"Time to rise and shine, sleepyhead. I'm starving."

Harper groaned, rolled onto her tummy, and pulled the luxurious bedding of their king-sized bed over her head to block out the sun shining through the window facing the sunrise. She didn't know the time, but she knew it was too early.

"I don't wanna get up yet. I'm too tired."

The rich, masculine chuckle that preceded the good-natured swat to her ass did things to her girly parts. Colton had kept her up half the night exploring one sexual adventure after another. The fact that every part of her body was sore was testament to her lover's dedication to living up to his pledge to never let her forget how much she was loved.

"It's Christmas morning. Don't you want your gifts?" he prodded. His voice was muffled, barely audible with her head burrowed under the pillow.

"No more gifts," she protested.

Living with him for the last two weeks had been like receiving one big huge gift after another. He'd already bought her a closet of new clothes, a half dozen new pairs of shoes and a suitcase full of beach gear for their planned trip to the Caribbean right after the new year. And that didn't even include the outrageous amount of money he had been spending on renovations, furniture and decorations to turn the mansion into their home. If he didn't spend another dime on her for the next year, he still would have already spent too much.

Colton pulled the covers back, peeling the pillow away from her head and exposing her to the stream of sunlight again. "I thought you told me you were a morning person. I think you lied to me," he teased.

Only then did the smell of coffee and pancakes register with Harper and her tummy growled. Deciding coffee was a welcome gift after all, she propped herself up on her elbows, her long hair tangled in a rat's nest. She knew she must look like a hot mess, but they'd been pretty much holed up in the master bedroom for weeks, so there was nothing Colton King had not seen.

And yet, thankfully, he still wants me.

She dished banter back as she reached for the coffee mug on the tray next to her. "I explained this to you. I am a morning person when I actually get to sleep. When someone keeps me up half the night, I'm afraid I might want to sleep in."

He leaned down to kiss her naked shoulder as she took a sip of java, trying not to spill coffee on the already sex-soiled sheets.

"Is that a complaint? You didn't seem to mind around three this morning." His lips trailed down her back, lightly spreading heat with his touch.

"Em...no. Definitely not a complaint. More like an observation." The coffee sloshed over the side of the big mug as Harper shivered from the affects of his nibbles.

Colton pulled back abruptly, making her miss the warmth of his touch.

"Well, today is special. It's Christmas. I think I'm more excited for you to open your gifts than I am to get my own." Before she could protest the additional presents, he added, "Your first gift from me is breakfast in bed. Time to turn around and sit up."

The heavenly aroma of pancakes and maple syrup forced Harper into motion. They'd eaten many meals in the bedroom and had a routine. Colton lifted the oversized bamboo bed tray while Harper negotiated herself to sitting with her back against the slatted headboard. Only after he placed the tray across her lap did he pick up a pillow, silently holding it until she leaned forward and then he fluffed it at her back, making things more comfortable for her.

Harper took in the full tray of goodies. He'd outdone himself. A large stack of pancakes was just the beginning. He'd fried bacon, sausage and hash browns. There were two hard-boiled eggs and even a bowl of fresh berries with whipped cream on top. Finishing things off was a pot of coffee, two mugs and a fruit smoothie to drink.

"This better be for both of us," she quipped, grabbing a slice of bacon first.

He grinned down at her, and she didn't miss his attention moving from her eyes to her naked breasts. "I nibbled while I cooked, but I was hoping to nibble a bit up here too."

She was about to tease him about his nibbles when it hit her. "Wait. You cooked? Don't you mean while you waited for Cecelia to cook?"

The handsome man with the scruffy morning beard and messed up hair grinned as he settled on the bed facing her. "I resent that incredulous tone, young lady. I gave Cecelia and Charlie the day off, of course. I know I can't cook like you, but I can manage a breakfast."

"Wow, I'm impressed. Is there anything you can't do?" It was an honest question. He was perfect. As she sipped her hot coffee, she noticed he'd even added a touch of French vanilla creamer to her cup like she preferred.

"Oh, I'm sure there's plenty, but right now I want to focus on the things I can do." He grinned mischievously as he reached with his index finger to scoop up a big dollop of whipped cream from on top of the berries. She recognized the sexual glaze in his eyes as he reached to cover first her right and then left nipple in the white cream.

It was cold. She squealed, reaching to remove the offending chill. But he was too fast for her, grabbing both her wrists and lifting her hands above her head.

