Every Christmas Needs a Virgin

Stepping back from him, I met his gaze, temper rising. "I made a promise. I don't break my promises."

An artery began pulsing in Declan's temple. "He had no right to ask you to do that."

"That doesn't change the fact that I made a promise and I'm going to see it through."

"Great. You do that."

He got into his car, slammed the door and drove off, leaving me to watch helplessly as he sped away.

I took a deep breath and slid into my car's front seat. I had things to do, and buy.

**

Christmas Day shone clear and bright -- a cloudless blue sky and temperatures in the low 40s. The pool being closed, I opted to spend an hour hiking at my favorite wooded park after tidying up my place.

Wishing I had a dog to keep me company, I set out, driving the twenty minutes to a nature sanctuary with a three-mile path that wound around a large pond. The parking lot was empty, and I felt a little self-conscious, knowing I'd be all alone. I patted my cell phone to reassure myself, and started on the path. Soon I had forgotten my fears. As I walked, I breathed deeply and felt twice as alive as usual in the crisp, clean air, scented faintly with pine needles.

About twenty minutes into my walk, I heard footsteps come up behind me and whirled to see who it was. When I did, I couldn't decide whether to feel annoyed or elated.

"Angela," Declan panted. "I was hoping you'd be here."

"Why?" We had texted once or twice since our argument, but our easy closeness had evaporated.

"Because I've missed you. And we didn't know if you were still coming later on."

"Of course I'm coming. I told Patty I'll be there, so I'll be there."

His young face was serious. "Because when you make a promise, you keep it."

"Yes." I resumed walking and he fell into step beside me. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"Lucky guess. You've mentioned this park a few times, so I came looking for you here first. I saw your car in the parking lot." He paused. "Look -- I'm sorry I snapped at you the other day. I was being selfish."

"Yes." I kept my eyes on the path, not looking at him.

"I talked to Tia Patty and Uncle Sean about it later that day."

That stopped me in my tracks. "You what?"

"I told them about our fight. They asked why I was moping, so I told them."

"Well, that's just great. So much for everything that happens between us staying between us, and them not getting a vote."

"They love me," he said. "They wanted to help, and I needed it."

Head spinning, I started walking again.

"Don't you want to know what they said?"

"Not really. But I'm guessing that won't stop you from telling me."

"You are in a mood, aren't you?"

Stopping once more, I pivoted on one foot to face him. "You know, there's a reason I'm still single at 30. And that reason is that I'm terrible at relationships. I mean, I'm good as long as there's affection and sex and fun things to do, but when the arguments start, I shut down."

Diverted from the conversation he had planned for us, he stared at me as if I were a new species. "You shut down? Why?"

"Because I don't know how to fight! And ... and to be honest, arguing scares me."

He stepped a little closer, but made no move to touch me. "Everyone argues. Why does it scare you so much?"

I shut my eyes. "Because."

His voice was gentle. "Because why?"

"Because fighting's the end."

"The end of what?"

"The end of love. And I can't bear it."

"What do you mean, the end of love? You said your parents are away celebrating their anniversary. Surely arguments didn't end their love."

I opened one eye. His skin had reddened in the cold, and his blue eyes nearly matched the winter sky.

"I lied. They're in Europe, yes, but they're traveling separately. He's probably found a mistress for the duration, and knowing her, she's got a lover too. They're miserable together, but too stubborn to admit their mistake and get divorced. Neither one of them wants to let the other go and possibly be happy with someone else. So they stay together -- dismal and angry, but at least they're not alone."

He rocked back on his heels. "Wow. This is big. Why haven't you ever said anything?"

"I didn't know how."

He reached for my mittened hand and I let him take it. "You wanna keep walking?"

"Yeah." Moving away from this place seemed like a smart idea, and we set out again.

"So stubbornness runs in your family?"

I felt the beginnings of a smile, but didn't give in to it. "Yep. Afraid so."

"It runs in my family too."

"Oh?"

"Why do you think I'm here? I'm too stubborn to let this end without knowing why."

We kept walking, making our way down a gentle slope to the lake. A few hardy geese pointed their beaks in our direction, but the overall impression was one of quiet. I filled my lungs with the fresh air, hoping to cleanse myself. Beside me, Declan said nothing.

"I'm sorry too," I finally said. "I've been a jerk."

