Author note:

This chapter is M. (I was going to say NSFW, but since we are all at home...you're probably ok.)

I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the reviews, they keep me going.

CH 7-Christmas Traditions

Clay walked back downstairs, stepping over baby gates and around totes and boxes. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and as had been their tradition since they had been together, Emma and Clay were putting up their Christmas tree and the rest of their decorations.

This year they had the "help" of their 3 ½ year old daughter and 1-year old son. Quinn was starting to remember Christmases past and was beside herself with excitement. She flitted about the room getting into every box and tote that Clay brought down from the attic.

AJ on the other hand had no idea what was going on. But, if Quinn was excited, it must be good. His toddling steps got him over to the tree where he immediately began to pull on the sparkling lights and tried to fit them in his mouth.

"Ooops! Not so fast little man," Clay exclaimed as he scooped up his son and got him out of the danger zone. "Looks like we're gonna have to figure out a way to keep him out of all this Em."

"Yea. I was thinking about that. We can get one of the baby fences and put it around the tree so he can't reach."

"Sounds like a good idea, huh, tiger?" Clay bussed AJ's chubby cheek as the little boy, still in his father's arms, stared mesmerized by the twinkling lights and shiny ornaments.

"Daddy? Daddy?" Quinn pulled at Clay's free hand.

"What Quinnie?"

The toddler indicated that she wanted her father's attention too and reached up for Clay to pick her up as well. He lifted the little girl into his free arm, and she leaned her head on his solid shoulder. Always a "Daddy's Girl", Quinn wasn't about to let AJ get all of their father's attention. He kissed her curly head and squeezed her.

Emma spoke up. "Quinn, why don't you help me hang some more ornaments while Daddy puts AJ to bed?"

"No. I want Daddy." Quinn threw her arms around Clay's neck and refused to let go.

Clay intervened. "Okay. I just hope the Elves don't report some little girl's behavior back to Santa."

Quinn's ears perked up at the mention of Santa. "Ralphie's watching?" Ralphie was they name she had given to their "Elf on the Shelf."

"You know he comes to live with us at Christmas time to let Santa know if you and AJ are being good."

"Okay, Mommy. I'll help." She nodded her head frantically and began to scramble down from Clay's arms.

Clay turned so that Emma could bid little AJ goodnight. She leaned into kiss his soft cheeks. "Goodnight baby. Sweet dreams."

He went to put the baby to bed while Emma managed their excited daughter. She and Quinn dug through the totes locating the rest of the ornaments to be hung on the tree. The decorations were an interesting assortment. Some were from the first batch of baubles that she and Clay had bought the same year they purchased the tree. She smiled fondly as she hung them and remembered setting up the tree together that first Christmas when they were dating.

Others they had acquired over the years, including Quinn and AJ's first Christmas ornaments. And there were a few that Quinn had made with her help. This year, with Maria Lopez's help, Quinn had made an angel from a toilet paper roll, a coffee filter, and some glitter. She was beyond proud to place it on the tree.

They had hung most of the ornaments until they got to the last one. That Emma set aside for later. She heard Clay coming back down the stairs. He swung Quinn up in his arms and leaned to give Emma a quick kiss.

"He go down okay?"

"Yea. His eyes were closed before I even got him in his crib."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. He had been weaned for a few weeks. But sometimes he still fussed at night about not nursing. So, Clay handled the nighttime duties as much as he was able.

"I don't need a crib. I'm a big girl," Quinn interjected.

"You sure are Quinnie. You're my big girl. Here," He shifted her to his other arm and reached out to grab the tree topper that Emma had left sitting on the table by the couch and handed it to the toddler. "Why don't you put the star on top."

He lifted Quinn up on his shoulders, steadied her with one hand, and used his other hand to help her reach out and position the star at the very top of the tree. Quinn clapped enthusiastically at their joint accomplishment. He swung her down, placing her on the couch.

"All right little miss. I think it's about time for you to head to bed too."

She immediately began to shake her head and started to protest.

"Quinn, it's bedtime and big girls don't fuss like that," he told her firmly.

"Alright."

"Tell Mommy goodnight."

Emma bent down so Quinn could give her a hug and kiss. "Goodnight Mommy."

"Goodnight sweetie. Love you."

Quinn reached for Clay's hand and tugged him toward the stairs, chattering a mile a minute.

"Do you think Ralphie saw Daddy? Do you think he knows I'm a good girl?"

Emma shook her head and smiled. While Clay was getting their little girl into bed, she finished clearing up the mess from their decorating for him to put away tomorrow. She got everything back in its proper container and Clay still wasn't down. She went to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of wine and sat them on the table next to the sofa. Then she dimmed the lights and relaxed on the couch.

