I turned my head to kiss him. "I think I should throw a Christmas party for you."
32
Jack
"Idon't need a Christmas party," I told her. "My mother would always throw them."
"Was that part of your holiday traditions?" she asked me.
"Yes, my mother liked Christmas. She liked to have a big holiday party. She said you had to have a big party at Christmas, and she always took pride in the fact that her parties were fancy affairs. Of course, she was always too busy with work to actually plan and execute the party herself, so she would make my sister Belle decorate and cook. When we were younger, Belle would enlist me and my brothers to help. We would decorate the whole house, indoors and out. Belle was good at decorating—she had these special cookie cutters and boxes of antique glass ornaments." I shook my head at the memory.
"My mother would make us wear matching outfits when we were little. She liked to show us all off to her friends and make everyone see what a perfect mother she was." Chloe murmured sleepily. I didn't know if she was really listening, but it felt good to say everything out loud.
"My mother liked to pretend she was perfect, even though Belle did all the work. My parents liked the idea of a big family but not the reality. Belle would always seem excited at Christmas, and I thought she loved the holiday, but then two years ago, she just left right after Thanksgiving was over."
I heard a slight snore from Chloe. It was probably for the best; I was becoming morose.
"I guess that means no steamy evening," I said. After dealing with Hartleigh and my mother today, though, I wasn't really feeling it. I picked up Chloe then carried her to my bed, stripped to my boxers, and crawled in bed beside her. It felt right to sleep next to her. Milo curled up on my other side. All the good things in my life came together in one moment.
I wished I could love Christmas. I used to like it before I realized the whole thing had been a lie. Belle had been practically kept prisoner by my parents due to their own selfishness and Belle's selflessness. Christmas was just one giant money grab, made for narcissists to preen for an audience and massive corporations to sell products. My corporation included.
Still, if it made Chloe happy, maybe I could let her throw a party. As I pulled her close to me, I could feel the ice on my heart melting.
* * *
Chloe was stillin my arms the next morning. I had never had time to date, and between my apprehensions with running into someone like Hartleigh, I actively avoided forming relationships with women. I looked at Chloe. We should have been too different to be compatible, but here we were.
I let my fingers run through the tangle of honey curls. Chloe murmured sleepily then stretched like a cat and flipped over to face me.
"Good morning," she said.
I kissed her, letting my mouth linger on her bottom lip.
"You're not wearing any pajamas."
"This building is too warm, and it makes me too hot to sleep in a lot of clothes," I whispered, taking her hand and trailing it down my bare chest. She cupped the bulge in my boxer briefs. I wondered if she had done this before, but it seemed rude to ask. I straddled her, pressing down against her. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and her fingers tangled in my hair.
"I want to fuck you, Chloe," I breathed. She made a little whining noise that made me harder than I already was. I ground my hips against hers and let my mouth drift down to nuzzle her breasts. I wanted to rip off the fabric that kept them from me.
Her phone rang.
"Don't answer it," I growled.
"It might be the contest," she protested.
I kept kissing her but allowed her to push me off so she could run into the living room. I heard the sound of a bag being dumped out.
"Hello? Yeah, okay, I'm coming."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and tried to come to grips with the fact that Chloe and I would not have hot morning sex.
"We're filming early today," she said. I saw her look longingly at me.
"Sorry," she said.
"No need to apologize. I don’t want to rush this. I want to take my time with you." Her eyes went wide again, and I smirked as I watched her gaze drift downward.
"I need to win this contest." It sounded as if she said it more to herself than me. She licked her lips. I closed the distance between us, crushing her against me. She moaned.