"Yep," Declan agreed. "You have."

He put an arm around me and I leaned into him.

"What did you uncle and aunt tell you?"

I felt rather than heard him chuckle. "They said all couples fight. I told them we weren't a couple, and they told me not to bullshit them, anyone with one working eye could see that we were."

"They said that?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, that was how Uncle Sean phrased it."

"What'd you say?"

"I said we'd kissed but you had promised Blake not to get involved with me in anything but a platonic way. That's when Tia Patty got involved."

"What did she say?"

"She said Blake was a good man but also an idiot -- or something like that -- and that as far as she was concerned, we shouldn't worry about that promise." He withdrew his arm and unzipped his jacket, reaching inside for an envelope. He handed it to me. "She sent you that. Open it."

I took off one mitten, slid my thumb under the flap and fished out the card. "Dear Angela," it said in her tidy handwriting, "consider yourself released from any promises you made to Blake about Declan. He was just trying to protect someone he saw as a vulnerable child. I know you will treat our Dec well. I love you both and wish you happiness. Patty."

Tears filled my eyes and I started to shake. Declan drew me to him and kissed my hat, and I gave a little hiccup of laughter. He still needed polish, but his heart was in the right place. I lifted my face and he kissed me again, this time where it would do me some good.

"I'm freezing," he said. "Can we go?"

I wiped my eyes. "Absolutely." I grabbed his hand and we made it back to our cars in record time.

"My place?" I asked.

"Please. Tia Patty's cooking up a storm at our house. I'm afraid to step in the kitchen!"

"Follow me."

**

At my house, we hurried inside to get out of the cold, stopping in my warm kitchen to take off our winter gear. Underneath it all, he wore a simple white shirt and jeans, one of my favorite outfits for a man. As for me, I had on insulated running tights and a tight, fluorescent jersey over an equally loud running bra. His eyes twinkled.

"Very sexy," he commented.

"Sure, if you like your women extremely visible."

Closing the distance between, he took me in his arms. "I definitely don't want to lose sight of you."

"Wish granted!" I felt a hard lump against my pelvis and rocked back. "Wow, you really do like this look!"

"It's more about the skin-tight clothes. And thinking about what we might do."

"What would you like to do?"

"I think you know."

"Tell me anyway." As I rubbed against him, my inner electric current switched on, and my pussy suddenly buzzed with energy.

"I want us to be together."

"We're together right now," I pointed out.

He pulled me to him and the hard lump seemed a little larger. And firmer. "I want us to be together as a man and a woman. As lovers." He kissed me, applying the skills he had picked up over the last few weeks, and my knees quivered.

"Why didn't you say so?"

He laughed. "I've been trying to, but you haven't been listening."

"I'm all ears now. Let's go upstairs." Grabbing his hand, I practically pulled him up the stairs in my eagerness to get him to my bedroom. At the doorway, I gave him a little shove. "I need to use the bathroom. Won't be a minute. Go make yourself comfortable."

In my bathroom, I pulled off all my clothes, peed (taking care to clean myself carefully afterward), and reached for a pale pink bag containing two of my purchases from Saturday. A red lace thong and a short white silk robe lay within, and I wasted no time putting them on. Merry Christmas, Declan, I thought. I sure hope you like red and white.

I brushed out my curls and swirled some water through my mouth. Giving the woman in the mirror an approving nod, I twirled on one foot and hurried down the hall to my bedroom.

Shirt unbuttoned and shoeless, he sat on my bed, waiting for me. He gulped as he took in my outfit. "You look incredible."

I sat next to him and tugged at his shirt. "You look pretty incredible yourself. I love the shirt -- and what's under it."

He blushed as I slid my hand under the white cotton. "You really like it?"

I leaned into him and pushed the fabric aside so I could kiss one pebbly nipple. He gasped. "I love it. It's a great look for you."

As I kissed his chest, he held perfectly still, with the air of someone who doesn't dare move. "It's OK, Dec. I'm not going anywhere. Relax."

He smiled sheepishly. "I love being here with you like this -- but I'm still not sure what to do."

"Fortunately for you, I do." I gave him a little push toward the edge of the bed. "Let's start by getting you out of those jeans. They'll just get in the way."

