Page 14 of Texas Christmas

After lunch, I decided to take the afternoon off. My parents had ridden the perimeter of the property, making sure that there wasn’t any damage from the snow, and Abby and I had done all we absolutely needed to do with the animals. Even though there was always work to do here on the ranch, I figured an afternoon off was in order. The snow had tapered off, but it was still cold and icy outside.

It was the perfect day to hunker down in front of the fireplace, so that’s what we did. Abby and I discovered that we both had a shared love of cozy mysteries, so she grabbed a book off my bookshelf and settled in next to me on the couch. We read mostly in silence until the sky started to darken. I got up to turn on a light, finding Abby watching me.

I quirked one eyebrow.

“This was a good day,” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

“I’ve never been around anyone who likes the quiet as much as I do,” I told her, thinking of the few women I’d dated over the years. They’d always needed to talk, to ‘do something’ other than read and relax. But Abby had seemed to enjoy our quiet afternoon as much as I had.

Returning to the couch, I patted my lap. It was a bold move for me, and I wasn’t normally a bold guy, but it paid off because Abby slid over to sit crosswise on my legs, draping one arm over my shoulder.

“What should we do now?” she asked, with a twinkle in her eyes.

“I might could come up with some ideas,” I said.

She shifted to face me more fully. “Are they naked ideas?” she asked. “Because I would totally be up for that. I mean, if you are?”

Her expression was vulnerable, like maybe she was expecting a rejection. I couldn’t decide if I was more surprised by her uncertainty or by the fact that she’d made the first move. Abby was coming on to me? Sure, we’d made out twice yesterday, but other than that hug in the kitchen when I told her about my dog Bagel, we hadn’t touched each other all day. I’d been worried that she’d changed her mind.

“I’d be up for that too,” I finally answered. It was the understatement of the year.

Abby’s face cleared and she lifted her head up to meet my lips. Just like yesterday, everything in my body lit up the minute our lips touched. It was hard to explain, but kissing Abby almost felt like...coming home.

She nipped at my bottom lip, and I granted her access, welcoming her questing tongue with my own. She managed to shift positions without breaking the kiss, moving to straddle my lap, just like she had yesterday. I loved having her there.

I tunneled my fingers into her long brown hair, holding her close but otherwise letting her take the lead. When her hands moved down to unbutton my shirt, I didn’t stop her. I couldn’t stop her. I wanted this as much as she apparently did. Thank God she wanted this as much as I did.

After a few minutes, she pulled back, breathing heavily. We both gasped for air.

“If we’re going to do this – and let me be clear that I hope we’re going to do this – there are two things I need you to know.”

I leaned forward to nip at her chin, then pulled back again. “What’s that?”

“Well, maybe it’s three things,” she corrected. “First, I don’t do this very often, so I’m out of practice.”

“I’ll give you all the practice you need,” I promised. “Plus, I haven’t been with a woman in three years so I’m out of practice myself.”

“You’ve been celibate for three years?” she asked, rearing back in shock.

“Well, when you’re shy and introverted, it’s hard to go pick up women at bars. And when you rarely leave your home, it’s hard to meet them any other way. So yes, it’s been a while.”

She seemed to ponder this. After a few seconds I prompted, “What are the other things I need to know?”

“I can’t get pregnant, so we don’t need to worry about protection, especially when it’s been a while for both of us.”

At this point my cock was so hard it was diverting the blood from my brain.

When I didn’t answer, she hastened to add, “We can glove up if you prefer, I just wanted you to know that I’m clean and if you are too, going bareback is definitely an option.”

“I’m fine going without,” I said slowly.

My tone was serious, completely at odds with the jubilant cheering in my head. I was too aroused to form complete sentences. “Third thing?”

“I’m too damned old to have sex on the couch. I need a bed.”’

I grabbed a hold of her ass and pushed to my feet, keeping her in my arms. She squealed in alarm and grabbed onto my neck.

“Peter, what are you doing?”