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She cleared her throat again as Bing melted into a Shania Twain duet. “We should probably join the others.” Though she fully intended to sneak back into the kitchen once Nick was asleep. She wasn’t one for leaving tasks undone. Especially since Harper had prepared such an incredible meal, and they hadn’t had to invite her.
“Stop overthinking this,” he murmured into her ear, and she jolted because the rumble of his voice slid into her bloodstream like a potent shot of desire. “You have every right to be here. You’re part of us.”
Part of me.
He didn’t say it, but she felt the words as surely as if he had.
“Presents,” he said after a moment, when it became clear she didn’t have a reply. What could she say?
She’d spent so many Christmases alone in recent years. Going back east to be with her parents now actually hurt more than it eased the pain. Seeing everyone happy and together while she was alone reminded her of her solitary life. How she didn’t have a husband who actually gave a shit about her or a family of her own, in spite of how much she wanted one.
Kids. She couldn’t help wanting them any more than she could help wanting an old-fashioned family Christmas like she’d had with her parents growing up. There had been cousins, and neighbors, and family friends. Plenty of noise and joy, laced with more than a little good-natured ribbing.
Like there was at the band house tonight. And they were including her, which was a miracle of its own.
“Yes, presents.” She took a deep breath. “We’re probably missing the gag gifts.”
He led her up the hall to the living room, his arm clamped firmly around her shoulders. She didn’t think she could dislodge his hold on her with a wrecking ball. “I didn’t do any gag gifts. Mine are all fucking awesome.”
She smirked as they took their seats at the edge of the circle the band had made around the teetering tower of gifts in front of the fireplace. With Nick,awesomecould mean literally anything from rotgut to a jumbo box of condoms.
“About fuckin’ time,” Simon said, glancing down at the baby still affixed to his chest. “I mean, frakking,” he amended as Jazz loudly cleared her throat.
“We were cleaning up, since you heathens all abandoned the scene of the crime.” Nick leaned toward the fireplace and started feeling around behind a lopsided miniature plastic Christmas tree, a pale imitation of the large one twinkling in the corner. “Okay, thieves. Which one of you copped my spare pack of smokes?”
“You can thank all of us.” Jazz smiled widely. “We all decided our biggest present to you would be the gift of clean lungs. So…you’re welcome.”
Nick’s snarl would’ve made Lila laugh if he hadn’t immediately dug through another box covered in, oddly, what appeared to be the front page of that day’s newspaper. “You all think you’re so smart. Guess you missed this, Miss Manners,” he said to Jazz, pulling out a thin box of cigars. “I got them for all of us to smoke after dinner.”
“What all of us?” Simon shook his head. “I can’t smoke with my throat.”
“I can’t either. You know I’m avoiding all that stuff.” Gray stopped bouncing Dylan in his lap, who looked to be in some kind of food-induced coma.
“Dude, I don’t do that shit. I keep my body clean. You know that,” Deak put in from the rocking chair in the corner. Harper was stationed between his legs on the floor, her head tucked on his thigh.
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Darn. I guess these are just for me then.” Nick slipped one between his teeth and flicked out a lighter from his pants pocket. “Merry Christmas.”
Lila leaned in close and let a few of the loose curls from her updo block her face as she murmured, “Smoke that and your mouth isn’t touching mine.”
“Goddammit.” He threw the cigar back in the box with a disgusted huff. “This Christmas stuff is bullshit. Where’s my happiness? Where’s my joy?”
“In your dick, and if you don’t shut up soon, you’ll be holding it all night long.” Simon jolted from Margo’s sharp elbow to his side. “What? Bitching doesn’t earn you sex points. I’m trying to do the guy a favor.”
Lila nearly put in that they were getting the wrong idea about them, that they weren’t starting something up again. Technically, they hadn’t finished the last time. But she didn’t want to get into an argument or make more out of the night than it was.
It was just fun, just sex. Just a little magic on loan. Tomorrow, it would be back to business as usual.
So she drew her legs up to her chest and propped her chin on them. And observed.
Harper dozed against Deacon’s leg, and the two babies mostly slept, in between turning wide eyes on the mammoth pile of gifts being unearthed. Lexi let out a wail when Harper roused enough to bring in a plate of cookies from the kitchen. They were all freshly frosted and sugary-sweet, and Lila had eaten three of them before she noticed Deacon pocketing his phone with a sigh.
“Santa’s stuck in Provo. Stupid snowstorm.”
“So much for our surprise for the kids.” Gray tugged up Dylan’s sock and shifted him on his lap. “Guess we’ll have to try again next year.”
“Dude, Santa here? That’d be sweet.” Simon cleared his throat at Jazz’s pointed look. “Sorry, man.”
“Snow is the freaking best. Screw this blazing sun crap. We had the best time in it.” Nick glanced at Lila and reached over to grip her hand. “Hey, why don’t you come sit on my lap? I can do one hell of a Santa impression. In fact…”
