The Christmas Battle

“Oh, come on, come on, come on!”

The traffic tonight is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, granted, it is 2 days until Christmas, so of course any area even remotely close to the mall is going to be packed with last minute shoppers, but still. The only consolation I can give myself is that at least I’m not one of the hundreds of procrastinators, struggling to find Christmas presents so close to the big day. I may be stuck amongst them, but I’m not one of them.

No. I am currently vying for aunt-of-the-year award.

Of course, I had my Christmas shopping done weeks ago, including everything needed for my perfect little niece. That is, until she asked me, all wide, puppy dog eyed, for a Little Miss Celeste doll.

“Because her name is Celeste, and so is mine, Aunty Rachey!”

Aaaaand I was done. Celeste has never liked her name because some of the kids in her class make fun of her for it. They call her “Less” for short.

7-year-olds can be real assholes sometimes.

So, this toy is going to be hers. Even if it is the most sought-after thing this Christmas.

See, because I got tip. A friend who just happens to work in the toy store in the mall sent me a text half an hour ago to tell me that one last shipment of Little Miss Celeste dolls had arrived. She couldn’t save one for me, but if I could beat the crowd, it would be mine.

And it will, dammit, even if I have to drive over every car on this street like a fucking monster truck.

“Oh, you absolute tool! You could have fucking made it through!” I slam my hands on the steering wheel as the pickup truck in front of me stops for the yellow light. I’m turning right, but of course, this guy just has to go straight. If my eyes could shoot lasers through his back window at him, they would.

This light seems to be taking forever. I swear it’s not usually this long! I glance at the clock on the dash. Forty minutes. Forty minutes since Collette’s text came through. Those damn dolls have been on the shelf for twenty of those minutes, at least. Being picked up by parent after parent, to be gifted to child after child who is not my niece.

Fuck that.

Finally, the light turns green, and the SUV in front of me chugs along at a leisurely pace. I swear, if I was a horn honker, I would have laid on it ages ago. But at last, I’m free to turn the corner. Of course, the parking lot is more than full, with people parked haphazardly, anywhere they can find space, whether it’s a legal parking space or not. I head down one row to find a car backing out of its space toward me, and I gasp happily at my luck and throw on my blinker to take it once he’s gone. Before I can, however, big SUV wings around the corner from the other direction and slides right in while I’m still blocked.

“Oh motherfucker!” I scream, slamming my steering wheel again as the car in front of me slowly pulls away. The guy who stole my spot gets out of his obnoxious SUV—honestly, who needs one that massive?—and I let out a shriek of anger and furiously stab the button to put the window down. “Jared?! Are you fucking kidding me?”

Most people have the pleasure of escaping their high school tormentor once they graduate, but not me. I’ve never been that lucky. Jared Summerer has been the bane of my existence since we were in grade 6. His name came right before mine in the class list, all the way through high school too, so we had to spend a lot of academic time together, and he never missed an opportunity to be a dick to me.

He’s now the manager of the only bank in town, so I see him weekly, when I do the banking for my little craft shop, and let me tell you, he’s just as obnoxious now as he was back then, but he happens to be fucking gorgeous—and he and everyone else knows it—so he gets away with it.

He looks at me now, and a wicked smile spreads across his stupidly handsome face. “Well, hey there, Summers. I’m sorry, were you waiting for this spot?”

“You’re a prick, you know that, Jared?” I give him a scathing look before I roar off to find another parking spot.

Except there aren’t any, and I really need to get inside. So, I do what countless others have done before me: I climb the curb next to the first car in line, on the little median between parking area and drive lane. There’s just enough room for one car to fit, so I do exactly that. There’s a pickup truck parked on the one in the next aisle, so I don’t feel too bad about doing this.

“You know that’s not a real parking space.”

I tense up at the sound of his obnoxiously judgmental voice behind me. I turn to glance back at him, glaring at him again before I turn and start hoofing it inside. “Well if you hadn’t stolen my spot, I wouldn’t have had to park there.”

He catches up with me easily—goddamn those stupid long legs of his—hands in the pockets of his expensive-looking jacket. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t see your name on that parking space, Summers.”

“It’s called parking etiquette, jackass.” Damn. I should have won my gloves too; it’s freezing out here. But I left them in the car in my hurry to get into the mall, and there’s no way I’m turning back now.

He scoffs. “Oh, come on, everyone knows there’s no parking etiquette at Christmas time.”

“Oh, there is. You’re just too arrogant to follow it.” I give him another scathing look, shoving my hands into my pockets too. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have someplace I need to be.”

“You’re gonna get towed.”

I hasten my pace, ignoring his words, but he speeds up too, easily keeping up and striding along beside me. I sigh, then resolve to ignore him, putting on another burst of speed and hurrying into the mall. I’ll only be in here for a few minutes.

Thankfully, the store is right there, across from the entrance, and as I hurry inside, I can see the doll, right there on the display. One left, and no one around it seems to pay it any attention. Yes! That thing is mine!

