Chapter 34 #2
“Of course there’s hot chocolate in it for you.” I flash him a conspiratorial wink. “My mother puts peppermint schnapps in it. Best thing ever to warm up after being out in the cold.”
We finish our dinner, talking and laughing, and after packing up the leftovers, we adjourn to the couch, each with our third glass of wine.
The two of us curl on the couch, next to the silently flickering flames in the electric fireplace. He wraps his arms around me, and I lean back against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body.
Outside, the flurries from earlier have turned into a full-blown blizzard. It’s dark, but New York City is never truly dark; the snowflakes are illuminated by streetlights and the glow from the buildings. They’re falling thick and fast. It’s going to be a white Christmas.
I turn to look at Reed, who is watching the fire. The Christmas tree lights are shining in his eyes as he meets my gaze.
“This is everything I ever need,” he murmurs.
“Really?”
He nods, breathing out quietly in contentment. “Yes. Really.”
I press my head against his chest, closing my eyes for a moment and listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Then I get to my feet.
“I still have one more surprise for you,” I tell him, glancing over my shoulder.
He sits up, one eyebrow raised. “Do you, now?”
“I do. I know it’s not traditional to give gifts before Christmas day, but…”
“Color me intrigued,” he says, his tone teasing.
“Wait there.”
I slip down the hallway, vanishing into my bedroom and closing the door behind myself, just in case he gets too curious and decides to take a peek.
On my bed, tied with a ribbon, is the box I ordered online a few days ago—a holiday lingerie set, red and silky and lined with white fur. I slip the pieces on, my fingers a little clumsy with anticipation, then turn to study myself in the mirror.
It fits perfectly. The red lace molds to my curves, and the little white fur trim is somehow both ridiculous and exactly what I was going for. I run my fingers through my hair and watch a small smirk creep across my reflection’s lips.
I take a slow breath. Tonight, I’m pushing every insecurity I have right out of my head. I want this day to feel special for him, for both of us. He deserves a Christmas that means more than another date on a calendar, and I’m going to give him one if it kills me.
My pulse is pounding. I drain the last of the wine in my glass for a little extra courage, switch off the bedroom light, and pad back down the hallway.
I clear my throat as I step into the living room.
Reed looks up—and his whole face changes.
His jaw goes slack. His eyes widen, then drag down my body so slowly that I can feel it like a touch, lingering on every inch of red lace and bare skin before they make their way back up to my face.
He blinks at me, like he’s trying to make sure I’m actually there.
His reaction gives me a surge of confidence, and I take another step into the room.
“Where did you…” His voice is barely there as he swallows. “Where did you even get that?”
I shrug one shoulder, swaying my hips a little just to watch his attention follow the motion. The wine and the heat of his gaze are making me feel a little drunk. “Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding?” He shakes his head, his expression hungry. “You look incredible. When you said you had a gift for me, this is—this is not what I was expecting.”
A flush spreads over my face. I take another step toward him, then stop as my hand drifts to the fur trim at my hip.
“You don’t think it’s too much? With the fur, and the—”
“Liv. It’s hot as hell.” His voice drops, and he leans forward on the couch, one long arm reaching out for me. “Come here.”
But on a whim, I take a step back instead. His brows lift in surprise, and a slow grin pulls at his mouth as his arm hangs there in the air between us.
“You’re a fucking tease, you know that?”
I bite my lip, my heart thudding. I take another small step backward, just out of his reach. “I’m not done showing you your gift yet.”
His grin widens. He leans back against the couch with deliberate, exaggerated patience, one arm draping along the back cushions, watching me. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, baby. I’m only human.”
My pussy clenches at the promise in his words, and I let out a breathy laugh as I cross to the coffee table.
My fingers are clumsier than they should be as I pick up my phone and connect it to the speakers—I can feel him watching me from across the room, and the awareness of his attention has my pulse climbing.
I pull up a Christmas playlist, something with warm brass and a pretty piano line, and when I turn back to face Reed, he hasn’t moved.
His arm is still draped along the cushions like he’s pretending to be calm, but the bounce of his thigh and the heat in his expression give him away.
I bite the inside of my lip and start to move with the music, my hips rocking slow in time to the rhythm.
