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‘What’s wrong?’ Piper asked.

Emmett stared at the house.No, no, no.He ran for the door.

‘Emmett! What’s going on?’ Piper was close behind him as he ripped the front door open and slumped against it.

‘I didn’t close the damn windows.’ The Christmas tree he’d put up and placed the decorations on so painstakingly was lying on its side, broken in half, smashed baubles strewn across the living area. The tinsel he’d draped across the picture frames, doorways and curtain rods was torn, and the fairy lights were dangling in a way that was anything but how he’d left them. Even the presents he’d wrapped were now waterlogged, the paper torn at the corners. Devastation. All through the room and all through his heart. It was all ruined and Piper was standing in the middle of it.

‘There was a wreath on the door as well but it’s probably halfway across the Pacific by now.’ He glanced around. ‘Major? Major!’

The pattering of dog claws on the wooden floorboards preceded the dog’s arrival from down the hall. His tongue fell out the side of his mouth with the doggy grin he gave. Emmett gave him a pat before sending him to his mat near the back door to focus on Piper.

‘You put up a tree?’ she asked. Her voice held awe. ‘And Christmas decorations? For me?’

He nodded. ‘I wanted to give you the type of Christmas that you always gave me and my mum. I knew you did all those decorations. I wanted to do something for you because you’re so amazing, Piper. I want every day to be like Christmas for you. That’s what you deserve, and I want to be the man that gives it to you.’

Tears ran down her cheeks and he crossed the room to her in three quick strides. He cradled her head in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears, while his heart pounded away. Were they sad tears? Or happy ones? Was he too late?

She closed her eyes and tilted her face into one of his hands. ‘I love you. I have since I was eight years old.’

His heart was ready to burst, and he crushed his lips against hers in a brief but intense kiss. ‘I love you, too.’

Piper smiled broadly as more tears slipped from her eyes. Happy tears. He was sure of it. Her hands gripped onto his shoulders and her chin tilted up as she offered her lips. He wasn’t wasting it. Kissing her more tenderly this time, he savoured everything about her. The softness of her lips, the hint of bacon he could taste when his tongue nudged her lips apart to stroke hers, the way she fitted so perfectly in his arms as he wrapped them around her waist. She pushed her small body into his embrace and he wanted her closer. With his hands clutching her hips, he picked her up and her legs wrapped around his waist. She was impossibly close and he was impossibly hard. He walked towards his room but paused in the doorway. He pulled back to stare into the endless depths of her dark eyes. He could stare into them for the rest of his life.

‘I don’t want to rush you—’

‘Emmett.’ Her voice was breathy, which he found incredibly hot. ‘If you don’t take me in there, I’m going to combust right here.’

He chuckled. ‘We really can’t have that.’

The grip of her legs tightened as his lips found hers and he carried her into his room, kicking the door shut behind them.

Piper blinked slowly as she left the hold of sleep. A warm, strong body was encasing her, a steady heart was beating beneath her ear and lips were pressed against her head. Emmett. She couldn’t contain her smile.Best sex ever.

‘Good morning.’ His voice was so deep and gravelly.

‘Is it still morning?’ she asked, tilting her head to be able to look at his face. ‘Did you fall asleep too?’

‘I did, you wore me out.’ He grinned. ‘It’s only just still morning. Plenty of time for a few more rounds this afternoon, unless you want to open your Christmas presents?’

‘Mmm, presents are pretty enticing but I’m really happy staying right where I am.’ She shuffled up to press her lips to his, her leg wrapping around his. Before she knew it, Emmett had flipped her onto her back and was hovering over her. She ran her finger across the lips she’d just kissed, sighing at how kissable they were. ‘So, we’re really doing this? You and me?’

‘Yep. We’re really doing this. I love you.’

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, as if consuming his words into her being. She sensed him moving closer moments before he kissed her. God, she loved kissing this man.

A knock echoed through the house.

Emmett groaned and dropped his head down to the crook of her neck, his lips keeping busy.

‘Wasn’t that the door?’

He hummed a yes but kept kissing her neck, curling her toes.

‘Shouldn’t we answer it?’

He paused. ‘Or we could just pretend to not be home?’

‘It’s someone in the street. It’s a neighbourly thing to say Merry Christmas, you know.’