But as I reach for it, so does someone else. Our hands touch the box at the same time, and I glance at them as we both fight to grab it up.

“Jared?!” I exclaim as he manages to scoop his big, stupid hand under the cardboard. I don’t give up though. I curl my own hand over the top of it, pulling it back toward me. “Let it go! This is mine!”

“That’s the second time tonight you’ve called something yours that clearly wasn’t.” I want to smack the amused smirk off his arrogant face, but I refuse to let go of the doll. I try to yank it back in my direction, but it barely budges. The asshole is strong.

“I had my hand on it first.”

A lie, which he immediately calls me on, with a look that says, “really?” I grit my teeth in anger. He’s doing this on purpose, just to piss me off.

“Who are you even getting this for? What, is Oliver suddenly into dolls?” Jared’s son is the same age as Celeste, and he’s just as obnoxious as his dad. That apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He’s constantly antagonizing my niece, which is another reason I have to interact with Summerer senior, when I have to address the shit Oliver pulls. Not that it does anything. He probably encourages his kid to terrorize my little girl.

“Well, that’s not very gender neutral of you,” he mocks, which is absolute bullshit. Jared Summerer is so fucking macho, there’s no way he’d ever let his son play with a girl’s toy. I give him a look, and he rolls his eyes. “I have nieces too, you know. Which is why this is mine, so you can go ahead and let go now. I’ve got more of it anyway.” He looks down at the box—which is, admittedly, more in his possession than mine—then back at me, that cocky smile turning triumphant.

In most arguments with him, this is where I would normally back down and walk away. Normally, whatever it is, is not worth the emotional effort of trying to prove my point to someone who always thinks he’s right.

But tonight? Oh, this battle is mine.

His eyebrows raise in surprise when I step in closer to him and wrap more of my arm around the box, pulling it back towards me again. Now it’s my turn to give him a smile, one full of challenge. “And now?”

“Now things are interesting.”

We seem to have locked ourselves into some kind of staring contest, and I’ll be damned if I look away first. I don’t know how long we just stand there, arms locked around a child’s toy, staring at each other in the middle of a busy store two days before Christmas. It could be a few seconds, or it could be an eternity. All I know is, I refuse to lose.

“I’ll tell you what,” he says finally, still keeping eye contact. “We’ll have a little competition.”

I look at him suspiciously. “What kind of competition?”

There’s that stupid smirk again. “A game of endurance. Whoever lets go of the doll first, loses. Forfeits all rights to it.”

I roll my eyes. “Isn’t that a little childish?” He doesn’t respond, just raises an eyebrow at me, as if daring me to say yes. I scoff. “Well, we can’t just stay in a crowded toy store forever. We’re blocking people, and besides, they have to close sometime.”

He appears to think about it for a moment. “Okay then, I’ll buy the thing. But—” He holds up his other hand to shush me when I open my mouth to protest. “The competition will be the deciding factor for who gets it. If I happen to lose—which I won’t—then you can pay me for the thing, and that will be that.”

My immediate instinct is to say no. Scream it in his face, because I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, and I’ve got zero upper body strength, so I wouldn’t even be able to get him off the ground.

But what else have I got to lose? This asshole clearly isn’t going to give the doll up without a fight, and neither am I. And if I can beat him at his own stupid game? Even better.

I straighten my spine and stand taller, giving him what I hope is my best challenging stare. “You’re on.”

God, I’m bored. We’ve been sitting on this bench for an hour, and at first, the people-watching kept me entertained, but the number of truly interesting people versus the mass of boring, stressed-out, last-minute shoppers is far too low to keep my mind from wandering. All the shit I was supposed to do tonight instead of sitting here with fucking Jared Summerer of all people. But I need to do this. I need this toy. I’ll sit on this goddamn bench all night if I have to.

Even if my empty stomach murders me for it. I can’t help the little sound of discomfort that escapes my lips when it growls again.

Jared glances at me, dark eyebrow raised, that stupid amused smirk ever-present on his face. “Hungry?”

I glance at him for a moment and then back out at the crowd. How did he hear that amongst the noise of all these people? “I haven’t eaten much today. I’ll be fine though.”

He lets out an exasperated sound. “Why didn’t you say so? We could have gone immediately to the food court instead of sitting and doing nothing on this damn bench for the past hour. God, my ass is killing me.”

I can’t help but let out a little scoff of a laugh at his complaint. Jared Summerer is not the kind of guy to admit any kind of discomfort or weakness, even in complaining. His ass really must be feeling it.

Good.

“How do you know this wasn’t my plan all along?” I return that stupid eyebrow raise to him, and now it’s his turn to chuckle. Part of me wants to insist we continue to sit here, just to spite him, but I really am hungry. My stomach growls again, just to prove the point, so I give in. “Now that I’ve weakened you, I’m ready to eat. Let’s go.”

