Chapter 14

Fourteen

Joshua's truck is back when we finish the longer circuit and Thomas's grin tells me that was the plan the whole time.

"I should have guessed you were up to something."

"We may have had some ulterior motives." Thomas says, picking me up and carrying me the last few yards to the house. "Only devious plans, I promise."

If it was anyone else, I'd be worried… if it was anyone else, they wouldn't be alone in my house.

And I like that they're in my house. I don't want this extended Yule celebration to end once we've dealt with Aphrodite's lingering ghost.

Chase opens the door and sweeps a hand inside. "Welcome home."

"I thought you had errands."

"I did. They involved helping get you out of the house and the heavy stuff in."

"Heavy?" I ask as Thomas sets me down and takes my coat.

He nods. "But it's Joshua's surprise, so…" Chase nudges me toward the bedroom.

Johnny catches me at the door. "Close your eyes."

I play along because I'm curious, and after a teasing kiss, he walks me into my room, placing me just so. "Okay, you can open them."

My bed is gone and in its place is one that manages to be both enormous and fit the space perfectly… it even works with the rest of the furniture that was already there. Joshua is on the other side of it, setting the last of the pillows in place.

"Merry Christmas," he says, his smile just a little worried.

"You made me a bed." I look from Joshua to Johnny behind me and back.

"I just helped put it together, he's the one that deserves all the thanks." Johnny kisses me one more time before nudging me toward Joshua.

"I take a walk and you're hard at work."

"I'll admit," he says, rounding the bed to pull me to him. "Getting off the floor was also incentive to get it done a little faster."

"Utterly selfish."

He laughs and brushes my hair behind my ear. "I hadn't realized you were going to be a sleepwalker, but there's plenty of places to put in tie-down points."

"We'll talk about that later."

A snick behind me draws my attention to the now-closed door. "Looks like someone wants me to thank you right now… unless they're building a new couch while you distract me." I watch his face as I start to unbutton his flannel.

"No more surprise furniture. I promise."

"At the very least, you should wait until I've thanked you properly for this."

"Properly?"

"Or at least until we've broken it in."

Brushing a hand over my cheek, his gaze falls to my lips. "Thanking me isn't necessary."

"Isn't it?"

He shakes his head, but still dips forward to kiss me. "But it is customary to exchange gifts…"

I laugh, unable to stop myself and lean into him. His next kiss swallows that laughter whole. A moment later, I'm falling. We both are.

I land on top of him on the bed and he pulls me up until we're both positioned, just so.

His hand drags up my leg, pulling my skirt up with it.

"Thomas let you wander around outside with nothing on under this?"

"He didn't exactly check—" My words die on a sharp gasp as he trails one finger along me.

"Then maybe I need to punish you instead…

In the end, neither of us get our clothes off, but we both get what we want.