Summary:
Picking up right where we left off, we have more fluff and smut, more snow, and Sadie's Christmas play.
Chapter 5
When Rey's soul re-entered her body, she blinked, clearing the sparks from her vision. She'd had sex, sure, even had a couple of guys go down on her.
But never like that . Never like a drowning man in the desert finding an oasis. Her legs were still shaking with aftershocks as she peered down the length of her body to see Clyde still kneeling on the floor between her spread legs. His eyes met hers, and Rey crooked a finger at him. Slowly, she sat up while he unfolded to his full height over her.
"Wow," Rey said. And what a stupid thing to say. Searching for words left her with nothing, so she decided to show him how he'd made her feel.
Wordlessly she hooked her fingers into the loosely knotted drawstring of his pants, tugging him closer. His mouth still shone with the remnants of her arousal, and Rey felt a surge of heat between her legs again. With a few awkward movements, she released him and pulled her legs together and rose up into a kneeling position on the table, putting them at nearly the same height. Sliding her hands into his hair, she slanted her lips against his, tasting herself on him as she slid her tongue over his plump bottom lip. A small nip of her teeth had him groaning against her mouth, and Rey felt his arms wrap around her, holding her tightly against him.
Leaving one hand fisted tightly in his hair, Rey trailed the other down the column of his throat, over the massive planes of his chest and down to where his erection strained against the soft fabric of his sweat pants.
Lightly, she pressed her hand against the hard length, and Clyde's body jerked at her touch.
"Is this okay?" she whispered, kissing the angle of his jaw.
"Mmf—" he said.
"Clyde, can I touch you?"
"Oh, fuck, Rey, please."
He must be close to losing control, if he let himself swear around her. Rey grinned against his neck as she pushed her hand under his shirt, feeling the coarse hair on his lower belly and the muscles beneath. Clyde's skin was fiery hot beneath her fingers as she moved her hand lower, and she heard him suck in a breath as the very tips of her fingers brushed over the head of his cock, sliding through the precum gathering there. She leaned back enough that he could see her face before tracing her fingers over her lips, licking the wetness there. The muscle in his jaw clenched, and Rey felt his fingers grip harder into the fabric of her shirt as she pushed her hand back inside his pants, this time sliding down his thick length to grip the base of his cock. Eyes squeezed shut, Clyde let his head fall back as Rey pumped her hand up and down a few times, until she decided that she needed to taste him.
Slowly, she slid her hand out of his underwear, making sure to leave the head of his cock out. When she removed her hand from him, Rey heard him let his breath out in a rush. As quickly as she could, Rey unfolded her legs and slid off the table to land on her knees on his hard wooden floor.
"Clyde," Rey said. He left his eyes squeezed shut, so she leaned forward and slid her tongue over the slit of his still exposed cockhead.
Rey was staring up at him when his eyes flew open with a grunt, and he doubled over. Her mouth flew open in a surprised O as thick, hot spurts of cum coated her face, dripping down over her lips and chin.
Clyde stared down at her in a mixture of horror and fascination as she licked her lips, tasting the hot, salty fluid there.
"You—I—I came." Clyde said, blinking at her.
"You did," Rey nodded.
"I'm sorry." He looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"Don't be. I wanted you to." Rey stood.
"But…I" he paused, his face flushed, "it's been a while," he mumbled. He adjusted his sweats, but Rey noted that he didn't tie the drawstring, which she took as a good sign.
"I want to try again," Rey said, taking his hands.
"You-you do?" He still wouldn't look at her.
"Clyde," Rey said, wiping her face on her sleeve and wincing when she realized it was his shirt. "I'll tell you a secret." she squeezed his hands in hers. "I want your cock in my mouth. I want you to shove your cock down my throat. I want you to come on me, in me, wherever you want. Besides, now it means you'll last longer later, right?" She arched a brow and grinned at him.
"Fuck, baby, I hope so."
Heart squeezing at baby , Rey tugged him back into the living room, where the fire was slowly dying down.
"Why don't you sit down and get comfortable?" She pushed him back onto the couch cushions, watching him lie back with his legs spread as he looked up at her. "I'll be right back."
