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  “And we’d make awfully cute babies, don’t you think?”

  How dare he turn the tables and tug at my heartstrings like that.

  I screw up my face as mean as I can. “I’m trying to have angry sex right now and you’re ruining it.”

  “Oh, so you don’t want babies with me?” He’s serious. How can he be serious?

  But he is. He’s already said he’s willing to stay here with me. He’s going to uproot his entire life for me.

  “I do,” I croak, moving my body in a slow rhythm. I can’t believe I’m letting us do this, but here we are.

  Aidan is so beautiful to watch when all his muscles tense up in his release. The warm surge inside me pulls at my emotions.

  How dare he be like this? So easygoing, so willing to rush into all of this with me. Just so…into me.

  “If there were ever any doubt this was the best Christmas of my entire life, that’s all gone now. You are completely stuck with me now, Ruby Dees.”

  I fall on top of his chest with a thump. He makes an “oof” sound and wraps his arms around me, cupping my ass. “You photographed me naked. Of course, you’re stuck with me.”

  He laughs and it vibrates all through me, all the way down to my core where his spent cock is still firmly inside me. “I thought you said it was for art?”

  I shake my head. “That was just to get everyone to calm down and leave you alone. I’m completely mortified, but I’m getting over it.”

  Aidan rolls me onto my side and kisses the tip of my nose.

  “Oh good, then I’m sure you’ll be happy to join me in one of my family Christmas traditions.”

  I can’t help but wonder where this is going. “OK…?”

  His fingers trace languid lines down my spine, giving me shivers. “Polar bear plunge?”

  I laugh. “Yeah in LA where the ocean is, what, 70 degrees on Christmas?”

  “We could just go outside and roll around naked in the snow instead.”

  “And completely scandalize Barb and Ellison? No thank you.”

  “Barb and Ellison have very loud sex, I hate to break it to you,” he says.

  “Well then I guess we’re the only suitable neighbors, then,” I say, collapsing in a fit of giggles and tickles and yelps.

  “I love you,” I say, because I feel like I need to make up for the two days we’ve been apart. I feel his dick stiffening again, rekindling my arousal.

  “You’d better, because all my shit is already on its way here. I’ve made an offer on a studio space here in town and a truck will be delivering all my household stuff here next week. The studio equipment has been ordered.”

  As I take all this in, I hold my breath.

  “Wait,” I say, fighting the tremble in my voice. “You ordered movers, and equipment, and found a space to work here? Full time?”

  “I may be a fuck up, but I’m dead serious when I set my mind to something. I was set on having you from the second we met.”

  It occurs to me that he did all of this without even knowing if I would forgive him, and I break down.

  “I hope those are happy tears,” he says, stroking my back.

  After I gather myself, I have to plant kisses all over his face because I have no words.

  None except, “I never cried so many happy tears until I met you, Aidan.”

  I don’t like surprises, but this is one Christmas night surprise I’m not mad about.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  * * *

  Aidan

  * * *

  My girlfriend wants answers and doesn’t want any surprises.

  “I’ve had quite enough surprises from you in my lifetime. Let’s cut to the chase and tell me why I need to dress up to go to the annual tree lighting festival.”

  It’s been a year since Ruby and I met at the diner, and I have a huge surprise for her tonight, on Christmas Eve. The entire town of Christmas is in on it.

  But the way she’s standing there in her jeans and ratty cardigan, looking adorable as always—I can’t let her show up to the tree lighting dressed like that.

  The entire town and I have been working on this on the down-low for months. Anna has forgiven me and even helped me plan everything out for tonight.

  Days after I relocated my studio here to be with Ruby permanently, I found an old place I liked on Main Street that had been boarded up for years. I bought the building and decided to turn it into a gallery for local artists.

  “Tell me why I have to get dressed up, Aidan. You know I don’t like surprises. And I’m not going to put on a dress until you tell me what’s going on.”

