“I’m already here.”

All eyes swung to where Hunter stood by the curtain, looking composed. He stepped closer, his forehead knitted with concern as he eyed me up and down, not missing my hand linked with Reece’s. “Are you okay?”

That was so very Hunter. Worried about my welfare first. “Yes. I’m fine.”

His shoulders relaxed. I hadn’t been aware of the tension there until that moment. Nodding as if satisfied with my answer, his gaze shifted to Reece. Reece’s hand tightened around mine as though he feared I might let go. Not that I ever would. Not anymore. Not again.

Hunter studied him for a long moment, like he was trying to reach some kind of decision. “If you hurt her—”

“I won’t,” Reece answered swiftly, with certainty, as if he knew exactly what question was coming.

I blinked at Hunter, bewildered. I hadn’t even broken up with him. “How did you know—”

“I’ve always known. I just thought your feelings might change. You might start to feel something more for me. God knows you seemed determined to ignore whatever it was you had with Reece.”

Emerson snorted from where she and Georgia had moved to lurk discreetly. “Ain’t that the truth.”

Hunter glanced at her and then looked at me fondly, a small smile playing on his lips. “I guess when it’s real it doesn’t ever fade away.”

I shook my head. “No. It doesn’t.” God knows I had willed it to. “I’m sorry. You deserve better.”

“I’ll find it.” He looked at Reece again and then back to me. “And thanks to you, I know what I’m looking for now.” He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Pepper.”

I nodded as he walked away, confident that I would see him again. Of course. He was Lila’s brother, and he was still my friend.

“Wow,” Em breathed. “What a day. Save the lives of two children. Nearly burned alive. Break up with your boyfriend. Get a new one. What’s tomorrow gonna be like?”

I smiled up at Reece. “I doubt I’m getting out of bed.”

Two weeks later . . .

Bing Crosby crooned softly in the background as Gram wished us good night. Reece and I shared a smile and settled onto the couch together. We were all alone after spending the day with Gram and all her friends. The old ladies loved Reece. Which made them not too different from young ladies. He flirted with them outrageously and they reveled in it, goosing him every chance they got. Obviously they just wanted to feel his nice backside for themselves.

Reece slipped a hand under the throw blanket and rubbed my feet.

“Ah, that feels good.” I leaned back into the couch cushions.

“You deserve it, all the baking and cooking you did. I think you fed twenty people.”

“We fed twenty people. You helped,” I reminded him.

“It was fun. And was I not going to spend Christmas with you?” He looked at me like the very idea was crazy.

I smiled drowsily as I snuggled back against the comfy couch cushion. His fingers worked magic on my feet. The pads of his fingers slid beneath my loose pajama bottoms, skimming over my knees and traveling up my thighs, creating delicious friction on my skin and working another kind of magic on me.

I sighed Reece’s name as he touched the edge of my panties. His fingers found me, slipping inside. I gasped, arching my spine. “What are you doing?”

“Making love to my girlfriend on Christmas.”

“Ohh. But now? Here?” I glanced back toward the hall where Gram had disappeared to her room.

He slipped his hand free from my panties and came over me, kissing me hotly as he tugged my pajama bottoms off. “After the day she had today, she’s not waking up until tomorrow morning.”

I moaned as he guided me to straddle him. In a quick move, he freed himself from his own clothing and entered me. I threw back my head at the full sensation of him inside me, so glad that I’d gotten on the pill so we didn’t have to stop in search of a condom. I rocked against him, holding him tightly to me. My fingers clenched on his shoulders as we moved together.

He dragged his mouth down my throat, leaving a burning path on my skin.

I clutched him closer, riding him faster. “I love you, Reece,” I whispered hoarsely as I broke apart, splintering into pieces.

His hands tightened on my hips. He followed me, his body straining into mine. He muffled his cry into the crook of my neck, but I felt its force ripple through me. We held still, locked together for a long moment, enjoying each other.

He lifted his head and stared down at me, a slow smile curving his lips. “I love you, too.”

I smoothed my hand over his forehead and down the back of his skull, chafing my palm over his short hair, never tired of feeling the velvet scrape against my palm.

A mischievous smile played on his mouth. “Wait here.” Arranging his clothes back in place, he jogged down the hall. I pulled my pajama bottoms back on and was sitting on the couch, waiting for him to return. When he did, it was with a small box wrapped in Christmas paper.

I pointed at it with a frown. “What’s that? No fair. We already exchanged presents.”

“I have one more for you. I wanted to give it to you alone.”

“You shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t get you anything else.”

He looked solemnly into my eyes. “Yes. You did. You do. You give me something every day.”

My throat thickened with emotion.

“Now c’mon.” He thrust it into my hands. “Open it, would you?”

I stared at the box and then back at him. He sat anxiously, his hand tapping on his knee. Smiling, I kissed him, beyond amazed that I had him in my life. And horrified that I had almost let him walk away.

I tore into the package. It was just a plain brown box, the kind you find at any office supply store. Turning it, I opened the lid, and peered inside. My hand closed around papers. Pulling them out, I scanned them uncomprehendingly for a moment. And then the words registered.

I dropped the papers and gawked at him. “We’re going to Disney World for New Year’s?”

He nodded and I screamed. Just like every kid in those commercials, I freaked. Throwing my arms around his neck, I hugged him in a death squeeze.

Pulling back, I rained kisses all over his face. “How . . . why . . . ?”

“I remember you telling me about the Montgomerys going all the time and that you had never been. You had that poster in your room, and it just felt like something you really wanted to do.”

“And now I am going to do it. With you.” I shook my head, emotion clogging my throat. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

Yeah, he loved me. Totally and completely. Even knowing my past and all my hang-ups. That was huge in itself, but he got me. He understood me.

He cupped my cheek, that sexy smile of his taking hold of me. “This from a girl who only wanted foreplay from me and nothing more.”

I turned my face to kiss his palm. “But now I want all of you. Everything.”

He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. “Good. Because that’s what you got.”