Heading back into the bathroom, Rey ran a damp washcloth over her face and slid a hair tie off her wrist to tie her hair up into a ponytail at the crown of her head before racing back to where Clyde waited.
Clyde watched her as she came toward him, and before she could lose her nerve, Rey tugged her clothes off until she stood bare before him. His throat bobbed as his eyes jerked up to look at a spot on the wall behind her shoulder.
"Clyde…not this again. I want you to look at me, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," he rasped, dragging his gaze up and down the length of her body before meeting her eyes.
Dark pupils had overtaken the whiskey-brown of his eyes, and Rey shivered despite the roaring fire behind her. Easing forward, Rey slid herself between Clyde's spread thighs, and she slowly slid down between them, bracing her hands on the hard muscles there. His lower lip was caught between his teeth, and the usual red had turned white with the force of his teeth.
"Still watching?"
"Sure am, Darlin'."
Starting with her hands near his knees, Rey slowly dragged her hands upward, pressing her thumbs into his inner thighs as she neared his groin. Back down again, then she repeated the movement, stroking slower and nearer to where his erection strained in its fabric confines.
The whole time she teased him, she had her eyes locked on his, watching the frustration grow on his face. She wanted, no, needed , to send him over the edge. Each time she stroked the powerful muscles in his thighs, Rey felt him shift and catch his breath, and she had to bite back her grin. Soon, he wouldn't be able to take her teasing. The damp spot on the front of his pants told her as much.
Leaning down, Rey rubbed her nose along the hard ridge, and he growled when she straightened to look at him again. Clyde was panting, and his eyes were getting a wild edge.
Perfect.
With precise movement, Rey dug her fingers into the waistband of his pants, tugging them down. Like he'd known precisely what she'd planned, Clyde shifted his hips to help her. His cock sprang free, resting long and thick and heavy on his lower abdomen, curved just enough that she knew the glans would nudge against her g-spot and send her into writing ecstasy.
"You good?" she asked.
"Mmf," was all he said, but he nodded when she peered up at him.
Settling herself on the floor, Rey eased forward and flicked her tongue out, tasting the drop of precum that had gathered at the head of his cock. Clyde shuddered and cursed under his breath, and pleased at his reaction, Rey bent lower, taking just his tip into her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hand kneading the couch cushion, his knuckles white.
Clyde's cock was thick and heavy in her mouth; Rey's jaw stretched to its limit as she pushed her lips down over his warm skin. Her tongue traced every vein as she lowered her mouth on him, and she saw him squeeze the couch cushion tighter with every taste. Once she'd taken him as far as she could, Rey lifted her head again, hollowing her cheeks and sucking. He slid free of her lips, but before she sucked him down again, Rey reached over and grabbed the hand that had a death grip on the cushion.
Slowly, deliberately, Rey moved his huge hand to grip the base of her ponytail, keeping eye contact the whole time. His eyes widened as she closed his fingers around her hair, and she nodded in reassurance.
The tug on her scalp and his warm, musky scent left Rey's pussy feeling entirely too empty, and she didn't know how long she could hold out before riding him to oblivion.
But she needed to give him this, first.
So, she squeezed his hand once before returning to the task at hand. Or at cock, as it were. This time, when she sucked him down, she slid her lips over his shaft in a quick glide, pushing him further into her throat. The hand in her hair squeezed tighter, and she felt a rush of heat between her legs. When she wrapped her hand around his base, squeezing lightly and rotating her wrist, Clyde started swearing again, finally using his grip on her hair to push her head even further down before tugging her up again.
With his hold on her hair, Clyde pulled Rey up until only the flushed head of his cock remained between her lips, and she glanced up at him, smiling around his dick.
"Fuuuck, Rey."
He pushed her back down again, and began pushing and pulling in a rough, pounding rhythm that left Rey's eyes watering and her cunt dripping down her thighs. He was close, she could tell— the muscles in his stomach seized and his body bowed forward.
But suddenly his hands were beneath her arms, one burning hot and one startlingly cold, and she was being lifted up. Luckily, she had the good sense to spread her legs before she was plunged down, impaled on Clyde's cock.
Together, they let out a groan as Rey's body adjusted to his size.
