The Invitation

Rey Smith doesn’t know what to think about Poe Dameron’s invitation to accompany him to the Coruscant Resort for the weekend. He insists his motives are completely honorable; his friends had to cancel and he suspects she needs a relaxing weekend. Should she say ‘yes’ to this man, whom she has been crushing on for months? If she says ‘no,’ will she regret this missed opportunity?

NC-17 for Sexual Content/Christmas Smut

This story was inspired by the first romance novel I ever read: Afterglow, by Rebecca Flanders. I was about 12-13 when I read it, but I’m not going to tell you how long ago that was!

This was written for totheendoftheworldortime (aka Michelle) for the 2021 Damerey Secret Santa Exchange!

It was just after five o’clock Thursday, and Rey Smith made her way through the front lobby of High Country Advertising, wishing desperately that it was Friday. The last few weeks had been horribly busy. She was stressed and she was tired, and all she really wanted to do was curl up under her comforter and read all weekend. But alas, she had one more day to go.

Rey really did like her job here at High Country. She had gotten the gig fresh from her college graduation, and she had felt like she struck gold. The agency was well-known, had a great reputation, and they had terrific benefits for their employees. Unfortunately, some of those employees were less than likable. Armitage Hux and Nastia Unamo had decided that Rey, being the ‘newbie’ in the Media Department, could handle not only her own job but a great deal of theirs as well. Knowing they both had seniority over her, and not wanting to make any waves her first few months on the job, Rey didn’t complain. Out loud.

Somehow, she was getting everything done before her shift ended; she had already been informed that any overtime needed to be approved by management, and they did so grudgingly. However, she was absolutely exhausted. The fact that Christmas was just around the corner did not help, as everyone was trying to rush and get their adds out before the end of the year. She glanced at the brightly lit Christmas tree in the front corner of the lobby and winced. This was not her favorite time of the year.

She pushed through the front doors and entered the vestibule, stopping short when she saw the man standing just inside the outer doors. It was pouring rain, and Poe Dameron was staring out into it with a look of disgust on his face. Biting her lower lip, she stepped up next to him. He looked at her, his expression immediately turning from sour to bright.

“Hey!” he said. “Done for the day?”

It was kind of an inane question, and he seemed to realize that as soon as he said it. He rolled his eyes. “Sorry. Of course, you are. That’s why you’re leaving.”

Rey smiled. Poe Dameron worked in the Public Relations Department. He had been a part of High Country for almost ten years, and pretty much everyone looked up to him. Handsome, charming, and likable, he was good at his job and some said that High Country wouldn’t be as successful as it was if it hadn’t been for him. Rey had been crushing on him ever since the day she had interviewed for the job. He had been one of the three men that had conducted the interview, and was by far the friendliest, not to mention the best looking. He hadn’t spoken to her since that day, though he had nodded and smiled to her in passing often enough. She was pretty sure he didn’t even remember her name.

She looked back out the doors into the rain and sighed. It had rained every day for the last week, and she was getting more than a little tired of it.

“If only it would snow.”

As she said the words out loud, she turned startled eyes to the man next to her. He had uttered the exact same words at the exact same time and was looking back at her, just as startled. They both broke into laughter.

Poe shook his head. “This dang cold rain sure isn’t very Christmasy,” he said.

“No, it’s not,” Rey agreed.

He opened his mouth as if to say something else, then stopped. He gave her an odd look, then spoke. “What are you doing this weekend?”

Rey was more than a little startled by the question. It seemed personal, but wasn’t too intimate. She tilted her head at him. “Uhm… nothing, really.”

He smiled, looking excited. “Do you want to go to the Coruscant Resort for the weekend?”

Rey couldn’t help it. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Poe raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Completely innocent invitation,” he said in a rush. “I have a reservation and was planning on going with a couple of friends but they had to back out last minute due to a family emergency.” He lowered his hands and shrugged. “I really don’t want to go alone.”

“I.. uhm.” Rey didn’t know how to answer.

“It’s snowing on the mountain,” Poe said with his eyebrows raised, as if that was an incentive.

Rey frowned. “I don’t ski.”

He gave a soft laugh. “There’s more to do than just ski,” he explained. “I don’t plan on skiing. Too tired. I just want to relax in front of a fire and not think about work for a while.”

Rey had to admit that sounded nice.

“It’s a suite,” he continued. “Two bedrooms. My friends are married and were going to have the other room.”

Immediately, Rey saw dollar signs. And they were all negative. “I can’t afford that,” she said softly, then bit her lip. She had managed college thanks to scholarships and loans, but she was still paying off those loans.

He shook his head. “Already paid for, even the meals,” he told her. “The only thing you’ll have to pay for is whatever you might want to buy in the gift shop.” He raised his eyebrows again, obviously waiting for an actual answer. “Come on, Rey. I know you’re as stressed as the rest of us.”

Her heart was thudding in her chest and she felt short of breath. Apparently, he did know her name. Was she really considering this? She loved hiking on the mountain in the summer but she had never been up there in the winter. She bet it was beautiful with snow. And she did love the idea of just kicking back and relaxing.

And if this invitation ended up being not so innocent after all? Well, it was Poe Dameron, she thought. Why would she want to say ‘no’ that that?

