Before I could take the cap of the decanter, though, there was a knock at my front door. Slowly, I lowered the bottle and the glass.
It could only be one person. I’d heard the notification from the alarm system, letting me know Astra had come through the gates. The only other people who knew the code weren’t in California at the moment, so she was the only logical choice.
I didn’t even once consider ignoring her, even as she knocked a second time. Mouth dry, I did a quick refill on my scotch and strode through the house, opening the door just as she knocked a third time.
She jumped a little, hand still in the air. “Oh. Hi. I was starting to think you weren’t home.”
I raised an eyebrow and took a little sip of my drink. “Where would I be?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It’s Christmas. You could have gone to visit your folks, or be hanging out with Didi or something.”
“Didi and Christal are skiing in Vale. And no…I wouldn’t be visiting either one of my folks.” Leaning against the doorjamb, I took another swallow of alcohol and studied her. “How’s your ankle?”
“It hurts. But as long as I keep it wrapped, I’m okay.” She shrugged. “Why couldn’t you be visiting your folks?”
“Because my dad and his wife drive me nuts, and my mother…well, I have no idea where she is these days.”
“You…” She blinked. “You don’t know where your mom is?”
“No.” After draining half of my remaining drink, I elaborated, although I wasn’t sure why. “My mom signed over full custody to my dad when I was a teenager because she wanted to be with her new husband more than she wanted to see me. I’d get a card or something from her every few months, maybe a package. She’ll apologize for missing the holidays, and then it’ll be months before I hear from her again. As for my father…well, he already invited me to his annual Christmas soiree…” I put emphasis on the word even as I rolled my eyes. “But it’s too awkward being around him and his new wife.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s only a year older than me for starters,” I said wryly.
Astra’s mouth fell open. I wanted to lean in and lick the soft lower curve of her lip. Sink my teeth in until she made one of those insanely sexy sounds that made me instantly hard. Instead, I kept talking, confirming that I’d already had a bit too much to drink.
“It’s kind of strange having a step-mom who’s young enough to be my sister. And weirder when she flirts with me because she’s had a few too many. She usually only drinks on special occasions...like the holidays.”
“Oh.” Voice faint now, Astra reached up and rubbed the necklace she wore. “And here I was feeling a bit guilty for being grateful I’m on the other side of the country, so I don’t have to spend Christmas with my family.”
“Something in common. Who’d have thought it?”
“We’ve got lots in common if you ask me.” She took a step forward, her teeth sinking into her lip for just a second, like she might be nervous about something. “We’re both alone on Christmas Eve for one. That kind of sucks. Maybe we could spend it together instead.”
She held my gaze levelly, but her entire body was taut. Energy crackled around us as she waited for my answer.
Slowly, I offered my scotch. She accepted, taking one small sip before holding the glass back out to me.
“Keep it,” I said, stepping aside. “I’ll get another one.”
She came inside, and I closed the door behind her.
“You didn’t take them down,” she said softly, looking at the lights wrapping around the banister.
“No.” I’d told myself I would, but every time I looked at them, I thought of her and how she’d done it because she thought I looked sad. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. Self-conscious and not wanting to tell her the real reason, I shrugged and offered a partial truth. “You went to a lot of work, sneaking in through the window and all. Figured I might as well enjoy them.”
Her cheeks went pink. “How did you know how I got in?”
“Security cameras.” I led her into the living room. “Have a seat. I’ll be back.”
I could have gotten a drink from the bar service there, but I wanted to put the picture of Layla away. I didn’t keep it out all the time, but whenever I was feeling particularly melancholy, it always found its way onto my desk. I didn’t need it now though, and I refused to acknowledge the guilt that came with that realization.
When I returned, she was curled up on the couch, remote in hand, staring at the screen. My stomach twisted at the sight of her looking so comfortable. Even Christal had taken a while to make herself at home here. With Astra, it was almost like she belonged.
“Why does It’s A Wonderful Life play on five hundred and sixty channels concurrently on Christmas Eve?” she asked pensively.
I couldn’t resist. “I have five hundred and sixty channels?”
She made a face at me. “You get the point.”
Sitting down beside her, I took the remote and navigated to the on-demand section. When I reached an action flick, she grinned. “That one. Best holiday picture ever.”
I found myself smiling back without conscious thought. “Another thing in common.”
“Really?” She laughed and poked me in the leg with her toe. “Watch it. We might end up having all sorts of things in common.”
Dropping the remote onto the side table, I shifted a little, so I could see her without craning my neck. “What’s the deal with your parents?”
Sighing, she braced her elbow on the arm of the couch and propped her head on her hand. “Nothing bad, really. They’re just,” she searched for the right word, “disengaged. They married because it made for good connections, and they had a kid because I made for nice Christmas cards. I think they like each other, and they love me in their own way, but a real family, we are not.”
As she lapsed back into silence, I looked back at the TV, processing what she’d shared.
“I guess we’ve got a lot more in common than we could have guessed.” Without thinking, I laid a hand on her leg, the gesture meant solely a comforting one.
She was wearing jeans, so I didn’t touch skin. But both of us felt that touch as if I’d slid my hand between her bare thighs.
