I stretched out and looked at the sleeping goddess next to me. It was game day. It was Christmas day. Seemed like a double win. I reached my hand around my waist to draw her toward me when I heard pounding on the bedroom door.

“Shit,” I muttered.

Mia yanked the covers and wrapped the sheet around her bare breasts, eyeing me. “He’s excited.” She smiled.

“I want my game day ritual,” I groaned, trying to pry my hand between her legs. The door was locked. “He can wait a few minutes.”

She swatted at me and giggled. “Later. We have an eight-year-old on Christmas morning. Patience is not a thing here.”

We climbed out of bed and dressed.

“We’ll be right out,” Mia called through the door.

As soon as we opened it Cameron was jumping up and down in the hallway. “You won’t believe what’s out there.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“An Xbox.”

Mia laughed. “No way.”

“Come on. Come on.” He tugged on both of our wrists. We followed him to the living room.

The tree was lit. The fire was roaring. There was snow on the ground. And I had the two most important people in my life gathered under the tree.

Cameron landed on the floor in awe of the gifts sprinkled around. We didn’t want to go overboard, but I don’t think we did a very good job of reining it in. There were enough toys here for all the kids at the group home. I wanted him to have everything I didn’t. Maybe it was excessive, but I couldn’t help it.

Mia and I had made a generous donation to the home in Cameron’s name. We wanted to make sure his friends had presents too.

Mia’s hands wrapped around my waist. She leaned into my back. “Merry Christmas.”

I pulled her around to face me. “Come here.” I dipped to kiss her.

“I have a present for you,” she announced.

She bent by the tree and rifled through the gifts. She rose, holding a box tied with a blue ribbon.

“Wait. I want you to open mine first.”

I ran to the mantle and grabbed the box. I had put it there last night when everyone had fallen asleep. I didn’t want to take a chance it would get lost under the tree with the wrapping paper flying all over the place.

“But—”

“No, please. Open it first,” I urged.

“But this is really something you’ll like,” she protested.

“I know I will, baby, but please.”

She shrugged. “Ok.”

Cameron was busy with a set of cars that raced each other on the track. We had our own moment on the couch. The two presents rested between us.

As soon as she held the box in her hand my chest tightened. My life was getting ready to change. The lid on the box cracked as her eyes widened.

“Oh my God,” she gasped.

I dropped to my knee. “Will you marry me?”

I plucked the diamond from the velvet cushion and held it toward her finger.

She nodded, the tears filling her eyes. “Yes. Oh my God. Yes.”

I slipped the ring on her finger. It looked good. Huge. Glittery. Expensive.

“All this time you wanted to get married?”

“Yeah, I guess I did.” I laughed. “I want to marry you.”

She looked at me nervously. “Now you have to open mine.”

“Got it.”

I tore the paper from the box and dropped the lid on the floor. My jaw fell. I stared inside.

My eyes met hers. “This is for real?”

She nodded. “It is.”

I picked up the stick with two double lines on it. “You’re pregnant?”

“I took it yesterday. I thought it was a pretty good Christmas present.”

And I thought the ring was a big deal. What the fuck did I know?

“This is unbelievable.”

“But unbelievably good, right?” Her voice was shaky.

“I’ve never had a better Christmas ever.” I kissed her, pressing my lips against hers. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

Cameron walked over. “What is going on?”

“We’re getting married, bud. And having a baby.”

His eyes widened. “Wow.”

It was pretty fucking wow.

Mia pulled him into a hug. She didn’t seem to have to ask him anymore. He fell into her embrace just like he had always belonged there.

“Are you ok with all of this news, honey?”

He nodded. “I get to stay?”

“Oh, yes. Of course. That doesn’t change. It just means you have a baby brother or sister now,” she explained.

“Can we open more presents?”

We both laughed. He was eight after all. On to another topic before we had even digested the first one.

“Yeah, let’s do that. I’ve got a game this afternoon.”

Cameron fastened a Santa hat to his head and started sorting the presents under the tree.

“Hold on, bud. We’ll be right back.”

Mia looked at me questioningly. I ushered her back to our room.

“What’s wrong? Are you upset about the baby?”

“God no. The opposite.”

My mouth landed on hers as I pulled her into my arms. My hands coasted to her breasts, squeezing tenderly, flicking over her nipple. She groaned as my tongue twisted along hers.

“So fucking beautiful.” I breathed.

My palm rested on her stomach.

“I can’t believe you’re having my baby. Our baby.” I looked into her eyes.

She nodded. “I am.”

“You have never looked so fucking sexy before. And it’s killing me. You know that.”

“I know. I want you too. I want you like this. We’re getting married. We’re having a baby.” She pulled my hand to her lips, kissing my fingertips. “What if it’s a girl?”

“A girl?” Damn. I’d never thought about having a daughter.

She nodded, grinning. “I’m sort of out-numbered around here. I need backup.”

“Then I hope she’s a pretty as you, but as tough as me.” I winked. I would have a heart attack trying to keep the guys off her, but I’d do it.

“Do you know how amazing you’re going to be with a baby?” she asked.

“A baby. I can’t believe we made a baby.”

“I kind of knew it was going to happen. There was no way that IUD was going to hold out with the kind of sex we had.”

“That’s right.” I felt some kind of insane male pride, knowing I had given her a baby. We had loved each other so much this baby was coming into the world. “When did you start to think you might be pregnant?” I asked.

“I started feeling differently. It was just this gut feeling. I knew it was going to be positive before I even took the test. I’m so glad you’re not freaked out.”

I brushed the hair off her shoulder. “I didn’t say I wasn’t freaked out.” I grinned. “But I’m fucking happy. I bought that ring two weeks ago. I wanted to give it to you every night since then.”

“It’s hard to wait, isn’t it?”

My hand moved back to her breasts. God, they were bigger than they had been. How had I not seen it before now. She looked incredible.

“Marry me, Mia.”

“I said yes.”

“I know. But I want it to happen as soon as possible. New Year’s Eve?”

Her eyes widened. “That’s in six days.”

I nodded. “It is. But I can’t wait.”

“You want to get married in the middle of playoffs while I’m pregnant?”

I tugged on the tie on her robe, letting it fall to the side. Her chest heaved with a giant breath. She was carrying my baby. I was in love with her. We were going to adopt Cameron together.

“Yes. Marry me.”

She nodded. “New Year’s Eve sounds perfect.” Her eyes closed as my hands explored the newness of her pregnant body. I growled with lust.

“Did you ever think we’d end up here?”

“No. Honestly never.” She moaned as I plucked at her sensitive nipples.

I wanted to shred that plaid robe from her and take her now. Love her like she deserved. Fill her with pleasure and joy. Give her the most incredible fucking Christmas of her life.

“Think he’ll notice if we’re gone a few more minutes?” I waggled my eyebrows.

She sighed. “Yes. Delayed gratification is going to have to be your aphrodisiac today,” she teased.

“It’s going to kill me,” I groaned.

She held up the rock on her hand. “We have time, right?”

“We do.”

“We are forever. Merry Christmas.” She leaned into me and I devoured her lips as if they were made from pure honey.

I don’t know how it happened. How a guy like me. A guy who had made every wrong decision at every turn. Ended up with this perfect woman. With a son. With a baby on the way. But I did. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to screw it up.

Ever.

* * *

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