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It turns out, we’re not alone, because someone whistles a catcall. I pull back and glance over my shoulder—Uncle Connor.

Or rather, just Connor.

He’s losing uncle status with that behavior. I don’t like him, doesn’t matter that he loves hockey. He can shove it.

I grab Juniper’s hand and pull her with me past Connor, back into the throes of the living room where everyone who is still visiting is hanging out. My breath teases her ear. “Connor is a creep.”

“Uncle Levi thinks so too,” Juniper whispers. “You should meet his kids. You’ll love them. Get this, the eldest is Amelia, and the youngest—wait for it—his name is Miles.”

I snort. “No way. Love the kid already.”

I bought Juniper a small present during our away game in Canada. It’s a necklace with a little book charm on it. I thought it was cute, but also perfect for her. Honestly, I hadn’t even been thinking about Christmas. I’d bought it because it seemed like something she’d like.

“Open yours first,” I say as we sit around the fireplace with her parents. The other guests have left, and I’m grateful for the quiet.

I wish it were just the two of us, but I’ll have to suffice with sharing Juniper for one last evening.

She hands me my giant present, perfectly wrapped, and takes mine from the table, lifting it carefully. She’s thoughtful with how she unwraps it, not destroying or tearing the paper at the seams. There’s patience in her act, and I can’t help but wonder if there’s also nervousness.

We never discussed Christmas presents.

She wasn’t expecting me to accompany her to her parents’ house or for us to celebrate the holiday together.

Her eyes light up when she lifts the lid of the box. “It’s gorgeous.” Her breath catches in her throat. “Can you help me…”

“Of course,” I say as she unfastens the silver chain and lifts her hair, letting me slide the necklace on and secure the clasp in the back.

Her hand falls over the book charm. “I love it, thank you.” She leans in, brushing her lips against mine, and I don’t want to pull away.

The kiss is soft and sweet, and everything I’ve ever imagined with Juniper. My fingers tangle in her hair, my hands itch to pull her onto my lap, but her parents are watching. We don’t have to put on a show for them.

She steals one more kiss before pulling back, glancing away, her cheeks rosy, and she can’t seem to meet my stare. “Open your present, Myles,” she whispers.

Inhaling sharply, I take the box and put it on my lap. I couldn’t even guess what it is. It’s large but not as heavy as I thought, given its size. It’ll be fun trying to take it home on the airplane. Although I did pick up a duffel bag to put the clothes I bought in.

Unlike Juniper and her patience when unwrapping her present, I tear the paper apart like a kid, ripping it and shredding it into tons of pieces as I try to discover what she bought me.

It’s in a brown box, not giving any hint of the gift away.

“It’s a box. Wow, you shouldn’t have,” I joke, smiling at her.

“Open it, silly.” She nudges me, and I undo the single strip of tape that is keeping the box secure. Opening the top, I can feel the navy material is soft and fluffy. It’s definitely a blanket.

I pull the blanket from the box, feeling a hard plastic remote at the bottom, attached by a wire to the blanket.

“It’s an electric blanket, so you don’t try to steal mine tonight,” Juniper says, sticking her tongue out at me.

I lean in, kissing her, and her eyes widen. Her lips part, but I don’t chase after her tongue. It takes everything inside of me to keep the kiss sweet and proper, following her rules.

She’s frozen for a fraction of a second, startled by the kiss, and then her hand is on my arm, her nails dig into my skin, and I hear the sweet moan in the back of her throat.

But we’re sitting in front of her parents. I cannot be making out with her, not the way I want to, where my body does things to her that make her whimper and moan.

I’m the one who pulls back, who ends the kiss first, but I don’t want to. My mouth tingles, I can still feel her lips on them as I stare at her and realize I’ve fallen hard.

Twenty

Juniper