P. Stormcrow

The snow drifted outside in a hazy blur, the flakes so small they glinted only in the streetlights. But each made their presence known as they stuck to every surface below, blanketing the streets and cars. A calm silence had settled and even the sound of traffic had long faded into the deep of the night.

Luna stood by the window with a cup of tea in hand. It was probably too late for the caffeine but she needed it to fight off the sleep weighing down her eyelids. Jacob hadn’t texted or called yet but she wanted to make sure he got home safe. He had told her to go to bed but she had replied that she would wait. While most of them had time off, Jacob’s work only got busier with the season and they had barely seen each other since the mad rush of Christmas.

She missed him. And judging by the texts he sent her whenever he was on a break, so did he.

She clutched the mug in both hands a little tighter, refusing to glance at the phone sitting on the coffee table behind her. She had already turned the ringer on earlier to the maximum volume and she would be able to hear the notifications a mile away.

Their first Christmas together. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. Luna didn’t make a big deal out of holidays but somehow this seemed more important.

Another thing for her to puzzle out in this contracted relationship of theirs.

The phone ringing startled her out of her reverie but Luna frowned when she recognized it as the landline. She strolled across the apartment and grabbed it off her office table to stare at the number. The buzzer downstairs. Who would be coming over at this hour?

With a sigh, she hit the button with the little green icon and held the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Let me up, sweetheart.”

Her heart skipped a beat and a flush crept up her cheeks. Only one person ever called her that. Jacob.

“Luna?”

Right. “Okay,” she managed to choke out and pulled the phone away to hit the number on the keypad. She rushed to put the phone back to her about are and listened for that obnoxious buzz that let her know her guest had entered. Right now, it was the sweetest sound she had ever heard.

Luna abandoned the phone and her mug of tea on the coffee table next to her cell and crossed the apartment to open the door. Unable to contain her excitement, she rocked on the balls of her feet as she tried to reign back her impatience. 

Jacob’s here. Jacob’s here. A voice changes in her head like a kid on Christmas morning. The analogy wasn’t far off.

The ding of the elevator alerted her that her Dominant had arrived on the floor. A moment of panic surged in her. She was in her flannel pants and an old college T-shirt. Not quite granny panties but old cotton ones. Shit. At least they’re black.

There he was. Snow dusted his windswept black hair and his cheeks flushed with the warmth of the hallway. Water dripped from his jacket as he stomped in his heavy boots toward her.

Luna didn’t wait. With a grin that almost stretched ear to ear, she flew down the hall to meet him halfway in a tackle hug.

Jacob rocked backwards slightly at the impact but wrapped his arms around her all the same with a chuckle that sent shivers down her spine. “Oof,” he breathed out at the impact.

She only hugged him tighter.

“Not that I mind the welcome, but I’d rather get you wet in other ways than this.”

Luna’s face heated as she snapped her head back up to stare wide-eyed at him. It wasn’t until she could feel water seeping through her top that she understood the meaning then she was blushing for a different reason. “Ah. Um. Right.” 

She stepped back with haste and tugged at the hem of her shirt, self-consciousness keeping her from saying more. But she didn’t have to as he stepped near, kissed the top of her head and placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her back towards her apartment’s door. 

“Come on.” 

As they walked the small distance back, Luna caught small glimpses of Jacob and her heart lifted at the grin that played on his lips. It was worth getting wet for. The regular kind of wet.

“Let me get you a towel,” Luna offered. 

“Thanks.”

She hurried to the bathroom and retrieved a clean towel. By the time she returned, Jacob had already shed his winter jacket and boots. He took the towel from her with a smile of gratitude and dried his hair off.

Once more, Luna tugged at the hem, feeling an absurd need to apologize for not being dressed better. She kept reminding herself that he had been the one to come unannounced.

“Now—” Jacob folded the towel and placed it neatly on the kitchen counter— “where was I?” He cocked his head to one side before he took two steps to close the distance between them and pull her into a tight hug. “I missed this. I missed you.”

Her self-consciousness melted away and she leaned into his embrace. “Me too.”