“Okay,” she said before she could change her mind. “Yes.”

The grin he gave her was brighter than the lights on the Christmas tree back in the lobby. “Great!” He pulled out his phone. “Let’s exchange numbers, then you can text me your address.” They switched phones and Rey typed her number in his. “The latest we can check in is eight and it’s a good hour drive up there,” he continued as they returned their phones to each other. “So, we better leave at six to be safe.” He paused. “Don’t let Hux or Unamo make extra work for you so you can get out of here on time!”

She huffed a laugh, not quite ready to ask how he knew about them.

Poe looked back into the rain. “Ready to make a run for your car?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

He moved to open the door, but then stopped. “Hey, bring a swimsuit,” he told her with a wink. “There’s an awesome jacuzzi in the suite.” He opened the door and held it for her. She ducked out and sprinted toward her car. “See you at six sharp tomorrow!” Poe yelled as he ran for his.

She gave him a quick nod and dived for her door. Once inside, she tried to slow her pounding heart. What the hell had she just done?

She was freaking going away for the weekend with Poe Dameron!

******

Poe couldn’t believe his luck.

He glanced over at his passenger as he carefully navigated the wet roads out of town. He had developed an infatuation with Rey Smith the day he met her, when she came in to interview for High Country and he had been on the team that evaluated her. He had really wanted to ask her out, but decided it would be best to wait until she settled into her new job. However, he had never found the time, as work became rather crazy just a few months later. He passed her in the halls from time to time, and she always made eye contact with him and gave him her amazing smile, so he carried hope that she was just as interested in him as he was in her.

However, he had never intended for their first ‘date’ to be a shared weekend at the Coruscant Resort. He wasn’t even sure how he came about asking her. One minute he was staring morosely out into the rain, wondering if he really wanted to stay in that suite all by himself, and then she was there next to him, smiling that smile, her eyes sparkling. He had asked her before he really thought about it, and he almost regretted it after seeing her shocked expression, but he didn’t take it back. And when she had said ‘yes,’ he had felt such an incredible burst of joy; he knew it had been the right thing to do.

“So, how did you know about Hux and Unamo?” Rey asked suddenly. While she had appeared tense after he picked her up, she had seemed to relax quickly enough. However, she had been quiet, so her question caught him a bit off guard.

He laughed. “I know everything,” he said in as ominous a voice as he could muster.

She just gave him a side-eye and a smirk.

He laughed again. “Finn.”

“Finn?”

Poe nodded. Finn Collins was Rey’s direct supervisor. “He’s a good friend and he kind of ‘spies’ for me,” he told her. “Mostly because I don’t trust Hux and Unamo.” He shrugged. “He also told me that you’ve established yourself well, but you need to start asserting yourself more.” He glanced at her. “I know for a fact that Holdo likes you a lot, and she knows that those two can be… difficult.” Amilyn Holdo was the Personnel Manager.

Rey shrugged. “It’s not so bad,” she said. “More experience for me.”

Poe frowned. “I never took you for a pushover.” He’d seen fire in her during the interview. He hoped her coworkers hadn’t doused those flames.

“I’m not!” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing as they turned toward him. There it is, he thought. “I’m the ‘new guy.’ I don’t want to upset the balance.” She bit her lip and looked away.

“You won’t,” he told her confidently. “It’s already upset. If you stand up for yourself, you just might create balance in that department. Finn would love to step in, but he fears that would make you more of a target.” He gave her a smile. “I know you can handle them.”

She sighed and looked down at her hands, which were folded primly in her lap.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to make this weekend into some kind of motivational retreat,” he told her with a laugh. “No work talk from here on out!”

She smiled, but didn’t look up.

“So, what are your plans for Christmas?” he asked. They had left the city limits and the city lights. It was too dark to enjoy the view and the rain had yet to change into snow. “If I remember correctly, you’re from Jakku?”

She nodded, glancing up at him. “I don’t really have plans,” she said. “Finn actually invited me to his house for Christmas Eve. I guess he has a big dinner there every year.”

Poe nodded. “Yeah,” he told her. “I’ve been there. Rose is a great cook!” He glanced over at her again. “They were the couple that were supposed to be coming with me this weekend,” he explained. “Rose’s sister had to have an emergency appendectomy yesterday morning. She’s okay, but they didn’t really feel like leaving her. She’ll be back on her feet by the holiday.”

“Ouch,” Rey said softly.

“No family?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t being too nosy. But he really wanted to know this woman. If he wanted anything between them to go farther than this weekend, he needed to push a bit.

He saw her shake her head out of the corner of his eye. “I grew up in foster care,” she told him. “Never adopted. Aged out and emancipated at eighteen. Luckily, I did well in school, and the foster organization helped me get into college.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t an ideal way to grow up, but I knew a lot of kids who had it worse.”

Poe was more than a little shaken by her words. He hadn’t known she was an orphan. He had lost his mother when he was eight, but he and his father had remained close, despite a few rebellious bouts in his teenage years. He searched his brain for something to ask that would keep her talking, something that wouldn’t make her uncomfortable. Suddenly, he noticed the large white flakes hitting his windshield. “Hey! It’s snowing!”

