Page 16 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

Before I can dwell on it, there’s a knock at the door. Room service. I get up, tugging on my pants, and bring the food in, setting it on the small table by the window. We sit together, eating in silence for a moment, but there’s a comfortable easiness between us now.

She takes a bite of her steak, moaning softly. “Okay, this might be the best decision I’ve ever made.”

I laugh. “Glad to hear it.”

After we eat, I pull her back onto the bed, my hands roaming over her body. “Round two?” I ask, my voice low.

She grins, her eyes flashing with excitement. “You better not make me addicted to sex after just one night.”

“No promises,” I murmur, kissing her again, already losing myself in her touch.

By the time we’re done, the plates are discarded on the floor, and she’s curled up against me, a satisfied grin on her face.

Chapter Six

Savannah

I wake up wrapped in Jared’s strong arms, his body pressed against mine, radiating warmth. His chest rises and falls slowly—he’s still out cold. I stretch slightly, feeling his grip tighten unconsciously before loosening again, giving me just enough room to wiggle free.

As I slide out of bed, I pause, glancing down at him. The soft light peeking through the curtains catches the sharp lines of his jaw, the slashing lines of his cheekbones, and the planes of his abs. God, he’s gorgeous.

I bend down and kiss his shoulder, my lips lingering a little longer than they should. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, remembering how perfect last night was.

He was my first—thefirst—and I’m not even embarrassed about it anymore. It’s like an early Christmas present…more than early, but whatever.

The way he had looked at me, touched me, like I was the only thing that mattered, it makes me grin.

I slip into the bathroom, turning on the shower as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake him. The water’s cold at first, sending a shock through me, but I adjust the temperature and let it run warm, quick and practical. There’s no time to linger, even though my body’s still buzzing from everything.

I grab my towel and pat myself dry, my gaze drifting over to the bed again. Jared’s shifted, now lying on his back, showing off even more of those ridiculous abs, his stomach rising and falling with each breath.

My throat goes dry as my mind briefly wanders back to the things Icouldbe doing right now instead of getting ready to leave. God, just one more ride...he’s tempting, like something out of a fantasy I didn’t know I had.

No. Focus.

I shove the thought away and yank my dress out of my suitcase, slipping it on as quickly as I can. I’m not about to turn into some clingy one-night-stand nightmare, even if this one-night stand was...a game-changer.

I zip up the dress and sit on the edge of the bed, fingers trembling as I grab a piece of hotel stationery off the dresser. I need to leave him something, right? It seems rude to just vanish after a night like that.

I chew on the end of the pen for a second, thinking. What the hell do I even say? “Thanks for being my first” sounds...juvenile, but it’s also true. Eventually, I scribble something down.

“Last night was incredible. Thank you for everything. It was like a Christmas present. You’ll probably never see me again, but I’ll never forget this.”

Yeah, that works. Simple, not too desperate. I fold the note and leave it on the nightstand next to his wallet. Leaning down, I kiss his forehead softly, brushing back a lock of his hair.

“Goodbye, Jared,” I whisper.

My stomach twists, but I swallow the emotion. This was just one night. That’s all it was supposed to be.

I grab my bags, hoisting them over my shoulder, and tiptoe out of the room. As soon as the door clicks shut behind me, I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I stand in the hallway for a second, adjusting the strap of my bag, then pull out my phone to check the address of my new place.

I scroll through the email Kimmy sent me. Craigslist wasn’t my first choice, but when you’re scrambling to find a place and all your options have dried up, you take what you can get.

The apartment seemed fine, and Kimmy was nice enough over email. We agreed on rent, and I Venmo’d her the thousand-dollar deposit last week.

I punch the address into my Uber app and wait for the car to arrive, leaning against the wall outside the hotel. Chicago’s already buzzing with people, the city alive in a way I almost forgot about.

It’s been years since I lived here for two years with my mom when she was trying to work things out with my dad.Spoiler alert: they didn’t work it out.

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