We passed the florist, Callie’s Blooms, the coffee shop The Beanery, and the craft store—Fran’s. All of us lingered for a moment at the window of Ruff & Fluff, the combination dog groomer, pet store, and dog bakery. Whit drank in the uniquecolors and details of each place, and I could see it set her designer wheels turning.
“I could live in a place like this,” Whit mused. I tried to picture her living anywhere but Boston. A small town actually made perfect sense for Whit, since the big city traffic and crowds added to her social anxiety. But my heart ached painfully at the idea of us ever living far apart.
Would she one day relocate and leave me?
I pushed the uncomfortable thought aside.
We spent Christmas Eve at the Adlers’, and it was the perfect family Christmas around the tree. We shared cups of cider and hot chocolate, exchanging presents and retelling childhood stories. I’d missed hearing the boom of Mr. Adler’s jolly voice, and Ivy’s antics now that she was crawling kept us all laughing and on our toes. The dogs moved in and out between people, clearly enjoying the additional attention—and occasional slice of ham—the holiday brought them.
That evening Whit and I settled into our hotel room, Ivy fast asleep in the portable crib. Around 10:30 that night, I met Whit’s eyes. My expression was sheepish.
“I... think I might go out,” I began, glancing down at my phone.
My eyes skated to the side to catch Whit’s reaction.
“Bout damn time,” she responded.
I met her eyes and we shared a chuckle.
Already in flared yoga pants and a sweatshirt, I threw on my UGG-style slippers and my overcoat and slipped quietly from the room, down the carpeted hallway, and to the lot where my car was parked.
When I arrived on Aspen Court, I parked on the street and killed the lights. Cade had been texting me since I’d left his house earlier, so I knew he was still up.
I texted him when I put the car in park.
BROOKE
I’m out front
I felt like a rebellious teen sneaking into a boyfriend’s house, a feat I’d never attempted in my actual teen years.
Cade came to the door, adorably rumpled. “Hi.” He beamed at me. I felt like I could melt into a puddle at his feet.
“Can I come in?” I asked coyly.
He opened the door and I snuck past him, slipping quietly down to the hall to his childhood room. I removed my coat and sweatshirt and placed them on a chair in the corner of the room.
No sooner had the bedroom door clicked shut than his heat was on me, replacing all the lost warmth from my discarded outerwear. He pressed his body firmly against me, our eyes locked, and his lips tangled with mine. His hands roamed freely, and I let out a muted squeak when his palm passed my breast.
“We have to stay quiet,” he reminded me in my ear. His eyes shone devilishly, and I knew he was promising to make that a challenge for me. His parents’ bedroom was on the far other side of the house, but I still felt a thrill at our sneakiness.
He wasted no time shedding his own articles of clothing, pulling his tee over his head and slipping off his sweats until he was before me in just his tight black boxer briefs. I ran my hands across his frame, desperate to touch as much of him as possible. God, it had been too long.
I knew I’d never have enough time tonight to make up for the months we’d spent apart.
But it couldn’t hurt to try.
He sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned me over. I’d already shed my sweatshirt, and he gave a gruff moan when he lifted my loose shirt and saw I wasn’t wearing a bra underneath.
“My god, I’ve missed these,” he whispered into my skin. His head was under my shirt, and I gasped when he began to roughly devour one breast, his fingers toying with the nipple of the other. My insides were throbbing, heat rushing to my core. I couldn’t help the noises of pleasure that escaped my lips.
Suddenly he released me, and his lips were at my ear.
“I said be quiet,” he reminded me, his voice playfully firm.
“Your noises kill me,” he continued, kissing and sucking his way down my neck. “I think I could get off just listening to them.”
Our movements became feverish. He slipped my shirt over my head and tugged at the waistband of my pants, discarding them on the floor. His fingers found the lace panties that I’d worn just for him.