Rey huffed a laugh. “Finally.”

Poe smiled at her. “I suppose Jakku doesn’t get snow?”

“The mountains do sometimes,” she told him. “And I remember a couple of occasions where we got a few inches in the desert.” She laughed. “Shut the whole state down!”

His responding laughter seemed to encourage her, and he could see her relax into the conversation. For the next thirty minutes, they chatted comfortably. Finally, he felt he was getting to know Rey Smith.

Rey became very silent when they reached the resort. He couldn’t blame her as the sight, especially at night, was pretty incredible. You didn’t see the resort right away, having to drive around a tight mountain corner first, and the huge glass and wood structure was stunning, especially lit up at night. When illuminated, it looked shining and brilliant, just as its name implied. As he pulled up to the front, knowing there would still be a valet on duty despite the hour and the snow, he glanced off toward the mountain. He could just see the light from the slopes shining through the trees; the resort had night skiing until midnight most nights. He also knew the view would be much better from their room.

As the valet helped Rey out of the car, Poe rounded the back, grabbing their bags from the trunk. A doorman opened the front doors to the huge lobby and he led Rey to the front desk where he checked in. A huge blaze was roaring in the open fireplace and he could hear the chatter of voices coming from the restaurant/bar on the other side of the fire. After checking in, he looked at Rey.

“Do you want to have dinner down here or room service?”

Rey had been looking around the lobby with awe. At his question, her unusually colored eyes turned to him. “Uhm… room service?”

“Me, too,” he told her with a grin. “Let’s get settled.” He led her to the elevator, and within minutes they were in front of the door to the suite. It was the same one he always requested when he came here. Though it was a bit spendy, he only visited a few times a year. He made good money in his current position, and this was one of his few indulgences.

He watched Rey closely as he opened the door and ushered her in. He really wanted to see her expression when she saw the room.

He wasn’t disappointed.

The main room wasn’t abnormally large, but two huge picture windows took up most of the outer wall, framing the stone fireplace, and it looked over the mountain, which was indeed lit up for night skiing. He watched as Rey walked over to the window, her mouth agape. She glanced around the room, noticing the comfy couch that faced the flat screen TV, and more chairs and another couch that faced the fire. He walked up to her and pointed out the window to the deck outside.

“There’s the jacuzzi,” he told her. He nodded off to the right. “I usually take that room, but if you prefer it..?’

She shook her head, still looking stunned. “I don’t think I have a preference.”

He grinned and carried her bag into the bedroom off to their left, placing it on the bed. The bedrooms also had windows that looked out onto the slopes, though not as big as the main room. After he put his bag in his room, he grabbed up the room service menu and handed it to her; she was still standing at the window watching the skiers.

She glanced at the laminated sheet, then looked at him. “Can they see in here?” she asked, nodding toward the slopes.

“Well, with binoculars, maybe,” he told her. “When the lights in here are on. When the lights are dim or off, no.”

She looked back out. “It almost makes me wish I could ski.”

“Well, let me know if you want to try,” he told her. “Like I said, I didn’t plan on doing any this weekend, but I’m game to head out if you are.”

She glanced at him, a soft smile on her face, then she looked at the menu.

Whatever she wanted, he thought, he would do. Poe was so ready to give this beautiful woman a weekend to remember.

*****

Twenty-four hours after their arrival, Rey had to admit she was having the time of her life.

First of all, she had never stayed in a place of such luxury. The rooms were immaculate, the service impeccable, and everything felt new and valuable. With her upbringing, she had never known such opulence. She knew Poe had to have some wealth other than what he made at his position at High Country to afford this, or else he was a very wise investor.

They spent that first night after eating dinner just sitting in the living area with the lights off and the fire burning, watching the skiers and talking. She loved talking with him. He was funny and smart and gave out just as much information about himself as he pulled from her. She spent an inordinate amount of time watching his expressive face as he talked. He used his hands a lot when he spoke, and he loved to laugh. She learned about his father, and his dog BeeBee (who was staying with his next-door neighbor Jess and her girlfriend Kay), and about his eight years in the Air Force, where he flew B1-Bs. He joined High Country as soon as he mustered out.

She also learned that he had never had a serious long-term relationship. They had that in common. Of course, he had a few years on her. The fact that he was so much older than her should have made her uncomfortable, but since she had decided in college that all men her age were far too immature, it was no surprise she was attracted to older men, men who had already created a stable life for themselves.

When the lights on the mountain turned off, they decided it was time for bed, and they headed for their separate rooms. Rey spent a good amount of time wishing he would come to her room, or that she was bold enough to go to his. As it was, he had done nothing untoward, and she trusted that he had meant what he said about the invitation being completely innocent. But she couldn’t help wishing for more. Finally, she fell asleep.

When morning came, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but Poe already had a plan. He informed her as they ate breakfast that she could decline anything on his ‘list’ at any time, or add to it should she see something she wanted to do different, but that ended up not happening.

