Perfect Christmas: A Paper Dolls Novel Read online

  Introduction

  Hi all! We’ve decided to compose a Paper Dolls Christmas story for the holiday break. We wrote this and edited it very quickly to get it up in time for certain people who were asking for it. Since we haven’t written Series 2 or even finished publishing Series 1 of Paper Dolls this Christmas story will certainly be a stand-alone. It probably won’t even rightfully fit into the series. There are certain things we haven’t published yet that we do not exactly wish to SPOIL for you. BUT! It’s the holiday time, so, an angsty time must be had!

  Just know that this story only loosely fits into where we expect to go with the rest of the series. Set a few months after Series 1 ends; A hypothetical first Christmas for our young married couple.

  Little bit of drama and a little bit of sex. As usual, all warnings still apply. We do place this in the ROMANCE genre because there is sex (otherwise it’s New Adult).

  Happy snowflakes and comforts and warm and cozy days in!

  ❤ Blythe & Emma

  Dedication

  We’ve had a lot of super loyal fans out there. This story is going out to Erica for her birthday. Deep probing questions are always a pleasure to answer.

  Chapter 1

  Avery

  Christmas was my favorite holiday when I was little. I’m sure presents had a lot to do with it but for me it was mostly about how it felt. If my dad wasn’t deployed we did all the cliché things. He would take us to pick out a tree and make me and my brother tie it down in the bed of the truck.

  When we got home, Mom would have everything set up for us to decorate the house. All of this took place the day after Thanksgiving. We always had hot chocolate with candy canes in it so the peppermint would melt into the chocolate. That night we’d order pizza and all sit around, putting ornaments on the tree. Adam and I each had our own special box.

  Mom gave us an ornament every year as a tradition. I always thought we were going to run out of room on the tree someday but that tradition ended when my brother died. I was thirteen. Since then we haven’t had a Christmas like that and I was determined this one would be different.

  I wasn’t with my parents anymore for one. I had a wife and a whole new life. We could start our own traditions. That’s why I was about to wake her up. I had an entire plan for the next week. We both still had presents to buy and we had waited to get a tree till now since we were finally back home.

  I rolled over in bed and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. Olivia was still asleep beside me. There was still five minutes until my alarm would go off but I canceled it and rolled back over, throwing my leg over Olivia’s hip.

  I smiled at her, sleeping peacefully. She didn’t even shift when I moved. This was going to be tough. I scooted my head closer and pursed my lips, kissing her nose. She wiggled it but her eyes didn’t open.

  “Hmm,” I hummed.

  My next tactic was to kiss her softly on the lips and trace her temple with my fingertips. Her lips moved against mine and they curved into a smile.

  “Hey,” I whispered.

  “Mmm… Why are you acting crazy?” Her voice was hoarse from non-use.

  “What a silly question. I'm always crazy. Crazy for you,” I said.

  I couldn't help giggling afterward. I reached under the covers and moved my fingers up and down her sides, wriggling them against her skin.

  When my fingers were cold she was extremely ticklish. Both her hands flew to my wrists and they tried to stop me. “Don’t,” she warned darkly.

  I scoffed and moved my head closer.

  “Why? What are you gonna do if I don't stop?” I asked.

  I was much stronger than her and she knew it.

  “I dunno but you won't like it,” she responded.

  “That just makes me want to find out,” I explained.

  She was still holding my wrists but I moved my fingers a little to see what she would say.

  Her grip tightened and she looked up at me. “You really wanna piss me off on the first official day of our vacation?”

  I relaxed my hands and let her hold my wrists. I never wanted to piss her off but sometimes it just happened.

  “It depends on if it's going to be hot pissed off or bad pissed off,” I clarified.

  “Hot pissed off?” She looked up at me bothered. There was a question in her tone as if to say: and what the hell is that supposed to mean, Avery Nicole?

  “Um…” I wanted to look away but that would just make it worse. “Sometimes when you're mad it turns me on but when you're really angry at me not so much.”

  “Right,” she said, moving her hand to her forehead and shutting her eyes as she rubbed her skin.

  Now that she was only holding one of my hands captive I moved it away so I wasn't tempted to tickle her again.

  This morning, this day actually, was supposed to be perfect.

  “I'm sorry,” I said.

  “Mm,” she groaned, tugging on the wrist of mine she still had. I slipped and fell on top of her, not expecting such a jolt. “Why are we awake right now, again?”

  She put up with me so I felt obliged not to make it harder.

  “We are hitting the mall. There's a sale and you have to help me pick out gifts for Natalie and your mom.”

  I was so bad at finding presents for people who weren't Olivia. One year I'd actually gotten my dad a singing bass mounted on a piece of wood.

