Page 4 of Holiday Hijinks

“So do we get to see the inside of the place or what?” she asked, excitement winding through her. “Anna told me about some of the changes, extra rooms and whatnot.” Her stomach rumbled at that exact moment, and Slate bit back a curse.

“I’ll get dinner started as soon as we go in.”

“We both know you can’t cook,” Ashleigh replied, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door. Slate was already hustling around the front of the vehicle.

“I may have arranged for some pre-made meals,” he admitted, putting his big hands on her hips to help her down from the large SUV.

His slightly sheepish look had her bursting into laughter. Slate could do many things, but cooking dinner wasn’t his specialty. “You didn’t have to do that. You know that I don’t mind cooking.”

“I know, but we’re on vacation, Ash. I don’t mind spoiling you.”

“Vacation, huh? How many times have you checked in with your men?” she teased.

“Only once, and I’m assured they have things under control. This is the longest amount of leave I’ve taken,” he admitted. “But you can’t fault me for being diligent about keeping up with work. We both know you’re a workaholic, too,” he said, shooting her a knowing look.

“Point taken.”

She smiled beside Slate as he got their things from the cargo area, bouncing up and down slightly to warm up. “What? It’s cold,” she said as he glanced over at her. “I’ve gone soft living out in sunny California. How did I survive all those New York winters before?”

“Did you know some of the SEALs spend weeks in Alaska? Winter Warfare training,” he explained.

“Thank goodness you didn’t live there when we first met,” she quipped. “I may be a former New Yorker, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

“You don’t think I could’ve whisked you away to snowy Alaska?” he teased, slinging her laptop bag over his shoulder. He picked up her suitcase and his duffle bag, despite Ashleigh’s protests that she could carry something.

“That’d be a no,” she said.

Slate chuckled. “I can be quite persuasive, Ash,” he said huskily.

She flashed him a look but then headed toward the big porch as he gestured for her to go first. Slate’s eyes scanned the area as he moved beside her, and she knew he would always be on alert, the tendency engrained in him from years of service.

“It’s gorgeous here in the snow,” she said, looking around herself before taking the several steps up onto the porch. Fragrantboughs of evergreen decorated the railing, the twinkling white lights giving it a magical feel. It felt like they were in the middle of a winter wonderland, hidden away from the rest of the world, nestled deep in the forest.

“Aren’t you cold without a coat?” she asked as she looked over her shoulder at him in the waning light.

“I’m a lot bigger than you,” Slate reminded her. “And we’re heading straight inside. I’ll get a fire going before I heat up dinner.”

“Maybe this time we should spend all night in front of the fire,” she teased.

Slate muttered under his breath, and she giggled. While he hadn’t liked that she’d gotten injured last year, he’d told her more than once how he’d loved holding her against him as they lay in front of the fireplace. Of course, they’d both been naked, covered by warm blankets as he’d tried to share his body heat with her.

“I still can’t believe the house is already decorated for Christmas,” she said. “I was excited for the trip but kind of sad to leave our holiday things at home.”

“I know,” he said, his voice smug.

She shot a surprised look at him. “Wait. You arranged to have Jett’s cabin decorated?”

He chuckled. “I can’t tell you all my secrets.” Ashleigh watched as he pulled a key from his pocket, sliding it into the doorknob. A pretty wreath with a big red bow hung on the front door, and she wondered if there were any more surprises inside.

“And how’d you get a key so quickly?” she questioned. “I thought they changed all their locks when they upgraded their security systems.”

“Jett’s assistant overnighted it to me,” he said. “I know Anna puts up with my brother because she’s married to the man, but it’s a wonder that Lena has stuck with him this long.”

“Maybe she has the hots for those Shadow Ops Team guys,” Ashleigh suggested.

Slate chuckled as he turned the knob, opening the front door. “She and Gray Pierce are together. He served with my brother years ago during their Army days. And the keys are just temporary anyway. Jett is going to switch the locks to a passcode system. That way he can change the code from Shadow Security Headquarters. He would’ve done it sooner, but the specific model he wanted wasn’t available.”

“That’s smart. It’s probably safer than a lock someone could potentially pick. The cabin is secluded, after all. Hopefully no one is looking for you out here this year,” she said, shooting him a look.