fallen asleep satisfied in a sense she hadn’t known existed.
But they couldn’t spend all day making love?
Could they?
The tip of his tongue slid up her throat. When his body moved on top of her and his mouth lowered over hers, Emma melted into the sheets. Then his hand grazed up her side, his thumb brushed her breast and her leg automatically wrapped around his.
Maybe Santa was real.
Sometime later, the room was spinning again. When Damon nuzzled into her shoulder, out of breath, murmuring her name, Emma slid her palms down the steamy stretch of his back.
“Do you think you’ll let me out of this bed today?” he joked, before kissing her again, a deep delicious caress that needed an encore. But not yet.
“You should check your phone,” she said. And I should check mine.
He pressed the tip of his nose to hers. “Don’t worry about my family. They know I couldn’t make it because of a special someone. They’ll be ecstatic.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Being with you here, now, being with you like this…” There was another huge question that needed an answer. “Damon, why are you still single?”
“Silly.” His lips grazed hers. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Between them, they were scant on festive food. But Emma had a bottle of red stashed away and the Christmas tree needed company. So Damon grabbed a couple of steaks from the freezer and they drove back to Emma’s place. She phoned Olivia and let her know she wouldn’t be over, and why, today.
When Emma walked inside her home, she was hammered with mixed emotions. She was grateful to have Damon here, but at every turn she imaged Shelley’s face, or heard her coo. She needed to be positive. No matter what happened, she would make sure she was always in her niece’s life, and one day…
Well, maybe she might be lucky enough to have a family of her own. Not that she would make any assumptions. She and Damon were spending Christmas together, but he was still leaving the Point come February. There were a lot of miles, and other possibilities, between here and L.A.
At lunchtime, they cracked open the wine. Damon lit a fire and they spread a quilt on the floor. Leaning back against the sofa, Emma made a toast.
“Here’s to Christmas.”
“To Christmas.” They clinked glasses and sipped before snuggling closer while gazing into the flames.
“Have you wondered how differently this would have played out,” she said, “if Kyrstal had shown up when she was supposed to?”
“Yesterday. On Christmas Eve.” He leaned in, grazed his cheek against hers. “It was meant to be.”
“Meant to be.”
She looked into the fire again.
“I’d be lying,” she said, “if I didn’t admit that I can’t help thinking about Shelley. But I’m going to be positive.”
“Good for you.”
“No more angst. From now on, Emma Bagwell will handle whatever comes with a steady calm and grace.”
“Let’s test that, shall we?”
He put down his glass, was about to bundle her close, when a knock sounded on the door. Emma gulped down a breath, scrambled to her feet. Her heart was jumping like a rabbit on steroids.
“Do you think it’s them?” She hurried for the door then came back to help pull him up. “Hurry, Damon. Quick .”
“What happened to steady calm and grace?”
She tugged his arm again.
When she flung open the door a moment later, however, she was so disappointed. But she couldn’t let her guests see. They all looked ready to let go and party.
“I believe you’re in need of food and beverage,” Olivia said, looking svelte in her Christmas pants suit garb as she lifted the basket of goodies she carried.
Max stepped forward to shake Damon’s hand. “Merry Christmas, buddy. Glad you could hang around.”
Another car pulled up. Melanie Beachmere and her lawyer fiancé Logan Taylor, who had started a practice at the Point, got out. A third vehicle parked at the kerb. It seemed as if Melanie’s
But they couldn’t spend all day making love?
Could they?
The tip of his tongue slid up her throat. When his body moved on top of her and his mouth lowered over hers, Emma melted into the sheets. Then his hand grazed up her side, his thumb brushed her breast and her leg automatically wrapped around his.
Maybe Santa was real.
Sometime later, the room was spinning again. When Damon nuzzled into her shoulder, out of breath, murmuring her name, Emma slid her palms down the steamy stretch of his back.
“Do you think you’ll let me out of this bed today?” he joked, before kissing her again, a deep delicious caress that needed an encore. But not yet.
“You should check your phone,” she said. And I should check mine.
He pressed the tip of his nose to hers. “Don’t worry about my family. They know I couldn’t make it because of a special someone. They’ll be ecstatic.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Being with you here, now, being with you like this…” There was another huge question that needed an answer. “Damon, why are you still single?”
“Silly.” His lips grazed hers. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Between them, they were scant on festive food. But Emma had a bottle of red stashed away and the Christmas tree needed company. So Damon grabbed a couple of steaks from the freezer and they drove back to Emma’s place. She phoned Olivia and let her know she wouldn’t be over, and why, today.
When Emma walked inside her home, she was hammered with mixed emotions. She was grateful to have Damon here, but at every turn she imaged Shelley’s face, or heard her coo. She needed to be positive. No matter what happened, she would make sure she was always in her niece’s life, and one day…
Well, maybe she might be lucky enough to have a family of her own. Not that she would make any assumptions. She and Damon were spending Christmas together, but he was still leaving the Point come February. There were a lot of miles, and other possibilities, between here and L.A.
At lunchtime, they cracked open the wine. Damon lit a fire and they spread a quilt on the floor. Leaning back against the sofa, Emma made a toast.
“Here’s to Christmas.”
“To Christmas.” They clinked glasses and sipped before snuggling closer while gazing into the flames.
“Have you wondered how differently this would have played out,” she said, “if Kyrstal had shown up when she was supposed to?”
“Yesterday. On Christmas Eve.” He leaned in, grazed his cheek against hers. “It was meant to be.”
“Meant to be.”
She looked into the fire again.
“I’d be lying,” she said, “if I didn’t admit that I can’t help thinking about Shelley. But I’m going to be positive.”
“Good for you.”
“No more angst. From now on, Emma Bagwell will handle whatever comes with a steady calm and grace.”
“Let’s test that, shall we?”
He put down his glass, was about to bundle her close, when a knock sounded on the door. Emma gulped down a breath, scrambled to her feet. Her heart was jumping like a rabbit on steroids.
“Do you think it’s them?” She hurried for the door then came back to help pull him up. “Hurry, Damon. Quick .”
“What happened to steady calm and grace?”
She tugged his arm again.
When she flung open the door a moment later, however, she was so disappointed. But she couldn’t let her guests see. They all looked ready to let go and party.
“I believe you’re in need of food and beverage,” Olivia said, looking svelte in her Christmas pants suit garb as she lifted the basket of goodies she carried.
Max stepped forward to shake Damon’s hand. “Merry Christmas, buddy. Glad you could hang around.”
Another car pulled up. Melanie Beachmere and her lawyer fiancé Logan Taylor, who had started a practice at the Point, got out. A third vehicle parked at the kerb. It seemed as if Melanie’s
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