Page 49 of A Break in Communications

She put her hands up. “Apparently? I don’t fucking know. I’m finding this out now too. Anyway—the tree?” She gestured helplessly at it. “The… the tree.”

“It’s very festive. It’ll look great in your apartment.” I finished my nominal look at the tree, turning back to her. “Just saying, you can ask me to join you in the shower anytime you like. I’m sure you look great slick with running water.”

“Lucy—for crying out loud.” She put a hand over her face. “We’re not doing this in a tree farm.”

“Hey, we’re all alone up here. Doesn’t seem like anybody’s coming this way much. I’d do anything you liked in a tree farm.”

She made a noise in her throat, turning away. “I’m, er… we should… the tree. Yes. I like this one.”

I stepped up closer to her side, slipping a hand inside her coat and down to the band of her pants, playing a fingertip along it. “I like this one a lot,” I said, my voice light, and she growled, looking away.

“Lucy…”

I tugged lightly on the band of her pants. “Yes, Anna?”

“Ugh—” She put a hand over her face. “How do you just… do that?”

“Do what?”

“Just…”

Oh, she was red. I didn’t think it was just the cold. I slipped my hand a little lower, teasing under the band of her pants. “Just what, Anna?”

“Ugh—Lucy—”

“Go ahead and tell me.”

“Just—the way you—get me to react like I don’t even have any… power…”

“The way I get you turned on,” I said, voice low, and she whimpered—as if I wasn’t gone enough already, Anna Preston with a needy little whimper. Jesus Christ. I thought I’d die on the spot.

“Lucy… you can’t do this here…”

Which meant she wanted to do this. Anna Preston did. Withme.Maybe the whole romance thing wasn’t that farfetched—not because she seemed like she had a lot of romantic feelings, but because if this was possible, anything was.

“Nobody’s coming this way, darling,” I whispered, stepping in front of her, and I bent to press a kiss to her neck. She whimpered again, and I felt the muscles in her hips tighten under my fingers, and it was a miracle I didn’t spontaneously come on the spot just seeing that. “We’re at the very edge of the whole lot… and we can see anyone who’s coming long before they can see us.”

“Jesus Christ, Lucy,” she murmured, but she didn’t fight it, burying her face in my shoulder. I stepped close enough to her that, with our coats draped together, it looked like just a close embrace as I roamed my hands over her body, feeling through the coarse texture of her wool sweater, teased over her pants.

“So, you have a thing for this too,” I whispered against her neck, and I felt her swallow.

“A—apparently.”

We were all learning so much about each other and ourselves. Me, I was learning that I was some kind of sex icon if I could get Anna Preston turned on enough to let me get her off in a field in the middle of the snow.

“Remember to be a good girl and stay quiet,” I whispered, slipping a hand to the front of her pants. She nodded wordlessly, her breath quickening, and that was all the encouragement I needed.

This was going to be a very special Christmas tree.

Chapter 14

Anna

Ugh—that tree.

I woke up the next morning back in my own apartment to the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, perfectly fit into that spot by the side table. Just like Lucy said.

I couldn’t believe she knew the measurements of my living room off the top of her head like that. Of course, the woman seemed to know me better than I knew myself… including that I was into shower sex. Or exhibitionistic, quick sessions getting me off in the middle of a tree farm.

---