Page 96 of Filthy Rich Santas

I laugh, and he cups my cheek and swoops in for a kiss.

I shove his chest, laughing harder as I dodge it, and accidentally wake up Tristan.

“No kissing until I brush my teeth. Morning breath!”

“I don’t think he cares,” Tristan rumbles, tipping my face around and giving me a sleepy smile. “I know I don’t.”

“But—” I start.

He doesn’t give me a chance to finish before he’s kissing me, and I guess I don’t actually care all that much, either.

“Good morning, freckles,” he murmurs once he lets me go. Then he gives me a little push back in Ryder’s direction. “Now why don’t you make it a good one for Ryder too.”

I give in, and Ryder smiles against my lips as he gives me a sweet kiss, then a dirtier one. They pass me back and forth for a few moments while the sound of the shower turns on, but as soon as Beckett finishes, I sit up.

“Dibs!”

“Were we not holding your attention?” Ryder asks, chuckling at my enthusiasm.

“Hey, I grew up with siblings! I learned a few things about sharing a bathroom.”

Tristan grabs my wrist as I try to scramble out of bed, tugging me back for a moment.

“Do me a favor?” He runs his finger over the bridge of my nose. “These are gorgeous. Don’t hide them with makeup today.”

My freckles?

My heart skips a beat. I’ve been covering them up with foundation for most of my life, and I can still remember the way my mother would grab my chin and inspect my face every time I came inside from an outdoor activity, tutting under her breath about how I was ruining my skin by gaining new “blotches.”

But the memory of her constant criticism and the disappointment on her face is wiped away by the expression on Tristan’s.

“Okay,” I whisper, surprising myself.

He grins, then twists around to grab his glasses from the nightstand, slips them on, and pulls me in for a last kiss.

“Gorgeous,” he repeats. He pats my butt when I get out of bed before calling after me, “But save some hot water for us!”

I’m tempted to just invite him into the shower with me, but Beckett is probably right. We should really get on the road.

I get in the shower, tipping my face up and letting the warm water wash away a little of my disappointment. Part of me would have been happy to stay here the entire time. To skip out on Christmas with my family, and just spend the entire winter holiday exploring more kink with these three men.

“A girl can dream,” I murmur to myself, sighing softly. Then my practical side kicks in, and I finish up quickly, applying light makeup before I get dressed, but leaving off the foundation like Tristan requested.

When I finish in the bathroom, the guys’ personal belongings are already gone from the suite’s bedroom, so I reluctantly organize my own things, repacking my suitcase. Even if the storm was still raging or the roads were completely blocked, stealing a few more days in this fantasy world with the three of them wouldn’t actually satisfy the longing they’ve awakened in me.

But anything else isn’t really feasible.

I’ve gotten to know each of them even better since leaving L.A., and while it might have made me start falling for them a little harder than I should, it’s also confirmed what I’ve always known. I just can’t really see how anything like what we’re doing together on this trip could ever last beyond it, when we’re all back in our normal lives.

“But Icanquit pining for what isn’t possible, and enjoy it as much as I can while it lasts,” I remind myself softly, carefully folding the last item I have to add to my suitcase.

I run my fingers over the silky camisole as I place it in its spot, the glow I felt upon waking dimming a little as another wave of tiredness hits me.

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “See? If this were a long-term thing, that kind of sex would obviously wear me out too much,” I murmur to myself under my breath, determined to see the glass as half full and not waste any of this magical time by being disappointed just because it won’t last.

Tristan pops his head through the bedroom door. “What was that?”

I grin at him. “Nothing. Just talking to myself. It’s a bad habit.”

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