Page 69 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

“I love you,” He murmurs against my lips and I shudder at the strength of those words.

He kisses me again, a more fervent motion, repeating his words which were like a balm on my soul, “I love you. I love you.”

I hear the sound of feet rushing in and instead of wearing his jacket, Aaron was dragging a bag full of Christmas decorations.

“Abby, can we decorate the Christmas tree, instead? Jarvis gave me all these shiny things!”

His small face was red with exertion, and he was looking so excited that I didn’t have the heart to say no.

“Do we have a tree?”

“Yes! Dad got one delivered. It’s so big!”

I follow him into the living room and sure enough, the largest tree I had ever seen stood tall and proud at the centre of the room.

Hearing the sound of something clinking and jingling, I turn around to see both father and son emptying the bag of Christmas decorations. Even Steven couldn’t hide his grin at all the glittering ornaments.

“I’m surprised you never got to do any of this,” I murmur to him as he settles me in his lap and studies a bright golden star.

He shrugs, lightly, “My parents were always out on trips or parties, so I never got the chance.”

I turn his hand upside-down, running my fingers over his palm, “These don’t look like the hands of a party boy.”

He plants a kiss my shoulder, a kind of open affection that still threw me off my game, and gave me a sly smile, “Oh, I worked construction for a few years.”

When I look startled, he nibbles on my earlobe, “You have the rest of your life to pry out all my secrets from me.”

“The rest of my –“The words get stuck in my throat.

He gives me an intent look, “You don’t think I’m going to let you slip from my fingers, do you? I’m going to lock you down so fast that you won’t have a hope of escaping me now.”

“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere,” I tell him. “However,-“

When he stiffens, I bare my teeth at him, “After Gertha comes back from the shop, I’m still driving her.”

He physically relaxes, “Sure. After I burn her to the ground.”

I glare at him, “Watch your mouth.”

Steven laughs and lets Aaron climb on to the couch.

“Abby, if we have Christmas at home, will Santa come here?” The innocent question made me grin.

“Well, he will if you bake cookies for him and leave them out with a nice glass of milk,” I inform him.

I can swear the child’s eyes sparkled.

“We can bake cookies, right?”

“Of course, we can. But there are still a few days to Christmas. We should focus more on decorating the tree, first. We also have to choose the stockings we have to hang up. And then we can choose the Christmas movies we want to watch.”

Although Steven hid it well, I could sense the excitement in his body as well and I wondered if I had taken Christmas for granted all these years, spending time with all my cousins and my family, singing carols in loud tone-deaf voices and sneaking the eggnog which had been spiked with alcohol.

I watched with a smile as Aaron waded through the stream of decorations. His chatter filling the room and I felt Steven’s warmth at my back as he held me to him, as he mused loudly how we should decorate the tree. Both these boys had taken pieces of my heart and carved a place for themselves.

There were still things about Steven that I didn’t know but I had all the time in the world to figure out this complex man who held my heart in his hands with such care that it drove me to tears. His arrogance, his possessiveness, that slash of vulnerability when he offered me his heart, they just make me fall in love with him more.

I smile.

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