I stand up, making sure to keep my hand on the box while he follows suit. The trip to the food court is a short one, but when we get there, we realize it doesn’t matter: the food places are all closing.

I look at my watch in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? It’s 9:30 already? Dammit!” Could this day get any worse?

“Well shit, Summers, how is your plan going now?”

The fact that he’s clearly getting a kick out of this pisses me off even more, but I know from experience that he feeds off the reaction, so I try my hardest not to give it to him. From the widening of his mean-spirited smile, I can tell I’m failing.

“So now what? If the food court is closing, then so is the mall. I don’t think they’ll let us stay here all night.”

He thinks for a moment, then jerks his head to the side. “So, we’ll go someplace else. Come on.”

He turns, forcing me to turn with him and hurry to keep up with his long-legged stride. Damn him for being so tall. “Where are we going?”

He doesn’t answer though, just keeps on walking, so all I can do is follow his lead. We head back out the doors we came in, and I almost lose my grip on the box when I stop in my tracks. “Oh, come on. You’ve got to be kidding me! Where the hell is my car?”

It’s gone. I definitely parked it on that stupid curb, and it’s just...not there anymore.

“I told you, you were going to get towed.”

I round on him, rage suddenly and completely flooding me. I poke him in the chest with my free hand. “This is all your fault!”

He has the audacity to look at me incredulously. ”My fault? How is this my fault?!”

"You took my spot. You just had to have the doll that I’d clearly touched first. And you were the one who proposed this ridiculous fucking game!” I’m screaming at him, poking him in the chest with every point I make, fighting to stay angry to keep the tears of frustration at bay. I can’t help the one that escapes my eye anyway.

His look of incredulity softens into one of pity, which just makes me feel worse. I go to poke him in the chest again, just to make myself feel better, but he grabs my hand at the last second. When he speaks, his voice is a little softer.

“Look, none of this is my fault, but—” He stops my retort with a warning look. Fuming, I shut my mouth. “But we’ll argue that later. Right now, we’ll deal with the situation at hand. You can’t stay here, and you can’t get your car tonight. Let me drive you home.”

“No way! I’ll walk home before I get a ride with you after all this!”

He gives me a look that tells me I’m being an idiot. “Come on, Summers. It’s a half hour drive to get home from here. Do you know how long it would take to walk it? There’s no way I’m going to let you do that, by yourself, in this cold, in the dark, especially on those icy country roads. You can forget it.”

It’s while I’m trying to figure out a decent argument that I realize that my night truly has gone to shit. “Oh no. Fuck!”

He looks confused. “What? What is it? What’s wrong?”

I sigh in misery, closing my eyes against the sudden pounding pain in my head. “I can’t go home. I lent my key to my sister so that she could stash some presents for Celeste at my place. I’ve been using the keypad in the garage to get into the house, but I can’t get into the garage without the garage opener, which is in my car. And they’re all at her in-laws until tomorrow night. Fuck!”

I don’t know why I’m surprised to hear his laughter at my misfortune. He really is schadenfreude personified. Always has been. “Wow, Summers, you really fucked this up tonight, didn’t you?”

I can’t help the tears that spring to my eyes now. It’s all just too much. All because I wanted to do something good for my favourite person in the world. I wipe them away angrily with my free hand, but he stops me with a hand on my wrist, gentler than I would have expected from him. I glare up at him now and find him gazing back down at me, a softer expression on his face than I’ve ever seen.

He lets go of my wrist and then gently brushes the tears away with his gloved thumb. “Hey, I’m sorry. For all of this. I may not be completely to blame, but I know I definitely played a part in all of it.”

Wow. An admission. An apology. That’s way more than I ever expected from Jared Summers. Not that it solves my problem.

“Look, you can have the toy. It doesn’t mean nearly as much to me as it obviously does to you. And as for everything else, you can come home with me tonight. I’ve got a spare room, and I’ll help you get your car back tomorrow.”

“What? No.” My brain can’t even process such a suggestion right now, after everything that’s happened. It’s too much.

“Yes. You don’t have much of a choice, outside of getting a hotel room for the night, and that’s just a stupid idea. I’m offering you a free place to stay and help in the morning.”

I look up at him, dazed, wondering where this considerate man has suddenly come from. I’ve certainly never seen this side of him before.

After a few moments of my stunned silence, he sighs. “For once in your life, Summers, stop being so obstinate and just accept my help.”

That snaps me out of it, my defenses popping back up, and I’m just about to hit him with a sarcastic retort when something stops me. He’s shown a different side of himself tonight, for the first time ever. Maybe I should do the same. I sigh, forcing myself to relax. Swallowing my pride.

“Thank you, Jared. I accept your help.”

That cocky smile starts to spread across his face again, but then he seems to think better of it, and it softens into the charming one he often gives others. Hit with it now, I can start to see why people are so affected by it. It’s the kind of smile that makes you feel like the only person in his world.

