Page 26 of Stolen Holidays (The Miller Brothers #5)

twenty-four

Callie

Christmas Day

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

The bed dips, but my eyes refuse to open. They feel dry and scratchy from not having enough sleep. I swat at Eli as he runs a warm hand up my thigh, and I groan, “No. I don’t want to.”

Eli chuckles into my neck. His breath makes my nipples pebble. “Did I keep you up too late?”

I almost slip and say it’s our little nugget zapping all the energy out of me. “Nope,” I mumble. Shifting onto my side, I groan at the soreness in my muscles and the delicious ache between my legs.

“Why don’t I believe you?” he asks, and I can hear his cocky smirk without seeing it.

Okay, maybe it was all the sextracurricular activities we got up to last night. But he doesn’t need to know that. I cover my head with a pillow. “Go away.”

Eli laughs as he gives my hip a squeeze. “No way. It’s Christmas. Besides, I’ve got a surprise for you.”

I lose interest in his surprise when my stomach growls. “Is your surprise breakfast?”

“It can be if you get out of bed.”

“Promise?”

“Would I lie?”

His question gives me that horrible sinking feeling again as the memory of him lying to me surfaces. I push the thought away.

“No,” I easily answer. Eli wouldn’t lie, but I can’t shake the feeling he’s keeping something from me. I trust he’ll tell me when the time is right.

Eli taps my butt. “Put on your pajamas.”

I slip the pillow off my face and crack open my eyes. Soft white light frames the curtains in the room. “What time is it?”

“Early.”

“That’s not a real answer.”

He laughs instead of giving me the time.

“Eli,” I whine.

“Come on. Up and at ’em, Princess.” He lifts and throws the duvet off my body, then leans down and peppers kisses across my neck and chest. My core flutters and my back arches off the bed, begging for him to continue. “Nope.”

The bed shifts again, and I feel the loss of his weight and heat immediately.

“Ugh, fine.”

I need sustenance before the morning sickness kicks in and the chaos begins. I’m excited to watch Rhys and Riah open their presents. To give Eli his gift. It’s going to be amazing. Everything Christmas morning should be.

“Okay, fine, you got me.” I roll onto my back and stretch.

“That’s my girl. I’ll give you five minutes to do your business, but if I catch you in bed, I’m going to torture you, and it won’t be with any of the good stuff.”

“Spoil sport.” I stick my tongue out at him.

With a “hurry up” thrown over his shoulder, Eli leaves me to drag myself out of bed.

I quickly use the restroom, brush my teeth, and run a comb through my hair.

Eli has already placed a clean bra and panties on the bathroom sink for me, as well as the pajamas his mom gifted me last night.

I love the red, white, and green flannel pants and matching top.

I can’t remember the last time I wore holiday pajamas, let alone a matching family pair.

When I walk out, Eli is waiting for me with a croissant and tea.

I mumble, “Thank you,” as I take the flaky pastry and the warm beverage from him.

Eli walks back to the kitchenette and leans against the counter as he sips his coffee, and I sip my tea.

He looks good in his matching flannel pajamas.

Too good. My mouth waters, but I shove the buttery pastry into my mouth instead of the big, delicious appendage in his pants I can’t help imagining.

Eli grins at me, like he knows what I’m thinking. When I finish my croissant, he saunters my way and wraps his arms around my waist. “Merry Christmas, Callie.”

“Merry Christmas, Eli.”

He bends down and kisses me sweetly on the lips. “Ready for your first surprise?”

I nod, and he laces his fingers through mine and leads me to the door.

“First, we bundle up.” He helps me put on my boots, coat, and beanie, then hands me a pair of gloves.

Without question, I put them on as he puts on his boots and coat.

“Ready?”

Butterflies swoop around in my belly as I wait for him to open the door. I feel the sting of the cold air first as my eyes adjust to the scene before me.

“It’s a white Christmas!”

A blanket of snow coats the ground, trees, inn, and surrounding cabins. My eyes catch a view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance, taking my breath away.

“Just for you.” Eli hugs me from behind.

