Page 18 of A Season for Christmas

Ah.

Yes, well. She supposed she should take care of that.

Lifting her head, her breasts squashed against his chest, she did her best to reach up and untie his wrists without moving her lower body. Unfortunately, there was only so much movement that could happen, and she sighedinternally as she felt his cock fall away. Scooting upward, she found the end she needed and tugged on it. The knot quickly unraveled.

Sighing happily, Samuel wrapped his arms around her before she could even scoot back down to her former position, leaving them face-to-face. Accepting the new position, Catherine propped her elbows on either side of his head, her fingers stroking the sides of his face as she stared down at him. His gaze was contemplative as he looked back up at her, his arms secure around her.

Being held by him like this was almost as good as having him inside her. It was a different kind of connection, but the connection remained.

“Hello,” she said, smiling down at him, hoping that her expression hid some of her inner uncertainty. The fact he wanted to hold her seemed like a good sign. Or perhaps he was about to tell her that he did not want to do anything like that again, but he did not want her to run when he did so.

But she thought he’d liked it.

“Hello.” He smiled at her, and she relaxed internally. There was a softness in his gaze, a warmth, which soothed some of the battered edges of her emotions.

“Was that everything you’d hoped it would be?”

The chuckle that rumbled through his chest lifted her body atop his.

“That was far more than I expected.” He raised his eyebrow at her. “How did I do?”

There was an arrogance to the question, an assumption that she would answer positively. Which, perversely, made her want to needle him. But the truth was, he was the best lover she’d ever had. More, he’d responded in ways that she had never thought to expect from him. He’d beeneverything she wanted, everything she could have dreamed, and more.

There were still unexplored avenues he might balk at, but as a first encounter, she could not ask for more.

“More than acceptable,” she responded after a long moment of pretending to think about it, then laughed when he growled, his fingers digging into her sides to tickle her, the way he’d done when they were younger, pushing her to admit the truth. “You were delightful, and you know it.”

“I still like to hear you say it.”

That made her laugh as he pouted playfully up at her.

Sliding her fingers into his hair, she gripped it hard, tilting his head back slightly. His eyes widened, banked heat flaring.

“You were a very good boy.”

Oh, yes. She could practically see the little click in his eyes. He liked that a lot.

9

Samuel

Waking up with Catherine in his arms, in his bed, was how he wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life. He would have to ensure that Gregory put them in rooms near each other when they reached Clarence. Now that he’d had her, he did not intend to spend another night apart if he could help it.

She shifted against him sleepily, her warm bottom rubbing his cock…

It was that very warmth that made him realize how cold the rest of the room was. Frowning, he lifted his head. They had left the drapes on the bed open, and the fire had gone out, but it was still colder than he would have expected.

Klaus’ words about Old Maude’s prediction ran through his head.

Grabbing a blanket from the foot of the bed, Samuel wrapped it around himself and hurried over to the window. Opening the curtain, he was nearly blinded by the white outside. The rising sun was shining on swaths of snow, the light reflecting off it.

“Bloody hell,” he murmured.

Old Maude had been right. The snow had come overnight while he and Catherine were wrapped up in each other, and it must have fallen fast and furious. It was beautiful, covering the trees and the grounds, but also frustrating because the road was clearly covered as well. Klaus already had some of his workers out front, doing their best to shovel the courtyard free, but Samuel very much doubted anyone would be able to be on the road this morning. Perhaps not even today at all. The snow looked to be at least fifteen centimeters high, higher where the wind had banked it.

Though he’d wanted to hurry to Clarence, Samuel felt a strange sense of relief. He would have Catherine’s complete attention for at least another day, and he could give her his. He would not have to share her with anyone or spend his time with Gregory, trying to fulfill a mission he knew would be futile.

Hopefully, there would not be more snow. He did not want to entirely miss the visit for the holiday, but a delay did not seem like such a bad thing right now.

---