When she got closer, he put her back to the wall and kissed her deeply. “You have a good heart, Winter mine. You can pretend you don’t, but I know better.” He kissed her again, and the tenderness of it made her ache. And to think, at one point, she hadn’t liked him. Stupid, stubborn woman.

Ramsay backed a step, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Winter had to force herself not to scream. “Please not the dungeon again, I’m too sore,” she mumbled into the back of his shirt.

He put her on her feet in the middle of the living room, where someone had switched on the tree. With the presents beneath it, the fake Douglas fir was like something out of a home decorating catalogue, except for the numerous decorations that they’d made with Spider over the past month.

“Aren’t you satisfied yet, lusty wench?” Ramsay swatted her ass. “I can’t believe you’re already talking about the dungeon again.”

She wrinkled her nose at him and went to sit with Mack on the couch. Saya knelt near Mack’s feet, but crawled up to join in the snuggling when Ramsay gave her permission.

“I’m fine for the next week or so, believe me. So what is this then, if it isn’t more sex? Are we watchingThe Sound of Musicagain?”

“No...it’s freaky present time!” Saya clapped.

Winter laughed.

“Of course it is,” Mack agreed, wrapping an arm around Winter and pulling her tightly against him. He kissed her, but a moment later it turned into something hot rather than sweet. One of Saya’s little cold hands snuck up under the edge of her shirt.

Apparently, presents were going to have to wait.