A Feel For The Ice Ch. 03

"Weeks!" he confessed and laughed. "I even thought this would be too cliched a gift but Nathan told me it was a good idea."

"It's lovely, Hayden," Anna assured him and placed a palm on his chest so she could lift herself up to his face. "You didn't need to get me anything, you know."

"I know," he replied and kissed her. "But I wanted to."

"I feel bad though," she said and lowered her lashes, still playing with the light in the diamonds. "I didn't get you anything."

"Anna, you being here, forgiving me and telling me you love me is more than I could have asked for," Hayden said.

"Hmm," she pondered and sat up away from him. "I think I can do better than that."

He chuckled and watched her with hooded eyes as she rose from the couch. "What can you possibly do to make this night better?"

Anna grinned at him and lifted the necklace to her throat, fastening the clasp. She glanced down and frowned. "Doesn't look right, does it?"

"It looks perfect," Hayden assured her, sitting up.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "Something's not right. This sweater clashes with it."

"Anna, don't be silly," Hayden laughed. "Diamonds look good with-" he stopped short as Anna grasped the bottom of her sweater, yanking it over her head. "-Everything," he concluded breathlessly.

Grinning again, Anna looked at him and giggled when she saw his eyes go wide. Seeing his reaction to her body never got old. Every time she undressed for him, she felt like a goddess. "How about now?" she asked, waving her hand at the hanging pendant.

"Looks great," Hayden replied, his voice sounding strained.

Smothering another laugh, Anna shook her head. "No!" she exclaimed and turned around. "It's still not right. I don't like how it looks with these pants." She undid her pants and pushed them over her hips, bending at the waist and peeking over her shoulder at Hayden as she moved. Without hurrying, she straightened and twisted partially around to look at him. "What do you think?"

"Anna," he growled, standing up from the couch. "You're-"

"I know, it still doesn't look right!" she said as she straightened and lifted her arms to undo the clasp at the back of her bra. She struggled with it for a moment, snapping one side down on her back before she felt Hayden's warm touch on her skin. Shivering, she dropped her hands and let him undo the clasp for her.

Sliding his warm palms over her skin, he pushed the straps of her bra down her arms. After discarding it on the floor, he brought his hands back up her body, pressing them up her stomach until he was cupping her breasts. Leaning back, Anna closed her eyes, sighing as his hands caressed her.

"You're right," Hayden murmured close to her ear, his fingers finding and squeezing her hardening nipples. "That necklace looks much better with no clothes on."

"You mean, without my clothes on or yours?" Anna asked, running her hands up the outsides of his thighs.

"Hmm," Hayden considered, his lips teasing the outer edge of her ear. "I guess we'll just have to try both ways and see."

Anna giggled and then sighed as his lips closed on her ear lobe, sucking it. "But I'm not naked," she whispered.

"Not yet," Hayden growled and swept her into his arms.

Laughing, Anna threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as he carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He placed her in the middle of her bed and moved down her body, grasping the elastic waist of her panties and pulling them off. He trailed kisses behind them, exhaling warmly against her skin.

When he moved up to kiss her on the mouth, his hands sliding between her legs and parting her thighs, Anna stopped him with a giggle. "No," she protested and sucked in a breath as he cupped her slick heat. "You have to get naked, too."

Hayden sat back and raised an eyebrow at her. She gave him a look in return and he sighed, pulling his shirt off and shucking out of his pants so quickly, Anna had to laugh. She wrapped her arms around him when he settled over her and groaned into his mouth when his hand slid up her thigh to cup her again. She let her legs fall open, shivering as he stroked her and drew his knee up against her leg.

Their kissing intensified, his tongue ruthless inside her mouth and Anna tangled her tongue around his. She lifted her hips with a moan as he slid two fingers inside of her, stroking her very close to the edge. Then he moved, pulling his fingers away and pressing his hands on the insides of her knees.

"Anna," he murmured, lifting his head and staring into her eyes as he spoke. "Tell me I am loved."

Her heart lifted at his words, a repetition of her own and smiled. "You're loved," she assured him. "And you always will be."

With a groan, he sank inside of her. She gasped as he drove himself all the way in with one move. Their hips met in a satisfied thump and she arched off the bed, pressing her breasts to his chest. His hands slid around and up her legs until he was cupping her bottom, lifting her body to meet his next thrust, and the next.

It wasn't long before both their movements grew frantic and unsteady. Hayden left one of his hands on her butt and moved so he was resting his weight on his other arm beside her. Anna clung to him, breathing hard and sliding her tongue between his lips as he moved over her.

"Hayden," she gasped his name, hardly aware she was speaking. "Oh, please, Hayden!" she cried and came in the next instant. Hayden rushed after her, groaning and pumping hard into her for a long moment.

After a while, they rested together, sweaty and elated. Hayden's arms kept Anna resting close to his body and she sighed with her face pressed against his chest. Hayden lightly ran his fingers up and down her side, drawing goosebumps to the surface of her skin with each stroke. He stopped as he reached her throat, brushing his knuckles against the diamond pendant that dangled from her neck.

"You're right," he murmured, his lips moving against her forehead.

"About what?"

"This looks better when you're wearing nothing at all," he told her and Anna laughed, raising herself up to kiss him.

That set off a reaction in his body and before they knew it, they were slick and hot and moving together again.

***

They snuck into Kevin's house sometime before dawn on Christmas morning and did their best not to disturb anyone. Kevin had taped a note to the front door that urged them to take the guest room at the end of the hallway.

"How did he know we'd come over?" Hayden asked as they crept hand-in-hand through the silent house.

"Kevin's good that way," Anna replied with a smile, making a mental note to thank her friend in the morning. After making love for most of the night, Anna had told Hayden she wanted to be in Kevin's house when Riley woke up. When Hayden offered to go home, she'd shaken her head and said they weren't going to sneak around.

They found the guest room bed made up for them and fell into each other's arms, too exhausted to do more than cuddle. Morning came far too early, but they rose with the children and gratefully sipped coffee with Kevin, who smiled knowingly at them.

Hayden was very surprised when Riley handed him a gift around midmorning. The tag read, 'From Anna and Riley.'

"I thought you said you didn't get me anything?" he said with a smile for Anna, as Riley hopped impatiently from foot to foot in front of him.

She grinned at him through the steam rising from her coffee mug. He watched the blush color her cheeks and looked away when heat rose in his own face. Their smiles matched as they recalled her words about gifts the previous night. Plenty of time to relive the moment later.

"Open it!" Riley ordered and Hayden obeyed, grinning when he saw the blue and yellow scarf inside. "I picked it out," Riley exclaimed, beaming as Hayden immediately wrapped the gift around his neck.

"I love it," Hayden assured him with a hug.

Later, they all gathered around Anna's big dining room table and 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the fantastic Christmas feast.

As she looked down the table at the many faces gathered, Anna realized she'd gotten her wish. Except it wasn't one family; it was two. It wasn't a husband, but a dear lover, as well as a close friend. It wasn't a stereotypical family but it was hers and she felt a lump in her throat when she thought of how lucky she was.

"Mo-om!" Riley's voice broke into her thoughts. "Hayden wants the stuffing!"

Laughing, Anna picked up the dish and handed it to Hayden, blushing when he winked at her.

It may not have always felt like it, but life had been good to her.