Doing the Right Thing (46 page)

The room was dim, the only illumination came from the Christmas tree, which surged in alternating colors, and the orangey glow from the streetlight permeating the thin curtains. Ed lay back on the couch and pulled her on top of him. His hand curved around her neck and he kissed her again, whisper-soft caresses that morphed into deep passionate consumption. His hands were all over her, squeezing her backside, parting her thighs so he could reach between her legs.

As he touched her with one finger, Addie reared up. Ed pulled her back and wrapped his arms around her. He licked the pulse at her throat and she trembled.

“Ooh,” Addie moaned. “What are you doing to me?”

“Trying to make this last, and struggling.”

Ed flipped her over with effortless grace, so that she lay on her back and he lay on his side pressed tight against her.

“You have to keep still or I’ll fall off the couch,” he whispered.

He smiled down at her, his beautiful face framed by his ruffled fair hair, and Addie’s breath caught in her throat. With exquisite slowness, Ed trailed a finger all the way from her nose, over her lips and chin, down between her breasts, over her rounded stomach and onto the folds between her legs.

The long sigh fluttering from his lips made Addie swallow hard.

“I want,” he gulped. “I want…”

“What?”

“I want to make you happy.”

“Ed.”

“I want this to be good. I don’t want to let you down.”

“Ed!”

“I want—what?”

“You’re thinking too much. This is just us. Me and you. We’ve never done this before. Nothing about it won’t make me happy. It can’t be anything but good between us. You won’t let me down.”

“I might if I come all over the couch.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not my couch.”

He stifled a laugh. Then his lips followed the path of his finger. He kissed his way down her body until he was lying half-on half-off the couch. He drew his finger up and down the wet folds of her sex then did the same with his hot tongue, and Addie’s back arched. Then his finger and tongue thrust deep, teasing sensitive nerves, and Addie felt her body respond, moisture flooding from her as nerves danced and sizzled. Ed’s tongue curled as he licked her and Addie pressed her fingers into his shoulders. When his finger nudged her clit and circled, Addie began to climb faster.

She lost track of what he was doing, lost herself in the sensations. He knew the way to drive her mad, knew when to change his touch, alter the rhythm. He drew out perfection like a master painter, adding strokes with a firm brush, making colors erupt behind her eyes until Addie couldn’t feel the couch, couldn’t feel anything but Ed. She wanted him to do this forever and even as she thought it, knew she was about to shatter.

“Ed,” she gasped and came against his mouth.

Her thighs tightened along with her fists, her whole body caught in the grip of explosive pleasure. Her veins flooded with warmth and her muscles ebbed and flowed until she finally sagged into his embrace.

Then his lips were on hers and Addie could taste herself, taste Ed’s desperation and wanted him inside her. Her fingers wrapped around his cock and he whimpered.

Ed dragged his head up. “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to feel you do that and how much it kills me to say if you tighten your fingers again, I’ve had it.”

“I want you, Ed.”

“And you can have me. One minute to get myself under control. Well, ten would be better but my balls would never forgive me.”

He held himself over her, knees either side of her hips and Addie looked down at his cock, the head glistening a faint blue then red in the reflection from the nearby Christmas tree. She stifled a laugh. Not very successfully.

“Well, that was what I needed. A laugh. It’s a wonder I haven’t shriveled to a pencil.”

Addie took his cock in her fingers and pushed it down between her legs. She felt the head press against her swollen folds and sighed as Ed shuddered.

“Addie. It can’t have escaped your notice that I don’t have the condom on. Be careful. I’m a little like one of those guns you only have to breathe on to make it fire a hail of bullets. Only needs one to strike home.”

She brushed herself with his glistening crest, so hard and yet velvety soft.

“Addie, are you listening?”

“Oh you feel so good.”

He let out a strangled growl. “So you do, but…”

She parted her folds and touched her clit with his cock head. Like a sparkler catching fire, flashes of heat jumped through her sex to scatter around her body. Ed gritted his teeth.

Addie reached up, pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. He collapsed against her, their bodies meshed, his cock trapped between her thighs. Her hips flexed and Ed gasped into her mouth as his cock rubbed against her.

