Page 40 of Holly, Jolly, and Oh So Naughty

Instead, she accepts my choice.

I slowly rotate my phone in my hands, mulling over our conversation until exhaustion forces a deep yawn out of me. Itidy up, shower quickly, and crawl into bed with a deep, satisfied sigh.

I’m free to pursue Lily. Truly free. To whatever end this path takes me.

Thinking about her immediately gets me hot under the collar, lulled by the easy thoughts fueled by my three glasses of wine. That kiss at the auction is still crystal clear in my mind. I wanted more.

I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her until we were both breathless and gasping for air. I ache to feel her soft skin underneath my fingertips, hear her breathy moans in my ear as I lavish attention over her neck, and taste the flutter of her rapid pulse beneath my tongue.

My cock swells at the thought, and I groan softly, wrapping both my arms around a pillow and pressing my face into the fluff as I grind my hips down onto the bed.

She would melt for me just like she did all those years ago. As my mind runs, I recall how she looked half in that dress. Inches of beautiful skin for me to kiss and taste.

Does she still like having her neck bitten? She used to love that and I’d take pride in leaving love bites all over her throat. Does she still melt when having her nipples sucked? Is she still ticklish on the left side of her ribs?

I have countless fond memories of Lily bursting into giggles while I was fucking her because she was so extremely ticklish. I smile at the thought, and my cock throbs. Tickling her became a game because her laugh was music to my ears, and she would tighten around my cock each time she tried to squirm away from my fingers.

Sex with Lily was fun. It was hot and rampant and addicting, and it wasfun.

I can’t resist any longer. I take my length in hand and let the memories flow. I know she tastes the same because the phantom of her kiss still lingers on my lips. I ache for the bite of her nails in the flesh of my shoulders as I fuck her hard enough to make her scream. I want her legs around my waist, her hair in my face as I bury into her neck.

I need her silken heat locked around my cock, need the sweetness of her juices flooding my tongue, and I need to hear those sexy, delicate whimpers that would escape her every single time she was close to orgasm. It was her tell, and my chance to drag out her pleasure or pound into her until she shook apart in my arms.

I come with a muffled cry, spilling my seed across the bed without a single thought of cleaning.

Fucking hell.

I don’t even know if she wants me, and I am utterly hooked.

Rolling onto my back, I release a low, satisfied groan.

I will make her mine.

I swear it.

15

LILY

“Now, do you remember the rules?” I hold Emma’s hand as we walk under archways of colorful lights toward where the ice rink is set up just outside of town.

“Mmhmm!” Emma dances as she walks, making sure to step in all the fresh, undisturbed patches of snow as we move.

“What are they?”

“No running on the ice. Don’t skate in front of anyone. Uhm…” She pats one mitten-clad hand on her chin. “Don’t kick anyone with skates, and make sure I see you all the time!”

“Exactly.” I smile down at her. The rules are simple, and Emma has never been one to break them, but all it takes is one moment of overexcitement and she could cause an accident. I trust her, though, and I’ve been looking forward to this all week.

My parents, bless their hearts, are staying at the bakery to oversee the installation of my new shelves. Once they’re secured in place, I will spend all Sunday filling them and I will reopen for business on Monday.

It’s been a terrible week. Delaying commissions and pushing back orders because of the break-in is costing me dearly this close to Christmas. I almost canceled today so that I could work and catch up, but my mom wouldn’t let me.

“You owe it to Emma,” she said to me over lunch. “These memories are important and it’s Christmas! You need to do something fun. Plus, you can’t cancel on James.”

I’ve been far too busy to be nervous about meeting him today, but as the ice rink comes into view, my heart skips a beat.

The rink is set up in a clearing just off the main road leading out of town. All the surrounding trees are decorated with bright lights. Colorful, festive decorations and bright stars twinkle atop the branches. The rink is filled with parents wrangling their children into or out of their winter coats, tracking down lost mittens, and lots of laughter.

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