Page 64 of Presley's Christmas Catch
I smile at her and continue singing. She stares up at me, awe and amusement playing across her face. When I get to the second verse, she rests her head against my chest, and we sway as I sing the rest of the song to her.
When it ends, we keep swaying, and since I’m not by my phone to pause the music, it keeps playing. Another instrumental pop song comes up, but it doesn’t matter. I’m holding Presley in my arms and it’s perfect. Maybe better than if I’d been able to sing to her in front of everyone at the Christmas party.
I’m the one who leans back and tilts her chin up toward me. “I was dumb, Presley.”
She smiles. It’s mischievous and triumphant. She’s obviously known all along—not just her feelings for me, but my feelings for her. “You like me?” she teases.
“I like you,” I confirm, lowering my face toward hers.
We stop swaying. Presley’s hands cup my cheeks, and she tilts her head the perfect angle for our lips to meet. As they melt together, I wonder what I missed that first time, how I didn’t understand that this warmth and familiarity were mixed with the fire that roars to life. It was smoldering under the surface all along. My hands slide down to her hips, and I pull her closer to me the same time she wraps her arms around my neck. When her fingers slide into my hair, my knees go weak.
I remember the reunion kiss between Lyra and Kael that we read a few nights ago, the way Kael lifted Lyra up to him and then spun her around in his joy at seeing her again, safe and whole. Presley would definitely appreciate that move.
I wrap my arms around her back and lift her, spinning her slowly around, and grinning against her lips. Our kiss breaks as she laughs and tilts her head back.
“A perfect reenactment,” she says, leaning toward me again. I don’t set her down as we kiss again. After a few moments, she giggles.
“Are you trying to show off how strong you are?” she asks, placing her hands on my upper arms.
“Is it working?”
She runs her hands down my arms then back up and along my shoulders until she’s cupping my face again. “Brock Hunter, you are massive. Showing off your muscles isn’t necessary.” She leans over me to kiss me again.
Finally I set her down. “Want to change into something comfy and we’ll read?”
She shakes her head, still leaning into me. “I mean, I do wantto get comfy, but let’s drink some hot cocoa, eat some Christmas cookies, and watchDiehard.”
“It’s going to take us forever to finish the book at this rate.” I don’t let go of her waist.
“Says the guy who suggested we read it together. Besides, I don’t mind how long it takes.” She grins at me.
“You’re just afraid of finding out that Lyra is, in fact, the Obsidian Queen.”
She shoves against my chest. “She is not.”
I nudge her toward her bedroom. As breathtaking as she is in that dress, it can’t be comfortable. Besides, she’s as hot to me in a pair of leggings and a hoodie. She leans up and kisses me quickly on the lips, smiling as she pulls away, and then heads for her room.
“Are you going to go back to the hotel and change?” she asks, pausing in the doorway of her bedroom. I can’t help but take one last look at her toned muscles and gorgeous curves shown off in that shimmery dress. I shrug out of my suit coat. My dress shirt is stretchy and not uncomfortable, so I pull my tie loose and unbutton the top button. Her cheeks flood with pink, and it’s my turn to smirk at her.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
EPILOGUE
PRESLEY
From:[email protected]
Gideon,
I was absolutely not ready for that.
Presley Tatum
Before I can ring the bell, Brock opens the door of his condo in Malibu, backpack slung over his shoulder. He grins when he sees me and lets the backpack slide to the ground to scoop me into his arms. Though he was obviously on his way out the door to head to the hotel for the night, he doesn’t hurry as he greets me with a long, lingering kiss that makes my toes curl, even after a full month of dating. Sometimes our relationship feels like we’ve been together forever—the same way our friendship felt after only a couple weeks. Sometimes he kisses me and it’s as electric as the first time. The way he can completely wrap me up in his arms, and how small and protected I feel against his massive chest—I melt over it on a regular basis.
“Thought you were going to miss me, and I wouldn’t see you until the game tomorrow,” he murmurs into my hair after we pull away from each other.