He hands me the doll and then holds out his arm to me. I find myself grumbling a little as I take it and walk with him to his obnoxiously large SUV.

I have to say, though, I can definitely appreciate the fact that it’s already running and warm by the time we get there. I’m shivering so badly from the cold that part of me feels like I’ll never be warm again, but as soon as I climb up onto the heated seat, my body starts to thaw, and I feel myself starting to relax.

The drive back to our tiny little town is mostly quiet, Christmas music playing softly from the radio. I’m grateful for it. For two decades, our normal interaction has been trading barbs back and forth, but now, after his generous offer and everything that’s happened tonight, I can’t do that, and I don’t know how to behave around him otherwise. And based on his own lack of taunts and sarcastic remarks, he’s feeling the same way.

His hand on the small of my back as he guides me up the walk to his front door sends a curious little spark through me, and I clutch more tightly at the box in my arms in response. I’m not sure I like that spark until he moves away from me to unlock the door, and then I find myself wishing he was touching me again. He takes my coat from me and hangs it up once we get inside, and then, uncomfortable boots finally, off, he leads me into the living room.

“Where’s Oliver?”

I immediately regret the question when a pained expression crosses his handsome features. “He’s with his mom and her new husband, in Florida.”

I cover my mouth with my hand, my heart going out to him. We may not like each other, but I can’t help but feel for him, for that. No one should have to miss out on Christmas with their child. I take a step forward, but I halt when he takes a step back.

“Here, let me get you something to change into. Make yourself at home.”

Yeah, that’s not going to happen. But he’s gone before I can say anything, so I spend the next few minutes awkwardly wandering around the living room, taking in my surroundings and glancing at the pictures hanging on the walls and sitting on shelves. It’s a nicely decorated house, from what I’ve seen so far. Definitely a masculine aesthetic, which isn’t surprising. This is the home of a man who has decorated solely to his own interests, finally free from the likely cloying femininity of his ex-wife, based on what I remember of her from high school. All his old sports trophies from high school and college line the highest shelves in the room, the lower ones holding books and sports memorabilia and pictures of him and Oliver. A huge TV occupies one wall, with what looks like every single game system on the shelves underneath. A comfortable-looking couch in a muted grey colour sits opposite the TV, and an obviously very well-worn recliner sits off to the side. I hate to admit that I’m impressed by it.

“These things are going to be way too big for you, but the pants have a drawstring, so that will hopefully help.”

I turn to find him in a t-shirt and sweatpants—reminding me of his usual outfit of choice on game days in high school—and holds another set out to me.

“The bathroom is down the hall on the left. Go get changed, and I’ll make us something to eat.”

I shake my head. “Jared, you don’t have to do this—”

“We’ve already established how hungry you are, and you can’t sleep in that dress. This will be far more comfortable, I promise.” When I start to protest, he cuts me off. “We’re working on not being obstinate, remember?”

Aaand there’s the Jared I remember. I give him a glare as I step forward and take the clothes from him. It hurts my pride to say the words, but I know I have to. “Thank you.” I slip past him and into the bathroom to get changed.

I cinch the sweatpants with the drawstring and then throw on the t-shirt and look at myself in the mirror. I hate to admit he’s right, but he is. The t-shirt and sweatpants are indeed too big, but the material is soft and worn against my skin. Immediately, I’m physically more comfortable. Mentally? Well, that’s a different story. I try not to think about the fact that these clothes have been on his body at some point. That just makes things even weirder.

Something smells amazing when I walk back out and find him at the stove in the open-plan kitchen, his back to me. I can’t help but admire the way he looks from this angle, his shirt tight enough to show that he’s definitely kept in shape over the years. The sweatpants mold over an ass that is no less impressive now than it had been back in high school. I have to clear my throat to be able to speak.

“What are you making?”

“Grilled cheese sandwiches,” he says as he flips both of them over in the pan before turning to look at me as I approach him from the side.

I start in surprise. “That’s my favourite.” The comfort food I’ve always gone back to, whenever I’ve had a bad day. Ever since I was a kid. The very first meal I ever learned how to make.

He nods, and I can’t help but notice the way his eyes take me in, the way they slowly travel down my body and back up again. It flusters me a little, not sure what to do with such attention. “I remember. You used to bring cheese sandwiches to school and stink up the caf when you heated them in the microwave.” His words should have me feeling defensive, but the murmured tone of them has the opposite effect. I find myself smiling, touched that he remembered.

He continues when I can’t find the words to respond. “Of course, I’ve gone a little less basic than that.” A smile curls his lips, and I can’t help but lick my own as I take a step closer to him. His eyes drop to my mouth for a moment before he has to look away again to pay attention to the food. He flips them one last time and then leans toward me and reaches into the cupboard above my head.

I can’t help but notice the side of his t-shirt riding up, exposing a small expanse of flesh above his hip as he pulls two plates down and then flips a sandwich onto each.