"Don't move, Darlin'," he rasped. His head fell against the back of the couch, eyes fluttering shut.
Even with his eyes closed, his hands knew right where to go to send shivers of pleasure shooting down Rey's spine. His hands shifted from where he'd tugged her upright to center on her breasts, cupping them before squeezing harder than he had before.
A little whimper left her throat, and his eyes flew open, watching her in concern.
"Clyde, I need to move, please ."
"Not yet. I'm gonna make this so good for you. We're gonna go slow."
"Clyyyyde," she whined, shifting her hips against him, feeling his head rubbing against her g-spot, just like she'd known it would. "Fuck, you feel so good inside me, Clyde, please, I don't want slow, I just want to—"
He pinched her nipples, not hard enough to really hurt, but just enough to be a warning.
"Rey." He rolled the soft pink buds between his fingers, and she whimpered, her body bucking involuntarily. "I said we're going slow."
"But—"
That did it.
Before she knew what was happening, Clyde had lifted her again . This time, he stood, and the movement had him sinking deeper into her, stretching her body to its limits. Rey's nails dug into his biceps as he stared down at her, his chest heaving, and it struck her that he was still mostly clothed while she was not.
Every step he took bounced her on his shaft, and Rey felt like she might die if he didn't fuck her for real.
Squeezing her eyes shut at the exquisite torture of having him inside her but being unable to move, Rey leaned forward and bit the muscle where his neck met his shoulder, sucking a bruise in the flesh there. Clyde hissed through his teeth and leaned forward, and Rey found herself lying back on a bed.
Clyde's bed.
His hands rested on her knees, spreading them wide as he stared down at her. His hips snapped, once, twice, then he stilled.
Rey nearly shrieked in frustration.
"At least take your shirt off," she growled when it seemed that he was still going to tease her.
"Yes, ma'am." He smirked, peeling the shirt over his head and tossing it onto the bed with melodramatic movements that jostled him just enough that she felt it in her core, but not enough to really do anything to ease her exasperation.
So she tried a new tactic, attempting to wrap her legs around his waist and jerk him toward her. But, as soon as she moved, Clyde's big body was covering hers, pushing her back into the soft mattress beneath.
"You need to be still," he whispered into her ear.
Rey did not want to be still.
She swiveled her hips as much as she could while pinned beneath him.
"Rey," he growled, a warning.
She did it again, and he bit her neck, just below her ear, sucking hard enough to leave a mark.
Moaning, Rey felt her cunt clench around him, and Clyde hissed in her ear.
"Now, I've given you plenty of chances," Clyde said before easing up on his hands to glare down at her.
She saw past the bravado to the sweet man beneath, and had to bite back a smile.
"So now, you're gonna get what you deserve."
He snapped his hips into her once more, as if for emphasis, then he slowly pulled out of her. Instantly, Rey felt the absence of his cock inside her like a blow, and shoved off the bed to follow him. Clyde caught her in his arms, and pressed a hard kiss to her lips, biting down on her bottom lip before releasing her. His hands were on her shoulders turning her to face away from him, then she was face down on the bed, her arms behind her back.
He leaned over her again, the heat of his chest against her back.
"This okay?" he breathed, brushing his lips against the back of her neck.
"Yessss," she managed to answer before he bit down on the place he'd kissed.
"I'm gonna tie your hands behind your back. It's just my shirt, and you can get out if you really try, okay?" his voice was soft, and she shivered at the feel of his beard scraping between her shoulder blades as he kissed his way down her spine. "Let me know if you want to stop."
"Okay."
Rey appreciated his thoughtfulness, but she did not want to stop. So she wiggled her hips, feeling his erection nudge against the cleft of her ass.
Fire burned across the crease where her thigh met her ass, and molten heat surged into Rey's empty pussy, and she moaned his name. Barely even registering the soft fabric that he'd deftly tied around her wrists, Rey pushed her body against the bed, trying to find friction on her nipples, on her clit, anywhere to ease her suffering.
"I said 'be still'," he said, and she felt another blow land on her other cheek.
Then he was plunging into her again, and somehow it was even deeper than before, and the combination of pleasure and pain had her body shivering as Clyde finally fucked her into the mattress.
