Filthy Scrooge

“All right.” He cleared his throat and looked around. “Are there any kids here?”

“What? No.” I dragged my thumb over the sparkly velvet bow of my gift.

“Good.” He dragged his Santa hat off. “I was an asshole.”

I threw a startled glance at him. “Yes, you were.”

He slowly peeled his beard off and his silky white eyebrows. “I didn’t want you to go. I wanted you to stay so badly that I pulled a dick move.” He blew out a breath. “Open the box, Kay.”

With shaking fingers, I tugged the edge of the bow free and it unraveled in a spool of sparkles and softness. I lifted the top of the box. The contents blurred as I blinked away tears. I traced the tip of my finger over the wide, sneaky smile of The Grinch inside the box. “Why are you giving me this?”

“I’m tired of hating Christmas. I learned to love it again thanks to you, and our time at the cabin.” The room went wild with conversation, but slowly died down when Linc held up a hand. “You came with me to satisfy an agreement, but you did so much more. You gave me Christmas back. You showed me what it was like to…” He huffed out a breath. “You’re really going to make me do this in front of people?”

I pressed my lips together and nodded. I couldn’t speak around the stupid waterworks tracking down my face.

He came up to me. “I’m turning in my Grinch, my Scrooge, even my man card at this point if you’ll come back to me. I was a jerk. I thought you were going to leave and I…I couldn’t do it, Kay. I couldn’t lose you, so I pushed you away.”

“What? Why would you think that?” I used the back of my hand to dash away tears.

“At the pier.” He yanked off the white gloves of his costume and tossed them on the chair with his wig. He cupped my face, and his padding bumped me back. “Shit. This was a lot better idea in my head.” He ripped off the jacket and the Velcro fastenings of his foam padded vest. Underneath was a black T-shirt, molded to his amazing chest.

He pulled me into his arms as he buried his hand in my hair, wrecking my ponytail. “At the pier, I heard you say you were leaving.”

I tried to remember my conversation with Mel that night, but everything was fuzzy from fatigue and shock. He wanted to be with me? For real?

Oh my God.

“I don’t remember. I just meant I’d be back to help with work things. New Year’s parties.” I laid my hand on his chest. “I didn’t want to go. I loved—”

“Loved?” he asked.

“I love the cabin.”

He frowned and tipped up my head to meet his gaze. “Is that all you love?”

“Linc, it’s only been—”

“It doesn’t matter.” He didn’t look at all the people staring at us. He didn’t look away from me at all. “I’m sunk. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a little more time to catch up.”

“Sunk? Catch up? I think I’m going to have a heart attack.” My chest was so tight and there was a whole lot of rushing blood in my head.

He laughed. “Done. One hundred percent in love with you, Kandy Noel Kane.”

There was no way. He couldn’t be saying what I think he was saying.

Also, how did he know my middle name? I didn’t remember telling him. Was it Santa’s magic?

Or maybe just Lincoln Murdock magic. Even better.

“I’ll bring you around to my way of thinking. But for now, I just want you with me. The rest will get worked out. Tell me I’m not too late, Kay.” His perfect blue eyes were as steady as a flame, as serious as the heart attack I was pretty sure I was having.

I shook my head. “No. Not too late. I love you too, Linc.”

“Thank fuck,” he muttered right before his lips descended on mine. The room whooped and I distantly heard a few groans of disgust. I didn’t care. I held onto him and I was never going to let him go.

He pulled away and grinned down at me. “Just don’t make me name one of our kids Kris Kringle or something.”

“Kids?” I squeaked.