Chapter 46
PAUL
I was walking around the Birchbrook green trying not to be antisocial.
But everyone wanted a piece of the gorgeous woman by my side, and I just wanted her all to myself.
I kept physical contact with her as we talked to our relations and friends and neighbours, enjoying the feel of my arm around her or how warm her hand felt in mine or the way she giggled every time I sneaked a quick cheeky kiss.
She was wearing a short cream faux fur jacket that suited her perfectly and made her feel like my own personal teddy bear to squeeze.
She seemed so light tonight – smiling and blushing when our eyes caught and leaning against me like she too wanted to touch me as much as possible.
It was like a dream having her back here. I had kept telling myself not to hope for it and be happy without her but now she was here, I knew I’d been kidding myself. I couldn’t not hope for this. And yeah, I could be happy without her but I was so much happier by her side.
Mum and Dad refused to let me back in the café van. They handed us Holly’s hot chocolates in takeaway cups and a gingerbread muffin each and waved us away, telling us to mingle and not work for the rest of the night.
We went to see Holly’s mum’s stall and when Holly wasn’t looking, I bought her an infinity necklace, slipping it into my pocket ready to give her at Christmas.
It seemed to say everything I wanted to.
Holly got a bracelet for her friend Georgia that matched her snowflake one as Georgia had loved it.
Then we stopped by Daisy’s and Mary’s flower stall and Holly picked up a poinsettia plant.
At the antiques stall run by Daisy’s husband Blake, she bought a vintage photo frame for her mum, telling me she’d put a photo of the two of them in it.
We put money in the bucket for the school choir and bought a selection of chocolates from the sweet shop stall.
Then we reached Elliot and Lewis.
‘It’s nice to have you back, Holly. You’ve put a big smile on this guy’s face,’ Elliot said.
‘Yeah yeah,’ I said, but I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
‘It’s nice to see you both so happy. We’re heading off now,’ Lewis said as he wrapped an arm around his husband.
‘What about the pub?’ I asked.
‘You really want to come to the pub?’ Elliot said with a grin.
I looked at Holly then back at them. ‘Yeah, definitely not. I’ll call you.’ They hugged us then headed off. I took Holly’s hand and leaned in. ‘Can we get out of here too now? Let’s just sneak off…’
‘That’s very naughty; what will people say?’ she said with a grin. ‘I love it, let’s go.’
I chuckled. She was a girl after my own heart.
We weaved through the crowd, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else, and when we reached the edge of the green, I pulled her into a jog with me towards the café.
Her hair billowed out behind her and she laughed as we raced away from the crowd towards the quiet café, its lights beckoning us like they knew we needed to be alone.
I unlocked the café and ushered her in, closing the door quickly behind us and then I tugged her towards the stairs and up to my apartment. Once there, I breathed out a sigh of relief, closing the door behind us.
‘Now you have me to yourself, what are you going to do with me?’ Holly asked me, her eyes twinkling as she slipped out of her jacket. I’d left one lamp on in the living room so the light was dim and romantic in here. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold.
‘Want to tell me everything that happened when you left?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, but I need to kiss you first,’ Holly said. ‘I won’t be able to think straight otherwise. And I’m freezing…’ She gave me a suggestive look that made me twitch inside my jeans in anticipation.
‘Hmm, you do look like you need warming up,’ I agreed.
She nodded eagerly. ‘How will you do that, though?’
‘I know the perfect place…’ I held out my hand and she took it eagerly as I led her into my bedroom.
‘My cosy place,’ she said with a smile that warmed my heart.
‘It’s yours if you want it to be,’ I said as I cupped her cheek and leaned down to brush her perfect lips with mine. ‘You can stay whenever you like. Actually, maybe you should leave the farm and sleep here instead. Just to keep you warm, of course.’
‘Ah, yes, it’s only for health reasons?’ she purred back at me, smiling.
‘There would be no benefit for me,’ I joked.
This time, she kissed me. ‘I think I could provide a few benefits, though,’ she whispered as she reached for the zip of my jumper and started to pull it down.
She then slipped it off my shoulders, revealing the buttoned long-sleeved top I had on underneath.
‘Did you wish I was in your bed while I was away?’ she asked as she tucked her fingers under the hem and raised a questioning eyebrow.
‘Every day and every night,’ I replied easily. ‘Did you miss it here?’ I asked, lifting my arms up so she could pull my top off, leaving my chest bare. But under her darkening eyes, I wasn’t cold.
