Unwrapping His Package on Christmas Eve

Leo reached out and took my hand, her eyes glistening. "It's okay," she said softly. "I understand, Steve. I love you too."

Those simple words lifted the weight off my chest. I clasped her hand in mine. "Thank you for understanding. I love you so much, Leo."

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LEONORA dba LEO

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That night at the cottage, nestled in Steve's arms by the fire, I knew I had fallen deeply in love for the first time. The spark I'd felt in past relationships didn't compare to the all-consuming blaze this man lit within me.

As we talked into the night, I felt I could fully be myself with him. No pretenses, no hiding my quirks. And Steve accepted me, imperfections and all. His steady voice soothed my worries. His warm laughter melted my insecurities.

When we finally drifted off, the beat of his heart under my cheek the sweetest lullaby, I was sure I'd been waiting my whole life to find this man. Steve was my missing piece, my soulmate.

I've heard that when you meet the one, you know. No doubts or hesitations, simply a bone-deep certainty in your core. As Steve and I lay entangled in each other's arms that snowy Christmas Eve, I knew without question he was the one heart had been searching for all along.

And I knew deep in my heart that he felt the same.

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We found an open, small diner at the edge of the OSU campus. Another older couple sat at a booth in the front window. The kids were mainly all back home for the holidays, but these few lingered in high Christmas spirits at the counter.

"Merry Christmas!" They greeted us with cups of hot chocolate topped with a massive mound of whipped cream, dusted with more chocolate, and a red and white swirled candy cane out the top.

"On the house," one confided in a low voice with a wink.

After thanking them and chatting briefly, I headed to the back booth. I slid to the wall and patted the seat next to me.

"Are you doing this just to steal my whipped cream?" he looked at me suspiciously, making me laugh.

One of the kids hollered from the counter, "Hey! I like her laugh! She's a keeper... Or maybe she's already kept?" He and his buddies laughed uproariously at the humor.

"I'm working on it, guys!" Steve hollered back, and they all cheered, wishing him luck.

The woman who approached looked to be in her mid-80s. Deep lines were etched into her face, mapping out decades of living. Her silver hair was pulled back into a messy bun, stray wisps framing her wrinkled cheeks. Sparkling blue eyes lit up when she smiled and placed the worn laminated menus on the table.

She wore a red apron over her holiday sweater with a gingerbread man printed across the front. Her nametag said her name was Mabel. Her hands shook slightly as she set down the menus, knobby arthritic fingers and prominent veins evident of years of work.

I imagined most ladies her age would be home now, rocking by the fire while knitting gifts for their grandkids. Or they were surrounded by those very grandkids, messy piles of torn Christmas wrapping at their feet.

But here she was, still hustling tables at her diner, keeping the place open on holidays for the few college students stranded on the deserted campus.

"Sorry about those guys," she said quietly. "Most of them have nowhere to go for the holidays, so I let them hang out here. They get hyped up on chocolate caffeine, but harmless," she said dryly, and we all laughed.

"Well, I think they're great fun, and you're pretty cool for doing that for them and us travelers," I said.

She shrugged. "I don't have anyone anymore myself. Specials are on the board, dears. Holler when you're ready to order," she said in a creaky voice before shuffling back to the grill.

After she was out of earshot, I said, "That's what I want to be when I get old."

"Short?"

I laughed. "No, silly! I want to be old but still think about others and not wallow in my old age. Living in the past. Those students keep her young at heart."

His arm went over my shoulder, and he hugged me to him. "I can't ever imagine you getting old, a cranky, crotchety old close-minded lady. Just not in the picture."

I felt the hard muscles of his thigh shift under my hand. I felt safe for the first time in my life. The thing was, I never knew I needed this.

We watched the guys bus and clean the table of the people that just left. One hauled the bus tub in the back, and we heard clanking of dishes while he washed them up for Mabel. This is Christmas, I thought.

We finished our meals, enjoying the antics of the kids at the counter, who had grown in numbers.

Steve pushed his empty dish away. "I remember those days," he smiled, watching them.

