After guiding her to the hall bathroom, I turned on the shower, adjusting the water to a warm cascade. Steam filled the small space as I helped her step in, following close behind. I grabbed the body wash and poured some into my hands as I moved around her, gently running it over her skin, the intimacy calming the heat that still lingered between us.
“It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow,” she whispered, her voice soft as she turned to face me.
She looped her arms around my neck, pulling me close, the water slipping between us as it poured over her body.
“I want to go home,” she said finally, her eyes searching mine.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice low. “We can stay here with Jacob.”
She shook her head, her arms still draped around my neck. “I’ll tell him. He won’t mind. He’ll understand.”
I nodded, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “I was actually hoping to host Nova and Scarlette Christmas Day. Thought maybe we could have everyone together for a while.”
“Really? You want me there?”
I circled her chin with my thumb. “Of course I want you there.”
“Will Nova be okay with that plan?”
I nodded and smiled. “She wants to meet you. We can invite them over.”
Charlie looked down. “If you want to. I don’t want you to feel pressured either.” Her beautiful eyes met mine, steady and sure as she tightened her grip around my neck. “But I want to, Austin.”
I sighed, leaning past her to turn off the water.
“We can get on a flight first thing tomorrow morning,” I said, brushing a quick kiss against her forehead.
I grabbed two towels and wrapped one around her as she nodded. “Yeah. That’ll give us time to pick up some gifts for Scarlette too. Maybe we can make the guest bedroom more kid friendly while we’re at it.”
The way she said it, the way her voice softened at the thought of Scarlette, made my chest ache in the best way.
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, my heart full in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Charlie headed back to the room to grab her pajamas, but I veered toward the kitchen where I’d left my overnight bag. Ipaused and grabbed my phone while glancing down the hall to where she started packing her things into a small suitcase.
I tapped the screen and dialed her brother, turning so that she didn’t hear me.
Jacob answered after a few rings. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks for letting me stay and giving us some privacy. We’re heading back to Chicago tomorrow morning. Thought I’d let you know, in case you wanted to join us.”
“No problem. I’m glad you guys could work on whatever you needed to. I have to stick around for work, but maybe we can meet up after the holidays to have a proper introduction.”
I chuckled softly. “That would be great.”
My gaze drifted back to Charlie as she zipped her bag shut.
“Agreed,” Jacob said. “Safe travels, man.”
“Thanks,” I said and hung up.
I turned and walked back down the hall, and as I stepped into the room, she glanced up at me from where she was folding a sweatshirt.
“Who was it?”
“No one,” I replied casually, slipping my phone out of my pocket. “We’d better get to bed.”
I tapped a few screens and held up my phone to show her the confirmation. “First flight out,” I said, and she nodded in agreement.
