Page 101 of Theirs for the Holidays

“That’s life, son,” he says. “You’re young, but time isn’t infinite. And you never know what could happen. In the blink of an eye, your time or hers could run out. So the lesson is that you should never wait to tell the people you care about how you feel about them. Holding it in doesn’t do anyone a damned bit of good. Maybe they’ll feel the same and maybe they won’t, but atleast you won’t be left with the feeling of ‘what if’ and regret that has nowhere to go.”

That hits me hard, and I’m left staring at Simon for long seconds. I don’t quite know how to react, and he seems to understand that, giving me time.

I think about my mother and how one day she was just gone and how much time has passed since then.

All at once, I can’t sit here anymore.

I get up, almost knocking over my chair in the process. “I have to go,” I tell Simon. “Sorry, I just?—”

He waves a hand, smiling up at me. “You were going to lose anyway. Will you be here next week?”

I nod. “Yeah. Yeah, definitely.”

“Hopefully with your head on straight by then. Go on now.”

I’m already striding away, a growing sense of urgency spurring me on as I head toward my car.

Sweetwater Lake isn’t a big place, but I find myself drumming my fingers against the steering wheel in agitation every time I have to stop at a light. After the third light, I end up taking an alternate route that allows me to speed down a back road a little, and although it still takes longer than I’d like, I make it back to Violet’s place in record time.

When I left, I was the only one there, but it’s late enough in the afternoon that her car is in the driveway. Lennox and Sawyer aren’t there, so I pull up next to her car and then let myself into the house.

I barely take the time to shed my layers before striding into the kitchen to see Violet standing at the counter, measuring out flour on a scale.

She looks up when I walk in, immediately blushing. “Okay,” she says, “So I know it’s lame to come home and start baking right away, but I had an idea on the way home, so you can’t makefun of me.” She’s grinning, but I don’t even crack a smile at her poking fun at herself.

Instead, I walk right up to her and wrap a hand around her wrist. I pull her in so she’s flush against my body. Her cheeks flush even darker as she looks up at me, but before she can say anything, I lean down and kiss her.

I can practically taste the surprise in the noise she makes against my mouth, but it only takes a few seconds for her to lean up and start kissing me back. One hand settles against my chest, and the other slides up so she can put her arm around my neck.

A bubble of almost giddy warmth rises in my chest from the feeling of her touching me, and I press deeper into the kiss, sliding my tongue into her mouth.

Violet moans softly, and the sound sets something on fire inside me. Suddenly, none of this is enough.

I pull back, taking in her look of surprise for a split second before I lift her up onto a clean stretch of counter.

“What’s going on with you today?” she murmurs, her eyes wide.

“I realized how fucking hungry I am for you,” I say. “Couldn’t wait another damn second to get a taste.”

Her eyes are like saucers, but she doesn’t stop me as I start tugging down her pants and panties. She lifts her hips to help me and spreads her legs, letting me get a look at her perfect pussy.

I growl deep in my chest just from the sight of it and then drop to my knees in front of her.

“Fucking beautiful,” I say, glancing up to memorize the look on her face before I’m diving in and eating her out.

Her pussy is sweet and warm against my tongue, and it only takes a few minutes before she’s getting so wet for me. I lap it all up, savoring the flavor of her, going to town like a man starving.

I feel fucking voracious for her. Like I can’t get enough. I lick into her, feeling the way her thighs tremble around my head.

“Rhett,” she moans, and fuck, there’s something about the way my name sounds in her mouth when she’s turned on and needy for me. It makes me give her more, thrusting my tongue deeper into her for a bit before going back to sucking lightly on her clit.

She writhes on the counter, her fingers finding their way into my hair for something to hold on to. Her breathing is labored, and she curls her body around me, her whole body quaking with pleasure.

“Just like that,” I say, lifting my head for a minute. “You taste so fucking good, Tink. You have no idea. I could do this all day. Just lie between your legs and lick and suck and taste you.”

“Oh my god. Rhett, I’m?—”

“You gonna come for me?” I ask her.