Page 13 of Her Christmas Lumberjack

“Here’s to our Christmas tree,” she says, clinking her mug against mine.

The word ‘our’ makes my stomach tighten.

Ours. Hers and mine.

It’s just a tree, but I like the thought of sharing something with Aurora.

“To our tree,” I echo.

We hang baubles from each branch, draping over red and gold ribbons while Rudolph joyfully pounces on the trailing ends. I tell Aurora about Christmases on the farm when I was a kid: saving the best tree for our cabin, dad sneaking around at midnight in his Santa suit to put our presents beneath it, mom’s delicious Christmas dinner.

“My dad makes ours,” Aurora says with a chuckle. “I take after my mom in the cooking department.”

The song changes and Mariah Carey plays.

All I want for Christmas is youuuuuuu

Rudolph howls along to the high notes, and Aurora laughs so hard her eyes stream. It’s the first time I’ve seen her look truly happy. All the mysterious guilt and fear that has been hanging over her is forgotten as she reaches up to hang the final bauble, talking eagerly about her favorite Christmas traditions.

“Obviously the food is the best part,” she says matter-of-factly. “But the music is pretty great as well.” As she’s speaking, the song changes, and she gasps, “My favorite!”

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Let your heart be light

She closes her eyes and smiles. “My parents always dance to this song.”

I take a step toward her. I don’t let myself think. My hands touch her waist and she lets out a breath, opening her eyes. For a moment, she just looks at me, then tentatively, her hands reach up to hold my shoulders. We fit together perfectly, her curves melting against me, my blood pounding at the contact. She smells like cocoa and Christmas, and I breathe her in hungrily as we sway to the music. Gently, she rests her head against my chest. My heart must be pounding like a jackhammer against her ear, but she doesn’t pull back.

I want Frank Sinatra to keep singing forever, but all too soon, the song ends. Aurora draws away from me. She avoids my gaze,looking back toward the tree, her voice breathless as she says, “We should, um, put the star on.”

Wordlessly, I reach into the box and hand her the star. She raises her arm but can’t quite reach the top branch, and I grab her hips from behind, lifting her up. With a gasp of surprise, she positions the star with a shaky hand. When I put her down, our bodies are so close we’re touching. She turns to face me, and the air between us crackles like a log fire, the cabin fading to nothing. There’s nothing but Aurora, her emerald eyes blinking up at me, lips slightly parted.

I can’t resist.

With a hoarse groan, I lean in to kiss her, finally giving in to the urges that have been driving me crazy since the minute I saw this angel. She kisses me back, our teeth clashing as our lips meet fiercely. Her mouth is warm and sweet, and I glide my tongue inside, raw energy pumping through me as I pull Aurora closer.

We stumble back toward the couch, lips locked as we fall against the cushions. I ease myself on top of Aurora, my cock hard as rock as she wraps her arms around my neck, moaning against my mouth.

Fuck yes.

My hands grab at her sweater, and we break our kiss just long enough for me to pull it up over her head, tossing it aside. Her skin is smooth and soft, and I run my hands over her body, clumsily unhooking her bra to reveal her plump tits. I cup them hungrily, rubbing my fingers over her hardened nipples until her breath quickens against my lips.

“You’re perfect,” I murmur. “Fuck, you have no idea what you’ve been doing to me, Aurora.”

Her eyes burn as she looks at me, cheeks blushing. “Kiss me again, Nolan.”

I crush my lips to hers, capturing those cherry-red lips in a bruising kiss. My hands drift downward, reaching for her jeans, and she helps me unzip them, kicking them aside until she’s wearing nothing but her panties. I know I shouldn’t rush this moment. I should savor every second—take things slow.

But I can’t.

I need to taste her.

It’s a deep animal urge, clawing at my body, turning me feral. My cock throbs with anticipation as I kiss down Aurora’s body, feeling the shape of her curves, the softness of her belly. Her panties are sodden, the white fabric almost see-through between her thighs. I can smell the sweetness of her arousal, and I tear away the final layer with a growl, more animal than man.

When she’s naked, I draw back to look at her, sucking in a breath. She’s so fucking beautiful it hurts.

“You’re a work of art, sugar,” I tell her, my voice hoarse. Her body is almost enough to make my cock explode, but I grit my teeth and force it back, breathing hard as I grip her thighs and try to push them apart. Aurora keeps them clamped tight.

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