Chapter 11
BELLA
I’d planned to take Hardy caroling for the next item on our checklist, but when he mentioned exploring kinks, I knew I had just the thing.
He shows up at my place the day after Black Friday with an arm full of grocery bags.
“Ooh, a man who follows directions and shows up with treats. Yes, please.”
He chuckles as I take the bags from his arms and start laying out the snacks. “You’ve been doing so much. I wanted to contribute. What’s the plan?”
I hand him a bag full of tissue paper. “Open it.”
He looks at me confused, but I brush it off, moving around my small kitchen to make us hot chocolates.
“Just consider it an early Christmas gift.”
Like a clown pulling on handkerchiefs, he removes dozens of tissues before getting to the box at the bottom of the bag, pulling out the portable projector with a list of movies taped to it. “What’s this?”
“That is for you and Avery. All you need is a white sheet or wall, and you can set up the projector and have a holiday movie night. I made a list of some of Isaac’s favorites when he was her age.”
“This is…” he trails off and swallows thickly. “I can’t accept this.”
“It’s fine. I found it on a lightning deal online.”
“At least let me pay you for it.”
“You got snacks. We can call it even.” I cross my arms, making it clear I’m not backing down.
“Thank you,” he relents.
“You’re welcome. When I asked the class what their favorite holiday movie was earlier this week, Avery didn’t have an answer. I wasn’t sure if you all used to watch any with her, but you two are embarking on this journey together and you get to make new Christmas traditions.”
“I may need help setting this up. Do you think Isaac would do it? He’s a lot handier at this tech stuff than I am.”
“Sure, I don’t think he’d mind. He’s at a friend’s, though,” I say, placing a hand on his forearm. “But tonight, you and I are having an adult movie night.”
“We’re watching porn?”
I burst out laughing. “Oh shit, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant grown-up, kid-free, not porn. Why, is that a kink of yours too?” I ask curiously.
He walks to the couch, taking a seat as he threads his arms behind his head, making me squirm with how long he’s taking to answer me. “I’m open to exploring our options.”
“Well, shit, I was just gonna put on Die Hard, but this is even better.”
He looks at me confused.
“You know, cuz it’s a Christmas movie for grown-ups that you wouldn’t watch around kids.”
Then he says the only thing that could kill my lady boner for him.
“Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie.”
“You know, I was going to put it on and let it play in the background while you finally compare Lefty and Righty, but never mind. Not a Christmas movie?”
He tugs on his neck. “Shit, I’m fucking this up.”
My mouth snaps shut, the fight leaves my body at his words, remembering the broken man afraid of fucking up Christmas. I cross to the couch and sit next to him, setting our hot chocolate on the table. “You’re not fucking this up. You’re just wrong about Die Hard.”
“How am I wrong? Just because it takes place during Christmas doesn’t mean it’s a Christmas movie.”
“Then how are we defining a Christmas movie? What does it have to have in order to qualify?”
His eyes light up as he thinks about his answer. “It’s gotta have certain items that make it Christmas.”
“This should be good, because I guarantee whatever you’re about to say is going to either prove my point, or rule out a lot of other traditional holiday movies, thereby also proving my point,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Okay, it needs to have a tree,” he says.
“There are plenty of holiday movies that don’t have a tree, so that’s vetoed. Plus, there are multiple trees in Die Hard.”
“Shit.” He taps his chin. “Okay, I got it. It needs decorations, and Santa. If it has all of those things, it would qualify. And I’m not trying to rule out other films as holiday movies, I’m just trying to negate the merits of Die Hard being one.”
“Have you even watched Die Hard?”
He crosses his arms. “I’ve watched it.”
“Then you should know that it takes place at a Christmas Eve party at Nakatomi Plaza, and the party includes various Christmas decorations, including a large tree. John McClane even wears a Santa hat. And he sends the body of a terrorist down an elevator wearing a Santa hat and writes ‘Ho ho ho’ on his shirt. Not technically Santa, but I’m counting it.
Check, check, and check.” I cross my arms over my chest, mirroring him.
“I said Santa, and that’s just two hats.”
“So, you wanna play it that way?” I crack my knuckles.
“Here’s a list of movies off the top of my head that don’t have Santa but are traditionally thought of as Christmas movies: Scrooged, White Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Love Actually, It’s a Wonderful Life, Krampus, and Home Alone. ”
“There’s no fucking way all that’s accurate. White Christmas and Grinch have Christmas in the title, and It’s a Wonderful Life is a well-established classic. I’d hardly call Krampus a classic. I’ve never seen Scrooged, and I think there’s a similar debate about Home Alone being a holiday movie.”
