“He’ll sleep in my room tonight,” she told her son. “I’ll sleep in the guest house with the girls.”
“No, ma’am, I can’t do that,” Aine heard Onyx say.
“He can sleep in my room,” said Peggy, walking up to Onyx. “I don’t know how you did it, but you brought Griffin back to my daughter, and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful. I’ll be the one who sleeps in the guest house with the girls tonight.”
“Should we sneak out now?” Striker asked.
“Let me just say goodnight to my mom. She deserves a hug for saying that to Onyx. He does too, actually.”
Griffin put his arm around Aine’s shoulder. “You can hug your mom, but I don’t want Onyx anywhere near you?”
“Why not?”
Griffin made a growling sound. “You’re mine.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I can thank the man.”
She twisted away and walked over to her mom.
“Thanks,” she told her, hugging her tight.
“I’m happy for you, baby girl.”
Aine felt herself tearing up, and pulled away.
“Thank you,” she said to Onyx, stepping forward to hug him.
“Look!” shouted Sierra. “You’re under the mistletoe. You’re supposed to kiss.”
Before Aine could react, she felt Griffin’s hand on her arm. He made the growling sound again. “Get outta here, Onyx,” he said before he covered her mouth with his.
What Aine thought would be a chaste kiss so they could leave quickly, turned into one that foreshadowed the night to come.
“Let’s go somewhere we don’t have an audience,” she murmured.
“I’m with you, sweetheart.”
They waved a final goodbye and walked out to the car Griffin and Onyx had arrived in.
“I can’t wait to get you alone,” he said, kissing her as he opened the passenger door for her.
“I can’t wait either.”
“My place might be a little chilly, I haven’t been home for a while.”
“I don’t care. You’ll keep me warm.”
“You got that right.”
—:—
The hour-long drive to his house felt five times that long. Every few seconds, Striker would look over at Aine, whose eyes never wavered from him.
“Do you know how happy I am to be with you?” he asked.
“It can’t be half as happy as I am.”
Striker brought her hand to his lips. “I thought about you every minute.”