They started the day with a walk through the snow all over the resort grounds. They watched the early bird skiers and Rey took dozens of pictures of the main resort building and the snow-covered trees that surrounded the area. They rode the lift up the mountain for a spectacular view, then rode it back down and filled up on hot chocolate in the chalet at the bottom. After they had warmed up, they took a snowmobile tour. While Poe was comfortable taking one of the machines out on his own, Rey rode double with the guide for the first half. Once the guide was confident Poe knew what he was doing, he allowed Rey to ride with him. Rey admitted she hung on to Poe a lot tighter than she had the guide, and not because she was scared.

They had lunch in the restaurant, warming up, then joined a group of employees and guests as they navigated around the resort singing Christmas carols. Rey had not only been shocked to find out she enjoyed it, but she found out Poe had an amazing singing voice. He complimented hers, as well, saying they would make a great duo. More music followed in the lobby of the resort where the staff were putting on a humorous Christmas play, then they took another walk at sunset. This walk ended with a snowball fight that had them both laughing and out of breath.

Snow covered and still cracking each other up, they finally made it back to the room, where they changed into comfy warm clothes with the intent of staying in the rest of the night. After eating their dinner from room service, they sat together on a blanket on the floor in front of the fire, the lights off once more so they could watch the lit ski slope while they talked. It had been a long time since Rey had had so much fun or been this relaxed in the presence of another human being.

She soon found herself tucked under Poe’s arm as they leaned back against the couch, watching the fire, tired but happy. As her eyes drifted shut, she felt his thumb gently tracing along her hand as it rested on her belly. She suddenly realized that she had no desire to go to bed alone tonight. If he wasn’t going to make the first move, then it was up to her. She brought her other hand up to touch his hand. Without any conscious thought, they laced their fingers together. She lifted her head from his shoulder and turned her face to look at him. He was watching her, his expression cautious but not resistant.

Taking a deep breath, Rey raised her lips to his. There was no hesitation in his response, and before she knew it, his tongue was delving deep into her mouth. She turned into him more, releasing his hand and bringing both of hers up to his shoulders. She felt him wrap his arms around her back as she slid her leg over his lap, straddling him. She felt more than heard his groan as she settled her center right over the growing bulge in his jeans. Their mouths separated for a moment, but only long enough for them to catch their breath, as Rey dived back in, meeting his tongue with her own. She brought her right hand up and burrowed her fingers in his thick hair, reveling in its softness while she pressed herself further down onto the hardness between her legs. She felt his hands slide down her back to cup her butt, squeezing her.

She gasped and pulled away from him just a bit. “Please,” she moaned softly. “Please, Poe. Make love to me.”

“Are you sure?” he whispered harshly. His eyes were wide, excited.

Rey nodded. “Oh, yes!”

He inhaled sharply, then brought his hands up to the hem of her sweater. He began to pull it up and off, slowly, giving her every opportunity to tell him to stop. She raised her arms, helping him instead. She heard him expel a harsh breath as the material was drawn up over her head, and she knew he had become aware that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her head free and her hair mussed, she brought her arms down as he gently tossed the sweater off to the side. He was staring at her chest.

She couldn’t help but giggle. What was it with men and boobs? Even if hers were rather on the small side, he seemed quite fascinated with them. She only gave him a minute before she was tugging at the hem of his sweater. That got his attention back on her face, and he leaned forward so his back wasn’t touching the couch and raised his arms, allowing her to slip the sweater off. She tossed it next to her own. As he had done, she stared at his chest. Good Lord, he was ripped! Those suits he wore to work were hiding a masterpiece, she concluded.

“Hold that thought,” he told her with a grin as he gently pushed her off of his lap. He rose quickly from the floor and headed toward his room.

Rey felt confused for a second, but then her brain caught up with her. Sure enough, he came back out immediately, a condom in his hand. She felt her face heat. Good thing he was thinking ahead! She hadn’t packed any protection, even with the hope that this might happen. Her inexperience was showing; she had never done anything like this!

She got up on her knees as Poe tossed the condom onto the couch, then his hands went immediately to his belt. He was watching her carefully, and she had a sense that if she did or said anything that indicated she did not want to continue, he would stop. But she had no intention of doing that. As he began to slide his jeans down over his hips, she wriggled out of her lounge pants, taking her panties and socks with them.

“Fuck!” she heard him hiss, his eyes never leaving her, and he quickly stepped out of his jeans and underwear. He dropped down to his knees in front of her and they reached for each other once more. Lips and tongues met as Rey shifted forward on her knees, straddling his thighs again as he leaned back on his heels. She brought one hand down between them to grasp his cock, which was already stiffening with impressive speed.

Poe ran his hands up and down her back, squeezing her ass, then gliding back up to gently whisper over her shoulder blades. She pulled her mouth away from his and threw her head back, gasping as multiple sensations flooded her. She felt a gush of moisture burst from her core just as his lips found her throat. His teeth raked along her neck, then he started sucking on her collarbone, gently at first, but then hard enough she knew he was marking her.

She continued to pump him, smiling as she felt him grow harder in her hand. He was larger than any other man she had been with, and the thought of what he would feel like in her caused even more moisture to flow from her pussy. She had never wanted like this before.

Poe leaned back away from her suddenly. He grabbed the condom and ripped open the wrapper. Pushing her hand away, he rolled it on. Rey watched, biting her lip. Once done, he brought his hand to her core and began fingering her. She gasped, “Oh, God!” as his fingers probed her. She closed her eyes as her hips began rocking against his hand.

