Page 120 of Sweet Poison

Tiny Santa-shaped waffles sizzle on the griddle, and a platter of crispy bacon—which she makes just for me— sits on the counter, steam rising from it. The air is thick with the scent of cinnamon, vanilla, and butter—a very festive blend.

A wider smile spreads across my face as I realize she must’ve woken up early to make all of this for me. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I would have helped.” I grumble.

Willow turns to me, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. She laughs, her voice light and lovely. “It’s Christmas, Madden. I wanted to surprise you! Besides, you were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to wake you.”

I walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist, inhaling her sweet scent. “The best surprise, Wild One. Thank you.”

She tilts her head back, meeting my gaze with those big and bright eyes of hers that I love so much. “I thought it would be nice if we had a delicious Christmas breakfast before we open presents! Santa was very generous this year!”

"You were a good girl this year," I murmur, squeezing her gently. "Of course, the fat and jolly fucker was generous." Shelooks up at me, a shy smile tugging at her lips as a soft blush colors her cheeks.

So goddamn sweet.

“Madden…” her breath hitches in that way that always drives me wild.

Blood rushes to my cock and all I can think about is throwing her over my shoulder and taking her upstairs to show her just how generous I can be but I know she’s been looking forward to this morning all month— hell, all year.

So, instead of acting out my filthy fantasies, I drop a kiss on the top of her head. “What’s on the menu?” I ask.

“Lots and lots of waffles, bacon and sausages,” she teases, gesturing toward the table, which is already set with fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls, and a steaming pot of coffee.

How did I get so lucky?

My chest squeezes when I take everything in— all she’s done for me. For us. Festive decorations, twinkling lights, Christmas stockings hanging from the mantel. The smell of cinnamon and baked goods fills the air, and the warmth of her love wraps around me like a cozy blanket. “This is all so sweet, baby. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. You’re my favorite person ever and I wanted to make you smile today! We’re erasing every bad Christmas you’ve ever had!” She beams up at me before returning to her cooking, her focus shifting back to the waffles sizzling on the griddle.

While she does that, I pour myself a cup of coffee, savoring the rich aroma before taking a seat at the table. I smile when I hear the sound of Willow’s favorite Christmas song playing in the background.

José Feliciano Feliz Navidad.

From my seat, I look out the window and frown. Dammit. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the white Christmas you wanted,beautiful.” I say, taking a sip of my coffee and watching her as she moves gracefully around our kitchen. She has a Santa hat on now.

“The day is not over yet,” she muses, glancing out the window. The sky is pale blue, and although there’s no snow yet, my wife is still hopeful for the first snowflake to fall. “But even if it doesn’t snow, I think today will still be perfect.”

Fuck, my beautiful fairy. So, kind. So bright.

“This world doesn’t deserve you,” I whisper, my heart in awe of her.

“Sure, it does! This world is beautiful. It gave me you!”

Emotion clogs my throat at her words. I don’t think a day will come when her words don’t make me feel all fucking gooey inside.

“Eat! You’ll need all your energy to open all those presents!” She urges as she pushes a plate of waffles toward me.

“Alright. Alright,” I laugh as I reach for a tiny waffle, topped with fresh strawberries, and take a bite. The flavors burst in my mouth, and I grin at her. “Delicious.”

She beams, her eyes glowing with happiness. “I’m glad you like it! There’s plenty more!”

I grab another one and then it dawns at me that everything she baked is tiny as fuck. “Hey, baby. Not that I don’t love and enjoy your creativity but why does all this food look like it was made for an elf?”

Her laughter fills the air, making my heart flip inside my chest.

She then shrugs with a smile. “That’s a surprise!”

Okay…

“A surprise, huh?” I ask, leaning back and savoring the last bite of a mini strawberry. “You’ve made this morning unforgettable. Thank you.”

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