Perfect Christmas: A Paper Dolls Novel Read online

  “Am I made of drugs or something? You sound like her,” I said.

  “Mmm, yes. Drugs, obviously,” she flared her eyes and then quietly laughed with me. “No, no, it’s not drugs,” she said, hand lazily finding the top of my shirt and tugging on the fabric. “It’s just easy to be me with you, I can’t explain it any better than that.”

  I looked down at her hand. It was just shy of dangerous territory.

  “Well, you are pretty awesome so I like it,” I said.

  She was so hot and so sweet but so funny at the same time.

  She laughed a little, under her breath like it was a secret. “You really don’t have to say things like that. I love you Avery,” she said. “You’re like my family. The both of you. My only family. Everyone else wants something from me.” Olivia always said that about her family and friends but Nat didn’t talk about it much, I never heard it like this from her lips.

  “I want you to know it though and by family do you mean like hot cousin? ‘Cause I'd rather not be feeling the need to kiss you if that's the case,” I said.

  It felt natural and true, which was why it popped out of my mouth.

  “Mmm, the need?” She teased, fully amused by me but also semi-drunk and a whole lot of happy. The tips of her fingers rubbed on my skin as she slid her hand back and forth, fingering my shirt collar like it was a rope.

  “Like you couldn't tell. I swear you just get me worked up to see me want you and to distract me from myself,” I said.

  “I really wasn’t trying to,” Nat laughed honestly. “And no, you’re not like my cousin,” she said, perching up a little and pushing her loose hairs back behind her ear. They strands had flown out of her messy bun with all our running and fighting and dancing. “You’re more like that hot girl I’m not allowed to fuck,” she confessed without shame.

  My heart kicked up into a faster tempo and I felt her words everywhere.

  “Maybe Olivia’s my hot cousin,” she teased, shrugging. “Also not supposed to fuck her,” she practically mumbled. “But I do want to. All the goddamn time…” She breathed in and looked down at my boobs. I could feel her obvious resistance and frustration.

  “So you want to fuck us both,” I surmised.

  “Well, I mean, it’s an awkward question but yes,” she said openly. “I don’t think I could be real friends with a person I couldn’t fuck. Maybe that’s my psychosis. I haven't talked to Vivi about it, maybe next time I see her I’ll…” Her thoughts wandered off.

  “Oh,” I said.

  I was confused and feeling less special now but I had no idea why I wanted her to want me like that.

  “I don’t have many good friends,” she said, clarifying it all. “Olivia was probably the second or… First,” she confessed. “Sometimes you think you have friends but you don’t. As I said, everyone wants something from me. Usually to fuck me. It’s a sad state.”

  “Where’s that rum,” she asked, groping for it. Her body kept moving ontop of mine. I could tell it wasn’t exactly intentional.

  “You better give me some because I'm starting to need fortification,” I said.

  She untwisted the bottle cap and drank a giant gulp down. “Fortification, huh- Explain?” She handed the bottle right over to me. “Oh wait,” she took it back. “Open your mouth,” she smiled, eyebrows raising up as she set the mouth of the bottle somewhat over my lips.

  It was intimate and sexy. Her own lips hovered somewhat open just north of my own.

  “Come on, open, I’ll feed you,” she said, perfectly concentrating on the liquid that was about to drip inside me and find itself a new home. All it would take was my permission and a small tilt.

  I opened my mouth and waited. She poured and the liquor flowed. It burned me, taking away the worrisome warning sign in the back of my consciousness.

  There was liquid and the burning and the heady feeling but then there were lips on mine, Natalie's lips, and Natalie's body rubbing into mine, Natalie's tongue slipping carefully inside me like it always wanted to but maybe she was too afraid to ask.

  “Mm-" she whimpered, moving up on me and trying to gain the best position to taste a bit more.

  Her eyes were closed up tight and she was completely lost in me, satiated momentarily. Hand coming up to gently stroke my face as she really showed me what it was like to have her intoxicating kiss. All the times Olivia and she had…

  I couldn't think, I just felt her perfect movements. She was raw energy that powered a love-sick force. So different from Olivia's endless need for me.

  I was first to break away.

  “Wow, okay,” I murmured, dazed.

  “Aw fuck,” Natalie said, realizing what she'd done and sniffing before moving to push herself off of me. Once her eyes opened it was obvious she realized she'd overstepped. “I'm sorry,” she said honestly. “That was really careless.”

  She got up and moved to stand on her barefeet and walk outside the study door.

  There was something about her though, something extra shaky.

  Careless? It didn't really cover it for me.

  Holy shit, I had just kissed my wife's best friend without her knowing. How was I going to tell her? Maybe I should wait but Nat would definitely tell her. Telling her first would be good but I didn’t even know what it meant. Olivia was always going to be my one.

