Page 45 of Unwrapping His Naughty Secret

Her eyes spark, and she covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh, shit,” she mumblesfrom behind her fingers.

“What?”

“Remember how many times I called you Mom for bossing me around about homework?”

I groan.

“I’m not calling you Mom ever again,” she says.

“That’s fair.”

“But it probably was prophetic.”

“That might be putting the cart before the horse.”

She shakes her head. “No. I have to be okay with the idea of you having my dad’s babies. Oh my God. You’d be such a good mom, too.”

“Ummm… thanks. I think.”

She jumps up and races out the door. “Dad!” By the time I reach the hall, she’s sprinting down the stairs at top speed. “Father!”

Hunter appears in the foyer as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

She grabs his hand and gestures to me at the top of the stairs. “I got you a Christmas present.”

“What?” Hunter and I both say at the same time, equally confused.

She grins broadly. “I knew Cara was special from the second I met her. Maybe I should have invited her over here to study so you could meet her sooner, but… ta da! I got you a girlfriend for Christmas. She likes babies, you know.”

He looks up at me, and we exchange awhat the fucklook, probably not the last when it comes to Hannah.

Then a slow smile spreads across his face. “Well, all right then.” He wraps one arm around her and squeezes her tight as he holds out the other hand, gesturing for me to join them. “Thanks for the lovely introduction, Hannah Banana.”

Slowly, I descend the stairs.

When I reach them, Hannah slips out from under her dad’s arm and marches back into the living room, announcing to her uncle and his spouses that Christmas is not, in fact, ruined, and then she’s taking credit for the matchmaking.

“But I am going to have to have a sleepoverat your place tonight,” she says, projecting her voice loud enough so we can hear it. “Becausesomepeople just can’t keep their hands to themselves.”

I giggle. “Remember when she thought inviting me here would put a damper on all the happy sex talk?”

“Whatever gets us to this in the end,” Hunter murmurs, cupping my face in his hand. “Merry Christmas, sweetness.”

“Merry Christmas,” I whisper back as his lips collide with mine.

Right under the mistletoe.

Chapter 18

Hunter

“We’ll be backtomorrow night for a belated Christmas dinner,” Hannah says as she follows Wyatt, Heath, and Emily out the door thirty minutes later. Nobody even changed out of their candy cane PJs. They just grabbed their overnight bags and are hightailing it out of here as fast as they can.

“Sounds great!” I cheerfully wave once more, then decisively close the door with my family on the outside of it.

And my sweet, patient girl alone with me at last.

“Hi,” I say, turning around.

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