A Chance Encounter

“Do you have a printer?” Easton asks when we’re all done setting everything up and getting rid of any evidence of the items being put together here instead of at the North Pole. It’s nearly three in the morning and I’m thankful Easton is here. The vanity and kitchen were both a lot harder to put together than I anticipated.

“Yeah, it’s in my room, and it’s probably for the best if you sleep in my bed…” His eyes light up. “Not like that.” I slap his chest playfully. “If you’re on the couch, Kendall is going to ask if you saw Santa and as smooth as you are, I don’t see you getting out of that one.”

While he uses my laptop and printer, I take a quick shower and get dressed for bed, and when I come out, he’s done. His shoes and socks are off, but he’s still in jeans and a shirt, since he didn’t bring any clothes with him. I would offer him something to wear, but I don’t have anything. Plus, it’s probably for the best if he keeps his clothes on. Less temptation that way. The few times he’s kissed me, I’ve had visions of things going further, and that’s not exactly congruent with my idea to take things slow… Then again, neither is labeling him my boyfriend this soon.

As I crawl into my comfy bed, my eyes are already fluttering shut in exhaustion. I’m a little nervous about sharing a bed with Easton, but when he climbs in as well and pats his chest for me to lay my head, I sigh in contentment. Using him as a human body pillow, I wrap my arm around his torso and close my eyes, listening to the beat of his heart. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in bed with a man, and the first time I’ve just slept with one.

“I liked seeing you with my family tonight,” he says, running his fingers through my hair.

“I liked hanging out with them,” I say back, snuggling into his side. “And I also liked hanging out with you. Getting to know more about you.”

“Good.” He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Because I really like hanging out with you too and getting to know you. And you being on board will make it that much easier to woo you.”

I chuckle softly through a yawn at his word choice. “Better get some sleep. In case you forgot, a very excited child will be up way too early to open her presents.”

“Just think, next year we’ll have two kids opening presents.”

“Yeah,” I agree, my eyes closing of their own accord.

And as I fall asleep to the image of the four of us on Christmas morning, I mentally question why that idea doesn’t scare me in the slightest. But I already know the answer. It’s because it’s with Easton. And for some reason, even though it feels like things are moving a hell of a lot faster than I planned, the idea of a future with him doesn’t scare me like I thought it would. In fact, it does the opposite.

CHAPTER NINE

EASTON

“Santa came! Santa came!” Kendall squeals from the side of the bed. I glance at my phone and see it’s only four thirty in the morning. Holy shit, it’s early. When she said she would be up early, she wasn’t kidding. I look over at Sophia, who’s fast asleep, curled into a ball with her hand absentmindedly around her belly. It’s insane to think that in a few months we’re going to have a baby. The thought should probably freak me out, but it doesn’t.

When Kendall yells again and Sophia doesn’t stir awake, I put my finger up to my lips to quiet her. “Let’s give your mom a few more minutes to sleep.”

“I’m up,” Sophia rasps, stretching her limbs. Her shirt rides up her belly and I see the beginning of a bump. My fingers twitch to touch her flesh, to feel connected to the baby growing in her.

“You only got an hour of sleep,” I whisper.

“The life of a parent.” She shrugs. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” She climbs out of bed and, even though I know damn well she’s exhausted, plasters on a big smile. “Did I hear Santa came?”

Kendall nods excitedly. “He did! And he brought me so many presents. Like five hundred.”

We spend the morning watching Kendall open her presents. Because neither my sister nor I have any kids, it’s my first time watching a child’s Christmas morning through an adult’s eyes, and even though I know the presents didn’t come from Santa, it’s just as magical experiencing it all through her. Every toy she opens, she swears it’s exactly what she wanted and spends time checking it out before moving on to the next thing, until everything is unwrapped and the area looks like a wrapping paper room that exploded.