‘Yes. And I missed you,’ she replied just as easily, making me smile. She reached for her jumper and tugged it off. I drank in her lacy red bra hungrily. ‘Did you miss me?’
‘A crazy amount,’ I said, pulling her close. She was too far away for my liking. My mouth met hers eagerly as I ran my hands over her smooth back. My body instantly responded to touching hers. I was already desperate to be naked with her.
Holly clearly had the same idea as she eagerly reached for my jeans, unbuttoning them and giving me sweet release from the tightness. She smiled at how turned on I was. ‘I can see that,’ she said with an arched eyebrow.
I spun her around, making her giggle in surprise. I liked surprising her. Leaning in, I kissed her exposed neck softly, earning myself a rewarding sigh from her pretty lips. ‘I want you naked in my arms,’ I murmured into her ear.
Her breath hitched. ‘I want that too.’
‘Thank God.’ I reached down to unbutton her jeans from behind and she wriggled out of them, granting me a great view of her bum. I slipped mine off too and saw that I was straining out of my boxers. ‘Look what you do to me.’
She looked over her shoulder as I pulled her against me, enjoying the feel of her soft bare skin, and her matching lacy knickers and bra. ‘You do the same to me,’ she said huskily.
I kissed her, holding her tight against me and with my free hand, I touched her delicate collarbone and chest, sliding over that sexy bra down to her stomach and then I slipped my fingers into her underwear.
Then she let her body flop against me as I touched her, her breath coming out in gasps as I felt just how ready she was for me.
‘So wet for me,’ I whispered into her ear, loving that she was equally into this as I was. I pressed myself into her back, needing the contact.
‘My God, Paul,’ Holly moaned out then, clutching onto me as her body started to tremble under my touch.
She turned her face over her shoulder again and I met her lips eagerly as I carried on stroking her, my tongue caressing hers as she sighed into my mouth.
Her whole body tensed up then and she cried out, holding on to me as she shuddered beneath my fingers.
I held her tightly as she let out breathless gasps, driving me completely crazy.
‘Fuck, I love making you come,’ I breathed into her ear as she giggled from her release in the cutest way. ‘I want you so much.’
‘How do you want me?’ she asked me softly.
‘I want to look in your eyes now.’
Holly turned around slowly and then she slipped her underwear down, tossing them off with her foot. She reached behind to unhook her bra letting it fall to the floor. ‘Do you like what you see?’
‘You’re stunning, Hols.’
Then she surprised the hell out of me by kneeling on the floor in front of me. She slipped her fingertips into my boxers this time, pulling them down my legs as my breath hitched from being released. I stepped out of them and she slid her hands up my thighs. ‘You look amazing down there.’
She pulled me slowly into her mouth and I thought I’d lose my mind. I ran my fingers through her hair. ‘Jesus, Holly,’ I breathed, watching her look up at me. ‘You look so hot doing that.’
She moaned against me and I couldn’t wait a second longer. ‘I need to be inside you now.’ I gave her hair a gentle tug, loving how silky it was in my hands. She climbed up off the floor, her lips that had felt incredible around me curving into a sweet smile. ‘Will you get on the bed for me?’
‘I’m on the pill if you want to…’ She trailed off shyly. ‘I’m always careful.’
‘Me too. You really want me to?’ I checked.
‘Please, Paul.’
God, hearing her plead like that drove me insane.
‘You have no idea how sexy you are,’ I said, looking down.
Holly lay on the bed, her body stretched out so I could see her gorgeous lines and curves.
Her hair was tousled, her chest rising with breaths that still came as fast as my own.
She bit her lip as I stood by the bed and ran a hand down her leg.
‘I’ll remember this forever, sweetheart,’ I promised.
‘Me too,’ she purred back. ‘Come here, please,’ she pleaded again.
I got onto the bed and leaned over her, stroking her hair as I kissed her again. It had been a dream once to kiss her, now I didn’t want to ever stop. Settling between her legs, I slid inside her, making us both gasp at the contact.
‘Fuck, you feel incredible,’ I said, unable to believe it could be even better than last time. But it was. ‘I’m not sure I’m going to last long,’ I gasped out as we moved slowly, relishing every burst of friction between us.
‘Same,’ she replied. She lifted her head then to whisper in my ear. ‘Am I yours?’
I looked into her eyes and held her tightly against me. ‘You have always been mine,’ I whispered back.