Taivon: Book Three of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Forty

She debated about going over and opening it now, but then she heard the bathroom door opening. Taivon walked through the door a few moments later, still as naked as the day he was born. He gave her a lazy smile and crawled back into bed, bringing her body to lie on top of him, right in between his long legs.

“I love m-m-mornings with yuh-you,” he murmured.

“Me, too. You're getting better at making breakfast.”

“If th-that's what'll k-k-keep you around...” He chuckled.

She kissed his neck beore snuggling her head back under his chin where it rested like they were always meant to find each other, because they fit together perfectly. So, they just lay there, neither moving or saying anything.

Weekends with him were the best. It was usually eat, make love, eat after going out to some place, make love some more, and then go to sleep. The weekdays were almost identical, except with work slotted in between.

“Know wuh-wuh-what my house is m-missing?”

“What?”

“Ch-Ch-Christmas lights. I haven't p-p-put 'em up in...fuh-forever.”

“Let's do it.”

She crawled off him and quickly got dressed. He did the same. In the car, he babbled on and on about how Titus was too lazy to put up Christmas lights and that he hadn't had them on his house since he'd moved.

“I'm th-th-thinking about guh-going down on Ch-Christmas. Wuh-Wuh-Wanna come with me?”

She grabbed his hand, kissing the back of his rough, hairy knuckles. “Of course. Wanna go to mine?”

He kissed her hand, smiling. “Of c-c-course.”

In the hardware store, they held hands as they scoured through the aisles. It was a little less than a month away from Christmas but already the store was decked out in holiday garb. Christmas trees were everywhere, lights were on the walls, probably to show off products, and shelves were stocked with ornaments and pine-scented candles.

“Ooh.” She brought up a box of blue lights. “I love blue lights.”

He gave her a funny look. “Just blue?”

“We can mix and match.” Alix picked up another box. “It'll look like blue candy canes. How cool is that?”

“Ya know, I th-think I also need a tr-tr-tree, which means ornaments, t-t-too.”

Alix rolled her eyes playfully before following him down to the decoration aisles where they picked cold spirals and red crystally things with silver tinsel.

“C-C-Can we get a real tr-tree?” he asked.

He was pouting, giving her puppy dog eyes with a bottom lip jutted out. She would have agreed with a real tree, anyway, but he looked too adorable. She let him pout a little longer, just to see that look on his face.

“Of course we can, but I get to buy it.” He opened his mouth, as if to protest, but she slapped her hand over it. “You get the other stuff, and I'll get the tree, okay? Trust me, I have enough. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

She planned on getting him way, way more but he didn't have to know that yet. He already bought too much for her as it was. For the first time in her life, she actually belonged with someone, and she wanted to do nice stuff for him.

“I guh-guess, but-”

“No buts. Now, c'mon. Let's go pick one out.”

After buying all the ornaments and putting them in the car, they went to a small tree farm that only had a few to select from – probably because it was so early in December – and they got the biggest, fullest one they could find.