Page 70 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges

“Nobody’s ever...” I cleared my throat, trying again. “I’ve never had anything like this.”

We sat there for a moment, three grown men getting emotional over Christmas decorations because the woman we were falling in love with had turned our house into something magical.

The front door opened, and I nearly swallowed my tongue.

Emery stepped out wearing what had to be the most sinful elf costume ever created. The red velvet dress barely reached mid-thigh, trimmed with white fur that made me want to find out if it was as soft as it looked. Green and white striped stockings disappeared under the hem, and a matching hat sat at a jaunty angle on her curled hair.

My brain short-circuited somewhere between Santa’s helper and holy hell.

She stopped at the driver’s door, and I rolled down my window. She did a little twirl that made the skirt flare. “What do you think?”

Think? Bold of her to assume I was capable of coherent thought when she looked like that.

“You… the lights are...” Nope. Words were definitely not happening.

Levi recovered first, practically bouncing out of the truck. “Christmas Spirit, you’ve outdone yourself!” He swept her up in a hug that lifted her off her feet.

The way she giggled should have been illegal. Actually, that outfit probably was illegal. How did she look absolutely adorable and devastatingly sexy at the same time? It wasn’t fair to my mental state.

Ronan and I finally exited the truck, though I nearly tripped over my own feet when she skipped over to us.

“I wanted to surprise you!” She beamed, practically vibrating with excitement. “Everyone at work helped chip in when I mentioned wanting to do something special.”

My heart, which was already turning to mush, completely melted. “Everyone at work?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Janet and Sophia helped coordinate everything.” She bit her lip. “Are you mad?”

“Mad?” I pulled her into my arms. “Em, this is incredible.”

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Ronan’s voice was rough with emotion as he moved closer.

“Well, second most beautiful thing.” Levi’s eyes raked over her outfit in a way that made me glad we weren’t in public. “That costume is definitely winning first place.”

Emery blushed, the pink in her cheeks matching the color the tree lights had just changed to. “The costume was Sophia’s idea. She said if I was going to play Santa’s helper, I should look the part.”

“Remind me to give Sophia a raise.” Ronan’s hand sliding around Emery’s waist.

I couldn’t stop staring at her, at the house, at the way everything seemed to glow with magic that had nothing to do with the thousands of twinkling lights.

“I just wanted to give you all something special. You’ve given me so much, and I know the holidays haven’t always been easy for any of you, but-”

I cut her off with a kiss, pouring everything I couldn’t say into it. She melted against me, and when we broke apart, she was breathless. “So... you like it?”

“Like doesn’t cover it.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek. “You’re a devious little elf, though.”

“Speaking of which…” Ronan’s voice had dropped to that dangerous octave that did things to even me. “Maybe we should go inside and properly punish our elf for leaving work early… before we thank her.”

The look in Emery’s eyes as she led us toward the house told me this was going to be a very merry Christmas indeed.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ronan

Iadjusted my laptop screen’s brightness, squinting at the spreadsheet that seemed determined to mock me with its end-of-year discrepancies. I could hear faint holiday music drifting from somewhere in the house, probably Emery’s doing.

A soft knock at my office door made me look up. Emery stood there wearing my navy cashmere sweater that hung almost to her knees, making her look impossibly small and devastatingly appealing.

“You know it’s Christmas Eve, right?” She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

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