But as I drop my hand from her face and turn my attention toward the road, I shift around in my seat as my cock swells. Because it doesn’t matter that I fucked my hand in the shower this morning. My dick is already hardening when I think about being alone with her for an entire night.
We get to Ridge’s house to find that he’s lost power too. And his generator isn’t working either. So, here he is in front of me, stoking the fire in the living room, while I bring pillows and blankets in from the closet he pointed me to so that we can sleep near the warmth tonight.
On the plush rug, I position the pillows and blankets far enough away from the fire so that we won’t be charred to death, but close enough that we won’t freeze into human Popsicles either. I spread our pillows out so that he doesn’t think I’m assuming we’re going to snuggle, even though my mind keeps wandering to doing that and much more. After all, it’s Christmas. And we’ve already been together before, so what would be the harm in being together again?
“That should burn for a while,” he says, setting the fire poker down and taking a few steps back to where I’m kneeling on the makeshift bed. “I can tell you, I’ve had this house for four years and never once used that fireplace.”
“At least it’s festive, right?” I smile. “Hopefully, you’ve been watering your beautiful tree. Otherwise, it might get a little toasty.”
“And what a shame that would be,” he drawls, amused. “And just so you know, I have been watering it. For your information,I’ve been watering the fuckin’ thing twice a day. Pain in my ass it is.” His tone is grumpy, and I can’t help but giggle.
When he plops down beside me, his hand brushes mine, and I can’t fight the shiver that runs down my spine. No one has ever had this sort of effect on me, and I don’t know why he, out of all people, does. But I can’t fight it, and I’m not even sure I want to. Especially not right now, when we’re here all alone for Christmas.
“So … you’re leaving the day after tomorrow?” He keeps his eyes on the fire, not looking my way. “Right?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.” My voice comes off much squeakier than I’ve ever heard it before. I’m not the girl who has a mousy voice when I’m around a man. And yet he makes me nervous. So, here I am, Squeaky McSqueakster. “As long as no more storms hit, I suppose.”
“Last I looked, it should be clear for the next few weeks.” He sounds so far away, despite being right in front of me. “I can take you to the airport. If you want.”
My heart squeezes from his sweetness, but also aches because I know this time, my flight is going to take off, and we won’t be on bad terms. And that will make it harder when I walk away.
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, shaking my head. “I feel like I’ve already inconvenienced you enough as it is.”
“I promise you, Fireball, I don’t mind,” he mumbles. “Inconvenience me anytime you want. You’re keeping my life interesting.”
I can’t stop blushing, and with his back still to me, I wave my hand in front of my cheeks to try to cool myself down. There’s something about Ridge Adams’s gentle side that turns me into a schoolgirl with her first crush, and I forget how to talk altogether.
I don’t even have the chance to gather my bearings and answer before he’s turning toward me. The flame from the firedances across his cheeks, lighting up the sad expression on his face.
“Hey, Stella?” he murmurs, his shoulders sagging.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry you’ve never had a Christmas before today,” he whispers, and even though his voice is still the same deep tone it always is, it’s soft and comforting. “I wish I could have made your first one a little better than it was.”
There it is. The sweet, thoughtful man that is inside, beneath the rough outer layer and the person he is when he’s trying to be tough. We sit on the floor as the fire crackles with life. My throat becomes dry, and I shake my head, reaching for his hand and putting mine on top of it.
This man and his family have made me feel something inside my heart that I’ve never once felt on this particular day. Joy. And even though I’m not a part of their family, I kind of felt like … I was today. I could leave it at this and tell him I’m tired. I could go to sleep, and tomorrow, maybe whatever this feeling is inside my chest would subside.
“It was great actually.” I pause, my eyes boring into his, then sinking down to his lips before going back to his eyes. “If you have any DVDs, we can watch a Christmas movie or something on my dinosaur laptop, if you want?”
“That sounds good.” He swallows, and the light from the fire illuminates his Adam’s apple as it bobs. “I don’t have a huge selection of DVDs, but I have a handful. You can pick.”
That earns him a tiny smirk and a brow lift. “My pick, huh?” I muse. “Even a chick flick?”
“I love a good chick flick, babe.” He shrugs softly. “Whatever you’re feeling, that’s what we’ll watch.”
The conversation we had about his parents flashes through my mind—about them staying in and watching whatever Katherine wanted to watch for a movie—and I can’t stop myselffrom smiling. I had this man pinned wrong. He isn’t a heartless dick. In fact, he’s the opposite.
“A Christmas one actually sounds nice,” I whisper. “Got any of those?”
A grin takes over his lips before he starts laughing. “Well, I do have one Christmas movie on DVD.” Taking his phone out of his pocket to use the flashlight, he gets up and walks toward the entertainment center. Reaching inside, he pulls out something. And when I see it, I frown.
“The Grinch?” rushes from my lips. “You own the movieThe Grinch?”
“Riley got it for me a few years back to be funny.” He looks down at it. “I haven’t watched the actual movie though since I was a kid.” His eyes glimmer with amusement as he holds it up, waving it slightly. “Kinda fitting though … don’t you think?”
“Oh, and what’s that supposed to mean?” I roll my eyes toward the ceiling, shaking my head. “Are you trying to hint that I’m the Grinch, Outlaw?”
