28. Believe Again
28
BELIEVE AGAIN
REX
The tension between us weighed heavily in the small bed of Chelsea’s room. Finally, after waiting next to her for what felt like an eternity, a warm curve of lips appeared across her face. “I love you, too, Rex,” she whispered.
“Oh, sweetness. We can try again? I know we’ll get it right this time.”
“Yes. Again. But don’t break my heart a second time,” she warned.
A sigh of relief left me, and I gathered her in my arms. “I won’t. Thank you, baby. Christmas used to be my least favorite holiday after Dad passed away. Now, it’ll always be the day I found my way back to you.”
We held each other close, my heart surging with hope again. I vowed to spend each day proving my love for her.
“Merry Christmas, Rex.” She kissed my chest. “I’m sorry I don’t have a present for you, but there might be something we could give each other.” Her hand reached down between us and under my sweats, wrapping her fingers around my cock, hard as a rock and more than ready to give.
“I have a huge package for you, and feels like you found it.”
Her laughter broke any remaining tension in the room.
I reclaimed her lips as mine, and would not waste another minute apart. I covered her body, nesting between her legs, pressing my heat into her core. But it wasn’t enough. I needed us both bare, skin to skin, hearts and souls burning together. I lifted and removed Colt’s Prima the Diva of Rock t-shirt while Chelsea unbuttoned her flannel nightgown. Then I lost patience and yanked both sides; the buttons flew off everywhere.
“Rex! That was my favorite nighty.”
“I said I wouldn’t buy your love, but I’ll buy you ten more of those.” I stopped and gaped at her creamy skin, the fullness of her breasts, and most of all, the lack of panties covering her mound. “Were you naked under the nightgown all night?”
She sheepishly shrugged. “Maybe. I wanted you, but I also wanted to be sure we talked and worked things out.”
“Have you gotten everything you wanted?” I’d give her the world if she wanted it. I needed her that much. “Have we done enough talking for now?”
“Yes. All done talking.”
I hovered over her, one elbow by her shoulder, my hand trailing up her thigh, to her stomach, and palming her breast.Her arms circled my neck, threading fingertips through my hair .
“Does Nurse Chelsea clear me for activity?” My fingers retreated down to the apex of her thighs, finding her hot and ready for me. I teased a finger along her wet seam.
“Oh, yes, Mr. Buchanan. Make your move.” She lifted, sucking on my bottom lip and moaning. I snaked a finger through her folds, finding her hard nub, but I became impatient to connect with her.
“I need inside of you, and I don’t want a fucking condom to come between us.”
“I’m still on the pill. But did…did you and that Marlena ever…?” Fear flashed through her eyes.
“Fuck no. Strike that thought from your head right now. Baby, I pined away for you so hard. But…what about you?” It hadn’t occurred to me before that she could have been dating others for the past few months.
“There’s only been you since the first night we were together in the Hamptons on your boat.”
“Then I’m taking you, and claiming you, making you mine. No other man will touch you ever again, hear me?”
“Yes, Rex. Take me.”
I shoved my sweats down and notched at her seam, taking a delicious minute to slide in, locking eyes with her the entire way. Inch by inch, her walls stretched to mold to me and I lost all sense of time and space, losing myself to her completely.
Only when I was balls deep, knocking on her soul, did I crash upon her lips. She reached her hands down to my buttocks, writhing, urging me to move.
I began my charge, in what would be my greatest victory, capturing her body, heart, and soul, and if I had my way, it’d be forever. I held those thoughts close to my heart for our future. For now, we found a perfect rhythm.
“Oh sweetness, you rock my soul.” This wasn’t just any fuck; we made love. Our hands laced together above her head. Her body beneath mine moved like an extension of myself. We were one.
“Yes, harder, Rex.” We gained steam, taking and giving, gasping for air. Cheek to cheek, I thrust into her, deepening my strokes. Never had I submitted my entire self to a woman so passionately. The experience shook me to my core, and I was losing it.
“I love you, Chelsea. I can’t hold back much longer.” A cough caught in my throat.
“I love you, too. Shift onto your back. I’ll take it from here.”
We turned together, locked in limbs, never losing contact. She took over, riding me, playing with her clit. Her moans intensified. “I’m close.”
“That’s it, baby. Come on my cock.” I planted my feet and matched her movements, thrusting my hips. Her walls tightened, her legs shook, and I marveled at the contortions on her face as she came undone, moaning my name over and over.
