Chapter 5 Celeste
CELESTE
Celeste tugged her scarf tighter around her neck, the cold biting at her cheeks as she and Ivy walked along the snow-dusted path.
The forest surrounding them was blanketed in white, each branch heavy with snow, as if the world had taken a deep, silent breath.
The only sounds were the soft crunch of their footsteps and the occasional rustle of a squirrel dashing through the underbrush.
It was peaceful here, far removed from the noise of the town. The stillness allowed Celeste to breathe more deeply, a welcome relief after the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her since she’d arrived in Hollyridge.
Yet even in this quiet moment, her thoughts refused to settle.
The way Ivy glanced at her from the corner of her eye didn’t help. It was that soft, curious gaze—the kind Celeste had noticed more often lately, as if Ivy were trying to see past the polished, hardened exterior Celeste wore like protective armor.
How much had Ivy already seen? The question tugged at her as the memory of last night lingered like a spark waiting to reignite.
Their bodies intertwined, intimate in a way Celeste hadn’t anticipated, hadn’t even known she wanted until it was happening.
The fire between them had flared hot and fast, leaving Celeste both exhilarated and uncertain.
How could she reconcile that impulsive desire with the careful control she usually maintained?
“How are you feeling?” Ivy’s voice broke through the silence, gentle but probing.
Celeste hesitated, watching her breath hang in the air before her before it dissolved into the crisp, wintry stillness. She wasn’t used to people asking her how she felt. In her world, vulnerability was a luxury she couldn’t afford. But here, with Ivy, things felt…different. Safer, perhaps.
“I’m fine,” Celeste said, out of habit. But even she could hear the hollowness in her words.
Ivy didn’t press, just kept walking beside her, their arms brushing occasionally as the path narrowed.
The warmth from those brief touches seemed to linger longer than it should, filling the space between them with something unspoken.
Ivy had been patient, not pushing after last night, but Celeste could feel the weight of it hanging between them, unspoken.
The forest was a world apart from the busy city streets she was used to.
Here, time slowed. The evergreen branches were frosted with snow, glistening in the soft light that filtered through the canopy.
It was as if the trees themselves had secrets, whispering in the wind as they passed.
Celeste felt as though the world were holding its breath, waiting for her to speak her truth.
“I’m not used to this,” Celeste finally admitted, her voice low. “Letting people in, I mean. Especially not…after last night.”
She couldn’t help the way her heart raced as she spoke, the image of Ivy’s body under hers flashing unbidden in her mind. She could still feel the heat of the moment, how their desire had surged between them like a wave neither of them could stop.
Ivy slowed her steps, glancing over at her, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. “We don’t have to rush anything, Celeste. I’m not expecting you to have all the answers.” She smiled softly, the kind of smile that had Celeste’s guard slipping without her even realizing it.
They stopped by a cluster of tall pines where the path widened and offered a view of the town in the distance, nestled under its own layer of snow. The rooftops were dusted in white, and smoke curled from chimneys, rising lazily into the sky.
Ivy turned to face her fully now, her expression soft. “You don’t have to pretend with me, you know,” she said quietly. “I get that you’re used to having to be strong. In control. But here, you don’t have to carry everything on your own anymore.”
Celeste stared at her for a long moment, the words sinking in.
It was strange, hearing someone say that.
No one had ever told her it was okay not to be perfect.
Not to be the poised, unshakable CEO who always had the answers.
For so long, she’d defined herself by her ability to handle everything, to never show weakness.
Yet here, with Ivy, that mask felt impossibly heavy.
“I’ve spent most of my life being what people expect me to be,” Celeste admitted, her voice almost a whisper. “And now, I’m not sure who I am when I’m not playing that role.”
Ivy’s gaze never wavered, and for a moment, the world felt even quieter. The only sound was a soft hush of wind through the trees.
“You’re more than just that role,” Ivy said, stepping closer. “I’ve seen it. The way you’ve been with Ellie, how you’ve let your guard down around her. You’re kind, and you care. You don’t have to be perfect for me.”
