Page 70 of Kringle and the Kraken

“Do tell.”

“I plan to distract them every chance I get by kissing you.”

My hand found his on the seat between us. “I love a man who knows how to play dirty.”

The lights were on in my house when we pulled up, and I glanced at Levi again. He was back to avoiding my eyes.

“Did you leave the lights on, babe?” I opened his door and helped him out of the truck just because I wanted an excuse to touch him.

He shook his head. “Nope.”

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t, and my suspicion grew. What the hell was he up to?

It didn’t take long to find out.

My house—our house—looked like some sort of winter wonderland threw up in it. White glitter stars and purple and blue streamers had been hung from the ceiling, the streamers pulled back so they draped around the room. Shell garlands I recognized from Levi’s box of Poseidonia decorations had been given a glittery facelift and strung across the mantle above the fireplace, and white twinkle lights now framed my bookshelves and wrapped around the banister leading upstairs. A fire crackled in the fireplace.

In the middle of the worn kitchen table, a huge bouquet of white, blue, and purple flowers stood among takeout containers that could only have come from Kori, and a small stack ofpresents all wrapped in white paper were positioned at the far end of the table.

I looked over my shoulder at Levi, who hadn’t said anything. “What is all this?”

“The lesser of two evils.”

He stepped up next to me, and I pulled him close. “Explain.”

“Your mom and sisters were a little upset they didn’t get to throw us an engagement party. I could tell they were up to something when I met Karla in town for coffee yesterday, but she wouldn’t say a word, so I called Kimmy.”

“Well played. She’s the weakest link.”

He smiled and rested his head on my shoulder. “I know. She sang like a canary, telling me they were planning an ambush at the party tomorrow, but I didn’t think you would appreciate that, so I called your mom and negotiated this surprise instead.”

“So this is our solo engagement party?”

“It is.” He swept a hand out to encompass the table. “Food from Mizu Mizu, presents, and decorations, though they definitely did more than they promised they were going to. I convinced your mom we needed time to decompress together after the other night and yesterday.”

Levi had spent the day in the mayor’s office with Lawrence Tidewell, who’d agreed to stay on as assistant mayor, and he hadn’t made it home until almost midnight.

I turned Levi around and pressed my lips to his. “This is exactly what we need. Thank you.”

We took the takeout containers into the living room and settled on the couch, eating side by side while we watched the flames dance in the hearth.

When we were done eating and the containers were stacked neatly on the coffee table, Levi curled into my side. “I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve done this.”

I stroked a hand over his forearm, encouraging his tentacles to rise away from his body. “We’ve never done this. We’ve always had something hanging over our heads. It feels good to be able to slow down without worrying about wraiths or the former mayor.”

“You’re right. Though you do realize worrying about the town is kind of my job now, right?”

“I do. But it’s not for this moment.”

Levi curled tighter into my side, his tentacles and body wrapping around mine. We took the time to enjoy the moment, kissing and holding each other, until the last log in the fireplace burned down to ash.

“Ready for bed?” my mate asked, stirring against my side and looking up at me with a devilish glint in his eyes.

I nodded. “I just want to grab something first. I’ll meet you up there.”

“Okay.”

Levi made his way up the stairs, and I snuck out to my workshop. Since he’d been gone most of the day yesterday, I’d finally had a chunk of uninterrupted time to finish his gift. I’d wrapped it up in a white box with a big red bow. My heart tripped in my chest as I cradled the present in my arms and went to meet Levi in our bedroom.

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