“Of course I will!” Dory dragged Lucas up to his feet and kissed him, as the rest of them applauded. Leaving the music playing, Jake found his way across to Molly, and she grinned up at him.
“This is what Lucas was talking to you about earlier?”
He nodded. “And, I think we can all agree; this Christmas is officially memorable.”
“That it is.” Molly ran her fingers across her snowflake charm. “And like Tim said, it’s not over yet.”
She caught Jake’s gaze with her own and swallowed at the heat she saw there. Tonight, one way or another, they were going to settle things between them. She couldn’t take the anticipation any longer. She needed to know.
“Oh!” Dory yelped, and Molly tore her eyes away. “It’s time for Doctor Who!”
-
“I still don’t understand what happened with the aliens,” her mum said, as the credits rolled. Dory started to explain, but Tim interrupted.
“Never mind them. I’ve got a much more important question. Why do we have to have sprouts every year when no one actually likes them.” Tim was still wearing his cracker hat, although it had slipped over one ear at some point when the Doctor had been saving someone, and his wine glass was empty again.
“It’s traditional,” her mum said. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Just like it wouldn’t be Christmas without my family around me.”
Molly smiled at the sentiment but, when she glanced up, she caught her dad and Jake exchanging a loaded glance. Tim was staring at his hands, and Dory had her lower lip between her teeth as she looked at Lucas.
Suddenly, it struck Molly. This was the last Christmas it would be this way, all of them together. Dory and Lucas were going to want to spend at least some years in America – especially once they were married. Tim would be leaving for Switzerland in a few days and who knew if he’d be able to get home every Christmas. And she… well, she’d still be coming home. At this rate, it would be her and Jake at the dinner table every year.
Which didn’t sound as awful a prospect as it would have done, a year ago.
“Well, I think Lucas and I are going to bed.” The smile on Dory’s face would have been totally inappropriate for family time, if she hadn’t just got engaged.
As everyone wished them goodnight, Molly caught Jake’s eye again. Two down…
Mum was next, pleading tiredness after all the cooking. She reminded them all about the leftovers that needed eating, then disappeared upstairs. Two to go…
Molly felt a tightness growing in her belly with every passing moment, and her brain had taken to chanting, soon, soon, soon, over the soundtrack of whichever James Bond movie they were watching.
Tim fell asleep on the sofa half way through the film. It took Dad a moment or two to notice, but once he did he prodded him in the side. “You awake there, Tim?”
“Wha…?” Tim’s eyes opened briefly, then closed again.
Dad looked up at Jake. “Think he’s ready for bed, too. Help me get him up there? I don’t fancy trying to pour him up those attic stairs.”
“Of course.” Jake hoisted Tim up and slung his arm over his shoulder.
“Want me to pause the film?” Molly asked, because she couldn’t exactly say, ‘are you coming back?’ in front of her dad.
“That would be great.” Jake’s smile told her he knew exactly what she was doing. Still, she didn’t see him objecting.
“Think I’ll head up too,” Dad said, stretching. “Don’t you two stay up too late now, will you?”
“Yes, Dad.” The knot grew tighter in Molly’s middle as she watched them process out of the room. Once they were out of sight, she stared at the frozen image on the television, counting down the seconds until Jake came back.
She hadn’t thought this through at all. What the hell was she going to say? Or do? Beyond putting on some fancy knickers, she’d barely considered what happened next.
Well. That wasn’t entirely true. Back in London, late at night, she’d imagined the scene a thousand different ways. She’d just never bothered thinking about the conversation they needed to have before they got to the good stuff.
Footsteps on the stairs and then, too soon, Jake was back. He stood, watching her from the doorway and Molly bit her lip under his scrutiny. One of them was going to have to say something, to start the conversation…
Slowly, deliberately, as if giving her time to object, Jake closed the lounge door, and they were completely alone.
“Jake, I know we need to—”
“Shhh.” Stepping closer, he bent down and put a finger to her lips. “Let’s talk… later.”
Mutely, Molly nodded. He was right. How could they talk when every feeling they’d been trying to suppress for the last year was coursing through them, trying to break free?
And when Jake pressed a kiss to her lips, it definitely felt like freedom.
-
Oh God, this woman would be the death of him. How could one kiss, one simple, soft kiss, render him so incapable of thought? His only priority when she was near was keeping her there; his only wish to be allowed to touch and kiss her some more.
And for the first time ever, there was no one there who would want to stop him. Especially not Molly.
Her hands reached up around his waist to press against his back, pulling him down towards her. Without breaking the kiss, Jake got to his knees, kneeling between her thighs as she sat on the sofa, bringing himself down to the same level.
“Hi,” Molly said, pulling away just far enough to look into his eyes. “I missed you.”
“I’ve been right here.” His words came out hoarse, and he knew she had to be able to hear his desperation. His need.
She shook her head, just enough for her hair to tickle his cheek. “Not here, here you haven’t.” She pulled him closer and kissed him again. “I missed you right here.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised.
Molly’s smile turned wicked. “Oh good. I so hoped you would.”
Jake felt a moment’s loss for the thought of his king-sized bed at home looking out over green fields, and the pleasures he could give her if they were there and truly alone. But it had already been so long, he knew neither of them were willing to wait.
He stripped off her dress and laid her out on the sofa before him, all lace and loveliness, her flushed skin glowing in the firelight. “God, you’re beautiful.”
“And you’re still clothed,” Molly pointed out, wriggling her tights down over her hips, revealing the matching knickers he’d last seen strewn across the driveway.
“Sorry.” Jake yanked his jumper over his head, ignoring the part of his brain that reminded him that there were still other people in the house. People
who could walk in and find him debauching the baby of the family any minute now.
But God, that debauching would be worth it. Worth everything that might happen next.
“Do you have…” Molly trailed off, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
“Of course.” Jake pulled the condom from the back pocket of his jeans and placed it on the arm of the sofa. “But we don’t need it just yet.”
At her frustrated look, he flashed her a smile and lowered his mouth to her breasts. After all, just because they didn’t have the luxury of privacy, a bed, or anything else, didn’t mean he couldn’t make this a night she’d never forget.
And hopefully one she’d want to repeat.
Chapter 15
BOXING DAY
Molly had lost all track of time – and her underwear – but it had to be after midnight. Lying naked on her parents’ sofa, her head resting against Jake’s bare chest, covered only by the fleecy blanket her mum kept thrown over the back of the sofa for cold nights, wasn’t exactly how she’d intended to spend Christmas Day evening.
But God, she didn’t regret one moment of it.
“We need to do that again, in a bed,” she said, almost without thinking.
Jake hummed his agreement, already half asleep as far as she could tell.
Did he snore? Molly had no idea. He’d been in her life since before she was born, but there was still so much she didn’t know about him. Was she going to get the chance to learn?
And did she want it?
She wanted to sleep with him again, that was a definite. The man had given her the best sex of her life on a sofa with her parents upstairs – not really the ideal sort of conditions for these things. Imagine what more he could do if he had her alone, in a bed, for as long as they wanted…
If he wanted it. What if it hadn’t been so fantastic for him? No, that was stupid. She’d seen his face the moment before he finished inside her. It had been awesome for him too. She had been awesome.
But fantastic sex and ridiculous chemistry weren’t everything. He might have this every day of the week with his string of elegant brunettes. And even if he didn’t… she still wasn’t confident he wanted her for the right reasons.