“So wet,” she heard him mumble against her cheek. “All for me?”

“Yessss,” Rey moaned. She could honestly say she had never been this turned on her life!

His fingers left her and she opened her eyes to watch as he grasped himself and lined up with her entrance. She shifted until she felt the tip of his erection enter her, then she began panting as he spread his legs, leaning forward and dropping her down toward the floor. He kept a firm hold of her hips, keeping her lower body tight against him as he pushed his cock deep inside. She couldn’t stop the moan as he filled her. “Shit!” she gasped, the pressure intense and amazing. She straightened her legs out, then wrapped them around his waist. Grabbing his upper arms, she tugged, intent on pulling him down on top of her.

Instead, he sat back up, knees spread wide, and he began to pump into her. She cried out, her back arching up in ecstasy. Only her head touched the floor as Poe continued to support her back. She had never been fucked at this angle before, and she hit her first climax almost immediately. She cried out, grasping Poe’s arms as she allowed the waves to flow through her. She was stunned. This was the first time she had ever come without touching herself. The man was a damned miracle worker!

Poe continued to pump into her, his own moans and grunts raising Rey’s arousal again in record time. He leaned forward and covered one of her breasts with his mouth, sucking on the nipple hard. She squealed and grabbed his head, letting her fingers slide through his hair. He pulled back again, sitting upright once more and pumping into her with a perfect amount of force.

Rey could feel another orgasm coming, and a brief moment of unease swept through her. What was this man doing to her? How was he able to make her feel such pleasure? It was frightening the amount of control he had over her body. Her thoughts only seemed to heighten her arousal even more, and she covered her face with her hands as the second orgasm hit her. It was more powerful and longer than the first, and she cried out, her back arching into a sharp bow as she felt her legs spasm.

“Yes!” she heard Poe growl. “Fuck, yes!” He kept a tight hold of her back, still keeping her body off of the floor. He held still for a moment, but as she started to come down from her high, he started pumping his hips again. The feel of him sliding in and out of her extended the orgasm even more, and Rey whimpered, reaching up to both push and pull at his arms. She didn’t know if she was asking him to stop or fuck her harder. Finally, she heard Poe grunt and gasp above her. She opened her eyes, watching in awe as his expression turned euphoric. His eyes were shut, but as she watched, he cracked them open, looking at her with the same wonder she was feeling.

For a long moment, they both stayed frozen, locked together in what was in reality a very awkward position. Licking his lips, Poe finally pulled back, easing Rey off of his thighs and lowering her body to the rumpled blanket underneath them. He removed the condom and stood to dispose of it, and he watched Rey warily as he did so. She just lay there, a small smile on her face, her whole body tingling.

“I didn’t know,” she murmured. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”

He dropped down on his knees next to her. “I didn’t hurt you?”

She smiled and shook her head. “No,” she told him.

He nodded, relief evident on his face. “One more question,” he asked softly.

She raised her eyebrows at him, waiting.

“Your room or mine?”

******

They ended up in his room. Then the couch. The shower. The jacuzzi (Rey never did get to wear her swimsuit). His bed once again.

It was around the fourth or fifth time, Poe had lost count, when he reiterated that he had truly not been planning sex with her when he invited her here. He told her this as he was pumping into her from behind while they lay on their sides, his arm wrapped around her chest, his hand protectively cupping her throat.

“I know!” she had replied between gasps, smiling. She looked at him over her shoulder. “Are you regretting it?”

“Hell, no!” he growled, nipping her neck. Then he dropped his hand down to her clit and any more discussion ceased.

The sun came out Sunday afternoon, and they sat in the main room enjoying how beautiful the mountain was in the sunlight. Knowing they were both due back at work early Monday morning, Poe informed her, while they indulged in some chocolate cheesecake they had ordered with lunch, that they should probably head back to town around six. Rey had readily agreed.

But now it was almost five, and Poe found himself flat on his back on his bed with Rey riding him like there was no tomorrow. She he decided, since he had one more condom left, that they better use it before they left. Who was he to argue?

He kept his eyes open as he watched her, as she alternatingly rolled her hips back and forth and then bounced up and down, her eyes closed, her expression betraying her concentration as she experimented with what felt the best. He lifted his hands, cupping her breasts and letting his thumbs brush against her nipples. Her mouth opened as she reacted to this new stimuli. Her face was flushed red and her neck and upper chest were dotted with small bruises. He wanted to feel bad for being responsible for those, but since he had a few of his own, he really didn’t.

Suddenly, he couldn’t hold still. He began to thrust his hips upward, matching her movements, and her eyes popped open with a gasp. He brought his hands down to her hips, which also sported some bruising, and gripped her firmly, driving himself up into her as he felt his orgasm near. He gave a sharp shout as it hit, and he heard her moan, “Yesss,” as he released his load into the condom.

When he opened his eyes, he saw her still rocking softly, her eyes closed again, her expression focused.

With a groan, he sat up and flipped her over onto her back. She squealed, startled, her eyes snapping open. He slid down her body until his face was even with her pussy and he proceeded to make love to it with his mouth.

