“Are your eyes closed?”

“Your hands are covering my face.” Jazz laughed and leaned back against Gray as they finally stopped walking. It was Christmas morning and he’d insisted on leading her downstairs in spite of the fact that she’d already gotten all of her gifts in the form of her bedroom set. She certainly didn’t expect anything else. What she’d gotten already exceeded all—

“Okay, now stop. Open your eyes.”

Smiling, she opened her eyes and gasped. In front of the Duffys’ gigantic Christmas tree in the family room stood an enormous gift-wrapped box. Beside it stood another large, oblong box and a gift bag. “What the—what is all of this?”

“These are your Christmas gifts.” He yanked a camera out of his pocket and knelt down in front of the fireplace, flashing her a grin that dazzled her even more than the array of presents. “Come on, open them.”

“You shouldn’t have done this. Oh my God.” She dropped to her knees and ran her hands reverently over the largest box, her heart beating a staccato rhythm. “How did you afford all this?” As realization dawned that she wasn’t similarly prepared, she flushed and let her hands fall into her lap. “I only have something small for you.”

“Small gifts are the best. Haven’t you heard that the best gifts come in tiny packages?” His grin turned crooked. “Like you.”

Giggling, she hopped up. “Let me go get yours. Wait here.”

She hurried up to her bedroom, grateful that Brent wasn’t up yet. Since he’d given up his room to her, he was crashing in Gray’s room while he was home on break. She moved as quietly as she could, hoping not to disturb him in the room on the opposite side of the adjoining bathroom. She grabbed Gray’s gift from under her bed and jogged downstairs.

“Here,” she panted, kneeling in front of him and holding out the package.

“Jeez, where’s the fire? Did you think I would take off?”

“No. I didn’t want to run into—” She broke off and shook her head. She didn’t want Gray to know how she felt about Brent. The last thing she’d ever do was force him to take sides against his brother. Besides, she didn’t have any concrete reason not to like Brent, just a vibe.

Lots of vibes.

“Just open it,” she said.

“Sure thing, boss.” He tore off the bright green paper she’d fussed with for a good twenty minutes, trying to get the corners just right, and tugged out the box inside.

“If you don’t like it—”

“Bite your tongue.” His quick fingers flipped up the lid and he made a rumbling sound of pleasure in his throat that erased all of the weeks of saving her allowance and collecting bottles at the park. Whatever she’d had to do to be able to afford his present had been worth it. “A replica 1949 Fender Broadcaster? Fuckin’ sweet.” He dug out the ornament she’d had custom made and checked out all the details she’d insisted on being added, right down to the gold-embossed fret board. Then he lifted his head and grinned. “See? Tiny packages are the best.”

She laughed and leaned forward to poke in the box he still held. “There’s a little stand in there too beneath the foam so you can display it,” she began, falling silent as he gripped her fingers in his viselike hold.

“This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” Before she could slip back, his warm lips brushed her forehead. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She sat back and stared at him, trying to ignore the sizzle in her skin where his lips had made contact. Her lips throbbed, wanting the same pressure and heat there.

God, he made her want too much.

“Your turn,” he said softly.

Her turn for what? To kiss him? She ducked her head and he chuckled, gesturing to her gifts.

“Open them,” he prompted.

Nodding, she shifted toward the tree and tugged the gift bag into her lap. She laughed at what she found inside. “An industrial bag of Skittles?” she asked, secretly thrilled he’d paid that much attention to her snack of choice.

“Taste the rainbow,” he said solemnly, making her laugh even harder.

She moved on to the next biggest box, opening it swiftly before it vanished. She couldn’t believe he’d given her so much. Her mouth dropped open as she peeled open the tissue paper inside and dragged out his battered white Stratocaster, his favorite of his two guitars. “Gray. You can’t give me this.”

“Sure I can. It’s mine to give away.” He leaned back on his hands and gave her his insolent smile. He had a whole range of smiles and she’d categorized them all. Insolent was one of her favorites. “Especially since I know I have a brand-new Epiphone waiting for me under that tree.”

“But this is your baby—”

“It’s a guitar. I can make any of them sing.”

She couldn’t argue with that. His magic hands had given her many moments of pause—and even more hot moments alone in her bed when she couldn’t stop imagining them on her skin. “Thank you,” she whispered, unable to say more.

“You’re welcome. Now open the last one.”

“This is too much already.”

Lifting his brows, he gestured. “You don’t want my gift? You’d hurt my feelings on Christmas?”

“Cheater.” Smiling faintly, she carefully set aside his prized Stratocaster—her prized Stratocaster now—and dug into the largest box. When she pulled off the paper and glimpsed the contents, she fell back on her heels again with a loud thump. “Oh my God.”

Grinning, Gray snapped a picture of her face. “Now that’s the expression I wanted. None of this tame happy stuff. I wanted ecstatic, blown away, completely stupefied.”

“You succeeded.” She stroked her hand over the box that contained a Mapex M Birch 6-piece drum set, the very set he’d caught her ogling in Bradley’s Music Shop just last month. It was way out of her price range and took up a ton of room. “Oh man, where am I going to put it?”

“In the basement with my gear. We’re tricking out a whole Krystal Sword practice area.”

“But I don’t know how to play the drums. I’ve never even tried to.”

“So you’ll learn. You pick up every instrument in a nanosecond. Why do you think I bought you these? Otherwise you’d be kicking my ass on the guitar in no time.”

She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he laughed and gripped her waist. “Thank you. Oh God, I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

He brushed her hair out of her eyes, his fingers lingering on her temple. “That smile just did.”