After getting dressed, I went into the kitchen and grabbed my purse from the hook at the top of the stairs. My keys and wallet were inside, and this was my last chance to get this taken care of before Christmas.
Heath emerged down the stairs, in workout shorts and shirt, his skin shiny with sweat. He yanked off his headphones when he spotted me digging through my purse, knowing I was trying to leave if I was dressed up like that. “It looks like you’re leaving, but that can’t be right…” He reached the bottom stair then walked toward me, the promise of retribution bright in his eyes. “Because I specifically told you to not leave the house without me.” He stopped in front of me, calling me out on the spot.
“Look, there’s something I wanted to get you for Christmas—”
“I don’t need anything for Christmas.”
“I know, but I—”
“I’m not a child expecting presents under the tree on Christmas morning. I’m a grown-ass man who only cares about one—my fiancé. So, keep your money and keep your ass home.” He turned around and started to walk away.
“Heath?”
He turned back to me, clearly still angry about the fiasco with the ring.
“I really need to do this.”
He shook his head slightly. “No.”
“Can Damien take me?”
“I don’t need another man to protect my woman.” His eyes narrowed. “Ever.”
I sighed. “Then can Balto take me?”
“I’m sorry, is Balto another man?” he said sarcastically.
I kept my mouth shut.
“Then no.”
“Then I guess I need you to take me.”
“Doesn’t that negate the whole point?”
“I’ll drive, and you’ll keep your eyes closed.”
He didn’t look the least bit happy about that.
“I’ll place you at the entryway, looking out away from the store so you don’t know where you are. And then you’ll close your eyes again when I escort you to the truck. Come on, please. I know you’ll like it.”
“I don’t need anything, Catalina.”
I stomped my good foot. “Just do what I say. Please.”
When I said that final word, he softened, knowing he couldn’t deny me even if he was still a bit resentful. “Let me shower.”The tree was decorated with white lights and red and gold ornaments. It brought light into the house, a special sense of merriment that made this place less sterile. Now it really felt like a home rather than a bachelor pad.
I sat with him on the couch, my arm hooked through his. “Want to watch a Christmas movie?”
“Sure.”
I grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels until I found a good one. “I love Home Alone. The first two are great. The third one is weird…it doesn’t even have the same kid in it.”
He stared at the TV blankly.
“Have you seen it?”
He shook his head. “Never seen a Christmas movie.”
“Ever?” I asked incredulously. “What did you and Balto—” I stopped speaking when I remembered his childhood, that their father had been an abusive drunk and killed their mother. I cringed because I realized how careless I was.
His arm moved behind my shoulders, and he pulled me close. “Baby, it’s okay.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Really. It’s fine.”
“Well, we’ll watch all the Christmas movies together.”
“Really?” he asked, slightly sarcastic. “I think I’d rather just have sex.”
“Come on, that’s not very Christmassy.”
“If sex isn’t part of the holiday, then I’m probably not going to be a big fan of it.”
I smacked his arm playfully. “Are you and Balto getting together?”
“We don’t usually.”
“Why don’t we invite them over for Christmas dinner?”
“What’s Christmas dinner?” he asked blankly.
“Just dinner on Christmas night.”
He shrugged. “Sure, if you want.”
“I think it’ll be nice. The four of us are family now.”
He turned to me, watching me with a subtly soft expression. “Yeah…I guess we are.”
“And next year, we’re going to have a nephew.”
When he heard me describe our life together, calling his family my family, his expression changed, like that was a future that got him excited the way Christmas excited everyone else. “Yeah, that will be nice.”
“It’ll be really nice.” I got off the couch and dropped my shorts along with my panties while the movie played on the TV. “And there can be lots of sex at Christmastime.”
His eyes ignored the TV altogether, moving straight to the apex of my thighs as he sat up, eager for me like he hadn’t just had me this morning. He pushed his sweatpants down so his cock could come free. His entire countenance changed, tightened in a sexy way, like the conversation we’d had never happened at all.
I straddled his hips and moved on top of him, lowering myself until my sex pressed against his.
His hands gripped my hips, and he looked into my face, the Christmas lights reflecting in his eyes, giving him a special glow that was indescribable. It was timeless, like it would stay ingrained in my mind forever as one of those moments that was special to me, even though there was nothing different about it compared to other moments.