  “Right. But you know they'd like anything you gave them, baby.”

  “Yeah, but I want it to be perfect. This Christmas has to be to make up for all the shitty ones since I was thirteen,” I insisted.

  Olivia was the best at being thoughtful and she had known them both a lot longer than me.

  “I could just give Nat you and she would be ecstatic,” I teased.

  “Not at all funny,” she said, petting me carefully.

  “Not even a little?” I tried.

  Natalie and I would always be in love with the same woman but somehow we made our friendship work. Nat was too good. It usually didn't work out in her favor and part of me always felt guilty.

  “I don't think so,” Olivia said. She squirmed a little, moving to sit her back up against the headboard and hug her naked legs. The small soft shorts she liked to wear were so cute and her slinky spaghetti strap tank was super sexy but when she curled up I remembered the girl I met almost a year ago: nervous, intense, complicated, brilliant… Completely addicting.

  “You know I was kidding. I guess it was a bad joke though. Once again, I'm sorry,” I said with a sigh. “Now, will you come back over here so I can cuddle you for two more minutes?”

  “Please stop apologizing,” Olivia said.

  I moved closer to her and put my hand on her knee, resisting the urge to apologize for apologizing.

  “We can go back to sleep if you want,” I suggested.

  I started calculating how far that would put us behind. We had to get the tree today and go buy some decorations for the pool house we lived in when we were in town. We also had to make cookies to eat while decorating the tree.

  “Or we could go get this present stuff done. It's only a few days till Christmas,” I said.

  “How about some coffee?” Olivia asked, sleepy eyes and that soft appeasing smile. Her hand moved down to mine and she held it. “Come ‘ere,” she said, tugging me to fall into her and kiss her. Her free hand guided me in.

  Even when I annoyed her she got over it fast. I kissed her and loved her for indulging me. She was my choice of reason.

  Time, of course, slipped away. We made it into full-on make-out mode for who knows how long until I stopped us. She groaned when I pulled away bu
t I didn't give in.

  “I set the coffee maker last night so there should be fresh coffee in the kitchen,” I said.

  She didn't move so I did, slipping off the bed and pulling her by the hand.

  “Come on, hotness. I've got plans for us,” I persisted.

  “Wouldn't expect anything less,” she said, following.

  We split up in the kitchen. She got the mugs and I grabbed the creamer. We met back by the coffee maker, which was emitting a wonderful warmth.

  I picked up the carafe and poured some into both mugs.

  “So. Mall first and then we can pick up Brian and Jacob so they can help us to get the tree,” I said.

  “I, somehow doubt they'll be the best help,” Olivia laughed. “Did you completely forget about the nightmare that was furniture shopping with them? I don't think I've ever spent that long in an Ikea…”

  Olivia leaned into my body with hers and hung onto me lovingly. Her arms snaked in around my waist as her chin rest snug on my shoulder and she breathed me in.

  “Yeah, but that was because Jacob can't make it out of a store without commenting on every single item. This is Christmas trees, there's nothing for him to fawn over except, well, trees,” I commented.

  I leaned back and slouched a little. We met Brian and Jacob when we were first dating and Olivia’s mom set her up with Brian. It was hilarious since he had a boyfriend and she had a girlfriend.

  We had gotten close to them after all of the trial mess. It was nice to hang out with people who didn't take things too seriously. They were cool guys and we had both come to love them dearly.

  “Drink your coffee. We need to have plenty of energy to find the perfect presents,” I said.

  I figured if we showered together it would cut down on some lost time but only if I managed to make it through without letting my shower time-saver turn into a black hole of shower sex time consumption.

  Chapter 2

  Olivia

  Barely light. The bright showering rays spread out on the land, bathing it and bathing me through the windshield as I sat back and kept the wheel stationary. Avery; all aglow with intention and distraction due to the approaching annual holiday.

  I couldn't rope her in if I tried so I just played along, keeping calm and hoping for the little things; her smile as she spoke, the way her laugh tickled my ears and appeased me.

  Free time with the love of my life had become somewhat rare these days. Clashing schedules. Our shared insistence on simply being the best at whatever we do. Stanford hadn’t been going easy, not that I ever intended it to.

  Avery stayed late nights at the pool and I needed early mornings in class. We were two familiar passing ships on varying days. I swear, sometimes I'd just steal her and tackle her, keeping her for myself. Our lives have become so unpredictable now.

  Presents, the tree…

  Avery was apparently obsessed with having the perfect Christmas. Which I didn’t know about until we started to drive home yesterday.

  Because of it though, I was already a little sad.

