Kiss Me Tenderly

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Valentine’s Day found us liplocked in his kitchen, the bag of Hershey’s kisses I had originally intended to give him abandoned on the counter. We fed Sassy, Missy, and Owen heart shaped pancakes and pressed strawberries coated in sugar to each other’s lips, like normal couples did.
Alex made fun of my poorly shaped pancakes, I made fun of his teeth stained pink in retaliation.
It was nice.
The hours passed with stolen kisses, play dates on the rug patterned with a small city, toy trucks and cars overflowing our laps. Each day, I could feel myself falling for Alex a little more, liking the feeling of his fingers curling in mine a little more. I was in awe of his little quirks, praised his flaws (yes, even his bushy eyebrows), and adored his entire self. For me, his smile shone a little bit brighter, his eyes glowed.
I was so helplessly and hopelessly entranced by this man I met just a few months ago, it was getting to be ridiculous.
A week after Valentine’s Day, the twenty first of February, was a snowy day. The girls had puppy dog eyed me into agreeing to yet another play date with Owen, this time at our house. I was carrying three little mugs with hot chocolate to the living room .
“Miss! Owen! Sassy! Come get your hot cocoa!” I called up the stairs.
No answer.
“Okay, I guess I’ll drink all this yummy delicious chocolate with Alex! Alex, come help!” I received a muffled “Coming!” from the guest bedroom where, if you peeked in the door, you’d find a two big jackets on the back of a chair and three little ones on hangers and five pairs of boots, two big, three little, hanging to dry next to the heater.
Needless to say, three little bodies came hurtling down the stairs screaming “We’re comin’!” and shrieking “Don’t drink our choc’late!”
I laughed, touching the downy heads of hair as they passed by, making sure they were settled safely on the floor with their cups before searching for Alex.
“Alex?” I peered into the guest room.
No Alex.
I frowned.
I padded into the kitchen, relieved to find the brunette in there, staring out the window at the snow quietly falling on the sill. I crept up behind him, my footsteps silent. He jumped when my arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him to my chest. Alex relaxed against my chest as I propped my chin on his shoulder, kissing behind his ear.
“Whatcha thinking about, sweet thing?” I murmured, inhaling his scent, detergent, a kiss of cologne and just of Alex.
He chuckled low in his throat at the constant pet names I showered upon him, pleased with the attention I obviously loved giving him.
“It’s snowing really hard, Jack,” his tone was worried, his body completely tense. “I don’t know if I can get Owen and me home safely.”
I smiled against his hair, an idea springing to mind.
“Stay here, with me,” I suggested, tightening my arms around his waist.
Alex turned around in my arms to look at me with wide eyes.
“What?” He was shocked. “No Jack, I couldn’t, where would Owen sleep, where would I slee-”
A gentle press of my lips on his silenced him rather efficiently.
“We can let them have a camp out in the living room, Miss and Sass do it all the time,” I reassured him. “They put out lots of blankets and pillows and I usually leave the fire going all night. Don’t worry about the kids, they’ll be fine, they do it all the time.” I nudged his nose with mine, smiling softly. “And as for you.” I shot him a mischievous grin. “You, my sweet darling, can sleep with me. Or in the guest room if you prefer.” I hurried on, not wanting to make him feel obligated to sleep in my bed. “I just meant that it’s nicer to sleep with a warm body by your side instead of by yourself and I’m just going to shut up now.”
Alex laughed, a sweet, full bodied laugh, tucking his head into the crook of my neck.
“Sounds nice,” He breathed against my collarbone.
------------------------------------------
“Goodnight, Sassy, Missy,” I brushed my lips over their foreheads, hesitating before I bent down and kissed Owen goodnight too. “Goodnight Owen, sleep tight-”
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” three little voices recited back to me and Alex, standing in the door way, smiling.
I picked myself up off the ground and walked over to Alex, throwing one last final look at the three little angels snuggled up on the floor, eyelashes fluttering closed, little breaths. My heart overflowed with love for those three little children.
Alex laced his fingers with mine, smiling up at me, letting me know he was feeling the same thing too.
“Bed?” he inquired, wiping lazily at his eye, clearly tired.
“Bed,” I agreed, smiling at his overall cuteness.
--------------------------------------------
I tossed a clean t shirt of mine at Alex and eyed him, curiously. “You wanna borrow a clean pair of my boxers or are you good?”
“I’ll borrow a pair, if it’s okay with you,” Alex stepped into my room cautiously, eyes darting around the area, t shirt in hand. I threw him a pair of boxers and pointed out the bathroom to him. I quickly changed into my own shirt and clean pair of boxers and was just throwing my dirty clothes into the hamper when Alex stepped out.
But, fuck, did he look like an angel.
The warm glow of bathroom lights haloed him, my boxers (which were a tad too big on him) tilted off his right hip, letting his left hip bone peek out. Alex blushed at my gaze and quickly tugged the shirt the rest of the way down his body, hiding the perfect view from my eyes. He stood there awkwardly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, uncertain, fingers playing in his hair.
I stood up, as if in a trance, walked across the room to him. His eyes followed my path, widening when I brought myself close to him, put myself right up in Alex’s space.
“Jack,” Alex exhaled my name, sent tingles of pleasure through my veins.
I reached a hand behind Alex, turning the light off and pulling him against my body in one motion. My lips crushed against his, a dance unseen in the dark but understood by the both of us.
Pulling him towards me, I slowly backed up across the room, our lips still locked together, Alex clutching to my shirt for support, until the backs of my knees hit the bed. Alex laughed against my lips as I pulled him on top of me. We made out, slow and lazy kisses, an occasional grind finding it’s way into our rhythm. Alex’s moans got progressively louder, peaking when I pulled him down onto my hips at the same time as I rutted up against him.
My hand flew up to my lips to conceal my laughter.
“Gotta be quiet, ‘Lex,” I hushed him. “Wouldn’t want the kids to find out.”
Alex moaned quietly, searching for some source of friction, his hips circling gently.
I chuckled again, scooting up the bed and sliding under the covers, beckoning Alex to do the same. I couldn’t see him in the hazy darkness but I knew he was pouting.
“So you’re just not going to get me off after all that?” he huffed, surrendering himself to the warmth of my comforter.
“Nope,” I laughed at the poutiness in his voice.
He was too far away from me. Even in the darkness of the room, I could see the outline of his back. Frowning, I reached out to him, felt the curve of his waist, and pulled him firmly against my chest. He squeaked when he felt himself being dragged backwards across the bed but practically melted into my chest when he felt my warmth against his cold back. I kissed his hair and whispered a “Good night” against it, receiving one in return.
I snuggled up with Alex and fell asleep beside a warm body for the first time in almost three years.
And it was the best fucking sleep ever.