Page 88 of Season of Gifts

Eleven out of ten, that’s how wild.She hovered above his dick, which jerked toward her about every half-second.The vibe brushed him as she held him still and slipped over the head of his cock.

Just the head.

“Wild.”Gasping, he tensed his whole body, trying to force the energy out anywhere but where it wanted to escape.The low whine, that came from him, the only thing he could do to ease the pressure without ending the game.

She fucked herself with him, riding the top of his dick, creating a wind current around the shaft outside of her and desperate to get in.She slid clutching heat over his ridge again and again.

The muscles in her neck strained.Moans came straight through her clenched teeth.Glints of purple showed through her fingers above his dick; the vibrations mingled with her rippling around him.No way would he fucking last.But fuck, he needed to be deeper, needed more, and not having it was agonizing and wonderful, keeping him hard for her.

Her jaw worked; she shook her head.“Sorry can’t talk.”Even her voice vibrated.“Meant to.So much—good Jay—best—love you.”

She shattered in slow motion, starbursts in her eyes and a sudden wash of heat over his dick, her vise grip at the tip.The vibe fell to the tile, still buzzing, and she dropped into his lap, accepting all of him in one thrust.Welding her hands to the back of his neck, she rode him full depth, impossibly fast, shaking with her climax.“Now, stud.Now,now—”

He came like a rocket.His thrust lifted them both off the bench and drove his shoulders into the wall.His feet stayed steady on the ground, that was a fucking savior, because the rest of him hit orbit and kept going, destined for the edge of the universe.Pretty sure he saw it, the beauty of the big bang, all those glowing stars erupting into being at once.

Alice laid her head on his shoulder.Her moans mixed with giggles.“Happy homecoming.”

He laughed full out, snuggling her to him, arms wrapped all the way around her back.“Did you just make a me joke?Home coming, really?”

Her giggles sang in his ears, and she nodded against him.“Twelve hours, stud.I’m sitting on the damn plane at five in the morning, with my boss’s boss in the seat next to me, and my brain is shoutinghomecoming, get it?and snorting like a teenager.”

He patted her back.“It was a very good joke.”

Scoffing, she kissed his mouth, slow and loving.“You were an excellent lay.Even if we didn’t do any lying down.And we should finish showering and turn it off before we exhaust the hot water.”

He shuddered.“I remember what a cold shower feels like.Not doing that again.”

“Oh my God, yes.”She carefully lifted off of him and stood under the spray.“You looked so pitiful, sweetheart.And when Henry held out that hot washcloth—”

“Best gift ever.”

After they rinsed off and toweled dry, Alice stuffed a few more bathroom things in pouches for the travel bags.“I asked Henry about clothes, so you just need to pick some pj’s.Your stuff for the drive is on the bed.Do you want to take your wish book?I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t grab it.”

“I’ll get it.”He swiveled around her, taking one last touch before she covered up.“I’m happy you’re home, Alice.Even if there hadn’t been coming.But that was amazing.”

By the time he’d fetched the wish book and dressed and carried the bags downstairs, she was warming up their dinner in the microwave.They ate fast, at the table but without the usual leisure.They had somewhere to be.The minivan out front was Alice’s, sort of—the rental agency had given her what they had, so that was what they were driving to Maine.

She shrugged.“I’ve never driven a minivan, so that’ll be an adventure.You ready to hit the road?I’ll text Henry that we’re leaving.”

“Ready.”Actually—he scooped up the rest of Henry’s calendar envelopes.The three of them had meant to go to Maine tomorrow anyway, and Henry would’ve figured on it when he organized his gifts.He wasn’t so stressed back then, because nothing had gone wrong yet.“I can drive if you want to nap.”

She’d been yawning through dinner.Plus, she’d been up since three in the morning.And he might’ve fucked all of the awakeness out of her.Or she had; she’d been the one moving.

The notch in her forehead showed up for a second, and then she let out a sigh that dropped her shoulders a good foot and a half.Well, maybe not that much.But a lot.

She tossed him the keys.“Thank you, sweetheart.I will gladly accept your offer of service.If you get tired of driving, tell me, and we’ll switch.”

That about summed up Alice.“Well, youarethe very best switch I know.”

Laughing, they loaded the car, her handling the doors and him carrying the bags.It had taken a couple of weeks, but things were finally going right again.

Chapter forty-five

Henry

Wrong.Eliminatingtheoxygentank during Mother’s appointment this afternoon, as the care team had prematurely done, was a wrongheaded and dangerous decision.The walk from the car to the kitchen nearly bested her.

With each step, Henry debated the wisdom of scooping her into his arms.His fears would be appeased; hers would deepen, the limitations of the world closing in once more.He hadn’t been invited to sit in during her therapy session.His watchfulness for signs of depression could only catch the external, not the internal.He took minuscule steps to match her pace and steadied her with both arms, but she reached the door under her own power.That would have to be enough.

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