Jacob was the first to pull away but he cupped her face and gazed into her eyes when she looked up. Ensnared by the intensity in his eyes, warmth pooled in her belly.

“I would take you right now if I could, but there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Jacob murmured.

The warmth turned into stone.

Something must have shown on her face for Jacob shook his head and kissed her forehead. “I have a favor to ask of you, that’s all,” he reassured. “Come on, let’s go sit down.”

Luna led the way this time, uncertainty still making her antsy. She knew she needed to stop being so insecure. Jacob was not the same person as her ex. 

They sat down on the couch and Jacob took both of her hands in his right away, making sure to catch her eyes again. He didn’t wait, didn’t drag it out but went straight to the point. It was something Luna always appreciated about him.

“We’ve discussed before the need to keep our relationship away from your friends outside of the lifestyle and I will respect that. However, we haven’t discovered my side yet.”

“I completely understand if you need the same—” Luna started but cut herself off when Jacob released one of her hands to hold his up. 

“Let me finish, Luna,” Jacob chided with more gentleness. When she nodded, he continued. “My work is having a New Years party and I would like it if you came as my date.”

His date. Luna’s mind blanked as she stared at him in dumbfounded shock. He wanted me to be his date. For a work party.

“It is, of course, your choice. I want you to come only if you are comfortable with this.”

“You want me. To be. Your date,” Luna echoed, her voice faint even to her own ears.

Jacob’s dark chuckle reminded her of melted chocolate. “Yes, sweetheart. What do you say?”

Luna blinked at him. “What should I swear?”

He laughed and squeezed her hands gently. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Blinking one more time, she cleared her throat and gave him a sheepish smile. “Yes. Yes, I’d love to.” No sooner had she given him an answer though, a thousand more came up. “Do your coworkers know…” Luna trailed off, unsure exactly what she should ask first.

“About the lifestyle?”

She nodded, relieved that he picked one question for her.

“A few. Not many. I don’t hide it but it doesn’t exactly come up in conversation often.”

“That’s true,” Luna mumbled as she looked away, only for him to tuck a finger under her chin and tilt her head back toward him.

“Or did you mean whether they know about you?”

She searched his face before she let out a long sigh. “That too.”

Jacob nodded in acknowledgement. “A few. A few others just know that I’m seeing someone.”

Seeing someone. That was a good way to put it. Ambiguous enough. “Are you sure you want to put a face to that ‘someone’?” she asked, her lips curving upwards in a teasing smirk.

The finger under the chin turned into a mild pinch between his forefinger and thumb. “Do you think I’m sure, Luna?” Jacob crooned and Luna recognized the command in his voice.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl.” His eyes darkened and his grin turned wicked. ‘Now. It’s late and you should get to bed.”

That couldn’t be all he came for. Or do she hoped. Luna tilted her head to one side. “And are you coming too?’

“Sure,” Jacob replied.

Luna rose from her seat but half-turned to glance over her shoulder and him “And how much would sleeping will actually be happening?” She even made air quotes with her fingers.

“Get going and you’ll find out.” Jacob slapped her ass with the lightest touch but she yelped and jumped regardless more in surprise than even any sting.

Luna laughed and sauntered to the bedroom, brimming with confidence within. It was odd how submitting Jacob made her feel powerful as she revelled in her newfound sexuality. It wasn’t something she had ever experienced before.

As soon as they crossed the threshold of her bedroom, Jacob stalked toward the bed and sat down on the edge before he patted his lap. “Come here, sweetheart.”

She rushed to him without reservation. But rather than pulling her into his lap as she had expected, he took her in his arms and through some kind of ninja magic she didn’t know he had, flipped her on to the bed. Luna laid there, stunned and blinked up at him as he hovered above, his hands on either side of her head, his arms and legs effectively caging her in.

Oh.

“Hi,” Luna uttered at last.

A delicious smile spread inch by inch on Jacob’s face and he leaned down to kiss her. Slow and long like he had all the time in the world. And in the silent of the snow on Christmas eve, he did.