“Never seen Scrooged? Besides Christmas Vacation and Elf, it’s in the top three for me.”
He shrugs. “I was always out on calls or at the station.”
“Don’t you guys watch TV in your downtime?”
“I liked to read so I could be alone. The TV room at the firehouse was always full of people.”
“Hardy, we have to remedy this. But not tonight, because I actually want you to watch Scrooged.”
“Are we not going to watch Die Hard?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I figured we’d start it and see what happens from there, but I gotta be honest, this whole conversation has shaken me to my core.
” I try to stifle a laugh. “I’m not sure I can continue this tryst. It’s a shame because I was really looking forward to you meeting Righty.
” I place a palm to my chest in mock astonishment.
He grabs my hand and pulls me against him, lying back on the couch as I balance on his broad chest. His other hand slides up and holds my cheek as he pulls my mouth to his.
Fuck John McClane, I want to yippee-ki-yay this mother fucker.
Or would that make him the mother fucker, since I’m the mother in this scenario?
“Whatcha thinking about?” he says as he comes up for air. I blink down at him. “Fine, it’s a Christmas movie. Now stop overthinking and kiss me.”
His hands are everywhere, groping my ass, my hips, my back. My senses are on overload as his scent surrounds me. Pine, bergamot, and something smoky.
Our movements are frenzied as we hurry to undress each other. I tug his shirt over his head while he slides his hands up my torso, forcing me to lift my arms as he removes my shirt.
I sit up and make a show out of slowly undoing my bra, letting the straps fall off my shoulders as my hair cascades around my face. His cock hardens beneath me and he pushes it against me, growing impatient. He sits up, gripping my waist as his thumbs trace circles on my stomach.
Holding my bra up with one hand, I push him onto his back with the other as I rub against his erection.
“Fuck, Bella. What are you doing to me?”
“Making you work for it.”
“Tell me what I can do.”
“You can be a good boy and beg for me.”
“I want it. Need to be inside of you so fucking bad. Need to feel how wet you are for me. Want to feel you squeezing around me. Want to see how you look when you come. And I swear to God, if you don’t let me see those perfect fucking breasts, I’m going to lose my mind.”
His hips continue thrusting underneath me as I slide my hand under the cups of my bra, covering my breasts with my arm as I hold the bra up with my free hand. “But you didn’t say the one word I wanted most.”
“Please. I will do anything you want. I have never wanted anything more in my goddamn life.”
“So obedient.” I toss the bra down next to me, nearly knocking over one of the cups of hot chocolate on the table.
“Shit.” I lean over with fumbling hands and catch the mug before it makes a mess.
“Well, that wasn’t quite the sexy reveal I was going for.
” I laugh, trying to cover Righty with the mug.
Hardy dips his pointer finger in the hot chocolate, coating it in whipped cream, then swipes it on my exposed nipple. I lower the cup slightly, revealing myself fully, and he repeats the gesture on the other side, before he takes the cup from my hands and sets it on the table.
And then he feasts like a man starved. Look, I enjoy some good nipple play as much as the next girl, but holy fuck, the things this man can do with his tongue.
First, it’s soft as it licks gently, lapping up the cream, and then he stiffens the tip and pushes it harder against my flesh.
I’m foaming at the mouth by the time he pulls a nipple between his lips.
Then he’s sucking, and nipping, and flicking, oh my!
And when he’s satisfied that he’s cleaned Lefty, he addresses Righty.
“Nice to meet you,” he whispers against my flesh.
“Oh my God, did you just introduce yourself to my boob?” My head falls back in laughter, and I can feel the vibrations from his chuckle against my skin.
“I just wanted Righty to know that I appreciate her as much as her sister. Don’t need her developing a complex since I don’t see her as often.”
Fuck, I think I’m in love with this man. He gets me. My heart, my humor, my dirty jokes. But I don’t have much time to dwell on that thought before he is lavishing my nipple with attention.
“Oh God, yes, right there. Keep doing whatever you’re doing with that magic tongue,” I whine as my hips buck against him. My orgasm hits quickly and unexpectedly and I cry out, threading my hands through his hair, holding him against my breast.
“I love how you sound when you come. When we don’t have to be quiet and sneak around. But I won’t be satisfied until you’re screaming out my name.”