Our minds are synced, because next thing, we’re going at it like two bears.
Kissing hard, hands racing to remove clothing, stumbling together. We have to catch our balance when we nearly run into the tree.
“Shit,” Lainey hisses.
We save ourselves, and I’m too eager for her that I begin to lead us down to the floor as we kiss, and our knees lower at the same time with our mouths sealed together.
Her nails are scratching down my back, and I lead her legs to wrap around my waist. We are in such a fury of uncontrollable need that the moment I sheathe on the condom, she’s already pushing her hips up, making it easy for me to slide right into her.
We’re not going slow on this one, instead pure feral need. A reward for keeping our hands off of one another all day until now.
As I pump in and out of her, I notice something new.
Her eyes darting straight into mine are more beautiful with a glint of decorative light and a shade of a new mood when it comes to me.
But even better is that I notice this because she’s underneath me and I’m inside of her… with a strong feeling in my chest to trust what is transpiring between us.
CHAPTER 13
LAINEY
Idrop the rolls of wrapping paper carelessly on the floor. Tyler stands with arms crossed in the middle of his living room, and he’s staring at me strangely.
“Okay, there?”
Kicking a tube, I have to admit the obvious. “Believe it or not, but I hate wrapping.”
He takes satisfaction from this. “Ah, Miss Holiday Cheer has something she despises about the holiday.”
I’m not impressed with his taunt, albeit kind of funny. “I’ll wrap the gifts as fast as I can. Enzo is playing at the neighbor’s downstairs, and I have about an hour window.”
“I would say if Santa needs a helper then I’m your guy, but the only thing I can do is relax you by means that will not be beneficial to your wrapping session.”
“But if I finish early then maybe you will be rewarded,” I challenge him and flash my eyes.
He scoffs a sound with his grin, and his arms fall to hanging as he begins to leave. “As much as I would love to be rewarded, I need to run to the grocery store before my parents get here. My mom is crazy about having thosebiscuits that come in a tube and you bake in the oven. It’s her Christmas Day breakfast ritual.”
For a moment, I can’t help but admire Tyler. His grumpy holiday modus is a façade—well, maybe, because he really hates trees and has already complained about the pine needles on the floor and overly sparkly ornaments. That’s beside the point. This guy does these things to make his family happy. Actually, he does a lot of things to make people happy, and he just brushes it off.
He didn’t have to hide gifts for me or let Enzo pick the ugliest tree, but Tyler acts as if it’s no big deal.
Tyler snaps his fingers and quickly disappears into the kitchen, only to return a few moments later with a bag that he hands to me. “Here. Take it all.”
I look curiously inside and choke on a laugh because it’s meat, and some leftover Halloween candy in the shape of a pig. “Is this a bag of pork?”
“I need to empty my house.” Creases form on my forehead, and he notices. “It has nothing to do with pork. Well, I mean, I thought an animal the shape of a pig might be insensitive to the holiday, but I need to get rid of all meat, plus anything that might remind us of animals in the kitchen. My aunt lives off of some spiritual rabbit food.”
“You mean she is vegetarian?” I humorously correct him.
He lifts a shoulder. “Oh yeah, that’s a thing. I mean, I guess we can call her that too.”
I chuckle, and I’m amused by his borderline adorableness. Setting the bag to the side, I move us past it. “Don’t forget about everything on the list I made you.” I decided to help him out and just wrote down everything he would need at the store without explanation.
He pulls out the folded paper from the back pocket of hisjeans. “Got it. All twenty items with the reminder that eggnog is optional.”
Giggling to myself, my eyes follow his movements of sliding his coat off the back of the stool. I hate to be the one to point it out, but I love his grumbles. “It’s one of the busiest days of the year to step into a grocery store. I wish you strength.”
His tongue sweeps across his upper teeth, his face tense. Tyler is well aware of that fact. He throws on his coat and checks he has his phone and keys. “Not sure you’ll be here when I get back, but just let me know when I need to drop the presents off later.”