"Oh no you don't. Hold onto the head rail and don't let go until I tell you," he ordered.

"But it's freezing!" She could feel her nipples peaking under the fluffy covering.

"I'll take care of warming you up. Don't worry."

Harper bucked her ass up off the bed when he lunged forward, sucking her right nipple into his warm mouth, nipping down hard enough that it startled her. She almost tipped over the tray of food in the process.

"Whoa, there, baby. Hold still while I start my breakfast." He looked up from her breast, whipped cream covering his lips. She could feel her core contracting as he slowly used the tip of his tongue to lick it off his lips before grinning.

He is the sexiest man alive and he's all mine.

He first lifted the tray away, leaving it on the bed before pulling the covers down and grabbing her legs. She squealed as he pulled her down to lay flat before straddling her knees. Once he had exactly as he wanted, he returned his attention to his breakfast. Picking up several raspberries and blackberries, he placed them in a line from the valley of her perky breasts to her belly button.

Starting at her waist, he seductively sucked one berry into his mouth after the other until he'd eaten them all. He finished his appetizer at her left tit–licking and sucking the whipped cream and finally nipping at her nipple until it protruded obscenely.

When he leaned up, he grinned, proud of himself for her obvious humping, hoping he might repeat his attention below her waist as well.

It wasn't meant to be. He stood, moving the tray back over her lap. But when Harper let go of the headboard, he reached to lightly slap her taut nipple as punishment.

"I didn't say you could let go, did I?"

That tone. She fucking loved that tone he used in their bedroom. The one that told her he was in charge, and here... behind the double doors of their bedroom... she'd discovered that was just fine with her.

"No, sir," she replied, knowing first hand the effect those words had on his magnificent cock. The salutation was like a magic potion. As she glanced down at his lap, she could see his rod straining against his sleep pants and smiled.

"Christ, we may never make it downstairs for the rest of the presents if you keep calling me sir."

Harper grinned. "That's fine by me. I don't need any more gifts. You've already given me too much."

He cut a bite of pancake, poked it with a fork and held it up to her mouth. "You're gonna have to get used to it, Harper," he answered seriously. "We have money."

"No, you have money."

"Enough. I don't want to talk about this today. It's Christmas. Please, let me spoil you. We can argue about money again tomorrow, okay?" He pinned her with a serious glare that told her he wasn't going to back down.

She didn't want to ruin their first Christmas together by arguing either.

"Okay. You'll get a one day reprieve, but I'm serious. I don't need you to spend money on me to know you love me."

He shoveled another bite of pancakes in his mouth before he answered, "And that is just one of the many things I love about you, baby. Now let's get you fed."

Nervous excitement danced in his eyes as he fed her from the food on the tray, occasionally directing bites to himself. He had a goofy grin by the time he finished feeding her. It reminded her of a kid on Christmas morning.

His excitement was contagious. She couldn't wait to see his face when she gave him the gifts she'd picked out for him. It hadn't been easy to come up with presents for a man who had everything he needed and the money to buy anything he wanted. She'd put a lot of thought into her presents though.

"Okay, you can let go of the bed now. Go in and brush your teeth and throw on some comfy clothes. I'll have your next gift waiting for you by the time you get out of the bathroom."

"My next? Why does it sound like there are more even after the next one?"

"I thought we agreed not to talk money today?" he warned.

She hesitated before snapping, "Fine. I'll go along for a bit, but if you filled another closet, we are going to have some problems."

"Nope. No more filling of closets." He paused before adding, "At least not until we get back to New York."

"Oh goodie. That's at least a few weeks," she added dryly.

He swatted her naked ass as she finally got out of bed, and she hustled to the bathroom with its heated floors. There was even a small heater in the wall that she loved on a cold Connecticut December morning.

By the time she finished her morning routine and returned to their bedroom dressed in comfortable yoga pants and one of Colton's oversized Yankee's sweatshirts, all evidence of breakfast was gone and a large, wrapped box sat on the bed in the place she had just vacated. The present was elegantly wrapped with blue and silver paper and a shiny silver bow on top. It was hard for her to tell which was brighter, that bow or the joy on Colton's face.

"I can't wait to see if you like it."

It still surprised her that there were times when she sensed an insecurity in her celebrity, larger-than-life boyfriend. He was confident in so many things, but there were times, like this morning, when she was reminded that, while he may be a very experienced man-whore by most women's standards, he was very new to the whole relationship thing. Harper loved that he had never been in a relationship like the one they now shared. Serious. Committed.

