Page 105 of Stutter

“More gifts?” Maverick says. “But she doesn’t know us.”

Jonas tilts his head toward Mav. “I talk about you and Damon all the time to her. At this point you’re an extension of me to her, Mav. We’re family.”

Mav’s eyes soften. “I suppose it’s a good thing I bought her a gift, too.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Raven.

Elena laughs at the sweater I got Jonas because he refused to take it off for breakfast until tears are streaming down her face, and her laugh turns into a gasping cackle. “Thatis the most… adorable thing… I have ever seen!” she says between gasps, trying to catch her breath. “Oh, I can’t wait to show your father when he calls later if you’re not too busy skiing.” She eyes my choker and says, “Oh, that’s an interesting piece.”

All I can do is thank her while feeling my cheeks heat as Maverick takes a sip of his coffee and smirks my way while Damon grins.

Jonas says nothing, simply grinning and touching the pictures, on his sweatshirt. “This is from a few weeks ago. And look, Mom, are you looking?”

“Yes, darling.” She winks at me.

“Okay, this one’s from after my game. We annihilated Harvard. Raven was wearing different boots, but you can’t see them in the picture. And this one…” he keeps telling her about all of the pictures we’ve taken until the food is served.

Soon, we’re in the living area and Jonas and I are helping her pass out gifts. It’s a large pile that wasn’t there last night and soon I have a lavender cashmere scarf, new combat boots with faux-fur lining, and grip for the snow (which I adore) and she gifts me “a day” at the indie author book shop outside of RMU – an entire day the book shop will only be open to me for me to browse and hang out with a friend, (or three) along with asmany books as I want.

I squeal, hugging her to me and give her a big kiss on the cheek. Best Christmas ever!

Elena gifts Jonas an expensive thermos for him to take to practice, along with a few other things he’s been too lazy or too busy with me to grab for himself, to which he’s grateful for.

We gift her a golden locket with a picture of her grandsons inside which makes her cry. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a locket,” she says with a trembling voice. She hugs us both but keeps her hand in mine. Justholdingit and it makes me want to cry.

Damon and Maverick are given scarves that match mine, Rolex watches, and a twenty-thousand-dollar shopping spree at Tom Ford. Maverick almost chokes on his coffee when he reads the certificate. “Thank you,” he sputters. “All I got you was a damn perfume.”

“Oh!” Elena’s eyes sparkle. “Which one?”

Grumbling, Maverick pulls out the small gift box and hands it over, to which she opens and smiles broadly. “Oh, Maverick, darling. This is the one from their collection I’m missing!” She says happily, spraying the thousand-dollar Creed Wind Flowers perfume onto her wrists. “I’m so glad I didn’t spray any on before so the notes wouldn’t clash! And to think, I was going to stop by their London store in the morning. You've saved me a trip. Now I can spend more time with my grandchildren instead.”

“You’re leaving?” Jonas asks.

“Yes, dear, your sister had last-minute cancelations and asked me to come this morning, but the jet won’t be ready until this evening. The pilots, thank God they don’t have families yet and paid handsomely, are too hungover this morning to fly. Unless you’d like to come with? All of you, obviously. Lord knows there’s enough room in your sister’s manor for us to mill about. If not, you’re more than welcome to stay here.”

“We came to ski,” Jonas says, with a look on his face that tells me we absolutely willnotbe skiing in the foreseeable future, and all she does is chuckle knowingly my way.

_______

We doend up skiing, much to my dismay. Forhours. We come back just before Elena leaves to have dinner with her and wish her a bon voyage. She gives me another lipstick kiss, and when Jonas tries to wipe it off I smack his hand away. I hug her one last time as she gets into the Rolls Royce and we head inside the lodge as it drives away.

I close the door, not letting the tears fall because I miss her already, then turn and let my spine hit the large oak door. I look up and Jonas already has his sweatshirt off, and the look on his face is nothing but determination.

“Turn around, hands on the door, don’t fucking move, baby.”

Oh fuck.

I barely have time to whip around before my leggings are at my knees, he’s pushing between my shoulder blades to shove me, and I brace myself against the door. He spreads my ass and his warm wet velvety tongue dips into my core, groaning as soon as he tastes me. “Fuck, I’ve needed to do this all day.”

I moan out his name, along with broken curse words when he licks out of my sex, stands up, and plunges into me from behind. He covers my mouth with his hand.

“Shh baby, just us. Just need to use you. I’m so close already. I’ve been such a good boy today and I need to – fuck, oh god, it’s so good, Raven baby. I need to leave my cum inside of you. You’re gonna take it, right?”

I nod, cross-eyed at the feeling of being so full.

“My balls feel so fucking heavy every time I look at you. So pretty.” He releases his hold on my mouth. “You gotta say it, baby. Otherwise, I can’t come.”

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