Page 36 of Riding Dirty for Christmas

I back her against the bar, deepening the kiss. Eden arches into me, a soft sound escaping her throat that sets my blood on fire. My hands slide down her sides, gripping her hips, anchoring us both.

Her teeth graze my lower lip. “We're supposed to meet them for dinner in twenty minutes.”

“Plenty of time.” I back her against the bar, my hands sliding down her sides. “I need you. Now.”

A groan rumbles in my chest. My fingers tangle in her hair, tilting her head back to trail kisses down her throat, claiming every inch of her.

“The door?—”

“Is locked. And only two people have the key.” I trail kisses down her throat, feeling her pulse race beneath my lips. “But we'll haveto be quick.” My hands slide under her sweater, finding bare skin. “And quiet.”

She shivers, her head falling back. “The tree isn't even finished—” Her protest dies as my mouth finds her throat.

“The star can wait.” I tug the soft material of her sweater aside to kiss her shoulder. “You can't.”

“So sure of yourself.” But her breath catches as my hands slide higher. “What happened to taking things slow?”

“Went out the window the moment you said you loved me.” I capture her mouth again, drowning in the taste of her. Everything narrows to this - Eden's warmth pressed against me, her desperate sounds, the way she moves against me like she can't get close enough.

Her laugh is breathy, desperate. “I might have had that in mind.” She rocks against me, making me groan. “But dinner's in twenty minutes...”

“Then we better make them count.” I capture her mouth again, drowning in the taste of her. “Every. Single. One.”

The bar door suddenly swings open with a rush of arctic air, shattering our bubble of warmth.

Eden startles, but I keep my hands firmly on her waist, refusing to let her step away. This isn't something we need to hide.

Our parents stand frozen in the doorway, takeout bags dangling from their hands, while multicolored lights dance across their shocked faces.

Caterina's eyes dart between us, her mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise. Robert stands like a statue beside her, his jaw clenched. The paper takeout bags crinkle in his white-knuckled grip, the only sound besides “Silver Bells” playing softly in the background.

Silence stretches between us, broken only by Christmas music playing softly from the bar speakers. Eden's fingers dig into my shirt, but she doesn't pull away.

Eden tenses against me, but her voice comes out steady. “Mom. Robert. We were just finishing the tree.”

“Among other things,” Robert mutters, but I catch the hint of a smile beneath his beard.

“Actually...” I squeeze Eden's waist gently. This is my moment to take control, to show her I meant every word. “We have something to tell you.”

“Jack—” Eden's warning comes out breathless as she smooths her sweater. I shift slightly, shielding her from view while she composes herself, relief flooding my system that we weren't caught in an even more compromising position against the bar.

“Eden and I are together.” I run a quick hand through my mussed hair and meet my father's eyes, then Caterina's. “It's not temporary, nor is it casual.”

The takeout bags crinkle as Caterina shifts her weight. For a long moment, the only sound is Christmas music playing softly from the bar speakers.

“I love him too.” Eden’s voice shakes but holds steady. “I know it seems sudden but it won’t complicate things with the wedding.”

“We should have told you sooner,” I admit. “But we needed time to figure things out.”

The silence stretches. Dad shifts his weight, crossing his arms.

Caterina looks at Robert, her eyebrows raised in question. “Robert?” Her voice wavers. “What do you think?”

My father studies us for a long moment. I recognize the look—he gets it when he's assessing a difficult renovation project, weighing all the angles.

“The tree looks good,” he says finally.

“Robert!” Caterina swats his arm.

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