Ho Ho Hennessy

“Look up.”

Hennessy lifted his head to look where she pointed.

“Are you wanting me to kiss you under the mistletoe?”

Her face dropped in disappointment. “You don’t want too?”

Hennessy’s back started sliding down the wall until he was lying under the tree and she was lying on top of him.

“Kisses under the mistletoe is for the Hallmark channel. Real men fuck under the tree.”

Chapter 18

Arin hung her coat in the closet, expecting to see Hennessy in the club room. She had just returned from church with the other women. When she couldn’t find him downstairs, she went up to his room, thinking he might be taking a late nap. She was disappointed to find the room empty.

Using the opportunity to change, she then went back downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Moon, have you seen Hennessy?”

“He’s at Viper’s house. Winter invited him for dinner to pay off her end of the bet.”

“Ahh … That’s why she left church before the rest of us,” she said as she got in line with the club members to fix herself a plate.

As she was walking toward the dining room, Moon got up to fix himself another plate. “I forgot to tell you that Hennessy said to tell you he won’t get to see you tonight. Several of the brothers have asked for his help to put toys together.”

“Okay. Thanks for the message.” Finding a seat next to Jewell, she ate while listening to the women talk.

Arin hid her disappointment. This wasn’t turning out to be the Christmas Eve she envisioned with Hennessy. She only had two days left with him, and this was probably the only Christmas Eve they would spend together.

Get used to him not being there, Arin morosely told herself.

She had opened her heart to him, and he, in turn, had revealed nothing about his feelings.

She came here, expecting nothing from any of the men, and that was exactly what she would be leaving with … except for a heart that was already beginning to break.

“Where’s Hennessy?” Jewell asked when she didn’t join in on the conversation.

“He’s at Viper’s. Then he’s helping the brothers put toys together.”

“After you get done eating, you might as well watch movies with us. Razer alone has two bikes to put together. He’ll probably be pulling an all-nighter.”

“What movie are you going to watch?”

“The Nightmare Before Christmas. Best Christmas movie ever!” Sasha told her. “You in?”

“I’m in. I’ll even make the popcorn.”

Hennessy must not have been the only one helping put toys together, because all the men disappeared after dinner, leaving the women to themselves.

Arin made the popcorn, then spent the rest of the evening watching movies.

At midnight, she still hadn’t given up the forlorn hope that Hennessy would show. She kept the hope up until she lay down and turned the off light. Trying to stay awake, she failed miserably, not waking up until morning with the smell of breakfast waking her.

Seeing the other side of the bed hadn’t been slept in, Arin miserably thought about how she would wake up to see him gone in all the mornings in her future.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, trying not to cry. She didn’t want a future without him in it. If she was this unhappy without him for one night, how was she going to bear a lifetime without him?

A knock at the door had her raising her head from her knees. “Come in.”

Jewell poked her head inside. “Hurry up. We’re waiting for everyone to open presents!”

“I’ll hurry,” she promised.

Jewell didn’t leave. “You okay?”

“Yes.” Arin shooed her away, determined not to cry on her friend’s shoulder. “I won’t be five minutes.”

“Make it three. I want my purse.” Grinning, Jewell closed the door.

Keeping her word, Arin walked down the stairs in five minutes, seeing the members already had their presents piled next to them.

Breaking into a smile when she saw Hennessy motioning for her, she took the seat next to him on the couch.

“These are yours,” he said, pointing to a stack of presents sitting on the coffee table.

Arin didn’t reach for them. “Why are you wearing sunglasses? Did you spend the night drinking instead of putting bikes together?”

“Are you saying I can’t do two things at once?”

“Baby boy, I know you can.”

Hennessy winced. “I’ll make a deal with you. Don’t call me baby boy, and I won’t call you baby girl.”

“I can live with that.” She wouldn’t have to live with it for long. He was leaving tomorrow.

Forcing herself to feign excitement about opening her presents, she started in on them as Hennessy opened his. Each present she opened, she expected to see Hennessy’s name scrawled on the tags. However, when she opened the last one, and there hadn’t been one from him, she acted as if she wasn’t upset.

After everyone had opened their presents, the members went into the kitchen to eat breakfast.