Page 3 of New Year's Eve

Most of the time, I’m a beer and pizza kind of guy. Ellie naked except for one of my t-shirts, perched on my lap without any fuss or fancy trappings.

But on New Year’s Eve, there’s something magical about bringing my woman home and helping her out of her wrap, revealing her silk dress that plays up the golden red of her hair and the creaminess of her skin.

She’s a goddess, a princess, an ethereal fairy…in blue jeans or blue silk, she’s perfect. And I like spoiling her.

We stand there in the silence as I slide the rest of the bobby pins from her hair, letting her waves fall in a silky slide.

“I’m excited for them,” I tell her as I kiss her shoulder. As I trace the delicate muscles and bones there with my tongue, then add my teeth. Just a press. A little taste of my Sprite.

“It makes me think about making babies with you.”

I didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she let it go in a slight, breathy exhale. “Oh.”

“Am I rushing you?”

“No,” she whispers. “I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

My heart squeezes. “Since when?”

"A little while. But…"

I can only imagine what she's going to say. But it's too soon. But we need to wait for the wedding. She's not wrong on the latter point. I don't care about the former, but I'll respect her wishes. "Whenever you're ready."

"It's smart to wait until the wedding."

"I know." I sigh as I nuzzle into her neck. The sacrifices we make to avoid gossip and scandal.

"But I need to tell you something else."

"Mmm." I'm listening, but not really. I'm mostly thinking about the dirty talk I'm going to fill her ears with tonight. Me knocking her up. How good she's going to look--

“Violet told me she was pregnant.”

Now I'm listening. I stop kissing her neck. "When?"

"Ahhh…" She shrugs out of my grasp and moves across the room, turning and giving me a curious look.

I curve one eyebrow up in a well, I’m waiting kind of look.

"A week. Or so."

“You’ve known my best friend was going to be a father for more than a week and you didn’t tell me?”

"Maybe."

I make a disappointed sound. I'm not really disappointed. I'm sure she had a good reason. But I like the way her chest rises and falls as I give her an even sterner look.

And I like the way she protests.

“I really don’t know what the big deal is,” she says breathlessly, backing away from me.

I tug at the knot of my tie, leaving it hanging loose around my neck as I prowl after her. “I don’t like secrets between us, Ellie.”

Her eyes flash and she nibbles on her lower lip. I don’t miss that her hands are slowly gathering her skirt, pinching the fabric up, up, up so it’s bunched in her fists.

“Ellie…”

Her chest rises and falls as she gives me an innocent look. “Yes?”

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