Smut alert😉

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The next two days were spent in in a flurry of shopping in London, where they were recognized everywhere they went, but were not bothered too much, because everyone wanted to get their Christmas shopping finished. Of course, the boys were asked for selfies and autographs, but the whole being chased by hordes of girls like the Beatles thing didn't really happen.

Chiara was careful to behave in a friendly but neutral fashion around Drew, especially after the drunken night of the tangerines. She woke up the next morning with perfectly lucid recall of the night before, and was completely mortified.

"Thank you," she said to Drew when she was able to get him alone in the elevator of a department store later that morning.

"What for?"

"For last night."

Drew shrugged. "I didn't do anything."

"I know. That's what I'm thanking you for."

"No need, honey. I'm not looking for a drunken shag, I promise." He smirked at her. "I can actually get that from a thousand different sources, any time I want, believe it or not."

Chiara looked down at the floor of the elevator, embarrassed beyond belief.

Drew wanted to punch himself in the mouth, sink into the ground, anything to take his words back, but he couldn't, they were already out there. Why, why did he constantly say these sorts of things around her?

"God, CC, I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking--"

She held up her hand, cutting off whatever else he was going to say.

"It's okay, Andrew, you're just being truthful."

The elevator doors opened, and they went to find Ellie, Noah and Ned.

They took a large, comfortable SUV back to Langton two days later.

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Drew sent Chiara a text the day after they returned, asking what she was doing. He hesitated before hitting send, but dash it all, he missed her when she wasn't around. He pushed the button, much harder than he needed to, then waited to hear back from her.

His little phone remained resolutely silent.

Drew looked out the back window at Chiara's little house, which he could just make out through the wind and rain, which was lashing the trees to and fro. A little light shone into the night from her kitchen, a homey look. As he watched, it winked out.

So maybe she didn't get the message and decided to go to bed early.

Sod her, then.

They'd gotten a Christmas tree from the village, a nice, large one that filled the corner of the lounge very nicely, even with its tall ceilings and large windows. They spent a pleasant evening trimming it, with a nice fire roaring, listening to the wind and rain pounding against the windows outside. William Wallace was beside himself with joy to be back with his family and spent the evening alternating between warming himself on the hearth and wandering between his people for attention.

When they were about halfway through with the tree, Noah sat up from his place on the sofa and asked, "Hey, where's Chiara? Why isn't she here?"

"Dunno," Drew answered in an offhand way. "Probably at her house?"

Ellie looked up from where she was stringing popcorn with a needle and thread. "What, you mean at that gardener's cottage behind the house?"

Ned, too, looked over from where he was standing on a ladder hanging some ornaments high on the tree. "You didn't ask her to come and trim the tree with us?"

Ellie and Noah were waiting for his answer as well, but he didn't feel like telling them that he had, in fact, asked her what she was doing and she hadn't cared enough to answer him.

"No, I didn't, as a matter of fact," he said shortly. "She doesn't have to be involved in every bloody thing we do, does she?"

"Andrew Edward Pennington," Ellie began. "She's over there in that cottage all alone, and this is her first holiday since her only parent's death. What's the matter with you?" She shook her head at him. "Text her or ring her or whatever and tell her to come over here, right this instant!" She looked at him indignantly. "What's the matter with you?"

Drew looked at his phone and put it back in his pocket. "Phone's dead," he muttered. "I'll just pop over, then, be right back."

He pulled his coat and boots on over his sweats and opened the door, letting in a blast of wind and rain.

Jesus, it was bollocks kicking cold. This was definitely turning to snow later. He debated returning for an umbrella, but just pulled his hood up and ran for the cottage.

He rang the bell once, twice, and was lifting his hand to ring it a third time when the door was opened, and Chiara was standing there in pajamas, her hair in a braid that hung over her shoulder.

"Drew? What are you doing here?" She squinted at him.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over and trim the tree with us?" He had to shout to make himself heard over the rain and rising wind.

"Now?"

"No, I came over now, but the invitation's for day after tomorrow, actually," he shouted, shaking his head in disgust.

"Do you want to come in?"

He shook his head again. "No, I'm going back. You want to come over or what?"

She looked out at the weather. "It looks really bad."

"Okay, never mind, sorry to bother you." Drew turned to go.

"No, just wait a minute, let me get my coat." She disappeared into the closet and emerged clad in a Macintosh and boots, gesturing for him to lead the way.

They shook the excess water off in the mudroom and hung up their coats, removing their boots and leaving them to dry on the rack before entering the house.

Ellie had tea waiting for them, and Chiara grasped her cup gratefully, warming her hands.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said.

"It was Drew," Ellie responded, gesturing toward her son.

Chiara looked at Drew, but didn't say anything.

They entered the lounge and joined the others in trimming the tree. Chiara grabbed a needle and thread and began threading pop corn, smiling and waving a greeting to Ned and Noah.

"Sorry I'm in my PJs, but I was just about to go to bed," she told the room.

"Hope we're not keeping you up or anything," Ned said from his place on the ladder.

"No, just wanted to keep warm," she explained. "I was going to watch a movie in bed."

"Are you cold, dar--are you cold?" Drew asked.

