Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“Merry Christmas,” Charley whispered quietly so as not to disturb him.
She had awakened on Christmas morning, warm, naked, and cozy in Sully’s arms. Her head was next to his on the pillow and her leg lay between his.
She smiled at his handsome sleeping profile and eased out of bed.
Plucking his long-sleeved, soft, flannel shirt off a chair, she put it on as she padded barefoot to the door.
She heard the bed covers rustle and looking over her shoulder saw Sully roll onto his stomach.
Charley sighed at the sexy picture this man made in the middle of the king-size bed.
Wanting him and second-guessing her decision to turn on the Christmas tree lights and make breakfast, momentarily halted her in the doorway.
But Wyatt hopped out of his doggy bed and trotted to her, so with a smile she continued to the living room.
After lighting the tree, she let Wyatt outside, and when the puppy was back indoors, they went into the kitchen.
She fed Wyatt and had just placed crisp bacon and French toast onto plates when muscular arms wrapped around her waist and a broad chest molded to her back.
“Merry Christmas morning,” Sully said, moving her long braid to one side and nibbling her neck.
“It certainly is,” Charley replied, turning in Sully’s embrace, and wrapping her arms around his naked torso. Standing between his bare feet, she flattened her hands to the skin along his spine and kissed his lips.
“I don’t like waking up without you next to me in bed,” he said, towering over her, clad only in a pair of low-riding pajama pants.
“I was just about to come wake you up with breakfast in bed,” she said and plucked the tray holding their breakfast off the kitchen countertop.
“Lead the way,” he said with a grin.
Charley did so, and when they reached the bedroom, Sully turned on the crackling gas fireplace, giving the room extra heat and a flickering ambiance.
Flipping aside the sheet and comforter, he sat with his back to the headboard and patted the mattress.
Charley handed him the breakfast tray and joined him.
As they ate, she could not imagine being happier or more content than she was at this very moment.
So much had changed in her life, all for the better and all because of Sully.
“I’ve made more money since my grand opening here in the country a month ago than I ever made at Christmas time in my Old Colorado City shop,” she said between bites of bacon.
Sully smiled. “A good sign you made the right choice in moving your business. I had a great month too. Maybe we should work a few more weeks and take a break. Go somewhere.”
“Like go on a vacation together?” Charley asked. When he nodded, she realized aloud, “I have never actually been on a real vacation.”
“Then you’re way overdue,” he suggested and took a bite of bacon.
“I’ll pay my half.”
“No, you won’t,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “It’ll be my gift.”
“Speaking of gifts,” she began as they finished eating. “I might have something for you under the tree.”
“Yeehaw. I might have something for you too.”
Charley smiled at him and then at Wyatt, who was in one of his new dog beds, the other ones being in the den and in the living room. “We might have something for you, too, Wyatt.”
Wyatt barked as Sully set the breakfast tray on the bedside table.
He crawled out of bed and Charley scooted out after him.
He tugged a long-sleeved tee shirt over his head, and she pulled on a pair of leggings to wear with his flannel shirt.
In the living room, Sully stopped and smiled at the tree sparkling with white lights, gold balls, and red bows.
Wyatt joined them as Sully pulled Charley close.
“You can go first,” Sully said, and picking up a present, sauntered to the leather sofa.
“Wyatt gets to go first,” Charley said, picking up gifts. Once they’d settled onto the sofa, she opened the first gift which was a plush dog toy and gave it to the puppy. Wyatt scampered away with it to his dog bed.
“Come back for your second gift, Wyatt,” Sully said. Wyatt came bounding back to them, and Sully unwrapped a safe chew toy for him. When the puppy was back in his bed with his plush toy and chew toy, Sully said, “Now it’s your turn, Charley.”
“Yeehaw.” Charley accepted the pretty box he gave her. “Give me a hint,” she said and rattled the gift close to her right ear.
“I already did.”
“Hmm…” Charley raised a brow and tore the wrapping off the box.
Opening his gift and finding what was inside, her jaw dropped.
Stunned, she looked at Sully and could only stare at him for a moment.
“Two tickets to Hawaii from February tenth through the twenty-fourth?” So thrilled and unable to resist teasing him, she asked, “Who in the world would I take with me for two weeks?”
“You’ll figure it out.” Sully cocked a black brow, and Charley giggled as he yanked her onto his lap.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his.
He smoothed a loose lock of hair away from her cheek and said, “I want to go someplace warm to swim in the ocean and lie on a beach with you.”
“Yes,” Charley whispered seriously. “Sully, I would absolutely love that. I’ve never been to Hawaii, and I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Same here.”
“There’s a famous and beautiful hotel there known as the Pink Palace.”
“Officially, the name of the Pink Palace is the Royal Hawaiian and it’s on—”
“Waikiki Beach,” they both said at the same time.
“Look in the box again,” Sully said.
“Sully,” Charley gasped softly as she pulled out the confirmation of their reservation at the luxury resort. “The Pink Palace. This is too much.”
“It’s not nearly enough.”
“Thank you.” With tears in her eyes and voice, she hugged him and said, “I can’t wait to fly to Hawaii with you. We’ll have the time of our lives.” She eased back, wiped away a stray tear, and handed Sully a gift. “Your turn.”
Sully unwrapped his gift and opened a black box. Inside was a smartwatch. It had cost Charley a thousand dollars, and Sully was worth every single penny. He looked at her with a smile and carefully took it out of the box.
“Did you know my previous watch was broken in the car crash?” he asked.
“Yes, your dad mentioned it in passing at the hospital.”
“This is the perfect gift, Charley. But it’s too much.”
“It’s not nearly enough,” she echoed with love.
“It is the outdoorsman sports model,” she said as he put it on.
“It’s a minicomputer. It’s durable enough to wear scuba diving, skydiving, and running marathons.
You can use apps, you can track your health and fitness, it can find your phone, and the battery life is better than that of a cell phone. ”
Sully chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I love it, but not as much as I love you.”
Charley snuggled into his arms again and rested her head against his. “I love you too.”
The remainder of their morning was quiet and just the two of them, along with Wyatt and his new toys.
Henri had invited them, as well as Owen, to her house for Christmas dinner at six.
They met up with Owen there and enjoyed a veritable banquet, as Henri loved to cook and bake.
Charley nudged Sully after dinner and grinned when they caught Owen and Henri kissing under mistletoe from Pretty Petals.
Sully winked at her, leaned her back over his arm, and kissed her. Owen and Henri saw them and clapped.
In Henri’s comfortable living room, the four of them shared delicious cocoa hot toddies and homemade cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Sully and Charley gave Owen two thick flannel shirts for Christmas from Cash’s store.
They all laughed when he gave each of them a flannel shirt from Cash’s store as well.
Sully and Charley gave Henri a basket brimming with chocolates, fruits, and nuts.
In turn, she gave them a cutting board stacked with cheeses, meats, and crackers.
Charley sighed with happiness as she sat on a comfortable couch with Sully’s arm around her.
What a stark difference a few months had made in her life.
“Ready to go home?” Sully whispered a half hour later.
“Yes, I want you all to myself.”
“Yeehaw,” Sully said in a husky voice with a cocky grin and quick squeeze that sent tingles to every part of Charley’s body.