Page 21 of Christmas in July

CHAPTER 12

LEILANI

“Teddy, that food was so amazing,” I say as we lounge together on the deck of the boat. The sun has set, and darkness has fallen, causing all the Christmas lights on the boats to glow more brightly and reflect off the dark water. It’s such a warm and peaceful atmosphere, with all the little families and parties of people gathered on the various boats, enjoying their music. One of the boats contains a wedding party, and when we sailed by them, they all waved at us with so much excitement.

Laughter echoes out across the lake. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so happy. Everyone seems so happy, out here on the water tonight.

“It was a really great meal,” Teddy agrees. “Steak and lobster, just as my little lady requested.”

“This whole experience must have been so expensive,” I say with concern.

“Not at all. The boat cruise company offered us the free luxury experience in exchange for the social media marketing and publication in Henrietta’s magazine.”

“That’s a sweet deal,” I say, snuggling against his chest happily.

“Look, here’s the best part,” he says, glancing at his watch. “You’re going to love it.”

A few seconds after he announces it, the sky explodes in fireworks. Every single one of the boats releases a torrent of glittering explosives into the night sky. And it’s somehow more beautiful than any fireworks I’ve ever seen—because I get to enjoy them with Teddy’s arm around me.

I think it’s at this moment that I realize that I’m already in too deep. Because in the back of my mind, I’m already thinking about all the fireworks I’ll see with him in the future. And all the experiences we will share—I want to believe it so badly. But I’ve only just met him, and it’s absolutely crazy.

But fireworks will never be the same again, without him by my side.

“Check that out, over there,” Teddy says, pointing.

I notice a man kneeling on the deck of a boat, and proposing to a woman in a flowy green dress. She seems startled and shocked at first, but then he points up at the sky. Spelled out in lights on drones against the sky are the wordsMARRY ME!She screams and jumps up and down and embraces him, and the fireworks continue in celebration.

“That was so sweet,” I say softly, smiling.

“You know, Leilani—I’ve been a bit of a drifter for a while now,” Teddy muses. “I’ve gotten to see so many of those precious moments experienced by other people. So many proposals and weddings and birthdays and celebrations. And now, this beautiful Christmas in July. But I’ve never felt like I was a part of it. I was always an outsider, looking in. I felt like an anthropologist, just studying other humans and writing about them. No—worse than that. An alien, almost. Because I couldn’t feel the joy, or really participate in it and understand it. I didn’t have loved ones like that, to share anything with.”

“Oh, Teddy,” I say softly. I wonder if all of this is the result of growing up with a cold and distant mother.

“It seemed totally foreign to me, because I could never imagine myself experiencing any of that. That’s why I often ignored the human element in my writing. How could I describe things I didn’t understand? I understood the mountains. I understood standing strong, stoic. Lasting, and outlasting others. Being alone.”

I squeeze his hand, encouraging him to continue.

He smiles at me then. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you—you make me want to experience all of those human things. Like, you make me think I could feel normal emotions, and have my own precious moments.”

“You can,” I tell him softly, kissing his lips. “You will.”

“Do you want to go below deck?” he asks.

“Absolutely,” I respond.

* * *

When we enterour bedroom in the hull of the boat, Teddy turns out the lights. It’s a small room, but cozy in the dark. We can still see a scattering of fireworks being released from random boats on the lake, from our little window.

It casts colored lights over each other’s faces.

Teddy wastes no time in dragging my body against his and kissing me deeply, exploring my mouth with lots of tongue, until I’m putty in his hands. He then grasps the shoulders of my Versace dress and slides the fabric off my shoulders, letting the dress fall completely to the floor, exposing my entire body.

He looks at me for a moment in the low lighting, placing kisses all over me. “You’re so beautiful, Leilani.”

But I’m busy unbuttoning his shirt, and removing it along with his belt. I want his clothes off, too. As soon as I get his pants and boxers off, I do what he did earlier, lowering myself to my knees to take his hardness into my mouth. I suck on him until he groans, and I can the blood pulsing through his dick with desire. He thrusts his hips against my face to go deeper, with his hand on the back of my head, but he’s too big and I can’t take any more of him.

“Get on the bed,” Teddy says gruffly, helping me to my feet and guiding me over to sit on the edge of the bed. He stands between my legs, gently lifting them and separating them as he kisses me soundly, before moving down to kiss and suck on my breasts. Meanwhile his hardness sits at my entrance, teasing me with its warmth.

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