Discovering Pride (Pride Series) (17 page)

Her skin was so soft, and she tasted so good that he left hot trails down her neck. Stopping frequently to sample, he pulled her shirt over her head. He was nibbling his way along her shoulder when he saw that her bright yellow lace bra had little white flowers covering the straps.

“
How is it your under garments always make me smile,” he said pulling down the flowered strap slowly. Her head dropped back and a soft moan escaped her lips.

Reaching around her back, he released the clasp and filled his hands with her. When she straddled him, he leaned back and enjoyed the feel of her legs tightly wrapped around his hips. The hem of her black work skirt was hiked up past her thighs, and he ran his hands up her thighs and pushed it up even further. She wore black tights and after some maneuvering, he finally pulled them down and off her legs, leaving them bare and allowing her to straddle him again. 

Letting his hands roam free, he glanced down and noticed her undergarments were a matching set. Giving one more smile he pulled the last lace to the side. He purred when he found her moist and ready for him.

“Now, Aaron, now. Please,” she reached for him, helping him free himself from the confines of his jeans.
In one swift motion he grabbed her hips and was inside her.

How could she have ever known that it would be like this? She could feel her heart beat racing to match their rhythm. She could see matching desire in his eyes and she hoped, love. He increased the speed and her head fell back giving him access to her neck once again.

“Ride me Lacey. God, please ride me,” he said into her neck, breathing harder than he had ever in his life.

Moving her hips to an internal beat, she started slowly, torturing herself and him. His hands gripped her hips, holding her. She began to speed up. How could she have ever known that it would be like this: this closeness—this wanting. It tied her up, and built something heavy in her chest. Looking down into his face, his eyes were on her. She could see the matching desire there. Then, he reached up and took her nipple between his fingers lightly. Her head fell back, and her speed increased.

“Please.” It was more a gasp than a plea.

“
Take all of me Lacey,” he grabbed her hips and took them faster until release came. It was swifter and more powerful than anything he had ever felt before. She relaxed against his chest as he pulled her closer and breathed in her scent.

It must have been only a few minutes, but when his head settled back onto his shoulders, he realized it was his stomach making the growling sounds, and he laughed.

“I guess a whole day of drinking and no food does something to a man,” he said laughing. She pulled back and looked at him.

“Are you telling me you’ve been drinking all day and haven’t eaten anything? And you call yourself a doctor?” She got up and grabbing her clothes made a sprint for the bathroom.

Five minutes later, she walked into his kitchen. He had pulled on his jeans but not a shirt. His bare feet and “
just had sex
” hair gave him a dangerous look. He was bent over searching his refrigerator, which made his low riding jeans show off his perfect backside. She leaned against the door and admired the view.

“Well, I have left over pizza, some old sandwich meat, or we can make some eggs,” he said turning his head towards her.

“
I have a better idea.” she said as she walked slowly towards him, smiling.

An hour and some cold pizza later, she jumped up and quickly dressed again. Then she walked over to the closet and put on her coat while holding out his.
“Come on. I have another idea.” she smiled at him.

He figured, because her first
idea
had been a great one, and he was enjoying the after effects of two really great bouts of sex, he would go along with whatever her new plans might be. Pulling on his clothes, he walked over to take the coat from her.

Opening the back door, she looked down. Bernard sat in fresh snow, tail wagging, and tongue drooling; there was a ball in his mouth.

“Good, we are all here.” She reached down and taking the ball gave it a toss. Turning back to Aaron, she said, “Hang on a minute.” Then, she raced out the back door. Within a minute, she was back with a large ax.

“Listen honey, that thing is sharp,” he started to back away with his hands drawn up in surrender.

She laughed. “Oh, please. This isn’t for you. It’s for the tree.” She pulled him out the back door and looked up at the snowflakes.

“See, I told you. Snow! This is going to be perfect.” she said leading the way down the path into the woods.

“Tree, what tree?” He said following her and shoving his cold hands into his coat pockets to happily discover a pair of gloves. Putting them on quickly, he caught up with Lacey and the dog.

