This chapter has a naughty scene, so I'm slapping an M for Mature rating on it. Two more chapters to post this week.

I can't believe I just bared my soul to a woman I hardly know. The odd thing is that it felt right. Piper hasn't seemed like a stranger since the moment we met. Well, maybe that first encounter at Kringle's didn't leave me all warm and fuzzy, but every moment afterwards has. I can't pinpoint exactly why I shared my stories with her, but I don't regret it whatsoever. She was the right person to tell and that was the right moment to share.

"Alex, where'd you disappear to?" Vanessa links her arm through the crook of my elbow, and I get the sense she's had one too many glasses of sparkling wine.

"Piper and I were enjoying the fire pit."

"I totally forgot we lit that thing," she says with wide eyes. "We should all go out there."

"I don't think the space is big enough to accommodate more than six people," I chuckle.

She spins on her heel. "Hey, Abby?"

These two have been together for a long time if Abigail heard her wife's call over the boisterous laughter and conversation in the living room.

Abigail approaches from behind. "You beckoned?"

"Alex just reminded me that we lit the fire pit."

"Oh, that's right." Abigail turns to me. "Would you like to enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir with us on the patio?"

"I was just out there," I say through a smile. "It was lovely."

"We'll have to have you and Piper over for dinner before she leaves."

I hadn't thought about Piper's imminent departure. Great, add another log to the I hate Christmas fire.

"I'm sure she'd love that," I reply. "Speaking of Piper, I should find her."

"Check Shelby's lap," Vanessa quips.

If I knew her better, I'd flip her the bird, though I do appreciate her wicked sense of humor. Shelby was not on the invite list—I confirmed it with my aunt.

I spot Piper talking to Edie and Clyde next to the fireplace, and I watch her for a moment. The fire catches her eyes a few times, and they sparkle like waves in the ocean being kissed by sunlight. Her hair appears as strands of gold over her shoulders, and it's the first time I've had the chance to admire her back of all things. I step to the side a bit so I can see it better. The way the dress straps crisscross her upper back is so fucking sexy. She has thin yet broad shoulders and her lats looks strong. I imagine my palms on it, pulling her close for a kiss.

"Striking, isn't she?"

I spin around to see my aunt grinning. "She is." No sense in denying how beautiful Piper is; other people recognize it, too.

"How are things going between you two?"

I couldn't prevent the grin spreading across my face if I tried. "Well—really well. The more time we spend together, the more I like her."

"As I recall, she's always been a good listener," Aunt Dottie comments. "And so upbeat."

"I could use a little more optimism in my life," I admit.

"We all could."

In that moment, I decide I'm not going to bed alone tonight. I'm going to the inn with Piper. Even if nothing happens between us and we stay awake all night simply talking, I'm ok with that. I want to be in her presence.

"If I don't come home tonight, would you be ok with that?" I set my empty glass on a side table. "I wouldn't want you to worry if you found that I was missing tomorrow morning."

"I'd be more than ok with that," she chuckles. "Piper's also welcome at my house any time."

"Thank you." I hug her. "Not just for welcoming Piper into your home, but also for welcoming me. I know I'm not the most positive person, especially around the holidays, but I'll try to be a little less mopey."

"I know some terrible things have happened to you over the years," she begins, pulling back from our embrace. "But remember this, Alex, the time of year was coincidental. Christmas didn't kill my Lloyd or your mom, nor did it break up you and your girlfriend." She pauses. "I'm not saying you should suddenly embrace the holidays, but it would serve you well to let a little light in."

She's right, and I know that.

She leans forward and says in a quiet voice, "I hope Piper provides at least some of that light."

I haven't been able to put a finger on it until now—Piper is light.

"Am I interrupting something?" Speak of the devil. Piper approaches us with a curious smile.

"Not at all." Aunt Dottie squeezes both of our hands. "You two have a wonderful evening. I'm going to head home."

"Want us to walk you back?" I offer.

"No, but thank you," she responds. "Clyde drove."

Piper turns to her. "Are we still on for our meeting at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning?"

"Of course," my aunt says. "I'll see you at the Chamber then."