In love, not lust.

She let his excitement infect her. "I'm sure I'll love it. Should I open it here, or should we take it downstairs? I put my gifts for you under the big tree already."

"Oh, I have other things for you down there too, but I wanted you to open this one here first."

She gave him the stink eye at finding out there were even more presents downstairs, but she let it go. She wasn't going to ruin his excitement.

Just as she was about to lift the wrapped top off the box, it jiggled. The box muffled a gruff growl.

"It's alive!" she said, stepping back reflexively.

Colton chuckled. "It's okay. He's not going to hurt you."

"He? You promise?"

"I promise. Although, he might do a little damage to the house." He grinned her way. "You'll see. Open it."

Harper lifted one corner, intending to peek inside slowly, but the second the lid left the box, an adorable puppy jumped up, landing on the side of the box and tipping it over. Before she could even react, the little tyke was running around, sniffing at their bedding and acting like he was about to pee in the middle of the bed.

Colton lunged to catch him just as he jumped off the bed and took off running. Harper couldn't stop herself from laughing as she watched the ten pound fluff ball get the best of the star athlete in the room.

"Come back here, you little shit!" he cursed.

Non-pulsed, the pup made the rounds in the room until finally approaching Harper. She squatted to the floor, holding out her hands, and the puppy ran right into her arms. The second the wiggle-butt was in her grasp, he settled down, snuggling into her embrace as she stood. The second their eyes met, Harper fell in love for the second time that month.

"I don't know why you feel the need to yell at the little guy. He seems happy to me." She stroked the soft, caramel colored fur.

Despite the aggravation, Colton still grinned as he watched them bond.

She hadn't even considered that he might get them a pet, so she was shocked by this gift. She had questions.

"What kind of puppy is he?"

"He's a Havenese."

"How old is he?"

"I got him from a breeder. He just turned four months old."

"Oh, you little baby. I bet you miss your mama, don't you?"

"He stayed with Cecelia and Charlie last night. They said he cried most of the night." Harper looked up in time to see the flash of fear in his eyes. "I hope I didn't make a big mistake. What the hell do I know about taking care of a baby?"

Harper smiled reassuringly as she walked across the room towards him. Only when he was close enough to reach out and pet the puppy did she add, "You'll do fine. In fact, I think practicing on a puppy is a good idea, don't you?"

His eyes grew large. "What? You aren't... I mean... we're not going to..."

She reached up to place her fingers over his lips to stop his insecure rambling. "No, Colt. I'm not pregnant. I'm just making an observation that you will be wonderful with a puppy."

"Oh. Well, okay."

"What's his name?"

"I didn't name him, yet. I thought you should have the honors."

Already bored with standing still, the furball was wiggling in her arms to be free. Harper squeezed him to her, lifting his face to hers. "What do you say, little guy? What should we name you?"

"I'm not sure he's going to answer, baby. I didn't lug everything upstairs, but there is a whole box of supplies we'll need for him down in the back entryway. A doggie bed, leash, bowl, puppy food, treats... you name it. I'm not sure, but I think the lady at the pet store fleeced me a little bit."

Harper grinned as the pup leaned in and licked her cheek. "I think he likes me."

Colton hugged her from behind, leaning in to talk softly against her ear. "Of course he likes you. You're perfect." His hands roamed over her body. With the puppy in her arms, she wasn't able to fend him off. Then again she didn't really want to.

"I hope he gets along with Wrigley. He's so much smaller than a German Shepherd."

Colton reassured her, "They got along great, according to Cecelia."

That's when it hit her. She turned so she could see Colton. "I think I know what we should name him."

"What's that?"

"Well, we already have a Wrigley. I think we should name him Yankee for the stadium you've spent so much time playing in."

He didn't answer her, but she knew from the sparkle in his eyes that he liked the idea. Still, he argued against it. "It's your puppy. You don't have to name him for my career."

"Will you stop it? It's a cute name, especially with Wrigley. And then our next puppy we can name Fenway, and maybe the one after Shea."

Colt chuckled. "I love it. Really. It's perfect."

"I'm a little worried I'm not going to like leaving him home when we go on the road later this spring."

"But that's the great thing. I got a small breed so he can travel with us." He paused, looking like he was debating if he wanted to continue. She waited him out until he added, "You're going to have a lot of downtime, and I don't want you getting lonely in hotels. I'll have to go to the stadium for warm up way before you. And I'll have team meetings and practices. I'm worried you might get bored, and so I thought you'd enjoy having a travel companion."

