Chapter 6

6

MADDY

December 24th: The bedroom.

“Good night.” My arm wraps around Daniel’s waist, and we walk upstairs together.

His arm is heavy, wrapped around me, clutching me close and attempting to guide me down the hall. We lean on each other to avoid crashing into the walls and make it to our room.

Daniel sits on the bed heavily and lies on the pillows in the middle of the bed, taking up as much room as possible.

“I hope you’ll make room for me,” I say, crossing my arms and staring down at him.

He grins tiredly and slaps his chest. “You can lie here.”

I laugh and turn from him to rummage in his bag and find a soft T-shirt to wear. I head to the bathroom, but his voice stops me before I enter it.

“You can change here.”

My body freezes in surprise, and I face him again. He’s still sprawled on the bed, but he’s turned on his side and gazes at me with a soft expression on his face. Green eyes heavy and gentle.

“Really?”

“You showed more skin on the beach, and I’ll shut my eyes.”

“If you shut your eyes, you’ll fall asleep.”

“I won’t.”

He’s right that I’m more covered now than the beach, and it’s not like I’ll rip my clothes off while facing him and throw them at his face. He’ll only see my back. And the bed looks so comfortable, especially with him in it.

Decision made, probably fuelled by the champagne I drank, I turn around so my back faces him and remove the top I put on after I showered the beach off me.

It slips off easily and I unclasp my bra, flinging it at my bag, careful not to turn properly and flash my nipples at Daniel.

His T-shirt slides over me, and I shimmy out of my shorts. The T-shirt’s soft on my skin and smells like him. I breathe in citrus and turn towards the bed.

Our eyes lock, and he bites his lip.

“You were supposed to shut your eyes.” I place a knee on the bed and climb onto the mattress, staying on my side to avoid invading his space, which is difficult since he rolls from the middle of the bed to me, snags me around the waist and pulls me onto his chest.

I don’t protest like I should, instead I rearrange myself so I’m fully on top of him, our stomachs pressed together, and my arms crossed on his chest so I can raise myself up and look him in the eye. His arms wrap loosely around my waist, and my legs fall between his.

It doesn’t feel as weird as it should.

We’ve been touching each other all day. After I kissed him on the beach, the floodgates opened and neither of us could help ourselves.

Is it the best idea?

Probably not.

Do I care?

Ask me in a few days when all of this disappears.

At the moment I’m enjoying being with him, drinking in the affection and his cheeky smile. I know it’s not real. Know it will end as soon as we drive home, but I can’t help myself. I don’t even care that it’s all because of a bet with his sister.

I can’t help but take the opportunity to be close to him for once in my life. To have permission to touch and experience him.

Even though it’s not real.

My chest tightens, but I focus on his soft smile, and the ache goes away.

So what if he’ll never feel the same?

This week I can pretend. Pretend he wants me the same way. Even if he just wants some fun, I’ll take it. Take the experience and whatever he’s offering.

I’ll deal with the aftermath later.

Make Ella get me drunk and bring those brownies her friend Lily makes. I brush a finger across his cheek and land on his lips, and he kisses my finger.

When we go home and everything returns to normal, I’ll drink, cry into baked goods, pick myself up again, get another tattoo, and move on with my life. Maybe go on a date. Surely Ella knows someone?

But that’s enough thinking tonight. Enough thinking since I finally have Daniel here with me, and he actually seems interested in me.

Has all day.

I brush hair off his forehead. “Thanks for a perfect day.” I duck my head and draw circles on his chest. “I’m kinda glad you kidnapped me and forced me here.”

I wasn’t expecting to have as much fun as I did. Am having. And will have the next few days.

Never imagined I’d enjoy my birthday this much. Especially not with his family here while pretending we’re dating when I wish we were. But it’s the best birthday I’ve had in a long time. Because they treated it like my birthday. Not Christmas Eve. My birthday. He made it special. Made me feel special.

Loved.

His fingers grasp my chin gently and raises my head. “You had a good day?”

“Yeah, I did. And it was because of you.” I force myself to keep looking at him and ignore the heat creeping into my cheeks. “You’re so thoughtful. Thank you for everything.”

He hugs me closer and tugs me up his chest. “I’m glad you had a good day. That’s all I wanted. I love you, you know. And you don’t deserve everyone leaving you for the holidays.”

My breath catches and the ache returns to my chest. Tight and heavy.

I know he means as a friend. He loves me as a friend and looks out for me in the same way, but I can’t help but wish he meant he was in love with me. That we’ll come back next year and see who the champion is. Make new traditions together.

I swallow the cloying emotion in my throat. “I love you too, even though you kidnapped me and forced me to wear a bucket hat.”

“Which you looked adorable in. Next time, I’m getting us bright yellow hats.”

I blow out a laugh and rest my chin on my crossed arms. “Why yellow? I’m not sure it’ll be our best look.”

“I look good in everything.”

He does. But I’m not telling him that. “Even feathers?”

“Even feathers.” He goes quiet, brushing his fingers in distracting circles on my lower back. “I’m sorry if it got out of hand at the beach.”

“What do you mean?”

His throat bobs. “The kissing and touching.”

I trace patterns on his chest and ignore my hands trembling and the blood rushing in my ears. “I didn’t mind it,” I whisper.

“You didn’t?”

I shake my head and force myself to look at him. “No. You’re a good kisser.”

