Page 27 of Christmas By Design

That tugs at my heart, too. Since when does he know me so well?

It doesn’t seem like something that requires a response, so I don’t say anything. Instead, I concentrate on breathing steadily, trying to enjoy Beckett’s skin pressed up against mine.

“What’s wrong?” he asks after a while. “Aside from the obvious not being with your daughter on Christmas Eve.”

“Well, that. Mostly.” I admit. “But I didn’t get a chance to get her Christmas present. I was going to do it yesterday but…” I trail off and shrug as best I can in Beckett’s embrace. “She won’t remember it anyway, I guess.”

“Yeah, but you will,” he says softly.

Well, fuck. This man is bound and determined to make me cry again, isn’t he?

“I will.” I stare at the flickering flames in front of me and pray the tears won’t start. “But I can deal with disappointment.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not still upsetting for you.” He squeezes me tighter, and it feels so damn good. I could get used to having someone take some of the weight off. Someone like Beckett who seems to understand how crushing the pressure is sometimes. But I don’t dare get my hopes up that this is any more than a one-time thing. Snowed-in sex at Christmas isn’t meant to be the foundation for a lasting relationship.

Sure enough, Beckett scoots closer to me, his hardness pressing up against my ass. I giggle. It should feel crass, but that takes some of the pressure off, too. It’s almost like he knows I need to get out of my own head for a while, and he’s providing assistance.

“I’m sorry.” He doesn’t sound at all sorry. “I can’t help it. You’re gorgeous.” His hand starts inching upward toward my chest. It’s achingly slow, as if he’s giving me a chance to shut him down.

I grab his hand with mine and press it against my breast where his fingers immediately cup around it. As he plays with my nipple, I press my ass cheek against his cock so he can grind against it, which he does with a low moan.

He drags his hand away from my swollen nipple to cup between my legs. When he presses two fingers inside me and palms my clit, I cry out.

“Fuck, yes.” I’m panting already.

Beckett kisses my neck, and I tilt my head as much as I can to give him access. The pace of his hand is slow and steady, and he matches the thrusts of his palm to the thrusts of his hips against my ass. Where last night was needy and hungry, this morning is sensual and passionate. Is he is thinking about this being more than just snowed-in sex, too?

But I’m going to have to unpack that later, because I’m desperate for more than just his hand between my legs.

I grab his wrist as a signal for him to remove his fingers, which he does. I lift my top leg higher, and before I can tell him what I want, he grabs underneath my knee and his cock presses against me just shy of entering.

“Is this what you want?” Beckett whispers in my ear.

“Yes.” I swallow hard in anticipation as I try to lower myself onto him, but his hand tightens around my leg, keeping me in place.

He presses about an inch into me. Not nearly enough. Then pulls out. I whimper in protest.

“How badly do you want it?” he teases.

I moan. “You’re not going to make me say it.”

The tip of him enters me again, then he pulls it out. He pushes forward so his cock grazes against my clit. I squeeze my eyes shut and gasp.

“I’m absolutely going to make you say it. How much do you want me inside you, Gemma?” His voice sounds like chocolate, molten and gooey and full of pleasure.

“Right now,” I pant, “I want you inside me more than I want anything else in the entire world.”

He enters about an inch again but doesn’t pull back out this time. “How much of me do you want?”

“All of you,” I respond without hesitation.

“Are you sure?” His cock goes just a little further inside of me. I’m pretty sure I’m going to explode.

“God, yes. Please, Beckett.”

And then, he’s fully inside me. I breathe a sigh of relief at being filled with him again. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it in the few hours we had been asleep.

“You said the magic word.” His teeth graze the skin of my neck. I shiver.