He didn’t say another word, and as his steps receded down the stairs, I glanced at my phone. December 24th—Christmas Eve. There were a few missed calls and texts from Ben, and I sent him a quick message wishing him a Merry Christmas before switching off my phone. I was done checking my emails, responding to messages, going on social media. I didn’t want to be anywhere but here.
A moment later, Ethan was back with a small black box topped with a red bow. I sat up on my knees, wrapping the sheet around myself.What on earth?
“It’s not much,” he said. “But, well… Here.” He shoved the box into my hands.
I removed the lid and pulled out the tissue paper to reveal a delicate necklace. I lifted it from the box to find a rectangular silver pendant with the word “Hygge” stamped onto it.
“Hi-gee,” I said, attempting to say it aloud.
“Hue-guh,” he said, though it sounded like a funny way of saying, “Huge.”
“It’s beautiful.” I turned the pendant over, admiring the craftsmanship. “What does it mean?”
“It’s a Danish word used to acknowledge a feeling or moment—whether alone or with friends, out or at home—as cozy or special. This week, being with you, has made me feelhygge.”
My heart swelled, but I wasn’t prepared for the unexpected swell of emotions his sweet and thoughtful gift sparked. Nor the accompanying dread at the prospect of leaving in a few days.
“I bet it has,” I teased, knowing how much he despised my nickname for him.
He was the opposite of tiny. He towered over me, and he definitely wasn’t small…anywhere. Sometimes I wondered how he fit his six-foot frame comfortably in his tiny house.
“All right, hotshot. That’s it.” He launched across the bed, grabbing my sides and tickling me mercilessly.
“No.” I laughed, batting away his hands. “Stop.”
He pinned me down, straddling my hips as he continued his assault. “You asked for it.”
I knew I couldn’t win. He wasn’t ticklish, and he could be as stubborn as I was. So, I decided to play dirty. I undid his jeans, pulling out his cock and exploring it with my fingers.
“Audrey.” Now he was the one panting as I ran my hand up and down his shaft then over the head. His grip on me relaxed, his head falling back as his mouth opened. “Damn.”
“Come closer,” I said, gripping his ass so he’d come closer to my mouth. “Let me suck you.”
“Fuck.” He dragged out the word as he moved up my body. “Fuck,” he hissed this time when I sucked the head of his cock into my mouth. “Yes.”
We spent the rest of the night exploring each other. And when I fell asleep in his arms, it was with a smile on my lips and a feeling ofhyggein my heart.
Chapter Twelve
“Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve?” I asked Audrey, dancing around the issue of when she was leaving.
She still hadn’t told me her plans, and I hadn’t asked. In truth, I didn’t want her to leave anytime soon, even though I knew it was inevitable. Soon, I’d have to go back to work, and so would she—in Boston.
She shook her head. “Desi mentioned a party, but I don’t know…”
I hesitated a moment, wondering at her reasons for not wanting to go. Still, I wanted to spend New Year’s with her, so I said, “The gang from Freedom Tiny Homes and I always have a big bonfire at the airfield and stay out drinking. Want to come?”
“That sounds…nice.” She smiled. “As long as I’m back in Boston for a hearing on the fourth, I’m good.”
“Excellent. That gives me…” I glanced at the calendar on the wall. Something from the Audubon Society with a picture of a snowy owl. It was December 30th. “Five days to sex you up.”
“Three,” she corrected with a serious expression.
“Three?” I frowned.
“I need to fly back on the second so I can make sure I’m rested and prepared. And I absolutely cannot risk being late.”
Any time she mentioned her job, she seemed tense. And while I understood occupational stress—working for the hotshots had been taxing in many ways—I couldn’t understand spending so many hours in a job I didn’t love. Especially doing something that didn’t fulfill me or give me a sense of purpose. No amount of money was worth that.
