Christmas Past, Christmas Present Ch. 02

Bruce had the green at the intersection and started through but didn't see the car blowing through the light until the last second. Rather than be hit broadside, his only course of action was to slam on his brakes and put the bike on its side, sliding to stop just inches from the tires that zipped past him. Fearful of being hit by a second vehicle, he looked quickly before rising from the pavement, hurting but feeling fortunate it wasn't any worse than it was. He wheeled the bike toward a corner of the intersection and was almost there before another car approached.

The bike didn't look badly damaged but he was sore and hurting so he pushed it home, parking it in the garage without giving it a thorough inspection. Once upstairs, he settled into a warm bath after cleaning the abrasions on his arm and taking some Motrin. After a good soak, he bandaged his wounds, put on his flannel pajamas, and resisted the urge to call Paula again. Instead, he looked at the bookshelf and picked up one of Tom Clancy's early works and settled into his easy chair to read.

Angela never made an appearance that day, even though he'd spent the evening in a position where he might easily have fallen asleep to make it possible for him to dream about her. He felt a chill pass through him when he extended that thought; what if, instead of her presence not being felt because he wasn't asleep, it was because he was no longer resisting her urgings to see Paula?

After a light dinner, he went to bed early, thinking of, but not dreaming about, Paula.

***

She met him at the door that Sunday afternoon, opening it before he even had a chance to knock or ring the bell. He held a bouquet of flowers up for her, leading her to smile as she caught his arm and pulled him inside with her.

"Come in, Bruce," she said, but only then noticed his wince. With a look of concern, she asked, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"I'll be fine, and no, you didn't. Had a little spill yesterday."

She took the chardonnay and set it on the table near the door before dropping the flowers into an empty vase. Pointing at it, she said, "Water," to remind herself before turning back to him, allowing him to take her into his arms and lean in for a hungry kiss. She responded in kind, her lips roaming against his, her tongue clashing with his as they held each other tight. He grunted when it became too tight.

"Bruce, you said you'll be fine. What about now? Are you really okay?"

"My forearm and outer leg from my knee to my hip aren't exactly pretty at the moment. Like a rug burn from hell, but they'll heal."

"How'd it happen?"

"On a bike ride, I did too much deep thinking and not enough careful watching, I'm afraid."

She looked concerned as she looked at the visible scratches on his wrist and hand before they disappeared into his sleeve. "Jesus, Bruce. If it's this bad here...what on Earth were you thinking about rather than watching what you were doing?"

"Technically, it was the other guy who ran the redlight, but when it comes to a bike tangling with a 3-ton SUV, that doesn't really matter too much. As for what I was thinking about, well, shoes and ships and sealing-wax..."

He smiled as she nodded and said, "And cabbages and kings? Right. Here, let me take a look. I'm not a nurse, but with my two kids, I've dressed more skinned knees and elbows than I can count. You have a seat in there at the table and take off your shirt. I'll go get the first aid kit."

She returned a minute later and saw him having trouble so she gently helped ease him out of his shirt. She turned away, trying to avoid looking at him in his T-shirt; she could tell he was well defined for being in his 50s and the thought excited her. She snipped through the gauze wrap and carefully removed the first of his improvised bandages.

The pain on her face on seeing it came close to what he himself was feeling. He started to re-cover the wound, but she shook her head.

"No on your life, mister. I've seen worse, but you probably should have gone to the ER with this. Since you didn't, I'm going to make sure it's clean so you don't get an infection. Parts of it may scar."

"If it does, it'll just add character," he quipped, leading her to scowl at him, so he shut up and watched as Paula, with great care and concentration, removed the rest of the gauze pads. She used tweezers to remove a few pieces of grit that he'd missed, pouring water over it to flush out any remainder.

For the next half hour, he watched, admiring her more and more and appreciating so much what she was doing for him. When she was done and the new wrap was in place, she helped him back into his shirt.

"Bruce, it's a wonder you didn't cut yourself up or even break your arm. What were you really thinking about before you wrecked?"

After seeing all the compassion and care for him that she'd put into her efforts, he looked into her eyes and couldn't deny the truth. "I was thinking about...you...me...and the possibility of us."

