Page 5 of Holiday Hijinks

Slate grumbled again. “That’s always a hazard in my line of work, but I’ll keep you safe, Ash.”

She was startled by the intensity of his gaze and leaned into him without thought, Slate palming the back of her head again and ducking down to kiss her forehead. He lingered there for a beat, seeming to savor the moment. The two of them truly had come full-circle, returning to the spot where they’d first met one year ago.

They walked into the cabin, Slate going first to make sure everything was in order, and Ashleigh gasped in surprise at the large Christmas tree beside the fireplace. “You got a tree? How are there already presents beneath it?” she asked as both excitement and disbelief washed over her. “No, don’t tell me. Lena. I’ll have to meet this woman someday. Goodness knows that Anna raves about her. I should seriously send her a gift.”

Slate set their bags down, smiling. “I get the impression that Jett pays her well for her trouble. And yes, I arranged for a few surprises for you.”

“A few?” she asked, beaming as she moved further into the room. “There’s already a pile of presents under the tree. This is amazing.” Her eyes fell on the stockings hanging from the mantle. “Bride and groom, huh?” she asked, looking at the embroidery. “It seems like Anna is giving us hints to hurry things along.”

Slate muttered a curse. “That’s Anna for you,” he said. Ashleigh couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled out his phone, no doubt to text his brother. Anna’s meddling had been what brought them together in the first place, so Ashleigh couldn’t fault her too much for wanting them to tie the knot sooner rather than later. If she was hoping for cousins for her kids, however, Ashleigh and Slate were pretty set on remaining focused on their careers and each other.

“Don’t worry,” Ashleigh said. “I told her months ago that we were perfectly happy waiting until life slowed down before we dived into wedding planning. She’ll just have to patiently wait.”

“Anna? Patient?”

She shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”

Slate pocketed his phone, reaching for their luggage once more. “Nope. I don’t buy it. My sister-in-law is one of the most impulsive and impatient people I know. Why don’t you get settled in and relax. I’m going to put our things in the master bedroom, then I’ll light the fire and figure out our plan for dinner.”

Chapter 3

Slate cleared the table later that evening, the lasagna that had been on their plates completely devoured. He’d been shocked when he’d opened the fridge earlier to discover that Lena had cooked dinners for them. He knew she used to prepare Jett’s meals, but this was better than he’d expected. A few premade grocery store dinners would’ve sufficed, and he wasn’t sure how she’d found the time. They were an hour from the airport, and as far as Slate knew, she’d flown back to New York for a couple of days.

No doubt they’d all be returning soon for the wedding, everyone in the know except the bride.

Ashleigh took a sip of her red wine, smiling as she moved around the kitchen. “This reminds me of the weekend we met. Snow on the ground. Wine. Lasagna. Although mine didn’t compare to Lena’s.”

“That’s because you only had some of the ingredients,” he said, setting the plates in the sink for now.

His gaze slid to her, taking in her flushed cheeks, delicate features, and then trailing down over her body. The soft sweater she wore over her dark jeans hugged her breasts enticingly. She was gorgeous in anything she wore, and Slate always had trouble keeping his hands to himself. “It does remind me of that weekend,” he agreed. “A snow-filled escape in a secluded little spot in the woods.”

“You planned that, too,” she said accusingly as Slate chuckled. “It’s been a year since we met. This wasn’t a coincidence that you wanted to come here for Christmas.”

He lifted a shoulder. “What can I say? That was a damn good weekend.”

Ashleigh’s cheeks heated, and Slate felt male pride rise within him. She’d been flushed and nervous around him at first last year, but when he’d carried her inside and held her by the fire? Best fucking night of his life. He’d stripped her bare and held her against his body under the blankets to warm her up. Once she’d stopped shivering, it had been sensual lying there beside the flames with a beautiful woman in his arms. Except she’d fallen asleep, and he’d retreated to his own room. Exploring all her womanly curves had come later—and damn if he still couldn’t get enough of her.

Slate crossed the room, grabbing the wine bottle. He refilled her glass, ducking for a quick kiss. “I never came back like I’d planned until now. It would’ve been lonely without you.”

“You planned to rough it the entire weekend and survive on canned food and MREs.”

He shrugged. “That was before I met you.”

She shot him a look of disbelief. He’d come to prep the cabin for the winter, but his brother had ended up hiring someone after the snafu Slate and Ashleigh had run into—a snafu where they were chased by homegrown terrorists. “At least they made it out here this year. It’s not too convenient for Jett and Anna with it being on the west coast.”

“Jett’s got contacts all over the world. It makes sense for him to have homes on opposite coasts. He can stay here to take meetings or offer the space to his associates if needed.”

“Oh. True. I’m actually surprised Anna enjoys coming here.”

Slate raised his eyebrow.

“Oh, come on. You know Anna. She lived in Manhattan for years. They met at an upscale bar where all the Wall Street types hung out. The property here has more amenities than it seems, but it’s not exactly a luxury ski resort.”

“Point taken.”

“It’s still hard to fathom their life sometimes. I know you’re involved with dangerous missions, but you get to stay in one place and oversee things. Sometimes Jett is gone, I assume traveling with his men. Anna prefers when he runs things from headquarters.”

“I deployed frequently when I was a SEAL,” Slate reminded her. “It’s a hard life, but one I adapted to. It’s also why I was alone for so long. I was too busy for a relationship after my divorce.”

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