Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
BLAKE
I wake up to a single stream of sunlight cutting through falling snow from our bedroom window and the familiar weight of Damon’s arm draped across my waist.
And he’s still inside me.
Of course he is. I’m not complaining, but I do need to pee.
My head throbs too. It’s dull but painful enough to make my mind flash back to the chaos of the night before. I do my best to shake those images away, focusing on the warmth that spreads through me from being so completely close to Damon and knowing we get to have Christmas together today.
“Morning, Angel,” Damon’s voice rumbles against my neck, all warm and melty. It makes my skin tingle. “How’s your head?”
“Sore. But I’m okay.” I shift an inch and feel him twitch inside me. “Did you sleep at all?”
“Some.” His hand slides up to cup my breast through his shirt I’m wearing. “Mostly, I just watched you breathe.”
“So creepy, Freddy.”
He laughs, and his cock twitches again. “And I know you love it.”
I do. More than I want to think about too hard, pre-caffeine. “What time is it?”
He glances at the clock on the nightstand. “Almost noon.”
“Noon?” I try to sit up but he holds me in place. “Damon, we’re supposed to be at the Shea’s by three—”
“We have time.” He rocks his hips slowly, letting out a groan that has me tensing my core. “Besides, I’m not done with you yet.”
I bite back a moan of my own. “You were inside me all night.”
“And I could stay inside you all day.” His teeth graze my shoulder near my bee tattoo and I let a moan loose.
“Damon—” He rocks again, and slides his fingers down the length of my body until he’s teasing my clit. “Oh God.”
“You were saying?”
“Christmas.” He rubs slow, lazy circles and I can’t help it. I buck against him. “Christmas morning.”
“I can’t think of a better present than watching you come around my cock, Angel.”
“Damon, please…” I don’t even know what I’m begging for. Relief, release, anything. He knows exactly what he’s doing, keeping his pace slow. He wants me to be putty in his hands.
Another thrust… so deep. God, he feels so good. What the hell was I saying before about getting up?
And then suddenly he pulls out, and cool air touches my skin where his warm body was. “I guess you’re right though. We should get up and do the whole Christmas morning thing.”
I’m panting hard as I narrow my eyes at his smirking face. “Asshole.”
He chuckles. “Don’t hate me yet. I have presents.”
“I do like presents,” I say, still feeling too hot for my own good.
“Although,” he leans in close again, “you’ve already given me the best gift.”
I take in his messy bed head and the dark circles under his eyes. Keeping things light, I say, “You mean, not dying?”
“Not funny.”
“Come on… I think we can joke about it now.”
I laugh but then wince when it makes the throbbing in my head intensify. Damon immediately notices my grimace. “Ouch. No more laughing.”
“I’ll get you some Advil. Come on, let’s go sit by the tree.”
He helps me up, unnecessarily, but I let him because the room spins for a second when I stand.
We make our way downstairs, and I have to admit the view is worth leaving the comfort of our bed.
The Christmas tree is lit up in the corner, presents scattered beneath it, and snow is still falling outside the windows. It looks like a fucking Hallmark movie.
“Sit,” Damon orders, gesturing to the couch. “I’ll get you water and Advil. And coffee.”
“I can—”
“Sit, Blake. Let me play doctor today.”
I sit, pulling my favorite buffalo plaid blanket around myself.
I’m still only wearing his shirt and my underwear, and the house is chilly in that perfect Christmas morning way.
He returns a few minutes later with water, pills, and two steaming mugs.
I down the Advil gratefully and then wrap my hands around the coffee mug, inhaling the rich scent.
“Better?” he asks, settling beside me and pulling me against his side like he can’t stand even a foot of distance between us. He’s still somehow so warm without a shirt on.
“Getting there.” I take a sip and sigh against him. “Okay, let’s do this before I fall back asleep.”
“Me first.” He grabs a medium-sized gift bag and hands it to me, watching my face intently. “Open this one.”
I pull out tissue paper to reveal a gorgeous black leather medical bag. Definitely expensive, with my initials embossed on the front in gold.
“Damon.” My throat tightens. “This is—”
“I didn’t know you’d need a new one when I got it, but now you don’t have to worry about the one we left last night. I’ll get you all the tools and supplies you need to fill it too.”
I run my fingers over the smooth leather, the intricate stitching, and the brass hardware. “This is so beautiful. Thank you.”
“There’s more.”
He hands me an envelope next. Inside are two tickets—pit-level, to see My Chemical Romance next summer. If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d probably start jumping up and down.