"No, it's lovely here," Chiara said. "The cottage is a bit drafty, you know."

But after a moment Drew rose and put another log on the fireplace anyway. Chiara gave him a smile of gratitude for his effort.

"What movie were you going to watch?" he asked.

"Elf?"

Drew rose and turned on the TV. He flipped around until he found Elf, and they watched as they decorated, laughing and enjoying being together. They all came and sat on the sofa as they finished their tasks, until everyone was seated together, watching the end of the movie.

"Well, I guess I should head back and get to bed," Chiara said, stifling a yawn.

"I don't know about that," Noah said. "Looks like you might be spending the night." He pointed to the windows, and they all turned to look.

It was sheeting white as the snow came down.

Drew had been right, it was a proper snowstorm.

"Oh, you can't go home in that, love," Ellie said.

"Sure I can, it's just cross the yard," Chiara began. "It's barely fifty yards, I'll be fine."

She went to the kitchen and opened the French door, but closed it immediately as a gust of solid snow blew into the house.

"Come on, that's just stupid," Drew said, looking outside. "We have tons of rooms here, just pick one and go to sleep, yeah? You can go home in the morning, it's sure to have let up by then."

"If you're sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," he said. "Come on, I'll even find you a toothbrush."

They all went upstairs and said goodnight on the landing, with Ellie giving everyone a kiss.

Chiara followed Drew to the guest bathroom, where he found a toothbrush for her, along with a towel and some toothpaste.

"Thank you," she told him, looking down. "Sorry to be a bother."

"Don't be daft, you're no bother." He leaned in and pecked her cheek. "Just come and find me if you need anything, yeah?"

She nodded, and he turned and left.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and left the bathroom before she realized that she didn't know where she was supposed to sleep.

Should she just pick a room? Should she ask Ellie?

Or should she ask Drew?

She went to his door and knocked, softly.

She waited, but no one came, so she turned to walk away. She'd just sleep on the sofa in the lounge, she decided.

Just as she got to the top of the stairs, the door opened behind her.

"CC? Was that you?"

She turned and walked back to where he was standing in his doorway. She didn't want to call out down the hallway. He was shirtless and smelled pleasantly of toothpaste. She stood in front of him, suddenly aware of his skin. All of the tactile memories of the hours they'd spent together in the cottage came rushing back to her and she began to blush as her breathing quickened.

Drew could see her chest beginning to move faster as her pupils dilated, and he could see her throat work when she swallowed.

Before he knew what he was doing he reached for her, pulling her in his room and shutting the door behind her.

As before, her skin was so soft, so supple, and smelled divine, of some kind of soap and lotion. She was round and curvy everywhere, pliant and plush, and he pressed her against the door so he could kiss her, hard, pressing his mouth into her lips, tasting her as he reached with his tongue.

He had been thwarted before, by common sense, by a lack of a condom, by his own idiocy, by her drunkenness, but dammit, he was not going to be thwarted tonight. No way. He wanted her, and she wanted him, he could tell, and nothing short of the word "no" from her lips, from her gorgeous, full lips, was going to stop him tonight.

He pushed her into the door with his body, lifting her up and hoisting her thighs around his body with a moan as he plundered her breasts with his hands. They were soft and warm and round, like the rest of her, and he wanted to see them. He pinned her hips against the wall with his as he unbuttoned her top, spreading her shirt open and lowering his mouth to her front.

Dear god, she was beautiful.

"Wow," he whispered, like he had that first night when he'd seen her in her bra. "You're so beautiful, Chiara, so beautiful." He opened his mouth wide so he could suck on first one, then the other, biting, softly at first, then harder and harder, until she cried out against his head as she squeezed his hips with her strong thighs, grinding her sex into his cock, nearly making him shoot off into her belly.

"Jesus, just a minute," he gasped, releasing her. He carefully lowered her and left her, taking huge strides across the room to grab a foil wrapped condom from the table next to his bed.

She had shucked her bottoms and her knickers by the time he returned to her, and he quickly stripped his sweatpants off before ripping the package and rolling the condom on in one, swift, practiced, move.

He lifted her by her hips, wrapped her legs around him once more, and thrust into her in one, momentous movement, making a grunting noise, followed by a moan as he did so.

God, she was wet.

He pushed into her so hard she hit her head on the door, making a knocking noise.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," she nodded, squeezing her legs around him in the most delectable way. "Feels so good, Drew, oh my god--" she arched her back, pressing her breasts into him, making him feel like he was going to faint for a few seconds.

He was pressing into her over and over, and it had been so long that his movements were already getting sloppy, and he could tell that he was close.

"I'm already so close, baby," he moaned. "Gonna come already--"

She moaned with the force of his motions, saying, "Yes, yes, come, come, Drew, I want to feel you come--" And she squeezed down on him until he couldn't control himself and he felt like he was going to push her through the wall.

He could hear her head knocking on the door with each push, but he couldn't help it, until he was finally finished, and then he was so weak he was afraid he was going to just fall to the ground and take her with him.

But he managed to keep his feet, just, and she clenched her legs around him as he tottered to the bed and fell over with her still impaled on him, both of them laughing.

Oh, Jesus, what a ride.