Chapter 37
CHAPTER 37
LAUREL
“ A re you okay? Where are we going?” Leif frowned at me as I pulled him into a janitor’s closet as far down the hall as we could get from the party.
“I’m fine.” I glanced up at him, smiling. The door clicked shut behind us. “I just have one more challenge from the naughty list to complete and this seemed like a good time to get it done. I thought you might like to help me.”
My heart was pounding madly in my chest, but to my surprise, my panties were already slick.
Who knew I’d get turned on by this? I certainly hadn’t, but the final item on my naughty list suddenly seemed a whole heck of a lot more appealing than it had when I’d first read it.
Leif’s demeanor changed from worried, to curious, to interested when I found the lock on the door and flipped it into place. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked.
“If you think it’s sex in a public place, then yes. It is what you think it is.”
A devilish grin appeared on his lips. He grabbed my hand and tugged me into him, catching me when I crashed with my chest against his. “I’m really going to miss this damn list of yours.”
“So am I,” I breathed against his mouth. “I think this final item might even be my favorite one yet.”
“Mine too,” he murmured just before he dropped his lips to mine, kissing me so fervently that I saw stars behind my eyes as they slid shut.
I threw my arms around his neck, not quite sure how this was going to work but trusting him to figure it out. Leif walked us back until we hit some kind of hard surface behind me—either the wall or the door, I assumed.
Regardless, with his mouth on mine and his hands roaming up and down my sides, I was fast forgetting about the mission I’d brought him here to complete. All I cared about was him, getting him inside me and bringing him the same pleasure I knew he would bring me.
It felt like we needed it to celebrate our reunification. Or perhaps to consummate it. With my brain awash in love and lust, I couldn’t even remember the right word.
Quickly reaching for his waistband, I flicked open the button on his slacks, tugged the zipper down, and kissed him back with every ounce of passion I had. “God, I missed you.”
“More than words,” he replied breathlessly. “I love you, Laurel. We can’t stay in here forever, but we’ll make up for hard and fast now with sweet and slow later, okay?”
“Love you, too.” I was suddenly desperately wishing that we were someplace more private so we could spend all night together without having to worry about being discovered, but there was definitely still a thrill to doing it right here that made up for having to sneak out after.
Leif grinned against my lips, then broke away from me, sending me a cheeky smile. He sank to his knees and reached under the skirt of my dress. “Keep your hand over your mouth. We have to be quiet, okay?”
I nodded enthusiastically, pressing my palm over my mouth. He slid my panties down to my ankles, pulling them clean off over my boots and sticking them into his back pocket. I wondered if he was just keeping them safe for me so we wouldn’t have to scurry around in the dark later, but then he lifted my dress and disappeared underneath it, spreading my legs further apart just a moment before I felt his hot tongue lick through my folds.
I whimpered into my hand and used the other to grab hold of the shelf nearest the door, knowing I was going to need something holding me up in just another minute. It took Leif less time than that before my hips were bucking and my knees were weak, my orgasm so close I could almost taste it.
Moans kept spilling out of me, but I did my best to keep it down as his tongue lapped at my clit and his fingers moved inside me. When he sucked the sensitive button into his mouth and curled his fingers, I was done for, coming hard and fast just like he’d promised—but doing it as quietly as I could.
Almost as soon as I slumped against him, he stood up, a glint of wild hunger in his eyes as he looked around the dim interior of the closet. The only light in here was filtering in from outside through a frosted window, but as I panted and tried to regain feeling in my extremities, he suddenly grinned.
“Bingo,” he whispered, taking my hand in a firm grip and leading me over to a small step stool in the corner. When he reached it, he kicked it closer to the wall. “Get on there.”
I did what he asked without question, surprised when he sealed his front against my back. “How are we going to do this?”
He pressed open-mouthed kisses against the back of my neck. “Just trust me and hang onto the windowsill, okay?”
“Okay,” I said in a throaty whisper, a fresh flood of heat pooling between my legs.