Clyde didn't know what had come over him, spanking Rey like that. He just knew that now that he'd come on her face and had fucked her sweet little pussy, he belonged to her. Completely.
He hoped she felt the same.
Reaching between them, he tugged her hips higher, arching her back so he could reach underneath her to slide his fingers over her clit in tight little circles while he pounded into her from behind.
"Clyde, please ," Rey begged.
He could feel her cunt clenching around him, milking his cock, and he knew he couldn't last much longer.
"Come for me, Darlin'," he said. He felt a gush of warmth as her body started shuddering beneath him, and it was all he needed to fall over the edge with her.
When their bodies had stopped shaking, he hooked an arm around her and rolled them to their sides, cradling her back against his chest.
"Was that…okay?" he asked.
"Mmhmm," she said, snuggling closer to him. "Better than okay. That was amazing."
Clyde let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I'm sorry, I've never been like that before. I just wanted to be sure you were okay."
"Clyde Logan," Rey said, shifting to look at him over her bare shoulder. "Do not apologize for the best sex I've ever had, you hear me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Damn right, yes ma'am."
She turned in the circle of his arm, reaching her lips up to his.
He slanted his lips against hers, and the lights went out.
From somewhere else in the house, Gryff let out a surprised woof , at the same time that Rey gasped, her body going rigid against his.
"It's alright, I've got a generator. Don't be scared, darlin'."
Though her skin was still warm to the touch, Rey had begun shivering, her breath coming in sharp pants.
"Rey?" A little sob escaped her throat, and Clyde folded her body against his, fumbling in the dark for the old quilt on his bed before wrapping it tightly around her. When she was fully burritoed, he scooped her up and carried her out of his darkened bedroom.
Gryff's toenails clicked on the hard wooden floor, and Clyde listened as the dog made his way in and out of the rooms, sniffing until he was certain that everything was as it should be. The brush of soft fur against his bare calf told Clyde that the dog had completed his circuit of the house and was following Clyde as he made his way through the house to the garage and the generator.
In his arms, Rey's shivering and breathing had slowed, but she still snuffled wetly in her quilt.
"There's a light on the generator, so I'm gonna set you down when we get to it, okay? I've gotta crank it up, and then once it's up and running, we'll go back inside. Okay?" He felt her nod against his chest as he kicked open the garage door. The little orange dot glowed on the generator's pull-cord, and Clyde set Rey down gently on the burlap mat in front of the door so her feet wouldn't get cold. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gave her a tight squeeze before turning to the generator. His own feet and dangly bits were freezing in the chilled air of the garage, so he hoped the damn generator would cooperate.
A couple of quick yanks on the cord, and the generator's motor, which should have kicked on when the power went out, gave a hearty growl before purring its content. In a few seconds, the garage lights winked on.
From her spot on the mat, Rey visibly relaxed, and Clyde's heart squeezed at the relief on her face.
"You okay?" he stepped closer to her, brushing his thumb over the freckles on her cheekbone.
Rey nodded, and before she could say anything else, he had her in his arms again, carrying her back into the house. Gryff followed, pressing his cold, wet nose right up against Clyde's ass, and Clyde had to grit his teeth to keep from hollering.
"Gryff," he warned, and the dog huffed at him, more like a laugh than annoyance.
Clyde carried Rey all the way back to the living room, depositing her on the couch in front of the fireplace. The fire had died down a bit, so he tossed a couple more logs on before whistling for Gryff.
"Up," he commanded, and the dog jumped up on the couch, his tail thumping against the cushion. "Lay." Gryff spread himself over Rey's lap, and one of her small hands slid out of the folds of the blanket to stroke the dog's fur. Gryff was doubly useful in that he could keep her warm and his solid weight would be a comfort while Clyde collected all the blankets he could find.
"Gryff's gonna stay with you. I'll be right back, Rey. Okay? I'll be right back."
She nodded slowly, her too-bright eyes reflecting the firelight back at him.
Still naked, but finally warming in the heat of the house, Clyde pulled the blankets out of his linen closet and off the spare bed. When he had a stack of blankets tall enough that he couldn't even see over it, he sped back to the living room and Rey.