A groan rumbles in his chest. He sinks deeper into the cushions, one hand dragging down his face. “Fuck, Liv. You’re going to kill me.”
The way he says my name makes my nipples go hard.
I let my hands slide up my sides, then up through my hair, and his eyes track every movement.
When I cup my breasts through the lace, he hisses a breath between his teeth and leans forward, elbows on his knees, his focus locked on me as if he can’t look anywhere else.
“You’re driving me out of my mind,” he murmurs, watching as I tease my nipples. “If you’re not going to let me touch you, at least give me a strip tease.”
My stomach flutters at the request, but I keep moving with the music. A few months ago, the idea of giving a strip tease would have made me too shy to breathe. But the way he’s looking at me right now—as if nothing else in the room exists—makes me want to draw this out.
I hook my thumbs under the straps of the top and slide them slowly off my shoulders, one at a time. Reed’s breath audibly catches, his hands tightening into fists like he has to physically stop himself from reaching for me.
“That’s it,” he praises. “Keep going.”
I do, moving with the music as I slowly pull the top off entirely. My already hard nipples tighten the second the air hits them, and I cup my breasts again, pinching the little buds lightly. A soft, breathy sound slips past my lips as pleasure shoots through me, and his eyes go even darker.
“God.” His voice is strangled. “You should see how hard I am right now.”
The idea of him aching and hard just from watching me like this makes heat curl low in my stomach. I let my hand drift down my own stomach as I keep moving, my breath uneven. “Then let me see. Strip for me too.”
He shakes his head, a smirk quirking the corners of his mouth, but his hands stay right where they are. “Not yet, baby. You started this, and I’m having too much fun watching you.”
The sincerity in his voice makes me grin, and then I moan as my fingers drift down even further.
He’s still talking, saying something low and dirty I can barely focus on past the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, and I dance another step closer, then twist back when he reaches for me.
His frustrated groan turns into a laugh that has me laughing too, turned on and breathless.
“Fuck,” he rasps. His jaw works, his eyes so dark that the amber flecks stand out even more. “Please, baby. I need more. I want you naked, with your hands between your legs. Now.”
His desperate words have almost more of an effect on me than his hands would have.
I slide the rest of the outfit off, twirling the panties once around my finger before tossing them lightly to him.
He catches them and presses them briefly to his face, inhaling, then drops them on the couch beside him, looking like his control is a heartbeat away from snapping.
When I bring my hand down between my legs, I’m not surprised to find that my pussy lips are already slick with arousal. Dancing for Reed, seeing how crazy I’m driving him, is really doing it for me.
“Reed.” My voice is breathless as I slide two fingers into my pussy. “I’m so wet.”
“Fuck. I need to feel it.” His voice is tight. “Come here.”
The way he says it tugs at something low in my stomach. I close the last few feet between us, and his hands are on me before I’ve fully closed the distance, pulling me down to straddle his lap.
His palms slide up the backs of my thighs, moving around to grip my ass.
I settle my knees on either side of his hips, and the hard line of his cock pressing up against me through his pants makes a fresh gush of wetness seep from me.
Before I can stop myself, I grind against him, seeking more pressure against my needy clit.
“Christ,” he bites out. “You’re such a dirty girl, Liv. Riding me through my clothes like you can’t wait.”
I roll my hips again, getting friction right where I need it. “I can’t. God, Reed—”
His hands tighten on my hips, pulling me down harder. His mouth crashes against mine, the kiss urgent and messy, as I thread my fingers through his hair and keep rocking on him, my breasts pressed against his chest.
He groans against my mouth, then his hand slides between us. His fingers brush across the front of his pants where I’ve been grinding against him, and he pulls back to look down. A sinful grin pulls at his mouth.
“You’re soaking through my pants.”
My eyes widen, and I start to pull back a little. “Oh shit! Sorry—”
“Don’t be.” He bands his arms around me, keeping me from scrambling off his lap. “Look what you’re doing to me.”
I glance down. There’s a dark, damp patch on the front of his pants where I’ve been grinding against him, and the sight sends a zap of heat through my body.
“That’s so fucking hot,” Reed growls, mirroring my own thoughts. Because as filthy—and slightly embarrassing—as it is, something about it turns me on too.
“Reed, please.” My voice comes out shaky. “I need you.”