I lifted my hands to grip the edge of the windowsill just as I heard the rip of a foil package behind me. Leif groaned softly as he lifted my dress, one of his palms on my butt. I felt the heat of him when he leaned closer.
The next thing I knew, he nudged the insides of my legs so I spread them a little more, and then his tip was pressing at my entrance. I gasped, genuinely shocked by how well the height of the stool compensated for the differences in our own heights. It was almost like it’d been made for it.
“Hold it tight, bug. Hard and fast, remember?”
I sucked in a breath as I nodded. My head bowed and I clamped my palm over my mouth again. Leif thrust into me hard, the hand that had been on my butt snaking around my hips to circle around my clit. Unable to help myself, I moaned, immediately turning my head when I realized I was going to need his help keeping it down this time around.
“This feels so good,” I whispered, my brow furrowed as my hips moved in time with his.
He gave me a tight nod, slamming his lips down on mine. He started moving faster, his fingers moving in time with his hips to take me to a whole new plane of pleasure. Within what felt like no time at all, I was trembling against him. Clamping down on his shaft, I screamed his name.
Leif let out a loud growl into my mouth, swelling as he came apart with me. We collapsed into each other in the aftermath, both nearly falling over as we sagged together against the wall.
Still panting for breath and covered in a sheen of sweat, he chuckled against my mouth. “I think it’s safe to say that your final naughty list challenge was definitely my favorite one. We’re going to repeat that, right?”
“As often as we possibly can,” I promised, kissing him deeply. I rested my head on his shoulder, knowing that there was no way I was sleeping without him right next to me tonight.
My mom loved him and everyone knew we were together now. I was sure she’d be fine with it, and if she wasn’t, I’d let him get us a hotel this time. Even if all I really wanted right then was to be in his arms and never leave them.
I woke up the morning after the party with a smile on my face. Not only was Leif in my bed with me, but it was Christmas Eve, a day I loved almost as much as Christmas itself.
Rolling over in my bed to face him, I took a moment to just look at my high school sweetheart and one true love. We’d spent most of yesterday talking about Rainy and everything she’d done this year to get his attention, and while I was glad that she wouldn’t be in the office with him every day anymore, I could hardly fault her for finding it hard to let him go.
With his light brown hair all mussed with sleep, his eyes closed and his long sandy lashes sweeping across the skin under his eyes, he was so boyishly beautiful that he looked angelic—until I lowered my gaze to his sharp cheekbones and strong jawline. He’d shaven before the party, but already, his skin was dotted with new growth, giving him the appearance of a man rather than a boy—and a powerful, sexy one at that.
I smiled as I touched my fingertips to his jaw, tracing the angular line of it until his eyes fluttered open. A sleepy smile of his own appeared on his lips before he leaned in, nuzzling my neck. His fingers sank into my ribs.
“Happy Christmas Eve,” he murmured against my skin.
I squealed when he started tickling me. Writhing, I desperately grabbed for his hands but struggled to get a good grip thanks to my bedding. “No! Stop! Whyyyy?”
He chuckled, letting up and planting a quick kiss on my mouth before he grinned at me and sat up. “The whole day is already a tradition, that’s why. I thought I’d start a new one. Just for us. From now on, every Christmas Eve, I’ll tickle you as I wake up.”
“I like the sound of spending every Christmas Eve with you, but I feel like we can come up with a better tradition than that.”
He stretched his arms up above his head, drawing my gaze to his chest—and his abs. And the V of his hips where the sheets had pooled around them. Soft laughter spilled out of him, his eyebrow arching when I glanced back up into his eyes.
“You were saying?” he teased.
I swallowed past the desire sucking all the moisture out of my mouth and sending it south. “I can’t remember what I was saying, but I’m okay with making it a tradition that I get to wake up next to you on Christmas Eve. As long as you’re naked every time.”
“Deal.” He grinned, his head tilting as he looked into my eyes. “I know we’re in your mom’s house, but do we have time? If we’re quiet?—”
“Nope. I’m tempted. Very tempted. But our morning starts with cinnamon rolls and OJ. No exceptions. We’ll watch the Grinch, wrap presents, and then relax in the afternoon before we go to the candlelight service at church.”
