Chapter 6 Holly
Holly
My rugged mountain man set me down just inside the bedroom, his hands immediately framing my face as he kissed me with devastating thoroughness. This kiss was different—deeper, more urgent, full of promise and need and the weight of everything we'd confessed.
I could taste the love on his lips, could feel it in the reverent way his hands moved over me.
When he finally pulled back, we were both breathless.
His fingers were careful as he lifted the sweater over my head.
His eyes darkened as he took in the lace bra I wore, his hands tracing my shoulders, the curve of my collarbones.
He made a sound low in his throat, his hands moving to my jeans, working them open with careful precision. When he slid them down my legs, I kicked them aside, standing before him in just my underwear.
"Christ, Holly." His voice was strained. "You're perfect."
I reached for his belt. "So are you."
We undressed each other slowly, taking time to explore, to worship. When we were both naked, he lifted me onto the bed, settling over me with careful control.
"I love you," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"I love you too."
When he kissed me this time, it was with tenderness that brought tears to my eyes. His hands moved over me slowly, calloused fingers tracing every curve, every sensitive spot. When his mouth followed the path his hands had traced, I thought I might die from the pleasure of it.
He lavished attention on my breasts first, his tongue circling my nipples until they were tight peaks, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh just hard enough to make me gasp. Then he moved lower, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my stomach, his stubble scraping deliciously against my skin.
"Riley, please..." I was already trembling, my hands fisted in the sheets.
"Not yet," he murmured against my hip bone, his breath hot against my skin. "I want to taste every inch of you first. I want to make you fall apart with just my mouth."
When his tongue first touched me, I cried out, my back arching off the bed. He groaned against me, the vibration making me writhe beneath him.
"Fuck, Holly. You taste incredible," he said roughly, before diving back in with renewed hunger.
He was merciless, his tongue alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on my clit, his fingers joining his mouth to stretch and fill me. I was gasping, pleading, my thighs trembling as he drove me higher and higher.
"Look at me," he commanded, his voice rough with desire. "I want to see your face when you come on my tongue."
I forced my eyes open, meeting his intense blue gaze as he sucked hard on my clit. The sight of him between my legs, the fierce possessiveness in his eyes, sent me over the edge.
"Riley!" I screamed his name as pleasure crashed over me in waves, my body convulsing around his fingers.
He didn't stop, working me through the aftershocks until I was oversensitive and pushing at his shoulders. When he finally lifted his head, his lips were glistening, his eyes dark with satisfaction.
"Beautiful," he said, pressing a soft kiss to my inner thigh. "Absolutely fucking beautiful."
Before I could catch my breath, he was kissing his way back up my body, settling between my thighs. I could taste myself on his lips when he kissed me, could feel how hard he was pressing against me.
"Are you ready for me?" he asked, the thick head of his cock nudging my entrance.
"God, yes. Please, Riley. I need you inside me."
He entered me in one slow, deliberate thrust, both of us groaning at the sensation. He was big, stretching me perfectly, filling me completely.
"Fuck," he breathed when he was fully seated, his forehead resting against mine. "You feel incredible. So tight, so perfect."
"More," I demanded, wrapping my legs around his waist, my heels digging into his ass.
He began to thrust then, slow and deep, each movement deliberate and controlled. But I could see the strain in his face, the way his muscles tensed as he held himself back.
"Harder," I whispered against his ear, biting down on his earlobe. "I won't break."
His pace increased, his thrusts becoming more demanding, more possessive "Is this what you want?" he growled, his hand tangling in my hair, pulling my head back so he could access my throat. "You want me to fuck you hard?"
"Yes," I gasped, my nails digging into his shoulders. "Yes, exactly like that."
He shifted angle slightly, hitting that perfect spot inside me with every thrust. I was climbing toward another peak, my body tightening around him.
"Touch yourself," he commanded, his voice rough. "I want to feel you come on my cock."
I reached between us, my fingers finding my clit. The sensation was almost too much—his thick length sliding in and out of me while I rubbed tight circles on the sensitive bundle of nerves.
"That's it," he encouraged, his thrusts becoming more erratic. "Come for me, Holly. I want to feel you squeeze my cock when you come."
I shattered around him, my orgasm ripping through me with an intensity that left me seeing stars. My inner muscles clenched around him rhythmically, and he cursed, his control finally breaking.
