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“Take it slow, baby,” I say, but she’s already moving. She rolls her hips, grinding down on my cock with her head thrown back, the ends of her hair tickling my legs. I could watch her for hours like this, the picture of ecstasy.

She grips my thighs as she leans back; I hold onto her hips, but she’s in control here. Mostly. My hand skates over her stomach, and she whimpers as I trail my fingers down from her belly button and press my thumb against her clit. I stay perfectly still, but she moves over me faster, messier, taking the friction she needs.

The crackling fire is the perfect soundtrack as heat spreads through me. Every roll of her hips is a match strike closer to setting me off.

Scarlett leans forward, covering my body with hers. Her hair falls around her shoulders, and I wrap my fist around it, holding it back so I can cling to her face, pressing my lips to hers in a desperate kiss. We gasp against each other, and her hips falter, her movements becoming rougher, more desperate, as her pussy squeezes my cock.

“Oh fuck,” she groans against my mouth.

“Take what you need, love. Take it all from me.”

She goes still as her orgasm overtakes her, so I take over, grabbing her waist and grinding her against me, bringing her down slowly, then sliding my hand between us and pinching her clit to set her off again. This time, I fall with her, shattering with a sigh of her name. She kisses it from my lips, messy and eager, and delicious.

Her body half-collapses on top of me as we both attempt to catch our breaths. Scarlett tries to roll off me, but I wrap her up tight in my arms, holding her to me. I bury my face against her hair, listening to the sound of her breathing.

Later, when we’ve showered—together, resulting in me pressing Scarlett up against the wall and fucking her slowly while the hot water beat down on us—and changed into cozy clothes, Scarlett heats our soup in the microwave, and I set up blankets and pillows on the couch so we can snuggle in front of the TV. It’s not quite a fort, but it’s cozy.

I’m not ashamed to admit I googled “how to make a good fort” last week and ordered a bunch of stuff so I could impress the kids on New Year’s Eve. Scarlett lets the kids stay up as late as they want, and they all sleep together in the living room. Usually, it’s just the three of them, and it means more to me than I can say to be invited into their tradition. Of course, this year, my dad is here. I know Scarlett won’t stop him from being there if he wants to be. And I want him to want to be there, to be a better dad to Caitlin and James. Not many shitty parents get a do-over, but while his relationships with me, Ronan, and Fallon are damaged beyond repair, he gets the chance to start over with Caitlin and James.

Scarlett and I only left a few hours ago, and I already miss the hell out of them. How has my dad spent so many years away from them without batting an eye?

“Are you okay? You’re frowning.” I jump as Scarlett sinks onto the couch beside me and hands me a steaming bowl of tomato soup.

Shit. No more frowning over my dad when we’re having a nice time away from him. I clear my throat. “I know it hasn’t been long, but I miss the kids.” It’s true, even if it’s not the whole reason I was frowning.

Scarlett’s face softens. “I get it. Me too. They drive me crazy sometimes, but they really are the best kids around, aren’t they?”

“They are,” I agree.

I turn on the TV and flick through the channels, pausing when Scarlett oohs at an old episode of Jeopardy! She calls out answers as we eat, then snuggles into my side as soon as our bowls are empty.

“What is thermodynamics?” she answers a science question that I understood about three words of. Her lips curve when Alex Trebek confirms she’s right.

“I had the biggest crush on him as a kid,” she tells me and I snort.

“So, what you’re saying is you’ve always had a thing for older men?”

She shoves me playfully. “I have a thing for intelligent men. One intelligent man in particular,” she adds, patting my stomach.

Intelligent I may be, but she puts me to shame as the show goes on. I can answer only a fraction of the questions she can. “Holy shit, you’re good at this. When we go to Ireland, I’m absolutely taking you to a pub quiz. I might finally stand a chance of beating my uncle Conor if you’re on my team.”

“You’re telling me there’s an even more intelligent Irishman with the last name Michaelson? Damn, maybe you shouldn’t take me to Ireland,” she jokes. It’s the kind of joke she’d never have made a few weeks ago, so the fact that she is now is a great sign. We might have met under less-than-ideal circumstances, but I’m not ashamed of it, and I don’t want her to be, either. Besides, I know my extended family, and once they get over the shock of finding out about her and the kids, there will be many jokes exactly like that.

They’re going to love her. I am, too. If it hadn’t been only five weeks since I got here, I’d say I did already.

But I’m trying to be somewhat reasonable, and Scarlett said she didn’t want anything too serious while we’re here. So, when she catches me staring at her and asks what I’m thinking about, I don’t tell her I love her. I don’t tell her about the email sitting in my inbox, or what Ronan and Fallon are doing while we’re away from Clover Pines for a couple of days. I don’t tell her half of what I want to say.

“Us,” I answer honestly, and her eyes widen. “And how I was expecting this to be the worst Christmas I’ve ever had, but it’s been the opposite. Because I got to meet you, and the kids, and your family. And I know it took a lot of pain and hard stuff to get here, but I still feel like I had the luckiest Christmas in the world.”

“Me too,” Scarlett agrees, tracing a heart on my chest with her fingertip. “Regardless of what brought you here, I’m really glad you knocked on my front door.”

40

Scarlett

New Year’s Eve always makes me antsy. The last time I felt truly carefree on this day, I ended up pregnant, and, since then, I can’t help but feel a little restless.

I use the feeling to get shit done, though. My house will never be spotless, considering I have two kids running around, but I like to start the new year with things as tidy as I can. I’ve spent most of the day picking up around the house, putting fresh sheets on the beds, lighting candles. The kids have been occupied with all of their presents, and Killian has been out with Ronan and Fallon. When I asked him what they were up to, he told me it was a surprise. From anyone else, that might make me anxious, but I’ve loved all of Killian’s surprises so far.