“You liked it?” He drags me up his body, until my face hovers above his, my breath brushing his lips.

“Yeah.” I gather the scrap of courage I have and say, “I know this is to convince your family, and they aren’t here now, obviously, but maybe we could?—”

His lips cut me off, and I melt into him. We can figure everything out later. My body sags, and he threads a hand through my hair, guiding my head to the side to deepen the kiss. To brush his tongue against my lips until I open my mouth and let him in. A groan escapes me. He tastes like champagne and the cake he surprised me with. Warm and heady.

I move my legs to straddle him, and his hands run up and down my back, squeeze my hips and then his hand is in my hair again, keeping it out of the way and scratching deliciously through my scalp.

He pulls away and kisses across my jaw and down my throat before returning to my lips and devouring me. Consuming me like he does my thoughts.

His cheeks are rough with stubble, and it grazes my skin as he moves his mouth.

“Thank you again.” I kiss across his face. “Thank you for making today special and?—”

He captures my chin and puts a finger over my lips. “Stop thanking me. It was nothing.”

I try to speak, but he tightens his grip on my chin and—I didn’t realise that could be sexy—I keep quiet.

“I wanted to do this for you. You don’t have to do anything in return. That’s not why I did it.” He guides me back to his lips and loosens his grip on my chin.

I kiss him gently. “Okay,” I whisper against his lips.

“Good.” He rolls us so we’re lying on our sides, and I clutch him in surprise.

He rearranges my legs until one lies straight and the other is over his hip, but he leaves space between us.

“What are you doing?”

“Your birthday isn’t over. I can do something else for you, if you like?” His hand drags from my hip to my thigh, sneaking under his T-shirt I’m wearing to massage my ass. The arm with the tattoos I designed for him. The diving whale on his bicep flexes.

My eyes widen in surprise, but I can’t help rolling my hips towards him. I didn’t expect it to go further than making out, but if he wants more, I’m onboard. I’ll accept whatever he’s willing to offer while he’s feeling generous and ignoring our normal lives.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

He nods and I dip my head in agreement, watching his facial expressions as his hand leaves my ass, trails across my hip to my front, and lands on my underwear. His arm shifts to show his mostly bare inner bicep we have yet to design something for.

He cups me, and I grind against him. The heat from his hand brands me and the fabric does nothing to dull the sensation.

Daniel hooks a finger in my underwear and drags them down my thighs. They get caught where I’m lying on my side, but I raise myself so he can remove them and he chucks them over his shoulder.

I peer over him to see where they landed and snort when I see them on his bag. “Were you aiming there?”

He rolls to his back and looks. “No, but maybe it’s a sign. Your underwear wants to come home with me, so I’ll have to keep you.”

My stomach swoops at the thought, but I’m distracted when he returns to his side and hikes my leg over his hip again.

His hand lands on my thigh and drifts to the newly uncovered skin, and I sigh at the sensation.

Daniel moves to my front and slides his hand to my inner thigh, up until he hits my centre, and I sway towards him. His fingers swirl through me, and when he brushes my clit, I gasp.

“You’re soaked.” He sounds surprised.

“Yeah, well, you look good in a bucket hat,” I manage to say through broken breaths. The fabric definitely dulled the sensation. Why is his hand so hot?

His nose brushes mine and he captures my lips but quickly diverts to my throat, leaving wet, sucking kisses on my collarbone that sends a matching pulse to my clit. Shifting the T-shirt to show more skin, he latches onto the skin where my neck meets my shoulder. All while he swirls his fingers through my centre, up to my clit and down again.

Heat invades my cheeks, and my heart beats in my ears.

One hand tangles in his hair and the other clutches the inked turtle near his elbow.

His fingers hover at my entrance, and he locks eyes with me, waiting until I nod and he inserts a finger. My walls clench around him and my hips jerk to meet him.

He holds still as I adjust before adding a second finger, stretching me out and scissoring his fingers.

He plays around with the rhythm and the pressure his thumb has on my clit until I groan deep in my throat, and his head lifts from my shoulder and he raises an eyebrow.

“You should keep doing that,” I gasp.

And he does.

He keeps the thrusts shallow, barely leaving me, and his thumb brushes back and forth quickly. Daniel leans up and rests his head on his hand and watches me. Watches his fingers inside me.

Arousal seeps from me, and the sounds of my broken gasps and his fingers inside me echo throughout the room.

My walls clench tighter around him, and I drag his head to mine. Our lips meet as mine fall open in pleasure, and I convulse around him. Breathing him in, I rest my forehead on his, eyes closed, while my body relaxes.

He slows and stops, removing his fingers and running his hand up and down my leg. Back and forth as I come down to earth, the motion soothing as I’m surrounded by him.

I open my eyes and smile. “If you keep doing that, I’ll fall asleep.” An orgasm mixed with champagne, sun, and Daniel means sleep.

He rolls to his back and drapes me over his chest, and his other hand is free to tuck hair out of my face. “That’s fine, sweetheart. Sleep. It was a long day.”

“But what about you?”

“It’s your birthday, my love. Don’t worry about me.” He hauls me closer and guides my head to his shoulder. His fingers scratch through my scalp. “Sleep.”

Too tired to worry, I snuggle into him, clutching his T-shirt, and sleepily realise he’s still in the clothes he changed into after the beach.

I drift off to the sound of his voice calling me ‘my love’ and the sensation of hope in my chest.