“You’ll have plenty of time to do that—it’s not like you’re going to take it off.” He chuckled under his breath.
“I—I have to tell my mom.” I looked around the room in a panic. “Where’s my phone? I have to tell my dad…”
“They already know.” Ian pulled me close. “I’m a little old fashioned. I had to ask their permission before I could put a ring on their daughter’s hand.”
“Well then I have to at least send them a picture!” I pulled away from him as soon as I spotted my phone on the table. “Do your parents know!?”
“Yes, they do.” He nodded. “They can’t wait to have Christmas dinner with their future daughter-in-law.”
My relationship with my parents would never be perfect, but letting go of all the things that tore my world apart when I was a little girl allowed me to heal—and forgive. My dad and I had a long talk about it, and he was in tears by the time it was over. He never realized how much it impacted me to live through their divorce, mostly because I only saw him on the weekends after it happened. My mother knew, but until I was able to move past it, there was simply no way for us to really discuss it. We did that for the first time shortly after she met Ian, and the conversation was a good one. There were a lot of emotions on both sides of it, but I felt better after we finally talked things through.
“Okay, picture sent…” I stared at my ring. “Oh, I need to send it to Starla too!”
“She can see it in person in a few hours.” Ian walked up behind me and put his hands on my hips. “If you don’t want to open presents, maybe we can squeeze in one more trip to the bedroom before we have to shower.”
“You think that this ring just gives you permission to take me to the bedroom whenever you want?” I turned towards him and grinned.
“I haven’t needed permission for that since last Christmas.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you going to make me beg for it after we get married?”
“No, but if you want to get me in there right now, you have to put those on…” I pointed at the boxer shorts that were lined in tinsel.
“You better put that phone down.” He walked over and picked them up. “No pictures!”
“But, you’re gonna look so hot in them.” I grinned and held my phone up.
“You’re really lucky I love you.” Ian sighed and walked towards the bathroom.
“Wait, I want to watch!” I followed him immediately.
“That phone better not still be in your hand!” He looked over his shoulder as he stepped into the bathroom.
“Fine.” I tossed it on the couch. “It’s not like you’re going to be wearing them long anyway…”
I’m definitely going to be unwrapping this present as soon as we get to the bedroom.
Forbidden Kiss
Taylor
“How does my dress look?” I turned around to check myself in the mirror and adjusted a couple of wrinkles in the fabric.
“It looks fine.” My younger sister, Anna, looked up from her book for a moment and shrugged. “Why do you care anyway? It’s not like you’re going to buy anything.”
“I want to blend in with the crowd—the best way to do that is to look like I belong there.” My shoulders slumped forward, and I sighed.
I totally don’t look like I belong there.
There was an art auction—technically, it was just a preview show for the art that was going to be auctioned so potential bidders could figure out what they wanted to bid on before the actual auction took place. Every year, Wellington’s gave a few tickets to the art department at Carson Cove University so that a few students could come to the art show. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for most students because very few of us were ever going to have the kind of wealth required to get a real invitation.
I didn’t expect to actually win when I entered my name in the raffle, but luck was on my side—the fact that I bought twenty raffle tickets might have had something to do with it too. It was my senior year of college, and my last chance to attend the art show, so I decided to take a risk. Thankfully, it paid off.
“Have you seen my crimson-sin lipstick?” I picked up my makeup bag and started digging through it.
“Why would you ask me?” Anna looked up from her book again. “If anyone in this house is borrowing your lipstick, it’s not me. Mom was talking about lipstick a few days ago when she was getting ready for her date with Brad—or was it, Steve?”
“Right…” I nodded and made a beeline for my mother’s bedroom.
Anna would rather die than wear lipstick.