A Thousand Words | ✓

Chapter Twenty Nine: A Thousand Tons of Holiday Spirit

"Yeah, I don't think so." Taking advantage of her being distracted, I abandoned my work and advanced towards her. With one arm locked around her waist and holding her captive against me, I plucked my phone from her hands and tossed it onto the desk behind me. Jessica let out a loud yelp of surprise as I swooped her into my arms and unceremoniously dropped her onto the bed. I grinned as I crawled over her pinned her down to the bed.

"Reece!" she protested, scowling at me adorably.

"I swear you're an elf," I said. "Too much holiday spirit."

She smiled sweetly and said, "You'll learn to love it."

Love.

I hummed doubtfully and gazed intently at her.

God, she was so happy right now.

The day December hit, an imaginary switch flicked on inside of her. She truly lived up to her nickname during this time of the year. I walked into school yesterday and was taken by surprised when she jumped onto my back and cheered, "It's December!"

Although it's going to be hard having my own personal Christmas radio following me around everywhere I go, it was impossible to resist her. Her spirit was contagious, I'll admit, and I'll be damned if I said I didn't love it. Think about it.

How can you deny your baby a chance to be happy?

You can't - well, I can't, at least.

There are a thousand grinches out in the world, but I'm not going to be the grinch that ruins Jessica's happiness right now.

"Are you going to let me go anytime soon or are you just gonna hold me down until someone comes in and finds us in this suggestive position?"

I smirked and lowered my lips to hers, barely brushing as I spoke. "Well, I had another option in mind. I think it's time for my reward, considering I studied my ass off today while you sang your little heart out in the background, unfocused and out of task."

"That's a first," she countered, leaning up and catching my lips, only to pull away ten seconds later to tease me again. "Maybe you'll get something nice in your stocking rather than coal this year. Santa knows how naughty you've been this year."

I moaned at the double meaning of her words, feeling slightly aroused. This is not the time to get all hot and steamy, considering the fact that we're babysitting an eight year old boy who wouldn't think twice about barging in uninvited.

Jessica scoffed as if knowing my thoughts, and wriggled out of my grasp. "Always the horny teenager," she tsked.

"It's in our description as teenagers to feel horny," I said as I dropped myself next to her on the bed.

"'Course it is," she mumbled as she slipped off the bed and dropped down next to her bag. "Do you like presents, Reece? Corny, cheesy, presents?"

I rested my hands at the back of my head and watched her, saying, "If it's coming from you, I wouldn't expect anything less." Then it suddenly hit me that with presents come special occasions. Oh, shit, am I forgetting something? We've only been together a couple months and I haven't even got her anything but food.

Hmm. Noted.

After a moment of shuffling, Jessica pulled a small box tied closed with a curly blue ribbon out from her bag. She bit her lip softly as she crawled back into bed and handed it to me. I took it with the same pace and caution as someone handling a precious artifact.

I glanced at her, to the box, then back at her and asked slowly, "Is this my reward for studying hard tonight or . . .?"

She released her bottom lip as she smiled. "Think of it as an early Christmas present, yet you kinda get something everyday until then," she explained, staring at the box resting in my hands.