Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

H utton

The minute we step inside Rae's house, the Christmas tree lit up like a lighthouse with Henry's homemade snowflakes, every churning emotion in my gut smooths out and evaporates. I'm home.

Rae barely gets her jacket off before I'm wrapping my arms around her from behind and bringing her in close. I bury my nose in her braid and thank Santa for granting my wish. He knew only a woman who listened to her heart would get through to me. I'd ignored mine for so long, I needed a woman who could show me how it was done.

"I missed this place. I missed the tree, the fireplace, the memories. I missed you so damn much, Rae," I whisper in her ear.

She lays her head back on my shoulder and squeezes my hands. "I missed my choir boy cursing in my ear."

I grin and kiss the side of her jaw. With a silly grin on both our faces, I walk us awkwardly into the living room to stop in front of the fireplace. Reluctantly, I release her and crouch down to get a fire going with the wood she stacked on the side.

"Let me get this fire roaring and I'll curse some more in your ear."

"While naked?" she asks, licking her lips.

I make my hands move faster, haphazardly throwing logs in and hoping they'll catch fire. A whole week away from her is too damn long. The stockings Henry and I bought are in the way, so I move them down the mantel where they won't catch fire. Seems odd to have five letters holding up three stockings.

"We need to have some babies," I blurt out without putting much thought into the presentation of that idea, but the minute it's out, it feels right.

"What?" Rae laughs, handing me the box of matches.

I shrug and strike a match, lighting the kindling. I point to the stocking holders as I snuff out the match. "There's only three of us right now. Those things spell P-E-A-C-E, so we need more kiddos to fill them up."

Rae scoffs, but doesn't immediately brush away my suggestion. Having kids would be one of those things we should discuss. I can already see her now, a pregnant belly while she paints the biggest, baddest mural the world has ever seen. "So, two more, then?"

I nod and climb to my feet. "That'll do. Unless I find stocking holders that spell S-U-G-A-R-N-O-O-K-I-E."

Rae bursts out laughing and I'm pretty sure I've never seen her look prettier. "Oh my God. I think P-E-A-C-E is just fine."

I shrug again. "That works for me. Stay right there."

Jogging into the hallway, I pull out the blankets from the hall closet that we used the first two nights we stayed with Rae. It takes some maneuvering to get the couch pushed back and the coffee table moved, but once that's done, I arrange the blankets and hold out my hand to Rae who's been watching me as she warms herself in front of the fire.

I help her down to the ground and prop her head on a few throw pillows. "I've been dreaming about undressing you. Like opening a gift on Christmas."

"Since you left me for a whole week without a word, I'll let you do all the work tonight." She spreads her arms wide and shoots me a challenging grin.

I nod my head, loving that she's sticking up for herself, even with me. Especially with me. I don't want her to ever swallow her words for my comfort. I want her to trust me enough to tell me the truth. "Fair enough. And if this is the hard work you're talking about, count me in every night."

I lift one leg and unzip her sexy boot, tossing it aside and peeling off her thin sock. Heading for the other leg, I give it the same treatment. Then I sit by her feet and massage each one in my lap, paying special attention to the arch of her foot as she lets out a series of soft moans. The last seven days have been torture being away from her, but it was all worth it to be here now.

When Rae looks like she might be heading for a nap instead of the all-night sex I had in mind, I release her feet and crawl up her body to unzip her jeans. I peel them off her legs and toss them on top of her boots. Long smooth legs lead to a pair of sexy red satin panties I haven't seen before. Rae must notice me looking my fill.

"Morgana gifted me a set after you left. Said every brokenhearted woman deserved lingerie that makes them feel like a million bucks."

My eyes fall shut. I think I might forever hold a kernel of guilt for leaving Rae and not telling her how I felt right away. Then again, when I came to Snowhaven, I thought love had passed me by. I drop my head and kiss my way up each of her legs, taking my time to love every inch of this incredible woman. I skip over the panties and lift her sweater over her head. Somewhere in the back of my brain, I remind myself to thank Morgana. Rae's breasts are pushed up beautifully in the matching satin bra cups.

"Have I told you lately how much I love your breasts?"

Rae giggles. "I don't think you have. You better show them."

I reach underneath her and unclasp the bra, carefully peeling the straps from her arms and freeing her from the garment. Her breasts fit perfectly in my cupped palms. I watch in fascination as her nipples tighten before my eyes. I strum my thumbs across both peaks and observe how Rae's breathing picks up. My mouth waters and I give in to temptation, laving first her right nipple and then her left with my tongue. I flick and suck and keep doing anything that earns me another one of those little moans from Rae.

Her fingers tighten in my hair and she tugs hard, pulling me off of her breast with a gasp. "You have far too many clothes on."

I swipe a finger down her middle, over her stomach and between her legs. "I haven't even gotten you out of your panties yet, sugar. I have so much more I want to do."

"Do it after," she pouts.

"After what?" I ask innocently. Rae might call me the choir boy, but I sure do love hearing her try to talk dirty.

She narrows her eyes at me. "You know."

I shake my head. As much as I can with her fisting my hair like she loves to do. "I'm afraid I don't. You better tell me."

Her cheeks are starting to take on the color of her lingerie, but she tips her nose in the air anyway. "I want you to fill me with every inch of that cock and make me come so hard my neighbors hear me scream. Then you can do the other stuff you want to do."

My lungs hitch and straight malfunction. I try to swallow but my throat sticks and no words escape. But my hands? They understand what to do and push off the ground, away from Rae. Just long enough to tear my shirt over my head and push my jeans and boxers around my ankles.

Rae's satisfied smile is the first of many I'll put on her face tonight. She wiggles her panties off and holds her arms in the air for me. Despite the frenzy I feel in my gut to make her wish come true as soon as humanly possible, I nestle my hips between her legs and take a moment to just enjoy the feel of her underneath me. To know she still loves me. She wants the same future with me that I envision, one where we can make love in front of the fireplace every night if we want to.

She cups my face and lifts her head to put us nose to nose. "I love you, Hutton."

I slide inside her wet heat in one perfect stroke and say the words that have already imprinted on my heart. "I love you, Rae Dunn. Forever and always."

I make love to my future wife with the fire crackling behind us. She doesn't say another word, but she doesn't have to. She leads with her heart and shares her body with me, while she shares so much more. She shows her vulnerabilities, her dreams, and her steady commitment to us as a couple.

It doesn't take long to feel her tightening around me, but I hold out as long as I can, slowing the pace and making her wait. When she finally takes her fingers out of my hair and digs her nails into my ass cheeks to hurry me along, I obey, thrusting hard and fast and true until she screams my name and I tumble after her.

While we rest by the fire, I slowly pull her hair out of the braids and stroke each strand, telling her the things I've done this week to secure our future together. I explain my change of pace with my career and the meetings with a family law attorney to amend the parenting plan with Holly. She's agreed to let me have primary custody of Henry in exchange for a visitation plan that fits her lifestyle. I also offered her quite a sum of money to facilitate that change, but nothing's too much to pay to have my son with me full-time.

When the fire starts to wane, I carry Rae into the bedroom. My old-man back can only take sleeping on the floor for so long before it starts aching. I make love to her again, telling her how much I love her with each stroke, each kiss, each murmured word of praise. We finally drift to sleep in each other's arms and smiles on our faces.

Every wish I've ever had has come true.

Because of Snowhaven.

Because of Rae.