until he’d faced the prospect of losing her, he hadn’t allowed himself to accept how much that scenario bothered him.
When they got back to the ranch, he had to take a call from a beef buyer and Bella wandered off.
He found her an hour later, in his bedroom packing.
She looked up when he walked in. “I’ve got a flight out of Austin tomorrow afternoon. I thought maybe I should go to a hotel near the airport tonight.”
Her eyes looked puffy, like she’d been crying, but they were dry for now.
“Like hell.”
Her doe eyes widened, her lower lip quivered and his heart contracted in his chest.
“Why are you leaving?”
“I told you. It’s almost Christmas.”
“And spending it with me instead of your family would be some kind of nightmare?”
“You want to spend Christmas with me?” She frowned. “You didn’t say anything about it all week.”
“I’m not a big talker.”
She smiled and something tight in his chest loosened. “I noticed.”
“I communicate better with actions than words. My body’s been talking to you all week.”
“I thought that was just sex.”
“There’s nothing just about what happens between us when we’re naked.”
“Or almost naked?” she asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
Relief washed through him. She didn’t want to leave him any more than he wanted her to go. “Yes.”
“But my family…”
“I’ll have to meet them sometime.”
“You want to meet them?” The flicker had turned into a positive glow and he was going to make darn sure it stayed lit.
“Yes, do you think your mother would mind a couple of extra guests for Christmas dinner?”
“A couple?”
“I can’t leave Lise alone for such an important holiday. She’s too solitary as it is.”
“I’d love for your sister to join us.” Suddenly Bella was flying across the floor.
She landed against him with a thump and he wrapped his arms around her good and tight.
“I didn’t want to say goodbye.”
“I don’t either.”
Then he kissed her and they spent the rest of the night proving just how good they were at not saying goodbye.
Bella woke up Christmas morning snuggled into Jake’s chest. They’d attended Christmas Eve services the night before with her family and his sister before returning to their hotel. Bella liked Lise Barton. She was quiet, but very sweet.
And she was a heck of a writer.
Bella’s family liked Jake too. Joshua hadn’t been there, but she was sure her brother was going to get along just fine with the man she’d fallen in love with.
It had been love at first sight and the feelings had only grown the more time they spent together.
She was almost positive he felt the same way, even if he hadn’t attended the trunk shows because of her. He was so affectionate and seeing him around her family had shown her how totally different he was with her than with other people. He’d been polite with her parents, but taciturn. Her dad didn’t seem to mind, but then he wasn’t one for chatting during the football game either. The men’s silence had been companionable and not in the least tense. Jake had barely smiled at her sister, though Daisy usually sparked adulation in the male of the species. Daisy had told Bella it didn’t bother her a bit because he did such a good job of smiling at Bella and making her happy.
Bella nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his unique, masculine scent. The fragrance of her lover.
She reveled in it.
Her hand brushed up the inside of his thigh, his warm skin making her fingers tingle.
“Here now, none of that just yet.”
His deep voice rumbled in his chest and she looked up to meet a smiling green gaze.
“Good morning.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” He reached behind himself and then dropped a red velvet stocking between the two of them. “Look at what Santa brought in the night.”
She grinned and upended the stocking. Foil-wrapped chocolates dropped out and then a small black velvet box. She stared at
When they got back to the ranch, he had to take a call from a beef buyer and Bella wandered off.
He found her an hour later, in his bedroom packing.
She looked up when he walked in. “I’ve got a flight out of Austin tomorrow afternoon. I thought maybe I should go to a hotel near the airport tonight.”
Her eyes looked puffy, like she’d been crying, but they were dry for now.
“Like hell.”
Her doe eyes widened, her lower lip quivered and his heart contracted in his chest.
“Why are you leaving?”
“I told you. It’s almost Christmas.”
“And spending it with me instead of your family would be some kind of nightmare?”
“You want to spend Christmas with me?” She frowned. “You didn’t say anything about it all week.”
“I’m not a big talker.”
She smiled and something tight in his chest loosened. “I noticed.”
“I communicate better with actions than words. My body’s been talking to you all week.”
“I thought that was just sex.”
“There’s nothing just about what happens between us when we’re naked.”
“Or almost naked?” she asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
Relief washed through him. She didn’t want to leave him any more than he wanted her to go. “Yes.”
“But my family…”
“I’ll have to meet them sometime.”
“You want to meet them?” The flicker had turned into a positive glow and he was going to make darn sure it stayed lit.
“Yes, do you think your mother would mind a couple of extra guests for Christmas dinner?”
“A couple?”
“I can’t leave Lise alone for such an important holiday. She’s too solitary as it is.”
“I’d love for your sister to join us.” Suddenly Bella was flying across the floor.
She landed against him with a thump and he wrapped his arms around her good and tight.
“I didn’t want to say goodbye.”
“I don’t either.”
Then he kissed her and they spent the rest of the night proving just how good they were at not saying goodbye.
Bella woke up Christmas morning snuggled into Jake’s chest. They’d attended Christmas Eve services the night before with her family and his sister before returning to their hotel. Bella liked Lise Barton. She was quiet, but very sweet.
And she was a heck of a writer.
Bella’s family liked Jake too. Joshua hadn’t been there, but she was sure her brother was going to get along just fine with the man she’d fallen in love with.
It had been love at first sight and the feelings had only grown the more time they spent together.
She was almost positive he felt the same way, even if he hadn’t attended the trunk shows because of her. He was so affectionate and seeing him around her family had shown her how totally different he was with her than with other people. He’d been polite with her parents, but taciturn. Her dad didn’t seem to mind, but then he wasn’t one for chatting during the football game either. The men’s silence had been companionable and not in the least tense. Jake had barely smiled at her sister, though Daisy usually sparked adulation in the male of the species. Daisy had told Bella it didn’t bother her a bit because he did such a good job of smiling at Bella and making her happy.
Bella nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his unique, masculine scent. The fragrance of her lover.
She reveled in it.
Her hand brushed up the inside of his thigh, his warm skin making her fingers tingle.
“Here now, none of that just yet.”
His deep voice rumbled in his chest and she looked up to meet a smiling green gaze.
“Good morning.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” He reached behind himself and then dropped a red velvet stocking between the two of them. “Look at what Santa brought in the night.”
She grinned and upended the stocking. Foil-wrapped chocolates dropped out and then a small black velvet box. She stared at
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