“You got that for her? That’s so sweet,” Alice said.
“Nope, not my idea. This is all on my parents.” Niko winked at her. She leaned in to kiss him, unable to help herself. His mouth played across hers, gentle and warm for a lingering second before she pulled away.
“Thank you, Grandma.” Chloe held the kitten close to her chest, and kissed her grandmother before she moved to her grandfather’s chair. “Thank you, Grandpa. I love her.”
“And we love you.” Marc pulled her onto his lap. She snuggled in his arms and placed the kitten on her belly. “What should we name her?”
“K.C. I want to call her K.C.,” Chloe said.
The girl’s grandparents laughed. Niko leaned in and whispered in Alice’s ear. “It’s a long story, one you’ll hear about tomorrow, probably in great detail.”
Alice nodded, barely able to speak, the familiar initials blurry through the tears that continued to well in her eyes. She held the camera in front of her face, trying to hide behind the small device. This was what she’d wanted for her daughter and for any future children she might be blessed with, the happiness that a loving family could bring.
Chapter Forty-Eight
“Are you ready to see where all the action happened?” Niko flipped on the overhead light and walked backward into his childhood room. Alice arched a cynical eyebrow at his teasing, lips pressed together to hold back the smile that danced in her eyes. She was temptation personified and despite his good intentions to stay uninvolved, she’d wiggled her way into his heart. He clasped her hand, pulling her over the threshold and into his body.
“All the action? How many girls did you sneak up the back staircase?” Silky arms slid around his neck as she lifted her face for a kiss.
“Just one.” The only one that mattered. He stroked her mouth with his, tongue slipping between her parted lips. Peppermint and heat invaded his senses and he couldn’t get enough of her. Niko had never felt this way about a woman before and he wouldn’t give up on them so easily. There was only one option open to him and he had to take it.
The sound of voices from down the hallway reminded him that they were standing just shy of the open door. Raising his head, he clasped her forearms, and met her tender gaze. “Let’s go to bed.”
“Yes, let’s.” Alice stepped out of his embrace and walked past him, hips swaying under the black dress as she inspected the room. “If this was your room growing up, you had some pretty sophisticated tastes.”
He chuckled at her tongue-in-cheek bantering. Nothing remained from his teenage years other than the hardwood floors. His mother had turned it into a guest room with a few strategically placed landscape paintings on the walls and a queen-size bed that dominated the space.
“Is that an en suite?” Alice slid the pocket door open to reveal the white, subway-tiled bathroom. She turned her head and glanced at him over her shoulder. “You were so lucky to grow up here. I love this house.”
I love you. He shut the outer door and released a breath, finding it difficult to process what he’d been afraid to admit, even to himself. How to handle the revelation, especially given the difficulty of their situation. Distance was the single factor keeping them apart. It didn’t have to be.
Reaching for the wrapped present lying on the dresser, he held it out. “For you.”
Curiosity and excitement brightened her face as she accepted the box. “Thank you, but shouldn’t I wait until tomorrow?”
He shook his head, scratching at his chin. “No, it’s perishable.”
Alice tore off the paper and opened the box. Lifting the lid, she burst out laughing. She held up the sexy Mrs. Santa lingerie, and inspected it, color riding her cheeks. “Perishable?”
Niko scanned her breasts, his pulse thrumming just thinking about her wearing the lingerie, and, of course, him removing it at some point. “Yes, it’s only good for Christmas, or maybe Halloween. You should go put it on. See if it fits.”
She rose onto her toes and pressed her cheek to his, her breath warm against his ear. “I’ll go put it on, although I’m pretty sure this is more of a gift for you than it is for me.”
“I’ll make sure we both enjoy it.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” She skimmed her palm down his chest and cupped his cock through the denim. He leaned into her caress, aching for more of her touch. Too soon, she withdrew her hand. Fingers looped in the slinky straps of the teddy, she threw it over her shoulder and sauntered into the bathroom.
He undressed and jumped under the covers, half-aroused and eager for her to come out. There was a tangible bond growing between them, something that others around them had noticed. He hadn’t missed the way his parents watched them together, or how much they seemed to like Alice. He’d brought other women home, but they never stayed the night. Alice had fit in seamlessly with his family, holding her own against his father’s good-natured teasing and his mother’s well-meaning, but intrusive questions. She’d managed to reply to every inquiry without revealing too much information and had proven herself adept at changing the subject.
Too adept.
Perhaps it was her profession, or an innate part of herself she held back, a part he needed time to uncover and understand better. But while they’d been close for the past two weeks, in many ways they were strangers. He hoped to rectify that tonight, before it was too late.
The bathroom door opened and Alice paused in the doorway, one slender finger looped around a strand of long hair. Her breasts strained against the teddy’s demi-cup bra and the sheer red fabric left little to the imagination. She cocked her hip and put her finger to the corner of her mouth. “How do I look?” she twirled about, the skirt billowing up and over her belly, showing the red thong with white trim. “Like a slutty Mrs. Claus?”
“Not slutty, but sexy as hell.” He patted the space next to him and crooked his finger. She sauntered to the side of the bed, her seductive grin drawing him in. She climbed onto the mattress, laughter spilling forth.
Niko pulled her under the covers with him, hips settling between those shapely, lithe legs. Her breasts were soft and supple beneath the fabric, her nipples pebbling, begging to be stroked. “From the moment you caved on the first ten grand, I pictured you as my sexy Santa.”
