Page 22 of Christmas in Kiwi Country

“It looks pretty great,” I murmur as I place a kiss on the side of her neck. She giggles and I can’t help the smile. This woman iseverything.

“Think you’ll be sick of me by the end of this trip?” she teases, and I smile and shake my head. I know for a fact that the only person who should be worried is me. I’ve never been an easy man to get along with, but the small box in my carry-on has increased the pressure tenfold. If nothing else, after this trip is over, engaged or not, I’m going to ask her to move in together. If I’m lucky we’ll never be apart another day.

“You sureyouwon’t be the one running for the hills?”

“I’ve already put too much work into you to return you,” she replies and then frames my face in her hands and kisses me long and slow. “I like you too much too.”

“Thank God for that,” I say as I grip her hip and wish I could pull her into my lap.

“I do,” Gwen says when she pulls back.

“You do what?”

“Thank God for you.” Emotion lodges in my throat, and her grip on my face remains firm as she wills me to believe her. “I waited a long time to find love with you, and I don’t take that for granted.”

Taking one of her hands, I turn it and place a lingering kiss on her palm. “You make me a better man. Thank you for letting me be the man to love you.”

“Don’t start gettin’ all sappy on me, Mr. Andrews,” she purrs with a wicked gleam in her eyes, and I can’t hide what hearing her call meMr. Andrewsdoes to me below the belt.

She notices as her gaze travels down my body, and her smile ratchets up a notch.

“We don’t have time,” I growl and her eyes grow wide.

“Is that an option?”

“Gwen,” I say as I tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear, “you don’t own a private jet and not haveoptions.”

“Well then…” She places a fiery kiss on my lips before saying, “Put that on the itinerary for the way home.”

“Consider it done.”

13

GWEN

Looking over my shoulder, I smile at Cullen as I pull out my phone. “I’m going to text the girls and tell them we got in safe. They made me download that app thing so they can check in.” The trip from the airport to the hotel had been blessedly uneventful, but just like every other city in the world, we’d experienced a fair share of traffic.

“Isla put it on my phone too.” Cullen winks. “I’ll be right out,” he says before he ducks into the bathroom and closes the door.

Grinning, I tap out a message to our daughters.

GWEN: We made it to the hotel and are settling in.

CHEYENNE: You’re going to have a blast!

ISLA: It’s weird I’m crying because I’m so happy, right?

GWEN: It’s just the hormones, sweetie.

ISLA: I hate hormones

FALLON: Just wait till the hormone dump after you have the babies.

FALLON: That was nifty

GWEN: Then you can look forward to hot flashes

FLORA: Amen sister

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