Chapter 20
Twenty
Chase
Christmas
The cabin smells like vanilla and cinnamon, and I'm pretty sure I have flour in places flour should never be.
"How did you get it in your hair?" Paisley asks, laughing as she reaches up to brush it out.
"I don't know. It just happened." I look down at the counter, which is covered in cookie cutouts and icing in about six different colors. "I thought cookies were supposed to be simple."
"They are simple. You're just..." she pauses, grinning, "special."
"Thanks." I reach over, smacking my palm against her ass.
"You're welcome."
We've been at this for hours. Making sugar cookies shaped like trees and stars and reindeer. Watching Christmas movies that Paisley found tucked away in the closet in the room she used to sleep in. We've been drinking hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps.
It's the best Christmas I've had in years.
"Okay, taste test." Paisley holds up a star cookie with green icing and red sprinkles. "Open."
I obey, and she pops the cookie in my mouth. It's sweet and buttery and melts against my tongue. "Good."
"Just good?"
"Really good."
"Better." She takes a bite of her own cookie, and a sprinkle sticks to her bottom lip. Without thinking, I reach over and brush it away with my thumb.
Her eyes meet mine, and the air between us shifts. It's been doing that a lot lately. These moments where everything else fades away and it's just us, standing too close, looking at each other like we're both trying to memorize what we see.
I lean forward and take the kiss I want. Like I have the right to do it.
"Chase," she says softly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For this. For making today special."
"You made it special," I tell her. "I would've just sat here and pretended it was any other day."
"Well, that's sad."
"It is what it is."
She reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Not anymore."
We finish the cookies and clean up the kitchen, though there's still flour everywhere.
Then we settle on the couch with a movie, some rom-com I've never seen, but Paisley swears is amazing.
I pretend to complain, but really, I don't care what we watch as long as she's curled up next to me, her head on my shoulder, her hand resting on my chest.
As the sun starts to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, I get excited about the gift I have for her.
"Hey," I say, sitting up. "I have something for you."
She looks at me, surprised. "You do?"
"Yeah. But you gotta bundle up. We have to go outside."
"Outside? Chase, it's freezing."
"I know. Trust me?"
She studies me for a moment, then nods. "Okay."
We layer up, putting on coats, scarves, gloves, and masks to cover our faces. Biscuit watches us from her spot on the back of the couch, clearly thinking we've lost our minds. When we step outside, the cold hits like a slap, but the sky is clear and filled with stars.
"Come on." I take her hand and lead her away from the cabin, toward the ridge that overlooks the valley.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
The snow crunches under our boots as we walk. Our breath fogs in the air. When we reach the ridge, I stop and point up.
"Look."
At first, she doesn't see it. But then the sky shifts, and the Northern Lights appear. Green and blue and purple, dancing across the darkness like ribbons of color.
Paisley gasps. "Oh my God."
"Have you ever seen them before?"
"Never." Her voice is filled with wonder. "Chase, this is..."
"I know." I can still remember the first time I saw them, it was like seeing the magic of the world in person.
We stand there, watching the lights move and shift. She leans against me, and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close.
"Thank you," she whispers. "For showing me this."
"Merry Christmas, Paisley."
"Merry Christmas."
We stay until the cold becomes too much, then make our way back to the cabin. Once inside, I'm about to head to the fireplace to warm up when Paisley stops me.
"Wait. I have something for you too."
She goes to the bedroom and comes back wearing a bow wrapped around her breasts. "It's not much, but..."
I grin, surprised. "You didn't have to get me anything, but I'm really glad you did."
"I wanted to."
I pull the ribbon, and she shivers. We're standing close, too close, and when I look at her, all I can think about is how much I want to kiss her. How much I want more than a kiss.
"We should warm up," she says, her voice a little breathless.
"Shower?"
"Yeah."
In the bathroom, she gets me out of my layers of clothing, and I finish taking her bow off. When we're both under the spray of hot water, I pull her against me, and she comes willingly.
"Chase," she breathes against my mouth.
"Yeah?"
"I want you."
"You have me."
When I have her pressed up against the wall of the shower, my mouth on hers, my cock inside her body, pressing my length into her, she gasps.
We thrust and grind against each other, our sounds echoing off the enclosed space.
I show her exactly how much she has me, taking my time, loving every sound she makes, touching every spot that makes her gasp.
The water runs cold before we're done, but neither of us cares.
Later, wrapped in towels and curled up together in bed, she traces patterns on my chest.
"Best Christmas ever," she murmurs.
"Yeah," I agree, pressing a kiss to her hair. "It really is."