“Oh. Sure.”
I could barely keep the discouragement from my voice. Of course, a few kisses and some heavy petting meant nothing to him. How could I have been so foolish to think otherwise? But he was right—wasn't that what I wanted? For it not to be a big deal?
Then he leaned over, cupped my face with one hand, and kissed me again. This one was slower, softer than before, yet it still sent a jolt through every nerve ending.
As he pulled away, he declared, “What we did is nothing, Evelyn. Nothing compared to what I still want to do to you. And I know you want the same, so we’d better go to sleep now before we both lose control.”
He gave me one last, fleeting peck before turning off the light and settling on his side. I turned to face him in the darkness. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel the warmth of his breath.
“Evy…” he whispered. It was the first time he’d used my nickname.
“Yes?”
“Merry Christmas.”
I smiled, even though he couldn’t see me.
“Merry Christmas, Logan.”
*****
When I woke, the bed was empty beside me. But as I opened my eyes, I was granted the best view possible. Logan stood before the closet, already changed into his pants but still shirtless, his bare back on full display as he searched for a shirt.
A flicker of frustration shot through me. If only I’d woken a few minutes earlier, I might have seen him without his pants, too.
He seemed to sense he was being watched and turned to face me, a shirt in his hands. I tried to disguise my blatant staring, but it was too late.
“Good morning?” he said, his tone laced with teasing amusement.
“Ah… good morning,” I replied, throwing back the covers and scrambling out of bed, trying to act as if the sight of him hadn’t short-circuited my brain. “It’s Christmas morning. I’m going to make some special breakfast for the girls. After that, we’re baking cookies. If you want to help…”
“Christmas cookies?” He smiled, finally pulling on his shirt and blocking my view of his defined abs.My God, such a shame.“I haven’t done that in years. My mom used to make them with us when we were kids.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. It was one of the best parts of the season.”
“It’s hard to imagine diva Trinity Turner in an apron, baking cookies.”
“Oh, my mother was terrible in the kitchen. But the cookies were our tradition. I can’t even say if they were actually good, but… we loved them.”
“It’s a good tradition for you to start with your daughters.”
I was near the door by then, and I heard the one across the hall open, followed by the sound of little, hurried footsteps on the floor.
“They’re awake,” I declared.
Another smile touched Logan’s lips. I was about to ask why, but I was cut off by the sound of screams from the living room.
My eyes widened in worry, and I didn't hesitate—I yanked the door open and ran down the hall.
Chapter Twenty-Four
EVELYN
I skidded to a halt in the doorway, a mixture of relief and surprise washing over me. The screams weren't from distress—they were for the exact opposite.
Anna and Aurora stood with wide, shining eyes and mouths agape, staring at enormous, gift-wrapped boxes at the foot of the Christmas tree.