She was floored. She already loved the puppy, but understanding his reason for buying him for her made her love the gift even more. "Oh, Colton. That's so thoughtful." She sat Yankee down on the carpet so she could be free to properly thank Colton for the awesome gift. She rushed forward, pulling him into a tight hug.

He crushed her with a heated kiss that was just getting interesting when a pungent odor invaded. They pulled out of the kiss in time to see Yankee finishing depositing his own unwanted gift in the middle of the room, right on the cream carpet.

"I'm beginning to think I might have made a mistake."

Harper rushed to scoop up the untrained member of their family. "Too late now. I already love him."

Colton grumbled. "Great. The carpets will never be the same."

* * *

Colton finished putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and then wiped off the counter. Part of serving Harper breakfast in bed was doing clean up too.

He took a minute to stop and admire the upscale kitchen. It was modern and spacious––sporting industrial-sized appliances that he hoped would be his chef's pride and joy. Sometimes he had to pinch himself to remember that this was now his home. And more importantly, that he had found the one special person he wanted to share it all with.

He felt like the luckiest bastard on the planet.

Colton may have joked with Harper that he regretted buying her the puppy, but seeing the light sparkling in her eyes as she played with the little shit solidified that he'd made the right decision.

The last few weeks living with Harper had been the best of his life, spending every minute he could with her. He could honestly say he loved her more every single day as they got to know each other better.

But he knew something Harper didn't.

They were in a cocoon. Sheltered. They wouldn't always have it as easy as they did hiding out in their new mansion in Connecticut––away from the press and the paparazzi that dogged him wherever he went. Away from reporters looking for an interesting angle on a story, not caring if they decimated his private life in the process.

The minute the press found out one of the country's most eligible bachelors was officially off the market, the sharks would start to circle. It hadn't been too bad for the first few years of his career, but when he'd been chosen as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive three years ago, things had escalated. Being crowned sports royalty by the media had torn down the last hint of a wall between his public and private life. The press had turned into piranhas. They would chew up and spit out Harper if he wasn't careful.

But he had a plan.

He'd been at this fame thing long enough to know how the game was played, and this time, he was going on offense. He would protect Harper from as much as he could, but if in the end, the public life got too hard on their relationship, he was prepared to walk away from the game he loved, with or without the world record he was chasing.

"I got the poop all cleaned up. The good thing about him being a small dog is he makes small poop." Harper's cheery voice arriving from the back stairwell broke him out of his brooding.

He turned to see her carrying their newest member of the household. "That's comforting. Training him to go outside should be fun. Let's just hope he's a fast learner."

Colt grabbed the two mugs of fresh, hot coffee he'd brewed from the counter. "You ready to head into the great room and open the rest of your gifts?"

Little did Harper know her best gift wasn't in the great room. In fact, it wasn't even in the house. A niggle of doubt rattled in his head, but he pushed it down. He knew she was going to be angry at the last gift, but he didn't care. It was something she needed, whether she would admit it or not.

The two-story great room sported an equally tall Christmas tree. They had had so much fun the week before hiking out into the woods on their property, looking for the perfect tree. They'd spotted this one and had known right away it was the one. What they hadn't realized was how much effort it would take getting such a huge tree back to the house. He'd spent damn near a fortune on the decorations and it still looked a bit empty.

Harper led him to the couch facing the fireplace and tree. "You take a seat and hold Yankee. I'll bring our gifts over from under the tree."

Apparently the littlest member of the household had already tuckered himself out because the second Harper placed him in Colt's lap, the furball curled up and nodded off to sleep.

Harper laid a pile of wrapped gifts on the couch next to him before taking a seat on the other side of the pile.

"Do you have any idea how hard you are to buy for?" she observed nervously.

"That's not true. I'm not picky."

"Maybe not, but you have everything you need already."

"I don't know," he teased. "I could use about ninety-four more double base hits."

Harper grinned as she retorted, "They were fresh out of those when I went shopping."

Colt reached his hand out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "Stop worrying. I'm sure I'll love whatever you got me."

"I hope so. They seemed like a good idea when I was deciding, but now I'm not so sure." She lifted one of the wrapped boxes between them and handed it to him. "Open this one first."

