Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Good morning.” Walsh grinned, kissing her collarbone. “Merry Christmas.”
“Was that my first Christmas present?” Kerris asked, voice husky and hoarse with pleasure.
“First? Greedy woman, after that, you shouldn’t need anything else.”
She laughed the full-throated laugh she saved for these intimate times, saved for him.
“I know you too well, Walsh Bennett, to think early-morning sex is the only thing I’ll be getting from you for Christmas. I’d be fine with that, though. It was pretty incredible.”
“I aim to please. You’re right, though. There are other gifts. I am determined to spoil you even if we have to come to blows over it.”
“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?” She laughed, reaching up to dig her fingers into the dark hair curling at his neck.
“Not if coming to blows means I get to spank you.”
She rose, pulling herself up to straddle him. She clutched the sheet around her shoulders against the chilly morning air for a moment before letting it drop and grinning when his eyes crawled over her nakedness.
“Yes, please.”
“Baby, you know what it does to me when you say please.”
She did. Her second Christmas gift was very much like the first.
An hour later, Kerris tightened the belt on her kimono, grinning at her reflection in the mirror, her amber eyes glinting with anticipation.
“Walsh!” She raised her voice to be heard over the shower, jumping up onto the marbled countertop, pressing her back to the mirror and allowing her feet to dangle over the side.
“Huh?” He turned off the shower and stepped out to drape a fluffy towel around his hips. “What’s up, baby?”
“I know we said we’d exchange gifts when everyone else got here.” She bit her lip to hide a secret smile. “But I have one gift I want to give you alone. Just us.”
“Is this better than the gift you just gave me in the shower?” He slanted her a wicked, reminiscent smile. Leaning against the counter, he tugged on one of her toes.
“Um, yeah,” she said, amazed she could still blush after the last year with this sensual creature she’d married.
She reached into the bathroom counter drawer, pulling out a black box with a silver bow. She proffered it with a shy smile. He leaned forward to take it, kissing her with gentle hunger, still holding the waiting gift.
“Walsh,” she said against his searching mouth. “We’ll never be ready for our guests if you don’t stop and open your gift.”
“It’s just our family.” He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, his hand cupping her breast and plucking at her nipple.
Her body didn’t care that they’d had sex twice this morning. Heat flooded the center of her as she pressed into the fingers sliding down her waist, between her legs.
Oh, God, focus.
“Walsh, we can’t.”
“They’ll understand, baby. We’re newlyweds.”
Kerris slid down the counter, putting a few inches between them.
“That’s what you said the last time we invited your father over for dinner. He was expecting a home-cooked meal and ended up with sandwiches. Not to mention, he heard us up here. I was mortified.”
Walsh barked a quick laugh. “That’s what he gets for using his old key.”
“That won’t happen today. Everything will be ready and on the table when they arrive. Now open the gift.”
“Okay, okay.” Walsh slid up onto the counter beside her, carefully removing the silver bow. Inside was a clear plastic case. And inside the clear plastic case was…
“This is a pregnancy test.” He sketched a frown with his dark brows.
“Wow, you’re as smart as they say you are.”
“And there’re two lines. That means…”
“That means the world better watch out, because Walsh Bennett has procreated.” She laughed, unable to contain the joy spilling from her eyes and the smile she refused to hold back any longer.
Walsh jerked Kerris over onto his lap, crushing her against him. He rocked her back and forth, eyes closed, head buried in her hair.
“Walsh?” Kerris faltered a little. “I thought you’d be jumping around and screaming from the rooftop. Are you not…are you okay with it?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. He blinked away tears. “Sorry, I’m such a wuss. I just didn’t think I could be any happier.”
She leaned away from him, studying the moisture in his eyes with a small smile. She reached up to cup his firm, still-stubbled jaw, forcing him to look into her eyes.
“Don’t worry. I cried, too. I’ve had some time to get used to it.”
“How long have you known? When did you take the test?”
“Last week.” She kissed his chin. “It’s been hard keeping it from you, but I knew it would be the perfect Christmas gift, so I saved it.”
“Kerris, we haven’t been married long. Are you sure you’re okay with it? I don’t want you to feel pressured—”
“Walsh, I couldn’t be happier.”
“Me either,” he said without hesitation. His proud grin faltered, concern still in his eyes when he looked at her. “Are you okay about…I mean, Amalie.”