Page 10 of Checked Out by the Grinch
Her lips part, but no words come out, leaving only the sound of her breath and the wind swirling around us.
She’s asking to be seen, to be wanted.
Little does she know, I want all of her.
I lean in, close enough to feel the warmth of her breath, before landing on her soft and chilled lips.
A tiny sigh breaks loose as I hold her close to me. There’s no rush, just the slow press of her mouth against mine.
Her fingers curl into my coat and her curved frame trembles as I brush my thumb against her cheek. “Let’s go fix your water heater.”
“Yeah,” she smiles sweetly, “let’s go fix my water heater.”
Chapter Five
Holly
Who am I? I don’t do this kind of stuff. I sit at home and watch reality TV while I eat chips and cookies from the half off bin at the market. I play trucks with a two-year-old and read bedtime stories this time of night.
I, in fact, do not bring big, brooding, flannel wearing men back to my house to fix my water heater.
Never.
Never ever.
Never ever,ever.
My heart races as Grayson’s big, rough hands land against my skin. They’re warm and steady, strong and confident.
God, it’s nice to have a man around. A man with big boots and a toolbox. A man with calloused fingertips and a voice that rumbles low. A man that looks at me like I’m someone worth showing up for.
His eyes are dark and steady, and I feel every bit of anxiety I’ve been carrying drift away. The overdue bills, the doomed bookstore, the water heater, the Christmas I still have to put together.
He’s like gravity, solid and unshakeable, and right now, he’s holding me in place, keeping me stable, reminding me without words that everything is okay.
I don’t want this to end. I never want him to go.
His touch trails up my spine, and I arch into it like my body’s been waiting. He’s electric, captivating, trapping me in a moment I fear could leave at any second. I feel it in my chest and my stomach, the ache for him relentless.
He leans in, lips brushing my ear, his voice rough as he says, “Tell me what you want, Holly.”
“I want you to take control,” I whisper, eyes locked with his.
His breath hitches against my skin, and I feel the shift, like I’ve woken something hungry within him.
He pulls back just enough to let me see the intensity in his eyes before his hand slides down my back, firm and possessive. “Turn around,” he commands, fingers trailing down my arm. “Hands on the wall. I want you to feel how good it is to give up control.”
I move, slow and trembling, the wall cool beneath my palms. Behind me, I hear the soft shed of his flannel, the heat of his muscular frame, the scent of cedar on his skin.
“You’re mine tonight,” he murmurs, lips grazing the back of my neck. “Can you be my little sugar plum and do exactly as I ask?”
I nod slowly, still facing the wall as the hard poke of his cock edges against my back. I want to see it, feel it, touch it, know what it’s like to have him inside of me, but I’m obeying orders, so I stand still, waiting as he strips my clothes off one piece of fabric at a time.
“You’re so beautiful,” he groans against my neck, spreading warm heat everywhere. “These pretty curves, this soft hair, it’s all for me.”
I swear to God, I could come to the sound of his voice alone.
His hand slides up my thigh, and I bite my lip to keep from moaning, though a sigh slips out as his fingertips graze the soft lips of my pussy.
