"uncle george?" he asked.

"yeah. he was looking at me all through dinner," i answered, seeing no reason to beat around the bush.

"he's a dick," justin answered, placing our drinks on the coffee table. "he lost his job last year and pretty much decided that was his ticket to become a complete deadbeat."

"oh, i didn't realize that. losing a job has to be tough."

"he was an ass before that. i think aunt holly was on the verge of divorcing him, but then felt bad once he lost his job. maybe she thought that would be like kicking a man while he's down or some shit. he drives my mom nuts, and almost everyone else for that matter. i guess every family has to have one. the oddball who annoys everyone."

i nodded. i knew where he was coming from. of course, i refrained from mentioning that the oddball in my family was my mother. in her defense, though, she wasn't nearly as bad as his uncle george. and definitely not creepy. she just made everyone's business her own. my only other relatives were a distant aunt and uncle who lived in arizona. they were a lot older than mom. mom had been a surprise baby when she came along. her sister was planning for college and already had one foot out the door when my mom showed up. over the years, i'd seen them less than a handful of times, mostly due to a death in the family. although i didn't see them much, they did make a point of sending me cash every holiday, including thanksgiving, which always seemed odd, but who was i to argue with free cash.

"if he makes you uncomfortable, let me know," justin added as he took a bite of the pumpkin pie on his plate.

"it's all good. i just thought i was imagining it."

"nah, everyone knows he's a total douche. he's a lot of fun when he has a couple more beers in him," he answered sarcastically.

"at least he's up there and we're down here," i pointed out, not realizing until the words left my mouth how suggestive they sounded.

"good point," justin answered with a wide smile as he placed his plate on the table and leaned toward me. his intentions were halted by the sound of multiple feet trotting down the stairs with hollie's voice calling us.

"i need to learn to lock that door," justin groaned before placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"one of these days . . ." i trailed off, running my hand over his chest as four preteens invaded our quiet place.

as the day progressed, those few minutes of quiet were the only ones we had. hollie and her cousins convinced justin and me to play a game of monopoly. the game turned out to be one of those marathon games that stretched on for several hours. hollie took the game seriously and analyzed each move before she made it. two of the cousins went bankrupt fairly early and made it their mission to create the perfect playlist for our game on justin's stereo. we took a break after a few hours to head back upstairs for seconds. turkey sandwiches, stuffing, and leftover mashed potatoes were loaded up on heavy-duty paper plates that trish had left out on the counter. eventually, monopoly came to a draw when hollie and justin owned the majority of the cash and properties. the game was stowed away and blankets and pillows were dragged downstairs and laid out on the floor, while justin loaded one of the dvds he had picked up the day before. shooting me an apologetic look, he maneuvered around the bodies on the floor and crawled onto the couch beside me.

"sorry," he whispered.

"for what?" i asked, scooting closer to him on the sofa.

"the movie party. it's kind of a ritual."

"right. you're just afraid to be alone," i whispered, snuggling into his arms.

he chuckled lightly, tightening his arm around me. "very afraid," he breathed into my ear, making my pulse race. his hand trailed down my side, gently tugging my shirt up until my rib cage was exposed. every nerve inside me seemed to come alive as his fingers brushed across my skin.

"be good," i hissed, trying to control the shudder that rippled through me from his heated touch. i tugged my shirt down and rested my head against his chest. his quiet laughter clued me in that he was well aware of what his touch was doing to me. feeling all was fair in foreplay, i placed my hand on his knee and smiled with satisfaction when i heard his intake of air in the dark room. i slowly caressed his leg, letting my fingers creep up to his inner thigh before moving back down and then back up again. with each pass, my fingers would move just a little higher. the effect of my touch was evident by the rapid racing of his heart against my ear and the slight bulge that was difficult to hide even in his jeans. his response was enough to make even my own breath come out quick and fast, as if i were sprinting to finish a race. eventually, justin had enough of the sweet torture. he removed my hand from his leg and held it firmly in his own hand. i doubted it would douse the desire that crackled like a live wire between us. i closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his arms around me and the noise of the movie playing in the background. i felt so relaxed i drifted off to sleep.

