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The man blinks at me a few times before laughing lightly. His laugh makes me suck in a sharp breath because it sounds a lot like a ‘ho ho ho’. Which doesn’t make any sense. Do people laugh like that?
“I’m fine, Raegan, I’m just running a little behind tonight Thank you for asking.” He gives me a bright smile. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” the words come out automatically, but I find I really mean them for the first time in a long time.
It’s only when I’m heading up the first flight of stairs that I realize he knew my name. I don’t think I’ve ever met him before. I would remember something like that, especially if he lives here in the building.
I look back down the stairs even though I can’t see the front door to the building anymore. That was strange.
He was in quite a hurry. I wonder where he’s headed on Christmas Eve in such a hurry.
I brush it off and fiddle with the box in my coat pocket until I’m standing in front of Evan’s door, and I force myself to stop. When I knock, I realize Evan may not even be home. What if he’s out somewhere?
Just as I’m convincing myself showing up was a horrible idea and I’m about to turn away and flee, the door swings open. Evan is standing there looking at me with a huge smile on his face.
“Snowflake,” he breathes out. Before I can say anything, he pulls me into his arms and wraps me up in a hug, letting the door close behind me. “I missed you. I was about to figure out a way to lure you over here,” he pulls back and looks down into my eyes, “but now I don’t need to come up with a ruse.”
My heart feels lighter now that I’m with him. It’s a nice feeling, one I want to hold onto for as long as I can. My voice is full of curiosity, “What were you going to go with?”
“I was going to tell you all about my candy cane,” he wiggles his eyebrows at me lasciviously.
I throw my head back and laugh before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down to me. I kiss him softly, but it quickly turns heated. It normally does with us.
I grind my hips forward into his and I feel his cock harden. I murmur against his lips, “This candy cane?
Evan groans and kisses along my jaw as he pushes my jacket off, forcing me to let go of his neck so he can remove it entirely. “Yeah, that’s the one,” his voice is husky and filled with need.
His eyes are sparkling as he looks at me, intently taking in every part of me. He reaches up and brushes some snowflakes from my hair. “Is it snowing?”
“I don’t know if I could call it snow quite yet, but it’s certainly flurrying.” He nods and pulls me into the living room and motions for me to sit down on the couch. “Hey, is there a guy who looks like Santa in your building?”
He snorts a laugh, and I can’t help but laugh along with him. I’m aware of the irony of me, of all people, asking about the Santa look-a-like that is living amongst us, specifically in Evan’s building. I know it’s silly, but Santa is the best description for the older man at the door.
“I don’t know if I’d say he’s a full-blown Santa,” he eyes me curiously, “unless he’s acquired a new suit.” He shrugs one shoulder. “But Mr. Nicolo isn’t far from off from the jolly man in red velvet either. Why?”
I snuggle into Evan, loving the way he smells and almost forgetting about what he asked me and the man I met moments before. I murmur against his chest, “I met him on my way into the building. He called me by my name, even though I didn’t give it and he said he was running late for something.”
Evan makes a humming sound, but then he steals any thought of Mr. Nicolo when he buries his fingers in my hair and kisses me hard. He murmurs against my lips, “I didn’t think I’d get to see you tonight.”
“My tradition wasn’t much fun by myself,” I admit softly. “I missed you.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Raegan. I missed you too,” his voice is so soft. “My night isn’t complete unless I have the woman I love in my arms.”
My body jerks slightly and I look up at him. I’m not sure if it’s a look of horror on my face or something else. Maybe shock.
Evan barks out a laugh before he leans closer to me, so close our lips are almost touching. “You heard me, Snowflake. I love you.”
“I love you, Evan,” the words rush out of me and I’m not entirely sure anyone would be able to understand them between how fast I blurt them out and the high pitch of my voice.
It doesn’t seem like Evan has a problem hearing or understanding because his eyes light up and he gets a smile on his face which is worth a thousand Rockefeller Center trees and those things are huge. I get lost in the feel of his lips on mine, how soft they are, how my lips mold to his.
When we pull apart, we’re panting and staring at each other with so much hunger and lust. I desperately want him to pick me up and take me to bed, but I have one thing to do before that can happen. I give my man, the one who has shown me there is more to life than taking a stand at every turn, a big grin before I stand up and head toward my coat.
“You’re not leaving,” there’s something like defeat in Evan’s tone, “are you?”
I don’t answer him as I grab the small present out of my pocket and head back to Evan’s side. He lets out a noticeable sigh of relief which makes me giggle.
“I just wanted to give you this.” I set the box on his lap, and I can tell he wants to put off opening it and, instead, take me to bed. “I think you should open it tonight instead of waiting.”
“Is this going to be one of our traditions?” Evan is beaming at me before he kisses my forehead and starts to tear into the paper.
When he opens the box and looks inside, the way he stares silently has worry filling me. Then he looks at me with so much fucking love in his eyes that it makes my breath hitch. “You got me an ornament?”
“I thought it would look good on the tree and it reminded me of going to see the windows.”
Evan looks down at the small ornament again, at least small compared to the size of his hands. It’s a depiction of a shop’s window display where they’ve recreated Santa’s workshop. It’s not exactly like the one we looked at, but it’s close.
He jumps up and makes his way to the tree. “I know the perfect spot.” He stares at it as he hangs the loop over one of the branches before stepping back to admire his work.
I look at the tree for a moment and grin. The next thing I know, I’m being scooped up and carried away towards Evan’s bed. I know how we’ll be celebrating the rest of the night. The best way, even if it might get me put on Santa’s naughty list.
