Page 12 of Hot & Bothered

“They know it was Rayma’s wedding yesterday, and that I had a late night. I told them I’d be home around noon.”

He growled and hauled her back on top of him. “So we have a few more hours to prove to Santa why we’re on his naughty list.” Then he hoisted her up, making her squeal, and reminding her just how strong he was, and positioned her over his face, flicking her clit with his tongue.

She sighed and held onto the wall for dear life.

Best. Christmas. Morning. Ever.

Jace was the perfect gentleman. He saved Peyton from a chilly walk of shame by loaning her a pair of his enormous sweatpants and a T-shirt, along with some socks and his giant slide sandals. Then, he drove her back to Pasha’s so she could collect her car and get home to get into her pajamas for Christmas at her parents.

“What are you doing on the twenty-seventh?” he asked as they pulled up to Heath and Pasha’s behind Peyton’s car, parked on the curb and covered with snow.

“No plans besides back to work. You?”

“Work and training. But since we’re neighbors, maybe we could have dinner together.”

She beamed. “I’d like that.”

“Here,” he said, opening up the door to his truck. “Stay put. I’ll clear off your car and get it all warmed up for you.” Then he grabbed her keys from her hand and hopped out, leaving her toasty in the cab of his truck, watching him brush the snow off her car.

A giggle erupted in her chest as she watched him. She caught the bouquet—or in this case, the pineapple—and he caught the garter. Was there any real merit in those old traditions?

He certainly seemed like a catch on paper—and in the bedroom.

After fifteen minutes, he opened up her door and helped her climb down into a small snowbank, then maneuver her way to her door. He even cleared her a small path. “I’m going to follow you home, okay?” he said. “Not because I’m a weirdo stalker. But because these roads are dicey and I want to make sure you get home okay.”

Happiness warmed her. Her loving Libra. He was so caring.

She nodded and slid behind the steering wheel of her car. He even turned on the seat warmers for her. “Thank you.”

She drove back downtown to her condo with the safety and security of knowing a hunky police officer who was great in bed was right behind her. Making sure she didn’t end up in a ditch or anything.

He tossed her a wave when she headed into her parking garage and she blew him a kiss.

It was eleven-thirty. She needed to have another shower and get into her holiday pajamas. Her parents wouldn’t be upset if she was a little late. But her belly rumbled in anticipation of her mother’s gingerbread scones, so she hopped to it and was in her car and heading to Oak Bay and her family home by twelve-fifteen.

As always, Christmas morning with her mum and dad was wonderful.

They loved her homemade gifts, and she loved theirs.

Her mother, who was big into crafting—and houseplants—made Peyton a living frame. She took a big, beautiful picture frame and chicken wire, then added moss and succulents, until the frame was filled with green life. It would go perfectly in her apartment. She absolutely loved it.

And her father, who was also quite handy and liked to work with his hands, built Peyton a new bookshelf for her apartment. She only just moved out on her own earlier that year and was still accumulating furniture and art that she liked. Why go out and buy crap just to fill a space? Wait until the right piece comes along. And she’d been doing just that.

Sitting on her parents’ big couch in her candy cane flannel pajamas with an Irish coffee in one hand and a gingerbread scone in the other, Peyton was in her happy place.

Her phone warbled on the coffee table, so she had to make the impossible decision of which item to put down so she could grab it.

Her father laughed at her when she crammed the remaining scone into her mouth so she didn’t have to choose. “You could have just put the thing down,” he said.

She shook her head but was unable to speak from how full her mouth was.

Picking up her phone, a giddy heat filled her chest and cheeks. It was a text message from Jace, along with a picture.

My niece got a tarot card set for Christmas from my mom, and I immediately thought of you. Are you into that stuff, too?

A picture of the set appeared above the message.

She smiled. She had that very set.

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