Her brows knit together, and her lips curl downward. “I don’t have anything for you.”
“I think you have an excuse.” I smile at her warmly. “And like I said, you waking up and being okay was the best present ever.”
Leaning in, I gently press my lips against hers, feeling her melt against me.
Being able to do just that is all I could have wished for.
Her eyes reflect a sense of guilt when I break the kiss, and she murmurs, “I still don’t like not having something for you in return.”
“I can take it back if you’d prefer,” I teasingly offer.
“Please don’t,” she whispers, her voice laced with sincerity and a hint of vulnerability.
Brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, I gaze into her eyes with pride and admiration. “You did good today with accepting all the presents,” I tell her, my voice filled with warmth. “I am proud of you.”
I really am. I was worried that Christmas would be too much, especially after only being out of the hospital for not even a day. But she managed everything like a real trooper, even receiving all her gifts. I only felt her being uncomfortable for a little while.
A faint smile graces her lips, and she shrugs modestly. “I tried.”
Her eyes are red, and she looks worn out from the long, exhausting day.
I can’t help but worry. “Does your head hurt too much? We can do this tomorrow if you’re too tired.”
“As if I could sleep now.” She huffs. “What did you get me?” Her gaze finds mine, her golden eyes shimmering with anticipation, making me thrilled that she’s honestly excited about my gift.
I reach into my jeans pocket, where I had carefully stashed the small box before we left our side of the house, and hand it to her with a smile. “Merry Christmas,” I whisper.
She delicately unties the ribbon and opens the box. Her eyes widen in awe and quickly find mine. “It’s so beautiful.” She carefully lifts the gold necklace from the box and holds it up to admire the pendant resting in her palm. “Joshua,” she whispers, her gratitude evident in her tone.
“I want you to always remember that you are strong and fierce on your own,” I tell her, touching the golden ‘C’ pendant in her hand. Flipping it over, I show her where the wordmyis engraved on the back. “But also, I am yours, and you’re mine, and I’ll always have your back.”
A tear slides down her face, and I wipe it away with my thumb. “I love you,” she whispers.
I take the pendant from her hand and gesture for her to turn around. She gathers her hair to hold it out of the way. As I fasten it around her neck, I whisper into her ear, “And I love you, my Carolina.”
I kiss her neck once, twice, and she lets her shoulders drop, turning slightly to give me better access. I can’t help but give in to the temptation, letting my mouth wander to her collarbone, sucking and nipping, and eliciting a soft moan from her that gives me an instant hard-on.
“Joshua,” she breathes out, grabbing my upper arm.
I lean back to take her in. I’m greeted by her face flushed with passion, her eyes closed, and her mouth slightly open. Needingmore of her, I grab her chin and turn her face to me, lifting it slightly to kiss her deeply. My tongue glides over hers, tasting the sweetness of the Christmas cookie she was nibbling earlier.
I groan into the kiss but reluctantly pull back, pecking her full lips one more time before I let go to stand and shed my jeans.
Her eyes widen as she looks at me, standing in front of her, my crotch at eye level, and I don’t miss how her breath hitches. When she licks her lower lip, I suppress the groan I want to release.
The air around us heats, and a sheen of sweat covers her skin. I feel myself getting even harder as visions of her sitting before me, her golden eyes looking up at me from those full lashes, her lips wrapped around my cock, me holding the back of her head, my fingers gently pulling her hair at her scalp flood me.
Fuck!She is still injured, still hurting.I can clearly see the exhaustion in her eyes,and all I can think about is this?
I remove my Christmas sweater, leaving me in a black T-shirt and boxers, and I know if I get any harder, the thin cotton will not keep me contained.
Carolina keeps her eyes on me, and I have to remind myself,again,that she’s still recovering.
As I reach for her hand, it’s a struggle not to guide it to my crotch, but I manage to pull her to her feet instead. Lifting her Christmas sweater over her head, I lean in to kiss her throat above the C pendant as I unclasp her bra, sliding it off her.
I let my eyes linger on her beautiful breasts, taking in how her nipples are peaked, taunting me to lean in and have a taste. Pulling my T-shirt over my head and slipping it over hers seems like a monumental effort.
The adorable scrunching of her nose betrays her initial expectations, and I can’t help but smile. With a gentle touch, I stroke my thumb over her nose, attempting to smooth out that cute little wrinkle, but it stubbornly lingers. So I lean down andpress my lips to her forehead. Sliding under the covers, I hold them open, inviting her to join me.