After she disappears into the crowd, Piper turns to me and asks, "Are you sure I wasn't interrupting anything?"

"Positive." I run my fingers down her arm until our hands meet. "Should we make a graceful exit, too?"

She lifts her shoulders. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Together, we thank Vanessa and Abigail, and it's hugs all around. I really am grateful to them for opening their home to me. I'm also glad they're rooting for me and Piper.

Just as we step outside, it begins to snow.

"Would you look at that?" Piper says with wonder as she holds her hand out, catching a few snowflakes.

"It's snowing." I look up into the night sky and watch it fall in the glow of a streetlamp. "Beautiful."

She buttons her coat, then puts on her gloves. "I'm not ready for the night to end."

I grin. "Neither am I."

"Do you want to get a nightcap at The Moonlighter?" she suggests.

I usher us down the sidewalk hand-in-hand. "How about we buy a bottle of wine at the liquor store, then go to the inn?"

"I actually have a bottle of Malbec in my room," she notes. "It was a gift when I checked in."

"Even better."

"We could sit in front of the fireplace in the lobby and drink it."

We turn the corner onto Oak Street and the snow really starts coming down.

"Thank goodness the inn is only a block away."

Piper wraps her arm low on my waist, and I string mine over her shoulders as I lean into her. The way I feel right now, I don't know if we're going to get to the wine.

We arrive at the B&B, and I'm thankful to be out of the frigid night air. "It's nice and warm in here."

Piper leads me to her room, opening the door. "Welcome."

"I've never been inside the inn." I glance at the Christmas decorations and the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. "It's nice."

"Except for the roosters," she comments, shrugging out of her coat.

I follow suit. "Yeah, I could do without those."

"I need to get out of these heels." She sits at the base of the bed, taking them off.

"I couldn't tell you the last time I wore heels," I add, sitting next to her. "Or a fancy dress."

"You looked beautiful tonight," she says with a bashful grin. "You always look beautiful, but tonight in particular, you were radiant."

I lean forward, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. My fingertips skim her jawbone, landing on neck. When Piper applies a little more pressure, I pull her closer. She makes a sound, and I smile, knowing she's enjoying this as much as I am. Her hand rests on my knee, but slowly it begins traveling up my thigh under my dress. I've been wanting to touch her back all night, so my other hand roams around her upper arm, landing on the middle of her back.

"I didn't know backs could be sexy," I say between kisses.

She smiles against my mouth but doesn't say a word. Instead, Piper twists her body at what seems like an impossible angle, which effectively smashes our mouths together head on rather than side by side. I move a hand to join my other one on her back—I was right, it's strong, but her skin is soft. Our kiss deepens as our tongues explore each other's mouths, and she tastes like sparkling wine. I could get drunk simply on the taste of her.

In an unexpected move, Piper lifts her leg over mine, effectively straddling me in her dress. If I wasn't turned on before, I certainly am now. Her hips buck against mine, and there's no question what she wants. I find her zipper and slowly tug it down until my hands dip lower to the small of her back. She juts her hips forward again, moving her head to the right. I didn't think this kiss could get any deeper, but it has. I finish unzipping the velvet garment and pull at the sides. She sits upright, unlocking our lips and taking her arms out of the dress. It slips down, revealing her perky breasts without a bra. Her nipples are already taut, and I can't help taking one in my mouth.

The finesse with which we started kissing has vanished and now it's a matter of finding bare flesh to touch and kiss. Before long, we're both undressed and rolling on top of the red comforter. I kiss whatever skin I can find, but it's still not enough. For a moment, I think about asking her if she's ok, but when she straddles me for the second time tonight, this time without clothes, I don't think I need a verbal response.

Our first round of sex is all about carnal desire. The second round is my way of showing gratitude. The third round feels like she's trying to…I don't know…heal me. It's soft and tender and anything but aggressive. Piper's in full control as she goes down on me, licking me slowly and methodically, taking her sweet time before making me cum. And that I do—loudly.

She kisses a trail up my stomach, stops at my breasts for several minutes, and finally makes her way to my mouth. "When I was at Shelby's last night, I thought about the last time I had a one-night stand."