She seemed to have relaxed a bit under Gryff's comforting weight; she'd tucked the blanket under her armpits, leaving her shoulders bare so she could have both arms out and wrapped around the dog. A small smile crossed her lips as Clyde unceremoniously dumped the pile of blankets on the floor in front of the fire, and he felt her eyes on him as he arranged the blankets in a sort of nest. When he positioned himself on the floor with his back against the couch, Rey eased herself out from under Gryff and slid to the floor beside him. Clyde pulled another quilt over both of them as she settled against him.
"Sorry," she mumbled. He could feel her breath skating over the bare skin of his chest.
"For what?"
"Freaking out?"
"Rey." He put his forefinger beneath her chin and tilted her face to look up at him. "I grew up poor and bullied. I've been to prison. I lost half my arm to an IED. I've seen and had my fair share of freak-outs. You have nothing to apologize for. Do you want to talk about it?"
"It's just what I told you about, being left outside the shop in the cold. I don't like pitch-darkness. It makes me feel…it feels like maybe my whole life was a dream, and I'm really just a little kid left out in the cold again. It's silly." She sniffled, turning her head away again.
"It's not silly. Sometimes I still wake up thinking that I just got blown out of a Hum-vee and there's blood everywhere, and…well… you get the idea."
For a while, they just sat there together, staring at the fire. After a few minutes of silence, Gryff, as if sensing their thoughts, slid off the couch and flopped down, lying across both of them until he fell asleep, snoring lightly with his paws twitching.
Eventually, Rey fell asleep, then Clyde, and when he woke, they were all on the floor covered in blankets; he was on his side wrapped around Rey, and she had slung her arm over the dog.
How very domestic, Clyde mused. And damned if he didn't want to stay that way forever.
Something was pressing into the cleft of Rey's ass. Something thick and hot and hard . Stretching languidly, Rey stifled a chuckle at his groan. Sometime during the night, she'd snuggled against him and wrapped her arms around the dog. Now, though, Gryff had wandered off, leaving just her and Clyde.
And that suited Rey just fine.
Slow breathing told Rey that Clyde was still asleep as she pressed against him again, wiggling her hips. The heavy arm he'd had slung over her hip dragged up a few inches, the coarse hair scraping deliciously over her bare skin. His hand found her breast, and he was definitely not asleep anymore as he rolled the soft pink bud there into a hardened peak with his clever fingers.
Already wet and ready for him, Rey only had to shift her hips and he was sinking into her. Rey whimpered at being filled so quickly, her already-sore cunt stretching to accommodate his hard length. Lazily, he tweaked her nipple as he rocked against her in slow, sleepy strokes before he slid his hand down the length of her torso, still with that half-asleep laziness. Thick fingers slid between slick folds, and Clyde grunted in appreciation at her wetness as he circled her clit. Her head tipped back, and her cunt fluttered and clenched around him as she came. Soft kisses feathered over her neck and face as Clyde continued his slow pace, dragging himself in and out of her in a slow, delicious glide. Every glorious inch of him pounded inside her as the movement of his hips began to grow erratic, and Rey reached back to sink her nails into the firm muscle of his backside, sending him over the edge too.
"And a good morning to you, too," he mumbled in her ear.
Rey laughed in response, pointing her toes beneath their nest of blankets, and feeling a faint, pleasant soreness between her legs. Feigning ignorance, she pressed back against his groin again as she stretched her arms over her head, feeling her breasts pulled taut as she yawned loudly.
"Woman," he growled against her neck, "if you want to get fucked again, you're going to have to wait for coffee and bacon."
That took her mind off more sex, at least for the moment, and her stomach grumbled in agreement.
After she'd showered and dressed in record time, Rey wandered back into the kitchen and received a full mug of coffee and a plate of eggs and bacon.
"I could get used to this," she said wistfully as she wrapped her cold fingers around the warm mug. It had a Harry Potter crest on one side and an outline of Hogwarts on the other.
"Why don't you?" he asked quietly, and turned away from the stove with the tongs still in hand.
"I—what?" Surely he hadn't meant—
"You could…stay. Gryff likes you." He turned back to the stove to flip the sizzling strips of bacon.
"Just Gryff?"
