering my mouth to his and kissing him deeply.

He pushes his hips against my core, and I grind against him. His hard length presses into me, and fireworks flash in front of my eyes.

Hank gently grips my hair and tilts my head back, slowly kissing down my throat to the top of my breasts. Every atom of my being needs this—needs Hank—needs this passion that makes me feel like a teenager again.

Hank finally pulls back, brushing his thumb over my cheek one last time. “Come on,” he says, his voice low and filled with something that sounds like the desperate desire burning through my core. “Let’s bring these things inside before the girls come searching for us.”

Reluctantly, I disentangle myself and step out of the truck, quickly running my fingers through my hair and hoping I don’t look as short-circuited as I feel.

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