“It’s actually more of a turkey bacon club melt,” he tells me as he turns off the stove and then hands me my plate and a glass of water. I take them silently as he picks up his own and leads me to the couch. We sit down next to each other, but then he just waits, watching me. “Try it. Let me know what you think.”

A little self-conscious, I do as he says, bringing it up to my mouth and taking a bite. Flavour explodes on my tongue, and I can’t help the tiny little moan that escapes my lips as I chew the delicious food. I immediately take another bite, garnering a chuckle from him.

“I take it you like it?”

“This is fucking amazing, Jared. I didn’t know you could cook this well. Well, I didn’t know you could cook at all.”

He laughs again and rolls his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I’ve always been a great cook, even back in high school. But I’m glad you’re finally getting a chance to try it. You turned me down enough times back then.”

I whip my head up to look at him in surprise as he takes a bite of his own sandwich. “What are you talking about? You never invited me to anything back then.”

He looks at me incredulously then speaks with his mouth full. “What am I talking about? What are YOU talking about? I invited you to parties all the time, Summers.” His words are little garbled from talking around the food.

“Yeah, sarcastically. And from the way your friends always snickered when you asked me, it was very clear that those invitations weren’t real. If I’d said yes to any one of them, it probably would have turned into a Carrie situation, minus the burning down the prom part.” I take another giant bite of the sandwich.

He laughs in surprise and then begins to cough around his food. I quickly hand him his glass of water and rub his back as he takes several gulps.

Finally, he puts the glass back on the coffee table and takes a deep breath before piercing me with his gaze again. “I never would have allowed my friends to do that to you. They’d have been gone in a heartbeat if they’d tried. Though I don’t think you’d have allowed it to happen anyway. You’ve always been a very strong-willed girl, even back when we were twelve. It’s one of the many things I’ve always liked about you: the fact that you don’t take shit from anyone.”

It’s my turn to be surprised now. He liked me? This whole time? Am I being pranked? I take another big bite of my sandwich and shake my head. “No way.”

“What?” He sets his plate and half eaten sandwich down on the coffee table in front of us, and I do the same, chewing and swallowing the bite that I’ve got before I continue.

“There’s no fucking way that you’ve been into me this entire time. You’ve been my tormentor since grade fucking six!”

“Because it got a reaction out of you! Maybe not the best one, but it was better than you ignoring me! That was when I had to push harder, so that you would respond.”

“Seriously?” I turn more toward him now so I can look directly at him. “What kind of caveman bullshit is that?”

He has the good sense to look chagrined. ” Okay, yeah, not the best decision I’ve ever made, but by the time I realized that, it was way too late: you already hated me. The only way to keep you engaged was to keep going.”

I look at him in disbelief, feeling myself get angrier and angrier that he would try this bullshit on me after the night I’d had, especially after getting me to drop my guard. “No. No fucking way, Jared. There is no way any of this is true, and you know what? Fuck you for thinking you can trick me—”

He surges forward then, and before I can react, he kisses me hard on the mouth. I’m shocked, frozen in place for a long moment, in total disbelief that this is even happening. But his mouth feels so good on mine, and before long, I find myself kissing him back. His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his fingers sliding around to the back of my neck and holding me to him, and I rest my hands on his chest, gripping his shirt when he slides his tongue along my bottom lip. With a sigh, I grant him access, parting my lips and cautiously touching his tongue with my own.

He takes my invitation and runs with it, sliding his arm around me and pulling me closer, his tongue slipping into my mouth and sliding against mine. Heat immediately pools between my legs as my own kisses turn hungry.

I can’t believe I’m making out with Jared fucking Summerer! If anyone had predicted this, I’d have laughed directly in their face, yet here I am with my tongue down his throat and desperate for more. So desperate that I moan in protest when he finally pulls away, several moments later.

“Does this feel like a trick to you?” he asks, gazing at me, his eyes dark and his voice gruff with desire.

I roll my eyes, then wrap my hand around the back of his neck and pull him closer to me. “Shut up and kiss me.”

He doesn’t disappoint. His kisses are hot and hard, his hands traveling down my body and back up underneath the baggy shirt. Before anything else, he reaches around to the back of me and unhooks my bra, then slides his hands back around and cups my breasts. I whimper against his lips when I feel his thumbs brushing over my hard nipples, pressing as close to him as I can in this seated position.

“You like that, huh?” he murmurs against my lips and does it again. Somehow, the arrogance in his tone turns me on now, rather than repulsing me the way it usually does. I can’t help but moan and nod against his mouth as sensation travels straight from my nipples to my pussy. “Such sensitive little nipples.”

He does it a few more times, and then he pulls back and grasps the hem of my shirt, watching me as he pulls it up over my head and tosses it aside. I let my bra slide off my arms and toss it aside too. The need in his expression makes my mouth go dry as he takes me in, his gaze heated as he caresses my breasts again.