He felt her hand land on top of his head. “Poe!” she gasped. “You don’t have to…”

He growled, sucking on her clit. Yeah, he did.

It didn’t take long. She had been so close to the edge already. Soon, her body was bowing upward and her grip on his hair tightened. She shouted something incoherent and he smiled, his lips and tongue continuing to tease her through the orgasm.

Finally, she lay still, panting. He got up and smiled down at her as he removed the condom. “Get dressed,” he told her. “We need to get going.”

She huffed, then pounded her fists on the bed. “Geez, Poe! You do know that I don’t have to come every time, right?” she asked, sitting up, her expression exasperated. “Everything feels so good, I don’t need to always climax.”

Poe raised his eyebrows at her as he disposed of the condom. “Are you complaining?”

Rey rolled her eyes. “No! Of course not!” She sighed. “I just wish you’d stop being so damn perfect,” she mumbled.

He laughed. “I will if you will.”

They continued to poke at each other as they got dressed, laughing and shoving at each other playfully as they gathered the last of their belongings. Rey had braided her hair shortly before she had decided to use that last condom, and the braid had become a mess because of that decision, so rather than re-do it, she simply finger combed it and pulled it up into a ponytail. Poe teased her that she looked like a High School cheerleader when she wore it like that.

Poe checked out while Rey sent the valet after his car, and soon they were back on the road. Poe was already planning his next visit to Coruscant in his head, and not surprisingly he wanted Rey to go with him. The clouds that had drifted back in after sunset started dropping flakes of snow about ten minutes down the mountain, and the chatter that had continued between them slowed. It took another twenty minutes for Poe to realize he was the only one talking, with Rey only answering occasionally and always in a monotone voice.

He glanced at her as often as he dared while driving carefully along the curvy mountain road, taking it slow as he knew the wet road could become icy at any moment. By the time they reached the city limits, Rey had stopped speaking completely.

It was still snowing in town, but for some reason it didn’t make him happy. Rey’s silence was ominous, but he was terrified of asking what was wrong.

He was afraid he already knew the answer.

He pulled up in front of Rey’s apartment and stopped the car. She turned to him, her eyes huge in the dim glow coming from the streetlights. “Thank you, Poe. I’ve never had a more wonderful weekend.”

He could tell she was sincere, but her expression continued to scare him. “I’ll call you,” he said softly, tentatively.

She shook her head violently. “Please, don’t,” she told him. She looked down and blinked rapidly. “I… I won’t forget these last two days, and I don’t regret them.” She looked up again. “But I’m not looking for anything more.”

Poe could hear his heart pounding in his ears and his head started throbbing. He swallowed thickly and nodded. “I understand,” he said roughly, even though he didn’t.

She stared at him for a while longer. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, then closed it, shaking her head. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the door handle. “Goodbye,” she whispered harshly, then pushed out of the car. He watched as she moved to the open trunk, grabbed her bag, closed the trunk, and headed into the building without looking back.

Poe stared at the door she had disappeared through for a long time, but finally he put the car in gear and started driving. Somehow, he made it safely to his little house on the west side of town, but even after he parked, he sat in his car for a long while, staring out at nothing.

How had this happened, he wondered? How had a simple invitation turned into heartache? How had a weekend tryst, even if it had started out innocent, turned into dejection?

A knock on the driver’s side window made him jump. He looked over to see Jess smiling at him. Beebee was jumping up and down next to her, his happy Labrador face grinning at him. He smiled slightly, then got out of the car.

“Sorry,” he told Jess. “I was a little lost in thought.” He bent down to scratch Beeb’s ears. The dog leaned into him, groaning.

“I could tell,” Jess replied. She looked a bit concerned, but didn’t push. “BeeBee was great, as always. Just let me know if you need us to watch him again.”

“I will. Thank you, Jess.” As she turned to walk back to her house, he called out, “If I don’t see either you or Kay before then, Merry Christmas!”

She waved back at him. “Merry Christmas, Poe!”

Taking a deep breath, Poe grabbed his bag and headed for the house with Beebs on his heels. As he unlocked his door, he looked down at his dog, remembering how he had allowed himself to get excited by the prospect of Rey meeting him. He had known they would love each other. “Jesus,” he whispered. “What the hell were you doing, Dameron?” He knew exactly what he had been doing.

He had been falling in love.

******

It was Christmas Eve and Rey sat staring critically at her reflection in the mirror. She had put on more makeup tonight than she usually did, but she felt she needed to. Not only did her normally healthy complexion seem far too pale of late, but the circles under her eyes were horrendous. Her hair was up in a neat chignon, and her dress was impeccable. Burgundy in color, the off-the-shoulder, short sleeved dress came down to about mid-thigh in the front and skirted down a few inches farther in the back. It was pretty and feminine and Rey had spent far too much money on it. Of course, she had bought it last month, before she even had any idea when she would wear it.

Tonight’s Christmas Eve dinner at Finn’s was as good a place as any, she decided, even if she was going reluctantly. After yesterday, however, she felt obligated.

