Page 9 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

I refuse to feel sad about Christmas due to the catering nightmare. Christmas is too special to let it be ruined by all of that. “I usually put up the Christmas tree in October,” I admit.

He rolls his eyes. “Oh, you’re one ofthosepeople.”

I flap a hand at him. “Spoken like a grinch. Christmas is magical.”

He shakes his head. “Maybe. I think it’s kind of a commercial holiday more than anything else.”

I gasp and pretend to clutch my pearls. “Blasphemy!” I crow. “You just need someone to show you what the holidays are all about. That would change your tune.”

Right then, the plane lurches. My stomach drops to my feet as turbulence hits out of nowhere, and I instinctively grip the armrest. I glance over at him, and of course, he’s calm as can be, like the entire plane isn’t shaking like a cheap carnival ride.

“You all right?” His voice cuts through the rising panic in my chest.

“Yeah, I just…hate flying,” I say through clenched teeth. The plane jerks again, and I curse under my breath.

His hand lands on mine, warm and steady. “Breathe. You’re good. It’s just some bumps in the air.”

I try to focus on his voice, but my brain is spiraling. What if this plane goes down? What if I die, and the last thing people remember about me isSalmonella Savannah?

Before I know it, the words start spilling out. “Okay, listen, my name isn’t just Savannah. You probably don’t know me, but maybe you do because I’mthatSavannah. You know,Salmonella Savannah? The one who poisoned a whole wedding party? I basically ruined my career, and now I’m running away to Chicago to try and fix my reputation and…oh my God, why am I telling you this?”

I clamp my hand over my mouth, horrified by the confession I just blurted out to this sexy stranger. But Jared doesn’t laugh or recoil. He just…listens. And his hand? Still resting on mine.

“Everyone makes mistakes, Savannah,” he says softly, but there’s no judgment in his voice.

I blink at him. “You’re…you’re not freaked out, or, like, thinking about asking for a seat change?”

He shakes his head, squeezing my hand gently. “No. It’s honestly kind of refreshing to hear someone be that honest.”

I let out a shaky breath. “God, I’m such a mess. I’ve never even had sex before. I can’t die in a plane crash.”

Why. The hell…did I just say that?

I immediately wish I could melt into the seat and disappear, but Jared’s eyes don’t widen in shock. Instead, his smile softens, and something in his gaze changes. It’s like the air between us gets thicker, heavier.

“Never, huh?” he asks, voice low.

I swallow, nodding, mortified. “Yup. I mean, not that I’ve been waiting for, like,the oneor anything, but…I don’t know. It just hasn’t happened. I have had orgasms, but never from like, someone else.”

I should really tape my mouth shut!

Jared is still watching me, and despite the chaos of the turbulence and my own racing thoughts, there’s something grounding about his presence.

“I get it,” he says. “I’ve got my own shit too. Pressure to live up to family expectations. My dad, especially. I’m not just a lawyer, you know? I work with athletes, but my dad wanted me in corporate law, the big leagues.”

“That sounds…exhausting,” I say, trying to focus on him and not the fact that we might die mid-flight.

He gives a short laugh. “Yeah, it can be.”

The plane jerks again, and my panic spikes once more. I suck in a sharp breath, feeling my chest tighten as I start to hyperventilate. Jared’s hand is back on mine in an instant.

“Savannah, look at me,” he says firmly. “Breathe.”

I try, but the panic’s still clawing its way up my throat. “I…I can’t…”

“You can.” His voice is low and steady. “Focus on me, okay? Right here.”

His eyes lock on mine, and there’s something so intense, sosurein his gaze that it cuts through the panic fogging my brain. And then, without warning, his lips are on mine.

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