Page 25 of Holiday Hookup

As I make my way into the living room, Nel’s eyes meet mine from across the kitchen as she makes a pot of coffee. Jaxon excitedly rummages through the pile of presents that Santa left overnight, as Nel reminds him that he needs to wait for her. He mutters something about getting a move on but she just smiles, ignoring it as she pours the coffee into two mugs, handing me one on her way past.

“Hey,” I say, grabbing her arms and hauling her back toward me. That sexy look in her eyes causes my heart to beat faster, my hands gripping tighter as my mouth lowers, taking her mouth in a sweet kiss. “Merry Christmas.” She tastes like coffee creamer with a hint of mint and I look down at one of her hands and start laughing. “I see you found the extra candy canes.”

She shrugs, going up on her toes, kissing me under my chin.

“Don’t judge me.” I hold up my hands in surrender as we both walk into the living room where Jaxon has already opened three presents.

“Jaxon!” we both say at the same time as his little eyes dart to us, and then the pile of toys that is slowly accumulating beside him.

“Sorry! I couldn’t help it! You were taking too long!” Jaxon smiles so big that I don’t think either of us could punish him, even if we wanted to.

His little hands grab another gift from under the tree and rips it open as if Nel and I didn’t spend all last night diligently wrapping it.

And that’s how the morning goes, Nel sitting at my feet, my fingers lightly tracing patterns on her bare shoulder that has peeked through my shirt, Jaxon opening, then playing with, then getting bored with every toy he got. Then complaining that he doesn’t need any more clothes and that socks for Christmas are just mean. But it’s not until after breakfast, when all the toys are opened, and all the wrapping paper is put away that I begin to realize what this feeling is coursing through my body.

Love.

As I watch Nel sit with Jaxon on the floor, playing with a new race track he got from Santa, both of them laughing as the cars go flying in every direction but the direction they’re supposed to go, I realize I’m falling in love. Not just with Nel but with Jaxon too, and the family we could become. Before I do something stupid and blurt it out, I get up off the couch and take our plates into the kitchen.

Standing with my hands on the edge of the sink, my head down as my eyes close, I try and calm my racing heart. I’ve never had this feeling before, this complete and utter need to have someone with me at all times, and the idea of even being away from these two for a minute causes my entire body to shake.

How the hell am I going to record another album knowing this is here waiting for me? How am I going to say goodbye to these two when I have to fly back to LA when all I want to do is stay here and bask in this feeling for the rest of my life?

“You okay, handsome?” Nel whispers, wrapping her arms around my waist as she kisses my spine. When I turn to face her, my eyes betray every thought I have, her eyes grow soft. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”

I take her face in my hands, bring her lips to mine in a soft and sweet kiss that goes on way too long. As our lips part and our foreheads touch, my hands still grasping the side of her face, I blurt out, “I think I’m falling in love with you.” Is this a mistake? I have no freaking idea, but the thought of not saying those words hurt more than what can come from them.

When she’s silent, I open my eyes to see tears falling silently from her eyes. I wipe them away as her eyes close, her hands coming up and grasping mine that still cup the sides of her face.

“I’m falling too,” she whispers and I can’t take it anymore.

I take her lips in a punishing kiss, forgetting that it’s Christmas morning, forgetting that Jaxon is in the other room playing, and forgetting about the fact that my career is about to cause more harm than good. All I care about right now is feeling her against me, pulling her closer, and memorizing this moment because I want to remember this feeling of utter happiness, no matter what.

Just as the kiss gets heated, my phone goes off in the living room and I reluctantly part my lips from hers.

“I gotta get that,” I mumble against her lips.

When she jokingly bites my bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth I can’t help but groan, the arousal shooting straight to my cock.

“I promise I’ll be back.”

She winks as I leave the kitchen heading into the living room where I see Frankie’s name on my screen.

“Shit,” I mutter before opening the front door and answering the phone just as the door shuts behind me.

“Well, it’s about time you answered your fucking phone,” Frankie complains, slurring his words as my eyes meet the ceiling. Of course, he’s hammered on Christmas morning. I would expect nothing less.

“What do you want, Frankie? It’s Christmas.”

His fake laughter fills my ears as I sigh, wondering what I have to do to get off this phone call. And fast.

“Oh, am I interrupting you and your little fucking family?” The venom in his tone isn’t lost on me and I will punch Brent in the face for telling Frankie about Nel and Jaxon, but right now I’m too focused on trying to figure out why he’s calling.

“Leave them out of this, why are you calling?” I lean back, one foot planted on the floor, the other against the wall behind me.

“You’re recording this album, Dane.”

I shake my head, not understanding why he can’t just take a break for once and let me breathe.

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