15.

present day

2:13 pm

"i was just thinking about that thanksgiving weekend we spent together," justin said, changing the subject before i gave in to the impulse to punch him.

i acknowledged his words by meeting his eyes. i was still pissed at his previous statement, but a small part of my heart melted at his words.

"that was the day i started to really fall for you. did you know that?"

i shook my head, but it shouldn't have surprised me. after all, thanksgiving was pretty much the beginning for me too. our relationship was not the kind of whirlwind love story you read about. it didn't start with insta-love or even insta-lust. it was a slow build that progressed with each new detail we discovered about each other. maybe it was our past failures at dating, or maybe we had somehow sensed that our relationship would be different from all the rest. he used to say we worked because i was immune to his powers of flirtation and he was the looseness to my uptightness. he claimed we brought out the best in each other. he was right until he was wrong. eventually, we would get to the point where we absolutely brought out the worst in each other.

"is your aunt holly still with creeper george?" i asked, pulling my mind from the one place i didn't want it to go. the place i couldn't allow it to go.

"nope. she filed for divorce that following summer. turns out he was a mean-ass drunk. aunt holly could overlook his faults until he turned his fists on her and the kids. he's on his fifth or sixth stint in rehab. i've lost track."

"i know it's probably wrong to say i'm glad, but i really am. your aunt deserves way better."

"don't apologize. that feeling is unanimous, but i'll pass your sentiments along."

"so, why thanksgiving? was it because of that night?" i asked as his eyes bore into mine.

"that was a part of it, but it was all the before too," he answered.

"you mean you fell for me because of my mad monopoly skills?" i smiled.

"among other things," he answered, grinning wryly.

that grin. it had always been my downfall. if i pinpointed all my favorite memories that involved him, that grin could be found at each and every one. it held the power to melt my insides, make my pulse quicken, and make certain other areas ache with need. i loved that grin until i hated that grin.

16.

thanksgiving 2010

i woke up disoriented. i knew i was in justin's bed. i was just unsure how i had gotten there when the last thing i remembered was dozing off on the sofa. it was pitch black in his room, but i could feel i wasn't alone. reaching out a hand, i tentatively touched justin's arm, wondering if he was awake. the mattress shifted as he turned over. i could sense he was now facing me. he didn't speak as he reached over and gently caressed my cheek. i turned my face so i could place a kiss on the palm of his hand. excitement raced through me at the thought that we were finally alone. he ran his hand around my head until it was cupping my neck. holding my head in place, he leaned in close and placed his lips on mine. his lips were soft but sure as they slowly began to seduce me. my desire became stronger with each touch of his tongue and every sigh he elicited from me. as if he knew my body even better than i did, justin rolled on top of me when the kisses were no longer enough. i could feel just how much he wanted me as he pressed his pelvis against mine, feeling harder than should be possible. my body had a mind of its own as it ground and begged for something more.

justin's hands moved away from my face to the hem of my shirt. lifting my torso slightly, i helped him remove my shirt and bra. his hands moved up my ribs until they cupped my breasts, causing my breath to labor as he gently rubbed my nipples, which were almost as hard as he was. his lips pulled away from mine. i protested by lacing my hands behind his head to pull him back to me. he chuckled lightly but fought my urges and captured my nipple in his mouth. i arched my back, trembling with desire as he sucked my nipple fully into his mouth. my body no longer belonged to me. i frantically moved against him, trying to ease the fire that was raging uncontrollably through me. justin's needs matched my own as he jumped up, tugged off his shirt, and kicked his jeans across the floor. he reached for my jeans and pulled them off my body in one swift movement before dropping hot seductive kisses on my stomach.

his hands momentarily left my body as he tore open the condom wrapper. once he had it in place, he knelt between my legs and hooked my right leg over his shoulder so he could place a kiss on the inside of my thigh. my legs trembled with need as i felt him pressed against my opening. with one sure and quick thrust, he was completely buried inside me. his mouth found mine again as he moved inside me. i was already too far gone to hold back the orgasm that ripped through me. i locked my legs around his waist as i rode it out. justin increased his tempo as he raced toward his own release. with one final thrust, he collapsed on top of me.