“Addie, we—”

“I want to. I just finished my period two days ago. Please. I want to feel you, all of you.”

He closed his eyes, released a long groan and then stared straight at her. Addie felt his cock head nudge inside her, the broad head spreading her open, and it felt so magical she had to fight not to cry. His face taut in concentration, Ed sank into her as her legs slid up over his hips, invading by slow degrees, until he was seated all the way inside. Her hands roamed his back, fingers trembling in the furrow of his spine as she traced a wavering line to his backside. She could feel every inch of him inside her and knew making love like this their first time was the right thing to do.

“You are the most perfect, fantastic, wonderful—oh God.” Ed gasped. “I felt that.”

She released a tremulous sigh as his cock jerked. Then squeezed him again with her pussy muscles.

“Arrggh. I’m never letting you go. I’m going to chain you to my bed. Arrggh.”

“You move too,” she blurted.

Ed’s forehead sagged to hers. “I can come inside you?”

She nodded as his hips began to rock against her.

“Okay, my Christmas angel?” he whispered.

She couldn’t speak, only nod, and then he pressed even deeper and Addie arched into him, her hips meeting his stroke for stroke in a dancer’s rhythm. They moved together, cried out together, reached together for that ultimate moment when movement would be impossible. Addie felt her nails digging into his back but couldn’t help herself. Ed’s hips drove down into her, withdrawing his cock to the very brink before powering back into her, faster and harder.

“Addie, Addie, Addie,” he gasped.

The rhythmic contractions inside her body fused into one long rolling wave of delight to send her soaring. The moment she froze in ecstasy, she felt Ed’s cock swell inside her, the pulses of his climax melding with hers.

Addie screamed. She couldn’t help it.

* * * * *

Will sat staring into the fire. Mollie, his mum’s Golden Retriever lay draped across his feet. The Christmas tree twinkled in the corner and on the table in front of him were an untouched glass of sherry and half a mince pie. His mum and his stepfather had gone to bed. His mum had known the moment Will arrived that something was wrong, but she hadn’t pushed.

He thought about Ed and Addie and the pain started up again in his chest. Ed couldn’t help loving her anymore than he could. She was special, Ed was right, though the word had sounded wrong when he’d said it. Addie was with Ed and not him because he’d messed everything up. Will blinked and rubbed his eyes. Although his heart told his brain something different, Will knew it was better this way, because if Addie wasn’t with Ed, he’d have lost her altogether. This way, they could eventually be friends. And relatives. Ed would marry her. Will let out a quiet sob.

The door opened and his mother tiptoed into the room in her pink dressing gown.

“Will?”

He wiped his eyes. She sat down on the couch beside him and pulled him into her arms. Mollie stood up and joined in, nuzzling between them.

“Is this about Addie?” she asked.

Will tensed.

“Ed told me you’d fallen in love with the same woman.”

“He tried to give her up for me, but it’s Ed she wants.”

“Oh sweetheart!” She held him tighter.

And Will let it all come pouring out and as he spoke, he realized just how badly he’d behaved. How he’d muddled up his relationship with Addie, and worst of all, how he’d let her down so badly that Ed had to pick her up. If the situation had been reversed, wouldn’t he have done the same? All these years of thinking he was the sensible, older brother and Ed had proved himself the better man. Will had never deserved Addie, but he’d finally rid himself of Vee.

“I told Ed I didn’t want to work with him anymore.”

She sighed. “You two make a good team. Ed needs you, Will.”

“I don’t know if I—”

“Yes, you can. This will be hard for Ed, too. And Addie. You can let it destroy you or you can be strong and move on.” She took hold of his hand and squeezed it.

Will nodded and leaned back. “Maybe you could invite Ed and Addie for dinner tomorrow?”

His mum smiled.

“Addie doesn’t like sprouts,” he choked out.

“Neither does Ed.”

She wiped the tear from his cheek.

“All the more for me then.” Will gave a little smile.

* * * * *

When he awoke, Ed was confused for a moment. He could feel Addie in his arms, but he wasn’t sure he could believe it. His fingers slid around until they touched a nipple. It hardened and he laughed, but she didn’t wake up. Ed slipped out of Lisa’s bed and went downstairs. They’d managed to find their way there at some point during the night. It got too cold to stay downstairs on the couch.