  Nat inspired feelings that I’d never faced. She had a totally different flavor than Olivia. They were so close and Nat and I were close. It seemed like it shouldn’t be a big deal but that was the definition of cheating. I’d never done that before. Never even came close.

  I picked up the rum bottle and upended it, drinking way too much too fast. I kept fluctuating between reliving the amazing kiss and feeling like shit about it. It would have been different if Olivia had been there.

  I put the rum back where I found it and walked back out to the kitchen, which was far harder than it had been when I walked to the study.

  Olivia was still sitting in the window, looking perfect and so lovable. I tripped over a divider in the flooring and went sprawling onto the tile.

  I pressed my face into the floor.

  “Ouch,” I muttered.

  It was dulled by the alcohol but the pain felt good.

  “Avery?” Olivia asked, rushing over to check on me and help me up. “Are you okay?” She put her hand down on my back and rubbed it.

  “Jury’s still out,” I grumbled.

  She was helping me sit up now and I put my arms around her and hugged her tight.

  “Baby, you are perfect,” I said.

  “Um,” she said awkwardly. I was squeezing her tight and she was just kind of returning the favor. “I was just eating pizza and ignoring you but, thanks,” she said, placing her hands down on my back and relaxing for me.

  “Exactly,” I said.

  That explained it all to me.

  “You let me be all crazy and energetic but you’re still with me and I saw you and couldn’t even pay attention to walking because… Perfect.” I tried.

  “Mmm, okay, I think you’ve surpassed your limit,” she laughed lovingly and put her hand on my head to better hold me to her.

  “It’s not the rum. It’s just true,” I argued.

  I turned my head into her neck again and started to kiss her skin. I had to move her hair with one hand. It was residual sexual energy but also because I wanted her.

  “I want to be inside of you,” I whispered in her ear.

  “Well then,” she whispered back, swallowing languidly. The thirst in her was always a simmering constant. “I guess I should chase a certain someone away.”

  “I mean, only if you want,” I teased.

  “You think I wouldn’t want?” She asked. A silent familiar flash of anger hid behind her tone.

  “It was a joke, baby,” I clarified.

  Where had Nat gone anyway. The guilt hit me again. Fuck. I should tell her.

  Of course, that’s when Nat came out of the hallway from the direct
ion of the bathroom looking gorgeous. She’d touched up her makeup and tidied her clothes. She was fresh and ready for whatever came.

  I let my head drop back to Olivia’s shoulder. Well, the perfect Christmas was way too confusing for me so far. This was so not what I had in mind.

  Chapter 10

  Olivia

  “Olivia, can I just borrow a dress? I forgot I made a date tonight,” Nat walked around the kitchen bar and pulled the fridge open to get herself a water.

  “Made a date?” I smiled up at her as she walked back around. It was hard not to blush. The thought of Natalie dating was always a bit humorous to me. Our past was just so different.

  One thing was clear, she did a real great job at wrecking my wife. Avery clung onto me, drunk and, apparently, emotionally compromised.

  She’d said that bit about wanting to be inside me but she said a lot of things when she got drunk and the chances usually were, she’d be passed out as soon as I got her quiet and safe on our bed.

  “What? Yeah, I date,” Natalie said, a bit annoyed at me randomly.

  “Whoa, jeez. Sorry,” I said. “Of course you can borrow a dress. You can borrow anything.”

  “Thanks,” Nat said a bit upset or depressed or something. She was irritated randomly. As usual, I guess I wasn’t paying attention and I’d missed something. I just really didn’t want to mess anything up and I wanted to be better since Avery had gone out of her way to specifically ask me to calm down and be myself.

  I hugged her tighter in my arms, breathing her in and wondering what all had happened.

  “Who is it?” Avery asked.

  She wasn’t looking at Nat and I couldn’t see her face but she sounded weird.

  “Just a girl,” Nat said. “My friend wanted to set us up.”

  “We should put the cookies away,” Avery said, ignoring what Nat said.

  “Nat, go get dressed,” I said, not about to force her to deal with whatever fallout this was. If they were mad at each other I didn’t want them together. Drunken spats were usually accidents, it wasn’t necessary to keep them close by. “I can do it, Avery,” I said, standing up. “Just tell me what to do.”

  I moved to stand and try and beat her to the treats. Avery drunk would be sloppy. She would accidentally create a mess. I was sure.

  “I got little Christmas tins for all of them. You can put them in there or in some Tupperware. Are you sure. I can totally help,” Avery said.

  “Do I need to frost these?” I asked, looking over at her curiously. Some of the cookies looked done but others were naked as ever, certainly not up to Avery’s Christmas standards, which made me laugh.

  “You don’t have to, I can do it tomorrow. Besides, I want to get you in bed like ten minutes ago,” she said with a giggle.

