Page 44 of You Make It Feel like Christmas

Across the hall, she let him into her small room that had once been a utility and storage area for the building.

When she’d asked the building manager about it, he said they used the basement for storage because there was no point running up to one floor for what they needed.

Maisie had made a deal with him to clean it out in exchange for using it.

It wasn’t like rent in Seattle was cheap, so she was thrilled when she’d worked out the deal.

Nick stepped in and did a slow turn. Moving to the right, he stared at the photograph she’d taken of a bride and groom.

She loved the photograph so much. Neither of their faces could be seen but the way they held each other, locked themselves around one another, always stole her breath.

Her bare arms were clasped around his neck and he’d bent a bit at the waist to hug her.

It’d been one of those perfect days with a hint of a breeze and sun and absolutely no rain.

Love and connection radiated off the couple.

“This is gorgeous,” Nick said, his tone low and serious.

“Thank you. It’s one of my favorites.”

He continued to move around the space, not that he had to go very far, and took everything in like he was cataloging it to know her better.

When he looked at the little setup she had with a roll-down screen and a couple of stools, lights pointed toward them, he glanced back and grinned.

“Want me to pose?”

Maisie laughed and walked toward him, put her hands on his chest. “I think you actually owe me a session.”

His hands went to her hips. “Is that so?”

Nodding, Maisie ran her hands over his pecs to his arms, up and down, watching his face, his eyes. “Shirtless would be best. Lighting-wise.”

One side of his mouth tipped up. “Yeah?”

Trying to keep her expression serious, she nodded again. “Absolutely. I want to capture your best… side.”

Nick bent, brushed his lips over hers slowly, then pulled away. “And which side would that be?”

Pursing her lips, Maisie dropped one hand but trailed the other down his arm as she began walking around him.

“Let me just check.” Her hand moved up his back muscles, down over his ass, around to his hip, back up over his arm, until finally she was standing in front of him again.

This time, when she set her hand on his chest, she felt his deep inhales and exhales.

Maisie shook her head as the air between them thickened with mutual desire. She reached out for the hem of his shirt, began pushing it up. “I’m sorry. I can’t make an accurate assessment with this in the way.”

Eagerly, he reached around and tugged the shirt over his head, tossed it carefully to the floor. He eyed her up and down, stopped when their eyes locked.

“Technically, that’s my shirt, so you should take that off too. For accuracy.”

“You gave it to me.”

He nodded, put his hands to the hem of the oversized jersey. “And it’s yours. But right now, it needs to go. For lighting purposes.”

The jersey had barely cleared her head before he fused his mouth to hers, one hand tunneling into her hair even as he tugged her against him.

Skin to skin, she lost her ability to keep playing, to do anything other than kiss him and touch him and show him how much she wanted him.

His hands were everywhere and hers were just as wild.

He was used to being in control but this time, Maisie wanted him to let go, let her take over.

She needed him to crave her the way she did him.

So that when they were apart, he’d miss her just as much as she knew she’d miss him. Like a piece of herself.

His palm curved over her ass but she pushed back, met his gaze, and was pleased to see his filled with something much stronger than simple affection.

“Maisie,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and husky. “You make me lose my mind.”

She nodded, trailed her nail from one side of his collarbone down the center of his chest, to the button on his jeans. “That’s what I want. You don’t need to think. You just need to feel.”

He started to pull her close again, but Maisie resisted, lowering herself to her knees, the audible groan of untethered desire that left him better than any Christmas gift she’d ever received.

L ATER, TANGLED TOGETHER IN her bed, Nick’s fingers drew feather-light circles on her lower back. Even their breath was intertwined because they were facing one another, their legs woven in and out of each other in a way that made her feel like they were one person.

“I got you a present,” she said around her dry throat. She needed water. When she regained the use of her limbs, she’d grab that and the presents.

“And it was amazing,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Maisie gave a sleepy laugh. “Not that. When I can move again, I’ll get it.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything. My key chain is perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it but this is something more meaningful. It’s nothing big. But you’ll like it.”

