Candy Cane Kisses {A Holiday Romance Novella and sequel to 'Hate or Fate'}

Chapter 7

Gray's Perspective:

We fell asleep in front of the fire sated and sweaty and completely spent.

With Isla's heavenly body cradled against mine, I dreamed of the future we were always talking about. Of the places we wanted to travel, of the kids we both wanted to have, of the house, we'd eventually find in some quirky suburb of Seattle. I saw it all.

But I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I wanted Isla, forever.

Thank Christ that little visit to my parent's house didn't derail all of that.

I wanted to give Isla the happy family she deserved, and I damn well planned on it, but that probably wasn't going to include my parents or Jamie.

They had too many of their own issues to work through before I ever subjected Isla to that shitshow again.

I woke to a slight chill shriveling my dick against my sticky thigh. Isla was still asleep, wriggling around like she was trying to root out more warmth and confusing the hell out of my chilly-willy.

So, I pulled the chunky knit blanket that hung on the back of my couch over our bodies.

Next, with the methodical precision of Batman, I painstakingly extracted myself from behind my girlfriend.

I wanted things ready for when her sexy, sleep-filled eyes finally opened and that meant pulling my ass together.

My condo was like a fucking igloo when I left the warmth of our naked bodies, which I fixed with a swift adjustment to the thermostat. I'd get around to building her a fire for our special Christmas morning together, but I had a few other things to do first.

I sprinted up my stairs two at a time to throw on some boxer briefs and my cheesy-AF Santa-themed pajama pants. With my tattoos and nipple piercings, I looked like a Biker-Beefcake-Santa, but I knew Isla would get a kick out of it.

Just seeing her pillowy lips spread into that toothy smile of hers was worth it. I swear Isla's grin made Julia Roberts' famous grill look like a Mona Lisa smile.

Finally, I topped my look off with a furry red and white Santa hat before jogging back downstairs to start the coffee.

She didn't know it yet, but I had some big plans for Isla. Plans for us, really. Plans that didn't involve us naked, though, let's be honest, that's probably where things were going to end up.

Jesus, just thinking about my girl's bare body had me popping a tent in my ridiculous pajama bottoms.

She's had that kind of effect on me since the day we met. I was a fucking goner the minute she laughed out loud in lecture.

She slayed me right then and there. Stone. Cold. Dead.

I couldn't Isla out of my mind, and because she was in almost all of my classes, I couldn't get her out of my sight. Everywhere I looked, there she was, giggling like the girl-next-door with the body of a bona fide porn star.

Isla is perfection personified.

A waking-wet-dream in sneakers who could argue circles around me.

An intimidatingly intelligent woman with wit and grace and talent and plenty of choices when it came to her future.

Fuck, if only she knew how many guys were hot to get in her pants at school.

And I almost never had her.

My so-called best friend knew how I felt about Isla, but that didn't stop him from swooping in to sweep her off her feet. With his all-American-prom-king looks and natural charisma, Eli stole the only woman I couldn't have.