“An On Dublin Street Christmas”
by Samantha Young
The smell of coffee and cinnamon teased my curious eyes open and I
pushed lazily up onto my elbow, grinning at Braden. He stood over
our rumpled bed wearing a long-sleeved pajama top and matching
pants.
Boo to winter for stealing my naked Braden time.
Strands of his gorgeous, dark hair flew out in different directions
courtesy of my fingers and the rough treatment they’d given it when
Braden had gifted me my first Christmas present of the morning. A
stocking filler, he’d called it before he’d pushed my legs open and
well… filled me.
Sigh.
I eyed the mugs of cinnamon-topped coffee in his hands. “Another
present?” I asked as I took my mug from him. He placed his coffee on
the bedside table before getting back into bed with me. I snuggled
into his side as he reached back for the coffee and once he was
settled I knocked my mug against his. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” he murmured and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
Mmm, he tasted good. He tasted Christmassy.
Braden shot me a teasing look when he pulled back. “Definitely better
than last year so far.”
Un-amused at the reminder, I flipped him the bird. He threw his head
back in laughter.
Last year we’d spent Christmas day barely saying a word to each
other, passing time in awkward conversation, swapping overly
expensive Christmas gifts, and lending support to Ellie as she
anticipated her upcoming surgery to remove tumors from her brain.
The surgery part had obviously not been my fault. The weirdness with
Braden had been. I’d broken up with him. I’d messed up hugely,
terrified of being in love with him, and terrified of losing him.
I’d given him the run-around and it hadn’t been easy on him.
Every now and then he’d mention it and my guilt transformed me into
a rampant sex goddess, bent on making it up to him.
Well, he’d already gotten sex this morning and I was getting wise to
his manipulation.
“It’s Christmas. You can’t pull that card. You get presents instead.”
Braden pouted comically. “I just want sex.”
“Tough. You’ve had sex. Now you get a sweater.”
“A sweater?”
“It’s cold outside.”
“I own plenty of sweaters.” He eyed me in disappointment. “You
seriously bought me a sweater for Christmas? And then told me
before I opened it? Why bother wrapping it?”
“Maybe it’s a special Christmas sweater.”
“Does it have a reindeer on it smoking a hash pipe?”
I snorted. “No.”
“Then it’s not a special sweater.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Maybe it’s pieced together with Velcro
so that when I feel like having my wicked way with you I can just tear
the damn thing off. That’s pretty special.”
Braden took a sip of his coffee. “You didn’t buy me a sweater, did
you?”
“No! Who do you think I am? Your Aunt May?”
“I don’t have an Aunt May.”
“I know that. I’m just saying that only Aunt May’s buy sweaters. If your
girlfriend buys you a sweater on your first freaking Christmas together
you kick that tool to the curb.”
Lips twitching, Braden’s eyes glittered as he stared into mine. “Even if
you’d bought me a sweater I wouldn’t kick you to the curb.”
I felt my stomach flip flop and wondered if I’d ever get used to his
scrumptiousness. “Really?”
“No way. Far too uncomfortable to have sex on a curb.”
“Oh, ha ha.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Funny man.”
He was still grinning as he nodded his head towards the door. “Let’s
open our presents before Ellie and Adam get here.”
I reluctantly got out of our warm bed, shrugging on a thick robe and
slippers, hugging the mug of hot coffee to my body as I followed
Braden out of our bedroom and into the sitting room.
Ellie had complained to me about our Christmas decorations. Last
year the flat had a big ass Christmas tree in it, as well as strings of
tinsel arching every door, hanging from every window, and trimming
the mantel on the fireplace. All Ellie’s doing. Braden and I were a little
more low-key. This year there was not a single rope of tinsel to be
found. Instead we’d bought a classy non-traditional white Christmas
tree that stood in the window and had our little pile of presents under
it. The window was lined with pale, twinkling fairy lights and I’d
draped more fairy lights through decorative reeds I had in a large
vase in the corner of the room.
I liked Christmas and this was Christmassy enough for us. Ellie and
Adam’s flat looked like Santa had dropped around for a party, had too
much to drink and puked up Christmas everywhere.
That was Ellie. Clutter freak.
God love her.
I sat down on the sofa and waited patiently, content, as Braden
brought out piles of presents out from under the tree and placed them
at our feet. “You go first,” I murmured, pointing to one of his smaller
gifts.
We commenced the unwrapping of presents, having bought each
other silly little things that made one another laugh, and things we’d
overheard the other saying we needed. Braden had also bought me
some very lovely and very expensive jewelry. I thought the diamond
earrings and matching necklace was my main present, but he insisted
he’d kept the most important gift for last, just as I had.
We stared at the last two gifts.
“You first,” I said again, feeling a little nervous.
Braden took off the paper and then opened the slim box, his eyes
lighting up when he saw the Rolex Submariner in steel with the
emerald green dial. He’d been ogling the damn thing online for
months but couldn’t bring himself to buy it since he didn’t need it. It
was a nice gift, one I knew he loved, but it wasn’t the whole gift.
“Turn it over,” I murmured, and my heart rate sped up as I awaited his
reaction.
Brows furrowed, Braden turned the watch over and held it up in the
light. On the back of the Rolex he found the inscription: Braden,
Yours Forever, Love Jocelyn x
It was the most sentimental gift I’d ever given him. I didn’t say I love
you a lot, and though I knew he knew that I loved him, I wanted him to
know that I had no plans to ever stop loving him.
When he looked up from the inscription his eyes were dark with heat
and emotion. “It’s beautiful, babe, thank you.”
I smiled shyly. “You’re welcome.”
“Open yours now,” he ordered gently, shoving his sleeve up so he
could put on the watch. He looked up at me from under his long
lashes, sensing my gaze was still on him. He grinned. “It’s never