“It’s 11, bae,” I say. “It’s okay, though. It’s Christmas Eve, rest your little head.”
He sits up, rubbing his eyes. “We need to get everything ready for our families.”
He thought it would be a good idea to host Christmas Eve dinner at the cafe and have our families finally meet. I groan playfully. “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this. The cafe isn’t even ready!”
Carter reaches over and touches my thigh. “Bae, relax, we got this. You’ve got tables, which is all we need. Oh, and the contractor built that stage you’ve always wanted.”
He’s right. Tables are really all we need, and the stage doesn’t hurt. “You’re right,” I say, exhaling. “And I’m so grateful we’re close by. Your mom’s cooking everything, and will need to bring it all over when she’s done.”
Carter beams. “Isn’t my mom the best?”
I laugh. “Which of my siblings do you think she’s going to love the most? Minus Ian, obviously, since he can’t make it.”
Carter smirks. “You know my answer. Rachel.”
Of course, Carter’s obsessed with Rachel. They’ve been talking on the phone constantly all month. She was always there to listen, whether it was about a rumor about who he’s dating or about social media posts that made him anxious. I love that they’ve grown so close. It makes me so happy.
“I mean, she’s pretty awesome,” I say. “Wait, does your mom need us to pick up any ingredients?”
Carter grins. “My mom is a very specific person. She’s making a casserole, a ham dish, turkey, mashed potatoes, and several other dishes. She already ordered everything to be delivered.”
I gasp. “My god, that’s so much food! I’m making my siblings help.”
Carter laughs. “At worst, we’ll help cook. It just might come out…inedible.”
I snort. “We should probably get ready. Everyone’s coming sometime after one.”
Carter looks at me with a sly grin. “Want to shower together? You know…to save time, of course.”
I smile back and grab his hand, pulling him toward the bathroom. I turn the water on, holding my hand under the stream until it hits the perfect temperature. We strip down, and when we’re both naked, we glance at each other’s bodies, and yeah, we both clearly understand the plan.
Carter leans in, giving me a soft kiss on the lips, and whispers, “Let me.”
He drops to his knees and wraps his mouth around my entire length, taking me deep. As one of his hands wraps around my shaft, I start to thrust forward slowly.
“Hey, too much!” he coughs out dramatically.
I smirk, glancing down, but don’t slow down. My hips keep a steady rhythm, and within a minute, that telltale build rises fast. I start to pull out, but Carter grabs my hips and holds me in place, swallowing every bit as I finish with a long, shuddering exhale.
“That was fucking incredible,” I breathe. “Let me do you.”
He stands up, kisses my cheek, and shakes his head. “Too late, babe.”
I glance down and see the mess he’s made, which is dripping toward the drain.
“I couldn’t help myself,” he says, grinning. “I was jerking off while you were in my mouth.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “You bitch. Fine, less work for me.”
We both crack up and quickly finish the rest of our shower, and clean everything, knowing Carter’s mom is going to show up, point out everything out of place, and find ten flaws that need to be fixed.
At 1:30 on the dot, it’s as if both families have coordinated together because everyone shows up at the apartment door at the same time.
Carter giggles. “I pre-approved everyone with Henry, so I can’t even be mad.”
I laugh and say, “Good. Henry deserves a raise.”
Carter opens the door with slight hesitation, already bracing for what’s about to happen. One by one, both of our families squeeze through the apartment door, looking like they’ve been chatting with each other while waiting outside.