“God, Summers, you’ve got the most sensational tits. I’ve been dying to touch these things for twenty years.” He pushes them together and then buries his face into my cleavage, pressing little kisses all over them.

I moan and run my fingers through the hair at the back of his head, arching my back and pressing my breasts more fully against his face. “Even when we were twelve?”

He pulls away for a moment and looks up at me as if he can’t understand such a question. “Yes, even when we were twelve! You were an early bloomer. What do you think caught my attention in the first place?”

He raises that eyebrow at me, and for the first time in my life, the action makes me giggle instead of pissing me off. “Well then, who am I to stop you from getting a closer look?” I press his face to my tits again, and he obliges with a laugh.

His mouth does incredible things to me. The way he pinches my nipples with just his lips is something I’ve never felt before, especially when he flicks the super sensitive tips with his tongue. And then the suction...and then he adds his teeth...

“Fuck, Jared, who knew your mouth could be put to such good use?” I quip on a moan, my eyes falling closed and my head tipping back in pleasure.

He pulls away again for a moment to speak. “It can do a hell of a lot more than this.”

“Shh. Less talking. More sucking.”

I press him close again, and he willingly goes with a chuckle, giving the same treatment to my other breast. His hand, meanwhile, slips down the front of the baggy sweatpants I’m wearing and slides between my thighs. We both moan at the same time.

“Fuck, Summers, you’re so wet!” he exclaims against my nipple as he slides two fingers along my seam, back to my entrance and then forward and circling my clit.

“Oh my God, yes...” I spread my legs and tilt my hips a little to give him more room, and I’m rewarded when he slips those two fingers slowly inside me, testing my tightness. I can feel him stretching my walls a little; it feels so good, I can’t help but shift more, wanting them deeper inside me.

He pulls away from my breast then, drawing a protest from me. “Fuck. I need more, Summers. I need all of you. And I think you need it too.” He urges me to lay down on the couch, and I obey quickly, raising my hips so he can pull the pants off before he kneels between my legs. His eyes darken when he takes in my naked body, his hands going back to my breasts and squeezing them reverently before sliding them downward, over my flat stomach and down over the tops of my thighs.

“Christ, you’re so sexy. My every wet dream come to life.”

It’s surreal, hearing those words being spoken by Jared Summerer, to me, but then his hand slips between my legs again, fingers sliding deep inside me, and I can’t think at all anymore. Those long fingers stroke me slowly, taking their time, building me up. My impatient hips rock against him, eager to feel him take me over the edge. It’s been so long.

He chuckles huskily. “Patience, Summers. I had to wait 20 years for this. I think you can wait a few more minutes.”

I groan, my hips rising off the couch and trying to push down onto his fingers when he slows them even more. “Easy for you to say. You’re not being touched in a way you haven’t been for an embarrassingly long time.”

He thrusts his fingers in hard, once, and then slows them right back down again. “We’ll get to me in a minute. Right now, we’re focusing on you. Now shush. Stop interrupting and let me do my thing.”

I give him a mock glare, but then he thrusts his fingers in hard again, and my eyes close, my back arching, as pleasure shoots through me. My hips buck and my thighs try to close around his hand, but he uses his other one to push my legs apart. His actions tell me one thing: that he’s the one in charge here, and for once, I don’t mind giving him the upper hand.

He uses his thumb to rub my clit as he thrusts his fingers into me, alternating his pace: hard, rapid movements and furious circles of his thumb until I close in on the edge, and then he backs off, slowing the pace, his thumb feather light, barely touching my clit at all. All the while, his eyes are on my face, watching my expression turn from one of ecstasy to one of frustration and back again.

“Fuck. Jared, please...” The words come out in a whimper the third time he backs off. I can’t help it; I don’t think I’ve ever been so desperate to cum in my life.

“You’re so fucking sexy when you’re begging me,” he says with a grin and then leans down to kiss me hard. His tongue plunges into my mouth as his fingers pick up speed again. I moan into his mouth, around his tongue, as he quickly takes me to the precipice again. “Makes me want to do it over and over again.”

“Ohh my God! That’s what round two is for! Fuuuck!” My hips rise off the couch again, bucking and chasing his hand, so close to the edge yet again. This time though, I reach down and grab his wrist, holding it in place as my orgasm rips through me. His chuckle at my outburst turns into a groan, and I shout out loudly as my pussy clamps down around his fingers, my body shaking with the intensity of the pleasure. I ride out my orgasm for what feels like an eternity, and the whole time, he just keeps thrusting his fingers inside me, never stopping, drawing the orgasm out even further.

Finally, it subsides, leaving me a trembling, whimpering mess. He slowly pulls his fingers out and gives me one final kiss, and then he pulls away and gazes down at me with the self-satisfied smile I’m used to. Only this time, I can say, without a doubt, that it’s justified. I can’t even speak right now, I’m so overwhelmed with aftershocks. All I can do is gaze up at him, dazed and reeling from the fact that Jared Summerer, of all people, just gave me the best orgasm of my life.

