Page 111 of Only for the Season

I smile up at him. “And I love you. Happy first Christmas together.”

“I can’t wait to spend every Christmas with you.”

“In your Scrooge pajamas.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I’d wear a tutu and reindeer antlers if it makes you smile. As long as I’m with you, I’m in.”

I wrap my arms around him. “Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

“I love Christmas but my Christmases haven’t been very happy since I returned to Smuggler’s Hideaway after culinary school. I was lonely, and my parents were dismissive of me.”

And now here I am laying in bed with the man who loves me who I love. I’ve come a long way.

He places a finger over my lips. “Nope. We’re not discussing unhappy thoughts while we’re in this bed together.”

I don’t fight him. He’s right. We should have a space where my parents can’t invade. And the bed is as good a space as any.

I bat my eyelashes at him. “Whatever will we do instead?”

He nips my bottom lip. “I vote for unwrapping my favorite present.”

“Another present? Someone’s greedy.”

“When it comes to you, I’m always greedy. I can’t get enough of you.”

“Good. Since I will never get enough of you.”

He melds his lips to mine and I sigh. His taste of chocolate, espresso and sin hits me and I moan. I love how he tastes. It reminds me of baking, which is my favorite thing in the world. This man was made for me.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

I used to think I had to earn love. Prove I was worthy of it with perfect grades, perfect cookies, perfect smiles. But Jeremy loves me messy and loud and ambitious. He’s the first person who’s ever made me feel I wasenough.

“I’m thankful you couldn’t work in the sauna at Eli’s house. Maybe I should send him a gift basket as a thank you.”

He grunts. “Gift baskets later. Remove clothes now.”

“Bossy. Bossy.”

“And you love it.”

“I love you,” I whisper.

He smiles, brushing my hair off my face like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Like I’m the most precious thing in the world. “Then I’m the luckiest man alive.”

I melt into him. The tree lights cast soft shadows across the room. Our first Christmas together. The first of forever.

♥♥♥