“This. Everything.” She looked up at him. “I had a really nice day with you.”
“The day’s not over yet, sweetheart.” A mischievous smile crossed his lips.
“No?”
“Hell no, baby. We can’t have our own Christmas weekend without presents.”
Embry perked up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“What about your family?”
“We can exchange with them on Christmas, but I want this time with you.”
“Okay.” She smiled and dashed upstairs.
Embry came down a few minutes later with her gifts for Luke and found him sitting on the couch, looking like … well, like a kid on Christmas. He had her gifts on his lap, and he looked as eager as she felt.
“Hi,” she said, sitting on the couch and tucking her legs beneath her.
“Hi,” he said, smirking.
Embry held out the first package to Luke. “Well, Merry early Christmas.” Nerves fluttered in her stomach as he took her gift and handed one to her.
“You first,” he said, nodding to the gift in her hands.
“No, you,” she argued.
“Same time?” he suggested, holding up his gift.
“Okay.”
He smiled and shook the package, making a show of trying to guess what it was. Embry didn’t have his restraint. She tore into the wrapping paper and looked up to see Luke doing the same. She pulled out a pair of barely there red lace panties. They were cute, sexy. He knew she always wore lace, so she figured he was just adding to her collection—since he had ripped a few—until she turned them around.
Embry broke out into peels of laughter as she stared at the large, black G over the crotch. She and Luke were on the exact same page. She looked up to see him beaming at her and holding up a pair of blue and orange flannel pajama pants with a huge Gator on the leg.
“Same brain,” Luke said, smiling and leaning over to brush his lips against Embry’s. “But if you expect me to wear these God-awful pants, I damn well better see you in those later.”
He winked, and she melted. She’d wear whatever the hell he wanted if he kept looking at her like that. “We’ll see,” she teased.
“Next,” Luke said, handing her a long, thin gift.
She pulled the wrapping paper aside to find two envelopes.
“Top one first,” Luke instructed.
Embry opened the envelope and stared down in disbelief at two plane tickets to New Orleans. She looked up at Luke, eyes wide. “New Orleans?”
He nodded. “Ever been?”
“No! But I’ve always wanted to go. This is amazing!”
“There’s more. Open the second envelope.”
Embry slid her finger under the flap and looked into the envelope. Her jaw went slack, and she couldn’t speak. She glanced up at Luke for confirmation and a huge grin was creasing his face, the dimple in his cheek deepening.
“Is this for real, baby?” Embry asked, astonished. Her heart pounded with excitement. Inside the second envelope were two tickets to the Sugar Bowl, where the Gators were playing in a little over a week.
“If you’re up for it.”
“If I’m up for it? Are you kidding me?”
“Not kidding, babe. I booked us tickets for the thirty-first. We can fly down and spend New Year’s in New Orleans since the game is on the second. If you want.”
“Of course I want! Luke, I can’t believe you did this. Thank you so much!” She jumped across the couch and onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and crushing her lips to his.
Luke smiled against her mouth. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it,” she said, pressing her lips to his again. “I love you.” She returned to her side of the couch, grabbed a large, rectangular present, and placed it in Luke’s hands. “Now your turn.”
“Hmmm … it’s heavy,” he said, inspecting the package.
“Oh, just open it!” she urged, unable to contain her excitement.
Luke paused and raised an eyebrow at Embry. He slowly unwrapped her gift and pulled out a black gift box. He flipped the latch and stared down into the box, his eyes wide. “Embry …” he said, shaking his head.
She smiled, waiting. He pulled the bottle from its box and held it up to the light. Then his eyes found hers.
“Baby,” he said, his face softening, “you shouldn’t have. This had to have cost you a fortune.”
Embry lifted a shoulder and let it fall, unconcerned. She had spent a fortune, but she was able to cover it. She had her research paychecks, and Morgan’s parents hadn’t cashed a single rent check that she’d given them. It left her with extra money for the holidays, and she was happy to spend it on Luke. She’d bought a bottle of his favorite scotch-whiskey, Johnnie Walker Blue, and had it engraved with the words he’d said to her the night Jack showed up at her parents’. I don’t work without you.
“You were worth it,” she said quietly.
Luke carefully put the bottle back in its case and placed it on the end table before pulling her into his lap. He cupped her face, his eyes boring into hers. “I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He reached behind him and pulled out a small box, placing it in Embry’s hand. “I have one more.”
“Okay.” Embry stared at the glossy white box before pulling off the festive green and red ribbons. She lifted the cover to find a … key ring? She pulled it out of the box and turned it over to find a Bulldog hanging from it. “Um, thanks?” Embry straddled his lap. “I love you, but you know I won’t use this right?” she teased.
“Maybe if there was something attached to it,” he hinted.
She tilted her head, a quizzical look crossing her features.
“Ah, there’s something else in the box.” Luke said, his hand automatically going to the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.
“Oh.” Embry peeled back a layer of tissue paper to find a key nestled in the bottom of the box. She stared for a minute before taking it out of the box and rolling it between her fingers. She must have been quiet for too long because Luke wrapped his hand around hers, closing the key in her fist.
“It’s the key to my house,” he said.
Embry’s eyes widened. A million thoughts ran through her mind, making her head spin.
Luke lightly gripped her chin and lifted her eyes to his. “I love you, Embry. I want you in my bed and in my home.” She began to tear up as he continued. “I know it may seem too soon, but I know it’s right. I want you to move in with me.”
“Luke …” Her heart beat fast, excitement warring with anxiety. She had never lived with anyone other than college roommates. She had never had a relationship like theirs either, let alone any relationship since Jack. But she felt more for Luke than she had for anyone else, and a small part of her hoped that he really was it for her.
“I know you may not be ready yet,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Luke—”
“Either way, I want you to have the key and—”
“Luke,” she said more forcefully, grabbing his cheeks in both hands. She couldn’t believe she was about to agree, but he was right. They were right. She stared into his blue depths and believed she could see straight through to his soul. “Yes.” She ghosted her lips against the corner of his mouth. “Yes, I’ll move in with you.” Embry was on her back and his lips were on hers before she finished her sentence.
“I love you so fucking much,” he said between kisses.
“I know,” she replied.
His hands roamed her body, tracing slow, sexy circles over her clothes before slipping under her shirt and pulling it up and over her head. He dropped sweet kisses across her stomach and then made his way up to her breasts. He pulled down the cups of her bra and went to work kissing and teasing her nipples. Embry reached down and tugged at Luke’s shirt until he pulled away to help her get rid of the layer of clothing between them. He tugged the shirt over his head and came back to her, his chest rubbing against her heated skin and causing a moan to rise up her throat.