I moved forward, and she leaped into my arms. Even though I was startled, I caught her anyway.
“Hey.”
My eyes fell to hers. “Yes?”
“I am sad my parents can’t make it until after Christmas, but I’m not sad at all that I’m here with you. There is honestly nowhere else I’d rather be, okay?”
My forehead dropped to hers. “Okay.”
“No more apologies. No more guilty stares when you think I’m looking out the window.”
My mouth fell open.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, triumphant. Pulling back, she pointed proudly at my hanging jaw. “I got you! I finally got you!”
Snapping my lips closed, I cleared my throat. “You’re seeing things. Just like those guilty glances you think you saw.”
“If you say so,” she sang.
I grabbed her around the waist and kissed her deep. By the time I pulled back, she was breathless and wore a dazed expression.
Knox poked his head back in the chopper. “What are you two doing in here?”
Nora ducked her head into my shoulder, shy.
“Coming,” I answered.
“Why do we even need to buy decorations? I saw the boxes you already bought lined up in the dining room. How many damn bags of tinsel do we need?”
Straightening, Nora headed toward her bodyguard/friend who held out his hand to help her down. “Tinsel doesn’t come in bags.” She admonished.
“Whatever. We don’t need more.”
“It’s a shame we can’t fit a real Christmas tree in the helicopter,” she mused. “Maybe we should have come by boat.”
“Real Christmas trees are hard to find in Miami, good girl,” I said.
“Yeah, and the ones that are here are way overpriced.” Knox concluded.
“Well, I guess the fake ones I bought will have to do.”
“Ones, as in plural?” Knox was horrified.
I laughed.
“Of course! And when we get home, you are both helping me put them up!”
I stopped laughing. “I can ask—”
Nora gasped. “Don’t you even dare suggest asking your staff to put up our tree, Carter!”
“I would never.”
She gave me a look, then sighed. “Let’s go, Scrooges. I’ll make you love Christmas yet!”
Chapter Three
Nora
Classic Christmas carols floated through the house, the familiar melodies drifting from room to room, acting like a perfectly tied bow on a perfectly wrapped gift.
The inside of the house was completely transformed. Lights, garland, candy canes, and stockings were everywhere. Lit trees, reindeer, sleighs… Our island home was a winter wonderland, and it was finally beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
Carter and Knox grumbled at first, but the more lights and ornaments they hung, the more I saw them soften toward the holiday. It made all the work worth it. They deserved this. I wanted them to see the magic in the holiday and feel the warmth of family around them.
A strong breeze blew through the open sliders, ruffling my hair and stirring the scent of cinnamon and sugar. I’d made snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies, and there was sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge for later.
Knox and Carter were going to complain, but soon they would be holding cookie cutters and sprinkling sprinkles. I couldn’t wait.
They’d already devoured half of the ones I’d already baked, Knox complaining about the amount of training he would have to do to make up for it but shoving them in his mouth regardless.
I swore the way to that man’s heart was entirely through his stomach.
Arms encircled me from behind, wrapping around my waist and welcoming me into the protection and warmth of Carter’s frame. Skillful lips pressed open-mouthed against the side of my neck, making me shiver with desire.
As I turned my face toward him, he nuzzled farther against my neck, making me sigh.
“I have a surprise for you.” The words whispered over my skin the way the ocean breeze hummed through the palms outside.
Reaching back, my fingers pushed through his thick dark hair, and my body moved against his. “What kind of surprise?”
Pressing one last kiss against my skin, Carter pulled away, leaving me lonely.
“Hey…” I complained, turning to pin him with a glare.
He chuckled at my indignance as if he thought it was cute, wrapped his hand around mine, and led me through the sliders and out onto the terrace.
“It’s so dark out here,” I murmured, gazing toward the white-capped waves as they crashed along the shore.
“It’s nighttime.”
“Ha-ha.” I mocked. “I guess it just seems even darker out here tonight because the inside of the house is so lit up with twinkling lights.”
Both of us gazed back into the house where the trees were radiant and icicle lights draped the fireplace, which was glowing within with dancing candles.
“It’s so beautiful,” I murmured, proud of our handiwork.
“Yes, it is.” Carter agreed, softly stroking the back of my hair.
“Maybe next year we’ll be able to string some lights outside. Really light up the island,” I mused, sorry we hadn’t had time to get to it.
“Why wait for next year?” He pondered, pulling out his cell to tap the screen.
Suddenly, the island came alive. The darkness was dismissed by glimmering white lights, which were wrapped around everything.
I gasped, rushing forward to grip the railing. I gazed around furiously, trying to take in everything at once. It was impossible, though, because everything in sight was completely illuminated.
“Oh my God, Carter.” My words were breathless and filled with awe. Tearing my eyes away from the view, I looked at my lover.
His eyes were so dark the lights sparkled in them as well, his stare becoming a second night sky filled with stars.
“Did you do this?” I asked.
“Do you like it?”
I made a sound, staring up at the swaying palm trees wrapped in white lights. They were so incredibly beautiful, majestic almost.
I never realized how stunning a palm tree could be when lit up. I thought only Christmas trees could look so luminous.
I was wrong. So wrong.
These trees draped and swayed over the island, over the beach… over us as we stood there with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in all my life.” The reverence in my voice rang with truth.
Carter’s hand slid to the base of my neck, gently swiping my hair to the side. “I have.”
Lights were strung around the terrace, the pool house, and even the pool. Giant lit-up snowflakes hung from some of the largest palm trees, and there was a flickering path farther down that led to the beach.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing.
“Maybe we should go find out.”
I rushed off, only to be towed back into his body.
“Carter!” I fussed. “Let’s go see!”
“Put your bathing suit on first.”
Pausing, I glanced over my shoulder. “What?”
Swatting my butt, he smiled. “Go on. Put it on.”
I did as he asked because, honestly, I always did what he asked. And because right now, I was entirely curious.