I can’t remember how long it’s been since I last had a good night’s sleep, but I certainly did last night with Charlotte wrapped in my arms. To wake with her lying sprawled over the top of me causes my heart to jolt with the love I feel for her. She’d quickly wrapped herself inside of me and hasn’t let go all these months later. If anything, my feelings for her have grown.

I’d told myself over these past months that I’d built her up in my mind to be someone she isn’t, but those were lies—she’s everything and more. So much more. I knew she would be the moment I’d laid eyes on her, which was why I’d initially ignored her. Or, at least, appeared too.

I brush a wisp of hair back from her face and smile when she mumbles my name in her sleep. She’s beautiful and so soft. I’ve never had this closeness with a woman before and now that I have it with Charlotte I’m not prepared to let it go—let her go.

Her warm curves fit perfectly against mine, which my body is reacting to.

The famous morning wood!

It’s trapped between her spread thighs with the head nudging against the warmth of her sex…as though it knows what it wants and is ready to take it. The throbbing arousal that’s currently coursing through the hard length, makes my dick pulse with need.

“Hmm,” Charlotte mumbles into my chest. “I like this. In fact, I love waking wrapped around you.” She smiles, yet to open her eyes. “I think you need to turn me over and make slow, sweet love to me…slow, no matter how much that kills us.”

Chuckling, I do as she asks and slowly slide inside of her. She feels delicious as her body takes my full length…wrapping around my dick like a tight glove. Her silken sheath pulsing around me has my breath stuck in my lungs.

Her hands reach up and pull me down on top of her. “I need your weight on me.”

“This…here with you…is perfect,” I whisper, pressing her hands into the bed at the side of her head. I find her lips as my hips find a slow, pleasurable rhythm.

Her sharp, little gasps when I slide back inside of her, send pulses of pleasure rippling down my cock. The love on her face as I hold her gaze is my own doing as I reclaim her lips in a kiss so scorching my balls erupt, shooting my release down my thickening cock. The hitch to her breathing happens seconds before I feel Charlotte join me in release. Her core convulses around me, bathing my shaft in liquid warmth, prolonging my own pleasure.

“Oh! That was amazing,” she mumbles, her eyes glowing with happiness.

“Yes, it was.” I collapse half to the side and slowly slip free. I gather her into my arms, and ask, “What do you want to do today?”

“Sleep,” she laughs. “I’m only joking. I slept really well last night.”

“Me too.” I kiss her forehead. “Do you think less of me because of last night?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind.

Charlotte raises her head and looks at me with a frown on her pretty face. “Why would I think less of you?”

“I broke my engagement and within minutes, I was inside of you. I know we’d planned on being together last night, but when it happened, it felt weird and I thought about waiting. In the end, I touched you and all reason left me.”

She shakes her head. “You hadn’t been with her for over twelve months. Although she wore your ring, it wasn’t a true engagement. So no, I don’t think less of you. I love you.”

“I got so lucky when I met you.”

“Didn’t meeting me make it harder for you to carry on here?”

“Meeting you made me realize what I was doing. It made me realize I wanted more from life than to just go on. I wanted what my parents once had…and that’s you, Charlotte McKenzie.”

“I’m so damn glad.” She snuggles into my side. “Now, back to your original question…I think we should go and buy a Christmas tree. You have decorations somewhere, right?”

My heart sinks. “We do have decorations, but they haven’t been out since the Christmas before my mom died.” I hold her close. “We usually have a tree and use cheap plastic decorations.” I smile. “The tree is usually about two feet high and pitiful. My dad wanted to do something for me, but he couldn’t bring himself to get the old decorations out.”

I squeeze her shoulders. “But this year, I want us to visit the lot and find a huge tree. We’ll get lights and decorations. Start afresh with ones that will last from year to year, that our children will be excited to place on the tree.”

“Getting ahead of yourself, Mr. Jackson, aren’t you?” She grins, her smile wide and her eyes alight with mirth.

“I don’t think so, Miss. McKenzie. I know exactly where I want you for the next seventy-eighty years.”

“And where’s that?”

“Right by my side.”

“I like that idea… So, we’re going to buy a tree, huh?”

“I think we should follow it with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows.” I grin. “And I know where we can get them.”

“Tanner?”

I frown at the serious way Charlotte says my name and hold her troubled gaze.

“How are your friends going to react to us being together so soon after…” she waves a hand around, which I catch into mine.

“My friends are going to love you, and like Bo, they know that I haven’t been happy with Emma. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“You sure?”

“I’m positive.” I rise up slightly and press a quick kiss to her lips. “They’ll see how much I love you.” I grin. “Besides, Bo has probably told the whole town that I finally have my soul mate living with me.”

“Hmm, can we please have a walk around town?” She smiles. “I love Christmas and the way the stores smell. Cinnamon. Apple. Spices. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.”

“We can. I know where I’ll take you.” I kiss her lips before rolling out of the bed.

Her eyes trail over me, giving new meaning to erection.