Be still, my beating heart.
“W-what was that, Peanut?” he asks, rolling over to face her.
“Santa, Daddy. He came. Wake up, please,” she begs before her shocked shriek rips through the air as he suddenly lifts her from the floor and drops her between us on top of the sheets.
Reaching over, I flick the bedside light on.
“Santa came?” Kodie asks with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“It’s Christmas Day, Daddy. Come on, wake up.” She rolls her eyes as I laugh at her.
“Of course he came, sweetie. You’ve been so good this year.”
She beams. “I tried really, really hard.”
Oh my god, I love this kid.
“We know you have, Peanut. Shall we go and see exactly what he’s left?”
“Yesss,” she squeals, scrambling off the bed and racing toward the door in her elf pajamas.
Kodie rolls back over, pulling me into his body and rocking his erection against my ass.
“Hmmm, wish there was time for me to give you a special gift to start the day.”
“I know we’re good at quickies, but I don’t think even we have time right now.”
He groans, pressing his forehead to my shoulder.
“Later,” I promise before slipping from under his arms and standing at the side of the bed in my own elf pajamas. It was weird sleeping with Kodie while fully dressed, but we knew we were going to get an early morning visitor, and we agreed it would be best not to terrify Sutton.
“Elf pajamas shouldn't be that sexy,” Kodie groans, his eyes running down my body as if I’m naked.
Flipping the sheets off him, I take in his shirtless chest and then his green-and-white striped pants that are barely containing his morning wood.
“Yeah, I see what you mean.”
A wicked glint flashes in his eyes, and the second he swings his legs off the bed, I take off running to the bathroom.
He catches up to me in front of the sink where I’m about to brush my teeth, but he doesn’t allow it. Instead, he cups my jaw and slams his lips to mine, morning breath be damned.
“Daddy. Casey,” Sutton shouts. “Are you coming?”
“Sadly not,” Kodie mutters after ending our kiss.
We quickly brush our teeth before joining Sutton, who’s waiting for us at the top of the stairs with the stocking she left at the end of her bed last night. Only now, it’s full of gifts from the big man.
I swear to God, I have never in my life been as scared as I was attempting to sneak around last night doing that.
Sutton usually sleeps through anything. But knowing we could be caught at any moment was terrifying. I don’t want to be the reason she loses the magic too soon.
But seeing the wide smile on her face, and the excitement in her eyes, I know I passed the test.
Kodie takes the stocking, and together we make our way toward the Christmas tree in the living room.
“Oh my god,” Sutton squeals, finding more gifts that have appeared overnight. “Is this one a bike?” she asks, pointing at a huge, flat box propped up against the wall.
“I don’t know, Peanut. Let’s all grab a drink and then we can get started.”