Electricity arced between us. A gasp escaped her, and I slowly lifted my gaze to hers. Her lips parted, and I looked at her mouth.
If she licked her lips again…
She did.
Fuck.
“Every time you do that, I think about kissing you again.” My voice was rough.
“What’s stopping you?” she asked, the question low and husky.
Reflexively, my hand tightened on her leg. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
“Is that why you left me alone in bed?” She blinked, as if the question startled her, then shook her head. “Never mind. I mean, it was just one late night, right? A momentary lapse in judgment brought on by a strange situation.”
“Is that what it was?”
She blushed even deeper, seemingly uncomfortable talking about either us sleeping together, or the fact that she’d brought up having been abandoned to wake up alone.
“I shouldn’t have left like that,” I said softly.
“It’s not a problem.” She gave me a bright smile. Too bright, as if to make up for it not reaching her eyes.
Sliding to the floor in front of her, I caught her legs and guided her feet to the floor. Now, kneeling in front of her so that we were at nearly the same height, I stared into her eyes.
“Yes, it is. I don’t need any complications in my life, Astra, and that’s what you are. But damn if I can stop myself from thinking about you.”
Sliding my hands up her thighs, I gripped her hips and tugged her all the way down onto her knees, trapping her between me and the couch. Her breathing was harsh, body humming with the sort of fire she brought to every part of her life. The kind that consumed and left ashes in its wake.
S
he had the power to destroy me, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.
“It’s all I can do. Wanting you. Obsessing over you.”
Her lips parted, and this time, I leaned in and traced the lower curve of her mouth.
“Should I stop?” I asked without moving away.
“Do you plan to pull another silent disappearing act?”
Making up my mind, I shook my head. “No.” I bit her lower lip softly, then whispered against her mouth. “Stay the night, Astra. Stay with me.”
“Okay.”
She lay on my bed, jeans, and form-fitting sweater on a nearby chair, save for the vibrant red and green satin of her bra and panties. A white bow decorated each, centered between her breasts and below her navel, giving me the surreal feeling that she was my present. All I needed to do was unwrap her.
Festive.
I pressed my lips to the bow between her breasts as I slipped my hands underneath her, slowly pulling her upright. This wouldn’t be a fast, frantic fucking. I planned on making this a Christmas to remember.
We’d come upstairs a quarter of an hour ago, and I’d spent the past ten minutes teasing us both as I peeled off her clothes, piece by piece.
Astra wasn’t one to be left out though, and she’d pushed me onto the bed and turned the tables on me, straddling my lap in her half-naked state, and then spent several agonizing minutes unbuttoning my shirt. When she’d raked her nails down my chest, I almost lost it.
That was how she ended up on her back again, staring hungrily up at me like I was her present.
I always felt weird when women watched me undress before sex, like I needed to do something extra special. I knew I was attractive, and I knew I was good at fucking. That, however, didn’t necessarily translate to me feeling like I was sexy.
Except when Astra watched me, I didn’t feel foolish slowing down, taking my time to shrug off my shirt, to slide my pants down my legs and kick them aside. Her eyes followed every move I made, the heat in them growing into an inferno. I kept on the boxer briefs, needing the separation of the thin wall of fabric if I had a chance of keeping my self-control.
I smiled down at her as I flicked up the clasp on her bra. She reached for me, urging me closer. I caught her hands and held them against my chest as I leaned down.
“It’s not fair to tease me if you won’t let me tease you back,” she murmured against my ear. She emphasized the comment by biting my earlobe.
Fuck.
My balls drew tight against me, and I had to resist the urge to tear her panties off and drive into her tight, wet heat, ride her until the two of us were mindless. I’d done that before, and in the aftermath, as I’d laid there next to her, the guilt had damn near driven me insane.
I wasn’t going to do that again, lose my mind to Astra, only to lose it to guilt again. There had to be another way.
“If I let you tease me back, this will be over practically as soon as it begins,” I admitted as I released her hands. Was it possible that she didn’t know just how much she affected me?
I settled back on my heels to stare at her as I brushed aside the two sides of her bra. A sucker punch of lust hit me square in the chest, spreading out and becoming something deeper.
I put my hands on her breasts, brushed my thumbs across her nipples, smiling as they tightened and hardened.
“Fuck. You’re gorgeous.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. She wasn’t prone to fits of feigned modesty, or an overinflated ego. She was the perfect balance of confidence and humility. “I’m glad you like what you see.”
Like didn’t touch it.
I wasn’t sure there was a word in English, or any other language, that could accurately describe what I felt at this moment.
Under my hands, her skin was silken soft, warm and warming even more. The pupils in her eyes were blown wide, making her eyes looked even darker. As she covered my hands with hers, she leaned up and pressed her mouth to mine, opened her mouth to me.
The taste of her exploded inside me, her tongue seeking mine. The determination to make this last seemed to fall away, forgotten. She wrapped her arms around me and grabbed my ass.
My cock jerked.
Finally working her free of her panties, I bit her lower lip, then groaned against her mouth as she pushed her hand under the waistband of my boxer briefs, wrapping her fingers around my cock. She pumped up, then down, over and over, her fist moving at a slow, steady pace.
