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He frowned and looked down at his outfit. “Frankie told me it was a Forster tradition. We all have to wear Christmas pajamas for Christmas dinner. I thought she was winding me up, but then Elliot confirmed it.”
I tried to contain my laugh. “Oh God. They were having you on. The bastards have teamed up to prank you. I warned you not to listen to anything my family says.”
He frowned.
Frankie appeared behind us and burst out laughing. “Well, don’t just stand there, come in and do us a twirl. Show us your runway technique.”
I shook my head. “Why are you like this? This is why I never want to bring boyfriends home.”
My face heated. Gabe’s eyes slipped away. Oh shit. This was just sex. One night of sex and one weird night in a private ballet box, which had felt like a date but couldn’t be a date because my entire family had also been present. Great. Now he probably thought I was some obsessive stalker. But then, he was the one who wanted to eat Christmas dinner with my family.
I fumbled, looking for a change of subject. “I’m so sorry. Reece will have something else to wear, or you can go home and change if you want … or if you want to go, you can go. This was cruel of Frankie. I’m sorry.”
“It’s a joke,” Frankie cried.
“It’s not funny, Frankie. Gabe will never set foot in this house again.”
Her eyes went wide. “It was Elliot’s idea too.”
Gabe raked a hand through his hair, a wry smile on his lips. “It’s fine.” He held out his arms and sent a rueful glance down his torso. “I’m styling it out.”
I couldn’t help my smile. He was styling it out. This man looked like a god even dressed like an elf.
He shrugged. “Let’s eat. I’m sure you’ve waited long enough.”
Frankie clapped him on the back. “You’re a good sport. You’re going to fit in well around here.” She took him by the elbow and led him into the kitchen. “You’ll definitely fit in better than Miri, anyway.”
Chapter 30
Miri
Laterthatevening,afterChristmas dinner and arguments over board games, we decamped to the lounge to watch a movie together. Everybody took their usual spots. Elliot and Reece on the couch with Mum, and Frankie on her favorite bean bag next to the Christmas tree. I sat at the foot of the armchair in the corner of the room furthest from the TV. We didn’t have enough places to sit, and as much as it would have amused me to see Gabe’s face when I offered him a spot on the floor at my feet, he wouldn’t be impressed by my hospitality skills. Frankie held the remote toward the TV, lazily channel surfing. She flicked the light switch. The TV screen and the twinkling, colorful Christmas lights glowed bright in the darkness.
I patted the armchair behind me. “Your throne, Mr. Rivers.”
Gabe planted himself in front of me and extended a hand to pull me up.
“No. You’re the guest. You sit on the chair.”
He sat down and patted his lap. “There’s room for both of us.”
I threw a wary glance across the room, but everyone had gone back to squabbling over what to watch. Would it be too much to sit on his lap with everyone here? Jed had never been a PDA kind of guy. It would have been weird to cozy up with him, but maybe it was okay. The lights were out, and it wasn’t my fault there weren’t enough chairs.
I settled on Gabe’s lap. He pulled a blanket from the arm of the chair and threw it over us and wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me. I melted into the heat of his firm body.
His lips brushed my earlobe. “This is nice.”
It was. In fact, it was delicious to be in his arms so warm and snuggled with my family around me. The colorful fairy lights on the Christmas tree glittered in the darkness and the fire crackled in the hearth. Heat seared my skin. If we could get through the rest of the evening without my family embarrassing me further, then it would be perfect.
“I’m sorry about the trick with pajamas,” I whispered. “The twins are hazing you.”
“Did I pass?”
“With flying colors.”
“I’m votingWhite Christmas,” Mum called.
“Boo. Too old,” Elliot said.
