Dangerous Rock (Dangerous Noise 3)

She takes a long step backwards. "I don't know. That's all, still…" She looks up at me. "It's late. I don't want to have this conversation when I'm tired and grumpy."

"You're grumpy?"

"A little." Her expression softens. "It's Christmas Eve. I don't want to get in another fight."

I don't want to fight either. But this isn't a conversation we can put off forever.

I'm about to object when she yawns. Her jaw drops. Her arms stretch over her head.

She blushes. "I am tired."

I can tell.

This time, I'll go easy on her.

I slide my arms around her waist and pull her body into mine. Again, she purrs, and I'm incredibly fucking tempted to stay here like this all night.

Her chest against mine.

Her heart beating with mine.

Fuck, holding her satisfies me in a way nothing else does. I should be high off recording our song, but she's grabbing all my attention.

I brush her hair behind her ear. "What do you normally do on Christmas Eve?"

She looks up at me, her expression coy. "That's a secret."

"Yeah?"

She nods. She tries to hold a straight face, but it only lasts a few seconds. She breaks. Laughs. Blushes.

Her fingers skim my chin.

She rests her head on my chest. "I stay up late to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas."

"Secret emo girl." I laugh.

She taps her frames. "I have the glasses for it." Her lips curl into a smile. "But I think emo is before my time."

"You calling me old, angel?"

She nods as she digs her fingers into my t-shirt. Her voice is low, this mix of exhaustion and desire. "What do you normally do on Christmas Eve?"

"Usually, I'm at home." I always thought my family had picture perfect Christmases, but looking back… I missed all the signs. I fed myself a lot of bullshit.

Things have been fucked for a while.

She traces the neckline of my t-shirt. "We haven't talked about your parents, about the divorce. Not really."

"We will. But not now."

She nods. "Maybe… well, watching that movie was my tradition. Maybe we should make our own tradition."

"You trust me?" It's late. This might be a bad move. But it feels right.

She nods.

"Good. I have just the idea."