Finally, he returned. She saw him chucking and shaking his head.

"What?"

"Quinn. She insisted on two stories and asked a million questions about Ralphie. That damn elf is great for getting her to be good, but I hope I can keep up with her curiosity and remember what I've told her."

She patted the cushion beside her, and he sat down. She passed him a glass of wine and he took a sip.

"Everything hung up Em?"

"All but one." She smiled slyly at him.

"You saved that one?"

"Of course. It's part of our tradition, isn't it?"

Clay leaned across her to set down his glass and reached to take hers also. When her hands were free, she wound them around his neck and pulled him to her. He claimed her lips and slid a hand down her side, curved over her bottom and down to the back of her thigh. He pressed her back into the cushions with his body as he drew her leg up and over his lap. She began to hum softly as his lips made their way down to column of her neck.

Soon he stopped and sat them back up. She looked at him questioningly.

"We need to hang up our ornament."

She smiled softly and reached for the heart-shaped decoration that read, 'Our First Christmas 2019' and walked with him to place it on the tree. Emma could feel him pressed up behind her and his hands caressed upward as he unbuttoned her shirt.

"Mmm…Clay…"

He nibbled at the sensitive hollow behind her ear. "Aren't you going to hang it up?" He slipped a fingertip beneath the cup of her bra and grazed her nipple.

"Ahhh…"

Emma struggled to focus and reached out and hung the hook on a center branch. Once it was placed on the tree they turned, and he led her back to the couch. She worked her hands under his shirt and pressed her hands against his well-muscled torso. Clay reached down and pulled his tee off over his head.

His hands weren't still. He pushed her shirt off her shoulders and helped her pull it off her arms. He pulled the straps of her bra off as she reached behind her back and unfastened it. His eyes went wide as she revealed herself to him. Since AJ was no longer nursing, they had only made love a few times. Now that her breasts were no longer off-limits to him. He determined to take full advantage.

Clay placed gentle kisses across the swell of her chest, avoiding the pebbled tips.

"This okay?"

She tossed her head back and forth and bit at her lip, trying to keep her moans to a low decibel. He took that as his answer and slipped his tongue out to tease her nipples. God, he had missed the taste of her!

"Emmie, you are so delicious baby."

He felt her fingers dig into his shoulders as she writhed beneath him on the couch. She was rolling her hips, grinding her core against the hardness in his pants.

Clay sat up and started to slide her leggings down off her. He looked into her eyes. "Baby, you are beautiful. Your body is gorgeous."

He leaned to kiss her, and she slipped her tongue across his lips. Their tongues tangled and he could feel her excitement wet and slippery against his abdomen. He stood and quickly kicked off his shoes and socks and shucked his pants and underwear.

Settling back over her, he slid himself into her slick heat. "Ahhh, Emmie. You feel so good."

They moved together, their actions practiced and perfected over their years together. He knew exactly how to angle his hips to hit the most sensitive part of her. And she understood how to contract her internal muscles around him as he moved inside her to give him the most pleasure.

"Yes, yes…Clay. Yes!"

She clutched onto his shoulders and quivered around him as she broke. He watched her skin flush and her breasts heaving. He loved that he was the only man that had ever brought her this pleasure and the only one to ever get to see her like this.

He thrust into her just a few more times and muffled his groans in her neck as he gave himself to her. He shifted his position and Emma rearranged herself to snuggle into his side and rest her head on his chest. She reached up to the back of the couch to pull the blanket down to cover them.

"I love our Christmas Tradition," looking up at him as she spoke.

Clay kissed her head and responded. "Me too babe. It's my favorite one."

They laid there together just enjoying the feel of each other until they needed to get up and go to bed. Emma threw on his discarded t shirt and he pulled his pants back on to make the trip upstairs. Clay walked over to check the lock on the front door and to turn off the lights. She heard him curse softly.

"What's wrong honey. Did you run into something?"

"No, I just need to set up that elf for Quinn. Any ideas?"

They settled on a simple place for the first morning, positioning him in the branches of the Christmas Tree.

"We'll tell her it's so he can see everything that's going on in here."

Emma giggled. "What," he questioned.

"I certainly hope he wasn't watching everything a little while ago."

He smirked a little before he answered her. "Would he need to report to Santa that we were bad?"

"I think we were pretty good." She winked at him as they climbed the stairs.

"Good huh? 'Cause I can be bad if you want me to." He smacked her on her bare ass and picked her up to carry her the rest of the way to their bedroom for a demonstration.