She looked away, nodding while at the same time he suspected she was trying to keep from smiling. "Good. I'd give you a couple of points on shoes, assuming they're the right shoes, but most of the rest of the first ones you mentioned are pretty boring." She turned back toward him, smiling. "Maybe an 'Us' is like a Daily Double or bonus points or something, but, still..."

"What?"

"Think about watching the road and all the idiots on it next time! I don't want you to have to go through this, to hurt like this, again."

Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he gently held her still so his lips could capture hers. He saw her eyes close just before he did the same. As it went on, he felt passion stirring within him, he felt as if the kiss could lead to other things, but Paula broke away before it could, giving him a stern look.

"What?" he asked.

"Your pants, Bruce; take them off. I still have to take care of your leg."

***

Bruce went home around 9 o'clock that evening after a nice dinner and a long talk. While he'd convinced himself that this might be the day he and Paula took their relationship to the next level, his wounds had been a convenient excuse for both of them to take a breather and get to know each other better personally rather than physically. He hoped that would make a difference in the long run.

Paula came to see him at lunch, having him roll up his sleeve so she could view the bandages.

"There's just a little blood on the wrap, but it's not too bad. Will you be home tonight?"

"Ah, yeah. Why?"

"I'll be over at 8 to change the bandages, okay?"

That became the pattern for Monday through Wednesday that week. Paula would come over, check his wounds, and change the dressings. They ate delivery food each evening, talking until nearly 10 before a long kiss goodnight and her departure for home.

On Wednesday night, though, Bruce asked, "Paula, do you have plans for New Year's Eve?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, it's New Year's Eve. If you don't have plans, would you like to come over and let me cook dinner for you?"

"Ah, you've been holding out on me. You're a chef, too!" she said, teasingly.

"No. I'm not a chef, but I'm a pretty good cook for certain things. We can have a good meal and, later, we can celebrate the New Year with a glass of champagne. You can sleep over, if you'd like, too. There are a couple of spare guest rooms you can pick from."

"Hmmm. As long as I get to pick, I think we've got a deal."

He walked her to her car, with Paula turning to him after the door was open, pressing herself and her lips against him. Bruce felt himself rising as their kiss continued, but she gently pushed him away.

"Good night, Bruce. I'll see you at work tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned for tomorrow night."

He watched as she drove away, wishing she'd stayed.

***

On New Year's Eve, Paula arrived at 6 PM.

"Come in," he said, unable to take his eyes off of her as they stood in the doorway. "Paula, you're so beautiful."

She gave him a quick kiss as she slipped inside. "Thank you, Bruce. It must be my new dress," she said, turning to model it for him. "I found it on sale—you know, After Christmas closeout?"

"Maybe," he agreed tentatively, "but I think it has a whole lot more with who's inside it rather than the package itself."

Their kiss lasted longer this time, until Bruce had to break away. "Kitchen. Don't want to burn dinner."

She joined him in the kitchen and they worked together to put the finishing touches on the meal. After dinner and a quick cleanup, Paula demanded to check Bruce's wounds. It was a much faster process now than the first time, but Paula made a change as she started applying the new gauze bandages.

"What's this?" he asked as she slid a roll over his wrist.

"A sleeve bandage," she replied. "It'll keep the pads in place better so you can move around easier without worrying about messing up the gauze wrap. I got a pack of them, and some for your upper leg, too."

He reached for his shirt when she was done with his arm, but she snatched it away, smiling, and tossed it. "I don't think you're going to need that. Take off your pants now so I can look at your leg, too."

Each time she'd checked his leg so far, he'd taken off only the right leg, keeping the left leg in place and keeping most of his underwear covered, thereby hiding any natural reactions to her presence and beauty. This time, though, Paula put out her hand, stopping him from pulling his trousers back up after stepping his right leg out of them. Looking into his eyes, she pulled them the rest of the way off of his left leg before tossing them in the same general direction as his shirt.

