Page 21 of A Kickin' Karate Christmas
I nodded, because even if I weren’t still up for shopping, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t have my daughter wake up on Christmas morning to discover that Santa hadn’t visited. Itwould break her heart. We ate the breakfast he made, got ready, and spent the rest of the day shopping. We made it home with enough time to grab another quick shower (that turned into a slightly longer shower) and get ready for dinner.
We spent another night together, and when I woke up on Sunday, he was still in bed.
I knew the clock was ticking down on the time we had together. He would need to leave before Becca brought Emerson home, and then I’d go back to my normal life. For the first time, I wasn’t looking forward to my daughter coming home. I wanted more time with Mat. I wanted to sleep in his arms another night.
I didn’t want us to go back to that undefined space we’d been sharing.
I thought about it as we watched TV that morning. I thought about it while we had lunch and as he began to pack his belongings.
“I wish you didn’t have to go home,” I admitted as he zipped up his bag.
“I wish I didn’t have to either.”
“But you can come back, right?” My heart fluttered in my chest. I shouldn’t be this nervous to ask someone I’d spent the entire weekend with if he wanted to come back over. Except that wasn’t the only thing I was asking. I knew that, even if he didn’t. “Maybe in two weeks? When Becca has Emerson again?” I drew in another deep breath. “And maybe you can come back as my boyfriend?”
Boyfriend. The word sounded so juvenile. I was nearly forty years old, and I was talking about having a boyfriend like I was a teenager again, but it felt right. I wanted to be his boyfriend. I wanted him to bemyboyfriend.
“That sounds nice,” he agreed. He took a few steps closer to me. “But I don’t want to only have you every other weekend. Iwant Emerson to know we’re together. I want everyone to know we’re together.”
“Okay,” I agreed. I wanted that, too. I wanted him more than every other weekend. I wanted more than stolen glances and kisses at the dojo. “Let me talk to Becca and give her the heads up, and we can figure out when and how we’re telling Emerson.”
He nodded in agreement and kissed me again. The kiss began to heat up, and I had to force myself to pull away. “Emerson is going to be home in less than an hour. If we start this, she’s going to find out in a not great way.”
“I think we can have some fun in an hour,” he whispered, sliding his hand down my chest.
He was right. An hour gave us plenty of time to work with.
Chapter ten
Mateo
“You’resureChristmasisthe right time to do this?” I asked Jake as I laid back on my bed.
He smiled at me through the small screen of my phone. It was propped up on that stack of books again, and we were having our nightly video call. I loved talking to him before bed, even if it was only on the phone. I liked to lay in my bed and pretend he was there beside me, inches away, even when he was way across town.
We’d been together for just under two weeks, and I was smitten.
I’d managed to steal a few more hours with him the day before when Becca took Emerson to her parents’ house for Christmas festivities. We spent the entire time wrapping presents and making our Christmas plans. The biggest plan was telling Emerson that we were together. I was ready for it, but I was nervous.
What if she liked me as a sensei, but didn’t like the idea of me dating her father?
What if we were moving too fast?
“Christmas is the perfect time to do this,” he answered, shifting in his own bed to look directly at me through the camera lens. “And then, we can spend more time together. I miss you.” I watched color spread across his cheeks. He blushed a lot. I’d learned that about him after that first kiss, and I loved it. I loved the way he wore his heart on his sleeve and struggled to hide how he felt. He was one of the most expressive people I’d met in my life.
“You just saw me yesterday,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, but that was yesterday. It’s been more than twenty-four hours. I need a fix.”
“Then I guess tomorrow has to be the right time,” I laughed. “Is Emerson excited?”
“It took her forever to fall asleep tonight.”
“So, that’s why you were late calling me tonight?”
He grinned and rolled over to his side. “I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
We talked a little longer. I told him about Christmas Eve with my parents. In exchange, he told me about celebrating with his dad. Apparently, he’d spoiled Emerson as the only grandchild in the way that only a grandparent could. Jake’s voice was filled with affection as he went over everything Emerson got and the little stocking stuffers his dad had sent over as something extra.
