22. Teddy

22

teddy

3 days until christmas

I looked down at Ivy, asleep in my arms, and it felt like all the pieces were falling into place. Like my mind had been this raging, constant blizzard, but now it had calmed. Like, for once, everything felt right in the world. I had the girl in my arms. My girl. And I never wanted to let her go.

In the morning light, the rays streaming in through the open windows, her hair was illuminated like a golden halo with little streaks of red. Beautiful. She was beautiful, and she was mine.

Our list was almost done. Christmas was almost over. And what then?

Today, I didn’t even want to leave this bed, not after last night. So instead, I held her, my body wrapped tightly around hers. The vulnerability in her eyes as she’d sank down on top of me had almost made me lose it right then and there. To confess how I was feeling, the words I wanted to say .

But it was too early.

Did she suspect what I did? Could she feel that pulsing golden tether between the two of us? How her emotions shone so strongly I could feel them?

Maybe I was imagining it. But all my life, this was how I imagined it would feel when I found my person.

My mate. Whole and complete. I nuzzled my nose into her neck, inhaling her sugar cookie scent. Ivy didn’t even have to try to make me feel like this. She just did.

Ivy’s arms tightened around my waist, and I knew she was awake, but neither one of us moved. We both just stayed, wrapped up in each other. Her leg thrown over mine, my morning wood pressed against her stomach, eager to slip back inside of her wet heat.

“Mmm,” she hummed as I traced circles on her back, the feel of her bare skin against mine a fucking temptation.

Last night, after she’d come—tits bouncing as she rode me into oblivion, fucking herself on my cock—I hadn’t been far behind, and when she’d collapsed onto my chest, pressing kisses to my pecs, it hadn’t taken long for me to be ready to go again. I couldn’t get enough of her. Would I ever?

I knew the answer without having to ask it. As sure as I knew that what we were to each other was more. No, I’d never get Ivy Winters out of my system. And I didn’t care to.

Ivy traced a finger up my cock, the motion making me shudder.

“Good morning,” she whispered.

I ran my hands down her back to cup her ass. “It is.”

She hummed as I squeezed her cheeks lightly, massaging them with my hands before adjusting the leg she had thrown over mine.

“Are you sore?” I murmured, running a finger up her opening.

“A little.” She winced. Maybe the third time last night had been too much, but I hadn’t been able to resist taking her from behind, and then I made good on my promise and tied her to the headboard with that fucking red ribbon, leaving her at my mercy.

“I’ll go run you a warm bath,” I said, kissing her forehead.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered, tightening her grip around me. “I want to feel you.”

I brushed her hair back off her forehead and kissed each cheek. “Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh.” She nodded.

Pressing the tip of my cock against her slit, I pushed in just slightly. She was already wet and ready for me, her warmth surrounding the head. But I let her adjust to my size, wanting to go slow.

“Teddy,” she gasped, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she held onto me. “How do you always feel so good?”

“Same, sweetheart.” She had no fucking idea. I wanted to live inside of her. Bury myself inside of her at all hours of the day. “So fucking tight for me.”

She whimpered, rocking her hips like she was trying to force me in deeper. Inch by inch, I slid inside of her, burying myself in her pussy until I was fully seated inside of her, practically kissing her womb.

We stayed like that, front to front, her leg over mine as I stilled myself, trying to let us both get used to the feeling. It was completely different like this. More intimate, with our faces almost touching and her nipples pressed against my chest.

“Fuck,” I groaned. It felt too good, her wet heat all around me, and I needed a moment so I didn’t spill inside of her like a teenager. I should have been used to this by now, but it felt like something had changed overnight. Everything was different now .

“I can feel you everywhere ,” she gasped, her eyelids fluttering shut. Ivy spread her hand over her stomach like she could feel me inside of her. Thrusting in short, smooth strokes, I pushed in and out of her, careful not to be too rough.

I wondered what it would be like to watch her swell with life. To know that I put it there. To fill her up with my cum, day after day, until she was pregnant and round with our child.

The scene was so erotic, and I could feel myself growing harder as I rocked my hips into her. My balls tightened, and I couldn’t keep in my grunt. But I needed her to come first. Always.

