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“ H ave all the employee records been transferred to Sigma? I asked, practically racing to the garage.

“Yeah,” Balor said, eyebrow raised as he no doubt noticed my hurry. “Uh, why the rush?”

“Nothing. Well. I’m going to spend Christmas with her family,” I muttered.

“Oh shit, it’s like that?” he asked.

I paused and looked at my cousin, dipping my chin once.

“Good for you, cuz. I was gonna stop by your mom’s but?—”

“Do that. Actually, stop by my place and grab the gifts I have for her and my sister first and tell her I’ll be there next weekend, hopefully with a plus one,” I said.

“Fuck yeah. I’ll get that done,” Balor nodded and clapped my back.

“Thanks. And thank you for accepting the board position at Sigma,” I told him.

“Are you kidding? It’s a great opportunity for me. You know, I never thanked you for getting me out of that tight spot all those years ago.”

“You’re my family, Balor. It’s my job to protect family,” I said.

“Yeah, well, some of our family sucks. They’re not happy about the merger, Connor.”

I knew who he meant, but I honestly did not give two fucks about those old bastards.

My skin was tingling. Twenty-four hours without her, and I was a fucking mess. I needed my woman. Needed to breathe in her vanilla orange scent, To taste her on my lips.

I thought of the ring I had waiting in my glove compartment. Thought of the promise I made to her father.

I was going to ask Clementine to marry me this weekend.

Imagining a life without her was impossible now. And I wasn’t the kind of man to walk away from a treasure like her.

This Christmas I was getting what I wanted, naughty or nice. And so was my sassy little firefly. And I meant that.

She could have whatever she wanted. Whatever she needed. As long as she said yes.

Hell, there was nothing my sweet Darlin’ could ask for that I wouldn’t get her.

I’d do anything to secure her as mine.

“Hey, Connor,” Balor said.

“Yeah?”

“You have a Merry Christmas, cuz.”

“You, too.,” I said, then I remembered the whole Andrew thing that had caused this mess, and I closed my fist, throwing a left hook to his jaw.

“Fuck!”

“I owed you one,” I said, and braced myself for his counterattack.

His body was taut, but just as quickly as his anger came, it left. He shook his head and blinked his mismatched eyes.

“You’re a crazy fuck. But I did deserve that.”

I nodded and grinned, walking away at an even brisker pace.

I had no more time for fucking around with him. There were more important things for me to tend to.

Like getting my ass to one of Josef Aziz’s houses in upstate New York before the holiday traffic thwarted me.

I started the engine and checked the glove compartment, removing the black velvet box and sliding it into my pocket, feeling a little like a naughty Saint Nick.

I knew Clementine liked splashes of color, so even though I wore black on black, I had another pair of Cole Haan shoes on my feet. These were dark red suede with bright white soles.

I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw them.

Here I come, Darlin’, ho ho ho.