Page 12 of Frozen Promises

THE GREATEST GIFT

Catalina

I wake to the sensation of Elias nestled between my thighs and his warm breath ghosting over my skin. The scrape of his stubble sends a shiver through me, and I groan, instinctively trying to squeeze my legs together. But all that does is trap him more.

With a low chuckle, Elias tightens his grip and gently pries my knees apart. He looks up at me through the thick sweep of his lashes, a wicked grin playing on his lips. “Good morning, mi amor.”

I don’t get to return the greeting before his tongue licks up my seam, drawing out a loud moan.

He’s always had a wicked tongue and knows exactly how to make me squirm.

This man has gone down on me for long periods of times, even when I beg for mercy.

I miss that. But maybe we are getting back to the place we once were.

Yesterday gave me hope and a newfound need to fight for our relationship.

Elias’s tongue finds my clit. The first brush has me arching off the bed, reaching down to pull on his hair. He groans, and his hands grip me tighter.

“Fuck . . . G-good morning,” I stammer, barely able to form cohesive words.

It earns a chuckle, sending shivers down my spine. If this is how he plans on waking me up every day, I think I’ll be one happy girl. Honestly, every woman should wake up to a mind-blowing orgasm. We deserve it.

This man starts to eat me out in earnest. Each lick and swipe of his tongue has me rolling my hips, reaching down, and pulling his face closer to my pussy.

I have never been self-conscious with Elias in my personal business.

Not once in our relationship has he ever made me feel insecure or anything less than sexy.

So, if he suffocates between my thighs, it’s his fault for making me feel so secure.

I doubt he’d complain.

“Elias!” His name rolls off my tongue as pleasure rips through my body. His tongue teases my clit while he presses his finger deep inside of me, curling it slightly. “Fuck!” I gasp.

“That’s it, carino. Rub that pretty cunt all over my face. This pussy is mine.”

Fuck, this man has a filthy mouth.

The sensation of his tongue and finger fucking me is too much. I’m still sore from the marathon of sex we had last night when he drew orgasm after orgasm until I went limp in his arms. I didn’t think I would have another one in me so soon.

But once again, Elias surprises me.

He takes my clit into my mouth and thrusts a second finger in me.

I scream, pleasure erupting in my body like a white-hot charge that sends shockwaves.

My thighs tremble as I come on his tongue, and he laps up my desire.

Greedy man takes everything I give him, reminding me who I belong to. Who he belongs to.

My body goes limp on the bed, spent from orgasms I haven’t had in so long. My vibrator can only do so much, but it’s never made me come as many times as Elias has. Now I think I’m officially out of commission for at least a day.

“You insatiable man, go away,” I giggle, trying to push him away from my very used and happy pussy.

He takes his sweet time pulling back, dragging his tongue slowly across his lips to savor the taste of me. The sight alone makes my breath hitch.

“Merry Christmas, Catalina,” he murmurs, his voice thick with heat as he prowls up my body.

His mouth finds mine in a kiss that’s deep and unashamed.

His tongue slips past my lips so I can taste myself on him.

It’s filthy. It’s intimate. And it turns me on more than it should.

He lingers, kissing me like he owns the moment—slow, possessive, and unwilling to let go.

Then his words register.

Christmas.

Holy shit, it’s Christmas! Well, Christmas Eve. We’ve always exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve and gathered with family and friends for delicious meals on Christmas.

I break the kiss, eyes wide. “It’s Christmas!” I repeat, earning a chuckle from Elias. He tries to kiss me again, but I swat him away. “No, you don’t understand. It’s Christmas, and I left all your gifts at home. Fuck!”

To be fair, I hadn’t expected to leave my husband so close to Christmas, and I certainly didn’t count on him coming up here to spend the holiday with me.

Another thought slams into me. “Shit—you should be at work,” I blurt, suddenly remembering his packed schedule.

I’ve seen his calendar; I know how busy he is, especially this time of year.

Sure, we talked about him cutting back and being more present in our relationship, but I never expected that kind of change to happen overnight.

It’s a huge ask—restructuring his workload, shifting priorities.

Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean the world stops needing lawyers.

The law doesn’t take time off, and neither do his clients.

Despite my reeling brain, Elias just laughs. I shoot him a glare because this isn’t a laughing matter, but he ignores it. “You worry too much, mi amor. I can help you relax.” He winks, pulling me closer.

“You’ve helped me relax enough,” I remind.

Even if my heart jumps at the idea of sex with Elias, my body screams for a break.

I’m not certain I’ll survive another orgasm.

