Page 22 of Mountain Man Santa

Jerry powerfully orgasms, yelling in a low, throaty voice as the muscles in his body shudder and his heat pulses into me in delicious waves. Wrapping his arms around me and clutching me tightly against his hot, sweaty chest, he says breathlessly, “I love you, Shortie.”

Chapter

Fourteen

STACEY

As soon as the words leave his lips, Jerry grimaces regretfully, resting his head on my chest and breathing hard. Yet, his arms wrap tighter around me as minutes pass in silence.

Finally, he says regretfully, “I know you’re not supposed to say that in the middle of having sex and all. Sorry about that.”

Palming his cheeks, I make him look at me. His face is serious, verging on downright miserable, and his mouth turns down at the edges. I still straddle him, his cock buried inside me, making the moment strangely intimate and awkward at the same time.

“You can be such a big lug sometimes.”

He looks down again, nodding.

“But that’s also something I love about you, along with so many other things…” My hands remain on his bearded cheeks. But he refuses to tip his head up towards me this time.

Finally, he growls, “You know, a three-word answer would cut it, Shortie, not the long-winded reply you’re crafting to cushion the blow.”

“What blow?”

“You know.”

I can see the little boy in him, his face pensive and vulnerable. It’s not a side of my boss I typically notice, but none of this is. “What if I said ‘I love you,’ too?”

He hoists me off his lap to sit next to him. Shaking his head, he says, “I wouldn’t believe you.”

“Why not?” I ask, knitting my brows.

“Because you took too long to say it,” he grumbles, standing up to put his pants back on. “Forget I mentioned it.”

“Forget you mentioned it? How do I forget something like that?”

He shrugs. “I say a lot of stupid things, and you’ve always forgotten the rest of them. You’ll forget this, too.” He runs his hand through his short hair, inadvertently making his bedhead even sexier and more disheveled.

I worry my lower lip as my heart warms and expands, replaying his words in my head. But I’m also confused by his actions and the way he’s acting. “Did you say it by accident without really meaning it?” I ask, standing up and striding towards him, his hoodie falling almost to my knees.

“What kinda guy do you take me for? I would never do that.”

“But isn’t that the whole point of not saying it during sex? Because in the heat of the moment, you might feel things you don’t afterward?”

He shakes his head emphatically. “That’s definitely not what happened.”

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I stare up into his face, “I love you, Jerry. Is that short and sweet enough for you?”

He shakes his head.

I sigh, “Alright, let me try again. I love how you make me feel and how intensely you live your life, doing everything with enthusiasm, whether it’s making food or pleasing the hell out of me. I love your gorgeous, huge body, and what a brute you are. I love your rough edges and masculine strength. I even lovehow grumpy you are all the time because it makes the moments where you go all soft and tender with me that much more amazing. And I love the fact that you worked your ass off to turn your life around, despite the odds, to become the generous, kind-hearted, decent, wonderful man I know and love today.”

Emotion fills his eyes, stealing the breath from my chest. He looks away quickly, trying to play it off. But I won’t let him.

Palming his cheeks and turning his face back towards mine, I say, “We don’t have to figure out what’s happening between us right now. Or what the future does and doesn’t hold. Instead, let’s agree to love each other for the next couple of days…without regrets or expectations. No strings attached, but nothing held back.”

“I’m not sure I can do that,” he says in a raw voice.

“Then, do your best, and so will I. Okay?”

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