Page 48 of A Christmas For Holly

“Lucas… please.”

I groaned as Lucas’s warm mouth enveloped me, and it was intense, overwhelming, exquisite. I tangled my fingers in his hair as he moved, his tongue swirling and exploring as he sucked me down. Pleasure built with every suck and lick, and it was too much.

Too much!

“Oh god, Lucas,” I moaned, my hips involuntarily bucking upwards.

He placed a steadying hand on my hip, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin. His other hand caressed my inner thigh, and I was lost in a haze of sensation, my mind blank except for the feel of Lucas’s mouth on me.

As the pressure built, I tugged at Lucas’s hair. “Wait,” I panted. “I’m close… I don’t want this to end on my own.”

Lucas lifted his head, releasing the suction, and traced a path of kisses to my lips. With us slotted against each other, he rocked gently. “You taste like heaven,” he whispered.

I shivered and held him closer, desperate to feel every inch of him against me. Our lips met again, hungry and passionate, as we moved together. The friction between our bodies was perfect, each press and pull sending sparks of pleasure coursing through me.

I wanted more, neededmore, until I was coming hot and wet, arching up into him, shouting his name, as he stilled and fucked down onto me, my name on his lips.

“Lucas…” I whispered and held him close.

“Holly,” he whispered in return, kissing me before grabbing his discarded T-shirt and wiping us down. “Sorry, but I’m not leaving this bed,” he said, as though he needed to defend his action. I didn’t care—I was boneless.

And happy.

I woke to darkness, wrapped in Lucas's arms, and waited for the panic to set in.

When he wakes up and realizes what he’s done with me, he’ll regret it.Why wouldn’t he? I didn’t have my life together. I was a mess.I need to move, I need to get out of this bed, I need to?—

But before I could move an inch, Lucas tightened his hold on me, as if he sensed the chaos in my head. The panic started to melt away, and I was safe in his arms.

For a moment.

“I can hear you thinking,” Lucas rasped, his voice rough with sleep as he hugged me again, his breath warm against the back of my neck, and then, as if knowing exactly how to calm me, he let me wriggle out of his arms.

I sat up, feeling exposed in every possible way, grabbing a sheet to cover myself, my nakedness suddenly too much to bear.

He chuckled, low and soft. “I think I’m falling in love with you,” he said, his words so matter-of-fact they stunned me.

“What? You… you… me…”

“Sorry, I know it’s not the right thing to say, but it’s been years and you’re always in my head and… have I fucked up?”

“No,” I reassured, staring at him, scrambling for anything else to say. He was linking us as something real, something significant, and I wasn’t ready for that. I wasn’t ready for athing.

Suddenly, the walls felt too close, the air too thick. I clambered off the bed, yanking on my underwear. My eyes caught the discarded T-shirt on the floor, which seemed to be a beacon of everything we’d done. My chest tightened as panic surged.

“I’ll go down and…” I started, but the words trailed off, my brain too scrambled to finish the sentence. Before I could second-guess myself, I bolted down the ladder, making it to the floor faster than I thought possible.

Once down, I stood there, feeling stupidly exposed in this one-room cabin, looking for somewhere to hide.Where the hell do I even go?There was nowhere to escape to and run from the confusion and the overwhelming realization that I didn’t know what to do next.

I just knew I was fucking everything up.

Chapter 20

Lucas

“Well, that went well,”I growled under the blanket. What the hell did I say that for?

A couple minutes later, I found Holly in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, his body stiff, his eyes fixed on the floor. He looked as though he was barely holding it together. His dark eyes, usually so guarded, were wide with fear, darting toward me for just a second. He was trembling, although he was trying to hide it. I felt a lump in my throat, knowing how much he was struggling.

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