“I have to say, I much prefer this expression on your face to your usual scowl when you look at me.”

His chuckle is husky as he pulls his shirt off and tosses it aside, the sound of it making me shiver, just as if he’d touched me. Looking at him now, it’s very clear he’s been keeping himself in shape since high school, and I very much appreciate that. I can’t help but reach out and lightly run my fingers down his chest and over his well-defined abs, feeling powerful and sexy when he sucks in a deep breath, visibly affected by me. The large bulge in his sweatpants bobs, drawing my eyes toward it, filling me with the need to touch.

So, I do.

I caress the bulge through the material first, my eyes flicking up to his when he lets out a low groan. The sound is unbelievably sexy, encouraging me to continue. I hook two fingers into the waistband of his pants and pull it out and down, moaning when his large, hard cock springs free.

“Jesus Christ, Jared, no wonder you’ve had so many girlfriends over the years.” I can’t look away from it, my mouth watering with the sudden need to taste it. The thing is huge, and while part of me wonders if he’ll even be able to fit inside me, the other, larger, part can’t wait to try and find out.

“You mean you don’t think they were with me for my charming personality?”

I look up at him at his dry question and then back at his cock again, watching it bob heavily up and down. It’s begging to be touched. “To begin with? Sure. But I guarantee you, they stayed because of this.” He’s impossibly hard when I touch him, soft, warm skin wrapped around steel. Thick veins pulse around his shaft, and a drop of precum oozes from the tip. It truly is a work of art, a thing of such beauty that I never want to stop looking at it. I wrap my fingers lightly around his cock, drawing a moan from both of us. It twitches beneath my fingers as I slowly start to stroke him.

“Fuck, Summers. Do you realize how many times I’ve fantasized about this exact moment?” He thrusts a little into my hand, and I tighten my fingers around his shaft, stroking him harder.

“Even when you were with all those other girls?” I swipe my thumb over the head of his cock, smearing the precum all around. God, I can’t wait to taste him. I shift up into a sitting position and then up onto my knees on the couch so I can do just that. I glance at his face for a moment, taking in his dazed expression, before I bend down over him and take the head into my mouth, my tongue swiping across the tip. He tastes salty and sweet—a perfect combination.

“Yessss.” He slides his fingers into my hair and grips it lightly as I begin to suck his cock, bobbing slowly, my tongue sliding up along the underside of his shaft and around the head before sliding back down again. He begins to thrust his hips a little, seemingly unable to help himself, and I eagerly take it all, or at least as much as I possibly can. I moan around his cock as I allow him to take what he wants from me; if he’s been fantasizing about me for this long, who am I to deny him now?

He presses on the back of my head, pushing his cock as deep into my mouth as he possibly can and holding it there. I moan around his cock as I do my best to keep him so deep, fighting my gag reflex and only somewhat succeeding. “Fuck, this is even better than I imagined it would be.”

He releases the pressure on my head, and I begin bobbing again, sucking firmly as I do, eager to give him as much pleasure as he gave me earlier. Which is why I make a sound of protest when he pushes me away. I wipe at my mouth with the back of my hand as I look at him questioningly.

“You feel fucking incredible, but I need more. I need to be inside of you, Summers. Please.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard him use that word in all my life, and the fact that he’s using it now, with me, turns me on more than anything else ever has. I have the power here. His gaze locks with mine, and the need in his eyes makes me shiver as a corresponding need rises up inside me. I had considered teasing him the way he’d done to me earlier, but that idea goes right out the window at the thought of having him deep inside me.

Without another word, and as if he can read my mind, we move together, him into a sitting position on the couch and me straddling him. I wrap my arms around his neck and gaze into his eyes, recognizing his need for me as well as deeper emotions I’m not ready to think about, as I slowly lower myself onto him. We both hold our breath as the thick head of his cock presses against my narrow entrance; for a moment, I truly am afraid he’s not going to fit, but then it slips inside with a little pop, and I suck in a breath as he immediately begins to stretch me. It’s not a painful feeling as I take more and more of him in; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. The feeling of him filling me so completely makes me shiver with pleasure.

“Fuck, you’re so tight. Are you okay?” Jared’s fingers are tight on my hips, forcing me to slow down when I just want him all the way in. His concern and hesitation are both endearing and frustrating.

“Yes!” The word is a desperate exclamation as I pry his hands away and link our fingers together instead. I begin to move, short little pumps of my hips, each one taking him deeper inside me, until he’s all the way in. I’ve never been filled so full in all my life, and I have to pause for a moment, overwhelmed by sensation. Jared’s eyes are locked on mine, but he stays still and quiet, letting me take the lead. Some small part in the back of my mind is floored by this different side of him, but I set it aside for later, when I can fully unpack everything we’re doing right now.