Although I blanch at her bringing up another woman's name, I don't mind it in this situation. She was never into Shelby, and after the date they had, I'm confident she's borderline repulsed by the redhead.

"When was it?" I ask, rubbing her back.

"College," she replies, kissing my bare shoulder. "I regretted it the next day."

I remain silent, wondering if she's hinting at the regret she might feel tomorrow morning.

She looks in my eyes. "I'll never regret this, Alex."

My lips quirk up. "No?"

She shakes her head. "Never."

That leads to another round of sex. In fact, we don't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning after pleasuring each other over and over again. I'm not sure I've ever had this much sex in one night, but I know no one has made me feel the way Piper has. It's hard to fathom how cherished she's made me feel in such a short amount of time, but there's no doubt that she's crept into my heart. It's the closest thing to love at first sight I've ever experienced.

"What the fuck is that?" I roll over, groggily lifting my head.

"Rooster," Piper mutters without moving.

One of her legs is strewn over mine and her right arm is under my pillow. The sheet is halfway on her body, and I take a moment to appreciate the beauty of her long, thin frame despite the God-awful sounds coming from outside.

"I hate that fucking bird," she mumbles.

"I can see why."

She wraps her arm around me. "Last night was fun; it was more than fun."

"Only last night?" I enquire, kissing the tip of her nose. "What about this morning?"

"That was equally fun…" she kisses my clavicle. "And hot."

I snuggle closer and remain quiet for a moment, thinking about everything we did yesterday and how far we've come in literally 24 hours. It's remarkable, really. "I dumped a lot of stuff on you last night."

"You didn't dump anything on me," she responds, head resting on my chest. "You shared stories with me—stories that affect you profoundly."

"Yeah," I muse. "They do."

"Well, I'd like to help change your luck or fate or whatever you want to call it." She lifts her head. "Let's make this Christmas great."

"I can try." I brush her hair out of her face. "But I'm always going to wait for the other shoe to drop."

"I get it." She props her chin on her hands. "I want to take away that pain. I want Christmas to stand for joy and love and peace. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen for you."

I twist my head on the pillow and stare into her deep blue eyes. "Why?"

She takes in a deep breath through her nose, then slowly exhales. The set of her brow makes me wonder if she's considering voicing what's on her mind. "I'm falling for you, Alex."

My eyes light up and my heart leaps into my throat.

She continues, "I know it's crazy, considering we've only known each other for a matter of days, but—"

I interrupt her with a kiss. "I know it seems impossible for it to happen this fast, but I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"I do." I kiss her again, this time with a little more passion. "It's the closest thing to a Christmas miracle I've ever experienced."

That leads to a delicious round of love making until our stomachs growl. Sex must've made us work up an appetite.

We shower together, hardly able to keep our hands to ourselves, and then I borrow some of Piper's sweats rather than walk out of here in my sequined dress and heels like a whore on her way back from turning a trick.

"Let's go to my aunt's house for breakfast," I suggest as I pull a gray sweatshirt over my head. "It's her favorite meal to make, and she never settles for just a bowl of cereal."

"I wouldn't want to show up unexpected." She ties her shoes.

"I told her last night that I might not make it home," I reply, shrugging into a pair of black leggings. "And she said you were always welcome at her house."

"You told her about us?"

"I didn't tell her we'd fuck all night, but I knew the only way I was going back to her place was if you were with me."

"That's a very sweet thing to say." Piper kisses my cheek. "Well, everything but the fucking part."

"Aunt Dottie adores you," I reply through a wide grin. "What do you say? Come home with me."

She nods. "Ok."

We walk to my aunt's house on this particularly sunnier and warmer than usual morning, and I don't care if the world sees me holding Piper's hand. She doesn't seem to mind; in fact, if the smile that has taken over her face is any indication, she's as proud as I am to show off our relationship to any passers-by.

She talks to me about the festival and points at locations where things will be set up. I listen and watch her shift into business mode, which is equally as attractive as casual mode.

"Hi, boss," Lewis calls from the ice rink.

Boss? I wonder if she'd be into some role playing when we're a little more established as a couple.

