Page 99 of All the Beautiful Things
“You want me to wait in the hall outside my own home?”
I patted his chest. “Thirty seconds, max.”
He shook his head, exasperated with me and waved his hand in the air. “It’s your show, woman. Have at it.”
I rolled to my toes and kissed him quick, pushing him out of the way so he couldn’t see anything when I snuck inside. He laughed softly and finally, genuine, amusement showed in his dark eyes. I loved I could do that to him.
“You have thirty seconds,” he warned, plastering his back to the wall.
“Deal.” Before I slipped inside, he said, “And you’ll give me that key back so I can raise hell with Brandon for letting you use it.”
For a moment, he sounded so serious I thought he was really pissed.
“Are you… mad?”
“No. But he took the thrill out of me giving you your own copy, so for that I’m a little annoyed.”
He was going to give me a key to his house? I pushed down the flutters that incredible thought gave me. “How’d you know it was him?”
“We don’t have a doorman or security who would let you in and he’s the only one other than me who has one. And since you didn’t steal mine, he was the only option.”
“Of course. Stay there,” I reminded him and ducked inside. Once the door was closed behind me, I flipped the lock in case he became impatient.
From the other side of the door, came his laugh as soon as the lock clicked. “I’m not breaking into my own house, goofball.”
I grinned at the door. “Can’t be too careful.”
Turning around, that grin on my face grew. Everything was exactly how I’d left it.
The tree lights were on, softly flickering—probably because they were going to go out at any moment. The tree was lopsided, branches so old they couldn’t be fluffed like they’d originally been but it was still perfect. I’d found a Christmas towel at Target on sale I was able to use as a makeshift tree skirt so a cheery Santa Claus was centered beneath it. I went right to the candles I’d left on the counter, an apple cinnamon scent, and lit those before I hit the remote on his stereo system which turned on theall Christmas music all day longstation I found earlier.
The trio of faux pine trees in burlap were centered on the coffee table and the decorative Christmas hand towels I managed to snag were also hung. One over the door below his kitchen sink and one over the handle of his oven door.
It wasn’t much, but it was something. And on bright display were the envelopes we were going to trash and the present he’d hopefully unwrap and enjoy later.
The last touch was filling a stainless-steel bowl he used for mixing with ice. It’d have to do as a wine bottle holder. Once I emptied all the ice cubes into it, I plucked the wine I bought inside, fixed the two glasses on a placemat at the center of the table and moved one of the scented candles over. As far as a centerpiece, it wasn’t much but better than walking into a dark, cold apartment after seeing his dad.
I was missing something.Oh!The fireplace. I went to the wall and flipped the light switch that would start it and hurried back to the door.
I figured I’d gone over my thirty seconds and Hudson’s patience was at his breaking point.
I opened the door a crack and poked my head out, seeing him exactly where I left him, head resting back against the wall, face tilted up, eyes closed.
Trying to relax.
He turned to me and opened his eyes and gave me a tired smile. “Ready?”
“I am.” I held out my hand and felt that familiar fissure of warmth slide up my skin when his warm hand clasped around mine. “Come on in.”
I pushed open the door, stepping back as I pulled him in.
His smile stayed on me, sending that rush of warmth burning hotter through me.
He was so focused on me, he didn’t see what I’d done immediately, so I let go of his hand and spun to his side.
“Merry Christmas, Hudson,” I said. I bit down on my bottom lip. He might think this is so incredibly lame. After being at David’s house earlier and seeing his incredible decorations, it definitely was.
For several torturous heartbeats, he was silent, eyes scanning his living room, and then his arm slid around my lower back and he twisted, slamming his mouth to mine.
