Page 25 of Twelve Dates of Christmas

Chapter Eleven

~ Holly ~

I’d never felt more like Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady. I’d been primped and polished and styled until I walked into this moment in a black glittery dress that clung to my curves in all the right ways.

When I’d emerged tonight, ready for Rylan to bring me to this family Christmas party he’d talked me into attending, he’d just stood there. Dumbstruck. His mouth hanging slightly open. If that wasn’t an ego boost, I wasn’t sure what was.

“Relax. It’s just family,” he said as I held his arm and we walked through the gala—and that’s what it was. A gala not a family Christmas party. Obviously, I’d known it was fancy. I just hadn’t envisioned about two hundred of the most powerful people in the state would be here for the evening.

Nor had I imagined the death-ray glares pointed my way. Darn that Rylan… He’d distracted me with kisses and his dick, otherwise I wouldn’t be here at all. No, that wasn’t true. I’d do just about anything for him. As soon as that snowstorm had ended, he’d emptied my apartment and brought all my things to our house.

Our. House… I couldn’t believe I lived there. I couldn’t believe I’d gone from never dating to having the man of my dreams, who’d move heaven and earth for me if I asked him to.

“It’s not just family,” I said through my teeth.

“I have a surprise for you when we get home,” he said to deflect my grumble.

“You always have a surprise for me. You don’t have to spoil me. I’m fully and truly yours.”

“Not yet you aren’t.”

I held up the finger where he’d slid a ring tonight. Oh, there hadn’t been a proposal. He still insisted there wouldn’t be one of those. “This ring begs to differ.”

“Until you have the band that goes with it and the piece of paper is filed that declares it to the world, I won’t rest easy.”

I lifted my face toward his. “I love you. Rest easy.”

He made a please sound and brushed his lips over mine.

“Rylan and this must be Holly!” a woman exclaimed.

He groaned. “Mom. We were busy.”

“Yes. In the middle of a roomful of people, darling.”

“Like that’s ever stopped Dad,” he countered. “Baby, this is my mom, Sylvie.”

I held out my hand. “Hello, Sylvie. Yes, I am Holly.”

“Oh, I’m so happy, Darling!” she exclaimed, pulling us both into a hug together with her.

“Ma…let them breathe. God sakes,” another male voice said. When I was able to look over, I saw a man and a woman who looked very much like Rylan, though the woman was dainty and a much smaller feminine version of my man.

“Oh hush,” Sylvie said to them as an older man came up and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Holly, this is my brother and sister.”

“Kenton and Keaton,” I said with a nod, having heard a lot about them. “It’s nice to meet you.”

They both smiled widely. One thing I could say about Ry’s family… Despite all the daggers from elsewhere, his actual family was friendly and inviting.

“And this is my dad, Ryan.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I said, holding out my hand. He was having none of that ,either.

“Oh, none of that,” he grumbled and pulled me into a hug, like his wife had. “Welcome to the family. You can call me Dad or Ryan. No sir or Mr. James.”

“Okay,” I agreed happily.

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