He stood and the jeans hit the floor, followed by the shirt. "Should I take off my underwear too?" I noted a wet spot near the tip of his bulge -- Declan was not only ready to go, he looked possibly ready to come, too. I wanted him to remember this day with satisfaction, not embarrassment.

I shook my head. "Not yet. Let's make out for a while, like we do at the pool."

A look of relief passed over his face. "Sounds good. I love kissing you."

I pulled back the covers. "Let's get under here. Cozier."

Underneath the sheet, we groped for each other and quickly found ourselves mashed together. Our kisses started slowly, giving and receiving the pleasure only a pair of soft lips can offer, then turned more passionate. Our tongues danced together and always, I felt that hard rod pressed against my belly, making its own promise to me.

Unlike our explorations in the water, we could allow our hands to roam freely here, and he found my bottom in record time, squeezing it gently and running his hands all over it, again and again. I moaned and squirmed in his arms, soaking up the affection, wanting to feel every little thing he did.

Panting, we stopped to get some air.

"I've been waiting to get my hands on this ass since the night I met you. God, it's just as round and warm and amazing as I fantasized."

"You've been fantasizing about my ass?"

"Constantly."

He ran one finger up the crease, and I shivered.

"Still nervous?" I asked after a pleasurable few minutes that resulted in the removal of my thong and his boxer briefs. His cock felt hot, the skin like thick silk stretched over polished wood, and he shuddered when I ran a fingernail down it.

"A little. I want you, and I know you want me. I'm worried I won't get it right when we... I want to make you come, and I've been reading how I might do it, but now that we're here," he waved a hand helplessly, "I don't know if I'll be able to do it."

I turned on to my side and reached over to massage his chest.

"You want my advice?"

"Please."

"We're been doing a lot of talking. Well, sex is a conversation, too. Instead of our mouths talking, our bodies talk, just like they've been doing for the last few minutes. When you touch me and I jump and pull back, you know that's not a move to repeat. When you touch me and I purr like a panther, you know to keep doing that. And vice versa. It's all one long conversation."

He smiled.

"Spoken like a true teacher -- which means a lesson's coming on. Is it going to have the same rules as my first swimming lesson?"

I blinked, trying to recall what I had said. "What do you mean?"

"You said we had three rules." He rolled onto his back and ran a couple of fingers through my curls. "You said, 'First, if I'm going to teach you, I have to touch you. Second, it's easy to get overwhelmed in a strange environment, so let me know if you need help. Third, if you don't understand something, ask me. I won't think less of you -- I'll think more.' Or words to that effect."

"I can't believe you remember that."

"You'd be surprised what I remember about you."

I kissed him. "Those sound like good rules for today. What do you think?"

"I just hope I get to do more than kick and float."

"Mmm. A good orgasm can make you as if you're floating. But agreed on the kicking. Violence has no place in my bed."

"Good." He looked at me expectantly. "Are you going to touch me now?"

I smacked him lightly on the chest. "Beast. I've been touching you for the last twenty minutes."

"But you've touched my pride and joy only twice."

I reached down to rectify the situation. "You're awfully demanding all of a sudden." I let my fingers travel all the way to the root of his cock, then fondled and gently squeezed his balls. With a groan, he flopped back on the mattress.

"Also, since when is my bedroom a strange environment?" My fingers continued their expedition up and down his erection, stopping to rub that little depression just below the head.

"It's. Strange. To. Me," he said, his voice sounding strangled as he wriggled and thrust in my hand.

"How's this?" and I increased the pressure. He moaned again.

"Overwhelming. I definitely need your help."

Returning my mouth to his, I slid one leg up his thighs and continued stroking him. His grip on me tightened, and after a few seconds, he pulled his mouth away.

"Gonna come!"

I felt his cock jerk in my hand and hurried to point it into his belly. No sense showering us both -- yet. His eyes squinched shut and his back arched as he spurted again and again.

"You're so sexy," I whispered in his ear. "So fucking sexy. And you're all mine."

"Ah!" With a final cry, he relaxed and curled into me, seeking my mouth again. We lay together for a couple of minutes as he alternated kissing me and catching his breath. When his breathing evened out, I reached over to the nightstand and fetched a washcloth from the top drawer.

"You think of everything," he said, taking the cloth from me and wiping himself clean.

"I have done this once or twice."

