‘Is that right?’
‘You bet.’
Ava tears off a slice of pizza and hands it to my daughter.
‘Can we get a dog?’ Phoebe asks.
‘Sure.’ Ava shrugs. ‘One day.’
‘This is going to be the best Christmas ever.’ Phoebe exclaims, before sinking her teeth into Ava’s pizza.
I’d have to agree with her.
ChapterForty-Three
AVA
Christmas morning
‘Merry Christmas, sleepy head.’ Cillian’s breath tickles my earlobe and grazes my neck. His pillows are on par with the Ritz. I know for a fact, because Nate took us all there for the weekend to celebrate Holly’s birthday earlier in the year.
‘Merry Christmas to you too.’ I snuggle closer, running my fingers through the soft dark hair dusting his chest. He slides a hand under the t-shirt I’m wearing, the red one from the Santa Fun Run, and mirrors my movements.
‘Did the big man come?’ I prise my eyes open and squint through the dim light spilling from his digital clock. My boyfriend grins down at me. Actually grins. And the effect sets my soul alight.
How did I ever think this man was cold? Fiery flecks spark and ignite those sterling eyes, hot enough to sear anything they land on, including me.
‘I’ve got a feeling he’s about to.’ He tugs my lower lip with his teeth and tiny tremors shake awake every cell in my body.
‘Confident, aren't you?’ And why wouldn't he be? The man is perfect. Gifted. Talented. He’s the full package and given the day that it is, it would be a crying shame not to unwrap it.
He nudges me flat on my back and eases himself between my thighs. The masculine scent of his skin hijacks my senses. I ought to be creeping out of his bed right about now but he’s not making it easy by any stretch.
Warm fingers sweep across my cheeks as he brushes a few loose tendrils of hair from my face. ‘I love you, Ava.’ His voice is thick with emotion. So is his enormous rock-hard cock, which is digging deliciously through his boxers to chafe the panties I felt obliged to put on in case Phoebe wandered in during the night. Cillian let her stay up way later than usual in the hope she’d sleep in a little this morning. So far, so good.
‘I love you too. I’ve been awake for approximately two minutes, but it’s already the best Christmas Day of my life, because I got to wake up with you.’
‘Baby, have you been reading those romcoms again?’ His hips roll against me in a teasing fashion. ‘Because that sounds suspiciously like a line from one.’
‘Says the man who went all Richard Gere on me last week.’ I buck back. Two can play that game.
‘I was hoping you’d go all Julia Roberts and pull out the fishnets for me.’ His mouth traces my jaw line, dipping to my collar bone.
A thump sounds from down the corridor. It can only be Phoebe. Tiny feet pitter patter along the hallway at an alarmingly fast rate. Cillian rolls off me and I dive to the floor. For the first time since I woke up, I’m grateful I slept in this god awful t-shirt.
If I can just wait it out on the floor until Cillian leads her out of here.
What kid isn't desperate to check under the tree on Christmas morning?
Through the space under Cillian’s King-sized bed, I see Minnie Mouse eared slippers approaching.
‘Merry Christmas, princess.’ The bed creaks and the slippers, along with two slim little legs are lifted on to the bed.
‘Merry Christmas, Daddy.’ Excitement oozes from every single syllable.
‘Shall we go see if Santa came?’ My heart quadruples in my chest. This man. The tenderness he shows his daughter, it makes me want to straddle him every day until I’ve birthed him five more.
‘I already got what I asked for.’ Phoebe giggles. ‘You can come out from behind the bed Ava. I know you’re down there,’ she singsongs, and Cillian coughs to mask his shock.
