Page 50 of A Christmas Mystery

After a few minutes, he does get up and go to the bathroom to clean himself up, and I’m still giggling a little when he returns.

He pulls me into a full body hug as we settle back onto the couch. He gives me a slow, tender kiss that lasts for several minutes.

Then we lie there together, enjoying each other until I actually fall asleep.

***

THEO MUST FALL ASLEEPtoo because it’s early morning the next day—Christmas Eve day—when I wake up.

I feel warm and cozy but not entirely comfortable. I’m still wearing my thigh-highs and camisole with my skirt bunched up around my hips, and Theo’s big body is resting on one of my arms, making it lose circulation.

He’s sound asleep, breathing slow and even. I carefully pry my arm out from under him and shake it out to get the blood flowing again.

As I do, I look at him, smiling like a sap at the sight of his thick, rumpled hair and five-o’clock shadow. Even his eyelashes are thick and slightly disarrayed.

I’m not sure how or when it happened, but it did.

I adore this man.

I want a life with him. It might be a miracle that I feel this way again.

After a minute, I’m so overwhelmed with feeling that I need to distract myself. I go to the bathroom and then return to settle back on the couch.

Despite my efforts to not wake him, he blinks a couple of times and peers up at me from under heavy eyelids. His face softens into the sweetest smile, like seeing me on waking makes him happy.

“Good morning,” he says, reaching up to touch my cheek with his fingertips.

“Hi.” I smile back at him like a dope. “Happy Christmas Eve day.”

“Oh yeah. It is Christmas Eve. I don’t have to work.”

“So what are your plans for your day off?” I stretch out on top of him in my favorite position, pleased when he wraps his arms around me.

“Well, I hadn’t thought about it. But lately the only thing I want to do with any free time I have is spend that time with you.”

I smile against his neck. “That sounds good to me.”

He takes my head in his hand and moves it in a position to kiss me, smiling against my lips as he does. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“You brushed your teeth.”

“So?”

“I haven’t. That needs to be remedied.” He eases me off him to head to the bathroom. “I’m not going to be the only one with morning breath.”

I fall back onto the couch, laughing again. I really can’t seem to stop.

Then, since we’re both awake and up, it makes sense to have coffee. I make some in my French press as Theo walks around the small space, opening up my blinds and letting the bright winter sunshine in.

We end up back on the couch to drink our coffee, talking about our plans. I always have dinner with Tee and Daniela and then we go to midnight Mass together. Theo’s parents are expecting him for dinner, but he asks if it’s all right if he comes to Mass with us.

I agree, ridiculously thrilled that he wants to.

It’s almost an hour later when we start kissing again. And, not unexpectedly, it gets heavy fast.

Knowing Theo is trying to be good and wait until I’m really ready, I fight the arousal enough to break our embrace and sit up so we can talk.

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