Page 65 of Holly Ever After

It's during combat that I can't help but appreciate the way her eyes light up when she laughs, the way her hair frames her face like a halo, touched by snowflakes. A realization crashes into me with the subtlety of a sledgehammer: Holly with the sharp tongue is dangerous, but this Holly, the carefree woman laughing until her legs buckle, she’s fucking lethal.

A snowball lands right in my face, snapping me out of my reverie.

“Game on, baby.”

I spot her hiding behind her car, probably plotting her next move. I tread quietly through the snow, each step calculated. She senses me just before I get there, screaming as she starts to run, but her shorter legs are no match for my stride.

In two steps, I catch up to her, and with a fluid motion, I scoop her up in my arms as she squeals. We both lose our balance and tumble to the ground, falling into the snow. My hands catch me just in time, preventing me from crushing her as I land on top of her.

And there we are, me hovering above her, our faces inches apart. The laughter fades, replaced by a tension so thick I can hardly take a breath. Both of us are aware that we've crossed into territory far more dangerous than a simple snowball fight.

I hold myself there, suspended above her, and the world seems to pause.

I look down, her winter layers separating us like a fortress wall, and groan. “You've got way too many fucking layers on.”

The corner of her lips curl, and then she reaches for the zipper of her coat. She slides it down slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. We stay like this for a long minute, eyes locked on each other.

With a smirk, she says, “That better?”

I can't even form words as I take in the sight of her. Her creamy skin glows, her curves are accentuated by nothing but a thin black tank top that hugs every inch of her body. My mouth is suddenly dry as my desire for her grows stronger by the second.

Without warning I press my lips against hers. The snow around us forgotten as we move together in sync. I grab hold of one of her legs and wrap it around me before carefully rolling us over so she is now on top. I feel the heat radiating from between our bodies as she grinds against my hard cock, knowing exactly what she's doing to me, teasing me just enough to make me go crazy with need.

But before I can lose myself completely to pleasure, common sense kicks in, and I pull us back up on our feet. Taking her hand in mine, I lead us inside where it's warm again before turning to look at her with an expression that conveys just how much heat we both feel radiating between us.

“We need a shower,” I say softly as my hands run along the length of her arms until they rest on either side of her shoulders.

She nods, her eyes now glassy. We both walk towards the bathroom in a trance-like state, our hands still intertwined.

Once inside, I turn on the water and let it run hot until it creates a thick steam around us.

My hands glide effortlessly over her wet skin, exploring every inch of her body as if for the first time. Just touching her ignites a fire within me that can only be quenched by being inside of her.

Wordless, I grab her waist, lifting her around mine and press her back to the wall.

She cries out as I enter her in one swift motion, my hands now gripping her hips tightly to keep us connected. I grind against her, filling her with an intensity that builds each time we meet.

It doesn’t take long for us both to find our release.

I bury my head into the crook of her neck as I try to catch my breath, and allow myself just a minute to lose myself in the feeling of her arms wrapped around my shoulders.

It’s in that minute I forget that this can’t last forever.

Twenty-Five

Holly

Wrapped in a soft, fluffy towel with my hair still damp from the shower, I remove a lasagna from the fridge to put in the oven. The warmth from the hot water has barely faded, but a different kind of warmth floods over me as I hear Sean's voice drifting down the hall.

He's on the phone, speaking with a gentleness I've come to know but rarely hear so openly. It's that same tenderness he hides behind jokes and jabs. But right now, there's no hiding.

“Yeah, Ma, I promise. As soon as this snow lets up, I'll come get you...Yeah, I know…I know, you've told me that recipe a hundred times...Yes, Ma, a hundred and one now.”

The corners of my mouth pull into a smile, a picture forming in my mind of Sean's mother, of how her eyes must crinkle like his when she laughs. His relationship with her is filled with the patience and love that people don't always associate with him at first glance. But I know better. I know the real Sean, the one that's been revealing himself little by little.

I hear him end the call with a warm, “Love you too, Ma,” before his footsteps grow louder, signaling his return to the kitchen. As he enters, his eyes meet mine, and there's a moment where the world narrows to just the two of us. His eyes search mine briefly, as if double-checking that the emotional intimacy from earlier hasn't vaporized.

Pushing aside those thoughts for now, I turn to the oven, sliding the dish inside. The savory aroma begins to fill the space, mingling with the lingering scent of our shower.

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