  The arms akimbo and the sour look on her face tell me maybe I should just let the whole cat out of Santa’s bag.

  I’m learning. Slowly, but I’m learning. I would understand that she’d be pissed with me if I let her show up to a fancy event in her shabby cardigan and leggings.

  “Alright, alright. Tonight’s the opening night for a new gallery in town and you must be there.”

  “I didn’t hear anything about a new business.”

  I have to laugh. “That’s kind of the point. I wanted it to be a surprise.” I tell her all about it, about how Anna helped me work on it and work with local artists to consign their work. As the words all tumble out of me, her face changes.

  I can’t tell if she’s upset with me or what. She might be approaching me to slug me in the gut, so I’m pleasantly—no, ecstatically—happy when she reaches up and plants a long, soft sweet kiss on my mouth.

  “I can’t believe you did that. This makes me very happy.”

  “Hopefully you’ll get even happier as the night wears on,” I comment, surreptitiously patting the lump in my jacket pocket. I’ve even combed my hair for this night. I’ve practiced my little speech—for the ribbon cutting and for the other thing—over and over again for weeks.

  She may have forced my hand on one of the surprises, but I’ll be damned if I don’t get to knock her socks off at least once tonight.

  * * *

  Ruby

  * * *

  Feels a little odd to be wearing makeup, perfectly coiffed hair, and a long dress to celebrate the tree lighting and the opening of a gallery in downtown Christmas, but then again, it’s nice to dress up once in a while.

  When we arrive, however, I realize that Aidan and I are the only ones dressed like we’re going to a wedding. He’s wearing a suit and a silk necktie, looking like he’s going to get married. I look like I’m someone’s maid of honor. Everyone else? Well, it’s typical Christmas—business casual at best.

  Everyone is acting weird. There’s champagne and shrimp cocktail. It’s a fun evening. After one glass of champagne I no longer care that I’m the only one dressed like a bridesmaid. I’m excited to look at everything and it’s fun having everyone I know all together in one room.

  The ribbon-cutting goes as expected, but I’m proud to watch my boyfriend in action. Now he knows just about everyone by name and is cutting a ribbon with a cheesy oversized scissors just like a bonafide member of the community.

  When that’s over, everyone dons their coats and heads outside for the tree lighting ceremony. I bring him a glass of champagne because he looks nervous.

  Instead, he takes both my glass and his and hands them off to Polly. I’m interested to know why she took them away as if this were a completely normal thing to ask her to do. Still, she takes them and ushers everyone out of the gallery space to watch the tree lighting.

  I’m a little miffed I’m going to miss it.

  I look at Aidan. “You know, she’s not a server tonight. She’s as much a guest as I am—“

  I’m still yapping when Aidan goes down on one knee, holding both my hands in his.

  Still not sure what’s going on, I ask him if he’s alright, if he’s hurt himself. “Did your knee give out? Do you need me to call someone? Because I can’t lift you by myself.”

  Aidan is acting so strange. I’m certain he’
s going to vomit. His head is bowed, his hand tugs something out of his coat pocket and my brain immediately goes to, god I hope he’s not thinking of ralphing into a pocket square because that is not going to cut it, no sirree.

  It’s not until he looks back up at me, with eyes wet like two little glistening puddles and a light blue box held up in his hands that I realize what I’ve done.

  I’ve mistaken his proposal of marriage for food poisoning.

  “Oh,” I say. “Oh that. Here?”

  It’s one of those moments where I blurt things out and I don’t know why. I mean, why wouldn’t he propose tonight, here?

  “Ruby, I fell for you the second I saw you walk into that diner one year ago tonight. I want to spend every Christmas with you for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor of lighting up the tree with me and say yes to being my wife?”

  He’s going to have to pay somehow for making me endure a public proposal. Everyone in town is lined up against the window, watching us and smiling. “OK, but technically, lighting the tree is the mayor’s job. Anna?”

