Page 14 of Let it Snow
“That was amazing,” he breathed out before kissing her lips.“You are amazing.”His eyes darted back and forth across her face as if he were trying to memorize it, and she knew she was doing the same.Every moment they were together was something she wanted to be seared into her brain for all time.
Lucy smiled as his arms came to rest on both sides of her head, but he didn’t pull out.Lucy loved the feel of him inside her, and she wished they could stay like that almost as much as she wished he could stay with her permanently.It was crazy to want such a thing so soon, but she did.That didn’t mean she would get it, though, but even if it was only temporary, she would try to enjoy their time together.For now.
CHAPTER NINE
Max
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The feel of a warmbody plastered against his chest caused Max to smile as he awoke from another amazing night of sleep.Ever since they came together in front of the fire a few days ago, they had made love at least another half a dozen times.The snow finally stopped two days ago, but Lucy informed Max it would take a while for plows to make their way to the small town and clear the roads.Max’s mother had nearly been beside herself when she thought he might miss Christmas with them, but Max was able to soothe her worries with promises he would make it to Edinburgh as soon as possible.He, himself, hadn’t minded being snowed in for longer because it gave him more time with Lucy, but that time was dwindling quickly.A fact that had his chest tightening with discomfort.
Max blinked his eyes open and tilted his head down to look at the woman he had become more than fond of.She looked so peaceful while she slept, her head against his shoulder and one hand nestled in the fuzz on his chest.It was directly over his heart as if she was trying to claim possession of it, which of course, wasn’t necessary.His heart already belonged to her.Max was fairly certain he fell in love with Lucy Shaw the moment his eyes rested upon her beautiful face.She was so warm and caring, and so much braver than she gave herself credit for.He wasn’t sure how he would have handled the same situation himself, knowing there was no way he would have been able to remain as outwardly giving as she was.
His fingers itched to run through her hair, so he raised his hand and let it slip through the pale red locks.It felt like silk as it ran across his skin, and Lucy hummed contentedly and snuggled closer to him as he kept it up.Max hadn’t spent a single night in his own guest room since that first one, and he found that as comfortable as that room had been, it didn’t compare to the one he was in now.
The last remaining embers of a fire flickered in the brick fireplace, and that, coupled with the thick duvet and pale blue walls of the room created a very calming atmosphere, but it was the woman beside him that had made his sleep so peaceful.Being with Lucy had been the highlight of his life.The big question was; what was he going to do about it?A low rumble came from his stomach to signal his hunger, and Max might not have an answer to his big question, but at least he knew what he could do in that moment, and that was, fix the two of them breakfast.
Shifting in bed as gingerly as possible, he smiled when Lucy let out a grumble of discontent and tried to pull him back into bed.“Shh,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her temple.“Sleep, my darling.Breakfast will be ready soon.”Lucy mumbled incoherently before turning to face the other way.The action gave Max another peek at her gorgeous body, and while his cock stirred with the need to be inside her yet again, his desire to take care of her by making breakfast was stronger.Barely.
After pulling on the navy pajama set that had spent more time on Lucy’s hardwood floor than it had on his body, Max made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen that had become nearly as familiar to him as the one at the pâtisserie.Most of the time he and Lucy had spent together outside of the bedroom had either been in the kitchen cooking and baking or snuggled up by the fire as they told each other stories from their past.There had been stories from their childhood, from Max’s time in France and Lucy’s adventures in Upper Middlewood and the surrounding areas, but more than those, they shared stories about each other’s hopes and dreams for the future.It was a future filled with family and love, and he was slowly coming to realize it was a future that would likely never happen if Lucy wasn’t in it.
As he put the scone dough the two of them had prepared the night before into the oven, Max went about putting together the rest of the breakfast as ideas about a possible future with Lucy came to him, but so much was still up in the air that none of them solidified.What if this was just a holiday fling for her?Max hadn’t gotten that impression, but neither of them had spoken about how they felt.They had known each other for such a short time.If Max declared his love for her, would that scare her away?Oddly enough, Max hadn’t once felt scared from the moment the serious feelings had started to creep into his heart, but Lucy may feel differently.The last year of her life had been tumultuous to say the least, so maybe she wasn’t ready for the kind of commitment he wanted.The sudden realization things might not be as certain as he thought had his stomach dropping like a stone in a lake.Luckily, the whistle of the tea kettle sounded, providing him a welcome distraction from his spiraling thoughts.
Placing the warm scones on a platter along with prepared cups of tea, clotted cream, and jam onto a tray, Max made his way back up the stairs.When he passed the window at the top of the landing, he stopped dead in his tracks.Flashing blue lights washed over his face as he watched a snow plow make its way down the long road outside the Inn.
“Fuck,” he whispered.If the roads were cleared, that meant the trains would also be up and running.He peered down at the tray that contained breakfast.Max swallowed thickly as he realized it would essentially be his last meal with Lucy.As he continued down the hallway, the hunger that had prompted him to leave the warmth of her bed was gone, replaced by a pit of sadness and uncertainty.
With a heavy heart, he pushed the door to her room open, his brow furrowing when he saw the bed was empty.He looked over to the bathroom just in time to see Lucy emerge with a bright smile on her face and the same sheep-covered pajamas she wore his first night at the Inn.
“There you are,” she said happily as she bounced over to him.“A handsome man and breakfast in bed?I feel absolutely spoiled.”
Max stowed his sadness and did his best to return her smile.“You deserve to be spoiled,” he retorted, brushing a kiss across her lips before ushering her back into bed.Lucy deserved a partner that would take care of her, spoil her with attention and love, because that was what she did for others.She deserved more than a little of that for herself, and Max wanted to be the one to give her that if she wanted it.“Lucy...”
“Fresh scones,” she spoke over him, her eyes wide with appreciation and joy.“It’s been a long time since I’ve had one right from the oven.”She picked up a scone and split it in half, adding a healthy dose of jam and cream before taking a rather impressive bite, moaning as the flavors hit her tongue.“God, these are amazing.I make them for guests of course, but by the time I get around to eating myself, they’re either long gone cold or have all been eaten.Thank you, Max.”
“You’re welcome.”His voice was rough with emotion, all the things that had been left unsaid up until that point causing his throat to tighten until it felt like he couldn’t breathe.After she washed down her bite with some tea and replaced the cup, Max thought it best to finally broach the subject of his leaving.Brushing a fallen strand of hair behind her ear, Max looked at her face, his breath catching once again at just how beautiful she looked, and just how badly he wanted to keep her all for himself.“Lucy, there’s something we need to talk about.”He wasn’t sure how he managed the words, but he had.
