Maddie
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, too, Mr. Grinch.
That was the last straw. Treacherous roads be damned, I wouldnotwaste another minute of my Christmas vacation with a man who’d rather be alone for the holidays than show one teeny, tiny shred of vulnerability.
The guy had issues—obviously—but screw that. Who didn’t? Issues or not, if some good ol’ fashioned deep throat at the dinner table wasn’t enough to give Hawke Stevens a little ho-ho-holiday cheer, I was all out of ideas.
I blinked away tears that had no business falling and picked myself up off the floor, straightening my gingerbread shirt, ignoring the bite of cool air on the bare flesh below my waist. There was nothing to be upset about, anyway—it’s not like Hawke had left me high and dry, aching for release.
He might’ve been a dick, but goodlordhe was a full-service dick…
Ugh. Thinking about Hawke’s services—and his dick—sent traitorous waves of pleasure coursing through my body again. I’d never felt anything so intense, so hot. My legs were still wobbly, my insides pulsing with aftershocks.
How was that even possible?
Spoiler alert, girl. The man just gave you a full-blown Christmas miracle right there on the kitchen table…
I ran my hands over my ass, still superheated from his touch. I couldn’t believe I’d let Hawke spank me like a disobedient child, but there was no denying the truth: I’d loved every second of it. I’d probably be feeling the sting for days.
Jeez, I needed a T-shirt or something to commemorate the occasion.I ignored the red flags, and all I got was a red ass…
I shook my head, clearing away the memories of his brutal touch. It didn’t matter how good he’d made me feel, how cherished and sexy and strong.
Whatever we’d shared, it was totally temporary, totally casual, and totally over. He’d made that absolutely clear. And just in time, too. I never should’ve let things get so out of control.
Even if hecouldtake me from zero to screaming double orgasm in thirty seconds flat…
Enough. Thoughts of Hawke Stevens end now.
Upstairs, I dressed quickly and got to work gathering up my things. Twenty minutes later, there was still no sign of Hawke, but I was packed and ready to go, dressed in warm layers, my hair and makeup nice and presentable again. I was no longer feeling it with the elf costume, but that didn’t mean I had to show up at the Lockwood family Christmas looking like I’d spent the night rolling around on some random mountain man’s kitchen table. It was going to be enough of a challenge explaining to my family of perennial worrywarts why I’d decided to drive up here on my own during a snowstorm without telling anyone about my plans—an idea that seemed a lot better in retrospect. Didn’t need to add “why do you look like you’ve just been stuffed like a Christmas turkey?” to their list of questions.
I sighed, telling myself everything would be just fine. The salt trucks had probably been through by now, right? My car was—what had Hawke said? FUBAR?—but maybe I could try the onboard nav again, see if I could finally convince a tow truck to drive up here. Then I’d just wait in the car until the driver arrived.
“You ain’t going anywhere tonight. Except inside. With me.”
His deep, gravelly voice echoed in my memory, but I dismissed it and dragged my luggage down the stairs. My new plan was solid; with any luck, I’d get to Mom and Dad’s rental in time to see the kids before bedtime and gobble up a piece of Mom’s homemade chocolate cream pie, all without so much as a backward glance at this cabinorthe man who owned it.
Too bad your pink bunny vibrator will never live up to that man’s tongue…
“Whatever,” I said to absolutely no one. “At least Mr. Bunny doesn’t throw a tantrum and bail after spending some quality time with me.”
Ignoring the heat that swirled in my belly, I layered on my coat and winter gear, stacked my bags into a manageable arrangement, and lugged them outside, closing the door on Hawke Stevens and that very brief, better-left-forgotten chapter of my life.