Piper waves with her free hand. "Hi, Lewis. How's it going?" She tugs me in that direction.

"Good." He eyes our hands. "But not as good as you it seems."

Lewis has mentioned his husband a couple of times in my presence, so I know he's gay. I didn't meet his husband at the party last night, but that isn't to say he wasn't there. I was solely focused on the woman next to me.

"No one could feel as good as I do this morning." She beams up at me.

Well, damn. I squeeze her hand and return the smile.

"I should have the perimeter fence done by the time we meet at 10 this morning," he says. "And the ice is solid, so no worries there."

"Good. Thank you," she replies. "See you then."

We continue walking down the sidewalk. "Did you meet Lewis' husband last night?"

"I did," she responds. "He was the short guy with the goatee wearing the ugly Christmas sweater."

I tuck my chin in. "Really?"

She nods. "Why?"

"They just seem like an odd couple," I comment, rounding the corner.

She adjusts her wool hat. "People might think that about us, you know."

"No way," I chuckle. "We're a stunning couple—Vanessa and Abigail said so themselves."

She grins. "We are pretty attractive as couples go."

I jog up the three steps to Aunt Dottie's home and can already hear the Christmas music. "Ready?"

Piper nods.

"Aunt Dottie?" I call as I enter the house and remove my coat. "Hello?"

"In here," she shouts from the kitchen.

Piper takes in a big whiff of air. "Smells like pancakes."

"Sorry the music is so loud." My aunt exits the kitchen and stops short when she sees us. "Piper?"

I pause for a second, wondering if this was a mistake.

"How good of you to join us!" Aunt Dottie says, resuming her trek to the living room and turning the volume down on Bing Crosby. "I hope you brought your appetite. I'm making pecan waffles."

Piper's smile widens. "I'm starving."

My aunt moves back to the kitchen. "Wasn't the cocktail party lovely last night?"

And just like that, everything is normal. It's as if Piper and I have together for years and we're visiting relatives over the holidays. Our conversation throughout breakfast never wanes. It probably helps that she and Aunt Dottie have an already established relationship, but I think Piper could make anyone feel comfortable with how easily and freely she communicates.

After breakfast, I clean the dishes while Piper and my aunt discuss logistics of the Christmas festival, which begins tomorrow. I disappear for a spell, changing into my own clothes, and I don't think they even notice I'm gone. When I return to the kitchen, they're still engrossed in conversation, but now Piper's feverishly scribbling something down on a notepad.

"Alex, have you given any more thought to doing a few coffee art classes?" my aunt asks.

"Isn't it kind of late to add an event to the list of activities?" I put the waffle maker on a shelf.

"Most of the stuff people do are spur of the moment things," she answers. "So, I don't think it's too late for anything."

"You don't have to do it," Piper chimes in. "I just thought it would be a unique opportunity."

"Ok," I sigh, thinking this might be something I could bring back to the Coffee Project. "Sign me up."

The beauty of my working during the Christmas festival is that I won't feel compelled to participate in any of it—I can use my time to prep for the class and then actually host it and make money.

The two of them go over some things with me, and just before 10 a.m. they announce they have to head to the Chamber for the committee chair meeting.

"I'll be right back." Aunt Dottie goes upstairs, giving me a moment alone with Piper.

"Now that we're in the final stretch, I'm going to be super busy." She tucks the chair under the table, then walks towards the coat rack. "Not just for the rest of the day but for the rest of my time here."

Does she think I expected us to hang out all the time? "You're here to do a job," I chuckle. "Of course you'll be busy."

She shoves each arm into her coat. "I just didn't want you to think…"

I wiggle a finger into the waistband of her jeans and tug her closer. "You didn't want me to think what?"

She places her hands on my upper arms. "If I weren't here to do a job, I'd want to spend all day with you."

"Well…" I kiss her. "When you have even five minutes to spare, call me. I'm off work today, but I'm going to see if Edie can meet to discuss the coffee art thing."

"Ok." She kisses my chin, then takes a step back.

Aunt Dottie jogs down the stairs. "Ready?"

Piper nods. "See you later, Alex."

I wave. "Later."