Page 61 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

“My parents loved each other and my grandparents did their best to make a happy home for us and Gran continued that after my granddad died. We were lucky.” Gabe shook his head. “It’s hard to explain, but I never felt like I measured up to Gran’s expectations. Jonas was probably born wearing a tie, and it was obvious early on that he was the best choice to follow in her footsteps and run this place. As for Chase, Granddad was an Alpine skier. He’s the one who taught us all to ski, but my brother took to it instantly. It was obvious that he was going to follow in Granddad’s footsteps. Which just left me, and neither of those options was of interest.” Jonas took a breath and used a spoon to place rounded dollops of cookie dough on the tray.

“So, when I got accepted at UCLA, I knew that was my chance. I packed up all my stuff and drove out to LA determined to strike out on my own. Starting and building OTT has been amazing, but when I’d come home for visits…Gran always seemed displeased. That’s when I started bringing my girlfriends, hoping she would see that I was doing everything right. But there was always something wrong. I was never with the right girl, never happy enough...not to please Gran, anyway.” He slid the next batch of cookies into the oven and closed the door, setting the timer on the microwave.

When he straightened up, Anna met him with a kiss. Empathy squeezed at her heart, and she already hummed with desire from standing so close to him. Gabe didn’t seem surprised at her arms on his shirt or her lips on his—he seemedhungry.Like a man looking for a port in a storm.

He groaned, low and soft, and the sound made her move closer. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all morning.”

“I’m kissing you now,” she said.

Gabe took her in his arms, letting his hands work over her dress, caressing the soft red material. He pushed it up to her hips like he was opening a present, and then dropped to his knees.

She sucked in a breath at the sight of him leaning in to press kisses to the line where her panties met her thighs. He tugged them down like he was undoing a ribbon and he helped her step out of them, before finding herself backed against the counter. Gabe kissed her core, sending a hot wave of desire through her body.

His tongue stole between her folds, and she put a knuckle between her teeth, trying to stifle the moans that escaped. It felt like she was falling. Like he’d opened a door into his heart and soul. It was then she accepted the truth. She’d fallen for Gabe Elkin.

Gabe brought her to a slow, sensuous release. Before she knew it, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom while the aftershocks still echoed through her body. Instead of going to the bed, he set her down, whispering, “Don’t move.”

Grabbing a condom from the nightstand drawer, he ripped the foil and as he walked back to her, he rolled it onto his length. Then he was backing her up against the wall as he kissed her deeply. Anna couldn’t hold back the moan, it all felt so good. Lifting her up, Anna immediately wrapped her legs around his hips and gripped his shoulders as he thrust into her.

Oh, it was good. It was better than chocolate, better than cookies, and better than Christmas. The slow roll of his hips against hers and the way he dropped his head against her shoulder while he pushed in and pulled out made her dizzy with desire.

Gabe’s thrusts became harder and faster, his breaths matching the pace of his hips. Anna gave in to the orgasm as it climbed higher and higher, crashing in waves as it broke over them. She could feel him coming, feel the tension in his lean body while he came. When it was over, he held her up, thumbs tracing a path on the flesh of her hips while their breathing slowed.

I hope he feels the same.The thought unfolded itself and dissolved like sugar on her tongue.

A faint beeping came from the kitchen, and Gabe let out a heavy sigh and set her back on her feet. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and was gone, off to check on the cookies.

* * *

Later that night, they wrapped the cookies in a gift box and headed for his grandmother’s apartment. They met up with Jonas, Tana, and Chase at the door.

“Where’s Lindsey?” Anna asked, not seeing the little girl who could light up a room.

“Sleepover with my parents,” Tana told them.

Chase’s eyes twinkled. “What’s in the box?”

“A gift,” Gabe answered. “Is she waiting for us?”

“What kind of gift?” Jonas asked.

“Not a gift for you.” Gabe led the way into the apartment, where his grandmother waited in the living room, elegant in a long black sweater and a pearl necklace at her throat. He bent to kiss her cheek and put the gift box gently in her hands. Jonas and Chase exchanged a look.

“What’s this?” Elin’s eyes twinkled. “For me?”

Gabe rubbed at the back of his neck. “Just some Christmas cheer.”

His grandmother lifted up the top of the box, and her eyebrows went up. For the first time, Anna saw the cookies the way the older woman would see them—chunky, a little misshapen, and obviously homemade. “Oh, thank you, Gabe.” She pulled him down into a hug.

“Did you do that yourself?” Jonas asked, a slightly suspicious look on his face. “I think this is the first time you’ve ever baked anything.” He looked at the cookies, a slight frown forming. “No way Chris Denton helped with those.”

“Anna and I worked together,” Gabe answered casting a glare at Jonas.

His grandmother lifted a cookie from the box and bit into it, her eyes fluttering closed. “This isdelicious.” She finished the cookie quietly and offered some to the others.

“Cute.” Chase grinned. “Nice gift. Not something I would have thought of.”

Gabe shrugged in response, but Anna could see the color darkening in his cheeks. He angled his body more toward his grandmother who’d managed to eat the entire cookie without getting so much as a crumb on her sweater. “I’m sorry I couldn’t host a dinner for you tonight.”

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