I melt into him. “Another first.”

“Not the last.” He places his hands on my stomach, and I get the urge to blurt out “I’m pregnant” at the contact. He whispers into my ear and asks, “Want to build a snowman?”

I bark a laugh at his reference. Eli, and his movie quotes. “Heck, yeah.”

There isn’t much snow, but we make do and build a mini snowman. We use twigs and rocks to make arms and a face. I scoop a bunch of snow into my palms and pat it into a ball and wait. When he turns around, I hurl the small ball at his chest. It breaks apart into a million pieces.

“Did you just hit me with a snowball?”

“Maybe?” I bite my lip and smirk at him.

“You’re going to pay.” He scoops a wad of snow and chucks it at me. It goes flying into the air and breaks apart like a buck shot before getting me in the chest and face.

I throw another ball, this time hitting him in the face. He narrows his gaze at me, and out of instinct, I take off running.

I get about ten steps when Eli tackles me to the ground. “Gotcha.” He flips me over and brushes snow off my cheek with his gloved hand. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” Lying on the snow-covered ground, we share a cold kiss that lights me up like a Christmas tree in front of the warm fire.

“I have another surprise for you,” he says, breaking away from my lips.

“You’re full of surprises today.”

“You have no idea.” He flashes me a sly grin and jumps to his feet. Grabbing my hands, he helps me up. He dusts the snow off my pants and pecks my lips one more time. Eli leads me to the barn situated close to the main house.

“Why are we going to the barn?” When we first got here, I asked about it. Rylann told me how gorgeous the space had been for her wedding, and I wanted to see for myself. I was disappointed when Hilly said they were using it for storage while the new barn for the animals was being renovated.

Eli grips the door and looks at me. “Aren’t you curious to see what’s inside?”

Curious as hell. Is this why I couldn’t find him yesterday? Was he here? “Is this part of your surprise?”

“Why do you keep answering me with a question?”

I grin. “I learned from the best.”

“Smart-ass.” He tugs it open a crack.

I’m expecting it to be dark inside, but it’s quite the opposite. There is a warm glow of light emanating from inside. Eli opens the door all the way, and I step through it with a gasp.

Thousands of white fairy lights cover the ceiling, the load-bearing posts, and most of the walls.

A gorgeous chandelier that looks like it’s made of icicles hangs from the center of the room.

White tulle drapes from the rafters and around the room, making the space feel elegant and airy.

Evergreen boughs of garland and a variety of decorated Christmas trees surround the room, each one adorned with sparkling glass snowflakes, white flowers, and lights.

At the back of the room is an archway wrapped in the same white tulle, lights, greens, and white flowers.

This is where Eli was yesterday. He didn’t lie; he was here, creating this beautiful setting to surprise me.

“It’s beautiful in here.” I turn around and find Eli on one knee.

In his hand is a rectangular black-velvet box, similar to the one my necklace came in. A small twinge of disappointment swirls in my stomach.

He’s on one knee. That can only mean one thing, right?

“Elijiah?” I breathe his name, but the lack of oxygen and anxiety zipping through me like electricity, looking for an exit, has it sounding more like a question. My vision blurs as my eyes water with unshed tears.

“Calliope Astra Cartwright, love of my life.”

When he says my full name, I can’t stop the tears from falling.

“Shh, don’t cry, Cal.” He grasps my left hand and lifts it up.

“You know, I’m not always great with words, but I am good with actions, and I hope they’ve proven just how much I love you.

My entire world starts and ends with you.

For too long, I denied us both what our hearts always knew—we belong together.

Felt it the moment you fell into my office and knew it for certain when you fell into my arms. You’ve been saying yes since the night of our first date. ”

Even though I’m a sniffling mess, a laugh bubbles out as Eli wickedly grins at me. Heat and desire shine in his ocean eyes, and I know what he’s thinking. The four Cs; collars, churros, chocolate, and cock.

He wiggles his brow at me. “I love you, Princess. Inside and out. From your smart mouth to your sexy ass.”

“Eli.”

“Let me finish.” He pauses.

