“You’re writing to Santa for anything in the world, and you’re going to ask for a job?” Anna asked in disbelief.
“It’s not just any job,” Logan replied. “It’s an important job.”
“I think that’s a pretty silly request…” Anna argued.
Aurora agreed, signing ‘very silly.’
They then turned to me.
“What did you draw, Evy?” Anna asked.
I showed them my paper, where I had drawn—in a very cartoonish and poorly done way—a dog. I explained why: “I always asked my parents for a puppy when I was a kid… and Santa Claus, too. But I never got one.”
This time, I would adopt one myself. Not on Christmas Eve, obviously, but it was a plan for the New Year—for when I finally had my own apartment.
“Your wish is much nicer,” Anna opined, and her sister nodded in agreement.
Logan still tried to defend his badge, but the girls had already lost interest.
When it was time for the twins to go to bed, Logan insisted on putting them to bed. I lingered at their bedroom door, watching the scene unfold. While talking to them, Logan even ventured a few words in sign language, which gave me a hint that he’d been researching it.
As he was adjusting the covers over them, I slipped away and went to the guest room where we had been sleeping.
I changed into my pajamas and sat on the bed, waiting for Logan.
“So… a dog?” he asked curiously when he arrived.
“Yes. But obviously, I won’t be getting it on Christmas morning.”
“I think that’s unlikely.”
“But maybe your badge will appear under the tree?” I joked.
We both laughed.
“Yeah… who knows?” He started to gather the blankets from the armchair, but I stopped him.
“You know, I was thinking… you were right. This bed is pretty big. There’s no need for you to sleep on the floor.”
“Are you saying that…” He came closer, sitting across from me. “You’re going to let me sleep with you?”
“Well,” I said, feeling a blush creep up my neck. “They say good boys are rewarded when Christmas comes.”
“And have I been a ‘good boy’?”
“You’ve been trying very hard.”
He brought his face close to mine, provocatively, bringing back all those shivers that had consumed me that morning when we kissed for the first time.
His lips stopped just inches from mine in a kind of sweet torture.
“Maybe I don’t exactly want to be a good boy to you, Evelyn.”
What the hell… He shouldn’t tease me like that.
I closed the distance between us, allowing our lips to brush. His hand moved to the back of my neck, his fingers burying themselves in my hair as the kiss deepened. His other hand slid down my body as he leaned over me, until I was lying back and he was on top of me.
Our lips only parted when we were breathless, and I had to gather every shred of my sanity to declare: “The invitation was just to sleep, Logan. In the same bed. We’re not going to have sex.”
