“Kind of,” I admit with a shrug. “I mean, I could get the Halloween thing, but Christmas?”
“Christmas is so fun, though!” Sienna chimes from her spot on the floor.
“Thane and I don’t usually celebrate it, but I’m not one to do things half-assed, so I guess I’m committed this year.” Kole takes off in a blur, and when he finally stops moving, all of the lights are wrapped around the tree in a perfect spiral.
“Whoa!” I look up at the tree draped in warm golden lights, and some kind of lost, childlike wonder sparks in me.
“Why do you look like you’ve never seen a Christmas tree before?” Kole taunts, looking down at me with a teasing grin.
“It’s just been a while, okay?” I jab him with my elbow and make my way over to Sienna to help her hang the red and gold ornaments she’s set out. “Some of my foster families lacked holiday cheer.”
“Well then, we must make up for lost time!” She reaches into one of the bags and pulls out matching reindeer pajamas, tossing us each a pair.
Kole holds his up, shaking his head. “These are ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously awesome!” Sienna counters, before grabbing my hand and dragging me to the bathroom to change.
When we get back, Kole is dressed in the reindeer pants, hanging an ornament. He turns around and immediately starts laughing at us, but I can’t focus on anything other than his insanely defined abs that seem to flex with his laughter.
“Laugh all you want,” Sienna says. “We look fabulous.” She does a spin and then grabs my hand, twirling me around.
“You two look adorable,” he admits, looking me over with a smile that highlights his dimples.
“If you had told me six months ago, I’d be wearing matching reindeer pajamas with a vampire and werewolf, I would’ve laughed in your face.” I glance back and forth between the two of them, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Trust me,” Kole says, handing us each an ornament. “I’m just as shocked as you are.”
The three of us work our way up the tree, decorating it in different shaped ornaments and bows, talking and laughing as if we’ve been friends for years. It feels like an out-of-bodyexperience. Like I’m watching someone else’s life from the outside.
“Whoa! What are you doing?” I shout when Kole forces my legs apart and sticks his head through them.
He stands up, and I clamp my thighs around his head, flailing my arms around.
“Now you can hang the ones up top,” he says, tilting his head to look up at me.
“You could’ve warned me you were going to do that!” I scold, flicking his head.
“Ow!” He rubs his forehead, still looking up at me. “Okay, fine. Next time, I’ll tell you I’m putting my head between your legs.”
For that comment, I smack his head, and Sienna giggles, watching the whole interaction with amusement. While she hands me ornaments to hang, Kole walks me around the tree. His hands stay fixed on my thighs, and although I appreciate the added safety measure, there’s pulsing going on between my thighs that is impossible to ignore.
He finally puts me down, and I excuse myself to the bathroom to try and pull myself together.
Fuck. Why does he have to be so hot?
I splash some water on my face, hoping that’ll snap me out of all the inappropriate thoughts that seem to be plaguing my mind, but as soon as I walk back into the living room and take one look at his shirtless body, they all come rushing back.
“Alright, I’m going to go start working on dinner,” Kole says, handing Sienna the last ornament.
“Do you want help?” The words come out of my mouth before I even mean for them to.
“Sure. You can be my sous chef!” he says with a wink that has my knees wanting to give out.
What is going on with me? I haven’t even started drinking yet.
“I’m going to finish decorating in here, so just let me know if you guys need anything!” Sienna tells us, pulling out a stocking with her name on it.
“Do you think she has one of those for each of us?” Kole mutters, as we make our way to the kitchen.