  “Mmm,” I smiled, moving my fingers fast to try and beat her to helping me. It was quiet and it made me smile to listen to her breathing close next to me. After I filled one of the Tupperware I tugged on her shirt to get her to stand closer to me. She tripped a little, not expecting the jolt.

  “Remind me to drink water,” she said, moving behind me.

  She put her chin on my shoulder and her arms wrapped around me, keeping me secured against her body.

  “You should drink some water,” I teased, enjoying her possessiveness and how sweet she was

  “Not till you’re done. It’s too nice here,” she said, tightening her grip.

  “I must admit there are some unexpected advantages to an Avery Christmas.”

  “Yeah, like really amazing cookies,” she said.

  “Um, sure, yea,” I smiled, teasing her. “I was, definitely talking about the cookies.”

  My eyelids were suddenly a little heavy. Her arms around me always made me feel so safe.

  “I don't wanna be an ass but can we go faster? We haven't had sex in like a day,” she said.

  She started softly biting my neck and moving her hands on my hips.

  “Um… I think we started the day with sex but okay,” I said, getting a little distracted. I leaned back into her, unable to keep my eyes open.

  Avery wasn't always this detailed and obsessive in physical things; due to her focus and energy, it came and went. When she was on, however, really on, she was more perfect than I could ever imagine or dream. Power, the right pressure, my buttons all obvious somehow. She would touch me and I'd just drown.

  Right now was like that. I couldn't say why but I didn't need the answer. The alcohol, the baking, Natalie fighting with her, the way we were earlier, it honestly didn't matter to me because…

  “That was forever ago and I didn't get to go down on you,” she complained.

  “Oh fuck baby,” I whined in frustration. She couldn't just bring things like that up when we couldn't…

  She put my body through stages and rushed me to a place where I wanted some instant release.

  “I know,” she said.

  She moved around me, letting go of my body to start putting cookies away. She walked through the kitchen putting cookie sheets in the dishwasher and slipping ingredients in the cabinets.

  I slowed and watched her, concerned since I put so much on her today.

  All drunkenness aside, she seemed pretty put together. The slip on the floor must've really been a fluke.

  The back door opened and Natalie came back in.

  “Um. Wow,” I said, flaring my eyes and noticing her.

  In a lot of ways I was happy she was so comfortable being relaxed around us. But a tiny spot of jealousy swept inside of me as she walked back in and sort of dominated attention with how flawless she looked.

  I looked to Avery, wanting to see her reaction too.

  She was staring at Nat, eyes wide, until she noticed me watching her and put her eyes down to the counter and walked to the pantry with an arm full of cookie tins.

  Something was really off. My mouth fell open as I watched Avery sort of pretend she didn't see. The normal Avery would crack a joke or honestly hit on Natalie in a funny way. Something was up.

  “Good?” Natalie asked, a little nervous. This date must've actually been something she was anxious about.

  “Beautiful,” I nodded. It wasn't the time to make a joke or blow her off. She’d already kinda lashed out at me so I knew she was stressed.

  Nat walked over to me and took my hands. “Look, I'm sorry I forgot about this,” she said apologetically. “I was really excited to see you. Maybe we can figure out a better time?”

  “Oh, yea, of course,” I said, a little sad about how everything went down. Avery and Nat, when they got together, they just sort of bonded better than I was capable of doing. I just sort of sat back and was okay with becoming invisible. I don't know…

  A song started playing loudly from Natalie’s phone. “Shit, that's her,” Nat said, feeling worse.

  “It's okay,” I laughed, moving to touch her face but then stopping myself. She’d just done her makeup and made everything how she wanted it to be. The urge to soothe and comfort was overwhelming me.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes,” I smiled, taking another good look at her. I pushed her side and began to follow her out. “Avery?” I said, waving for her to come with me to tell Nat goodbye.

  Avery came back out of the pantry and gave a weak smile. “If your date doesn't think you look amazing she's an idiot,” Avery said.

  “Thanks,” Nat laughed and looked back at her gratefully while moving out the front door.

  There was a sleek sports car parked at the foot of the porch stairs. Soon as we hit the door I saw Natalie's friend getting out to be polite and say hello.

  Avery started hitting my arm and whispering. “Oh my god, do you know who that is?”

  The woman was about Avery’s height and gorgeous. Wavy dark hair fell down to her mid back and she had a perfect looking body underneath the red dress that she wore. More than anything, I noticed her eyes. A clear golden shade that I don’t think I’d ever seen up close. Creamy bronze skin
and the glistening of moisturizer.

  “I- um- yeah,” I stumbled over my words and then laughed.

  Nat turned back to pull me in. I was shocked. Obviously.

  Nat leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Sorry baby,” she whispered, taking the time to breathe me in. “Next time I'll be better, I promise. You know I miss you like mad.”