Page 103 of The Art of Being Merry
“She’s not for hire.”
I don’t care what Beck thinks. I’ll figure out a way for her to help me next year, even if I have to do most of the work myself to keep within the rules. Fat chance Beck will forget about wanting the rule change or change his mind. Not when he feels he “deserves” the win.
Clementine takes his compliment in stride. “Thank you, Lenny. It was fun, and I laughed every time I worked on it, adding more details to make it uglier. At one point, I thought maybe it was too much, but from the ones I’ve seen today, it wasn’t.”
“It was perfect, seeing as it swept all the ladies’ votes.” I bend down so my mouth is level with her ear. “Voted for your creation, did ya?”
“It was the best,” she whisper-hisses, extracting a chuckle from deep within me. “Also, when’s dinner?”
“An hour or so I’d guess.”
“K.” She glances around the room, her gaze lingering on Willa as she enters, a calmer Beck trailing behind her. “Willa,” Clementine calls for her attention, making some weird motion with her hands when Willa looks at her. Weird. Must be a twin thing. I don’t pay it much focus until Clementine rises to her tiptoes. “We’ve got fifteen minutes.” It takes a minute to realize what she’s talking about until she leaves the room.
Fifteen minutes isn’t long enough, but it’ll have to do.
Clementine slips back into her red and green adorable Christmas sweater and leggings, saying, “Is it wrong I’m not concerned with what your family might think of us?” Her face is flushed from the orgasm, her hair needing a serious fix.
“Nope.” I pull my jeans back up, changing back into my flannel shirt.
“Good, ‘cause I’m not sure I could have made it much longer. You make me feral for orgasms, Mr. Nicholas.”
Her words do nothing to contain the arousal swimming through me. Yes, I got a release, but it wasn’t enough. Not knowing when the next one is going to come sucks balls, but I can’t put that on her. She’s already stressed enough as it is about not getting enough time together.
“All you have to do is ask.”
A heavy sigh tumbles from her mouth, the reality of our circumstances weighty. “I don’t see this getting any better soon.”
I quirk a brow. “You don’t think the sex will get better? Then I’m not doing my job right.”
She stands in front of me, her arm reaching out to smack my chest. “Not the sex itself. The time alone. I hate not knowing when the next time we’ll have a minute to ourselves. And I know it’s because of me?—”
I put a finger over her mouth, anticipating what she’s going to say. “Nope, don’t do that. It’s not anyone’s fault but the way life has played out. We could agonize over it, or we could accept this is the season we’re in and be grateful for the time we get.”
Clementine’s eyes widen to saucers. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? I didn’t catch all the positivity leaking from your mouth.” She chuckles, and I drag her to me, needing to have my hands on her.
I don’t bother rewinding what I said because I’ll never remember it all. Instead, I say, “I’m grateful you came into my life, Clementine. More thankful for every piece of yourself you share with me. Thank you for giving me this chance to step up, to prove myself as a man deserving of you.”
“I’m glad we met, too, Dax. Thank you for being the man you are, the friend I needed when I didn’t even realize it, the guy who wants to take care of me and my boys. I’m not sure I can put into words what you mean to me, but I could art it. It’ll be abstract, so I suppose the meaning will be up for discussion.”
“We should get back.” The words are exactly the opposite ofwhat I want to do, but, like always, our time isn’t our own and is limited.
“We should.” She makes no move to budge from the comfort of my arms, so I have to be the bad guy. I motion her upstairs first while I take a few extra minutes to compose myself.
We find everyone in the living room, not bothered by our disappearance. Beck, who seems to be in a better mood—hell, maybe Willa gave him a blow job—has Isla in his arms on the couch, with Atlas and Jace next to him, giggling at our niece, looking adorable wearing the elf hats Clementine made them.
They need a sister.
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. If I consider the connotation, I should be freaking out. That’s what the old Dax would do.
Today, however, a sense of excitement courses through me at the possibility of it. The possibility that it would be my and Clementine’s baby. The possibility of us being a family.
And instead of being scared and running the other way, I’m wondering how soon I can make it a reality.
“You found her.” Mom’s words shake me from my thoughts. A wistful expression encompasses her features. December twenty-third is her favorite day of the year, when we’re all here to celebrate Christmas and what it means to be a family, one that keeps adding members each year.
“Found who?”
“The woman I’ve been waiting for.”
