It’s Mother-Pucking Christmas!

34. Dakota

34

DAKOTA

I sat at the upstairs window, hiding from my family slash watching Ryder run, Dasher loping beside him, down the sidewalk back home.

Home!

I was mentally blocking out the fact that my parents were across the street. Thankfully, the master bedroom overlooked the backyard, not the front, because I knew my mom would just use it as an excuse to spy with her sisters.

Ryder unlatched the gate, noticed me watching, and smiled up at me. I blew him a kiss.

He raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, rushed to me, and swept me into his strong arms. He nuzzled my neck and my jaw, kissing my nose, my forehead, my mouth.

“I love you, Dakota. I love you so much,” he whispered.

“Not as much as I love you. I hope this was an amazing Christmas.”

“The best ever.”

I drank in the sight of him. His blue eyes were dancing, and he had a big grin on his face.

I pulled off his hat and ruffled his hair.

“What?” he asked, rocking back on his heels.

“You look so happy.”

“I am happy.” He kissed me again. “I’ve never been so happy in my entire life, and it’s all because of you.”

“I love you,” I whispered.

“Not as much as I love you. You’re what I always dreamed of for Christmas, Dakota.”

I let myself drown in those blue eyes—in the love, in the warmth.

Something damp brushed against my bare leg as the husky pushed himself between us, panting.

“Dasher looks like he’s tired out.”

“He’ll be good for about half an hour, then I’ll probably have to run him again.” Ryder took my wrist, careful of my bandaged fingers. “Dasher, you need to pick your bedroom.” Ryder joked with the dog.

“He wants to sleep with his mom and dad, don’t you, Dasher?”

The dog barked.

“I can’t believe your parents did this for us,” Ryder said, looking around in awe at the light-filled hallway that led to the bedrooms. His arm rested comfortably on my waist as we walked slowly down the hallway.

“We should buy some rugs so Dasher’s nails don’t ruin the floors.” I rested my head against Ryder’s chest.

“We’re decorating our house.” He was giddy. “Our home.”

“You and me, baby.”

Ryder closed the master bedroom door behind us.

“So when are we planning that third date, anyway?” I asked.

He pushed me back against the wall so he could kiss me long and slow.

“Or can I convince you to skip it and head straight to the part where you come in my pussy? Okay, he needs to go somewhere else,” I said as Dasher ruined the mood by barking at the bathroom door.

The husky pawed at the handle, and the door creaked open. Sheepishly, my mom and one of her cousins came out into the master bedroom.

“I told you we should have just stayed in there.”

“Mom, out!”

“Don’t let us ruin the mood.”

“I think your charcoal soap is nice.”

Ryder smelled delicious when he wrapped his arms around me as I was about to grab a platter from the fridge in our kitchen.

“I need to steal that soap back, then.”

“I already used it,” my brother announced. He had decided he was going to spend the rest of the holiday in my house and had moved into one of the spare bedrooms while I yelled for my mom to evict him.

Ryder just grinned. “A houseguest. We have our first houseguest.”

“Wrong. He’s a tenant. He’s never going to leave—or pay rent.”

Ryder wrapped me in his arms, kissing me, then took the platter. “Be careful of your hands.”

“I can use my mouth to suck your cock—don’t worry!” I said against his chest, laughing at the way his muscles twitched. “If this house weren’t filled with my family, I’d take you upstairs and prove it to you,” I whispered.

“Dakota, don’t mind me. I’m just rearranging your pantry,” my aunt called out over crashes from the generous pantry.

“I am letting go of things I cannot control,” I said aloud.

Ryder had that lovable smile on his face. “This is so perfect,” he said, gushing.

I cringed as several uncles came by, toting power tools, and disappeared into the pantry, where there was an intense discussion followed by lots of cursing and crashing.

“I’ve always wanted a home filled with kids and laughter and family.”

There was angry shouting from the pantry and threats of homicide.

“And a beautiful, wonderful, amazing, perfect wife,” Ryder said over the noise.

“Well, you’ve got it, Boy Scout,” I said as he kissed me, spinning me around like we were dancers on ice. “And let me assure you that the novelty will wear off.”

“Never. It’s the perfect holiday movie with you every day.”