Page 97 of Check the Halls
We snuggle up with our coffees in front of the tree, her legs stretched out over my lap on the couch. She fills mein on the most recent Gala problems to arise and how she straightened out every last one of them.
I tell her about my away games, absentmindedly rubbing my sore collarbone as I describe a rough check I received in Tampa. She leans in and kisses it and it instantly feels better.
It all feels so effortlessly perfect. Our own quiet slice of domestic bliss.
Eventually, she curls deeper into me and starts telling me about her mom—how well she’s doing back home in Nova Scotia.
“She’s still planning that trip to Punta Cana with her girlfriends over Christmas.” There's a touch of amusement in her voice.
I grin. “Go Darlene.”
She laughs, shaking her head like she still can’t quite believe it. “Don’t encourage her. Are you going home for Christmas?”
“That was the original plan,” I say, tracing lazy circles on her bare thigh and loving the way she relaxes at my touch. “But Tara’s spending the holidays in Whistler with her girlfriend’s family, Aly’s on shift at the hospital, and Beth refuses to leave Cujo. So we decided to fly everyone up for the New Year’s Day game instead.”
“That’s a nice compromise. I’m glad you’ll still all be together.”
“Yeah. Foster and Beth are hosting Christmas dinner at their place. Cody’s coming too with his family. They invited us, if you’re up for it.”
Her eyes light up. “That sounds amazing.”
The day slips by too fast after that.
We fall into the easy rhythm of us—kissing like we’re seventeen again, like no time has passed.
We make sandwiches. I eat too many of her mom’s icebox cookies. We talk about the future.Ourfuture.
She admits that she doesn’t like my bedspread and we have a very halfhearted argument about it that ends with more making out on said bedspread.
When she climbs into my lap and tries to take things further, my dick is fully on board, but the rest of me is painfully aware she just had surgery.
“That was ages ago,” she pouts when I remind her, still trying to get closer to me.
“Eight days ago.” I correct her, my hands resting heavily on her hips.
“I’m not even taking pain meds anymore,” she argues. “I can’t lift you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lift me.”
“Maddy.” My tone is stern, but I can’t help but laugh as she pushes herself off of me, flopping onto her back on the bed with a disgruntled sigh.
“Fine,” she says as her fingers play with the drawstring on her pj shorts. “I guess I’ll just have to keep taking care of myself.”
My blood heats in my veins and suddenly I’m not laughing anymore. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”
Her blue eyes gaze up at me innocently, her hair fanned out around her on the bed. “You’ve been gone an entire week. Someone had to.”
I run my tongue over my lower lip. “How?”
“Do you want me to tell you? Or show you?”
“Jesus,” I plead. “Show me. Please.”
Without hesitation her delicate fingers slide into thewaistband of her loose fitting shorts. Her eyes never leave mine as her hand dips lower. I can tell the exact moment she brushes her clit from her sharp intake of breath.
“That’s it, Madness.” I crawl up her body, my lips brushing over her collarbone. I settle myself on the bed beside her, propping up on one elbow so I can watch her. “Just like that. Show me what I missed when I was away.”
I drag her tank top down. Her nipples are hard, making ripples in the soft fabric of her bra. I seal my mouth around one and suck. She shakes underneath me.
“Ben,” she gasps.
