Chapter 23 #2
I nod. “Me too.” I wander behind the counter and grab boxes for everyone to place their cookies in and then hand them out.
Drew gestures at a platter, which contains some undecorated cookies. “Are these up for grabs?”
“Yes, please take them.”
Reed practically runs over and tries to shove Drew out of the way, but he’s not budging. “What do you eat, cinder blocks?”
Drew chuckles, still adding cookies to his box. “If you’d work out with me, you wouldn’t be having this problem.”
“Dude, don’t be a hog. Didn’t Mom and Dad teach you how to share?”
“Nope,” Jordan chimes in. “He’s the youngest. He got whatever he wanted.”
“You guys are just jealous.” Drew smirks.
“Damn right I am. What’s it like to be the golden child?” Reed asks.
“Does Mom still do your laundry?” Travis asks, jumping in on the fun.
“No, she doesn’t… Well, not much anyway.” He shrugs. “She told me to drop it off anytime.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to,” Jordan says.
“Okay, in the spirit of Christmas Eve, and being kind and giving, maybe you should leave Drew alone,” I say, stepping in.
“We’re working on the giving part—giving him a hard time,” Reed says, laughing at his own joke.
Willow stands up and puts on her coat. “I hate to be a party pooper, but I have to be at my parents’ house in the morning, and I haven’t wrapped a single present.”
“Please tell your family Merry Christmas from me,” I say as we hug.
“I will. And tell Pop as well.”
I nod. “Of course.”
Willow’s leaving sets off a chain reaction, and soon it’s only Jordan and me remaining. I close the door and lean back against it with a sigh.
“Alone at last,” Jordan says, taking hold of my hand.
“That was fun but exhausting.”
He leads me over to the table and gestures for me to sit. “Yeah, the Thorne brothers can be overwhelming when we’re all together.”
“In the best way, though. I’m surprised your mom had more kids after Reed. I bet he was a handful when he was little.”
“He’s still a lot to deal with,” Jordan points out.
I nod. “True.”
He starts clearing the tables.
“You don’t have to clean up. I’ll take care of it.”
“Let me do this for you.”
When was the last time I had a man who wanted to do things for me, and for unselfish reasons? I can’t even remember a time when that’s happened.
“Okay,” I agree. He balances empty cups on the platter and carries them out back. When he returns, he wipes down the tablecloth and strips it away.
“What would you like to do with this?” he asks as he folds it up neatly.
“It can go in the kitchen closet.”
“Gotcha,” he says, racing off to put it away. When he comes back, he starts moving the tables and chairs back into place.
I’m not used to sitting on the sidelines and observing, so I quickly stand to help him.
“I can do this,” he tells me.
“I know, but it’ll go faster with both of us.”
We make short work of returning everything to its former place.
Jordan sweeps the floor while I wash the platter and put it away in a cabinet.
I power everything off and then meet him at the door.
He helps me get my jacket on before we step outside.
I lock up, and he takes my hand, walking me to my car.
His arms loop around my waist. “I wish you were spending the night at my house. I want to wake up with you on Christmas morning.”
“I want that too, but I don’t want to leave Pops alone.” My hands slip between us, palms resting on his chest.
“I understand, but I’ll still miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, but at least I’m staying over tomorrow night. We can have a Christmas morning do-over.”
He grins. “You’re on.”
I shiver as the ocean breeze whips around us, and raise my hands to his shoulders. “Now, kiss me and warm me up.”
His grin widens before he swoops down and takes my lips in a kiss that’s everything I hoped for. It starts soft and then deepens, turning more forceful as our tongues duel. By the time we part, I’m breathless and longing for more.
“Damn, that was a bad idea,” he says. “Now I really want you to come home with me. Do you think Pops would notice if I stole you away?”
“Yeah, he might. Especially since I promised him I’d bake cinnamon buns for breakfast. They’re his favorite.”
“Well, you’re my favorite. We haven’t even left yet, and I’m already looking forward to seeing you at dinner tomorrow. Are you sure you’re okay with my parents knowing about us?”
“Yeah. They’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. Might as well get it over with while we can use the holiday as a distraction.”
“Is it weird that I’m excited for them to know?” Jordan asks, his eyes shining. “They already love you, so seeing us together is going to make them so happy.”
“I hope so.”
“I don’t have a single doubt. The only problem with telling them is my mom will take every opportunity to remind me not to fuck it up.”
“I can do that too if you’d like,” I tease.
He rubs the cold tip of his nose against mine. “Nope. I don’t need anyone to remind me how fortunate I am to have you as a girlfriend.”
“I feel lucky to have you too,” I say.
He presses his forehead to mine. “Drive safe, and text me when you get home.”
“I will. You be safe too.”
“Always.” He opens my door for me, and I slide onto the seat. “Merry Christmas Eve.”
I smile. “Merry Christmas Eve.”
He closes me inside and places his hand on the outside of my window. I press my palm to the glass against his. He gives me that lazy smile that’s always been a weakness of mine, then turns and heads over to his truck.
And as I drive away, I realize I miss him already.