I gaze back into his gorgeous light blue eyes, suddenly moved by the raw emotion in them, and then I lean down and capture his lips in a deep kiss. He groans into my mouth as he kisses me back, wrestling his fingers away from mine and wrapping his arms around my back instead, holding me tightly as I begin to move on him again. Just the slightest movement has pleasure flowing through me, he’s filled me so full. My body trembles with it as I move, whimpers escaping my mouth and flowing into his. I move slowly to start, adjusting to his girth, trying to keep myself from cumming immediately. I know that I would if I let go of my control.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jared pulls back and gazes up at me as I continue to move, and I bite my lip and nod my head quickly, letting out my breath on a long, strained groan. His expression grows concerned again, and he opens his mouth to speak, but I cup his face in my hands and cut him off before he can, my movements growing a little faster. “You feel so fucking good, Jared. I’ve never—fuck—it’s never felt so...mmm, so fucking good before.” My voice cracks with the effort it’s taking me to keep control.

A grin spreads across his face, concern melting into confidence as he begins to undulate his hips beneath me, sliding his cock deeper inside of me with each downward movement of my body. “Oh fuck.” I slide my hands around to the back of his head, tightly gripping the hair there as I move, needing him to feel as overwhelmed with pleasure as I do. I begin to move faster, snapping my hips now, taking him so deeply inside of me over and over again, my control quickly slipping away. I kiss him hard again. moaning into his mouth as I ride him harder.

His hands slide down to my hips again, holding me tightly but giving me all the control for now. His groans are just as desperate as mine, his lips and tongue insistent against mine as I take us closer to the edge. Our bodies slap together, the sound so sexy, it strips the rest of my control away.

“Oh fuck! Yes!” I cry out as he drags his mouth down my neck to my right breast. He sucks hard on it, and the sting of his teeth throws me over the edge. I scream as my orgasm tears through me, my body convulsing from the sensation.

But he’s not done yet.

“Yes! Cum for me, baby!” He tears his mouth away from my breast and shifts down on the couch so that he’s more horizontal, his ass hanging off the edge, his feet planted firmly on the floor. Now he takes charge, his fingers tightening on my hips as he begins to drive his cock up into me from below, pounding my pussy hard and fast.

“Oh my God, yes, yes, YES!” My hands slide down to his shoulders, my nails digging in as another intense orgasm follows the first one with almost no space in between, but still, he doesn’t stop. He just continues to drive hard up into me, pushing me toward the edge yet again.

My voice is hoarse from screaming when I finally feel him starting to let go of his own control. His thrusts grow more erratic, and he moans loudly, his breathing laboured. “Yes! Mmm, God, please, Jared...” A moment later, he gives us both what we want; with one final thrust, his hands tight on my hips, he cums hard inside me with a great roar of pleasure. I cry out too as one final, weaker orgasm flows through me, lighting my body one more time before I collapse onto his chest, a sweaty, satisfied mess.

He slowly lowers himself into a sitting position on the floor against the front of the couch, his arms sliding around my waist and holding me tightly. I wrap my arms around his neck, my mouth going to his in a tender kiss, overwhelmed by the sudden emotion I feel for him. The kiss seems to last forever, neither of us wanting to pull away.

“Fuck, Rachel, that was...” He speaks against my lips, but when I hear the words, I can’t help but break the kiss and pull back, my eyes locking on his again. My heart pounds in my chest as I take a shaky breath.

“You’ve never called me that before.”

His gaze grows tender, and he leans in to kiss me again, more slowly this time. When he pulls away this time, he cups my face in his hands, his thumbs caressing my cheeks. “I think it’s time for a lot of things to change, Rach. I’ve wasted twenty years being an absolute dick to you when I could have been loving you instead. Please tell me it’s not too late. Please tell me that you’ll give me a chance.”

I gaze into his eyes for a long moment, trying to detect the old, arrogant Jared, but all I see is sincerity and hope, and my heart melts for him. I smile at him and then press a tender kiss to his lips. “It’s not too late, Jared. But!” I hold up a finger when a wide smile starts to spread across his face. He tempers his expression and lets me continue. “We need to take this slowly. I still don’t entirely believe this is happening. I need time to wrap my head around the whole thing.”

He nods his head in agreement and leans forward, pressing another soft kiss to my lips. “We can do that. Spend Christmas with me, Rachel. Let me show you that you can believe what you see.”

I take another moment to make up my mind, but then I nod my head. “That’s not exactly slow, but yes, I’ll spend Christmas with you.” That wide smile is back on his face, and he surges forward once more to kiss me happily. I laugh as I kiss him back for a moment, but I have to get one more thing off my chest. “But if this turns out to be an elaborate prank on me, so help me, Jared, I will fucking end you.”

He laughs and captures my lips again. “I promise, Rachel, this is real. And this Christmas will be the start of new and incredible.”