She knelt down on the floor beside him to look at his leg, drawing Bruce's eyes to look at her and then down the V-neck top of her dress. It flattered her cleavage and the tops of her breasts, causing him to slip his hands down to cover his underwear and the discomfort he was suddenly feeling. Shifting in the chair helped conceal his growing erection, at least a little. He hoped.

Paula, looking down, smiled as she started checking his leg. Finding it looking better, she applied new ointment, bandages, and, finally, the new wrap. She had some trouble unrolling it near the top, pushing up several times to finish settling it in place. Her right hand, on the inside of his thigh, slipped once, brushing against his crotch.

"Oh, sorry. I think I should check that, too," she suggested playfully, but Bruce had reached his breaking point. He took her hand and pulled her against him as he started to get up from the chair. Paula had other ideas, though, and pushed him back down, sliding a leg over so she could sit, straddling and facing him, on his lap.

With her breasts in front of him and one hand starting to rub his erection through his boxer briefs, she asked, "This doesn't hurt does it?"

"No, can't say that it does," he agreed, smiling as his eyes switched, repeatedly between her eyes and her cleavage as he ran his hands, repeatedly, over her buttocks, up her sides, to just below her breasts. His breathing had become shorter, almost breathless as he added, "But, Paula, I must admit, I am a bit worried about your new dress. I'd really hate for anything to happen to it to get it dirty."

She smiled, seeing him join in the spirit of her play. "You know, I think you may be right. There's a zipper in back. Why don't you ease it down and we'll see if we can get this off to keep it from getting messed up?"

Bruce ran the zipper down her back as slowly as he could, building her anticipation and even leading to a bit of frustration. She was biting her lower lip as it reached the bottom, but she smiled as he helped her stand so the dress could fall away, revealing her standing in a new, nude-colored lace bra and panty set with black hose.

His member growing harder by the second as he looked at her, Bruce adjusted himself before she retook her seat on his lap, this time moving forward, her crotch pressing against him and her breasts pressed against him, causing them to swell at the top of her bra.

With his hands rubbing her buttocks, she started rubbing her pelvis against him as he leaned down to kiss the tops of her breasts. Her hands rubbed his back and shoulders before he looked up and kissed her lips.

"You're so beautiful," he told her as she rocked against him. "And your bra panties...wow! I'm speechless."

"They're new, too. Maybe we shouldn't let them get messed up either?"

Reaching up, he unhooked the bra and let her shrug her shoulders for it to fall forward, revealing her breasts. His hands were there to cup them, pushing them upward so he could gently suck one and then the other into his mouth.

"Bruce, I've got to get up," she panted. "My panties are getting wet."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, thinking it was from his pre-cum, but she laughed as she got up, pushing them down and kicking them away, before taking his waistband and pulling it down. He rose off the chair, kicking them away similar to the way she had, and then, taking her hand, switched to the recliner just feet away. Resuming their positions, she said, "This is much more comfortable. Oh, and I'm pretty sure you'll find that my wet panties aren't your fault, but, in another way, they totally are. See?"

With nothing between them, she pushed her slit against him, coating his spongy vein with her wetness. He rubbed back against her, allowing her to hit her spot time and again, leading to soft moans and, soon, a breathless sigh as she came. When she was ready to resume, she repeated as before a few times before she shifting her angle and catching the head of his penis. With a little help from him to adjust the position, she moaned as she drove herself all the way down on him.

He groaned, feeling her engulf him, her warmth and softness as if a newfound treasure that he never wanted to relinquish. He kissed her cheek before a delicate nibble on her earlobe, holding her close.

Paula's eyes rolled back as she, too, hugged him against her, crushing her breasts against him as her hands entwined in his hair. Then, as if in an unspoken bond, they both moved, Paula rocking and lifting herself partly away while Bruce rocked his pelvis back, pulling his penis down her vaginal canal before they both reversed and thrust, hard, back together. Time after time they repeated it, both gasping as they worked to pleasure each other.

"Oh! Paula, I'm not going to last long like this."

"Don't, my love! Do it hard and come for me. Come in me."

Three more times they crashed together before Bruce grunted again, this time a primal cry as he pumped into her. When the throbbing of his ejaculations finally ceased, he continued to hold her tight, just as she was clutching him.

