Page 14 of Celebrating the Season

I had one more night in Skykomish before my flight back tomorrow morning. The only decent option had been an early morning flight, and I hadn’t wanted to book that the morning after the party. In hindsight, that had been an excellent choice, though now I felt adrift.

I’d been so caught up in the whirlwind of Ellery that I’d barely registered my father’s departure and the fact that I wouldn’t see them for another six weeks—their wedding day. As ecstatic as I was that my dad had found happiness, I wasn’t looking forward to that day. It would only drive home once again that I was single and alone.

The first, I was okay with, but the latter had started bothering me more and more lately. I’d never been good at making friends. Well, technically, I was great at making them but not at keeping them. People expected you to reach out when you were friends, and that was not my forte with my squirrel brain. And the older I got, the harder it seemed to be.

The emptiness of the room pressed in on me. I hadn’t felt this alone in ages. Twenty-nine wasn’t old or past my prime or anything, but it was like Ellery had awakened something in me, some need for connection that I’d been ignoring.

We had exchanged numbers. Not with any promises other than that if I were ever in the area, we could maybe hook up again. Maybe I should…?

My eyes darted to my phone on the nightstand. Oh, fuck it. I was not gonna sit here and feel miserable, like that sad “All by Myself” song. Before I could overthink it, I snatched it up, my fingers hovering over the screen.

I bit my lip, then typed out a quick message.

#Hey.I have nothing to do and nowhere to be until early tomorrow morning… Wanna meet up again?

My heart poundedas I hit send. I tossed the phone aside, trying to act casual even though no one was around to see. If he didn’t respond, it was no big deal, right? It had been nothing more than a hookup. A great hookup with fantastic sex and chemistry that was off the charts, but still a hookup.

But even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true. The way Ellery had looked at me, touched me…had felt like more than a casual fling. And if I were honest with myself, I wanted it to be. I wanted to spend more time with him. I wanted him to fuck me again, but also to cook for me, to spoil me a little. And more than anything, I wanted to be good for him, which made zero sense.

I groaned, flopping back on the bed. “Get it together, Boaz. You barely know the guy.”

But as the minutes ticked by with no response, I replayed every moment we’d shared. Had I imagined the connection between us?

My phone blared to life, Ellery’s name flashing on the screen. I nearly fell off the bed in my haste to answer.

“Hello?” I tried to sound casual, but my voice cracked.

“Boaz.” Ellery’s deep voice sent a shiver down my spine. “You okay? You’re not in pain, are you?”

I blinked, caught off guard by his concern. “I… What?”

“The soreness,” he clarified, a hint of worry in his tone. “I wasn’t gentle earlier today. Wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. “Oh! Oh, that. Yeah, no, I’m fine. Just a little…you know. Nothing I can’t handle.” I paused, then added with a grin, “Though I might need a cushion if I sit down anytime soon.”

Ellery’s low chuckle sent butterflies swirling in my stomach. “Glad to hear it. Wouldn’t want to damage that perfect ass of yours.”

“Please,” I scoffed, my heart racing at his words. “My ass is indestructible. Though if you’re worried, you’re welcome to come inspect it.”

“That so?” The amusement in his voice was clear. “And here I thought you wanted to come to my place.”

I bit my lip, debating how far to push it. “Well, I’m flexible. In more ways than one, as you know.”

“Christ, kid,” Ellery growled, the sound sending a jolt of arousal through me. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

“What a way to go though,” I quipped, then added more softly, “But seriously, we don’t have to…you know. If you’re worried about hurting me, we could always find other ways to have fun.”

There was a pause, and for a moment, I worried I’d said too much. But then Ellery spoke, his voice low and full of promise. “Oh, I’ve got plenty of ideas for that, sweetheart. Question is, are you ready for ’em?”

I swallowed hard, my body already responding to his words. “I can take whatever you dish out.”

Half an hour later, the gravel crunched under the tires of my rental car as I pulled up to Ellery’s log cabin, nestled in a clearing surrounded by towering pines. I hadn’t been able to see much of it the previous day since it had already been dark when we’d arrived, and when Ellery had driven me back to the Double F N, I’d been too focused on him to pay attention to my surroundings.

I held my breath as I took in the scene. Warm light spilled from the windows, casting a golden glow on the snow-dusted ground. Smoke curled lazily from the chimney, promising warmth and comfort within. It looked like a picture from some Hallmark movie—except, in our case, it wasn’t exactly rated PG-13.

As I killed the engine, my eyes focused on the porch where Ellery stood waiting, his broad frame silhouetted against the warm light. My heart did a little flip. God, he was gorgeous.

I scrambled out of the car, nearly face-planting in my eagerness. “Hey,” I called, wincing at how breathless I sounded.Real smooth, Boaz.

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