  I wanted long mornings in bed. Whole days of lost touching, fingers roaming and minds at ease. Alcohol. Conversations. Very very late nights, and my wife wanting me.

  It doesn't help at all that Avery also brought up Nat. The first person I wanted to visit now that I was back was the one person I shouldn't. My ex-lover turned best friend; Natalia, my stars.

  Avery took my hand in the car and squeezed it.

  “Are you mad at me?” She asked.

  “What? Of course not,” I said, looking over at her apologetically.

  Sometimes I couldn't imagine what was in her head. Her hair had gone lighter from the aggressive swimming, nearly bleached. She had small hidden freckles that only came out with the sun. As I stared over at her, endangering us both, I just wanted to kiss her for hours on end, disappear with her, be her everything once again. So often I chased that needy desperate feeling in me.

  “You just didn't look happy and that thing I said about Nat was stupid,” she replied.

  “What?” I smiled over at her. “Why are you even thinking about that? That was like 20 minutes ago.”

  I laughed and thought about it. Then I took her hand and squeezed it back.

  “Have I ever told you I'm in love with you?” I asked.

  “Yeah, a few times,” she said.

  She was smiling at me now and pushing her hair back with her free hand.

  “Oh, okay, good,” I teased. It was like I'd squared away some not so complicated measure. Turning the light off the oven or making sure to close the garage door. Like gardens, common things needed tending to. My love for Avery, was such a burning thing, I hardly think she can forget.

  I turned back to watch the street as I drove. Some days her energy had this way of seeping over into me. Today I was just by her side, feeling her excitement, and her joy, wanting it too but failing to garner it.

  “Have I ever told you how much I like it when you drive?” She asked, paying it back.

  “Once or twice,” I shrugged minimally. “But you have got to stop looking like that if you want me to leave you alone for this whole Christmas prep day.”

  I knew how Avery was. The more excited and indecisive she got the more intensely sexy she'd become. She couldn't control it and neither could I.

  Come this afternoon I’d be thirsty for something extra from her.

  “What do I look like?” She asked. I played with my hair and tried not to give anything away.

  “Like I need to be touching you,” I explained. I fixed my mirror and tried to act casual and convey very little. Truth of it was I wanted to pull over and get out and make her pay attention to me. Christmas nonsense was exactly that. We could be touching right now, kissing, laughing. We could be doing anything but routines set for people who needed routines.

  Avery’d only gotten prettier with college and age. Swimming made her lose the tiny bit of spare weight she had and her breasts were just miraculous. I often found myself staring and she’d smile this queer way when she noticed me lost.

  She had no idea what an accidental tease she could be, riding next to me in my car talking emphatically, laughing at the little awkward things she could think and say. Her eyes and lips shined, cheeks rounded, fingers flexed and played.

  At Stanford, just like Huntington, I'd made a fair habit of fantasizing about her during class. It was naughty and probably wrong. The focused intensity harkened back to my Natalie days. Still I took pride in it. Keen focus brought me clarity in other places of the mind.

  Classmates would ask: why are you so serious today. I hadn't the heart to confess the honest truth. I wasn't serious at all- I was wrapped up in true gag-worthy puppy-love. Allowing my desires to completely take my mind over and take rule. Distance from Avery only made me want her more. Of course, the fantasies took hold.

  Avery on a mattress, Avery in my shower. Avery, taking me home at night on a dark abandoned road and our car breaking down…

  A lot of the things other people were scared about? I found them endlessly enticing...

  “Oh, I see. Well, I told you I have plans. I think you’ll like some of them. Especially, the ones that happen after everyone else is gone and we’re alone,” she said.

  She had her head turned at that certain angle that let me know she was thinking the same kind of thoughts about me. That half-smile played at her lips. One of her eyebrows arched up a little higher and that made it all clear.

  I swallowed a little and licked my lips. I could watch her forever but I needed to pay attention to the road.

  My hands quickly readjusted the wheel as I turned down Brian’s drive. His parents owned a big house like mine and I'd only ever visited him once here before school. Jacob had called and asked if they could go shopping with us too.

  Half-way up the drive I was met with the sight of Brian and Jacob making out against a rather attractive tree.

  My smile tickled me. They were far from the house windows
, near the dreamy pond all secret and hidden by the shade.

  I shook my head and pulled the car to a stop on the drive.

  “Guess we’re not the only ones with sex on the brain,” Avery joked.

  “Ha,” I huffed out, waiting for the boys to slowly saunter out.

  They were dreamy; two 1950’s high school heartthrobs. Jacob was wearing a very expensive looking leather jacket and Brian had his dress sleeves rolled up and his hair all styled and fluffy. Being away from home had given them both the kind of freedom they could never quite touch.