Page 49 of Kiss Me

“I didn’t give her much of a choice,” he retorts.

I snort and nod in agreement even though he can’t see me. Then something strange happens. My gaze moves upward toward my bedroom where Tania continues to rest.

An image of her laying in my bed passes through my mind, leaving a smile of satisfaction on my face.

My Christmas gift.

The words I’d said before we fell asleep. And I wasn’t talking about the sex either, though that’s a bonus.

“Anyway,” I say, getting back to the subject at hand, “did you take care of what I requested earlier?”

During breakfast, I managed to pull Dae aside to do me a favor. One I didn’t want anyone else knowing about.

“It’s all set and ready for you tomorrow morning at ten a.m.,” he confirms. “You’ll have the entire day to yourselves.”

“You’re sure no one will be around?”

He grunts as if annoyed. “Did you forget who you’re talking to? I know how to get shit done. Ask my wife.”

“What was that?” I hear Kennedy’s voice in the background.

A snort from the back of my throat punctuates her question.

“Sounds like Mr. Get-Shit-Done is about to get an ear full. Drop me the location. Thanks, hyung,” I tell my cousin before disconnecting the call.

Another look around the room reminds me of the burnt smell that continues to linger in the room.

Though the smoke has mostly cleared, I glare at the destroyed final batch of gingerbread cookies on the counter.

“Her cookies are ruined,” I grumble before cursing myself for being so damn careless.

I scrape the last batch of ruined cookies into the garbage before grabbing my phone to pull up the gingerbread recipe I saved. The first three batches of cookies came out fine, but knowing Tania, she’ll finish those off within the next two days.

I made sure to order more than enough ingredients to make more batches of her favorite Christmas cookies. So, without thinking too much about how I’m a man who prefers to order anything I put in my mouth rather than step foot into the kitchen, I begin mixing a new batch of gingerbread dough.

“What’s this?” Tania’s voice from the kitchen’s entryway draws me away from the task before me. I must’ve lost track of time and everything else.

I close the oven and set the timer before turning to face her. My lips part to answer her but the response falls dead on my tongue.

She’s dressed in one of my oversized T-shirts. The shirt stops at the tops of her thighs.

“You know…” I start, slowly walking toward her. “If I had it my way, I’d have you wear nothing at all. But if you’re going to insist on wearing clothes, I am appreciating this look.”

She looks down as if suddenly realizing what she has on. “You don’t mind me wearing your clothes?”

“Mind?” I lean in, pulling her into my arms and nuzzling my face against the crook of her neck. “Anything in my wardrobe is yours from here on out,” I declare before running my teeth against the skin of her neck.

She shudders but then pushes me away.

“Don’t even start that. Isn’t that how we lost the last batch of cookies?” She gestures to the burnt cookie sheet in the sink.

“We can make more.”

She slaps my hands away, giggling. “Absolutely not. You just put another batch of cookies in the oven. And we haven’t iced the ones we made earlier.”

She points to the huge ball of gingerbread dough sitting on the counter. “You make some more cookies to go in the oven next, and I’ll decorate the ones that we’ve already baked.”

I frown at her, giving her a distrustful look. “Are you sure you’re going to ice them or are you going to eat them when my back is turned?”

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