The Plight Before Christmas(61)

“Fascinating.”

“Not impressed? We are talking about little things, right?”

“Right. Give me a third, Welch. And try to really put yourself out there.”

“Fine.” He pauses his fingers. “My third is kind of a big thing. The biggest thing.”

“What’s that?”

“The sky.”

“The…sky? Okay, I’m going to need you to elaborate, please.”

“It’s constantly there, but it’s archaic, turbulent, whimsical, vast, and everchanging, differentiating the days even if I’m looking out of the same window. The moon is my favorite companion. It’s why I love to run and why I usually take my runs before dawn. I love racing the moon into another day.”

I lift to straddle him and lean over as he pushes my hair away from my face, gripping it in his fist at the nape of my neck. Hovering above him, I lean down and press a gentle kiss to his lips.

“Racing the moon into another day? That’s waxing pretty poetic, sir. Consider me intrigued. I had no idea you got that deep. I mean,” I wrinkle my nose, “you had a lot to make up for with the coke to pretzels ratio and the admission that you’re a bed-hopping ex-whore.”

He rolls his eyes. “Glad I could appease you.”

“Wouldn’t go that far.”

“And you have no idea how deep I can get because you never stop talking.” He turns us so I’m on my back, and I forget his insult as he grins down at me, his effect overruling any witty quip I could have come back with.

The word infatuation comes to mind as I drink him in because it’s what I feel. When I’m with Eli, it’s too much and not enough all at once.

“Where was I?” He says as if he just briefly got lost in his own thoughts.

“You were insulting me by calling me a motor mouth.”

“I guess I’m going to have to resort to other tactics to make you a better listener.”

“By all means, sir, do your worst.”

Upon his descent to torture me with another kiss, he flits his gaze to his nightstand and pauses. “Oh, shit.”

“What?”

“It’s four in the morning. We’ve been talking for six hours.”

His panicked expression morphs into one of amusement as one side of his mouth lifts in a dopey smile.

“What?”

He gazes down at me, his eyes glittering. “You made me lose time. Unless I’m reading, I rarely ever do that.”

“Because you’re a control freak. So, this is a good thing, right?”

“Yeah,” he dips, his lips hovering. “The best thing.”

His kiss is nothing short of breath-stealing as we quickly get lost in the exploration of tongues. Instinctively, I spread my legs, and for the first time since I joined him in bed hours ago, he sinks between them. When his rock-hard bulge hits my center, my body instantly reacts, and I moan into his mouth. He pulls away, watching his effect as he grips both my wrists and pins them on either side of my pillow. Pale blue eyes intent, he rolls his hips, slowly grinding into me, drawing out another moan.

Lips parted and panting, he stares down at me, soaking in my reaction. With his next pinpointed thrust, my back arches as I lift my hips, needing more. Unashamed, he watches me, tracking my every response as if memorizing them.

“I want you so much,” I admit as he lowers slightly, our hard exhales mingling as he brushes his lips against mine teasingly.

I can feel just how much he wants me as he glides himself along my middle, causing eruptions on my skin, intensifying the ache in my core. With a few more thrusts and deep kisses, I sink into full-blown rapture. Lips swollen, panties soaked, he keeps his maddening pace as I struggle against his hold.

“Eli, let me touch you.” He surprises me by releasing my wrists. Running my fingers along his taut stomach, I lift the hem of his shirt, and he reaches back, pulling it off with a fist.

He reciprocates, pushing my hoodie up, his nostrils flaring when he sees my bare breasts. He covers one with his palm, gently kneading it before rolling my hardened nipple between his fingers.

“Damn,” he murmurs, darting his tongue out and licking the valley between my breasts, outlining the swell before biting gently on the flesh. In response, I thrust my hips up to meet his, and he closes his eyes briefly before grinding harder into me. Body pulsating with desire, I slide my hands down his muscled shoulders, reveling in the feel of his bare skin and the sight of him shirtless. Teasingly he licks around my nipple, his eyes tracing his act before he finally takes one into his mouth and feasts. My back arches as I cry out, and he pulls away, seeming entranced, watching the rapid rise and fall of my chest.

“You’re so beautiful this way,” he rasps out, “I can’t fucking look away from you.” He dips, his kiss hungry, possessive, as he fucks my mouth with his tongue. Physically, I can feel his need matching my own, his body trembling slightly. Boldened by his reaction to me and desperate for more, I pull back from our kiss and look him right in the eyes. “Fuck me, Eli,” I order with breathless delivery.

He stills his hips briefly and grins. “Another demand, huh? How about we cover the bases first.” He moves to lay on his side, his fingers tracing my nipple before he glides them along my stomach and down, rimming the hem of the boxers. Wordlessly, I lift my lower half in permission as his fingers dip, tracing the top of my thong only to travel back up.