"You have no idea how grateful I am." He reached across me to drop the cloth on the nightstand, and stayed to kiss me deeply. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"I love secrets."

"That first day in pool, when I said I needed more time to learn how to keep my face in the water?"

"Un-huh."

"I didn't. I had a huge hard-on. I needed time to get it back down."

I tittered. "Really?"

"Yeah. I was mortified. But you looked so sexy in your suit and you were so close to me, I couldn't help it."

"That is so sweet -- and so hot." My pussy tingled, remembering how much I had wanted him that day. "So tell me -- did you get off in the shower afterwards?"

Declan nodded vigorously. "Took me about 30 seconds."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

His eyes brightened. "Of course."

"I did the same. I used the shower head, but I probably could have gotten off without it."

"That may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." He kissed me again, a little more forcefully, and moved his hand down my body. "I think it might be your turn now?"

Muscles deep in my abdomen rippled as he fluttered his fingers on my slit. "So wet. Is that for me?"

I lay back and stretched, opening my thighs to his caresses. "Mmm. All because of you."

He stared at my naked body in awe, one hand moving up to make slow figure eights all over my torso. Somewhere, he had learned to spread his fingers as he rubbed me; his warm hands felt enormous, and I purred.

"Guess I should keep doing that."

"Don't stop," I told him. His hands continued making slow figure eights, adding a third loop that passed over my thighs and mound. I shifted, my body demanding more. His lips met mine in a slow, sensuous, wet kiss, then he moved his head down, kissing me everywhere, occasionally fumbling as all new lovers do. Always the quick study, he seemed to note my every quiver and sigh and add it to some internal database.

He found the sensitive spot on my neck, the one connected directly to my sex, and lavished it with licks and kisses, enjoying my moans of pleasure. At my breasts, he fondled one as he kissed the other, never pinching, never hurrying, listening to what my body told him. At this point, I gave up trying to instruct him; our bodies now seemed tuned to the same frequency.

His hands and mouth moved down my belly, feeling the hollows under my ribcage and between my hipbones, making sure no spot would feel neglected. Reaching my mound, he parted my lips, running his warm, wet tongue between them.

"For a virgin, you're doing extremely good work."

He raised his head, eyes gleaming. "I did tell you I read a lot, right? I'm just trying out all the things I ever thought sounded hot."

One finger curled into me as he returned to licking me. I jumped as he found my clit, then reached down to hold his head in place. Taking the hint, he flicked his tongue back and forth as he eased his fingers in and out of me, stretching and preparing me. My heart raced as all my nerve endings sent out urgent messages of pleasure, and I moaned loudly, arching my back, then trying to grind his face with my pussy.

Changing tactics, he closed his lips around my clit and sucked, very gently. Too gently.

"Harder."

The pressure increased, and I gasped. "Too much. Back off."

I felt him smile as the pressure decreased, then hit the sweet spot. My hips bucked, and he stayed right in place, this time humming. Then the universe contracted and I saw stars burst into fragments as waves of bliss exploded in me. Through it all, Declan never broke contact, not until the spasms subsided and I asked him to come up and kiss me.

He crawled up my body and pressed against me, holding me as I recovered.

"Was that OK?" he finally asked, needing reassurance.

"More than OK. Exceptional."

"Good."

Feeling my strength return, I wriggled against him, noting his cock had revived too. "Ready for more?"

"Oh, yes." We lay there for a moment.

"Do you want me on top, or do you want to try topping me?"

"I'd love to see and feel you on top," he told me, rolling onto his back. "Those are my favorite pictures online."

"So you've been looking at pictures?" I teased, straddling him, then positioning his cock properly.

"I am a man." He sighed with pleasure as the tip of his erection slid against my folds. "I do like to look at pretty ladies. Especially the one I'm with right now."

"Well said." I began moving on him, easing him into me. In truth, I was so wet I could have sat down hard on him and he would have slipped right in. But I wanted to give him the whole experience.

Doing his best to thrust upward, he grabbed my thighs and pulled me down. "I may never look at another pretty lady now, though. God, Angela, you look just like an angel up there. Or maybe a goddess."

Boobs bouncing, I bore down on him and started rocking rhythmically, reveling in the friction of our bodies as we moved together. He closed his eyes.

"Does it feel like you expected?"

"It feels better than anything I've ever imagined. Please don't stop."