The box wasn't very heavy. He took his time pulling the ribbon off the package and tearing the paper off, wanting to make the moment last. How long had it been since he'd had a special Christmas morning like this? His parents and grandparents were gone. He was an only child. Traveling non-stop, he'd lost touch with his aunts, uncles and cousins.

Colt lifted the lid from the box to find tissue paper hiding the treasure inside. When he uncovered the gift, he found what looked like a handmade scrapbook inside. Harper helped him by taking the box so he could hold the book above the sleeping puppy.

The first page held an 8x10 worn photo of what looked like an extended family standing at the altar of a church, surrounding a too-young bride and groom.

He was confused.

"It's my whole family at my cousin Heather's wedding two years ago. They just had their first baby in October." He could hear vulnerability in her voice as she continued, "Turn the page."

On the next two pages was an older wedding picture along with about a half-dozen photos of the same couple as they'd aged together.

"Those are my parents, Bill and Jennifer. They've been married for thirty-five years now."

He turned the page.

"That's my brother Hayden. He's seven years older than me. He farms with my dad and my uncle. And that's his wife, Margie, and their three boys." She got quiet so he looked up as she added, "I know we are a big crew. It can be a little overwhelming meeting everyone. I thought it might make it easier if you could see pictures and learn their names ahead of time."

His heart raced as he started to understand the meaning behind her gift. He'd never dated anyone long enough to meet their family. He was usually long gone before things got serious enough to meet the folks.

Harper was making a statement. He wasn't just dating her. If he had his way, he would be becoming a member of the family on the pages he held.

As he got deeper into the book, page after page was filled with dozens of people and places that were important to Harper, which by default now meant they were important to him.

His voice was thick with emotion when he finally spoke. "I love it. It means so much to know you did this so I could feel like part of the family when I meet them."

"You don't think it's stupid?"

"Baby, like you said. I have what I need already. This gift is so much more than just buying something fancy. It's personal and makes me feel part of a family again, something that's been missing in my life for a long time."

He sensed her relaxing, relieved he'd liked her odd, yet thoughtful, gift.

He lifted the largest box between them and held it out to her. "Your turn to open a present." He set it down closer to her where she could reach the paper.

"You already gave me Yankee. That was more than enough," she protested.

"Listen, you made me stop buying you things for no occasion. You can't make me stop giving for Christmas too. It would be very Scrooge-like to refuse my gift."

Harper eyed him skeptically. "Seriously. You've spent enough..."

He reached out to hold two fingers at her lips to shush her. "Stop. I can afford it, and I love buying things for you. Please, just unwrap it and see what you think."

"Fine. But only because it's Christmas. You need to get this spending under control."

Colton couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What's so damn funny?" she prodded, clearly aggravated.

"I've never had a woman tell me to stop spending money on her. Usually, it’s the other way around with me playing the role of the checkbook in the relationship."

"Well, I don't give a damn about your checkbook, and you'd better get used to it," Harper asserted.

He appreciated she wasn't with him for his money, but he needed to get through to her. "Well, I have money, and I want to spend some of it on you and you'd better get used to that." He paused before adding, "Just open the damn present, will you? You're taking the fun out of this."

"Fine," she huffed, finally moving the package closer to her. It was fascinating to watch her methodically take off the ribbons and bows first followed by removing the paper in one big section before folding it up.

"Eh, baby?"

"Yes."

"What exactly do you plan on doing with the used paper?" he questioned.

"Save it, of course. It's perfectly good paper."

"You do realize we can buy more next year."

She looked at him as if he were daft. "Of course, but why throw away perfectly good paper?"

He let it go.

He'd had the store place both items together in one brown box to throw her off. They'd taped it pretty good as was proven when she struggled to get the line of packing tape off the top of the box. He held his breath when she succeeded, waiting for her to open the present and lose her shit on him.

He knew the second she saw the first item. She didn't even pick it up, but instead returned to glaring at him.

"What?" he asked innocently. "You need this."

"I do not need anything from Apple."

"I beg to differ. Come on, let's take a look."

She reached in and pulled out the iPad box. She held it close, looking down at the box until she finally glanced up. That was when he saw the excitement in her eyes.

"Okay, I take it back. I think I'm going to love this gift. Vivian has one, and I used to borrow it. Thank you so much, Colton," she gushed.

Harper rushed to open the box and take the newest model out to turn it around in her hands admiringly.

