“We’re going to your office?”
We were on the Upper West side, in the area of my office.
I winked at her. “Close.”
Instead of taking the road to my building, I turned right onto a side street. Watching Josie try to piece things together was one of my favorite things to do. I loved keeping her on edge, surprising her.
I parked the car in front of a red brick building, announcing, “This is us.”
We climbed out of the car, and I took Josie’s hand, leading her inside.
“What’s this about?” she asked when I unlocked the door, opening it.
“You’ve been office hunting for a while. Thought you might like this one.”
“I’ve searched for spaces in this area. This didn’t come up, or I would have put it on the list.”
“It’s not on the market.”
“So how do you know about it?”
“Pulled a string or two.”
“For me?”
“I’d do anything for my wife.”
She glanced at me over her shoulder, and that affection in her eyes just slayed me. I didn’t think there would be a day it wouldn’t.
“Thank you.”
She sighed as she stepped inside. I remained a few steps behind her, wanting to give her time to soak it all up.
“Wow,” she murmured.
The space was perfect for a law office, in a building that was elegant but not snobbish.
It boasted high ceilings and large windows that let in plenty of natural light. It had three separate offices and even a small meeting room with an adjacent nook that served as a small kitchen.
I knew she could already see herself here—specifically, in the middle office.
“This is big enough that I can put a recliner armchair in one corner. I can take powernaps when I’m exhausted, or just sit more comfortably when I have a lot to read. And the kitchen is perfect for coffee breaks.”
She grinned, turning around slowly, taking in the room before heading to the window. I walked up behind her, pushing her hair to one side, kissing the back of her neck.
“I can join you. My office is not far.”
“Midday foot rubs and hot chocolate?”
She shivered, goose bumps appearing on her arms. I ran my palms over the sensitive skin, nibbling at her ear. I loved the effect I had on her. “Maybe a sexcapade.”
She elbowed me lightly. “I’ll have colleagues.”
“Who’ll go out to lunch, have meetings.”
“I’m taking it. How much is the deposit?”
“I already took care of that.”
She turned around, blinking.
“Plus the first month of rent. I have a perfectly good explanation.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Let’s hear it.”
“I passed by here on my way to lunch a few days ago, saw them carrying out furniture. They were about to put it on the market, and I went inside to check it out. I thought you might like it, and I didn’t want you to risk missing out on it.”
“I don’t think you could be any sweeter.”
I winced. “How about romantic?”
“Why, Mr. Caldwell, am I offending your manly sensibilities by calling you sweet?”
I winced again. She giggled.
“Fine. I promise not to use that word again. About the deposit and the rent—I’ll pay you back.”
“No, you won’t. Let me do this for you. You’ve given me so much, Josie.” I placed my hands on her waist, keeping her close. “You’re the love of my life, Josie Caldwell. You’ve been my best friend for so long, and now you’re my partner, my better half. I’ll be here for you, cheering for you every step of the way. Loving you, taking care of you. You’ve changed so much in my life. You’ve showed me what it feels like to be loved....” Drawing in a deep breath, I touched my forehead to hers, needing the connection.
I kissed the corner of her mouth, then her lower lip and the bow of the upper one before capturing her mouth, kissing her long and deep, entwining our tongues. I moved one hand to cup her cheek, tilting her head at the perfect angle so I could explore her.
I kissed her until we were both panting, needing more. When it came to Josie, I’d always need more. I smiled against her lips when I realized that so did she.
She pressed her hips against me, pulling at my collar with one hand, digging the fingers of the other in my arm, as if she was a few seconds away from taking off my shirt.
I skimmed my hands up her waist, touching the underside of her breasts with my thumbs. She moaned against my mouth, pressing her thighs together. I nearly pushed her against a wall. I did hike her skirt up her legs, desperate for skin-on-skin contact. I ran my hand up her inner thigh, until my thumb grazed the hem of her panties. Josie fisted my shirt. How could I be so crazy for her?
I dropped my hand, pulling my head back a notch. The contour of her mouth was red, her lips slightly puffy. I’d marked her as mine with that kiss.
“Let’s go home, wife. I want you so much that I can’t even see straight, but I won’t have you here. Too chilly, too uncomfortable.”
She laughed, running her fingers through my hair. “Sorry... I know I promised, but that was the perfect word for you. Sweet.”
Epilogue
Christmas
Josie
“We really went all out,” my sister commented. I grinned, looking around the room at the decorations. My family had arrived two days ago, and today everyone was at our house to celebrate Christmas Eve in style. My sister and I had gone shopping for food and... additional decorations yesterday, and today, we’d set them up together with Tess and Skye. I’d felt like a kid again, lost in that catchy enthusiasm for all things Christmas.
“You mean overboard, right?”
I’d always loved Christmas, had longed to have a room tall enough for an enormous tree... and a fireplace... and our living room was just perfect for the occasion. I’d intended to only use a decent amount of decorations... and I’d completely failed, of course. One thing led to another, and now there wasn’t just a huge Christmas tree—I’d also bought stockings for every single guest, hung them on the mantelpiece, and stuffed them with presents. Strings of lights were hanging from the ceiling, along with mistletoe branches.
“Maybe just a bit,” my sister conceded with a grin just as the front door opened and Hunter came in. He’d been out to buy a few last-minute presents. His eyes bulged the second he entered the living room.
“Babe, are we filming a Christmas commercial I don’t know about?”
That earned him a pinch right on that delicious ass, but no teasing, because my sister and Tess and Skye were looking at us.
“It’s family tradition to... go overboard,” I explained, because well, it truly was.
“And we’ve promptly decided to declare it a Winchester tradition too. I mean, where’s the fun in decent decorations?” Tess asked.
“We went to pick up the tree with Dad every year. Made a big deal of it. Why not carry on the tradition?” I suggested.
Hunter’s expression softened inexplicably. He glanced around the room, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Any other traditions you want to pass on?” he asked.