“They don’t have to come over for dinner tonight, if you don’t want to do it.” He pinched my side.
“Ow! No! No, it’s fine. I mean, I do owe them at least that much. I’m worried about what sort of favors they might ask for in the future, though. Yeesh.”
He snorted.
We chuckled together as we passed children waiting in a never-ending line to see Santa Claus on his gold throne in Santa Land while a bored-looking elf snapped photos for beaming parents.
Santa grimaced and held up a cute chubby baby in a green velvet dress, and we snickered when we spotted the issue—she’d thrown up on his suit. The little imp was all smiles and kicking feet.
“I do not want kids,” I said, nodding in the direction of the costume carnage.
Tyler focused on me. “What about a dog?”
“Hmm. They puke, too, but you don’t have to pay a hundred bucks for Santa pictures, so perhaps.” I winked at him.
Tyler elbowed me. “You would deny me mementos of our precious pooch?”
My gut dropped, but his lips were quirking toward a smile, so I rolled my eyes. “Not if you really wanted them. I couldn’t deny you anything. Not even Santa Claus dog photos.”
His face flushed and he glanced away. My foot caught on a sheet of fake, white cotton snow sparkling with glitter, which had spilled past the fence for Santa Land, and he kept me upright. Our pace barely slowed.
“We make a good team,” he said with a smirk. “Dog or no dog.”
“I agree. Where are we headed?” I glanced at the stores we were passing.
He shrugged, and I loved the shy smile that tugged on his lips. “There used to be a comic book shop here. I wanted to see if it was still open.”
“Sounds good. Oh, do you want a snack first?” We wandered past the corridor that led to the food court from the main thoroughfare, and the smell of sugar and cinnamon had medrifting in that direction. There was nothing better than mall snacks.
“Only if you buy me a peppermint mocha boba tea.”
I bumped him with my hip. “What is that?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Basically, caffeinated chocolate milk with peppermint candy at the bottom. The beads explode in your mouth and send a burst of delicious peppermint over your taste buds.” His eyelashes fluttered as if he was having a mini orgasm, and my breath caught. How did he make that sound so sexy?
“I am intrigued. Let’s go.” My dick twitched. Something else wanted to burst in his mouth. Jeez. Nervous laughter leaked out of me.
It was his turn to stumble as we ambled toward the food stalls. “It’s okay if you don’t want to spend money on this.”
I brushed a kiss over the soft blond hair on his temple and patted his back. “I’ve said it six times now, but here it is again. My money is your money. Spend it. I work. I have savings. We’re fine.”
He groaned, resting his head on my chest. “Presents bought with your cash are from you to you.”
“It’s the thought that counts. Not where the money came from.” We stopped in front of the small tea stall, and Tyler bounced on his toes as a smile took over his face. His eyes lit up with happiness that lured me in. I gave him another kiss. His lips were warm, and I got lost in them for a minute or three as we waited in line.
When it was our turn, the drink Tyler wanted was on a big board as the season’s special, and he grinned while he was ordering. We shuffled off to the side, and I laughed because he was doing a little shoulder dance.
“Are you gonna survive the wait?” I brushed his hair back off his forehead, lingering so I could touch him longer.
“Barely!” He pecked a kiss on my cheek, and I did a good impression of the luckiest man alive. Life didn’t get much better than this. A guy I adored was under my arm. Presents for him were in my hand. A treat was on the way.
Bliss.
Apparently, he agreed because his megawatt smile hit me square in the chest. Liquid gold swirled in the spot where my boring old heart used to live.
“Eddison!”
My blood froze in my veins, and Tyler whipped to face our left. I wasted zero time stepping in front of him, putting myself in the line of fire between him and the threat.
