CHAPTER 11
WALKER
The warmth of my woman as I wake up wrapped around her is soothing. Comfortable. Right.
I snuggle into her more, leaving kisses along her neck and chuckle softly when she stretches against me like a kitten. The love I feel for her blooms inside of me, strengthening and tethering us together. There’s no future without her in my arms.
“Merry Christmas,” I rasp against her skin.
She giggles softly and turns in my arms, her blue eyes sparkling with hope and love. “Merry Christmas,” she whispers back.
“The first of many,” I promise. It’s one I’ll keep and from the way her eyes light up, she’s counting on it. “You know,” I say casually, “I know the perfect way to start celebrating.”
“Oh?” She bites her lip coyly while her eyelashes flutter. “And how’s that?”
“With the taste of your perfect pussy on my tongue,” I growl and bury my face in her neck.
I kiss and nip at her skin, pulling a moan from her lips as she presses her body more firmly against mine. “Only if I can taste you as well,” she groans.
My cock was already hard but now it feels like fucking steel. I roll us, my hands gripping her hips and maneuvering her until she’s straddling my face. She leans over my body, but hovers over my mouth. I’m not sure if she’s teasing me or if she’s unsure about riding my face.
This is a new position for us, one which has my cock leaking precum. Even though I can’t see her, I’m sure she’s licking her lips with the way I feel her hungry eyes locked on my dick.
“You gonna keep teasing me, Treasure?”
There’s hesitation in her voice, “I don’t want to suffocate you.”
The grip I have on her tightens and I pull her already dripping pussy down to my mouth. My tongue spears inside of her going as deep as I can. It’s the only answer she needs.
Because if this is how I die, I’ll be a happy fucking man.
Her delicate fingers wrap around the base of my cock as her tongue glides up my shaft and circles the head. She laps at me, collecting everything my dick is eagerly offering her. I’m doing the same between her thighs.
Our moans are muffled, but I can feel her pleasure in the way her thighs flex around my head. I’m unable to help myself, my hips pumping upward and offering her more, wanting deeper in her mouth. Her warm, wet mouth.
Fuck, the way her plump lips feel around me has tingles racing over my skin. Or maybe that’s a slight lack of oxygen. But who needs it when I have her arousal coating my tongue, lips, and face?
So damn perfect.
When I suck her clit into my mouth, her hips jolt and she swallows me deeper. It’s heady, the way our pleasure and passion echoes and magnifies. Every touch feels like so much more. Every swipe feels like it’s going to send us careening over the edge.
My balls draw up tight as I hit the back of her throat and my woman’s body tenses. We groan together, our orgasms happening simultaneously. The aftershocks of our pleasure wreak havoc on our bodies, and I can hear her swallowing down every jet of my cum.
When we’re both wrung out and she becomes too sensitive to handle the way I’m gently lapping at her, she gingerly climbs off my face and collapses onto the bed. I turn and pull her against me, taking in the dreamy smile on her face and the way her eyes are glazed over with satisfaction.
“I love you, Treasure,” the words come out between panting breaths.
The smile she graces me with is glorious and hits me right in the middle of my chest. My words aren’t nearly enough. She’s so much more than simple words. She’s a feeling of perfection, of home.
I had no idea I would be able to feel this again, to find this again. But I have. With her.
It’s all because of her.
I’m incapable of tearing my eyes away from her as we shower and get the day started. We cook breakfast together, moving around each other with ease. Whenever she catches me watching her, the smile she gives me is soft and full of knowing.
When it’s time to open gifts, my palms start to sweat. We took a major step last night by admitting how we feel about each other and I’m so glad we did. It makes me a little more confident about the gift I got her, but I’m still a little worried about it.
I’m asking her to give me her trust completely and take a leap I can only hope she’s ready to make.
The smile on her face as she hands me my gift while she pets Roscoe, who is all about his new mistress, has a hint of the nervousness I’m feeling in it. I untie the ribbon and look down at what’s inside. The front of the little booklet reads ‘Coupons for the Love of my Life’ and a lump forms in my throat.
She was going to tell me today, no matter what, the same way I was planning to. I chuckle softly and give her a look full of love and adoration. She’s everything.
It’s clear the coupon book is handmade and as I look through there are some very spicy options, but also ones which make my heart clench. When I get to the one that says, ‘One trip to Jasper Ridge’, I can’t stop staring at it.
“I hope we can go to Jasper Ridge soon. I’d really like to meet your dad and thank him for raising such an incredible man. I want to thank him for helping you find your way to me because I know he had a hand in it even if you couldn’t feel it at the time. He needs to know that I’ll love you for the rest of our lives and he can rest easy.”
“Fuck, Treasure,” I rasp and pull her into my lap. I take her lips in a kiss filled with gratefulness and awe. “Thank you. We’ll go for spring break,” I promise and revel in the way her face lights up.
“Good, I could use a vacation,” she lays her hand on her forehead dramatically, but the twinkle in her eye tells me it’s all for show and to lighten the mood.
I kiss her again before reaching over and snagging my gift. It’s smaller and I’m nervous all over again. I watch with rapt attention as she tears the paper away from the small box and pulls the silver key chain out.
