The Snuggle is Real (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Mason

When I woke the next morning, my body was deliciously sore. I stretched, back arching, and a sweet ache flooded my hips.

Oh, damn.

Ford had given me a real workout last night.

Oh my god. Ford!

I rolled over, heart in my throat, but the bed was empty. I slid a hand over the sheets. They were cool to the touch.

He’d probably left when I fell asleep to go back to Charlie. It wasn’t as if he could stop being a dad just because I wanted someone to hold me in the morning.

I fell back into the pillows with a happy sigh.

That Ford had come to the date, that he’d claimed me with a kiss in front of the whole town? That was worthy of one of Heath Kelly’s queer Hallmark movies. But to have him take me home and show me all the ways he could handle being with a man by handling me, well, that was better than any fantasies I could have conjured—and I had a very active imagination when it came to Ford Donnelly.

I couldn’t fault him for being a good dad, even if I did really wish I could kiss him in the light of day, just to reassure myself it hadn’t all been some kind of vividly erotic dream.

My bedroom door swung open, and Peppermint Bark bounded in and dove into the bed. I gasped as his cold nose went straight into my neck.

But my eyes were fixed on the man who followed him inside.

“You’re still here?”

“Uh, well, yeah.” Ford chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought I made it clear last night I wanted more than to fuck and run. But I’ve never done this with a guy, so if you want me to go?—”

“No!” I said so emphatically that Pepper recoiled. “Stay, please,” I said softly, for the both of them. I stroked Pepper’s ears to appease him. “I want you here. I just thought you’d have to go home for Charlie.”

Ford came toward the bed, dressed again in that hideous Christmas sweater. I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. Last night wasn’t a dream. It had really happened.

Ford held out a mug of coffee, and I took it from him. Then he smoothed back my hair and kissed my forehead. Gah. There was something so sweetly innocent about that gesture that my stomach fluttered.

“Charlie’s with Dottie. I arranged for a sleepover before the date last night.”

I nearly choked on my sip of coffee. “You must think I’m easy.”

“What? Why?”

“We hadn’t even talked yet, and you planned to be gone all night?”

Had my feelings really been that transparent? I’d worked so hard to hide them.

Ford chuckled. “Sweetheart, I’m not that cocky. I just knew that if you gave me a chance, I didn’t want to be interrupted.”

My heart skipped. “Sweetheart?”

He’d called me that once or twice during sex, but people said all kinds of things in the heat of the moment. Saying it now made it real.

“Sorry, it just came out. I didn’t really think about it. But if you don’t like it…”

I grabbed a handful of his sweater and tugged him down until I could brush my lips along his ear. “I like it.”

He shivered. “Good.”

“Maybe you should get out of that sweater again. It really is ugly.”

Pepper squirmed between us, excited by all action. Ford drew back enough to yank the sweater over his head, leaving him in only a pair of blue jeans, and holy hell, that was a good look for him. His chest was broad and covered in a layer of dark hair. Combined with big shoulders and bulky biceps, he was the stuff of lumberjack fantasies.

I licked my lips as I drank him in. “Has Pepper gone out?”

“I took him before you woke. Put some kibble in his bowl too.”

“Perfect. He has a toy in the corner.” I pointed to a green elf. “Toss that into the hall so he’ll give us a little privacy.”

Ford crossed the room and picked up the toy, squeaking it twice. Pepper shot off the bed with a huff of excitement. Ford went to the doorway. “Want your toy?” He waggled and squeaked it, then threw it down the hall. “Go get it!”

Pepper darted out the doorway and Ford shut the door. “That won’t make him happy for long.”

“Then I guess we better hurry.”

I set aside the coffee and flipped back the bedding. I was a little nervous to be baring my very male body in a room washed in sunlight. This was far more exposing than last night, when we’d undressed in the dark, too caught up in a lust haze to really think.

Ford came to the bed, eyes locked on me. My skin heated under his gaze, my nipples and cock growing hard even as a blush spread across my chest.

Ford brushed a thumb over my left nipple, making me arch slightly. “Damn,” he whispered. “You’re so sexy like this.”