"Fuck, I can't... Holly, I'm going to..."
"Come inside me," I whispered fiercely. "I want to feel you."
He buried himself deep with a final, powerful thrust, his release triggering another wave of pleasure in me. He groaned my name against my neck, his body shaking as he emptied himself inside me.
We stayed locked together for long moments afterward, both trembling, both changed by the intensity of what we'd shared.
We dozed for a while, wrapped in each other's arms. When we finally stirred, the sun was setting.
"What time is it?" I asked sleepily.
Riley reached for his phone. "Six-thirty. We should get dressed if we want to make the town meeting."
"Do we have to go?"
"Don't you want to know if we won?"
I considered this, running my fingers over his chest. "I already won. I won the moment you told me you loved me."
"Holly..." His voice was thick with emotion.
"But yes, we should go. If only to see everyone's faces when they announce our victory."
"Pretty confident, aren't you?"
"In us? Always."
We dressed slowly, stealing kisses, neither wanting to break the bubble of intimacy we'd created. When we were ready, Riley pulled me close for one more kiss.
"Whatever happens tonight," he said, "we did something beautiful together."
"I know." I smiled up at him. "And this is just the beginning."
Hand in hand, we walked out into the crisp evening air, ready to face whatever came next. Because we'd already won the only prize that really mattered.
We'd found each other.
The town hall was packed, every seat taken. As we entered, conversations quieted, all eyes turning to us. Some looked curious, others supportive. A few looked decidedly unhappy.
"There they are," Margaret Fitzgerald called from the front. "Ms. LaBelle, Mr. Knapp, please come forward."
My heart pounded as we made our way to the front, Riley's hand steady in mine. Whatever happened next, we'd face it together.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Margaret said, her voice carrying through the room, "this year's competition was one of our most challenging yet. We had twelve outstanding entries, each showing creativity, technical skill, and Christmas spirit."
The tension was palpable. I could feel Riley's thumb tracing circles on my hand, could see anticipation on faces throughout the crowd.
"However, one display stood out above all others. Not just for its beauty, but for its meaning. For the way it honored memory while celebrating hope."
My breath caught. Riley's hand tightened on mine.
"The winner of this year's Christmas Display Competition, with a unanimous decision from our judges, is Holly LaBelle and Riley Knapp, for their Memorial Star Display."
The room erupted in applause, people rising to their feet. I felt tears streaming down my face as Riley pulled me into his arms, spinning me around as the crowd cheered.
We'd done it. We'd actually done it.
When he set me down, his eyes were bright with unshed tears. "We won," he said, like he couldn't believe it.
"We won," I agreed, then kissed him thoroughly, not caring who was watching.
As the crowd began to settle, I caught sight of Rick Sweeney near the back of the room.
His face was flushed red, jaw clenched tight as he watched people congratulate us.
When our eyes met across the room, he shook his head in disgust and pushed through the crowd toward the exit, shoving past an elderly couple in his haste to leave.
"Good riddance," Riley muttered, having followed my gaze. His arm tightened protectively around my waist.
The rest of the evening passed in congratulations and handshakes, people thanking us for honoring the fallen. By the time we made it back to the cabin, I was emotionally exhausted.
"I can't believe it's over," I said as we walked through the door.
"It's not over." Riley pulled me into his arms, expression serious. "Holly, there's something I need to tell you."
My heart clenched. "What?"
“Our future." His eyes were serious, intense. "I want to build a life with you, Holly. Here, in this place that means everything to both of us. Will you stay? Will you let me love you for the rest of my life?"
I could barely speak around the emotion clogging my throat. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"
"I'm asking you to think about forever. About staying, about us, about everything we could build together."
I thought about my life in Vancouver, about the business that barely kept me afloat, about the apartment that never felt like home. Then I thought about these past days with Riley, about the way we worked together, about the feeling of belonging I'd found in his arms.
"I don't need to think about it," I said. "Yes. To all of it. To staying, to building a life together, to forever."
His smile was radiant. "Really?"
"Really. I love you, Riley Knapp. And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much."
When he kissed me this time, it was with the promise of forever, with the certainty of two people who'd found their home in each other.
Outside, our memorial display glowed softly in the darkness, stars of light honoring the fallen while celebrating the love that had brought us together.
Some Christmas miracles, I thought as Riley carried me back to bed, happen in an instant and last forever.
This was definitely one of them.