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CAROLINE
Iscan the dining room, my eyes bouncing over the bright-red and green table runner, the intricately folded napkins with hand-stitched Christmas trees on them, the delicate wine glasses, and the shining silverware all set in perfect place. A smile pulls at my lips, and I let my gaze drift over to Nora and Dani, where they place the last of the water glasses. “I think we did a decent job.”
Dani nods, examining our handiwork, but then she looks toward the kitchen and scowls. “I could have helped in the kitchen.”
I bark out a laugh and roll my eyes. “Will you get over it already? Let’s go see what the boys are up to.”
Nora laughs. “Probably no good. As always.”
The laughter helps release a little bit of the tension we’ve all been feeling today. Holidays are always hectic around Nana’s house, but this year, everything seems to be ratcheted up ten-fold.
No one knows what to expect when Luca and Byron show up, and all of us seem a bit on-edge waiting for them to arrive.
The girls follow me into the living room where Savage, Gabe, Stone, Landon, and Saint congregate near the tree, talking in low tones under the Christmas music piped over them.
Saint turns toward me as I approach and wraps a big arm around me, engulfing me against his massive frame. “They’ll be here any minute.”
I tense inadvertently, then try to relax in his familiar hold. “Good. I think dinner’s going to be ready soon, too.”
His stomach rumbles, and he presses a hand over it. “Good. I’m starving.”
I laugh and pinch his ribs. “You’re always hungry.”
He flashes me a grin, then dips his head low so he can whisper in my ear. “I’m definitely still hungry for more of what I ate last night, too.”
Heats floods my core as the memory of the way he spread me out on the kitchen counter and hadmefor dinner—and dessert—fill my head. Pressing my thighs together against the throb suddenly there, I shove at his chest. “Don’t say things like that to me in this house. Nana hearseverything.”
He chuckles low, his whole body shaking. “The way you were screaming, she might’ve heard you from across town.”
I toss him an annoyed look, but I can’t fight the smile that pulls at my lips.
It’s so rare we have a night without Pope and Bishop in the house. Having her sleeping over at Storm and Landon’s and him at Gabe and Skye’s gave us a nice little reprieve.
I didn’t have to bite my tongue—or something else—to keep from alerting them to what their father does to me in the bedroom…or the kitchen.
“You have a filthy mind, Saint Clarke. You know that?”
He grins at me and lowers his head to press a kiss to my lips. “I do know that, Caroline Clarke.”
But I wouldn’t have it any other way—my brutally handsome yet gentle and generous husband has always been my protector and the only one who can completely destroy me in the best way possible.
Movement in the large picture window at the front of the room catches my attention, and I glance toward it and stiffen as Luca’s car pulls to the curb.
“They’re here.”
All the conversation dies as everyone turns to look that way.
Saint scans the room. “We can’t all stand here, staring at them. You’re going to make the kid uncomfortable.”
Savage nods. “You’re right.” He forces a smile. “Let’s not make it a big deal.”
Everyone tries to return to their conversation, but the slight tension still lingers in the room as we wait for the front door to open. I peek around Saint and watch the little boy, who can’t be more than ten, climb from the back of the car slowly. Sandy-blond hair falls over his forehead, and he brushes it back to stare wide-eyed at the house.
Luca and Byron walk him to the path that leads up to Nana’s house, and the boy freezes, staring at it like it’s something he’s never seen before. Even from here, I can see him shaking, and my stomach tightens.
That poor kid.
Everything he’s been through…
