sweater.
It’s been the best year ever and I want to celebrate that.
After Miles came in for Christmas breakfast with my family last year, he ended up staying for two more days. My parents were crazy for him instantly. My sisters and their husbands too. Betsy was the hit of the holiday though and had everyone eating out of her paw.
Greta even baked special treats just for her.
After that, we drove back down to his house together and that was sort of it. I mean, I did go back to New York, but that was only for a week and that was only to clean out my apartment and say goodbye to a few people.
Rina had already moved to Boston and since she is my main person besides my sisters, it wasn’t as hard to leave the city I’d been living in for eight years as one might think. Then again, I was coming back here. To my mountain man. To my Vermont oasis. To what I now affectionately refer to as my office, which is the solarium. Miles even surprised me by buying a beautiful desk for me and rearranged the furniture so it would be my space.
He never actually asked me to move in.
It was just how we talked about things. The way the words flowed from us. It was kind of like once we said I love you, that was it. The moving in and being together part just became a forgone conclusion. Something we did and never thought twice about or looked back on.
For the last two months, Miles has been a very busy worker bee. His ornaments evidently are in high demand, and he was pretty much living in his shop.
That actually worked out well for me because my Christmas book, Just One Kiss, came out at the end of November. It’s our story as I like to think. The one I started writing when Miles rescued me.
“London!” Miles shouts as I’m digging through one of his drawers. “Come on, Firefly. I want to give you your present before we leave.”
“I need my sweater!”
“Wear the cream dress. It looks beautiful on you.”
I glance down at the dress I threw on while searching for my sweater. “I look like a church mouse in it.”
“Then wear something sexy beneath and get your adorable ass down here.”
“I am wearing something sexy beneath,” I grumble, though I’m smirking. That’s part of his present, though he doesn’t get to unwrap it until tonight. “Fine!” I bellow, slamming the stupid drawer shut and stomping down the stairs in my heels.
Miles and Betsy are waiting at the foot for me. She’s wearing an adorable red sweater I had made for her and Miles is wearing a dark blue sweater—because the man would rather die than wear Christmas colors—and dark gray slacks. His thick hair is brushed back and his glasses are on.
He looks so damn yummy I can hardly stand it.
He greets me with a kiss that I quickly return, though I’m still pouting. “I wanted my sweater. That’s our sweater, Miles.”
He grins like I’m adorable, kissing the tip of my nose. “I know, baby. But you look gorgeous in this.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Let’s open our presents and see if that cheers you up.”
“What about Betsy’s present?”
He shakes his head, tossing her a treat on her bed by the kitchen that she quickly retreats to. Thankfully, as much as I love Taylor, Betsy has broadened her musical pallet and readily accepts my Christmas music.
Miles takes my hand and leads me over to the solarium, sitting me on the sofa we first made love on. Outside the window is a sea of white and forest green. So beautiful and picturesque, although mother nature decided that this year we deserved some sun instead of blizzard conditions.
“Can I give you mine first?” I ask, and Miles frowns but quickly acquiesces with a bob of his head.
I hand him two things, both wrapped in bright red paper. He lets out a bemused chuckle as he takes in the Santa and reindeer and then has at it, ripping away at the paper. The first gift is a signed hardcover of our book, Just One Kiss. It’s in a special cover I had made, a picture of us that was taken last Christmas at my parents’.
He runs his hand along the smooth cover, a small smile curling up his lips. “Open it,” I instruct, and his eyes quickly come up to mine before diving back down to the book.
He