“Ivy,” I murmured, burying my face in her neck. “Touch yourself. I need—” She wrapped her leg around me, pushing me in deeper, and I groaned. “I need you to get yourself off. Need to feel you clenching around my cock, coming all over me?—”

She slipped her hand between us, rubbing circles around her clit, her breaths growing shorter as she got closer. I could feel her squeezing around me, clenching down, and then she spread her fingers into a V, pushing them down so she could feel my cock as I drove in and out of her.

“ Fuck.”

“Inside me,” she said, bringing her lips to my ear. “Come with me, babe.” The sensation of her fingers against my cock was too much to handle. She ground her palm against her sensitive bud as she cried out, burying her face in my shoulder and biting down on my skin.

With a roar, I followed behind her, spilling everything I had into her cunt that begged for my seed. Not today, but one day, I’d do just that.

Pulling out, I watched my cum trickle down her thighs, then stand up to go into the bathroom. After cleaning up and starting the bathtub filling it with warm water, and adding a sweet-smelling soothing oil to help relax her sore muscles, I grabbed a warm washcloth and cleaned her up.

“Mmm,” she mumbled as I wiped her clean, sounding sleepy and relaxed.

“Come here, sweetheart.” I opened my arms. I’d never thought of myself as a cuddler before, but that was before Ivy Winters. Now, all I wanted to do was hold her. To take care of her, whatever way she’d let me. “How about that bath now?”

She nodded, climbing into my open arms and letting me scoop her up to carry her into the bathroom. After letting her slip into the water, a satisfying sigh slipping from her lips, I grabbed us towels before sliding in behind her, wrapping my arms around her wet body.

Ivy leaned her head back against my chest, tilting her head back to look at me. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?” I asked, knowing there was a dopey smile on my face.

“You know what.”

And I did.

I kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome, baby.”

Always. I’d always take care of her, just like this.

Hours later, after feeding my starving girl and stopping at the cafe to say hello to her cousin and grab coffees to go, we finally arrived at our destination of the day.

Another surprise on my part, because I hadn’t told her where we were going, just to bundle up. She’d worn a pair of denim jeans that hugged her ass and one of the cozy sweaters from my closet, as well as one of the beanies I’d gotten for her when she’d first arrived .

She looked perfect. Like mine.

“What are we doing here?” Ivy asked as I stood in front of the rink, unlocking the fence.

The ice skating rink was quiet—probably because I’d talked my cousin into letting us have it for the night, just the two of us. Ruby had agreed, thankfully, and even the twinkle lights above us were still on.

“I’m taking you skating.”

She winced. “In hindsight, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

“Of course it is, baby. We have to finish the list.” I kissed her forehead. “Come on. I’ll show you what to do.” I’d been skating since I was a toddler. When I was younger, I’d played hockey throughout high school, though I definitely wasn’t good enough to play it in college. Still, I loved it. The rush on the ice, feeling the wind whipping through your face as your skates glided along. “You’ll see.”

Ivy sat on the bench, staring at the ice as she removed her boots. “Are you sure about this? I’m probably going to fall. A lot.”

“It’s okay.” I kneeled in front of her, brushing her hair back behind her pointy ear. “I’ll be there to catch you.”

“How do you always know just the right thing to say?” Ivy muttered, looking down at her feet.

I grinned. “Just for you, sweetheart.”

Unlacing the skates I’d grabbed for her, I helped her into them, tying them tight so they’d be snug on her feet.

Her cheeks flushed pink—and so did her ears—when she looked down at me, kneeling in front of her, and I wondered what naughty thoughts she was thinking about. If she was remembering the time I went down on her on the couch. If I’d told her how many other times I’d thought about it, I’d bet she’d turn even redder .

Sitting next to her and avoiding the temptation, I put my skates on.

“Ready?” I asked, standing up and holding out a hand. She nodded, taking it. I helped her up, wrapping my arms around her as she wobbled a bit, barely avoiding falling onto me. “That’s it, sweet Ivy. ”

She shook her head. “I’m like a baby deer. I can’t even stand up straight.”

I brushed a piece of hair behind her ear before adjusting her beanie. “You’ll be fine.” Leaning in, I kissed her roughly, letting our tongues intertwine and watching the tension pour from her body. She just needed a distraction, that was all. “Come on.”

Her dazed eyes snapped to mine, and she nodded, intertwining our fingers as I led her to the side of the rink.

I stepped out onto the ice first, adjusting my stance to turn to face her.

