Page 32 of Unwrapping His Naughty Secret

His hand sinks into my hair and he presses his forehead against mine, exhaling. “I’ve never wanted anyone like this. I want all of you, heart and soul and body, immediately. That’s a huge ask of anyone, let anyone a…”

“A virgin?” I offer.

He groans and crushes me to his chest. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Why?” I wriggle until my lips are against his neck. I kiss the warm, taut skin there. “You’re going to make my first time amazing. No need to be sorry. But maybe that can be a tomorrow thing?”

He smiles into my hair. I don’t know how I know that, since I can’t see his face, but I can feel it. His whole body feels like he’s smiling.

“Do you want a shirt to sleep in?”

I’d honestly forgotten I was naked except for my panties. “Do I need one?”

“God, no. I want to hold you like this all night.” He lets go of me long enough to turn off his bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

“Hannah’s not an early riser on Christmas. Don’t worry,” he whispers.

He tugs the covers back and rolls me under the blanket, then slides in with me, spooning around me.

“Hunter?”

“Yeah?” His chest rises and falls against my back.

“I think you’re an amazing dad.”

He squeezes his arm around me, his hand big and warm across my tummy. “Thanks.”

I close my eyes and sink into the lovely heat of his body.

“I’m sorry my family is so bonkers,” he murmurs into my hair.

I smile without opening my eyes. “I actually love the chaos.”

“You mean that?”

“You sound shocked.”

“I amshocked.”

“Well, the alternative for me was a very boring, very quiet Christmas alone.”

He tenses behind me. “How long have you been alone?”

“Depends who you ask. A few months or my entire life.” I roll onto my back so I can look at him now that my eyes have adjusted to the dark. “My parents are both academics. Professors at a university in Washington, D.C., and very active field researchers. Right now they are in Siberia.”

“Festive,” he says dryly.

“Yeah. Christmas was always pretty quiet at our house.”

He brushes a strand of hair off my face. “Did you have to manage that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” He stretches his big body, hunkering down closer to me again. “Tonight I saw you watching everyone and being very thoughtful. I know how much you had to help Hannah in your class together. You tutor at the library. So I’m wondering if that caretaking nature was something you had to do as a kid, too?”

“Maybe. I guess I usually am the responsible one.”

“Responsible girls deserve to have someone else taking care of them sometimes, too.” His fingers slide down my neck, then around my breast, raising a line of goosebumps.

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