***

They made love again later that night as the clock ticked down to midnight.

"This...is...so...much...better...than...champagne," gasped Paula as Bruce took her from behind, grasping her waist and pulling her against him as he thrust forward into her. "Don't...stop!" she demanded as he slammed against her, his balls slapping her pussy as her breasts swung to the rhythm below. Bruce finally couldn't hold it any longer so he shot into her but he continued his thrusting until she moaned, stopping her movement when she was tight against him.

After a quick cleanup, they returned to bed seeing that it was already several minutes after midnight and the start of the new year.

"Champagne?" she asked, leading him to smile.

"I thought you said a while ago that you didn't care for champagne?"

"No, I didn't!" she said, punching his good arm lightly. "I just said making love to you was so much better. And I meant it, every word."

"Good, because I completely agree with you."

He popped the top of the champagne and poured each of them a glass. Sitting in the bed with the TV turned to the New Year's Eve gala in New York, they covered themselves with a sheet, drank their champagne, and kept a lookout in the TV crowd for Ron and Judy. Have missed the apple drop, they turned the set back off and held each other, still in the throes of their bliss.

Paula looked at Bruce and gently rubbed his circle beard before leaning forward and kissing him again, this time giving a little giggle.

"What?" he asked.

"I haven't told you this yet, but...your mustache and beard. I always liked guys in the past that were clean shaven. Other than you, I've never kissed anyone with that."

"Really? I can shave it off, if you'd like."

"Oh, no! It looks really good on you. I'll get used to it before too long...if you plan on keeping me around for a while."

He gave her a little kiss on her forehead with a smile. "Sweetheart, I think you can count on that."

***

The following Christmas Eve...

As the new year passed, Paula and Bruce spent more and more time together. As they did, their admiration for each other increased and their lust, while undiminished, slowly grew into real love, maturing into something that seemed truly lasting. While there were a few hiccups along the way, their doubts, so deeply ingrained in each of them for so long, slowly diminished, too, as their love for each other grew.

They were vacationing together in the Bahamas when Bruce, feeling again as if someone was giving him a nudge from behind, finally took a knee before her. Though he didn't see anyone behind him, he wouldn't have cared since he'd made up his mind and was determined to do just what he did.

"Paula, I've grown to love you so much in our time together. Would you do me the great honor of sharing your life with me and allowing me to share mine with you? Will you marry me?"

She smiled broadly, as happy as she'd been in many years, as she exclaimed, "Yes, Bruce! Yes!"

Firmly committed to their course and planning a small affair, they didn't have a long engagement. With Ron coming home from New York for a couple of days for Christmas before heading to his new fiancée's home, and with Judy being home for her first college winter break, they decided to marry with their family in attendance in a church in the Raleigh suburbs. It was a beautiful sanctuary and doubly so, decked out as it was for the Christmas Eve service that evening.

Reverend Jeff Milner, an old friend and occasional golf buddy, told Bruce, "We wouldn't normally allow a wedding to be held in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve, but under the circumstances, if you'll take care of the pianist, the sound tech, and the cleaning crew, I think we can make an exception. I'll even do the ceremony as a wedding gift just so I can get you off my long-term prayer list."

Bruce laughingly agreed and put substantial tips in the envelopes for the church workers. The new putter that had interested Reverend Jeff for their last several outings was delivered by Fed Ex late that afternoon with a note.

Jeff,

Thank you for marrying us!

Hope you'll be as happy with this as we are together.

Bruce and Paula

Judy served as Paula's maid of honor and Kristy Tanner was her bridesmaid. Bruce, still wearing his mustache and circle beard, had a couple of friends stand with him, and Mei Wong, Barb Juarez and her husband, some of Bruce's team members, and a few of their other friends from work were also in attendance.

After they'd said their vows and had their first kiss as a married couple, Reverend Jeff looked to the audience and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and Paula Garner. May God Bless them and keep them, all the days of their lives, and, as they've requested, I'll add, 'and may God Bless us, every one.'"

Smiling, he started clapping, leading to a round of applause in the church.