"I do too, but you know that. I think I could love you, if you stuck around."
In all her years, she'd never heard anything so wonderful.
The roads were closed for three days, and during that time, Clyde and Rey explored each other's bodies so thoroughly that he knew the exact constellation of freckles across her chest, and he could probably draw them in his sleep if he were so inclined. That first day had mostly been spent in front of the fire, him biting marks into her thighs before licking her until she writhed beneath him, and her sucking bruises into his neck and shoulders while he fucked her against the wall.
And then she'd found his library.
It was just a bedroom, but he'd knocked the closet out and built enough bookshelves to hold his whole collection. Then she'd seen that he'd categorized them by genre and author, she'd surged forward, grabbing an armful off the nearest shelf. When he'd brought her a little basket and told her he'd get snacks and wait for her by the fireplace, she'd squealed and flung her arms around his neck. They'd spent hours tangled up in the nest he'd made in front of the fireplace, tangled up and reading together, occasionally sharing funny, or more often in Rey's case, explicit scenes.
They hadn't needed to camp in front of the fireplace, but Clyde hadn't minded when Rey had asked if they could sleep there once they'd found out the roads were completely impassable and would be for a while. His house was too far from the city for them to salt the roads. Eventually one of his neighbors would be by on a tractor to clear the road, but until then, neither of them minded being stuck together.
On the third day, the road was mostly clear, but Clyde didn't trust Rey's little beetle as far as he could throw it, especially not when she'd told him that the heater only worked half of the time. He'd sent a quick message to his buddy Jake over at the used car lot, telling him to set aside a nice little sedan, maybe a Honda Civic or one of those little Mini things that looked like a box on wheels. Nothing too fancy, he'd said to Jake. Clyde knew Rey would probably not accept his gift of a car, and there was no way she'd take something new, but he wanted her to be safe on the road when she wasn't with him.
He also put in an order with another buddy, Fred, over at the Chevy lot, for a brand new cherry-red pickup. Nothing as flashy as Jimmy's, but he made it sure the seats were heated and that the sound system was good.
Dad's truck would do just fine in the barn, and maybe he could take it out in the summer for old time's sake.
It was time to let the past die, anyway.
He chuckled at the thought, and the origin of those words. They'd discovered in their three days of snowed-in bliss that they both had a soft spot for a certain fairy-tale set in space. When Rey had told him that he reminded her of the black-caped prince in the newest installments, Clyde had laughed it off.
"His hair is too nice. Plus, that guy wears eyeliner ."
"I think it's hot," she'd said, and mumbled something about Halloween costumes.
If she was still around by Halloween, he'd do whatever she wanted. Including wearing eyeliner.
But for now, she was leaving.
Only for one night, she'd made that clear. But she needed to check on her apartment and water her plants, and the Christmas Play was tomorrow, so long as nothing else was too badly frozen or had suffered any damage. Once she'd said her goodbyes and had reluctantly gotten in her car, Clyde took Gryff out back for a good long game of fetch.
The dog had gotten a little restless while they were stuck inside, but Clyde had been concerned about Gryff cutting his paws on ice or getting frostbite, so Clyde had only let him out to do his business.
Now though, as was usually the case after a big snow in Boone County, the only white patches that remained were in the shaded spaces under the trees that rarely got sun. Melting snow dripped from limbs and eaves, leaving puddles that would freeze and melt again all winter long.
Once Gryff was good and tired, they came inside, and Clyde toweled the big furball off before tossing him a treat and pulling out his laptop. He ordered a few things for Rey's next visit, nice new towels and higher thread-count sheets than he'd thought possible. A set of soap, lotion, and a candle that he thought would smell like her cinnamon lip gloss. A fluffy red robe in what seemed to be her size, fuzzy slippers and socks, and enough night lights that each room would have a spare. He added a few new toys for Gryff too, the kind that helped working dogs use their brains, just in case they got snowed in again.
