Page 158 of Taste of Addiction

I wake to a tickle at my nose. My eyes pop open to see the boyish grin of Graham beaming down at me.

“It’s presents time,” he announces, giving me a little shake.

“Before breakfast?” I tease.

“Most definitely before breakfast.”

“But not before coffee, right?”

“Negotiable.”

“What do I need to do in order to get some of that Colombian coffee from your mom’s friend?”

His eyes wiggle with boyish humor. “Lap dance?”

I rub my chin. “Hmm…not worth it. I can do without today.”

“Blow job?”

“Ugh,” I say making a face. “Too much work.”

He laughs. “IOU office sex?”

I shake a finger at him. “Look at you using sexual favors as currency.”

His smile lights up his face. “I learned from the master.”

I giggle and slide out from underneath him to get myself dressed. “Seems pretty backward to be putting on Christmas pajamas that I have yet to actually wear.”

Graham nods, raking his eyes over my bare flesh. “Yeah, this whole staging thing seems off. You should just go down naked.”

“‘Cause that won’t be awkward.”

I meander into the bathroom to do my quick morning routine. I separate my hair down the middle and braid each half, tying off the pigtails with a red band.

“Feigning the innocent look, I see,” Graham says, pulling at each tail. “I cannot wait to grab a hold of these while I thrust into you from behind.”

I turn around and place my bare butt against the cold vanity, glaring up at him. “Really? You’re going to make us miss the entire day if you keep teasing me like that.”

“I love that your drive rivals my own.”

“Get dressed before I jump you,” I warn.

We slip on matching red-and-black-checkered fleece pants, with shirts that have a male and female reindeer on the front. Walking out into the hall, we see Penny and Nic exiting their separate rooms. Nic has on a solid-black outfit, while Penny is wearing a powder-blue flannel set with snowflakes.

For the first time since meeting her, I notice a calmness about her body. It’s like the tension in the chain has been released. I can only hope that our conversation last night had some positive effect on her, like it did me.

“I’m going to go check on Claire. Get my mug of coffee ready, please.”

I find the other guest room and knock lightly on the door.

“Come in.”

“Hey, you ready for some present opening?” I ask.

“I didn’t go extravagant this year like I have in the past,” she says sadly. “Money was a bit tight.”

Claire has always gotten me crazy expensive designer items when we were roommates. She always said that the money her parents sent her in the mail was for managing their guilt for never visiting her—or wanting her to come back to visit them. The restaurant business sucks up all of their energy, and I think they blame her for moving away and not helping out with the family business.

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