She bit her lip, worrying it into her mouth. “I don’t know…”

“Do you need me to kiss you again?” I asked, popping her a flirty smile.

She grunted—though that wasn’t a no, something I made a mental note of for later—before stepping out onto the ice. I was close enough to grab her hands as she fell, putting her weight onto the second skate. And then, Ivy was on the ice. Well, she was still clutching the wall, but I counted that as a success.

“Now, all you have to do is—” I started, ready to show her how to skate.

“Teddy!” She sounded panicked. She really did look like a baby deer, clinging to the railing on her skates, though she was staying upright just fine.

“That’s it, Poison Ivy. You got this.” I held my hands open. “Just come toward me and glide on your skates. ”

Ivy glared at me, her gaze like murder. “If you make me fall, I will kill you.”

“No, you won’t.” I grinned. “You like me too much.”

“Do not .” She huffed out a breath.

Using my magic, I made a blast of air push her off the wall—directly into my waiting arms. I took her hand, skating backward as I showed her how to move her feet.

It only took a few minutes, and we’d already moved halfway around the rink. And I only had to help her stay upright a few times, though our hands had never dropped.

I looked into her eyes, those beautiful ocean blue irises looking back at me. “Look. You’re skating.”

She laughed. “Huh. I guess I am.”

Pulling her into my arms, I twirled her around, and then I kissed her deeply, putting all of my emotions into the kiss.

I hadn’t told her how I felt—not yet.

But I would. Soon .

I just had to get through Christmas first.

Ivy collapsed onto the couch, rubbing at her thighs. “I’m sore everywhere. ” She let out a groan. “I didn’t realize skating would wear me out like that.”

We’d skated for a few more hours, going for a few laps as she got the hang of it. Though she had fallen—a few times—I’d always been there to help her up. And she picked it up faster than I expected for a girl who’d grown up in Florida.

“I know something that can make it better,” I offered, wiggling my eyebrows.

Her cheeks turned pink. “ Teddy.” She scolded.

“What?” I held my hands up in admission. “I meant I could give you a massage. ”

“Mm. Sure.”

Kissing her cheek, I stood up, grabbing something I’d stashed behind the tree. There was still something we hadn’t done yet—a very important item on the list. My mantle was bare, needing the perfect item to finish it off.

A fire burned in the background, making the room feel cozy and warm. We hadn’t turned on the overhead lights, letting just the lights from the tree and the fire illuminate the room as the snow fell outside.

I handed her the bag, sitting back down next to her on the couch.

“What’s this?” She asked, looking at the gift bag. “It’s not Christmas yet.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “If you’re allowed to give an early gift, so am I.”

“ Teddy,” she scolded, looking around like she’d been scandalized.

“I got you something you needed.”

She raised her eyebrow, reaching in to pull out the tissue paper that covered the gift I’d had handmade for her. “Oh. Teddy.” Her fingers connected with the fabric, and she pulled it out, her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve never had one before,” Ivy murmured, her thumb running over the stitching at the top, spelling out her name in delicate script.

“A stocking?” I asked, frowning at her. Mine was also stuffed behind the tree, waiting with the hooks to put them on the mantle.

Hang stockings—check.

It felt like every second, every item we checked off the list, was taking me farther away from her, and I hated that.

She shook her head, her words quiet when she finally said, “A home.”

And it took everything in me not to scoop her up into my arms. To press her into my chest and beg her to stay. To be mine—for real, for always. Not whatever this was.

Because I craved her. Needed her. She was in my system, and I couldn’t get her out.

“Baby,” I whispered, reaching over and cupping her cheek. “You do have a home.”

“No.” Her eyes were shut, even as tears dripped out of them. “Not like this.”

Fuck it. I pulled her into my arms, plopping her on my lap and cradling her head to my body. And then I whispered sweet nothings into her ear, hoping she knew just how wrong she was.

That she did have a home. And it was here, with me.

Teddy and Ivy’s Christmas Checklist

1. Bake Christmas Cookies

2. Decorate A Christmas Tree

3. Take a Sleigh Ride

4. Drink Hot Chocolate While Watching a Christmas Movie

5. Build a Snowman

6. Make a Gingerbread House

7. Go Ice Skating

8. Visit The Christmas Market

9. Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

10. Hang Stockings

11. Matching Christmas PJs

12. Buy and Wrap Presents

13. See the Lights

14. Kiss Under the Mistletoe