“Yeah?” I bit my lower lip, looking up at him through my lashes. “So why are your pants still on?”

Ford whipped off his jeans with gratifying speed and crawled into bed with me. He cupped my face, kissing me without any concern for morning breath. He tasted of the same hazelnut coffee he’d brought to me. I sucked it from his tongue, and he groaned.

“I have to get Charlie soon.”

I wrapped my legs around his waist and surged up, rubbing my cock along his, and he shuddered. “Mm. So you want to stop?”

“No,” he growled, kissing me again and rutting against me. Without lube, there was too much friction to get off. But his strength and weight pinning me to the bed was really doing it for me. Only one thing would make it better.

“Then bring your delicious dick up here. I’ll suck you off so quick your head spins.”

“Y-you mean?—”

He levered up on his knees uncertainly.

“Yeah.” I tugged him forward, encouraging him to straddle my shoulders and bring his thick cockhead to my lips.

I flicked my tongue out, tasting the tip, and he jolted. “Fuck. Those lips…”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

I sucked in his spongy cockhead, swirling my tongue, getting him nice and slippery inch by inch. I didn’t swallow him straight down—no, that wasn’t the trick. The trick was to work him up so much that when I did take him deep, he’d blow like a stick of dynamite.

His dick stretched my lips, making us both moan. He filled my mouth so full, making my hole ache with jealousy. I wasn’t ready to take him again. I hadn’t had sex in a while, and I could still feel the ache of him inside me. Maybe by tonight…

The thought made my cock ache, and I whimpered with need.

“God. Can I…” His hips shifted forward, pushing deeper.

I relaxed my throat. Now was the time. I grabbed his ass and pulled him in, deeper, until that mushroom head nudged into my throat. Then I swallowed.

“Ah, fuck!” Ford threw his head back, baring his strong throat, Adam’s apple bobbing as his cock pulsed on my tongue.

I swallowed him down, only choking a little, and grabbed my own neglected dick, stroking it clumsily.

The lack of oxygen, the squeeze of my hand on my dick, and the beautiful sight of Ford trembling with pleasure sent me over the edge.

I bucked my hips twice, coming in my hand, moaning as Ford retreated, his dick sliding out of my mouth as I shuddered with orgasm.

Ford rolled off my body with a groan, then tugged me into his arms. “Damn,” he said with a breathless laugh. “You’re really good at that.”

“Years of practice.”

He snorted. “I’d rather not think about that part.”

“You’re jealous?” I said in surprise.

“Well, yeah. I don’t want any man to have you but me.” He grabbed my chin and pressed a possessive kiss on me. Normally, it would feel far too soon for this sort of talk with a new sex partner, but not with Ford. Maybe because we’d gotten to know each other, want each other, before getting into bed.

Or maybe because I wanted Ford more than I’d ever wanted anyone.

“You’re the only man I want,” I murmured against his lips.

“Good.” He pulled back. “I should get cleaned up and go get Charlie. Do you want to come with me? I promised her we’d go to the park. They have a snowman contest going today, and we still haven’t used the ice-skating tickets you gave us.”

My family was arriving tomorrow, and there were plenty of things to do around the house. But I wasn’t ready to let Ford go yet. “I’d love to come, if you’re sure I won’t be a third wheel.”

“You’ve never been a third wheel, sweetheart. You always fit with us. That’s part of what made me fall for you.” His lips quirked. “Charlie loves you too.”

He rolled out of bed, leaving me shaken.

Charlie loves me too—meaning, she loves me in addition to Ford loving me? Or Charlie loves me, too—as in Charlie loving me is one more quality that attracted Ford to me?

“You coming?” Ford asked, his broad back and gorgeous ass flexing as he walked toward the door of the en suite bathroom.

“Yep.” I hopped out of bed and followed him.

I’d probably follow him anywhere, but into a hot wet shower, where he was naked? Yes, please.

Questions of how serious he was about me could wait. He was here. That was what mattered.

I was head over heels for this little family—Ford and Charlie both. Before they’d come into my life, I’d felt alone and adrift. Now, my heart was so full, it wanted to burst.

Ford had taken a big leap, just trying this out with me.

For now, that was more than enough.