Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 121898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“Really?”
“Mhmm. Someone told me it was time to start choosing what I want. Don’t make me regret it.” I tapped my finger against his eyebrow. “Or I’ll give you a matching scar.”
He captured my hand with his and kissed my cold fingers. “Couple scars? Cute.”
“Idiot.”
“You bring it out in me.” He pressed my hand against his cheek, smiling. “You’re cold.”
“It’s minus two degrees and snowing. Of course, I’m cold.”
He kissed my hand again and linked our fingers. “Come on. Let’s go inside before Hazel sends out a search party.”
“Thank you. Sheesh. We could have had this conversation inside.”
“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.” He flashed a grin over his shoulder. “By the way, isn’t your mum expecting you to be at home tomorrow morning? What is she going to say when you tell her you’re staying here?”
I shrugged. “I’ll pre-warn Nana. She’ll sort it out.”
“Won’t Nana care?”
“Please. She only cares that her pig has her Christmas breakfast. The rest of us are all afterthoughts.” I pulled off my coat and handed it to him with a grin. “I’d much rather wake up with you.”
He groaned. “You’re killing me.”
“You wanted this,” I said, tossing the scarf at him, too. “That’s why they say to be careful what you wish for.”
He held the scarf and smiled at me as warmth filled his gaze. “Oh, I was. I was very careful.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX – THOMAS
Sylvie was in my arms. In my bed. With her hair tickling my nose and her breath fluttering across my chest.
This couldn’t be real.
There was no way she’d told me she loved me.
Perhaps it’d been the alcohol. She hadn’t drunk much, but I had—maybe I was already half pissed when we went outside and she responded to my flirting by telling me she wanted me.
She wanted to give ‘us’ a try.
Maybe someone had spiked her drink.
Maybe she’d hit her head hard.
“What are you muttering about?” she murmured, snuggling in closer to me.
I sighed and kissed her forehead. “I’m wondering how drunk I still am that is this happening.”
“You weren’t even that drunk.” Her words were still little more than a mumble. “And I wasn’t drunk. So, be quiet, I’m trying to sleep.”
“Good luck with that. I expect there to be a knock on the door with lots of yelling in about fifteen minutes.”
Sylvie groaned and pulled the covers up over her head, almost punching me in the jaw in the process. “Noooo.”
“Yes. The magic of Santa waits for nobody.” I moved the covers aside and kissed the top of her head. “Come on. You’re the one who drank Santa’s booze last night. If you participate in any part of that, you have to do your duty in the morning.”
Another little groan eked out of her, and she wrapped her arm and leg around me like a koala clinging to a tree. “I deserved that whiskey.”
“And that’s why I let you have it,” I replied. “You did deserve it. You’re also an excellent present stacker.”
“Well, it’s hardly my first rodeo organising gifts.” She hugged me tighter, pressing her face into my chest.
Her flattening her body against mine did only one thing: make my cock hard.
She stilled. “Thomas! It’s too early for that!”
“You’re the one wrapping yourself around me and rubbing against me,” I grumbled. “What do you expect?”
“Fine, fine. But if we are going to be disturbed in fifteen minutes by an excited child, keep it in your pants.”
“More like ten minutes now.”
“Ugh, my life is slipping away before my eyes.”
“Hardly. You haven’t opened them once this morning.”
“That’s because it’s… What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“Seven-thirty and I’ve had five hours of sleep,” she replied. “Are yours open?”
“The woman of my dreams is lying in my arms. What do you think?”
“I think you’re a big, fat suck-up.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too.”
She laughed, finally releasing me and rolling onto her back. “Ohhh. Why did I let my sister get married on Christmas Eve? What kind of stupid idea was that?”
“Better than Christmas Day.”
“Don’t. It was a suggestion.” She sighed and finally opened her eyes, blinking sleepily at me. “I vetoed it.”
“I’d expect nothing less.” I propped my head up on my elbow and grinned down at her. “Good morning.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “Good morning. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her softly. “You’re finally waking up.”
“Well, the countdown is on, like you said, and—”
“Uncle Tommy!” Danny’s scream cut her off, and it was followed by the hammering of his little fists against the door. “Uncle Tommy! Santa made a meeeeeeeeeess!”
“Just in time,” Sylvie quipped, sitting up with a yawn.
“Uncle Tommy!”
“Yeah, I hear you, buddy,” I called. “Give me a minute.”
“Is Auntie Sylvie in there?”
Sylvie paused, tilted her head to the side, then looked at me questioningly.
“That was not me,” I said firmly. “I’d put my money on it being Zara.”