Page 126 of Santa Has a Six-Pack
Then Penny looks directly into my eyes, and with the most earnest look on her face, she says, “I want to go balls deep into Christmas with you.”
I can’t help it, I crack the hell up.
“I didn’t mean it like that!” She laughs along with me.
“Damnit! You didn’t?” I keep laughing.
“Well, I mean, I’m not opposed to that. But what I really meant was…” Her expression turns serious, and she whispers, “Could you possibly come closer?”
She doesn’t have to ask me twice.
I quickly close the distance between us.
She takes both of my hands in hers. “I’m going to say some things. Cool if I say some things?”
“Baby, you can say all the things.”
She launches right in, like if she doesn’t get the words out fast, they might not come out at all. “I love the way you see the world, Matt. To you, everything is an opportunity to grow, to connect, to just… be. I love how you never see the limitations, only possibilities. I love how much you care about the people in your life. How you stick up for them and make sure they know what they deserve. I love the way you make the people around you better. How you make me better. I love how you can be hilarious one second and ridiculously sexy the next. I love that you challenge me. I love…”
“I’m sensing a theme here,” I joke, but the feeling in my heart right now couldn’t be more serious.
“Most of all, Matt… I love you.”
My heart is pounding a million miles a minute in my chest.
“Did I hear that right?” I whisper. “Because I thought you said?—”
She squeezes my hands and says it again, leaving no doubt this time. “Matt Barbera? I love you.”
I stare at her for a second, wanting to memorize this exact moment.
Until a panicked look crosses her face at my silence.
“You better believe I love you too, woman!” I cup her beautiful face with both hands and kiss her long, slow, and deep.
It takes approximately two seconds for the kiss to turn molten hot. Penny jumps into my arms, wrapping both legs around my back.
“Wow!” I hold her tight. “Is this how we’re doing things?”
“This is how we’re doing things, yes.” She dives in for another kiss.
From that moment on, we’re on a frenzied mission to get inside my apartment and finish what we started.
I key in with one hand while continuing to carry her with the other arm. I step through the threshold and am about to press her up against the wall when she says, “Wait! My suitcase!”
Just before the door shuts behind us, she shoots an arm into the hallway, grabs the suitcase handle, and flings the bag into the apartment.
“Someone’s getting stronger,” I say, impressed.
“Must be all those burpees.” She winks.
“Ooooh, I love when you talk functional fitness to me.”
We continue to kiss and touch and groan as I walk her over to my bed and gently place her down on the mattress.
“What? No floor this time?” she jokes.
“Not this time, no,” I say. “If I’m going to make love to my girlfriend for the first time—and I believe I’m about to make love to my girlfriend for the first time…”
