“Why, Santa,” I tease, slowly wrapping my arms around his shoulders. “You can’t possibly suggest we have sex in costume.”
His eyes turn hot, and he rakes them over my body. It’s a fairly modest costume, perfectly safe for instructing kids in, but apparently, it doesn’t need to be salacious for Derek to find me attractive.
“I am absolutely suggesting that,” he says, his mouth two seconds away from devouring mine. He did away with the beard after claiming it itched and became young and hot Santa pretty damn quick.
“Well…” I reach up and undo his sash, pushing his coat off of his shoulders and grabbing the suspenders that are stretched over his shoulders. “I couldn’t possibly say no to Santa, could I?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Don’t make me cry on Christmas, not even happy tears. I’ll deny they’re tears if it happens.” - Enzo
DEREK
I wake up bright and early, the sun is low in the sky, and the patrons of Denver are just barely cracking open their eyes to the fresh new day.
It is Christmas. One of my favorite days of the year, one day where I don’t have to be troubled by my burdens because no one is demanding anything of me. My unpaid bills will be forgotten, the people reaching out to me will be home with their families, and I get to spend mine with some of the best family members a guy can ask for.
“It’s CHRISTMAS!” I bellow throughout the apartment, hopefully waking the patrons within. They know this is coming, as it’s tradition for me to wake them up bright andearly, give them presents, and they fall back asleep while I make breakfast.
It won’t be like that this year, because after I hand them their gifts—they really do like my gifts, and I take a lot of time planning them—they will head back to bed, and I will head to see my girls.
I was invited to stay the night at her parents’ house last night and to spend Christmas Eve with them, but I didn’t want to just shuck my friends to the side completely. We spent our Christmas Eve watching movies, eating cookies, and relaxing. Birdie sent me pictures of them making real gingerbread houses, and I tried hard to ignore the pang of regret for not going to their house last night.
I still want to be a good friend, which is why Garrett, Enzo, and Nora come shuffling out of their rooms one by one. It’s weird that our group is dwindling couple by couple.
First it was Warren, and he lives with Jane in her high-rise apartment. Then it was Archer, who married the love of his life and promptly moved in with her as well. Then we had Mike for a while, until he was recruited by some firm in London and left us behind for that job.
Enzo was next on that list, but instead of moving out, Nora moved in. I felt intense relief when they made that decision. I didn’t want new roommates. I wanted to keep the ones I have, the ones I know.
“I know, I know, it’s early,” I start, jumping around the living room and gathering each gift in my arms, carrying them to each person carefully. “But I have to get going, and you three need your gifts.”
“What about the rest of the group?” Enzo asks as Nora yawns broadly beside him, her head flopping on his shoulder.
“They’ll get them later, I guess.” I also have gifts for Graham and his family, but I’m not sure when I’ll be getting to see them either.
I swallow and push back my concerns for life. It’s Christmas. My day off.
“Go ahead, open them.” I gesture to them. I’m already freshly showered and dressed, ready to head to Birdie’s the moment I’m done here.
Nora gets hers open, and her jaw drops. “Derek. This is too much.”
Indeed, it was a pricey gift, but I saved and paid for it in increments. “They’re the knives you wanted, right?”
Nora blinks and turns to Enzo, whose brows are raised. “Yes, but Derek, this is so expensive. You really shouldn’t have.”
“I wanted to.”
“Well.” Her shoulders drop, and she looks over at me. She and I have known each other for a while now, and while I don’t confide in her much, or she in me, we have a bond with our fathers. Hers was fighting to keep his life, and if I have to guess, she found camaraderie in me as someone who already lost his. “Thank you so much.”
She stands, and I hug her, letting her take a moment before she sits back down and Enzo starts to tear the paper off of his.
“Damn, this is amazing,” he says, looking at the copper-style hanging sign in his hand. “You freaking nailed this gift.”
“I had a friend help me with the design, he’s the one with the cutter to get it right. But it should hang out from the store like you want. I can help install it.”
“Derek, this is great, thanks, man.”
I give him a nod, and Nora looks over the sign, her eyes shining with happy tears. This is my favorite thing. Making people happy brings me more joy than receiving gifts myself.