Colton shared his main reason for the purchase. "You're going to have a lot of downtime this next year on the road. Time waiting in airports and hotels. Hell, even at stadiums. I figured this would be something you could take along to read, watch movies, surf or listen to music."

"Or play Candy Crush." She grinned, hugging the iPad to her chest lovingly.

He chuckled. "I actually prefer Angry Birds, but you can play whatever you want, baby."

She moved closer on the couch so she could lean in and give him a tight hug over the remaining presents. Yankee, who had been enjoying sleeping in his lap, wiggled awake.

Harper picked up the last present on the couch to hand to him. After he took the gift, he let her know she wasn't yet done. "The iPad wasn't the only thing in the box. Keep digging."

"What? No way!"

"Harper..." he growled in warning.

She wisely stopped complaining and started pulling the packing tissue paper out until she'd dug down to the second gift.

"Beats! Oh this will be awesome for listening to music." She excitedly worked to open the box.

"I got you the wireless ones. You'll need these with the iPad."

"Oh, Colton, I love them. Thank you so much." He watched as her excitement dimmed and a worried frown replaced her glee.

"What's wrong?"

She hesitated before admitting, "I got you stupid things compared to your gifts. You must be so disappointed."

He moved closer to her on the couch, disturbing the puppy again in the process. "Harper, just you being here with me is gift enough. If we hadn't met, I'd be golfing today down in Florida with a bunch of old farts who don't have anywhere better to be either."

"Golfing? On Christmas morning?"

"That's what I've done for the last two years. I don't have a family and while I have lots of friends and associates who regularly invite me over, the few times I went to someone's house to celebrate with them made me feel worse. I was like a fifth wheel, interrupting their family time. It was easier to just head down to Florida and golf with a bunch of other guys in the same boat as me."

"Oh, Colton, that sounds terrible."

"It wasn't so bad, but..."

"What?"

He hesitated, feeling vulnerable, but refusing to tell her anything but the truth. "But now that I know how special it is to share Christmas with someone I love, I can't possibly go back to enjoying golfing for the holiday ever again."

His meaning hung in the air between them, raw and sincere.

Her warm hand cupping his scruffy cheek felt good. "You'll never have to worry about that again if I have anything to say about it, Colton."

He covered her hand with his, squeezing. "Then that's the best Christmas present you can give me, Harper. You being here with me is the gift I didn't even know I wanted... no, needed. But now that you are part of my life, I can't even imagine going back to the way things were."

Her reassuring smile eased his unusual anxiety. She reached down to hand him a pile of gifts attached together with a thick ribbon. "You have a few more things to open."

He started with the smallest square box on top. Unlike Harper, he ripped the paper quickly away to find a Christmas ornament box. It was no ordinary ornament, however. It was hand-blown glass in gold, silver and white in the form of a picture frame. He opened the box to pull out the ornament to find a photo of Harper and him smiling loving at each other with the words, 'Our First Christmas Together' above them. His heart constricted with emotion.

"Where did you get this photo? It's really good," he observed.

"At least Gavin was good for something. He helped me arrange to get some candids of us from the camera crew."

"Well, it's perfect."

Harper shared, "I have always enjoyed collecting ornaments when I travel. I figured we could buy special ornaments together while we are on the road next year."

He was touched. "I love that idea. Souvenirs as we make new memories together."

Her eyes twinkled as she knew he understood her plan. "Keep unwrapping."

The next box held two Christmas stockings, one with Colton and the other with Harper embroidered on the top. He barely got them open when she snatched them from his hands, and jumped up, rushing to the fireplace to attach them to already waiting hooks on the mantel.

"We need stockings for Christmas morning."

She spun around when she completed hanging them, excitement on her eyes. He couldn't resist saying the first thing that came to his mind.

"Actually, they look a little lonely up there on the huge mantel." He paused, watching her reaction carefully. "I can't wait until we can add a few more to the line... like Yankee and... our kids one day."

They hadn't talked children yet, but knowing Harper had a pretty big extended family, he was hopeful he hadn't just freaked her out. He held his breath waiting for her reaction.

Her response came in the form of an adorable blush that spread quickly down her neck. She stammered a reply that told him how flustered she was. "Kids? As in children?"

"Yes, baby. That's what kids usually means, unless you want to get goats."

"Don't make a joke when we're talking about something so serious. We barely know each other."

"Bullshit. We're living together, buying pets and furniture together and about to travel the country together. I don't think talking about kids is that out of line."

"I didn't say it was out of line. I mean... it's just..." Her voice trailed off.