Biting my smile back, I nod for him to continue.

“I love how your body fits mine like a puzzle piece. I love how you know exactly what I’m thinking and pluck the words right out of my head.

I love how you see me and, without a word, understand me, even when I don’t understand myself.

I’m the luckiest man alive because I get to fall asleep to your beautiful face every night and wake up to your angelic voice every morning.

I want to grow old with you, have babies with you, go on a thousand more tours with you, and build a home together.

Everything. I want it all with you. Marry me.

Make me the happiest man on the planet.”

He doesn’t ask, and he doesn’t need to. My answer has been and always will be: “Yes. I’ll marry you, Elijiah Miller.”

I lean down, wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him on the mouth.

Our lips part, and our tongues greedily tangle to a rhythm all their own—a sensual song unique to us that rises to a crescendo, each note built with love and passion.

Our mouths stay fused as Eli stands and snakes his arms around my waist. He pulls me tight to his chest as he deepens the kiss.

His heat seeps into me, down to my soul, and I know it’s a promise that he’ll never let me go.

Eli presses his forehead to mine. “Before this goes any further, you need your rings.”

Rings?

He steps back and opens the velvet box.

My eyes practically fall out of my head at what I’m seeing. “Eli?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are there five rings in that box?”

“Because it’s a Christmas tradition.”

“What tradition?”

“When you propose on Christmas, you’re supposed to do it with five golden rings, or it’s bad luck.” He smirks at me, and I shake my head in disbelief at him.

“Who says that?”

He plucks out a ring and smirks at me. “The song.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Crazy for you, baby. Now, can you please be quiet so I can put these on you?”

“Yes, sorry. You may proceed.” I wiggle my fingers.

“Smart-ass.”

I watch as he slides the bands down my fingers, each one different from the other. A delicate, thin gold band on my pinky. Two bands twisted into an infinity sign on my middle finger. A diamond-encrusted band on my index finger, and a thick gold band with a small diamond-shaped star on my thumb.

When he pulls out the engagement ring, I almost pass out. Two thin gold bands—each one decorated with what look like snow flurries encrusted in pave diamonds on the sides—hold an enormous emerald-cut diamond.

It’s gorgeous. And huge. And way too much.

“Ohmigod, Eli, it’s way too big.”

“You’re lucky I only went with five karats, Cal. I wanted to go bigger.”

“B-bigger?” I almost choke on my spit at the thought.

“Go big or go home.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Do you like them?” he asks. I catch the vulnerability in his question and the nervous shake in his voice.

“Are you kidding? I love them.” I hold up my hand to admire the glittering diamonds and gold. “So much.”

“You’re not mad about the five?”

“No.”

“I was sure you were going to give me a hard time about them.”

“I should, because this”—I hold my hand up in his face for him to see the beautiful damage he put on his bank account—“is too much, Eli.” He opens his mouth to rebuke, but I cover it with my finger and stop him.

“But I don’t care. I love them. They’re gorgeous.

And I love you. My sweet, overprotective, sexy fiancée. So much. I can’t wait to marry you.”

“Then marry me.”

“I am, you goof.”

“Today. Marry me today.”

“What?”

“You just said you can’t wait to marry me, and I can’t wait to marry you, so let’s not wait. Let’s get married today.”

“But…” The rest of my sentence dies on my tongue as I run scenarios in my head.

But what? Why should we wait?

Umm, no dress. No venue. No…

Nope. None of that stuff is important. I love Eli. I’d love him even if we were poor and had nothing but the shirts on our backs. There is nothing I want more than to be married to this man. To start the next phase of our lives together. To raise our little nugget.

Eli cups my face in his palms and forces me to return his gaze. He misreads my thoughts as doubt. “I know what you’re thinking. There’s too much to plan and—”

“Let’s do it,” I blurt, cutting him off. The words feel right. Now is the perfect time to marry this beautiful man. All of our family is here. There is no better time or place.

I rise onto my toes and kiss him with everything I’ve got, because everything I am is already his. After we say “I do”, I’ll return the favor and give him a little surprise of my own.