“Well, I can’t promise that, but how about I kiss you too?” She tickles his sides and kisses his forehead.
Lucky laughs, but I’m seeing a theme.
We’re all damn jealous any time she shows one of us attention. Just for very different reasons.
Charlotte handles bath and bedtime for the little one while Cormac and Malachy head out to the workshop. It must be serious if Cormac is calling in reinforcements to aid in breaking his prisoner.
I waited until the last moment humanly possible to wrap my gifts, so I’m stuck at the kitchen table in wrapping paper hell.
Charlotte did bring Lucky down to set out cookies before she went up to tuck him in. I just need to remember to pour out the milk and take a few bites of the cookies as well as figure out how to do the footprints.
I didn’t think I purchased that many items, but by the time I get to the end of the pile, I’ve just finished my third beer. I’m excited to see what Charlotte and Lucky think when they rip intothem in the morning. I finish the last couple of boxes and carry everything to stuff under the tree.
It seems like a good idea to take a picture before the aesthetic gets ruined, but I pat my pockets, only to realize I changed into the reindeer pajamas that Cormac purchased for us. They’re soft, so there’s that, but I’m sure I look ridiculous.
I head back into the kitchen, swipe my phone off the table, and head back to the living room. While I was gone, Charlotte came down, and she has three or four presents in her arms.
She spots me and smiles. “I had to bring down the Santa gifts.”
I laugh. “I just added a few from Santa Claus myself.”
She adds them to the massive pile and comes to stand at my side. “Lucky has never had a Christmas like this. He’s going to freak out.”
“We probably did go overboard this year, but next year, we can plan accordingly.” I hold my phone out, snapping a few pictures before turning it to the selfie camera. “Smile for me.”
I toss my arm around her shoulder and kiss her temple. She cheeses for the pictures, and I’m once again blown away by how truly beautiful she is.
My nostrils flare, breathing in her cherry limeade smell.
A low growl rattles out of my chest, and I step back, shaking my head. “Shit, sorry. Your suppressants don’t seem to be doing much.” I back toward the kitchen, tossing my thumb over my shoulder. “I need to do the footprints and toss the milk.”
I’ve never run away from a beautiful woman in my life. After all my bitching and moaning about how Malachy and Cormac have been hogging her attention, even I’m confused why I’m doing that exact thing right now.
The instructions on the footprint kit are easy enough, although the maids will hate me if I don’t clean up this disaster myself.
Charlotte leans against the wall just inside the kitchen, watching me work. Once I’m done, I head over and take a bite of each of the cookies. My mouth is too dry to swallow them, so I spit them into the trash can and pour most of the milk down the sink, leaving a small amount in the bottom of the glass.
My mother used to say that Santa couldn’t eat and drink the full portion ateveryone’shouse or he would make himself sick. Making it back to the counter, I put the glass down and check the bite marks on the cookies to ensure they look realistic enough to pass muster with a three-year-old.
Charlotte crosses the room, coming to a stop behind me, and I spin around, tilting my head down to study her face.
She brings a hand to my chest and says, “Have you been avoiding me?”
I bark a laugh. “No.”
“Did you change your mind about being interested in me?”
“Not a fucking chance,” I growl, sliding my hand around to cup her ass. “You’re just settling into things with Mal and Cormac.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, staring up at me from behind her thick blonde lashes. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend time with you too.”
Goddamn.
I’m in so much fucking trouble.
Chapter Thirty
Patrick