He set the sleeping puppy onto the couch and got up to go to her. He didn't waste time on words. He went straight for the panty-wetting open-mouthed kiss that stopped her nervous rant.

When the kiss ended, he stayed close, their foreheads touching as he looked down into her teary eyes. "I didn't mean to rush you. A few months ago, I never would have thought the topic would be important to me, but now that I've met you, I've thought of it a lot. I'm not going to be happy until I can hold at least one adorable little girl who looks just like her mama."

"Colton, you say the most romantic things."

They enjoyed holding each other for a few moments before Harper pulled away. "You have a few more things to open."

Yankee settled into Harper's lap as he reached for the last box between them. Like the first box he'd opened, it looked like a picture album, but this time, the object of the photos were all himself with Harper. It was a diary of their short time together, with candid photos of them together riding out on the horses, picnicking along the banks of the pond on the property and even talking together their first night in the huge garage.

"I figured something good could come out of all of those hours of footage. The production crew was able to find the best frames of us together."

When he got to the final pages, there were photos of the night she'd returned to the estate. Them, in their dining room as she'd opened the keys that represented so much. The camera crew had done a great job capturing their emotions and the photos moved him.

"I love it, Harper. Truly, your gifts were so thoughtful. Thank you."

"Well, I love my gifts too. I know that you got me Yankee and my iPad to help ease me into the changes that are coming this year when you go back to work."

"I'm just grateful you're going to be with me. It gets lonely on the road."

"Not anymore, it won't be." She reached for the iPad. "Time to play with my new toy," she gushed.

"Not quite yet. You still have one more gift coming."

Her eyes narrowed, ready to argue, but she wisely didn't pick a fight. "I don't see any more gifts under the tree."

"That's because it isn't there." He hesitated nervously before adding, "It was too big to fit."

"Colton," she warned.

"Harper," he returned adding, "You're going to complain at first, but when you stop and think about it, you'll know I was right. I got you something that you really need."

"We'll see about that. Exactly where do I go to find my present?"

"Just outside the front door. Let's go."

He pulled her to her feet, letting her carry the little furball that was wiggling in her arms and fighting to get down and run.

Colton paused before opening the door, turning to her and asking, "I have one favor to ask. Before you lose your shit on me, please know that I did this because I want to keep you safe. You are important to me."

He saw the confusion on her face at his words so he prompted her, "Just open the door. You'll see."

He'd peeked out to make sure all was ready before they'd sat down to open presents. Now, seeing how she'd protested at her smaller gifts, he knew they were about to have an argument, but he'd been honest with her. It was important to him to keep her safe.

Harper opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch. There was one long second of silence and then a blood-curdling scream from the woman next to him. The racket startled Yankee and he wiggled out of Harper's arms. It was a bad sign that she was too distracted to even notice her puppy was now loose and on the run outside.

As soon as her scream died down, he put his arm around her waist and leaned in close. "Take a deep breath. Before you get too pissed, they aren't all for you. I didn't know what you'd want so I had them bring out some choices. You pick the one you want. They're coming back out tomorrow to pick up the ones you don't choose."

"But... they are cars. Real vehicles."

He chuckled. "Yes. Very observant. Actually, one is an SUV.

Three vehicles were parked facing the house, on display in a semi-circle, each with a huge red bow on the hood along with a big number 1, 2 and 3 to identify them.

"So you get to pick which is your favorite. Number one is a nice steady Volkswagen sedan. I picked that one because they have some of the best safety records in the market. Number two is a Lexus GX460, a very good multi-purpose vehicle. Number three I was less sure of, but the dealer talked me into throwing it into the mix in case you wanted more of a sports car. It's a BMW M6 convertible."

It was as if she hadn't heard him as she repeated, "But they are real cars."

"Come on, let's chase down Yankee first and then you can sit in each one. Maybe take them for a drive before you decide which one you want to keep. I've worked with this car broker for years. He said if you want a different color or anything, to just let him know. He'll track down whatever you want."

"Are you nuts? I'm not keeping any of them! I already have a car," she protested as he started to pull her towards the front steps.

"No, you have a broken down, untrustworthy heap that I don't want you out driving in. It made me nervous last week when you were gone shopping. I didn't know if you'd make it back or not with your Honda."

"But I like my Honda. I don't need anything new."

"Yes, Harper, you do. If you really love Hondas, we could send all of three back and go looking for a Honda together next week."

