Page 80 of Unexpectedly Falling
“Just wait until you see tonight’s pajamas,” I hum, checking the temperature on the bottle before handing it to him.
“Tonight’s?”
I roll my eyes and then lean over the counter to stab his fork into a couple of pieces of pancake, holding it out for him. “Tell him, Remi. Say, ‘Daddy, it’s ChristmasEveand Santa comes tonight!’”
“Ness—”
“No arguing,” I plead because Iwantto do this for him because his family isn’t here, and if I have to be Jensen’s family for a delayed holiday, I’ll do it.
And it will be the best damn one he’s ever had.
Because honestly, it’s not a hardship.
“I’m excited, okay? It’s been a long time since I got to really do this and I’m having fun too. I even bought the premade sugar cookies in the roll we can cut out later then bake and frost and bam! No prep work.”
I wiggle my fingers at him and he laughs, his chest shaking. “You’re somethin’ else.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I meant for you to.” He grins as Scout races around the kitchen, bumping into the kitchen chair, her back legs scrambling for purchase as her tongue hangs out of her mouth. Scooping her up as she passes me, I laugh when she wiggles around in my arms to lick my face.
Remi reaches for her, not wanting to miss out on the puppy love, her smile wide and her eyes crinkled as Scout covers every inch of her face with kisses.
Jensen chuckles as he grabs Scout with his other arm before handing Remi to me. “I’ll let this wild thing out and then we can do whatever is on your Christmas Eve list.”
“Yes!” I cheer, raising Remi’s little hand in the air and making a show of dancing around the kitchen in a victory dance. “Movies and hot chocolate it is!”
“All right, Trouble, you win,” he concedes with a smile that says he’s not bothered by it at all.
“See, was that so hard?”
“I’m plenty hard when you’re around, but since tonight is all about Santa we’ll have to wait.” His eyes rake down my body like a physical caress. “But after he comes, you will too.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“Really? Because that seems to be your favorite pastime.”
“Think of it as foreplay, Sheriff.”
“Keep talkin’ like that and I might need somethin’ to tide me over.”
“I always like a challenge,” I sass as he shakes his head and moves toward the back door.
“Put your movie on before I drizzle you in maple syrup and eat the rest of the pancakes off your naked body.”
“Now we’re talking.”
Growling, he pushes out into the chilly morning, the dog sprinting through the frost-covered grass and the wordsnothing but trouble,catching on the wind. I can’t hide the way my lips twitch because spending this makeshift holiday with Jensen Kade is turning out to be my most favorite thing of all.
37
JENSEN
“What is all this?” I ask, walking into the kitchen area and taking in the way Nessa somehow transformed the space into a holiday extravaganza.
And set the table.
With a lot of plates.
