Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“I hope you don’t hate it,” says Samuel with a grimace. “I … I didn’t know what to do about the snag. It was partially my fault, so I wanted to fix it. Yeah, I was also kinda mad at you while I sewed the rabbit patch on, sure, but I—”
“You … can sew …?”
He shrugs. “It’s a needle and thread, big deal. I have a small kit in my closet. Anyway, we have this box of cute animal patches a sweet old lady made for us at the clinic to give away to kids, and I kinda got this idea—”
“So I’m a kid?”
“Lemme finish! I got this idea to fix up your scarf for you and thought maybe I’d give it to you as a parting gift or … something. And so I did this. To your scarf. And … uh …” He slaps a hand to his cheek and drums his fingers on his face worriedly. “Please tell me I didn’t mess up the scarf.”
I gaze down at it and run a thumb over the cute bunny patch. A couple of threads stick out here and there. The underside is a mess of funny knots. The thread he used to sew the patch on is just barely the wrong shade of red, enough to be noticeable.
Yet somehow … “It’s perfect.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah.” I throw it around my neck with a smile. Then I face him fully. “Thank you, Samuel. This gift means everything to me.”
He puts an arm over the back of the couch, seeming satisfied with himself. “Well, good. For a sec there, I thought I messed it all up and ruined your holidays.”
“You did ruin them.”
His smile fades. “I did?”
I lean into him and rest my head on his chest, cuddling into his side. He brings his arm hesitantly around me.
“Yes,” I murmur. “The holidays are forever ruined. Since now they’re our anniversary, apparently.”
I feel him shrug. “Well, I figured it wouldn’t hurt, to make our anniversary on Christmas. Hell, Jimmy and Bobby just did it, and we can’t just let the Strongs have everything, now can we?”
“Agreed. Thanks for sticking it to them one last time for me.”
“Anything for my Malc-Man.”
I roll my eyes. “Please, stop it with these painful nicknames. I am not your pet housecat, nor am I a gerbil.”
“What? It’s cute. Malc-Man.”
“It sounds like you’re saying ‘milkman’.”
“You don’t wanna be my little milkman, Malc-Man?”
I push myself out of his embrace and glare at him. “And now you’re reminding me exactly why I had doubts about ever giving you a chance.”
“Oh, please.” He takes hold of the scarf around my neck and gives it one yank, bringing my startled face right up to his. “You never had a chance of gettin’ away from me.”
“You are so annoying,” I growl.
Then our faces crash together.
Admittedly, this isn’t the romantic ending to the wedding day that I was expecting. Actually, this isn’t anything like I’d pictured this day ending at all. It was supposed to be me alone in the Strong guestroom, leftover sweets from the celebration on my lap, gentle music playing, and a book in my hand.
Instead, Samuel and I start peeling our clothes off like animals who have no idea what clothes are even for. I hear threads pop in my shirt as he pulls it off of me and surprisingly, I don’t care. I pull open his pants so quickly, I nearly break the button clean off. Then the pair of us are naked (except for his socks, somehow) making out on his couch. Each kiss is a tender reminder of how happy he makes me. Each breath that crashes between our faces makes me feel more a part of him and less alone.
Then he scoops me into his arms and starts carrying me down the hallway. “Whoa, Samuel, what the—”
“All ninety-nothin’ pounds of you,” he growls before our lips come right back together.
He drops me onto his bed. The cool, soft bed sheets catch me like pillowy hands. Then he crawls over me and catches my lips with his, our kissing uninterrupted. I drag my hands up his body, feeling his firm, tough shape, his strength, his determination. He lets me touch him wherever I want as we kiss. No, of course I can’t ignore our dicks, which are getting to know each other just as well as our hands are getting to know our bodies. Both of us are hard. Throbbing. I’ve never anticipated something more than this.
There is no doubt in my heart about Samuel. Not anymore.
I want him to have every part of me. I want to give everything to him. I want to know what it’s like to not hold back.
And to be perfectly honest, I can’t wait another second. “You need to get a condom on it,” I mutter between kisses.