Page 235 of Vegas Heat

“Hi abs,” I sing, and I run my fingertips along them as he moves to settle in beside me.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he says. “Come spend the night at my place. We can do that at least a few more times, and I’ll even whip something up for lunch.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be today?” I ask.

“Yeah, I do,” he says with a resolute nod. “And it’s wherever you are.”

It’s cheesy, but it does the trick. It hits me square in the heart.

“I know I’ve been busy, and we both know it’s going to get worse once the season starts, but I want you to know that wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I’m carrying you in my heart and my thoughts. Always.”

“Right back at you,” I whisper as a sudden intense emotion rolls over me. “I wish we could spend Christmas together.”

“We are,” he says, turning toward me brightly. “I told Troy I was bringing over Christmas dinner.”

“Oh, that’s so nice of you. But that’s not really what I meant.”

“I know what you meant,” he murmurs. “And maybe next Christmas will be different. But I figure it’s better than nothing, and your dad is getting stronger every day.”

I nod. “He is, but I still don’t think he’s ready to hear about us.”

“I agree with you. Maybe it’ll be different as we get closer to the season starting. He’ll watch us as we keep growing closer and it’ll be like some natural progression. If he’s there to witness it, maybe the blow won’t be so hard. And someday down the road, like a long,longway down the road, we can admit the rest of it to him about how we really met.”

“You think so?” I ask a little doubtfully.

He shrugs. “We can hope so.”

If only it all went down quite that easily.

CHAPTER 18: COOPER

I finally came up with what I think is the perfect gift for her, and we’ve agreed to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve since Troy has been medically cleared to attend the huge party Victor is throwing at their club, so he and Joanie will be out for the night.

She walks in my front door a little after six, and I’m ready for her. A fire crackles in the fireplace, lights glitter on my Christmas tree, and soft instrumental Christmas tunes play in the background.

It smells delicious in here, too. I ordered in a romantic dinner for the two of us, and it’s currently heating in my oven.

I can’t help but think of how different this Christmas is compared to the ones I celebrated with women in the past. There were expectations and pressure. This feels…fun. It feels calm and peaceful, and rather than be nervous about my girl liking what’s wrapped under the tree for her, I know with us that the real gift is just having this time alone together.

It feels like the start of a new tradition. I can see future Christmas Eves with just her and me, and maybe in the years that follow us down the road, our children as their eyes light with excitement knowing Santa is on his way, and the two of us exchanging presents after they go to bed, the only quiet moment we might get to share in the chaos of the day.

She carries a huge box in her arms, and I narrow my eyes at her when she walks in.

“Need some help with that?” I offer, and she just shakes her head and sets it under the tree. I stand and walk over to her, and I pull her in my arms. “What did you do?”

She just offers a sassy little shrug and a smile, and I laugh.

“It smells fantastic in here. What didyoudo?” she asks. She tips her chin up for a kiss.

“I turned on my oven and popped it in,” I admit. “We’re having crab cakes and filet with a side of mac and cheese.”

“Fancy,” she says, and I twirl her once before pulling her back in.

“How was your day?”

“Fine. I took Ruby Sue for a hike, and I spent some time with my dad. He told me more about his club,” she admits, and I raise a brow.

“Did he tell you…everything?”

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