Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(74)

I groan. Even though the orgasm wrung me out, I feel a flicker of heat in my lower belly. “There you go again. Torturing me. On Christmas.”

“I know, I know.” She grins. “It’s just so easy, babe.”

“Penny, it looks like a kindergartener wrapped this present.”

“I was going to say, did you have this professionally done?” She holds up my present to her. The edges are crisp, the red bow still tied to perfection atop the silver wrapping paper.

“I’m just a beast at wrapping presents.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed this about you.”

“I’ve been wrapping my siblings’ presents since I was in middle school.” I shake Penny’s gift, but it doesn’t rattle or anything. The shape would indicate a book, but I can’t remember if I mentioned wanting to read anything specific before we left for break. “It’s my most useless skill.”

“No way, that’s not useless. You’re going to have the best time playing Santa for your kids.”

I snap my head up. Penny is still looking into the camera, but a blush has erupted over her face like wildfire.

“I mean, your eventual kids,” she rambles. “If you even want kids. God, I mean… yeah.”

“Hell yeah, I want kids.” I wet my bottom lip; now I can’t stop thinking about Penny with a little red-haired baby in her arms. I haven’t given much thought to children beyond knowing that one day I’d like to have a family, but that doesn’t mean the fantasy isn’t appealing. I’m not planning on giving up Penny unless I’m physically forced to, so maybe that’s in our future. “Not anytime soon, though.”

“Definitely not. Breeding kink is hot, but being pregnant? Horrifying.”

I snort out a laugh. “Want to open the presents at the same time?”

“Totally.” She unties the bow on hers while I tear at the wrapping paper on mine. “I hope you like it. But if you don’t, I won’t be offended.”

“Same here.” I scrub my hand over my beard, freshly trimmed because Mom insisted upon it for the family Christmas photo. “And if you’ve read it already, tell me and I’ll take you to the bookstore as soon as I get back to Moorbridge. Hell, I’ll take you anyway. Make it a date.”

She smiles as she tears off the rest of the wrapping paper. “I’d like that.” Then she gasps, holding up the book. “Cooper! I love this series!”

“Aw, shit, you’ve read it?”

“No, this is amazing! I’ve never seen this version before.” She flips through the pages. “And it’s signed? With swag? Holy crap.”

She sets the first one aside carefully and picks up the next. When I saw the special edition covers of this fantasy romance series, I figured it would be her thing. She doesn’t like hardcovers, so I was able to get all four books in paperback. When the author heard I was buying them for my girlfriend, she threw in some stickers and a candle that apparently smells like the scent of the love interest, a demon prince guy.

“Cooper, I love special editions.” She hugs the books to her chest, breathing in the smell. “And this series is so fun. I didn’t have paperbacks of it, so it’s perfect! I’m going to reread them all. Maybe it’ll help me get out of my writer’s block with the thing I’m working on.”

I smile. I love hitting the nail on the head with gifts. “Good, I’m glad. I’ll need to read them.”

“I think you’d like it. There’s a whole war in this series, plus lots of magical creatures.” She bounces on the bed. “You haven’t opened yours yet.”

I tear off the rest of the wrapping paper. The lumpiness makes sense when I see she grouped two books with a couple rolls of grip tape for my stick. “Oh, wow.”

“I checked with Dad to make sure the tape was a good brand,” she says. “But I thought it was so cool.”

The tape is red, with the Targaryen House seal printed on it in black. “This is awesome. Thanks, Red.” I set it aside and look at the books. One is The Simarillion, which I haven’t read yet, and a Brandon Sanderson novel that I have, but not since I was in high school. “And these look awesome. You totally killed it. I needed something new to read, I finished all the books you recommended.”

“That might’ve been the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Clearly I need to up my game,” I say dryly.

She curls against her pillows, balancing the phone so I’m seeing only half of her face. “Tell me how Christmas has been for you. Did you win the Monopoly game?”

I scowl. “Sebastian cheated. I don’t know how yet, but when I do, he’s a dead man.”

As if I summoned him, there’s a knock on my door. “Bro,” Seb says, “we’re starting Christmas Vacation. I thought you wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Ooh, I love that one,” says Penny. “Young Chevy Chase could get it.”

“I’m going to ignore that,” I say. “Come in, dude. Say hi to Penny.”

Sebastian walks inside. He’s still in his pajamas—Mom got us all matching Christmas pajamas and insisted upon taking the portrait in front of the tree in the den, which Bex was only too happy to facilitate—and his hair looks messy, like he just woke up from a nap. He yawns, scratching at his shirt. “All finished doing the nasty?”