“Are you going home, then?” I ask. The thought of him leaving fills me with dread, but I know—or hope—that this will be temporary.

“No. I’m not leaving.”

“But—”

“Catalina,” Elias says, his deep voice rolling through me like a slow, delicious shiver.

He sits up in bed, settling against the headboard with an easy, confident grace.

His arm reaches out, and I don’t hesitate as I let him guide me into his lap, curling against him like I belong there.

Because I do. There’s no place I feel safer than in his arms and no comfort like the warmth of his embrace.

I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.

He holds me close, then leans in, his voice soft but firm. “I need you to turn that brilliant brain of yours off,” he murmurs, lips brushing my temple, “and let me give you your present.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “I can’t give you yours until we’re home.”

He just shakes his head. “You’ve given me enough. And, admittedly, most of your gifts are also at home.”

“Wait.” I pull back, brow furrowing. “You got me gifts? I didn’t see any from you under the tree.”

“Because it wasn’t time to open them yet. Have you been snooping, carino?”

I shrug indignantly. “Maybe.” I definitely did.

Again, he laughs. “Naughty girl. Seeing as you didn’t find them, I hid them well.” He pauses, his confident demeanor slips and something vulnerable crosses his features. “But I have something for you now. Something . . . I hope you see as me hearing you and putting us first.”

My curiosity is piqued, but I stay silent as he reaches for his phone on the bedside table. The screen illuminates as he slides it open, tapping the screen. I can’t see what he’s doing, but after a few minutes, he hands it over to me with no words or instructions.

“You’re giving me your phone?” I ask, confused. “Am I supposed to search through your phone or . . .”

“I want you to look at what I have pulled up,” he says.

“Okay.” Still uncertain, I glance down at the app Elias has pulled up. My brows knit in confusion. “You wanted me to see your calendar? But—” The words stall in my throat as my brain slowly catches up with what I’m looking at.

Elias’s calendar.

Elias’s empty calendar.

I blink, thinking maybe I’ve misread it. But no—the next two weeks are completely clear. No meetings. No court appearances. No client calls.

I swipe forward into mid-January, half-expecting the chaos to return. It does, but only in small doses. A few meetings scattered here and there during the week, but not a single appointment on any Sunday. Just one or two marked on Saturdays every other week.

My chest tightens as a mix of shock and emotion swell in my throat.

He cleared it. He cleared his calendar for me.

I try to say something. Anything. But each time I open my mouth, only shocked gasps escape. Elias is patient, giving me time to take in what I’m seeing. I don’t realize I’m crying until Elias brushes my cheek with his thumb, catching a wayward tear.

“I hope these are happy tears,” he murmurs.

“You . . . you cleared your calendar,” I whisper, still unsure if I’m seeing it correctly. Like at any moment, Elias will come clean and say that this is all an elaborate prank.

But he doesn’t.

This is real.

“I did and not just for you. For us,” he says and cups my face. I glance up and we lock eyes. The grave set of his features and the sharp focus in his eyes make my skin prickle. “When you said what you said on that live? Fuck, Catalina, it devastated me.”

I try to hang my head in shame. “I’m sorry. I—”

“Don’t apologize. That shit hurt, but I needed to hear it and know that I’ve been a shitty husband.

Making you feel like I was falling out of love with you was never my intention.

By working and thinking I was doing my job as your husband, I was actually just pushing you away.

I was fucking losing you, and I didn’t even know. ”

His hands on my cheeks stiffen as emotion consumes him. He looks tortured, like he’s punishing himself for all the mistakes he’s made. I hate seeing him like this. “You can’t shoulder all the blame. I should have spoken to you before it got this far. I didn’t understand your side of it.”

“Don’t.”

I freeze. “Don’t what?”

“Make excuses for me. You never had time to tell me because I wasn’t around. I haven’t been around in a long fucking time,” he snarls, but his venom isn’t geared toward me. His ire is with himself.

I lean closer, pressing my lips gently against his. When I pull back, I take his face in my hands. “Do you love me, Elias Ayala?”

“More than anything on this fucking earth.”

I smile, another stubborn tear falling down my cheeks. “Then that’s the best gift you’ve ever given me.”

We’ll face our share of hardships as we step into this new chapter of our marriage.

It will take some time getting reacquainted with being in each other’s lives, but I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.

And if everything we’ve been through has taught me anything, it’s that Elias and I are stronger when we’re together. We always have been and always will be.

I may not know what the future holds, but one thing is crystal clear.

I never want to spend another Christmas without him.