When he got back with two cups of tea, Addie began to stir. Ed put down the drinks and slipped under the duvet.

“I made you some tea.” He nuzzled her neck. “Wake up.”

She rolled into his arms.

“Open those beautiful eyes,” he whispered.

Addie looked at him. “I found out why my mother hates me,” she blurted.

Ed pulled her closer.

“My dad isn’t who I thought he was. Mum was raped. She said I have the eyes of the man who raped her.”

“Oh Christ.” Ed pressed his face into her hair. “Addie.” He was torn between fury and sadness. He held her while she cried, and let his tears join hers.

Addie moved her head back on the pillow and sighed. “Well, at least I know it’s not something I’ve done. Well, not really.”

Ed twisted a strand of her hair in his fingers.

“My brothers don’t know and Mum says she won’t ever talk about it again.”

“Is that why you pretended you were going to the Lake District?”

“She doesn’t want me. Every time she looks at me, it makes her remember what happened.”

“Yet I feel a sudden urge to thank her,” Ed said.

“Don’t make me hurt you.” Addie glowered at him.

“But she had you,” Ed said. “And now you’re all mine and I’m all yours.”

“Forever.”

One word and Ed turned on like a light.

He brought his hands down under her buttocks and pulled her into him. Ed crushed his lips against hers and as her hips opened he rocked against her, matching that action with his tongue as it surged into her mouth. After a moment he slid his lips across her cheek and down her neck.

“Oh, Ed,” she muttered.

He felt himself grow even harder, felt his cock nudging into her. He slid lower, dropped his head to her breast, licked around her nipple and groaned deep in his throat. As he teased one nipple with his teeth, he twisted the other with his fingers.

Addie kept saying his name, “Ed, Ed…” and his erection throbbed in response.

“You’re not allowed out of this bed today,” he murmured between slurps.

“Bathroom breaks?” Addie wriggled beneath him.

“I might allow a few.”

“Food breaks?”

Ed pulled up his head. “Do you have any food? The shops are going to shut early.”

“The freezer’s full.”

“Good, then we don’t need to get out of bed.”

He licked his way down to the screw at Addie’s navel and sucked and she grabbed his head. Ed levered her hands away and slid lower.

“Open your legs,” he whispered.

She wove her fingers through his hair as his head moved between her thighs. When he rubbed his rough cheeks against her thighs, she gasped.

Ed lifted his head. “Don’t come,” he ordered. “Addie, look at me.”

She forced her eyes open.

“Wait.” He held her hips, kept his knees either side of her body. “I’m hanging on here by a thread.”

Addie reached down and twisted his nipples and he yelped.

“You’re not the only one hanging on by a thread,” she said.

Ed grinned and kissed his way back to driving her wild. This time he didn’t stop and she came against his mouth, each contraction making her shout out until she slumped boneless beneath him.

“Did you come?” Ed asked and Addie hit him.

* * * * *

When Addie woke, she reached for Ed. The bed was empty next to her but still warm. She rolled over into the space he’d vacated and breathed him in. They’d spent virtually the whole of the previous day in bed or in the bath. Addie loved him so much it scared her. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

* * * * *

“Wake up. It’s Christmas.” Ed kissed her nose.

Addie turned to face him. “Where’ve you been?” Then she saw what he’d done and laughed.

“Happy Christmas,” Ed yelled.

He had an armful of presents and wore a g-string made out of silver tinsel.

“Unwrap me quick, it tickles,” he pleaded.

“No, I think I’ll leave the best ‘til last.”

Ed dropped the presents on the bed. “No, me first. Please.”

He sighed with relief when the tinsel had gone and snuggled under the duvet next to Addie.

“So what else did you get?” he asked.

Addie felt the first parcel. “Chocolates. Belgian. All yours.”

Ed ripped off the paper. “And no Hugh to eat them.”

“You remembered me telling you that?” she asked.

“I remember everything you’ve ever said to me.”

“You didn’t remember a cup of tea.”

Ed pulled up a bottle of champagne from the side of the bed. “This is better.”

Addie opened the present from Lisa. A new camera. Now Addie knew how guilty Lisa felt.