Celeste’s chest tightened. Ivy’s words were so simple, but they cut through the layers of doubt and fear she’d wrapped around herself for years. She wanted to believe them. Wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, she could be more than the polished image she’d worked so hard to build.
But could she? Was it even possible to let someone in without losing the control that had been her anchor for so long?
Ivy must have sensed her hesitation because she took another step closer, their boots almost touching now in the snow. “I know it’s scary,” Ivy said softly. “But you don’t have to be alone in this.”
Celeste’s breath caught in her throat, her pulse quickening as Ivy’s words hung in the air. The snow fell more gently now, delicate flakes drifting down like they, too, were waiting for something to happen.
“Ivy…” Celeste began, but her words faltered. She didn’t know how to explain the storm of emotions inside her, the pull toward Ivy that felt both exhilarating and terrifying at once.
Ivy reached out then, her hand brushing against Celeste’s gloved fingers. It was a small gesture, but it sent a rush of warmth through her, cutting through the cold that had settled in her bones.
“I’m here,” Ivy said, squeezing her hand. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Celeste looked down at their hands, the warmth of Ivy’s touch anchoring her in a way she hadn’t expected. She wasn’t ready to open up completely, not yet. But standing here in the quiet, snow-covered forest with Ivy by her side, she realized something important.
She didn’t have to figure everything out right now.
Maybe it was okay to take things one step at a time. To let herself be vulnerable little by little until the fortress she’d built around herself started to crumble. And maybe, just maybe, Ivy would still be there when it finally came down completely…
But right now in this moment, there was no denying the magnetic pull between them. Celeste squeezed Ivy’s hand gently, a silent promise that she was trying. She wanted to try.
They stood there for a long moment, the snow falling gently around them, but the chill in the air was no match for the heat slowly building between them. Ivy stepped closer still, their bodies brushing against each other, and the charged atmosphere from last night surged back, electric and wanting.
Without thinking, Celeste reached out and cupped Ivy’s cheek, her thumb brushing over her soft skin, the distance between them dissolving.
The kiss that followed was slow at first, tentative, as if there were both testing the boundaries of this new territory.
But it didn’t take long for the spark to catch, for the kiss to deepen into something more intense.
Ivy’s fingers tangled in Celeste’s coat, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together, heat rising between them even as the snowflakes drifted down around them.
Celeste’s hand slid into Ivy’s hair, the strands soft between her gloved fingers, and she felt the last of her hesitation melt away.
They stumbled back against the nearest tree, and Celeste could feel the rough bark through the layers of her coat as Ivy pressed her against it, her lips trailing hot kisses along Celeste’s jaw and down her neck.
The world seemed to blur at the edges, the snow, the forest the cold—all of it—fading into the background as the only thing that mattered was the heat between them.
Celeste’s senses were overwhelmed by every point of contact between them—the way Ivy’s fingers traced her body, the softness of her lips, the gentle press of her body.
Every brush of contact sparked another wave of desire that made her feel dizzy with desire.
She could feel Ivy’s heartbeat racing against her own chest, even through their coats, matching the frantic rhythm of her pulse.
When Ivy’s teeth gently grazed her earlobe, Celeste couldn’t hold back a soft moan.
The sound seemed to spur Ivy on, her kisses growing more urgent, more demanding.
Celeste’s gloved hands fumbled with the buttons on Ivy’s coat, desperate to feel more of her.
The cold air nipped at their cold skin, but Celeste didn’t notice, too caught up in each other to care about anything else.
“God I want you,” Ivy breathed against her neck, the words sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the winter air.
“Are you sure? Here?” Celeste asked half-heartedly. Instead of pushing off the tree, she rested her head back against it.
In answer, Ivy drew closer, her fingers tangling in Celeste’s hair as their lips met again. Their kiss was different this time—deeper, hungrier, full of unspoken promises. The forest seemed to hold its breath around them, creating a cocoon of privacy in their secluded corner.