“Okay, now I know you’re not talking about—”

Maisie laughed, pushed at his chest, and untangled herself.

Grabbing one of the T-shirts he’d thrown over the chair in the corner of her room, she covered herself and went to the kitchen first. Grabbing a bottle of water, she then picked up the presents from where she’d tucked them behind the tree and went back to the bedroom.

Nick was sitting up, leaning against the headboard.

His dark hair was sticking up and out; his beard looked like she’d run her fingers through it because she had.

A little shiver of joy ran up her spine, seeing him with the blankets around his waist, his chest and abs on display and most of all, his eyes watching her as if he more than liked what he saw.

She was definitely plummeting into the more-than-like territory.

“That’s three presents,” he said.

She flopped down on the bed beside him, setting her bottle of water on the nightstand. “Oh good. You can count.”

His laugh was loud and filled her chest with a different kind of joy. Setting the presents down, she shared the water with him first. When they’d done that, she pointed to the presents but he eyed them warily.

“You don’t have to give me anything.”

“Wow. Who knew you could have all that ego and not want presents.”

His brows popped up. “The two are entirely unrelated.”

Maisie picked up a present and put it on his lap. “I am now the proud owner of a Guardians jersey so I’m not the only random-present giver.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed he was good at doing things for others but not so much for himself.

He opened the first one slowly and the smile that broke out on his face was better than any award, any contest she could win, any accolades she could receive from her mom.

“This is incredible,” he said, awe reverberating in his voice.

She peeked over his arm to see which one he’d opened.

It was the photo she’d taken of Ellie and Asher outside.

Ellie had lifted her son up, hands under his armpits, and she was mid twirl with him, both of their faces bursting with the kind of happiness that couldn’t be faked.

She’d tweaked the colors so it looked just a little vintage but sharp and clear.

“There’s more,” she said, handing him the next one.

This one was of Asher concentrating on getting the puck in the net.

Maisie had caught them practicing in the games room.

Asher’s little face was so serious and he held the stick like he’d obviously been taught.

Nick stood just to the side, in profile, pride and love shining his expression.

Setting the frame down, he reached out, pulled her close, and kissed her hard, like he didn’t want to let his emotion escape through words but needed her to feel it.

“I love it.”

I love you. The words zipped through her head like a freight train, making her heart bounce unsteadily behind her ribs.

He picked up the third one without prompting and unwrapped it. Maisie bit her lip, folding her hands on her lap to keep from making him open it faster.

The final one was Nick and Ellie laughing outside. Both of their heads were tipped back in laughter and Nick, in particular, looked so carefree and happy, it made Maisie smile just looking at it.

“I sent a digital copy of them to Ellie,” Maisie said.

Nick turned his gaze to her, studying her with an intensity that would make her squirm if she weren’t already restless.

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you should be doing something else. Talent is elevated when the person with it truly loves what they do. Your passion for photography, your ability to see what others don’t, blows me away. I love all of these. Thank you.”

Maisie’s lips trembled so she pressed them together tightly, nodding her thanks. Nick took each of the photos and stacked the frames carefully on the nightstand beside him, then crumpled all the paper together and tossed it.

When he’d done that, he turned his body and reached for her. “Come here, Maisie. I need to thank you.”

He laid her back on the bed, brushed her hair back from her face, traced the pad of his index finger along her hair line, over her jaw, and stared into her eyes.

“You make me want things I never imagined I would.”

Me too. Though, for her, it was things she never imagined she could have.

Maisie reached up, cupped his jaw, ran her thumb back and forth over the soft scruff.

“Kiss me,” she whispered. Here, in the quiet of her bedroom, lost in Nick’s arms, what they did for work and who they were didn’t matter.

They were a couple, lost in the newness of falling hard for one another.

Maisie wasn’t one to jump without a parachute, but if anyone could make her want to, it was this man, whispering how special she was to him.

No one knew where they’d land in the end.

Wasn’t there a saying about the journey being the most important part?

Nick King was the best adventure Maisie would ever have.