Page 46 of Decked Out with Ivy

She arched into him as he rubbed his thumb over the thin lace of her bra, feeling her nipple bead beneath his touch. He loved how reactive she was to him, how she curved toward him, begging for more without ever using words.

She hooked her fingers into the hem of her pajama shirt and pulled it over her head. Her chest rose and fell, heavy with her breathing. She reached for him, but he wanted to take her in and savor this moment. Firelight and Christmas lights glimmered across her skin, highlighting the sexy curve of her waist, the eager twist of her lips, and the white lace that covered her breasts.

He wanted to remember this moment—wrap it up tightly and store it in the back of his mind, so he could unwrap it any time he wanted.

When she reached for him, he went without hesitation, meeting her kiss with the need and desire coursing through his veins. Her fingers dove into his hair, pulling him close, moving beneath him and grinding against his growing erection.

“I need you,” she said, her mouth brushing his. She clawed at the waistband of his pants and fumbled with the button, managing to pop it open. Her hand slipped into his pants, and she took his cock into her palm. Her fingers curled around his rock-solid length, running up and down with a fevered frenzy that had him closing his eyes against the onslaught of pleasure. “Please,” she cried, devouring him in another kiss.

He shoved his pants down, kicking them to the side. Tearing his mouth from hers, he wrenched her pants down and tore them from her legs, adding them to the pile. He swallowed at the matching white lace panties that left little to the imagination.

Yanking the lace aside, he grabbed her thighs and tugged her to him. His tongue swiped at her clit. Her hands slammed into the floor, her body bowing into his mouth as he tasted her sweet heat.

Sex had always been a means to an end for him, searching for a moment of pleasure in a cold world, but with Ivy, he didn’t want this to end. He wanted to ride this wave with her, meeting her at the top, and crashing to earth together every single time.

Her legs jerked, her hands lacing into his hair, before her thighs pressed in on him. “Cody, please. Need. You. In me.”

He slashed his tongue across the swollen bundle of nerves and dragged his mouth up her body, pressing kisses along the way until they were face to face. Desire mixed with pure joy as her hand lifted to his cheek. He felt like their two souls connected, leaving little doubt in his mind that she was the one.

“Thank you for sharing Rudolph with me,” she said, and her words froze him in place. In the middle of riding a wave, she stopped to thank him. No one ever cared about anything other than what he could give them. No thank yous… just take, take, take, and here she was, using this moment to show him appreciation. Putting her own needs aside to do so.

He saw her heart through her eyes, saw a future and a love that would put every romance movie ever made to shame. He didn’t want to break from this moment. He wanted to stay here for eternity, basking in her beauty, both inner and outer. But her hand wrapped around his cock, swiping the tip through her slick heat.

“Condom,” he managed to say and went for his wallet, but she grabbed him, holding him in place.

“I’m on the pill. Please. I need you now.”

“I’m clean.”

“I trust you.”

He laced his fingers through hers, holding her arm above her head. She stroked him, guiding him, and he thrust. She cried out, and he moaned at the intensity of sensations rushing through him. She felt like heaven. She felt like home.

His fingers tightened around hers. Their lips came together, and their bodies moved as one, a beautiful dance of give and take.

It didn’t matter what movie role he got next and where that set would be. All that mattered was he had someone to come home to. Someone who knitted adorable Christmas sweaters, who wore ridiculous Santa hats, and who gave him the best present of all.

She gave him back Christmas.

Her muscles tightened around him, her breaths came in ragged gasps, and he kissed her harder as they both crested the wave of pleasure together.

Chapter 16

Muscles Ivy didn’t even know she had ached. Her lips felt swollen from their workout last night… the middle of the night and this morning. She was exhausted in the best way.

Ivy came to a stop outside her shop and glanced at the window, loving her display even if she didn’t come in first place. The news came in this morning, and for another year, Shay and Sweet Dreams Bakery snagged the gold. However, she received second, and she was thrilled.

Cody showed her how proud he was of her twice before he left for set. She thought about what he had said the night before. How he felt at home in Red Maple Falls. She didn’t know what that meant for their future, but for the first time since she started developing feelings for him, she was hopeful.

She didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but things were looking up. If Chase and Bex could make it work, there was no reason why they couldn’t. And it’s not like he’d be filming all the time. He’d have bouts of time where he was free to stay in Red Maple Falls until the next project.

A smile tugged at her lips as she walked into her shop and flipped the sign to open. She put her bag in the rear of the store and pulled out her knitting needles and yarn she was using to make Cody a sweater. It had been hard to work on it without him knowing, since they’d been spending so much time together, but if she was lucky, she’d have it wrapped and ready for him under the tree come Christmas morning.

Her phone blew up with notification after notification. She imagined news had made it through the town gossip mill, and her family was texting to congratulate her on second place. She slipped her phone out of her back pocket, tapped into the family chat, and scanned the messages.

Aunt Claire: I just read the article about what Cody did. How sweet is he?

Mom: Total keeper. This is the love you deserve.

---