Restless, Clyde decided to drive out to Duck Tape to check on things since he'd had to be closed for so long. All he could find was a couple of bags of lettuce that had browned with age; everything else was fine. No water damage to the ceiling, and no busted pipes or leaks. Breathing a sigh of relief, Clyde shot a quick text to Rey telling her that they should still be good to have the reception at the bar. She didn't respond, and Clyde told himself that she was busy getting everything ready for tomorrow. Instead of sitting around and waiting for her, Clyde decided to keep himself busy. Setting up the tables and chairs along the walls of the bar, making a sort of buffet and offering some seating while leaving the main space open for those who wanted to mingle.
A knock on the door interrupted his sweeping. Mel was cupping her hands to the glass pane, peering in at him.
Sighing, Clyde strode over to the door, unlocked it, and let his sister in.
"Mel," he said by way of greeting. He handed her the broom while he went to get the dustpan.
"Clyde Logan Logan!" she hollered, doing a little dance where she stood. "You been shacking up with Miss Rey!"
"She brought me a book, and got stuck out to the house when the snow got too high. That's all."
"She put those hickies on your neck to keep you warm, then?"
Shit, he'd forgotten about those.
"Hmmph," he grunted, feigning ignorance as she swept the dust into the pan he held.
"Come on , Clyde, spill," she wheedled at him.
Clyde was amused at how thick her accent got when she was excited, pronouncing the word on like own, and dragging it out three times longer than necessary.
"I don't kiss and tell," he said absently from where he crouched on the ground. The position had reminded him of kneeling with his face between Rey's legs, and well…
"Clyyyde!" Mel shrieked. "You what ?"
Oops.
So Clyde just said that he and Rey were together now and left it at that.
He was on his way home again when his damned phone buzzed in his pocket. Hoping it was Rey, Clyde pulled over as quickly as he safely could.
He breathed a sigh of relief to see her name on his little screen.
"Rey?"
"Clyde!" She sounded like she'd missed him too, and it sent a warm jolt through him.
"What is it, darlin'? The play still on?"
"Oh yes, everything is fine! Well, almost everything."
Uh, oh.
"Almost?"
"Oh, it's nothing too terrible. It's just that the window in my bedroom cracked sometime during the storm, and it shattered when the heat came on again. Or something. I'm not entirely sure what happened. But my landlord says that because the window was an antique, it'll have to have some work done on the frame before the glass can be replaced. So I, erm, I can't stay in my apartment tonight, or probably for a while actually, and I was wondering if I could stay with you?" The last sentence came out in a rush that Clyde nearly missed.
"Of course you can, Rey. I can set up the guest bed if you want. Or you can stay with me. It's up to you."
"You sure you don't mind?"
"Rey. After all the things we did to each other over the past three days, do you really need to ask that?"
"I suppose you're right. Do you mind if I bring a few of my things since I don't know how long it'll take to get my place put back to rights?"
"Bring everything, if you want."
"Clyde." His name wasn't a warning or admonishment or a question. It was more of a plea.
"Only if you want to."
"I—it's so soon."
"Like I said—"
She cut him off.
"I do. Want to, I mean."
"Well, that's settled. Bring what you can for now, and we'll come back and get the rest later. Deal?"
"Deal." He heard the smile in her voice.
They didn't drive together to the play the next day. She had to get to the community center early, and Clyde wanted to put a few finishing touches on the decorations at the bar. She'd kissed him fiercely before she'd left, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting him press her back against the door. And if the door hadn't swung open from getting pushed on, they might not have made it to the play at all.
But Rey had laughed at the squeak of the old hinges and unhooked her legs to slide down the front of his body. Still laughing, she'd looped her long striped scarf around his neck.
"We better cover your neck. I know you said you swore your sister to secrecy, but I bet you'd give some old biddy a heart attack if they saw sweet Clyde Logan covered in love bites."
Clyde felt the blush burn his ears.
Rey tried to settle her Santa hat on his head, but it just wouldn't stay on top of his long hair.
"I'll see you later," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Rey waved at him as she slung herself into her car.
Clyde just barely arrived at the community center on time and had to push through gaggles of standing parents to the seat Jimmy, Sylvia, and Mel had saved for him. He had just sat down when the lights dimmed and Rey pushed her way through the red curtain on the little stage.
She welcomed them all and gave a little speech thanking everyone who helped, then directed everyone to join them at Duck Tape after the show.