Time became fluid, measured only in heartbeats and shared breaths. Celeste traced the curve of Ivy’s jaw with trembling fingers, memorizing every soft sound, every shiver that passed between them, and she leaned in to nip at Ivy’s neck.
Ivy pushed Celeste ever harder against the tree, slipping her hand underneath Celeste’s coat to paw at her body. Ivy cupped her breast over her shirt, and Celeste moaned, hardly noticing the cold anymore.
Their kisses were anything but gentle now as all hesitation was left behind. Ivy’s hand trailed down from Celeste’s breast, down her stomach, to her waistband where it slipped underneath. Ivy cupped Celeste over her panties, and Celeste moaned even deeper.
“Please,” she begged.
Smirking, Ivy teased Celeste, rubbing circles over the fabric while still pressing firmly, causing Celeste to squirm against the rough bark as anticipation coiled in her body.
Finally, Ivy gave her what she wanted as her fingers, now warmed, slipped inside her wet heat. She curled her fingers up, searching for the place she knew would make Celeste lose control, once and for all.
Celeste panted as she pushed herself against the bark, leaning her head back slightly. “Fuck, you feel so good!”
Celeste looked at Ivy, desire burning in her eyes, and she pulled her even closer, causing Ivy’s fingers to send another jolt of electricity through her body.
She could hardly stand it anymore, and she needed to feel Ivy’s soft flesh under her fingers.
She hastily removed her left glove and discarded it on the forest floor without another glance.
She pawed at the waistband of Ivy’s pants, and Ivy shifted her body to make it easier for Celeste to undo the button as she herself was becoming undone.
Celeste slid her hand down Ivy’s pants, rubbing small circles around Ivy’s heat before she slipped in two fingers underneath her panties.
Ivy gasped, momentarily forgetting what she was doing and stopping her rhythmic motions, but then she restarted, doubling her efforts.
The two women stared at each other, passion burning in both their eyes, keeping them warm against the chilly forest air.
Ivy added a third finger, as she pressed her palm against Celeste’s clit and rocked it in circles in time with her fingers.
Celeste felt like she was burning from the inside out, every touch from Ivy stoking the flames higher. Their movements grew more desperate, more urgent as they chased their shared pleasure, and the forest seemed to pulse in time with them.
They pressed their bodies against each other, still plunging their fingers in each other, and captured each other’s lips.
Celeste slipped her tongue in Ivy’s mouth, exploring all the crevices of it and playing with Ivy’s tongue.
Their kisses grew more fervent as their pace quickened, and Celeste could feel her thighs shake, a sure sign that she was close to the edge.
She didn’t give in, though, instead riding out the pleasure as long as she could as Ivy’s expert fingers kept alternating between finding that spot inside her and caressing over her clit.
Celeste gripped the tree with her spare hand, bracing herself as the pleasure crescendoed.
When the wave finally crested, Celeste buried her face in Ivy’s neck to muffle her cry.
Ivy’s orgasm followed moments later as she trembled in Celeste’s arms while they held each other through the aftershocks.
For several long moments, they stayed like that, catching their breath as their bodies pressed against each other.
As their breathing slowed, Celeste became aware again of the frigid air, the rough bark against her back, and the wetness of melted snow in her hair.
But none of that mattered compared to the way Ivy was looking at her now—tender and satisfied, with a hint of soft vulnerability that made Celeste’s icy heart melt.
Ivy leaned in and kissed her softly, so different from their earlier passionate heat, but no less meaningful. When they parted, she rested her forehead against Celeste’s, a small playing in the corners of her lips.
“We should probably head back,” Ivy whispered, though she made no move to step away.
Celeste nodded but pulled Ivy back in for one more lingering kiss before they began adjusting their disheveled clothes. As they walked hand in hand through the snowy forest, Celeste knew that everything had changed between them—and she wasn’t as scared to explore this as before.