Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Aaron
Colin’s still in his room changing when there’s a knock on the door. I exchange a look with my mom. We all know it’s Amelia, and I glance at Jenna, concerned about how this will go after drop off.
But Jenna just smiles up at me. “I’ll stay in here. Unless I need to hide in the closet?”
Grinning, I shake my head. “Here’s good. I’ll grab the door. Mom, can you get Colin’s things together for him?”
“Of course,” she says and stands, moving to do what I ask.
With one last glance at Jenna, who returns my look with a reassuring smile, I head to answer the door.
Amelia looks up at me, a tentative smile on her face. “How’d it go?”
“Good! He’s just changing into his new PJs, but he’ll be out in just a second. He asked if he could have some carrots to leave for the reindeer too, so I have a little baggie of those.”
She chuckles. “Thanks. He was worried earlier when I said I didn’t have any.”
I shrug. “He cares about animals.”
“He must get that from you,” she says, gesturing behind her. “Growing up here, in the woods, caring for trees.” I hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Ducking her head, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Look, about earlier, I just wanted to apologize—”
“Apology accepted,” I cut in, not really wanting to get into what happened earlier again. “As long as there’s not a repeat, as far as I’m concerned, we can forget about it.”
She gives me a grateful smile. “Thanks, Aaron. You really are a good guy.”
I’m saved from responding to that with more than a grunt by Colin coming up. “Hey, Mom,” he says, and yeah, she has a point that his greetings for her are cooler than his for me. I still don’t think she can blame him—or me, and definitely not Jenna—for that, though.
“Hey, little man!” she says to him, her voice sounding overly cheerful even to me. “Did you have a nice Christmas Eve dinner with your dad?”
“Yup!” he answers, pulling on his boots and putting on his coat.
“Can I help you with anything?” she asks.
He shakes his head. “No. I’ve got it.”
“Okay. Well, if you change your mind …” She watches for a moment as he finishes zipping his coat, and I can see her holding herself back. She’s trying. And it’s not really her fault either that Colin reacts to her this way. She’s doing her best.
“Have fun with your mom, Colin,” I say, holding out a hand for a high five.
“I will!” he smiles at me, hits my hand as hard as he can, then hugs my hips. I hug him back, ruffling his hair.
“Here’s your backpack,” my mom says, handing it to Colin. “I put some carrots in a baggie inside for you too.” Then to Amelia, she asks, “He didn’t say anything about needing cookies, so I’m guessing you have those?”
Amelia nods, giving Mom a polite smile. “We made cookies yesterday, didn’t we, little man?”
Colin nods, then waves at my mom after putting his backpack on. “Thanks, Grandma!”
When Amelia holds out her hand to Colin, I hold my breath, waiting to see how he’ll respond. But I needn’t have worried. He takes it happily, and I hear him chattering away about dinner as I close the door.
“Well,” Mom says, letting out a sigh. “Pick up went better than drop off, at least.”
I sigh as well. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”
Chuckling, she gives me a kiss on the cheek and reaches for her own coat. “That seems like a bit of an overstatement, but it’s certainly a good thing. I’ll head out, though, and leave you and Jenna to enjoy the rest of your Christmas Eve together. I already packed up the leftovers for you.”
“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate all your help.”
She waves off my thanks. “My pleasure, as always. Let me know when you two are up and around tomorrow, and I’ll head over to help with Christmas dinner.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again, Mom.”
With a hug and another kiss on the cheek, she disappears, and I walk back to the living room, turning off lights behind me.
Jenna looks up from her phone, smiling at me and tucking it beneath her leg. “Did it go okay? I didn’t hear anyone yelling this time.”
I chuckle. “It went fine. Amelia apologized, and Colin went with her without a problem.”
“That’s good,” she murmurs.
I hum, moving in front of her and holding out my hand. “It is. But I’m tired, and I think you probably are too. Why don’t we go to bed.”
Her smile turns sultry as she places her hand in mine. “I hope you’re not too tired.”
Drawing her to her feet, I pull her close. “Not too tired, no.”
I kiss her, relishing the sweet taste of her lips, the way she presses up into me, her hands pressing into my shoulders, holding me as close as I’m holding her.
Threading my fingers through hers, I lead her to my room, closing the door behind her.
She looks around, taking in the space, and I pause a moment, trying to see it through her eyes—the framed black and white Ansel Adams posters of the trees in Yosemite and Redwoods National Park, the forest green of my comforter and the dark brown of the sheets peeking out from beneath it where I turned back the top of the comforter when I made my bed this morning, the dark wood furniture.
I turn on the bedside lamp and turn off the overhead light as she steps up to the bed, trailing a finger along the comforter. Turning, she faces me and sits on the edge of the bed, scooting back and smiling up at me when I approach her.
Once she’s fully on the bed, she holds up a hand to me, inviting me to join her. I don’t need more than that.
After spending the last several nights together, we’ve gotten more familiar with each other, and I know exactly what she needs from me—a slow build up, lots of kissing and touching, and then a hard and fast finish.
Undressing her piece by piece—and her returning the favor—I make love to her whole body with my mouth, starting at her lips and trailing my way down, making her come before entering her, though still taking care to keep things slow and sweet until I know she’s ready for more.
She comes a second time, the rhythmic squeeze of her orgasm sending me over the edge along with her.
Spent, I collapse next to her, pulling her close, keeping us connected for at least another minute or two before cleaning up. Kissing the top of her head, I whisper, “Merry Christmas.”
She chuckles. “Merry Christmas to you too.”