"College days, you mean?"

"Yeah, and just generally that age. I had my whole life ahead of me, and it was never-ending. I didn't think about getting old or what it'd be like to be old. Not like I do now," he said ruefully.

I tossed my napkin on my plate. "I think that's a natural thing. It would be nice to be that naïve again. For a while, anyhow. I'm enjoying my life as it is right now."

"Right!" He smiled and kissed me quickly and grinned. Neither of us wanted to get caught doing that in this crowd.

We double-tipped Mabel, exchanged exuberant goodbyes with the students, and got back on the road.

"They sorta made my day," Steve said once we were back on the Interstate. "I mean—"

"I know exactly what you mean. Mine as well."

We held hands until he pulled into the parking lot, where my car waited safe and sound. We transferred everything back into my car. He split all the cookies with me. We had an enormous accumulation of Christmas cookies; just half would last me the rest of my life.

"Back in Cincinnati!" he grinned.

I opened my car door, and Steve took me into his arms. We kissed, the kiss that said this was only the beginning, but we didn't want to part just yet, but we must wait until the next time. A kiss that turned hungry and passionate.

I got lost in the kiss until we heard someone holler out of their car, "Hey, you two, get a room!"

Steve gave them the thumbs up, and they waved, laughing.

"Tomorrow night. My place. I'll cook for you."

"I'll bring wine?" I asked.

"But of course! As long as it's screw cap because I don't have a corkscrew!"

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The pounding got louder as I woke up from a sound sleep. The light through the crack in the curtains told me it was dawn. I was awake and alert because someone was pounding on my door. I had the alarms set and assumed a burglar wouldn't knock. I picked up my phone to check the front door video.

I raced down the stairs and threw open the door.

Steve picked me up and spun me around while kicking the door shut. We kissed deeply and passionately like we hadn't been together in weeks.

He saw the wide, comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace and guided me there. I pointed to the switch for the gas, and the fire roared to life.

"I need you, babe," he said, standing over me and tossing his clothes away piece by piece.

His cock was hard, and the thick veins throbbed. I leaned back and spread my legs like a wanton woman. "Now."

He moved between my thighs and sank into my wet pussy, ball deep. The ahhhs of the pleasure of that first intrusion. My canal stretched tight around him. I dug my fingernails into his ass, trying to pull him deeper.

"Oh god, you feel so fucking good," I moaned. His cock twitched at my words, and he drove in fast and hard. I rocketed into my first orgasm, my pussy gripping his cock rhythmically.

He groaned. "Babe, I'm not going to last long," he gritted.

"Fuck me. Fuck me hard and fast," I murmured, encouraging the race to the finish. The blazing inferno of quickies.

He growled at my words and pounded into me. The angle had his cock rubbing my clit, giving me waves of pleasure. I couldn't stop the mewls coming out of my mouth. The pleasure was so intense my legs shook.

Suddenly, he drove in and locked. His cock throbbed hard and filled me with his liquid heat. He dropped his head next to mine, his breath rasping hard. Finally, he settled next to me.

He looked at me, and we kissed. "Phew. I'm glad you were here."

I laughed. "Well, yeah. And the guy upstairs in my bed is probably wondering where the fuck I am about now," I smirked.

He laughed and growled, "I'm the only man in your bed from now on." He growled in my neck. Then he leaned back and looked me up and down. "Hey! I found out what you wear to bed."

"You did!"

"You threw your door open for me, stark naked. And an early morning jogger might have seen you," he frowned. "I'm the only one who gets to see you naked too."

"You were blocking the door, remember?" I laughed. "Besides, if we'd have taken any longer, they'd have seen us both naked."

He stayed for a while, making sure he was the man that fucked me in my bed. Then again, in the shower. And when we were done, for the moment, he went to buy groceries for our dinner that night.

I packed an overnight bag, but no Hello Kitty pajamas this time. But I am saving them for our first gotcha anniversary.

Love,

Steve, Leo, and the one that started it all, Snickerdoodle.