Everyone had been notified on Thursday that they did not need to come to work on Friday, Christmas Eve, if they got all their on-going projects done by the end of their shift that day. Rey knew she would have no problem, unless Tweedledum and Tweedledee decided they needed her ‘help.’ Sure enough, with less than an hour until her shift ended, Hux had come to her informing her he needed her help to finish his multiple projects else he would have to come in tomorrow and miss Christmas with his family. While he had seemed sincere, Rey had seen Unamo smirking as she leaned on the wall behind him.

Taking a deep breath and trying to channel the confidence Poe had been convinced she had, she had looked Hux in the eye. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “But am I currently unable to assist anyone with their projects at this time. I am only responsible for my own, and if you overburdened yourself with work right before the holidays, well, that’s your problem.”

Hux’ face promptly turned as red as his hair, and he moved toward her menacingly, no longer pretending to be beseeching.

Someone cleared their throat off to the side, and both Hux and Unamo straightened up and turned toward Finn, who was watching them with his arms folded across his chest. “She’s right, Armie,” he said with a smirk. He looked at his watch. “You’ve got less than an hour, otherwise you have all day tomorrow to finish.”

With a stiff nod, Hux walked back toward his desk and Unamo slowly headed back to hers, as well. Finn gave Rey a wink, then turned and headed back to his office. “See you tomorrow, Rey.”

“Uh, yeah.” Rey sat back down at her chair and continued on with what she had been doing before Hux wandered over. She looked over toward Finn’s office door, wondering, not for the first time this week, if Poe had told him anything. They were friends, after all, and she had taken Finn and his wife’s place as Poe’s guest last weekend. She couldn’t imagine Poe not telling him something about her. More than once in that last hour of work, she had almost gotten up and gone to Finn’s office and told him she had other plans and would not be attending his dinner tomorrow.

After all, odds were good Poe would be there.

She had not given her excuses to Finn and now here she was, dressing up as if Poe would see her tonight. Poe. The man she had spent last weekend having amazing sex with. The man she had felt more comfortable with than any other person in her life. The man she was falling in love with.

She shook her head, remembering the anxiety of the past week at work, when she had dreaded running into him in the hallway, and yet every day when she left the building, she felt disappointed that she hadn’t seen him. And she hadn’t seen him… at all… all week. Probably because he was avoiding her, she thought. Despite the look of devastation on his face when she had asked him not to call her, he had probably gone home and thought about it and now felt extremely relieved she hadn’t wanted to continue what they had started at Coruscant. Truthfully, why would he want to? Great sex didn’t make a great relationship. And Rey, in all her twenty-three years, had never managed a great relationship of any kind. There was no way a man like Poe Dameron… smart, attractive, rich… would ever want anything more from her than sex.

So, she would be polite and distant to him tonight… if he should be there. She would go, bear through the inevitable small talk, eat, then leave as soon as she could without insulting her hosts. Then she would spend Christmas alone.

As always.

Her Lyft arrived and she headed out into the cold. The snow that had started the night she and Poe had driven back from Coruscant had continued on well into the next day, and though the last several days had been dry, they had been cold, preventing any melting. They were going to have a white Christmas.

The Lyft driver stopped in front of a neat little house and Rey nervously got out and headed up the well shoveled walk. Before she could even knock on the door, it was opened by a tiny young woman with Asian features. “You must be Rey!” she said exuberantly, her smile warm and friendly. “I’m Rose, Finn’s wife,” she continued, reaching out and firmly pulling Rey inside. “Welcome!”

Rey had expected a large number of people to be at this dinner, and was pleasantly surprised to find instead a small welcoming group, most of whom she knew from her job. She was introduced to those she didn’t know and immediately offered something to drink. As she agreed to a glass of red wine, she looked about the room carefully. There was no sign of Poe. As she breathed a sigh of relief, she also felt her heart ache with disappointment. She missed him. God, did she miss him.

It was as Rose told them all that dinner was ready that the doorbell rang. Rey nervously watched at Finn headed for the door, and when Finn laughingly opened it to a smiling Poe, she felt her breath catch. He was wearing a grey sweater over a button-down shirt, and a blazer over that. Neatly pressed slacks and perfectly styled hair capped off his polished look. He appeared every inch the successful man he was, and it was a clear reminder that he was way out of her league.

Suddenly he looked over, his eyes finding her immediately. His expression didn’t change, the small smile that had been on his face as he had apologized to Finn for being late still there, but she could swear she saw a flash in his eyes. Eyes that looked as fatigued and droopy as hers were. Rey looked away and turned to go into the dining room, where Rose escorted her to a seat. She breathed a sigh of relief when Poe was seated on the other side of the table and up from her a couple of chairs.

She tried her best to enjoy the meal, which was delicious, but she kept glancing at Poe. He was laughing and talking and eating, looking for all the world as if he was enjoying himself. But she was very aware of the glances he stole her way, of the almost haunted look in his eyes when he focused on her. The meal couldn’t end soon enough.

Finally, desert came, and people began to get up and mingle. She watched as Poe got up and headed for the kitchen with Finn. Rose also disappeared after a while. Rey managed some more small talk with one of her co-workers, Beau, but then made her escape when he started talking ‘shop’ with another guest. She set out in search of her hosts, and found them in the kitchen… with Poe. All three immediately stopped talking when she entered, and Rey didn’t think it was paranoia on her part when she wondered if they had been talking about her.

