I have a pretty good idea of what she’s talking about. But I decide to leave it for another day. Instead, I cup her cheek, stroking my thumb across her petal-soft skin. “I would love to be with you, Penny. Tomorrow, or whenever you’re ready.”
“Tomorrow,” she says firmly. “I’m ready.”
I lean towards her, pausing just inches from her lips. “Tomorrow, then.”
Her pupils dilate as hunger flares in her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
But for now, a kiss is enough.
So I kiss her.
At first, it’s tender. A slow exploration. Tasting the mint still lingering on her breath and that indescribable flavor that’s only her.
I nip at her lower lip, then caress it to soothe away the slight sting.
She strokes the seam of my mouth with her tongue, and I open for her, inviting her in.
Then the kiss grows deeper. More desperate.
Penny clings to me, her nipples pebbling into taut buds beneath the thin fabric of my shirt. She makes a low, humming sound of pleasure in the back of her throat.
My erection juts hard between her thighs.
Her hand comes to the back of my head, lightly tugging at my hair.
I’ve kissed Penny before. But this time is different.
It feels like a promise.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her,I silently vow.Anything.
Minutes or hours pass, I’m not quite sure. But when we finally stop kissing, we’re both breathing hard. I gaze at her,taking in her pretty pink cheeks and kiss-swollen lips and eyes sparkling like the sapphire earrings she wears for special occasions, feeling luckier than I could ever imagine.
As I hug her to me, my heart swells close to bursting. “Thank you.”
Her head pops up. “Thank you for what?”
“For believing in me. Trusting me.”
She blinks. Sniffs. Then she strokes my cheek. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”
I close my eyes as I kiss her forehead.“Never.”
CHAOS ON CHRISTMAS EVE
CHAPTER 1
WILLOW
I should have known better than to go shopping on Christmas Eve.
Even in a small town like Sleepy Hollow, the stores are packed full of procrastinators, just like me.
Well, I didn’t procrastinateentirely. I did plenty of shopping online. Enough that every evening when I got home from work, there was at least one box sitting outside my front door, maybe more.
But when it came to finding a gift for my sister, I kept dragging my feet. Not because I don’t love her—I do—but because nothing I saw online seemed quite right.
My sister is amazing when it comes to giving gifts. She has a gift for it, so to speak. Every Christmas, she hands out the most thoughtful presents, like a hand-carved charcuterie board for my mother to use during book club or a personalized whiskey decanter and matching glasses for my dad.
