Page 18 of Deck the Halls with Cowboys
He quirked a brow. “The island is still between us, baby, and you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I mean, I have. Just not today.
Outside, I heard the familiar rumble of Beau’s old truck. I twisted my neck to see a flash of red coming up the hill out the kitchen sink window.
“Shit, I haven’ttold you yet,” I hissed, feeling the panic. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. It was supposed to be a quiet, healing conversation.
“Told me what?”
My gaze was fixed on the snow now, my cheeks heating with frustration. This was all wrong. They were early.
“God dammit,” Den growled underneath his breath, charging around the island.
In an instant, his hands were on either side of my head, his body heat enveloping me as he backed me into the counter, his lips slamming down on mine. I let out a surprise moan against him, my hands immediately fisting the sides of his shirt as he pressed his long body against mine, making me feel small, towering over me, caging me in. His lips moved against mine feverishly, his tongue stroking the seam of my lips. He pulled back a centimeter. “Give me a taste of what’s mine, Enchantress,” he commanded roughly.
I opened for him and as his tongue entered my mouth. The panic, the stress, the pressure…it all faded away. It was just him and me, in our home, our children safe. Nothing could touch us here. Nothing could hurt us here.
All too soon, he ripped his mouth from mine, his eyes scanning over my face, searching. “I better not ever see another speck of fear on your face when you look at me.”
“Honey,” I protested.
“I am your husband. Your provider and protector. If you’re afraid of me, we have a problem that needs to be rectified immediately,” he said, not listening to me. “Don’t you ever look at me like that again, or I’ll bend you over and fuck you until you cry.”
My core clenched, needing him as desire curled low in my belly, my nipples puckering.
“Understood?” he clipped, his fingers going into my hair.
“You’re going to mess up my hair,” I mumbledas a knock sounded at the door.
“Baby, I have half a mind to shove you to your knees and ruin that red fuckin’ lipstick. I don’t give a shit if your hair looks like you were freshly fucked. Answer my question.”
My voice was thick as I uttered out the words he needed to hear. “I understand. I’m sorry. My fear wasn’t—isn’t directed at you, my love.”
His next sentence had the power to destroy me altogether. “You shouldn’t be scared in your own home.”
I nodded.
“What are you scared of, baby?” he asked softly, his thumbs stroking my cheeks.
Tears stung my eyes and behind Denver, Caleb answered the door. “Of unintentionally hurting you.”
His brows furrowed. “You could never hurt me.”
“I want to give you the Christmas you never had. That’s why everyone is walking on eggshells around you. Because we’ve been planning a huge dinner for tomorrow with the entire family,” I explained, tuning out Beau and Abbie as they came in, calling out for us. Denver had us tucked into the corner by the coffee maker, hidden out of sight. “Mason stayed because I asked him to.”
Realization dawned.
“Valerie,” he murmured.
“I just hope you’ll let me give this to you, not because it’s a tradition I’ve always wanted, but because you deserve happiness. Every single day of the year.”
He shoved my face into his chest, his arms around my waist. “Fuck me,” he muttered as my body began to shake.
“I’m sorry,” I rasped, my hand sliding up to cover his heart. “I just wanted to give you something special.”
“Every breath you take is a gift to me, Valerie.”
His words, spoken in agony long ago, echoed in my head now.