A house dangles from it, with the day we met engraved on the back along with today, the day I’m asking her to take the next step with me. There’s room left for more dates to be added as we continue to build our life together.
Morgan’s brows pull together as she looks between me and her gift. I kiss her forehead and murmur against her skin, “Move in with me. Here.”
She jerks back from me, her eyes wide with surprise. The silence stretches between us, and I start to worry that I’ve made the wrong decision to ask her.
“You’re sure?” I can only nod to answer her question, worry making it impossible to form words. She looks around the house for a moment as if she’s trying to see herself here. But I know it’s right. When her lips curl at the edges I know her answer before she whispers, “Yes.”
This morning? It’s perfect.
And it’s the first of many. I’ll do everything in my power to make each holiday, each Christmas, better than the last.
I came to Wintervale with the hope of finding a home, but I had no idea I would find it in a person. She’s my new home for the holidays. I definitely did something right this year to be on Santa’s good list because it’s the only reason, along with Dad looking over me, to explain how I found her.
MORGAN
It is tense around the dinner table at my parent’s house and it’s not because my parents didn’t instantly like Walker. They both like him and it’s obvious. No, the dark cloud of the table is all because of Jared.
He’s being an ass and I’m about at the end of my rope.
I’m not usually someone to put others in their place, but he’s really pushing all my buttons. Today is a day to be with family, to open our hearts to the spirit of the season, and to find joy in the simple things. But he’s sitting over there brooding and cutting his eyes at Walker like he’s done something wrong.
Is falling in love with me wrong? Is treating me like I’m the center of his world wrong?
Walker has done his best to ignore Jared while engaging in conversation with the rest of the family, including Langston. Even though he appears unbothered, I can feel he’s losing hold of his control as well.
I can’t take it anymore. This is ridiculous. Even though it pains me, I guess Langston and Walker are going to have front row seats for some family drama. Welcome to the family indeed.
But, then again, maybe it’s normal for the holidays.
I put my fork down calmly when Jared shoots Walker another death glare. “Jared,” I snap, completely unlike me. My brother’s eyes move to meet mine slowly and I see regret flash across his face. Damn it, I soften my expression, trying to understand where he’s coming from. “You’ve been a brooding asshole all day,” I start.
Mom giggles and Dad lets out a huff of agreement. “I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to remind you about your language,” Mom quips, but when I glance in her direction, her eyes are sparkling with mischief.
After making a face at her I turn my attention back to Jared. I’ve never really stood up to him before, but this requires it. I’m not going to let him keep this shit up, not when he works with Walker. They need to be able to work together and trust each other.
Sure, Wintervale isn’t known for its crime, but what if they’re in a situation where they need to rely on each other? I’ll always want them both to come home safely. They need to have each other’s backs for that to happen.
“I told him to stay away from you,” Jared grumbles while nodding toward Walker.
I sit back in my chair and cross my arms across my chest while giving him the same look I give my students. He grimaces slightly, but I can also see he’s not ready to back down.
“You’re my big brother and I love you, but what did you think? That you could scare guys off my entire life?” I shake my head, disappointment and sadness leaking into my words, “You’d rather me be lonely than happy?”
Jared’s shoulders slump and his entire face crumples. “No,” he whispers and swallows hard, “I don’t want that.”
“Then you need to stop,” I insist.
Walker wraps his large hand around the nape of my neck and gives a squeeze. “Nothing was going to keep me away from Morgan,” he tells Jared, and I get the feeling it’s not the first time he’s said it. “She’s mine. I love her and I asked her to move in with me this morning.”
I’m not sure what Jared sees when he looks at us, but it’s as if he’s really seeing us for the first time. He nods slowly and licks his lips. “I know I’ve been an ass, but Dad told me a long time ago it was my responsibility to watch out for my sisters. When I joined up, I couldn’t do it for a while and felt guilty the entire time.”
I sass him even though my anger is softening toward him, “So you decided to make up for lost time?”
“I guess,” he admits, and I swear he blushes slightly. “I can see how much you love her,” he admits to Walker. “I’ll stop being a dick about it.”
Mom huffs while Dad chuckles and leans over to kiss her temple. I can see the pride in our parents’ eyes.
Not able to help myself, I muse, “You know, one day it might be you needing to go up against someone’s brother. It’ll serve you right.”
The look of disbelief and worry on Jared’s face has everyone around the table laughing. Yeah, he probably should be worried. I’m manifesting that shit; I might even make a vision board to clinch the deal.
As Jared relaxes, Walker leans over and whispers, “Thanks for standing up for me, Treasure.”
I turn toward him and take in the way the twinkling lights in the house seem to wrap around him and help him shine. “You’d do the same for me,” I assert, knowing how true it is.
He smirks and takes the opportunity to swoop down and kiss me softly. It’s all sweetness and warmth. Even though I want more, we hold ourselves back.
“I might be willing to accept you two together, but that doesn’t mean I want to see that,” the amusement and disgust in Jared’s voice has me giggling against Walker’s mouth.
The rest of the day is filled with family and happy memories. It’s everything I wanted Walker to experience, especially after losing his dad and the only home he had ever known.
As the first of many, this Christmas if my favorite. At least…until next year.