He somehow succeeded in getting her to the driver's side of the sedan just as Yankee arrived there. "Hey, look. It looks like Yankee wants to give each of them a try with you. Go on. Open it up."

In a trance, Harper did as she was told, opening the door and slowly lowering herself into the driver's seat of the Passat. She slowly looked around the space, yet acted afraid to touch anything.

"You want to take it for a test drive? He said he'd leave the keys in it."

"No. I told you. I'm not keeping them."

Discouraged, Colt helped her out of the first car and moved to the next one in line, the luxury SUV. This one, Harper resisted even sitting in.

"How much do these cost? They all look brand new."

"It doesn't matter how much they cost and, yes, they are new."

"I have never bought a new vehicle. My dad says to buy used. They are a better value."

"Maybe, but I don't care about that. I don't want you driving around in someone else's castoff. Who the hell knows why they sold it. I don't want you to have any used car troubles."

"But..."

He put his foot down. "Sit in the Lexus, Harper. Try it out."

Unlike the sedan, once seated, she started to explore in the SUV, turning on the engine and playing with the knobs and accessories.

"Are these heated seats?" she asked quietly.

"Looks like it. I like the navigation system on this one, too. And the Bluetooth surround sound entertainment system. It looks like it even has the rear camera for backup help and the tow package if we ever wanted to pull anything behind."

"What in the world would we ever pull behind?"

"Maybe a horse trailer? I assume we're going to keep the stables full for Charlie."

He scored points with that answer. He saw the excitement in her eyes at the thought of getting more horses for their large stable.

After letting her sit in the SUV for a few minutes, he asked, "You want to move to the next one?"

When she didn't answer, he let her continue to silently fiddle with all of the nooks and crannies of the interior. He was getting chilled standing in the open driver's side door, so he and Yankee stepped back and closed the door. He walked around to get into the passenger side.

The warm bucket seat felt good on his cold ass. Yankee wiggled around, trying to get away from him so he set the pup down in the back seat, praying he didn't pee on the leather seats.

"Let's take her for a spin, shall we?" he suggested.

"Oh no. We shouldn't. I don't need a new car," she protested again, although he noted with much less force than before.

Colt leaned across the center console, thrusting his left hand into Harper's long and messy hair, pulling her around to face him.

"Harper Gardener, we are replacing your Honda. If you don't like these choices, we can go shopping together to find you something you like better, but I'm putting my foot down. You're getting something more dependable than what you have."

She tried to interrupt, but he kissed her quiet. When they pulled out of their kiss, he continued on, "And before you complain about the price, I need you to understand something. I make enough money by playing just one game to buy all three of these cars. And to top it off, as soon as Van finds out I bought you a Lexus, he'll be on the phone with the Lexus marketing department to make a deal. They'll pay me millions for an endorsement. Just one advertising campaign will pay for a whole truckload of these. So please, stop worrying about the money."

Her eyes widened at his explanation of how much money celebrities like him can make if they really worked their connections. As an athlete, his talents had a shelf life. He used to worry about what would come next after he was forced out of baseball, the only career he'd known and that he loved.

But he was no longer worried about that now that he had Harper by his side.

"So what do you say? I can tell you like this one a lot," he prompted.

She pulled out of their embrace and looked around the interior with tears of excitement in her eyes. When she finally looked back at him, she had that stubborn glint in her eyes that he'd come to love about her.

"I do love this one, I admit it. But I have one more favor to ask if we are really going to keep it."

He hadn't expected her to give in so easily. "Okay, name it."

"I'd like to drive to see my family next week instead of flying. They're pretty far away from the airport, and we were going to be stuck at the farm without transportation which had me a bit worried."

"So. You want to take our first road trip?"

"Yep. And with Yankee being so young, it will be easier on him if we can stop for potty breaks. And..."

Her voice trailed off.

"And what?"

Harper looked uncomfortable as she finally answered him. "I admit, I'm sort of dreading going out in public with you for the first time. Once we get to the airport, I'm sure you'll be recognized, and it'll only be a matter of time before the paparazzi track us down. I know we can't hide forever, but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep the King of Baseball all to myself for a bit longer."

Colton's heart melted at the love he saw shining in her eyes. "Baby, I'm all yours. You want to celebrate by taking a drive?"

She shook her head and replied, "I'd rather celebrate inside. Upstairs. In bed."

"Sounds like the perfect Christmas celebration to me. Let's go."

The End