Page 74 of A Christmas Bargain

She smiled. “It’s not so dire anymore. They can figure it outandI can do what I want.”

“Which is what?” I frowned, worried that I’d misread her and her passion wasn’t real estate.

“Residential properties and slowing down.” She looked at me with a nervous expression. “Idowant your land, Derek. But not to sell it. Just to enjoy it with you and Naomi.”

I exhaled a hard whoosh of air as I lunged for her. Framing her face, I held her close to kiss her hard. In this kiss, I tried to pour out all the happiness and relief I felt in knowing we weren’t over.

She laughed, falling back onto the couch.

“Are you serious?”

She nodded. “I’m not worried about getting your land that you never intended to sell to me.”

“And I’m not worried about women bothering me in town and needing to look unavailable.” I smiled down at her before I kissed her again. “Because Iamtaken. If you want me.”

She kissed me. “Oh, I want.”

“I am sorry I manipulated you.”

“I think… we sort of manipulated each other.”

“But will that ruin anything in the long term?” I asked as she hugged me close.

“No. Maybe we started this with lies, but it built into something real.”

I kissed her again, so excited and thrilled that she wasn’t mad, that things were falling into place so perfectly.

“You’re not worried that we’re moving too fast?”

She shook her head, kissing me and running her hands up and down my back. “When you know, you know, right?”

I nodded, parting her lips and tasting her sweetness.

“It’s the season for falling in love,” she teased.

“A Christmas miracle,” I joked back. “One we hadn’t bargained for.”

She moaned against my mouth, smiling into the kiss. Then she went still and stopped. “Shoot. What if Naomi walks out and?—”

I grinned, kissing her again as I ground down on her. Pressing her into the couch, I sandwiched her with nowhere to go. She wanted to stay. With me. Like this.

“She’s at my sister’s house for the night. I wanted to come clean and be honest with you.”

“Oh.”

“I didn’t want another second to go by of falling in love while hating that I’d lied.”

“Love?” she asked with a sexy smile that lit up her caramel eyes.

“Yeah.” I could admit it without any grudge in my heart, without a sliver of grief. “I’m falling in love with you, Claire.”

She hugged her arms around my neck. “And I love you,” she whispered against my mouth.

“A Christmas miracle, indeed,” I joked.

She giggled, but her laughter faded as I tugged her shirt up and lowered back down to kiss her.

“Just to clarify,” she said as she pulled at my shirt. “This is all real.”

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