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“Yes. To everything you just said.” She hugged him tightly. “And I’m optimistic too.”
“Good.” He kissed her gently and then grabbed a box. “Let’s organize.”
Tancy swayed back and forth. “The only thing that would improve this was if you wore your hoochie shorts.”
“What?”
She waved her hand and grabbed two bags. “Never mind. I’ll explain some other time.”
Teague watched Tancy affix the label to the last box and felt deeply gratified. She’d been buzzing with excitement for four hours straight and kissing him with a regularity he now craved. “You may want to add Arbor Day to your list of holidays because you’ve got room for two more boxes.”
Turning, she blew a loose strand of hair away from her face. “I celebrate it by planting trees in the park with the Beautification committee.”
“Of course you do.” Her eyes crawled over him slowly. “What?”
“I was just wondering if you might be more receptive to my decorating gestures now that we’re dating.” She sauntered to his side and ran her finger along his bicep. “Perhaps our activities in the bedroom will make you more amenable to my overtures.”
“Babe, if you want to festoon my house and yard with decorations, then have at it.” He bent down and took her mouth in a savage kiss. “And our activities haven’t been confined to just the bedroom. We’ve christened every room in the house, my studio, and the truck.”
“Don’t forget the backyard. That little bench escapade was a lot of fun.”
“It was more than fun.”
“Yes, it most certainly was.” She ran her hand under his T-shirt. “Thank you for giving me free rein for the holidays.”
Watching her tongue trace her bottom lip made his jeans a little uncomfortable. “Is there anything else you want?” Her topaz eyes glittered with naughty promise, and his body jolted with need. “And please be real specific.”
“I do have that list on my phone.” She bit her bottom lip. “That’s not rated PG.”
“Lucky me.”
“How do you feel about hot air balloon rides?”
“My mind went in a completely different direction.” He shook his head. “Give me a minute while it recalibrates.”
Stepping away from his hold, she let out a little laugh. “We can discuss the list later.” She pursed her lips together. “The evening walking group will pass by any minute, and they don’t need to see us with our hands all over one another.”
“Got it.” He adjusted himself and pushed two empty containers into the bottom shelf. “Are we done in here?”
“I think so.” She scanned the shelves. “Thank you for all of this. It makes me happy beyond belief.”
He joined her in front of the wall of boxes. “Why did you fall in love with decorating for the holidays?”
“Because Aunt Sadie loved it and passed on her traditions. Before moving in, we didn’t have any, and I appreciated how her holiday rituals allowed me to feel normal and safe. She not only gave us a place to live but a home.”
He swallowed his anger at her dead parents and nodded. “That makes a lot of sense.”
She took his hand. “I can tell your ruminating over my past, but don’t feel like you need to. I kept all the positive lessons and let go of the rest.”
“I’ll do my best, but it’s gonna take a minute.”
She squeezed his hand. “You should know that I haven’t hit my stride and plan on ramping up my efforts for Easter.” Smiling, she leaned her head against his arm. “I’m ready for the next level.”
“Are we talking life-size bunnies and inflatable easter eggs with rainbow lights?”
“I hadn’t considered going with inflatable easter eggs.” She patted his chest. “I can see that you’re going to make a real contribution to this relationship and not just be a pretty face that satisfies every single one of my carnal desires.”
Groaning, he threw his head back. “I didn’t know the pretty face thing was an option.”