“Right,” he agreed slowly. “So, we’re waiting until this afternoon, then?”
I groaned, my cheeks flushing as that desire tried to overwhelm common sense. “By relaxing, I meant baking the cookies we’re going to decorate with the girls later, so no. We have plans for the afternoon, too.”
Leif fell back against the mattress. Covering his face with his palms, he let out a disappointed mewl. “Alright, you’d better go shower. Take your clothes with you so you don’t have to come back in here naked. Unless you’re willing to wait on cinnamon rolls.”
I chuckled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his shoulder. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
With that, I rolled out of bed and steered clear of him until he joined Mom and me in the kitchen after he’d grabbed a shower too. The whole house smelled like sweet cinnamon by now thanks to the rolls Mom had in the oven, and a jug of freshly squeezed orange juice sat on the counter.
Leif pretended to swoon when he walked in. “Save me some of this? I need to head home to grab some clean clothes, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“We’ll do our best to leave you some morsels,” Mom joked, waving at him as he left after giving me a chaste, sweet kiss goodbye.
“So that’s going well, then?” she asked once he was gone, a bright smile on her face as she stared at me from across the room. “I knew he hadn’t cheated on you, but I’m glad you two managed to work things out.”
“So am I,” I said immediately, meaning it with every fiber of my being.
As he’d promised, he was back less than an hour later, joining us for the movie and bringing all of his gifts with him to wrap them while we watched. We spent the day together, lazing around and spending time with my mom.
After the candlelight service that evening, Gemma and Mariam came home with us to decorate the cookies we’d baked and to do stockings for each other. Gemma winked at Leif as she pulled out a stocking bearing his name that she’d made up today.
“Never say I don’t love you, dude,” she said laughingly. “I had a feeling you’d be joining us this year, but if you guys hadn’t worked it out, we’d have been burning it instead.”
“And filming it for social media,” Mariam added.
Leif groaned and smacked a palm over his face. “She told you about Rainy?”
I shrugged, but the girls laughed and mimed zipping their lips. Mom chuckled from the other side of the counter, giving him a sympathetic smile when he looked at her for help. “Sorry, honey. You might have to take a bit of flack for it yet.”
“At least all’s well that ends well,” he said good-naturedly, shaking his head at my friends but getting back to the stockings.
Most of what we put in them for each other were novelty gifts, funny or random things we found throughout the year and thought the others might like. One of mine this year, courtesy of Mariam, was Friends-themed luggage tags with the slogan Welcome to the Real World. It Sucks. You’re Gonna Love it emblazoned on them.
She chuckled when I pulled them out of my stocking. “I figured you were going to be doing a lot of traveling in the near future. Eventually, everyone at the Nashville and Denver airports is going to know who those belong to.”
I laughed but embraced her, hugging her tight for having had enough faith in Leif and me to have gotten me these despite our short separation. “Thanks, Mimi. I love them. Seriously.”
We chuckled over almost all the gifts, then changed into our new Christmas jammies—the only things to come out of our stockings that wasn’t funny. Reconvening in the living room, we settled down on the blow-up mattresses Mom, Leif, and I had inflated before church, watching A Christmas Story while the fireplace slowly burned out.
I fell asleep in front of the TV nestled in Leif’s arms, happier than I had ever been and completely convinced that this was where I would be every Christmas Eve from now on—just like he’d said this morning.
My last thought as I drifted off was of our fathers, the only thing missing on the great days like today, and all the days like them that were still to come. Leif had told me that he’d gone out to see them at the mill yesterday, and we’d decided to go together before we both headed back home after Christmas.
I didn’t need to go out there to feel my daddy with me, though. He was tightly fitted right into the center of my heart and right then, I could tell he was happy too, smiling down on us and thanking the universe with me that Leif and I had overcome all the challenges life had thrown our way so far.
Daddy always had said that Leif was going to be his son-in-law one day. I didn’t quite know yet when we’d make it official, but it sure looked like he’d gotten it right. All I wished was that he’d been here to see it happen in person.