Page 109 of Only for the Season

I frown.

“I pick the present or you wait to open all your presents until tomorrow.”

“Fine.”

He chuckles at my pout before crawling out of bed. He chooses the largest box under the tree and hands it to me.

I bounce on the bed. “Oh. I wonder what it is.” I shake the box. I can feel rattling inside. “It’s light. But the box is big.”

He settles behind me and wraps his arms around me. “Open it and find out.”

I tear into the wrapping paper and he chuckles. “You don’t save the paper?”

“Shush you.” I open the box only to discover there’s another box inside. “How many boxes are there? Am I unwrapping a present or a Russian doll family Christmas?”

He rests his chin on my shoulder. “You’ll see.”

I remove the box. It’s also covered in wrapping paper. I quickly get rid of it before opening it to discover another box. I growl. “How many boxes are there?”

“I figured I’d need several or you’d manage to unwrap it and discover what’s inside before Christmas.”

I gasp. “Are you saying I snoop?”

“I’m saying I caught you unwrapping one of the presents under the tree.”

I sniff and stick my nose in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure, you don’t.” He points to the box. “You gonna open it?”

“If there isn’t a present at the end of this torture, I’m not going to let you open your presents until Valentine’s Day.”

“Don’t care. I have everything I want in my arms now.”

I melt into him. “You say the nicest things.”

He kisses my neck. “Open the present.”

There are two more empty boxes before I reach an envelope. “If this is a check or money, you are seriously going to experience the Christmas ghosts and they are going to terrify you.”

“It’s not money or a check.”

I narrow my eyes at him. He doesn’t scratch his neck. Huh. He appears to be truthful. I guess we’ll see. I open the envelope and read the card. My jaw drops open.

“Are you serious?” He nods. “We’re going to Paris?”

“I want to show you all the wonderful patisseries and the Eiffel Tower. We’ll dine outside in Montmartre. We’ll visit the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa. And—”

“We’re going to Paris!” I scream.

I tackle him and rain kisses over his face. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. When do we go? I need to figure out the bakery. Is my passport still valid?”

I try to jump from the bed to go check but he snatches my wrist to stop me. “We can go whenever you want. Whenever it fits your schedule the best.”

I grin. “You are so getting lucky later.”

“Why can’t I get lucky now?”

“Because you have to open your present.”