  I look over at Anna, the new mayor, standing in the doorway and looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

  Anna yanks open the door and lets in a gust of freezing air. “Will you pay attention to what is happening in front of you, Ruby? My god.”

  Of course, I’ll marry Aidan, and I tell him so. In both words and by letting go of everything I’m holding in. My tears wet his cheeks while I whisper, “I can’t believe everything you gave up for me.”

  “Believe me. I would have given up far more if I went back to my old life without you. I love you so much I can’t stand myself without you, Ruby.”

  Everyone watching us through the window starts clapping and cheering. What a bunch of voyeurs, I think.

  Anna catches my eye and motions for me to get going, and then realize why everyone is still staring. I’m holding up the proceedings.

  “Let’s go light this bitch up,” I say.

  He laughs, hoisting me up in his arms and carrying me outside while Anna holds open the door to the gallery.

  “You’re only supposed to carry me like this on our wedding night.”

  He whispers in my ear, “You need to save your energy for later.”

  The way my body responds to that is not safe for public consumption, neither is the kiss he plants on me when he sets me down near the tree, everyone staring at us.

  His tongue ardently possesses my mouth, devouring in such a way that other secret places begin to light up inside my body.

  He notices me shiver inside my coat and wraps his arms around me to pull me in tight. “Time to get you warm,” he says.

  “I’m plenty warm after what you just said.”

  The back-and-forth joking and innuendo continues throughout the lighting of the tree—I mean, it’s the same as it is every year—and then Aidan and I meander down the street back to my house.

  “I guess this is goodnight,” I tease when we reach the front stoop together.

  Aidan laughs and covers my neck with kisses. “Hey,” he says, suddenly looking serious. “Where are we gonna live?”

  I had told Aidan when we began dating last year that although people in LA might immediately move in together, Christmas is a small town and I’d rather respect tradition. Besides, I kind of liked the idea of moving in together after our honeymoon.

  I shrug and gesture to my little yellow house. “You just bought the bungalow and renovated it. We should move there.”

  He shakes his head. “But you love your house. It’s been yours for years already.”

  I smile. “You moved here for me. I can move around the block for you. Besides, my lease is almost up.”

  “Sounds like the perfect compromise to me,” he says.

  Wrapped in his arms, enjoying his celebratory, joyful kisses all over my icy face on my front stoop, I can’t wait to get him inside.

  I love you, Mister McMaster.” The look this gets me is pure need, almost pained. “Let’s get inside,” he says, his voice low but breaking as if he might shatter if we don’t take this make-out session into the bedroom.

  Once inside, Aidan backs me up against the door and hitches my dress up around my waist.

  His hands quickly discover what I’ve been wearing underneath the dress this whole time.

  “Holy shit, Ruby. I thought you were a good girl.”

  I bite my lip in a way that makes him growl when his hands reach around the sides of my hips until they meet in the middle, covering my pussy. I fight off the gasp but it’s no use. I love the way it makes me feel. Protected. Cherished. He’s got me covered and he always will.

  “I…oh god…I was h-hoping we could sneak off and christen the inside of the gallery but we didn’t get the chance,” I say.

  My description of what I was hoping would happen tonight reddens his face, pulls a low, quiet hum out of his throat, hoods his eyes. His tongue darts out of his mouth to wet his lips.

  He’s grinding his erection against my bare flesh.

  “Honey, I’m getting…oh, wow.” I can barely get the words out with the way he’s now surprising me with four fingers inside my ass cheeks and his hard length grinding me through his pants, his mouth on my neck as if my very skin gives him life. “I’m getting the front of your trousers all wet.”

  The sound of his belt slipping out and his pants falling to the floor is his only response… Until his full length slides inside with no resistance, all the way to the hilt. “Fu…oh…what…what was I saying?” I rasp.

  Aidan thrusts hard and it’s so good. I’m so full of him.