A Christmas tree of course; it is a family tradition to chop down one after Thanksgiving,” she stated as she reached in her other pocket and pulled out a knitted hat with large yellow daisies that matched her gloves and, he smiled, her panties and bra.

They walked through the woods with Bernard trailing behind, a large ax flung over Aaron’s shoulder as the snowflakes got bigger.

The flakes were wet and somehow found their way down between the tall trees to land softly on his exposed neck. Pulling his collar tighter, he noticed how the forest was so quiet while it was snowing. He could hear their feet hitting the path, the dog panting, and swore he could hear the falling snow softly hit the branches of the trees themselves.

“The Christmas tree tradition was part of every Holiday season. We’ve been doing it since before I was born,” smiling back at him. She continued to walk down the path as Bernard trailed behind like it was the most natural thing to be walking in the dark woods in the snow.

Wanting to tease her a little, he said, “You know I have a plastic tree in a box out in the garage. I was just going to put it up sometime next week.”

“Plastic!” she stopped dead in the middle of the pathway and faced him. “Plastic! There will be no plastic trees in your new house. Do you understand me Doctor Stevens?” She shook her head and continued down the path.

“We always get the best Christmas trees from up on Temple Ridge, but it’s late and cold tonight. I don’t feel like hiking two miles up and down again. Thank goodness you have me along tonight because I know of the perfect tree. I spotted it earlier this year and have had it in mind ever since.”

They rounded a corner in the path and she headed off into the trees with Bernard following. After a shake of his head, he headed in after her.

Tree branches were thick and the snow
 seemed to have a harder time finding its way down to the ground. The temperature warmed a little and the smell of pine filled the air. Looking up, he could see the large branches of the trees swaying in the wind as the snow continued to fall. Snowflakes stuck to his lashes and tickled his nose. Had he ever walked in the woods with a girl, an ax, and a dog?

Looking back to where Lacey had been he froze. She had disappeared. Again.

Glancing around he wondered how such a small thing could move so fast. Of course it didn’t help that he was still half hammered. He called to her as he turned around in circles.

Nothing. The quite night seemed to engulf him again. Finally she emerged on his left smiling.

“Over here. I’ve found it!” she turned and walked back into the darkness. This time he followed and kept closer to her than before.

He felt that she did belong here amongst the trees and snow like a fairy-tail creature. He had thought that description fit her since he had first seen her.

Reaching the edge of a clearing, she turned to stand beside a rather large pine tree. At least he thought it was a pine. It smelled like the pine soap he used to wash up with after painting. It had perfect branches not a needle was out of place. It was roughly seven feet tall and the best looking Christmas tree he’d ever seen. He agreed that it was just what the house needed.

She smiled at him and placed one hand on her hip. “Are you ready to chop down our first tree?”

He looked at her and thought she was just like the tree—exactly what he needed. 

I
f she thought about it, she would have realized she was settling into a pattern. Lacey worked her shifts at the restaurant, and in the evenings would end up at Aaron’s place.

It had taken them a full night to decorate the tree and the rest of house with ornaments from a large box in his garage. She even brought some of her lights and holiday nick-knacks over. They played Christmas music and laughed and sang along the entire time it took them to decorate. The house looked festive and was really starting to feel like a home.

Aaron would work away on the place every night painting and hammering on little details that made if feel finished. She enjoyed helping or sometimes just ended up watching him work.

Bernard had learned to sit on Aaron’s back porch every afternoon waiting for Lacey to arrive. Aaron had even bought him a dog bed; it had started out in  his laundry room, but Bernard kept dragging it into the living room right in front of the fireplace. Aaron, being the softy that he was had let it remain there.

For once in her life Lacey was in a relationship that she didn’t feel completely in control of. She didn’t know how to feel about it, but she planned to enjoy it while it lasted.

On nights she worked the early shift; she would bring dinner or would end up cooking at Aaron’s. The house would be filled with smells of home cooking, and laughter always sounded out as they shared these meals.  She really did enjoy her time with him, but she enjoyed the nights spent in his arms even better.