“Have I mentioned how much I love my new fireplace?”
He kissed her ear. “You have.”
“And my new tub?”
“Over and over, yes. You’re very—appreciative.” His dimple showed as he smiled down at her.
“Okay.” She looked back at the fire. “Just wanted to be sure.”
His hands slid around to the front of her robe, played idly with the loosely tied belt. “How about your bed? Do you like your bed?” The last word was delivered on a soft kiss.
She put down her mug and turned to sit on his lap, not really trying all that hard to prevent her robe from gaping open. She leaned toward him, laughing as he tried to keep his eyes on hers. And then she kissed him.
“I love my bed. I do.” She undid the ties. “But I like right here just as well.”
“Ah, hell, cowgirl.” He kissed her hard as his hands heated her up. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“I think you must have been very, very good in a previous life.”
“That must be it.” He smiled against her mouth, then tied her robe back closed, groaning as he did so. “All right, you. I have something for you to open.”
“But it’s not Christmas yet!”
“It’s Christmas Eve. And tradition in the Driscoll family is that you get to open your stocking on Christmas Eve.”
“But—what about Santa? He didn’t fill your stockings?”
“Ma filled them twice. We always hung them back up after we opened hers, then Santa came.” He looked at her for a long moment. “Did you have a stocking?”
“Yes, but I taped it to the table. No fireplace in the trailer. To her credit, Roxie usually did try to hold it together on Christmas—at least till noon. I actually even got gifts sometimes.”
Cole reached around the side of the couch and came out with a bulging, bright red stocking that had her name painted in glitter on the fuzzy white part. She laughed as she caught sight of it. It was the kind of stocking she’d dreamed of as a kid.
“Did you do this?”
“Of course.” He rolled his eyes. “No. I’m way better with a hammer than I am with glitter glue, whatever that is. Bryn and Gracie made it for me.”
“It weighs a ton, cowboy! What’s in here?” She felt like a little kid, looking at the stocking, imagining a pile of brightly wrapped presents inside.
“Open and find out!” He stood up to put more wood on the fire, then settled beside her once again. “Come on. It’s the first time I’ve ever made a girl a stocking. I’m dying to know how I did.”
Jess grinned as she extracted the first box and slid her fingers carefully under the tape. She didn’t want to rush this, not a bit. As she slid the box out of the wrapping paper, she laughed out loud. “Junior Mints?”
“Yes. They are the ultimate movie food, and it’s high time you realize it.”
“But I like—”
“I know, I know. Twizzlers. Which is not a real movie snack because it does not contain chocolate. Aren’t women supposed to need chocolate?”
“Sorry. I’ll work on it. Thank you.”
“Open the next one.”
The next one crackled and bent, and she smiled as she pulled out a package of Twizzlers. “Thank you. I was concerned that you were trying to convert me.”
“Totally am.” He reached out and took the Twizzlers. “But in case you don’t like the other candy, you have a backup.”
The next present was a Best Movies of the Eighties set of DVDs. Jess smiled. “Wow, cowboy. You’re enabling my eighties addiction.” She held them in her hands, raising her eyebrows. “So if you put movies in a girl’s stocking, does that mean you promise to watch them with her, too?”
“Absolutely.” He grimaced comically. “I can’t wait.”
“Such a romantic!” Jess laughed as she pulled out another present and unwrapped it. It was a fancy box of her favorite tea from a tiny little shop back in Boston. She’d run out of it three months ago, but the owners of the shop didn’t ship. “My tea! How did you—”
Cole shrugged and raised his eyebrows. “I have my ways.”
“You’re good. They wouldn’t even ship it to me, and I was their best customer!”
“Open the next one. It might be my favorite.”
Jess reached in and pulled out something oblong and boxy. She tore the wrapping paper carefully, but when she held the item in her hand, she was perplexed.
“A box of rubber bands?”
Cole nodded like it was the best present since—she had no idea