Page 40 of Tickled Pink

She barks and leaps toward the kitchen again.

I follow her down the hall, my stomach growling as I picture the feast waiting for me. Bacon and pancakes and eggs and toast.

Goddamn, I love having two boyfriends who know how to feed me.

I step into the kitchen and there they are.

My boys.

Max sits at the kitchen table with a tablet in front of him. Knowing him, he’s taking the only quiet moment he’ll have on Christmas morning to double-check the news and clear out his email inbox.

Thad hovers over the stove with a spatula in one hand and a skillet in the other. He flips a pancake in the air and successfully catches it, letting out a satisfied grunt the moment it touches down.

I laugh, and he notices me standing in the doorway.

“You see that?” he asks.

“I did see that,” I say with a nod.

He flashes a wink. “You don’t have to say it. I know you’re thinking it.”

I walk around the counter toward him and plant a kiss on his cheek. “You’re awesome.”

“You’re damn right I’m awesome,” he says. “You hungry?”

“I’m starving.”

“Good, plenty for all. Want some juice?”

I reach for the refrigerator door. “I’ll get it.”

As I scan the top shelves, Thad comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Hey,” he whispers only for me, lightly kissing my neck.

I hug his arms. “Hey.”

“I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Pinky promise?”

I chuckle and turn to kiss the edge of his mouth. “Pinky promise,” I say. “Last night was good. Really good.”

“Good.” He kisses me back. “Just checking in.”

My heart skips twice. “Thank you.”

Thad flashes another wink at me before turning back to his skillet.

I fill a glass with orange juice and make my way to the kitchen table, offering my attention to Max.

“Hey,” I say as I sit beside him.

Max looks up from his tablet. “Hi,” he says, unsuccessfully obscuring a serious face.

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