it took several minutes for our breathing to return to normal. justin remained on top of me. his weight was heavy but still comfortable. everything about it felt right. usually after sex i was quick to push the guy away once we finished. my rules had always been set in stone. once i got what i wanted, my desire would disappear in a flash and i would look for the nearest exit. all my past rules were forgotten with justin. my hands moved to his back, where i relished the feeling of stroking him on top of me.

"am i too heavy?" he broke the silence as he propped himself on one elbow.

"is a mack truck heavy?" i teased. "kidding," i added, looping my hands around his neck to hold him in place once he tried to lift himself off me.

"let me take care of a few things," he said, placing a kiss on my lips before pulling away. my body felt oddly bereft without his weight on me. light flooded the room when he flipped on the switch in the bathroom. feeling self-conscious, i dragged the blanket over me. after a few minutes, he turned the light off, plunging the room back into darkness. i heard the clicking of his bedroom lock before the bed dipped down when he climbed in.

"i should move to your couch," i murmured as he tucked me back into his embrace.

"hell no," he said, tightening his arm around me.

"what will your mom say?" i asked, feeling like a teenager who was contemplating how to sneak out of her boyfriend's house without getting caught.

"brittni, she's not going to say anything. i'm an adult. when i moved back home we set up boundaries, and this was one of them. that's why the basement was redone into an apartment. i respect my mom, but i'm not going to apologize for being a man and desiring the comfort of a woman in my bed."

"so, i'm being silly that i feel like a teenager who's expecting her boyfriend's parents to crash in at any moment."

"yeah, i would say so. besides, if sex had been that mind-blowing when i was a teenager, i would have been chasing after girls nonstop."

"who are you trying to kid? you know you chased them anyway."

"true, but i would have put more effort into it."

"it was good, though?" i asked groggily as my eyes drifted closed.

"good is the understatement of the year."

thumping on the floor above woke us both the next morning. sunlight streamed into the room from the small window near the ceiling, making everything appear just a little more stark. in the cloak of darkness, being naked didn't seem nearly as illicit as it did in broad daylight.

"oh god, your mom is going to hate me," i mumbled, hiding my head under my pillow.

"are you always so dramatic the morning after?" justin chuckled, pulling the pillow from my face.

"i wouldn't know. i've never had a morning after," i confessed.

"what? how is that possible?" he asked incredulously.

"it's not that big a deal. i just usually leave after."

"so this is a first for you?" he asked, sounding gleeful.

"don't let it go to your head. once your mom bans me from the house, this will be the last time."

"ye of little faith. it's all good. now come take a shower with me," he said, dragging the covers off. i blinked in the light, taking in his naked torso for the first time. tattoos spanned his entire chest as they wove around his lean muscles. i had never given tattoos much thought, but his were a work of art. reaching a finger up, i slowly traced the lines covering his toned skin.

"do you like them?" he asked in a husky voice.

"if i say yes, is it going to inflate your ego more?" i asked.

"babe, it won't be anything i haven't heard."

"don't be an ass," i said, swatting his shoulder, which made the sheet slip off me, exposing my chest. his eyes zeroed in on my breasts, making my nipples tighten under his stare.

"do you like them?" i asked in a hitched voice, stealing his previous question.

"very much so," he answered, running a thumb over one of them. "come on. take a shower with me," he said, gently tugging on my hand.

ignoring my misgivings, i allowed him to lead us to his adjoining bathroom. we were entering new territory here. showering with a man was definitely a first for me. justin took it upon himself to show me just how pleasurable it was to be washed from head to toe by strong masculine hands. by the time we were hastily toweling off, we were both anxious to finish what we had started.

our second time together was quick and hot. our releases came seconds apart and left us spent as we collapsed on his bed.

"hmmm, who knew a shower could be so fun?" i sighed.