  Impaled on him, he laughs while giving my breasts small, teasing nibbles. “You were saying that you’d like to do it in public right on Main Street.”

  I breathe out a laugh as he grinds again, though I can barely afford the breath. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Aidan thrusts a little harder. “No, I get it.”

  “Aidan.”

  Thrust. “You got a taste of public life.”

  “Aid—oh. My. God.”

  Thrust. “Now you want to push the envelope.”

  All that comes out of me, all that’s left of me, it seems, is gibberish and syllables.

  Thrust. “The…oh yeah squeeze it, sweetheart. Oh my god, you’re perfect, my little boundary pusher.”

  “Why…oh god…why are you such an ass?”

  Another thrust, and several more, both of us panting and whimpering and laughing.

  “Because you like it,” he says in a deeply mischievous voice as his finger slips into my ass on another upward thrust. Holy shit. All of it, the ride against the wall, the ass play, and his voice against my neck, triggers the sudden wave of pleasure. I gasp for breath while my head knocks back against the door.

  As per usual with the way he makes me come, I let out a half moan, half laugh. “Keep telling yourself that, fancy pants,” I say, laughing and giggling through my aftershocks.

  “Whatever it takes to wind up my sassy pants, I’ll keep at it.”

  He stays like this, so full and rigid inside me, for so long I don’t recall at which point we transition to the bedroom.

  The man is some kind of Olympian in the sport of keeping it up.

  He knows how much I love it, just feeling him inside.

  Later, after we’ve slept, showered, and put on our PJs for a midnight viewing of our favorite Christmas movies, he picks up a thread of something we were talking about earlier.

  “I’m sorry I keep catching you off guard. I honestly don’t mean to be like that, so if you want to wait on getting married until we’ve talked some more, I’ll understand.”

  I honestly don’t know where this is coming from. “Baby,” I say, sliding into his lap. “I do still hate surprises. I still don’t like having my picture taken. I like to know what’s going on. And I will beat your ass if you ever tell me to dress up and don’t tell me why. Or if you tag me on social media without permission.”

  �
��Understood.”

  “But you’ve also done something else. You’ve helped me embrace a little adventure now and then, and nothing can take that away. I like myself when I’m with you.”

  Aidan gently runs the edge of his index finger along my jaw. “You glow from the inside out.”

  God, the things he says.

  “So let’s celebrate with a photo,” I say.

  He cocks his head.

  “On your Instagram,” I add.

  “Really?”

  I nod. I’m sure, I tell him.

  “Naked,” I say.

  “Babe, I can’t let you.”

  Just our shirts off, but we don’t have to show anything.”

  Aidan laughs but watches me peel off my pajama top. “You’re serious.”

  “As a heart attack.”

  Muttering something about his crazy fiancée, he removes his shirt and leans into me to take a safe-for-work topless selfie. “Just to drive everybody crazy,” I say.

  He snaps the picture and lets me write the caption—“Guess who is engaged and getting married in June!”—and hit “post.”

  Aidan looks over the post and laughs. “Everyone is going to scandalized.”

  With a sleepy kiss to his forehead, I say, “Ah, let ‘em. They should be used to us by now.”

  * * *

  THE END

  Be sure to read all five novellas in the Santa’s Coming series!

  The Not-So Silent Night by Megan Wade

  * * *

  Stuffing Her Stocking by Shaw Hart

  * * *

  Unwrapping His Package by Cameron Hart

  * * *

  Getting Screwged by Penelope Wylde

  About the Author

  Abby Knox lives a dual life. Fantasy Abby would love to live on a farm with goats, bees, chickens, donkeys and alpaca, making her own soap, yarn, honey and cheese. Reality Abby has no desire to do actual farm work. So, the ever-pragmatic Reality Abby keeps Fantasy Abby happy by putting her into adorable little works of romantic fiction with her pretend hobbies. Both Abbies hope you enjoy her sweet, sexy — sometimes a little over the top and weird — storytelling.