She smiled at Rose and moved toward the woman. “Rose, thank you so much for dinner. It was wonderful!”

Rose’s smile was genuine and she moved in to give Rey a brief hug. “You’re welcome!” she exclaimed. “And I want you to know you are welcome here whenever!” She stepped back. “I understand you don’t have family in town, so let us know if you need anything at any time!”

Rey felt touched by the earnest statement. “Thank you,” she said. She looked at Finn. “And thanks for your help yesterday, Finn.”

He shrugged. “Ah, you didn’t need it. You were handling Hux just fine on your own.” He smiled at her. “Have a Merry Christmas, Rey. I’ll see you on Monday.”

She nodded, then turned to head out of the kitchen, glancing at Poe as she did so. “Goodnight, Poe,” she said softly.

He had been standing quietly with his arms folded over his chest as she said her thanks to the Ticos, his expression dark. He didn’t say anything in response to her farewell, but simply nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Swallowing, Rey turned and left the room. She could swear she heard Finn utter “asshole” as she left, but she couldn’t be sure. She walked quickly to the front door, fighting tears, grabbing her coat and pulling it on as she left the house. She plucked her phone out of her pocket and called up the Lyft number, but before she could make the call, she heard her name.

“Rey!”

She stopped and turned to see Poe rushing down the sidewalk toward her. Her heart seemed to flip in her chest.

He stopped a few feet from her and reached into his jacket, pulling out a long envelope. He handed it to her. “This is for you. Merry Christmas.”

Rey took it automatically, but then stopped. “Finn said not to bring gifts.”

Poe shook his head. “This has nothing to do with the party,” he told her. “This is from me to you.”

Rey hesitated, but as he continued to watch her, his dark eyes expectant, she opened the envelope, using her finger to tear into the top. She pulled out a gift certificate, and as she read what it said, her eyes widened. It was for a free weekend stay at the Coruscant Resort.

She looked up at Poe, knowing her shock must be all over her face.

He shrugged. “It’s not for a suite, but their normal rooms are pretty damn nice, too. There’s no date, so you can use it whenever you just need to get away for a while.” He looked down at the sidewalk for a moment, then looked up again, his expression melancholy. “You can bring a guest, too, if you want.”

Rey shook her head. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“’Thank you’ will suffice,” he told her with a tiny smile.

Rey stayed silent, staring down at the certificate.

Poe took a deep breath. “Did you know I wanted to ask you out long before last weekend?”

Rey looked at him, surprise filling her. “Why didn’t you?” she asked softly.

He shrugged again. “I wanted you to get settled in your job,” he explained. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured because I was one of the people who hired you.” He scratched his jaw, rubbing his hand along it for a moment. “I didn’t want to be rejected by the first woman to grab my attention in years.” He huffed a laugh. “Guess that happened anyway.”

Rey became defensive. “I didn’t reject you!”

Poe snorted. “Really? Sure felt like rejection to me.”

Rey shook her head. “No, no!” She licked her lips, trying to find the words to express herself. “Poe, you could have any woman in this town. And a lot of the men, probably,” she added with a bit of snark. “Why would you want me?”

“Seriously?” Poe told her, his eyes wide with consternation. “Why would I want a woman as beautiful, as smart, and as talented as you?” He took a frustrated breath and shifted his feet. “Rey, you told me how you grew up. No family, no real support, no real money. And yet you made it through High School, you made it through college, you have a great job that I know you’ll be amazingly successful at…” He stepped toward her. “The question should be why would I not want you?” He reached out to cup her face with both of his hands. “And the answer is, I do. I do want you,” he said softly. “And for far more than a weekend rendezvous.”

Rey shivered, and it wasn’t due to the cold. “Poe?” she breathed.

“I know I could love you, Rey Smith,” he continued. “But not if you don’t give us a chance.”

Rey’s breath caught at his admission, her heart racing. She gave him a soft smile. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“I have never, and I will never, lie to you,” he told her firmly.

“I think I could love you, too,” she confessed. His eyes lit up. “That’s why I pushed you away,” she continued. “I’m so tired of being abandoned by those I love,” she told him, and felt a tear fall as she spoke. “I’m so tired of being unworthy. I’m tired of being alone. I’m just tired.”

“You’re not alone!” Poe leaned forward, kissing the tear from her cheek. “Rest in me, Rey Smith,” he whispered against her skin. “Let me take care of you. Let me prove to you how worthy you are.”

Rey let herself fall into him, wrapping her arms tight around his middle as he wrapped his around her shoulders. She buried her face in his neck, letting her tears fall. He held her, his strong arms holding her steady, patiently waiting for her to collect herself. Finally, he released her as she backed out of his embrace. But he didn’t let her go completely, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

She took a deep breath.

“You okay?” he asked, his own eyes shining in the moonlight.

She nodded.

“Can I take you home to meet BeeBee, now?” he asked, the corner of his mouth curling up.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” she replied. “Taking me to your home? You know what’s bound to happen.”

He let his hands slide down her arms until his fingers tangled with hers. “And the problem with that is...?”

Rey laughed and shook her head. “No problem, I guess.” She stepped forward and brought her lips to his. “Your invitations are always worth saying ‘yes’ to.”

THE END