Assuming this was the only chance I'd get to convince her of us, I deepened the kiss. When her lips parted on a gasp, I slipped my tongue inside, exploring and delving into her sweet heat. Her body was pressed against mine, and my dick was on board with taking this further.
I wasn't going there tonight. Not on Christmas Eve.
I slowed the intensity of the kiss, easing back. Her breath mingled with mine, jagged and uneven.
"We should bring in her bike," she said softly, and for a second, I wasn't sure what she was talking about.
I stepped back, letting my hands fall away from her, my voice gravelly. "You think she's asleep?"
Her gaze flitted to the clock above the stove. "By now, yeah."
"Let's get it." I needed the cooler air. It was too hot inside, and if I was near her, I was going to kiss her again. I wasn't going to take things further tonight. Not with Ayla asleep upstairs and listening for Santa.
I remembered what that was like. Sometimes it was hard to sleep. And I didn't want her wandering around the house looking for Santa but finding her mom kissing me.
"I can get it if you want to stay inside where it's warm."
She hesitated already pulling on her coat. "Are you sure?"
I nodded. "Let me do this for you."
She put her coat back on the hook. "Yeah, okay."
She was slowly getting used to me doing things for her. I wanted her to rely on me, to be the first person she called. Her ex probably allowed her to do all the mental and physical labor in the marriage.
That made my jaw ache. I didn't like that for her at all. If I could do this one thing for her, so she didn't have to go out in the cold, then I would.
She opened the door and said, "Just be quiet."
I nodded and slipped outside. She closed the door behind me, and I took in a much-needed breath of cold air. I let the air out slowly, reveling in the chill. I needed space after that kiss.
I hadn't expected it to be so potent. My lips still tingled, and my blood ran hot. I wanted to go in there and press her against the door, kissing her until her lips were swollen and she forgot about any man that came before.
But I told myself I'd go slow. I had to take deep breaths until I could go in there and not jump her as soon as she opened the door.
I opened the shed, taking my time to wheel the bike out. I'd never been involved with giving presents to a child on Christmas, but I loved everything about it. The excitementbefore bedtime, reading her the classic story, and putting her presents under the tree.
I secured the shed door, then wheeled the bike across the lawn, careful not to jostle the bell on the handle. The shop had tied a large red bow on the handlebars. Ayla was going to love it.
I wondered if we'd go bike riding together sometime in the spring, but I was getting ahead of myself. It was one kiss. It didn't necessarily mean forever.
The only problem was that I was in danger of falling for these two, and if it didn't work out, I'd feel emptier than before. I just figured out what I've been missing, and I didn't want to risk losing it.
I carried the bike up the steps.
Angela opened the door for me.
I rolled the bike as quietly as I could over the hardwood floors, setting it up by the tree. "Do you have other presents you want to put out first?"
She nodded, waving for me to follow her up the stairs and down the hall to the primary bedroom. She opened the closet, pulling out a large bag.
I hefted it over my shoulder while she grabbed a smaller one, presumably the items for Ayla's stocking. I'd bought a present for Ayla, but I wanted to give it to her tomorrow.
Downstairs, we knelt by the tree, slowly pulling out each present, and arranging them nicely under the bottom branches.
Then Angela put the smaller items in Ayla's stocking that hung from the mantle.
"Where's your stocking?" I asked her.
