Page 33 of My Holiday Hookup Road Trip

Now he’s the one breaking away to glance down at the garish red-nosed creature leaping across my chest.

“Christmas girl!” I jab a thumb at my torso. “See what you did to me? You turned me into me a Christmas girl, and this was all they had left at the truck stop on the way here.”

“I love it,” he growls, bending his head to kiss me again until a pointed clearing of a throat interrupts us.

“Care to make introductions?” A man who’s clearly Sebastian’s father is standing in the hallway with the rest of the St. Claire clan flanking him. Sebastian’s plump, smiling mother. Two women who look so much like him that they have to be his sisters. The nieces and nephew I heard so much about. The brothers-in-law. All of them grinning like fools as he takes my hand and lifts it to his lips before turning to say, “Everyone, this is Birdy Denton. She’s…”

His eyes catch mine, and I can tell he’s not sure what to call me. I’ve been so many things to him since we met: a hookup. An irritant. A travel buddy. A lover. But I know what I want to be, and I think that’s what he wants too. So I offer it up to him now as the best gift I have to give.

“I’m his,” I say softly, glancing up and praying he’s feeling everything I’m feeling right now.

“She’s mine,” he repeats, sounding a little dazed, and as we stare at each other, we become the only two people in the room—the only two people in the whole universe, maybe. But we snap back to reality when his mother gives a happy little sniffle.

“I knew there was a girl!” She rushes forward and wraps me into one of the best hugs I’ve ever had, whispering, “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

Unexpected tears catch in my throat, but I manage to choke out a thank you. And then the rest of the St. Claires are hugging me, patting my back, leading me into their magical Christmas house to get to know them all.

I glance over my shoulder at Sebastian as I’m pulled away, and his smile is so radiant that it fills me up. I might never be empty again.

It’s close to midnight when we’re finally alone.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here.” He still sounds a little shocked even though I’m currently tucked into his childhood bed after spending hours and hours with his family.

“I had to try your mom’s hot chocolate for myself,” I say with a shrug.

“And?” He smooths a piece of hair behind my ear.

“If anything, you undersold it.”

He laughs and kisses me. He’s been laughing and kissing me all day. I’ve never been kissed so much in my life. Short, sweet presses of his lips mixed with long, lingering ones that leave me breathless and wanting to strip him bare.

When we come up for air, I say, “I can’t believe this is where you grew up.”

“What do you mean?” He stretches out on his side and props his head on his fist while I gesture around us.

“I mean it’s like out of a movie. The lights everywhere, the billions of Christmas coffee mugs, the decorated trees in every room.” I clasp my hands to my chest. “I get it now, why you were so anxious to get home.”

“Less anxious the more time I spent with you,” he says.

“Well you have very good taste.” Then I bolt upright. “Oh! I almost forgot. I got you a present.”

I slide out of bed and dart to the suitcase I packed this morning in the hopes that Sebastian would be happy enough to see me that he’d let me stay. I retrieve the small box, slip the green bow headband back on, and clamber back between his sheets to find that he’s also holding a wrapped package.

“Me too.”

“How did you…?” I’m too surprised to finish the thought. He had no reason to think he’d ever see me again, but he still bought me a gift? I take it from him and tear off the green and gold paper, gasping in delight when it parts to reveal a beautifully gaudy ostrich ornament.

“A mini-Gouda,” I breathe as Sebastian smiles proudly.

“She’s even wearing a tiara.”

I blink a few times to clear the tears caught in my lashes. “Well now we’re really going to have to get one for the OG queen.” I set the box carefully aside and swing around to straddle him. “Thank you,” I whisper against his mouth as his hands wrap around my waist and he pulls me down to grind against his suddenly interested cock.

I break the kiss with a gasp. “Not yet. You’ve still got yours.” I hand him the little box, and he reluctantly pulls his hands away to take it.

When he sees what’s inside, he gives a bark of laughter. “Seriously?”

He pulls out the red airplane withSebastianpainted on the side.

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