Page 115 of Seal the Deal

She quirks a brow, unconvinced. “I dunno. What if I said, ‘hey Jake, here’s a never-ending pile of brownies I made just for you?’”

I snort and nuzzle into her neck. “That’s basically the same thing.”

“Hmm…”

“It is. But I still prefer hearing the words straight from your lips.” I lean up and dot a kiss onto her nose, letting my eyes roam her face for a moment.

"Well, I’ll keep saying it if you keep looking at me like that,” she says, running her fingers lightly through my hair.

I close my eyes, savoring this moment, committing it to memory forever. Her touch grounds me, her words settling deep in my chest like they were always meant to be there.

“I love you, too.”

“Merry Christmas, Captain Thunder,” she whispers against me.

I can’t help it. I kiss her slowly, like I’m trying to pour every ounce of how I feel into it. When we finally pull back, my forehead rests against hers, and I can barely breathe, my chest so full of love for this woman.

“Merry Christmas, Lady Lightning.”

Then I kiss her again, just because I can.

***

I’ve never had a Christmas like this.

My childhood ones were a blur of tension, silence, and gifts that felt more like obligations than anything special. But this is different.

“Alright, who’s first?” I ask, grabbing a brightly wrapped box and handing it to Noah. His face lights up as he tears into it, a wide smile spreading when he sees the LEGO set he’s been wanting for weeks.

“Thanks, Jake!” Noah beams at me before diving straight into the box, ready to sort out the pieces.

I chuckle, ruffling his hair. “You’re welcome, buddy.”

Meadow’s practically bouncing while waiting her turn, and I glance over at Charlie. She’s on the couch, hair a mess, cradling a coffee, but she’s smiling like she’s never been happier. And hell, knowing I’m part of that is the best thing I’ve ever felt.

“Your turn, Little Lightning,” I say, passing Meadow her present. She tears into it before I even let go, squealing when she sees the stuffed unicorn.

“Unicorn!” she yells, holding it up like treasure.

Charlie’s laughing, shaking her head at the excitement, and my heart feels like it might explode with how much I love this. How much I love her.Them.

I grab the last set of gifts, three boxes wrapped in the same navy paper. Charlie frowns at me, curiosity piquing. I shrug, trying to play it cool.

“Last gifts,” I announce, handing one to each of them. I grin, waiting for the reactions as they pull out matching Colorado Storm jerseys. With my name and number on the back.

“Brooks?” Charlie lifts a brow, but I see the smile she’s holding back.

“Gotta start ‘em young,” I say. “Plus, we’ve gotta match for games.”

Noah’s already pulling his on, beaming from ear to ear. “I’m gonna wear this every day!”

“Don’t encourage him,” Charlie laughs, pretending to scold, but I know she loves it. She stands up, holding the jersey against her and tilting her head. “So, we’re officially part of Team Brooks now, huh?”

“Damn right.” I stand and pull her into my arms. “You’ve been part of the team for a while now.”

She leans up and kisses me softly, and for a second everything fades into the background—just me and her, wrapped up in this perfect little bubble. But then Meadow’s voice breaks through, tugging at my arm.

“Dada, look!” she says, her voice innocent and full of joy. She’s put her jersey on back-to-front, ‘Brooks’ emblazoned across her front. “We’re on the same team!”

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