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“What time?” I asked.
“Early,” he said, pressing his mouth to mine again. “I’m headed over about five a.m.”
I checked the time on the digital clock above the door. It was nearing midnight.
Hawk rubbed my arms. “Come on. You made all those kids pillowcases, right? You probably know them better than I do.”
“I do, yeah. They’re great. Really great. And they’re going to be so thrilled once they see what you’ve done.”
I wanted more than anything to be there and see the delight on their faces.
“Is it family?” Hawk asked. “I can understand. I know it’s Christmas.”
Unease washed the moment’s heat away. Family, yes. But not the happy circumstances he was probably assuming.
According to Pris, Stina was still expecting me to work tonight. But after her attack in the ballroom, I was even less inclined to go.
Here was a man who was giving up his Christmas plans to spend the holiday at the hospital. He had no one else to help him do this incredible thing for kids who deserved it.
An affirmation exploded in my chest. This was what I wanted.
He was what I wanted.
“Okay,” I said.
“Really?”
His excitement stoked the fire in me all over again. I leaned in and kissed him, long and slow.
“Yeah, I’d love to. I’m not working tonight. I’m all yours.”
He stroked his hands up and down my back. “I like the sound of that.”
His next kiss had a new effect on me. This time, his mouth made the room tilt. It made my blood spin.
Hawk’s tempo increased, and I nearly allowed him to pull me under. Instead, I finished out the kiss and pressed my hands to his chest.
“I should probably go,” I said.
He released a disappointed moan, but he didn’t stop me when I broke away from him and rose to my feet.
My hair had almost completely come out of its style, and the resulting coldness away from him was noticeable.
I wanted to go back, to crawl into his embrace and cocoon there. To forget anything and anyone else.
I hadn’t had a connection like this with anyone before—and I didn’t want it to stop.
But I also didn’t want to move too fast too soon. This was a magical delusion. Christmas Eve was full of those, and I had to be careful not to fall prey to it.
I was just learning to trust again. He’d gotten through my defenses, but they weren’t all down yet.
He sat on the futon with a hand braced on its back. His hair was disheveled, and he watched me retrieve my dress from where I’d laid it on the floor.
“What time should I meet you at the hospital?” I asked.
“My sister has everything there,” hesaid. “We just need to be there and make sure everything is set up and ready to go. Kids get up early on Christmas morning—or, I did anyway.”
“I did, too,” I said with a laugh. “I used to sit up and stare at our tree, waiting for my parents to wake up.”