Then the curtains rose and the play began. Sadie really did look like an angel in her glittery wings. Clyde suspected Bobbie Jo had gone after her with some makeup, but it wasn't as much as she'd worn in the pageants, and she still looked like a kid. Sadie delivered her lines perfectly and with minimal arm swinging and no swords. The kindergarten farm animals had to be herded back onstage when they missed their cue, and one tiny little boy fell asleep behind the manger, but all-in-all, the play was a success.
Sadie and Rey had really outdone themselves, and Clyde was proud to have helped them both.
After all the bowing was over, the kids ran off the stage to their parents, giving hugs, spreading wings, and doing spins to show off the final versions of their costumes. Clyde searched for Rey in the melee, but Sadie nearly tackled him 'round the knees, so he couldn't find her in the crowd.
"Clyde! Did you see? I did so good!"
"You sure did do good, Sadie-Bug," Clyde said as he squeezed her in a hug. "A perfect angel."
"Still wish I coulda kept the sword though," she scowled.
"Perhaps next year, Sadie?"
Rey had appeared at his elbow, and Sadie clapped her hands and cackled in glee.
"A sword?" Bobbie Jo asked, "what kinda angel has a sword?"
"The ones in the Bible, Mama!"
Then Sadie was running off, and Clyde and Rey were walking out to his truck to head to the bar to let the earliest of early birds in.
"Well?" Rey asked.
"It was great, darlin'. You did so well with all those kids. I'm real proud of y'all."
"Thanks. That means a lot. Sometimes it's hard to get them all to work together," she said. "And don't get me started on the parents!"
Clyde chuckled.
"Bobbie Jo used to be my sister-in-law. I know exactly what you mean."
And then they arrived at the bar.
"Oh, Clyde," Rey breathed in a voice he'd thus far only heard right before she came. But this time she was staring at the exterior of Duck Tape. "You've outdone yourself!"
The night before he'd dug out all the christmas lights he could find, along with a few new things he'd picked up at the Super Store, and gone to town on the bar. Lights covered every inch of awning and outlined every window and door. Inside was a massive Christmas tree covered in fake snow and hundreds of glittery ornaments. He'd even bought a little fake fireplace that had boots dangling over the painted fire.
"I love it!" she said before racing to the door and disappearing inside.
Once the place had filled up with school kids and their parents, Rey and Clyde had to resort to meaningful looks across the crowd rather than holding hands or making out in the broom closet. Rey was helping the parents organize the food into some semblance of order, and Clyde had gone behind the bar to serve soda.
"Nice scarf there, bud." Jimmy appeared at the bar, his arm slung over Sylvia's shoulders.
"Thanks, keeps my neck warm."
Mel snorted into her Sprite.
"It looks real soft," Jimmy said, tugging on the end, "can I wear it?"
"No, Jimmy Logan, you cannot," Clyde said as primly as a big bear of a man could.
Out of nowhere, Mary-Louise appeared. Good lord, here we go, Clyde thought. She looked like she was already three sheets to the wind, but he wasn't serving any alcohol.
"Can I wear your scarf, Clyde?" she slurred, reaching out and taking the tassled ends from Jimmy.
"Mary-Louise Fonteneau, you take your hands of my man this instant."
Clyde blinked, then blinked again.
So did Mary-Louise. She did not, however, remove her hands from the scarf. She yanked instead.
Somehow, Clyde saw the scarf fall away from his neck in slow-motion, and he saw the instant Mary-Louise registered the marks Rey had left on his neck. Rey, red-faced with annoyance, slid over the bar to press a kiss to Clyde's neck, right over the biggest mark she'd left.
"Well, I never!" Mary-Louise said.
"You're damn right, you never," Clyde muttered at the thought.
"You should see the marks he left on me." Rey's grin was wicked, and Clyde watched as Mary-Louise's eyes roved over Rey's neck, and when finding no marks, tracked lower and grew wider. Rey nonchalantly brushed her hand over her inner thigh and the bottle-blonde across from her gasped in horror before staggering off to find someone new to bother.
Both Jimmy and Sylvie stared, open-mouthed.
"It's a Christmas miracle!" Mellie pressed her hands to her chest and cast her eyes heavenward.
"It sure is," Clyde and Rey said together.
