“The, uh, the brown one over there,” I explain, pointing at one of the last packages under the tree.
Ignoring the rules, she slithers to it and picks it up—her family is too distracted by the portraits to protest. She tears through the paper and reveals a thick binder with the letters I. R. I. S. embossed on it. Curious, she flips it open to a random page and reads what’s there. “Is this a manual forIris?”
“Yes, it’s all her functions, commands, bypasses… I’ve changed your clearance already, so you have access to her core commands now,” I explain. I knew she’d like the gift, but the way her face distorts with delight still pleases me greatly. I come closer after making sure they’re all still occupied by the drawings, and whisper. “And this also gives you access to my ‘secret’ computer.”
That’s the cherry on top since she grins so wide I could probably count all her teeth. “You’re allowed tolook,” I continue firmly. “But that’s it, Andrea. You’re not doing anything other than looking, is that clear?”
“Of course… Like, what else do you think I’d do?”
“I can never be too careful with you, my clever dork. Oh, this reminds me. I also have a riddle for you.”
“Oh?”
Everyone’s occupied trying to guess Michael’s following charade, so I tell Andrea the clues I came up with. “From mind to foot, I belong to one woman. Now, all can know with a simple look. Her two favorite toys wrapped in one man. Who knew a little ink was all it took?”
Perplexed, she ponders for a moment, which can’t be easy with her family shouting around us. “Did you get a tattoo?” she asks. I shake my head. “Did you bring Jensen or Idris?” she then whispers.
“No,” I chuckle.
“Do you have one of the Chrises in?”
“The Chrises?”
“The plugs. From small to big they’re Pratt, Pine, Evans, and Hemsworth.”
I laugh with all my chest this time. “That’s a good guess, but no.”
Again, she tries to figure it out for a moment. “Then I don’t know. What is it?”
“Do you not understand the concept of a riddle, Walker?”
“I’ve always been too impatient for that. Please, tell me.” I adamantly shake my head. Resigned, she makes me repeat the riddle.
She still hasn’t figured it out by the time the festive evening ends, but I refuse to give her more clues. She’s too clever not to eventually figure it out. As we settle in bed for the night after our respective showers, I’m surprised to find myself eager to be three hundred and sixty-four days into the future so we can do this all over again.
The Walkers’ Christmas is full of fun traditions, and I hope we’ll keep them alive once we’ve built our own branch of the family tree. It would make me infinitely happier than spending our holidays in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by the entire Coleman clan. Maybe over time my sisters would even join us for our cozy little celebrations.
I’m sure they’d love it as much as I do.
Christmas has always had a special place in my heart, but getting to do it with Lex was like a dream come true. Having all the people I love the most together made for one of the best evenings in my life. My folks have accepted him like one of us, as they did Kate all those years ago, and it’s like another amazing Christmas gift.
Elated, I wriggle a little closer to Lex, not ready to open my eyes and fully wake up yet. His arm is around me, his hand over my boob, under my T-shirt. He tugs me closer, like the greedy man he is.
“Merry Christmas, my love,” he mumbles in a throaty voice.
Ugh, it shouldn’t be legal to be so happy when the day hasn’t even started yet. I’m grinning like a lunatic as I twist around to see his gorgeous face, light stubble, and messy hair. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
We move to kiss each other at the same time, our limbs entangling amorously, desperate to touch everywhere all at once. We lose track of time, hands coursing, fingers digging, tongues hungry, nails scratching…
“I love that your family has so many Christmas traditions,” he explains, his lips lowering down my neck. “I think we should start one of our own, too.”
“Like what?”
“What do you think of Christmilingus?” He’s lazily seducing me, his hands pulling up my T-shirt, his lips drawing sinful patterns on my heated skin.
An irresistible laugh shakes me. “Gosh, I wonder what that’s about…”
There’s a smile in his voice when he says, “You’ll catch on.”
