Before The Snow Falls | Holiday Novella

The Believer

Ithaca, New York

2019

My back hit the wall, and Hale kicked the door closed behind us. He peeled the gloves off his hands, throwing them on the ground before moving to cup my face, his chilled lips crashing down on mine at the same time. I wound my fingers into his soft hair, kissing him back and pushing the stocking cap from his head in the process.

"I've been waiting for years to kiss you. You didn't think I was already done, did you?" Hale breathed in the slight break between our mouths.

"I don't know what to think right now," I whispered.

Hearing my words, Hale leaned back and glanced down at me. His burning eyes flicked across my face, and I resisted the urge to pull him back to me.

"That didn't mean I wanted you to stop," I protested, and Hale's lips curved gently upward.

"Oh, thank god," he said in a rush of air, his hands flying up onto the wall. He framed my head with his arms, pressing his body closer to mine as he returned to teasing my mouth with kisses.

The combination of the heat between us and the warm indoor air temperature around us was almost unbearable. I was beginning to pant. Hale seemed to be thinking similarly, because he pushed off the wall and began to undo the buttons on my peacoat.

I eagerly helped him, the burning sensation in my body unbearable. Our fumbling fingers seemed to take ages to unbutton the unwanted layer, but eventually I was shrugging out of my peacoat and throwing it to the floor. Luckily, Hale's coat was much easier to get off him; he zipped it open in a single swipe.

That wasn't good enough for me, though, because Hale was still wearing his Cornell sweatshirt, and it was a bulky mass between us. I slipped my hand beneath the fabric, running my fingers between his thin t-shirt and the sweater. I could feel his hard chest through the stretchy cotton. Hale froze, watching to see what I would do.

I had only intended to take his sweatshirt off, but I suddenly decided that I wanted to feel more.

Withdrawing my hand from beneath his two layers, I gripped the bottom of his shirt and sweatshirt, pulling them up and over his head. They hit the floor next to our coats. Hale was now standing in front of me, with only his joggers hanging on low on his hips.

But he didn't give me a chance to properly take in the sight, already closing the distance between us again, bringing me flush with his bare skin. His kisses began to trail down my neck, and I leaned my head back to allow for Hale's lips to explore further. When his mouth reached the collar of my shirt, he paused and looked at it, as if confused why it was still there.

And the next minute, it wasn't, joining our growing pile of clothes on the floor.

Hale continued his descent from the moment earlier, nipping at the edge of my bra, his lips brushing against the swell of my breasts. I couldn't help running my fingers through his hair again; it was just so soft, so perfect, and so easy to pull on when I wanted Hale to lift his head back up again to kiss me.

Not needing any more encouragement than that gentle tug, Hale devoured my lips while we walked, entwined, to the living room. The two of us collapsed the pile of blankets I kept next to my couch, never even breaking apart. It was apparently too far for us to make it to the couch, but I didn't care. Besides, the glow of the fire was welcoming.

Soon enough, we were back in the very same position that we had been in out in the snow, except now there were a lot fewer layers between us. Taking full advantage of that, I reached up to wrap my arms around Hale's neck before trailing my fingers lightly down his exposed back.