Spreading her thighs, I slid two fingers into her cunt, stretching it a little too fast. She stiffened, then arched against me, whimpering into my mouth. Her fingers flexed around my shaft, her rhythm faltering as I added my thumb to the mix, moving it in firm circles over her clit.
The muscles clenching my fingers grew tighter, as did her grip on my cock. I reveled in the pain, used it to regain control over myself even as I drove her toward climax. A shudder ran through her, and her mouth tore away from mine. She wailed, her back arching, hands dropping from my dick to scrabble against my bedspread. Her entire body twisted, and then she fell limply back, staring up at the ceiling.
I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting to resist the urge to bury myself inside her. Not yet. I didn’t yet know if we’d ever get to do this again, so I was going to make sure I did it right.
Kissing a line down her torso, I lingered over her navel, traced it with my tongue, then moved lower, the sparse curls brushing against my chin and mouth as I settled between her legs.
She moaned when I traced her entrance with my tongue, then gasped when I pushed inside. Her unique flavor exploded across my tastebuds, and my fingers dug into her thighs. I pressed my mouth against her more firmly, teased every inch of her I could reach.
Her hips lifted against my mouth even as she grabbed my hair, tugged at it. Pleading with nonsense noises, she writhed against my mouth.
“Be still,” I murmured.
“Please…”
The broken moan was a sweet sound, but I kept my grip in place, holding firm as I flicked and stabbed at her clit with my tongue. When I took it between my lips and began to suck, her nails scratched against my scalp. She cursed as she came, a vulgar stream of words that made me smile.
As she lay limp on the bed, I stood up and finally pulled off the last bit of clothing that had separated us. The lights in the room blazed bright, and some part of me was vaguely aware that I had no desire to turn them down. If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to see Astra, and I sure as hell didn’t want that.
Grabbing the box of condoms I’d gotten from the bathroom, I tore it open and pulled one out. Her eyes fell to it, then moved to me.
“Finally,” she breathed, the word impossibly greedy.
When she looked at my cock, it pulsed, demanding more attention than just a look.
Selfish bastard.
Like she could read my mind, she sat up, reaching out a hand.
But I moved away.
“You touch me, I’m likely to come all over you.”
Lashes drooping low over her eyes, she lay back on the bed and gave me a lazy smile. “You think I’ve got a problem with that?”
For a moment, I saw it. Her small hand sliding over my cock, the brief touch enough to set me off. Hot cum spurting across those gorgeous tits of hers. Her fingers wiping it off, then sliding into her mouth to be sucked clean.
Fuck.
My hands shook as I tore the condom open. “Dammit, Astra. You do this on purpose, don’t you, trying to drive me out of my mind.”
“You don’t expect me to be the only one going crazy, do you?”
Blocking that, and its possible connotations out of my head, I rolled the condom over my erection and then moved back to the bed. I pushed one knee between her thighs and braced my elbows beside her head.
Her hands gripped my hips as I spread her thighs wider. The tip of me nudged her and I could feel the heat of her through the latex. I’d never wanted to take someone bare as badly as I did her. But I wouldn’t be th
e one to suggest it. Too intimate.
Not that she didn’t feel amazing. We both moaned as I sank inside. Her nails bit into the skin of my hips, urging me on as I rocked against her. She made an impatient noise, but I didn’t move any faster, wanting to savor it. I was going to have marks even if she didn’t end up breaking the skin. A part of me wanted her to, wanted the pain and wanted to have the reminders on my body.
Catching her against me, I rolled onto my back. As soon as I released her, she sat up and smiled down at me. I rested my hands on her hips, but let her take over.
“You realize giving me control like this is a great way for me to tease you now, right?” She stroked her hands up her torso to cup her breasts, tweaking her nipples as a shiver ran through her. The raw sexuality of it just about destroyed me.
Squeezing her thighs, I said, “Do your worst. I’m begging you.”
“You might regret that.” She winked at me.
She started to move, but with such slow, deliberate precision, I had no doubt that she was right. And it wasn’t just her hips she moved. The muscles in her cunt gripped me, milking me in a way that made it clear she was doing it on purpose.
Driving my hips up, I swore. “I already regret it.”
Astra laughed…and kept right on going.
Moments stretched out, the pleasure so hot and potently thick, it became a drug. I knew more about addiction than any one man should, but I didn’t think I ever truly understood what it was like to be willing to give anything for it until I met her.
She leaned forward, her breasts sliding across my chest as her breaths became more ragged. Her hitching moan faded into a sigh, and I shoved her tangled hair back from her face, holding her there for a rough kiss.
“My turn,” I whispered against her lips.
Rolling us again, I caught her wrists and pinned them over her head. Torsos sealed together, I held her eyes. Drunk on her, I plunged into the satin wet heat over and over, her cries ringing out, begging me to go harder, faster.
But it wasn’t enough.
Pulling out, I urged her onto her hands and knees. She was trembling, and when I entered her, her head fell forward, a low noise escaped her as the trembling spread to her entire body. She was close.