“Tomorrow?”

“A little thing called Christmas.”

Crap. I had been so distracted that I hadn’t even realized Christmas was here but Christmas was never a big holiday for me. My parents would usually be traveling to some tropical island and Tori and I would spend our Christmas watching holiday movies and eating way too much food for two.

“I was planning on spending it here while you were with your family. I have a load of books on my Kindle I’d love to read; I was thinking of cooking myself a big batch of my favorite brownies and eating them till I was in a food coma and then pass out. Christmas. Done.”

Ky’s face dropped as he stared back at me, trying to digest my words like I had just announced the beginning of world war three. His brow pinched and then he said, “We need to leave at eight a.m.”

He walked out of the bathroom without another word and without letting me speak. There was absolutely no way in hell I was spending Christmas with him and his family. No way in fucking hell.

My bath was all but forgotten as soon as he uttered those words. I scrambled out and quickly jumped into the shower to rid myself of bubbles. Once I was clean I ripped the fluffy gown from the back of the door and wrapped it around my body. I stormed out of the bathroom like a woman on a mission and halted as I hit the entry to the living room only to find Ky lazing on the couch, shirt off, sweatpants on, and football game playing on the television.

“You got something to say Eden?” he asked without turning toward me. What was it with this guy knowing my every move? “We leave at eight a.m.”

“Ky, you cannot be serious?” I huffed in defeat.

“Very serious. I don’t mess around about Christmas.”

“You cannot be serious,” I repeated under my breath.

“We should go to the store so you can get the stuff for those brownies.” He rose from the couch. His face was full of amusement with a twinkle in his eyes. “You’ll be a hit if you bring brownies.”

It was then that I wished a hole would open up below me and swallow me. He was being absurd. I couldn’t spend Christmas with his family. I just couldn’t. I could barely keep my cool being around him the majority of time so the thought of being around strangers just couldn’t be imagined.

“Eden, look at me.” His hands cupped my face softly and maneuvered my jaw so I had no choice but to look at him. “Spend Christmas with me? My family will love you.”

“I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice Eden.”

••••

“Merry Christmas.”

I woke to warm breath dancing over my lips and the feeling of Ky’s body hovering over me. I opened one eye and noticed the room was still in darkness. I didn’t have a chance to complain about the earliness of the wakeup call before Ky’s lips stole my breath, and I completely fell into the wake-up kiss. My arms wrapped around his shoulders instinctively pulling his body closer. His knee probed between my knees, pushing my legs wide so his strong body could collide with mine. As his lips continued to completely devour me, his body tormented me with every intense move and grind sending fireworks through my very awake body. “You are the best present Eden Rivers.”

He could have asked me to do anything in that moment and I would have.

When Ky finally allowed me out of bed, we were running late. I showered in the guest bedroom while he took the master shower. What in the hell do you wear to Christmas with parents? Seriously what the hell was I getting myself into? Last night after I complained for what was the hundredth time, he had told me that if I wasn’t ready that he was going to lock me out of his apartment and I would have to spend Christmas in the hall. Why the hell had my parents decided to be out of the country this Christmas?

Once I showered, I entered Ky’s bedroom with the towel wrapped firmly around my body with my hair and makeup already done. Simple yet pretty was the look I was going for. I styled my hair in loose curls that hung to the middle of my back; my makeup consisted of a little blush, mascara, and a soft pink gloss. My nerves were shot, and I kept imagining everything that could go wrong; I wasn’t a chatty girl at the best of times. Fuck, to outsiders I was sure I came across as a snobby bitch, and now I had to meet Mr. and Mrs. Crawford. Did I call them Mr. and Mrs. Crawford? Would Josh be there? God I hoped he’d be there. I had absolutely no experience meeting parents, but in a matter of an hour I would be walking into the family home of the guy who I’d been sharing my body with, and who had opened his bed to me, and I had no clue what I was to him beside his December.

“Eden we have to leave in ten—” Ky stopped in the doorframe and found me sitting on the edge of the bed. He was dressed in dark denim jeans, a dark grey sweater, and was wearing a black beanie over his thick brown hair. Why was it so easy for him to get ready?

“What’s wrong?” He took two steps until he stood before me and crouched down, resting his hands on my bare knees.  When his concerned eyes met mine, my eyes glistened with the enormity of what was about to happen. Tears welled before spilling over and sliding over my cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” I whimpered in pure brutal honesty.

“Hey, come on now. What are you sorry for?” Ky took a seat beside me on the bed and grabbed both of my hands in his. My eyes dropped to our hands entwined in each other’s and that set my emotions off once again.

“What am I meant to do today?”

“I don’t know what you mean. You’ve got to give me something here.”

“Everything over the past month has just been crazy and fast and intense and now you are taking me to spend Christmas with your parents. That’s beyond insane. Ky, I’ve never met parents before. What happens if I have a flashback? What happens if I suddenly panic? What happens if I stutter the whole time? Fuck! What happens if they don’t like me?”

“You are so fucking unbelievably out of this world sexy when you ramble.”

My face dropped as another wave of insecurity hit me.

“Eden, listen to me. You are the sweetest, confusing, most intense, and most beautiful person I have ever met. My parents are going to love you; they already know about you. Josh and Aunt Carole will be there, and I won’t leave your side. If you need time out just squeeze my hand, and we will escape somewhere. I cannot leave you here on your own on Christmas, and I can’t spend Christmas without my family, so you need to come with me.” He pulled me to my feet and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. “Can you please get dressed so we can go?”

All I could do in response was nod.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in his car, dressed in dark denim skinny jeans, a cream sweater, and a baby pink scarf. It would take about thirty minutes to get to his parents’ house. I sat in the passenger seat and let my mind fleet back to the moment when I first met Ky.

Never would I have imaged visiting his parents’ house for Christmas or that he could take over and rule my thoughts and body.  I shifted in my seat so my back pressed against the door and watched him closely. His eyes focused on the road ahead and his lips were in a perfect pout as he concentrated on our destination. This man was becoming something so much stronger than just the guy paying for my photos; he was becoming the thief of my thoughts, the owner of my heart and my utter confusion. I was slowly but surely falling for him. After all of the internal battles I had, after all of the fight that I was determined to have, the idea of becoming something with him was now in the forefront.

It was scary.

It was exhilarating.

It was undeniable.

“I like you Ky,” I blurted out the moment he took a right hand turn and pulled into the driveway of a beautiful two story Victorian inspired home with pale grey exterior and white trimmings; a large wreath hung on the gleaming black double doors that I knew would lead to an even more stunning home.