Page 165 of Season of Gifts

She kissed him again and again, covering his face, her hands sliding up the back of his neck and bending him down to put his forehead in reach.“Nat’s right, you know.You have so many people who love you, Jay.Me and Henry are the biggest, of course—”

A full-throated, barking laugh shot out from the kitchen.“That scamp!”

Jay’s gaze met Alice’s, and they took off at a trot fit to set a record for the quarter mile.

“What scamp?”he hollered.“Did Nat mess with your kitchen?”

The house was theirs, but he had to be honest—the kitchen was all Henry’s domain, no less than the playroom upstairs.

“Not this time.”Henry gestured to a towering gift basket on the island as they rounded the corner.A small card dangled from his hand.“Alice, you said you left the key with Em?”

“I did, yeah.”Alice circled the island with ambush energy.The piled fruits and pastries and snacks didn’t seem like they meant to make a dash for freedom.“She didn’t mention anything about this.I did text her to say we’d be home later today, though.”

“And she took it upon herself”—Henry passed over the card—“to ensure dinner would be supplied.”

From The Cap & Feather, even.They just had to call when they were ready, and a full meal would be delivered.Emma and Master Will had both signed the card.

Alice elbowed Jay in the ribs.“More branches growing.”

He mock rubbed the spot she’d targeted.“I can feel them.”

The funny thing was, he could.All the love strengthened his insides like training rides strengthened his outsides, building up the muscles so he could take on anything.

Henry laid a finger against his lips and hummed softly.“I believe I have a contribution for the tree trimming.If the two of you will create a small tray of snacks from the basket, I shall fetch us an accompaniment.”

Henry disappeared down the hall and up the stairs, his footsteps echoing on the hardwood as he climbed.A tray of fruit slices and nuts and cookies formed spontaneously on the counter as Alice played finger-footsie with Jay for the best treats.

She smiled and giggled with him, but she must not’ve put the pieces together yet like he had, or she’d be jumping out of her skin.His anniversary gift was sitting right where he’d left it, displayed on Henry’s chair in the playroom.Which—yikes.Well, if Nat had opened that door, she’d have known enough not to touch anything and back right on out.But Alice’s gift, that was still wrapped and unknown and ready to be opened right freaking now, in front of the tree.

He carried the tray to the coffee table, floating and spinning and wriggling with I-know-something-you-don’t-know energy.

“You, sweetheart”—she booped his nose like he was her favorite puppy, and he added a wriggle just for her—“are massively happy about those snacks.Are you starving?Should we have stopped for food on the road?”

She fed him a candied almond from her fingers, so his answer had to wait until he’d licked her fingertips clean.Footsteps on the stairs promised Henry would show her in a second anyway.“You’ll see.”

But Henry wasn’t toting the gift sacks from the playroom.In one hand he carried a bottle, and in the other, three glasses hung from his fingers.“I had intended this for our anniversary evening.Jay thoughtfully left it in place when following the clues.”Henry set the bottle on the table, turned the glasses upright, and pulled a hand towel from his pocket.“Thankfully, it will make an equally suitable aperitif while we place our newly reclaimed ornaments on the tree and Jay opens the rest of his gifts.”

Henry couldn’t have forgotten.But it had been a busy month.The details might’ve slipped his mind.

“Alice still has a gift to open, too.”Jay subtly tipped his head toward the stairs a couple of times.“I could fetch it now, if you want.”

Cradling the bottle as he freed the cork, Henry gave no sign he’d heard the suggestion.

“Oh!”Alice jabbed at the air, her index finger wagging a solid half-dozen times.“Is that what you meant in the final Advent card?You said we still had a surprise at the house.”

Well hell, nowhe’dforgotten a thing too.They still didn’t know what their final present was, either.Today was like a whole second Christmas for just him and Henry and Alice.That was worth celebrating no matter what order they opened stuff in.But his collar and cuffs—they’d be even weightier than his bracelets, wider, with Henry’s claim right there in his seared-on initials.

“I suspect Jay means something else.But in any event—” Leaving the bottle on the table, Henry sat at the center of the couch and patted the cushions beside him.“Sit with me, please.”

They sat.Jay pressed his body against Henry’s from hip to knee, leaning into that steady presence.Henry lifted Jay’s hand and cupped the bracelet at his wrist, stroking his fingers along the leather, tickling the underside of Jay’s wrist and sending tiny shockwaves up his arm.

“You’ve waited much longer than I intended for my anniversary gifts to you.”Henry’s hushed baritone flowed like a hot shower pouring over sore muscles.“Before the month changed so dramatically, I had anticipated having you wear your gifts to the New Year’s Eve gala at the club tomorrow night.”

The collar and cuffs would announce him to everyone as Henry’s.Friends and strangers would see the real Jay, the Jay who belonged, who always had a place at Henry’s side.

Henry slipped his finger beneath Jay’s bracelet and tugged it taut.“We may still, if you wish.”

For five years, he’d had few dreams bigger than that.He had it now, though, didn’t he?Already.Not monogrammed around his neck, but they’d spent more than a week at Mom’s house, and not one person had questioned his place at Henry’s side.He was Uncle Jay with four new nieces and nephews to amuse.He was husband Jay, walking through the grocery store with his hand in Henry’s.He was brother-in-law Jay, sneaking in gifts so the kids wouldn’t find out the truth about Santa Claus yet.He was bonus son Jay, listening to Mom tell stories while he decorated the tree and baked a cake and learned the importance of a proper boiling for tea.He was attentive submissive Jay, who listened for what his dominants didn’t say as much as what they did.“Is that whatyouwant?”

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