Page 31 of The Christmas Gift

Ivy flushed.

“Is this a list of reasons you should break up with me or keep me?” he asked more seriously.

“Neither.” She sighed. “I didn’t finish writing it because I realized the list had nothing to do with you. It was a manifestation of my own insecurities.”

“Was?” He glanced at the tablet again. “Flirtatious banter from Krista has never crossed a line on my part, but I do see how last night could be hurtful. She got the wrong impression.”

“I realize that.”

“This morning,” he continued. “I wanted to get us breakfast. Start the day over with one of those extra hot beverages you like. But if I had my way,” he said, setting the tablet down. “We’d still be in bed. You’d be screaming my name in apology for thinking I would cheat on you.”

Her entire body heated at his words.

“Ivy, I don’t cheat. Ever.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, walking around the dining table to his side. “I had no grounds for thinking badly of you.”

“You never will.” He caged her between his arms. “You should make it up to me,” he whispered, holding her gaze.

Ivy licked her lips. “Now? Here?”

Cor took her left hand, guiding her palm to the outline of his dick under his jeans. Wrapping her fingers around the stiff member, she gasped. He was hard, pulsating under her touch. If she had any doubts about his desire for her, they fled.

“Turn around,” he ordered.

If it weren’t for the custom garnet table at her back, his arms on either side of her, Ivy would have collapsed the minute her knees weakened with anticipation. She faced the table, placing both palms on the smooth surface as she bent over.

Slowly, he shoved her tee-shirt up and over her head, leaving her in her underwear. The cool air against her heated skin made her shiver, but the slight chill quickly disappeared when he kissed her shoulder.

“What a fitting way to christen the kitchen.” His mouth moved lower, kissing between her shoulder blades. “Soon you’ll be too round withmychild for me to lay you out over the counter.”

Ivy shivered. She loved it when he got all possessive as if he needed to reiterate all things his. Today, though, the reminder had the added effect of shutting the door on parts of her past or at least, parts of the past that intruded on their future. The rest would take time. Knowing Cor would stand beside her, increased her confidence on the relationship front.

Dragging her panties down to gather just below the curve of her buttocks, he delivered a light slap to her ass. Ivy jumped, more from surprise than pain, then moaned when he pulled on the panties so they applied pressure to her clit.

“That was for thinking I would cheat on you.”

She tried to rise but he applied pressure to the spot he’d kissed between her shoulders until her breasts were pressed against the cool tabletop. Her nipples beaded. Instead of cooling her body, the garnet coupled with the pressure of her panties were overloading her clit with sensation.

Ivy sucked in a sharp breath. She’d experienced this side of him, the possessive dominance when they first met, then again when they’d first had sex in the apartment. In both instances, he’d left her craving more, but he’d never spanked her before.

“This is for not replying to my text.” He spanked her again. “Do you know how scared I was I’d blown it…revealed too much too soon.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She squeezed her eyes shut in a fruitless attempt to clear her pre-orgasmic fog.

The front of his pants rubbed against her buttocks as he leaned forward, putting his phone in front of her face. She stared at the device as he scrolled to her picture. The text was time-stamped last night. But reading the words made her eyes widen.Drat.She hadn’t seen his message. Had seen no alerts other than the persistent warning to update her device.

“You…you love me?” Bent over a table was not how she’d expected to hear or rather, read those words.

“You don’t have to say it back,” he said, still not letting her up. “I shouldn’t have told you over the phone. In my defense, I didn’t want to put you on the spot or pressure you in any way.”

“Cor I didn’t—”Damn her phone updates!She’d only delayed the updates because it messed with some of the software of the apps on her phone.

“You can make up for ignoring my text after you’re done apologizing.”

She heard the slight quiver in his raspy voice. Knew her lack of response had hurt him. He wasn’t sure where he stood in her life. But before she could reassure him, cup Cor’s face between her palms to show him how much she had fallen in love with him, he pushed her panties to the floor.

Hooking his hand behind her right thigh, he lifted her leg, resting her knee on the edge of the kitchen table. “Don’t move,” he growled.

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