New Year’s Day

Reed

Eliza sprawls beneath me in our bed, hair fanned across the pillow, cheeks flushed from the orgasm I just gave her. I woke up way too early on New Year’s Day with an overwhelming desire to start my year the best way possible: watching my girlfriend fall apart. Her breathing is still uneven, and when she opens her eyes to look at me, they’re dark with satisfaction and renewed hunger.

“Happy New Year,” I murmur, kissing a path up her stomach.

“Yes,” she says, her voice husky. Her hands find my shoulders, pulling me in for a kiss that tastes like the life we’ve made together.

Outside, the world is covered in fresh snow from last night’s storm, but in here everything is warm and perfect. We stayed up until midnight, watching the ball drop on my laptop while wrapped in blankets on the couch. When the countdown hit zero, I kissed her like it was the first and the thousandth time all at once.

Now, hours later, I’m taking my time mapping every inch of her body, learning the sounds she makes when I kiss the sensitive spot just below her ear, the way she arches when I trace my tongue along her collarbone.

“Reed,” she breathes, and there’s an urgency in her voice that makes my pulse spike.

“I know,” I say, reaching for the lube on her nightstand. “I want you, too.”

She watches me with hooded eyes as I tear open the packet, her hands already reaching for me. The way she touches me—confident, purposeful, like she knows exactly what drives me crazy—still amazes me. A lifetime ago when I started my business, I never could have imagined this. Eliza Storm in my life, in my bed, looking at me like I’m something precious. Our life is chaotic and unpredictable and so incredibly freeing; I can hardly believe it’s real.

I settle between her thighs, both of us breathing hard with anticipation. She wraps around my waist, and I’m just starting to push inside when her phone rings on the nightstand.

We both freeze.

“Ignore it,” I say, kissing her neck.

“I am ignoring it,” she replies, but I can feel her attention split.

The ringing stops, then immediately starts again.

“Seriously?” I mutter, but continue what I was doing, sinking deeper into her warmth.

It stops. Starts again.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Eliza groans. “Someone’s dead, or the goats are loose.”

“The goats are fine,” I say, nibbling at her earlobe. “Chiron would tell us if someone went wandering.”

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Reed, I have to—”

“Answer it,” I say, grabbing her phone without pulling away from her. “But I’m not stopping.”

She gives me a look that’s half exasperation, half arousal, then swipes to answer. “This better be important, Eva.”

I grin and lower my head to her breast, taking her nipple into my mouth while she tries to focus on the call.

“What?” Eliza’s voice is strained. “Slow down, I can’t understand—” She gasps as I use my teeth gently. “Eva, you need to breathe.”

I can hear Eva’s voice through the phone, rapid and panicked, but I’m more interested in the way Eliza’s free hand tangles in my hair.

“Okay, okay,” Eliza is saying as she contracts her abs like she’s trying to trap me inside her. “Start from the beginning. What papers?”

I switch to her other breast, and she has to bite her lip to keep from making noise.

“Your father? What father?” Eliza’s voice sharpens with surprise. “Eva, what are you talking about?”

Now I’m paying attention despite myself. Eliza sits up slightly, and I reluctantly lift my head.

“He left you what?” Eliza’s eyes are wide. “Maple trees? Eva, are you sure this isn’t some kind of scam?”

I can hear Eva crying, her voice high and scared.

“Hey,” Eliza says, her voice gentling. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out. Do you have the papers with you?”

More talking from Eva, something about certified mail and lawyers and a forest.

“Probate court?” Eliza frowns. “I don’t know anything about that. Maybe we should ask—” She pauses, listening. “No, I get it. You don’t want to deal with Esther’s lecture about ignoring mail.”

I press a kiss to her sternum, then whisper, “I know a guy for this.”

Eliza nods at me gratefully. “Eva, listen. Reed and I can come over and look at everything. We’ll figure out what you need to do.”

“Now?” Eva’s voice is loud enough that I can hear it clearly. It’s almost enough to redirect my erection. Almost.

“In a few hours,” Eliza says. “I need to feed the goats and—” 

I smile, giving another thrust inside my lady.

“Please, Liza. I’m freaking out. I don’t understand any of this legal stuff, and there’s a deadline and—”

I lean close to Eliza’s ear. “Tell her we’ll be there soon,” I murmur, then add with a grin, “I promise to come quickly.”

Eliza shoots me a look that promises retribution later. “Eva, give us an hour, okay? I have to take care of the goats first, and then we’ll be right over.”

“An hour?” Eva’s pouting now. But this is not a New Year’s Day urgent alarm. This is not a reason to interrupt my orgasm goals for Eliza.

“One hour,” she says firmly. “Go make coffee and try to calm down. We’ll sort this out.”

She hangs up and tosses the phone aside, then looks at me with a mixture of affection and frustration.

“I’m sorry,” Eliza says. “My family—”

“Is part of the package,” I kiss her softly. “And I love the whole package.”

“Even when they interrupt us mid-coitus?”

“Even then.” I get back to business between her thighs, using one hand to hitch her leg higher up my hip.

“You sure about that?” she asks, but she’s already hooking her ankles together above my butt. “Because once you’re officially roped into the Storm sister emergency response team, there’s no going back.”

I push into her slowly, watching her eyes flutter closed with pleasure. “Eliza,” I say, waiting until she looks at me again. “I want everything that comes with you. The goats, the sisters, the middle-of-the-night phone calls, the pyramid scheme mother visits—all of it.”

She cups my face, her thumb tracing my cheekbone. “Even mysterious inheritance drama?”

“Especially mysterious inheritance drama,” I say, starting to move. “Now stop talking and let me make you come again before we have to leave.”

“I love you,” she breathes.

“I love you, too,” I say, and lose myself in her warmth, in the promise of a new year filled with Storm family chaos and the woman who makes it all worthwhile.

Outside, the snow keeps falling, but in here, we have everything we need.

Thank you so much for following Reed and Eliza through their storm! One-click Sappy Go Lucky to learn what’s up with Eva’s inheritance.