Page 28 of Snowed In

Edries kisses my temple. “If he was, he saw your asshole being stuffed.”

I laugh. “And he saw yours like an invitation while you fucked me. You’re lucky he didn’t shove a candy cane up there.”

His grin makes my stomach flutter. “Which ones do you want?”

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “I think we just open them all together.”

His smile is much softer now. There’s a magical twinkle in his eyes. “I like that.”

So that’s what we do. We take our time, pulling out one item each and looking at it. Sometimes they’re just little trinkets, like charms or pieces of candy. But sometimes they’re gadgets that we truly have topuzzle together what they are. There are little wooden puzzles, stones, wax melts, and figurines. There’s a true medley of items in the stockings.

We take a lot longer to get through them than necessary, but I think it’s one of the most enjoyable unveilings I’ve ever had.

The buzzer for breakfast goes off and I clamber off the chair while Edries piles our goodies onto the coffee table. By the time he joins me, I have two plates ready and juice on the table.

While we eat, we talk about past Christmases, both from our childhood and our adult years. The one thing that Bernice allowed him to do was spoil his children. And her, of course. When I tried to get out of him what he received for Christmas, Edries was evasive. Enough so that I’m sure he didn’t receive much.

I didn’t know this woman, but I hated her a little more every day. Every time we talked about his kids or their lives together. I really hope that karma has her name and number. Even more so, I hope that someday, Edries hears of how karma served her.

When we’re finished eating and cleaning up, we bring mugs of hot chocolate into the living room. I fish out a few more blankets to sit on in front of the fireplace and tree and together we go through the more than two dozen wrapped gifts.

One of my favorites is a one-piece pajama romper that’s covered in candy cane stripes with an ass flap. I totally plan to wear that later. Edries opens this extravagant designer chess set made with gold and abstract, polished precious stones as pieces. The pawns are little pearly circles. It’s rather stunning.

I open what reminds me of a makeup case. Something like a professional makeup artist might carry around. Except, every drawer and hidden compartment is filled with stupidly expensive chocolates from around the world. I’m almost too afraid to eat them, but we sample a few, anyway.

There’s a jeweled crown and a scented car freshener that looks like it belongs in a museum. Sampler tea tins from around the world. A gold foil flower that is honestly one of the most stunning things I’veever seen. There’s this kick-ass pocket watch that looks both old and fantastical, like it’s from a different world. A steampunk world.

I’m not sure if I’m having more fun opening gifts or watching Edries. More times than not, whatever we open, we give to the other. As if the universe just knows that we want to give and make their Christmas magical. Meaningful.

There are a lot of really expensive gifts, but there are fun and whimsical gifts too. When we’re finished and all the discarded paper is sitting in a pile for us to burn later, I look at the items we unwrapped and try to picture fucking Jason here in this moment. Nothing that we opened would be something he’d have liked or appreciated.

Hell, I’m not even sure Roux would have enjoyed some of these things. As I watch Edries in his slacks and $200 tee tend to the fire, I decide that this is truly the most perfect Christmas I’ve ever had. With the perfect man. Everything about today has been… well, magical.

We prepare our small feast together, laughing as we make a mess of the kitchen. Accidentally on purpose brushing and rubbing against each other over and over again. My heart feels full. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The twinge in my ass is a constant reminder of last night. And as much as the ache lingers, everything inside me begs for more.

I can’t wait to climb back into bed with Edries tonight. But I enjoy every single moment outside of bed with him, too.

There’s a moment when we’re waiting for everything to finish cooking when I just stare at him. At this man who showed up in the room I paid for like he owned it. He owned everything.

I think maybe he did all along. Including me.

Chapter Nine

Edries

Somewhere around four this evening the wind starts to howl like we’re no longer in a magical Christmas wonderland but in a Halloween haunted forest. It rattles the windows and makes the fire dance and flicker. Bursts of cold sweep through the hot cabin as the snow whips around the outside in strong torrents of wind.

We remain tucked together. Eating. Curled up on the couch watching Christmas movies. Enjoying our eggnog in front of the fire and tree. At the end of the last movie, when Gabe’s eyes are lazily trying to stay open, I pull him to his feet.

He laughs as he stumbles, and I gather him in my arms. The music on the rolling credits is soft, sweet, and filled with Christmas spirit. I pull him close and dance a slow circuit around the room until we end up rocking in front of the fire and tree.

Gabe sighs, his face tucked into my neck. I hold him close, committing this moment to memory so I can think back on it for the rest of my life. This single perfect moment that might never have come if Bernice had continued to be the fake, controlling force in my life. I might have never experienced another magical Christmas. The joy of watching someone’s face light up when they open a presentthat takes their breath away. The simple pleasure of sharing something magical and meaningful with someone else who appreciates it the same way you do.

Bernice showing her true colors was a blessing. One I can barely remember why I was so upset over right now. If it weren’t for the way she dictated my life and sucked the color and joy out of it, I might not have ever made it to this moment where everything is so bright and flawless. I might never get to taste what she deemed peasant food again—which, if you ask me, is far superior to the food I’ve been eating for the past fifteen years.

Gabe’s yawn makes me smile. I rest my head against his for a minute before asking, “Ready for bed, baby?”

He hums. “Yeah.”

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