“I’m there with you, Chelsea, milk me dry.” Everything I had spilled into her, burying deep, her walls squeezing every drop out of me. She collapsed on top of me and I held onto her until our heartbeats calmed to a natural pace .
“How soon can we make love again?” She chuckled. I started to, as well, but coughed.
“My recovery time might need to be a little longer right now.” I couldn’t wait for the next round.
“That’s fine. We have nothing but time together on this Christmas break. And I already know who I’ll be kissing on New Year’s Eve night. You. If you’ll stay here all week.” She shifted beside me, laying her head on my chest. “I think you’ll find the Holly Creek community’s First Night party is a real blast.”
“I have no car, no way to leave, and I wouldn’t want to. Not now, not when we’ve just started again.” I didn’t think I’d leave her side anytime soon for fear of her slipping away.
“The storm was nasty. I’m so thankful you made it through. What if something had happened to you and you didn’t make it here?”
“Sh. We’re not doing the what-ifs, remember?” I hated her worrying, although in hindsight, she’s right. I was much too anxious to reach her when I left New York City to check the weather or to fear for my safety. “Tell me who to call and I’ll see if I can get the car towed and fixed.”
“This is Holly Creek, and with so much snow dumped on us and being Christmas, the roads won’t clear for a few days. Or the mechanic might have taken the week off. Guess we’re rather far removed from civilization and sunshine for your tastes,” she teased.
“You’re wrong. I have all the sunshine I need right here in my arms.”
“Aw, Rex. I can’t believe I’m in Holly Creek with you. I never thought it possible to get you out of New York City, much less that we’d be back together.”
“Hey, I leave the city once in a while. I take my boat out every summer and cruise the islands.”
“Don’t tell Maisy that. She’ll hound you for every detail. While I love snow, she’s a beach person. We’ve already blocked out the week of her spring break to go somewhere fun.”
“Send me the dates. We’ll take the yacht and sail to any island you want.”
“Really? You would do that with us? I’d love that.”
“And I’d love to see you wearing nothing but bikinis in the sunshine, lounging on my boat.”
She chortled. “Of course you would.”
“So what exactly is there to do around here, anyway? I mean, I plan to spend a good chunk of time with you in bed, but at some point, we need to eat and find some entertainment. Are there any five-star restaurants in Holly Creek? Plays to see?”
“Listen, city boy, we have plenty of wonderful things for you to see and do in Holly Creek. I dare you to fall in love with this place.”
“I’m already in love with you. ”
She pecked at my lips. “I don’t think I’ll tire of hearing you say that.”
“Because of you, and your love for this place, I’m sure I’ll give Holly Creek a fair try.”
“It’s the most magical time of year to be here, well, except for Christmas in July, of course.” Her lips curved, forming a warm smile, and filled my heart with hope that we’d have many more Christmases together. “Actually, I’ll be right back.”
She got up and dug through the drawer, finding another flannel nighty to put on. I’d rip the buttons off on that one, as well. Nothing would be a barrier between us anymore.
I heard her in the bathroom down the hall cleaning up, and when she returned, she kneeled next to me on the mattress, unfolding a paper in her hand.
“What’s that?”
“When you told me some time ago that Christmas wasn’t your favorite holiday, I decided I would try to change your mind. So, I wrote out Rex’s Bucket List for Christmas.”
I howled. My girl was too much. “Okay, tell me the first thing on the list.”
“Ice skating…although at the time I wrote this, we were in New York City, so it says at Rockefeller Plaza. But now, in Holly Creek, that’d be at the pond where all the locals go to skate, play pickup games of hockey, and drink hot cocoa.”
“Perfect. Here’s the plan. We’ll make love again, then get up and shower together, enjoy Christmas with your family. I can’t wait to meet your mom and brother, by the way. And finally, ice skate this afternoon. And every day until New Year’s Eve, I want to tackle that list with you.”
We held each other and talked more about our plans for the week. Whatever she wanted, I’d do, because somehow it happened. I fell deeply, madly in love with a woman who had the brightest soul.
“Thank you, sweetness, for taking me back, and for loving me despite my faults. You’ve turned this Christmas into the best ever. I don’t see how anything could ever top this,” I said.
“You never know what the future holds for us. But as long as we face it together, anything is possible.” She winked a gleaming green eye at me, and I hugged her closer.
I used to believe I was a lucky man, with all my family’s wealth and possessions. But now, my life was richer, with Chelsea in it.