“Oh my God.” I stare at the tickets, not believing what I’m seeing, then back at him. He has the cutest dimples and smile. “These must have cost a fortune… I can’t believe—”
“That doesn’t matter.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, trailing his fingers down my jaw before brushing a kiss there.
“I want to take you to see your favorite band. To see your face when they play “I’m Not Okay” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.” To see you lose your shit being that close, jumping around in the pit. ”
“But you hate crowds.”
“I love you more than I hate crowds.” I’m speechless. He’s outdone himself. He reaches for another gift and I don’t stop him. He’s too excited and it’s melting my heart. “This one’s more sentimental.”
I unwrap the silver paper, revealing a leather-bound book.
I open it carefully and reach for him. There’s page after page of photos.
Me studying at the hospital with my brow furrowed.
Me laughing with Bailey in our kitchen. Me sleeping peacefully in bed.
Me looking at him with an expression so full of love it makes my chest ache to see it reflected back.
“You took all of these?” Emotion clogs my throat.
“Yeah, I wanted you to see yourself how I see you.”
And the tears start to fall. “I love you. So much.”
“One more.” He stands and disappears into the spare room we have set up as an office.
I take another sip of my coffee and put the mug down, still staring in awe at my three perfect gifts.
Then I hear him moving something heavy. When he comes back in, he’s dragging something tall and large covered with a sheet.
“I didn’t think it would come in time, but it got delivered last night. ”
“What is it?”
He pulls the sheet away with a flourish.
It’s a skeleton.
I’ve had my eye on these… He must have known.
A full-size, vintage teaching skeleton, beautifully preserved, with joints that actually move and a slightly creepy permanent smile.
“Oh my God. Is it?” I’m on my feet, moving before I can get my thoughts out. “Where did you find this?”
“A private seller. I may have peeked at your browser history. Took me three months to find the perfect one and another month to have it restored properly and delivered.” He’s watching me with that intense look that makes me melt.
“I think it was before we moved in here, you said you wanted one for your future office one day and I… Do you like it?”
“I love her.” I run my fingers along one of the skeletal hands, examining the beautifully preserved carpals. “We need to name her.”
“How do you know it’s a female?”
I peer into her gaping orbital holes, and glance back to Damon. “She’s obviously a girl. Look at this gorgeous facial structure.” I circle her, taking in her symmetrical spinal column, each vertebrae perfectly aligned.
“You’re right. She’s from a medical college in the 60s, but I don’t know how old the bones are. Maybe we can dig and find out more.”
“We’re naming her Holly.”
“Holly?”
“It’s old-timey, it’s Christmas… Holly. I love her.” I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around Damon’s strong body. “You’re so thoughtful.”
“Holly’s going to look perfect when we get our Victorian dream home. She can watch over you when you’re in your office… That is, when I’m not in there with you.”
“Our house.” I hum a contented sigh. “With the stained glass windows and clawfoot tub and creaky floors. And Holly the skeleton watching over my office while I study. I can’t wait.”
He pulls me close, being careful of my head, and kisses me softly. “Merry Christmas, Angel.”
“Wait.” I push away from him, suddenly remembering. “You haven’t opened yours yet.”
I grab the three wrapped boxes I hid in the coat closet yesterday.
“This one first.” I hand him the largest one, barely containing my grin. He’s so going to hate me, but in the best way.
He tears into it and pulls out the ugliest Christmas sweater I could find—bright red and green with Freddy Krueger’s face on the front, complete with his razor glove and the words “Slashing Through the Snow” embroidered across the bottom.
Damon stares at it, blinking. “This is—”
“Hideous. And you’re wearing it to dinner tonight.”
“Blake—”
I laugh, knowing how much Jasper and Leon will roast him. “I need you to be festive! Don’t worry, I got one too.”
What I don’t mention is that mine is mostly black and decidedly not “ugly.”
Despite himself, he’s smiling and shaking his head. “Fine. But you’re explaining to everyone why I look like a holiday horror show.”
“It’ll be a gift to the whole family. Seeing you in a color that isn’t black.”
I’m one to talk. Before he can fight the inevitable any more I hand him the next present.
It’s smaller, just a simple envelope, but I’m barely containing my excitement. He opens it to find a gift certificate and appointment confirmation for the best car stereo place in the area.
“For the Chevelle.” I lean against him. “I know you’ve been wanting to upgrade the sound system so it can be even more obnoxiously loud.”