Raven beamed at me and whispered, “Yeah,” before she wound her arms around my neck and pressed her lips to mine.

  We stumbled to the couch and made out like teenagers for a while as Christmas carols played softly in the background, then cuddled in front of the fire and her sparkly Christmas tree as she told me about her night with her family. I regaled her with some of my sister’s and my antics from our childhood Christmases, being much more open than I had the night before. I wanted her to know the real me.

  I was a little shocked when I woke up laying on the couch wrapped around Raven the following morning. Still in our clothes. Another part of me wasn’t surprised at all. Raven was it for me. I had the rest of my life to make love to her; last night had been about connecting in a much deeper way.

  Chapter 6

  Raven

  Waking up in Caleb’s arms was the best Christmas present, and the giant smile I’d been wearing yesterday morning returned.

  I knew he was awake because his breathing had become slightly uneven when I shifted my position and his…um…Yule log…was nestled against my bottom. “Good morning,” I whispered before scooting around so I could gaze up into his beautiful, sleepy face.

  “Merry Christmas.”

  Butterflies took flight in my stomach at his sexy smile, and I swallowed hard. “Merry Christmas.”

  He kissed me softly, then rubbed his nose against mine. “I guess Santa forgave me for being a fool because here you are. The best Christmas present I’ve ever received.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but a shiver raced through me, and I suddenly realized I was freezing. Frowning, I popped my head up and looked around. The fire had died down to embers, and I didn’t hear the rattle of my vents as hot air blew through, or the hum of my refrigerator, or anything else for that matter. No Christmas carols playing, and the lights on my tree were off. “Son of a nutcracker,” I grumbled. The electricity had gone out, and for some reason, my generator hadn’t kicked on.

  Caleb’s body shook, and I glanced down to see him with his head buried in my chest and his shoulders bouncing.

  “What?”

  I had to wait a minute while he finished laughing, then he grinned up at me. “You’re so fucking adorable.”

  “Ummm—”I glanced down at my silly pajamas and thought about my hair which had been in a braid until he messed it up while we were making out“—thank you? I guess?”

  Caleb’s head tilted, and he chuckled again. “I was referring to your habit of replacing swear words with Christmas terms. What you’re wearing is a sexy bonus.”

  I scoffed. “Flannel jammies and fuzzy socks are sexy?”

  Caleb nodded solemnly. “Absolutely. When the right person is wearing them.”

  Cue exploding ovaries and heart-melting into a puddle of goo…

  “Well, when you put it that way.” I grinned and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I hate to ruin this moment, but I need to figure out why my generator isn’t working.” I sat up and turned to put my feet on the wooden floor and gasped from the cold. “Then check on the Inn and Lodge because if my power is out, it’s out there, too. Since nobody has called, I’m assuming the generators are working there, but I need to make sure.”

  “Of course,” Caleb said without hesitation. “Can I help?”

  I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “You want to help?” Is this guy for real? No one is this perfect…

  “I’m yours to command. Put me to work.”

  I giggled and nodded. “You’re going to regret that offer.” I pushed to my feet and yelped when I felt a sharp smack on my butt.

  “You can pay me back later.”

  I didn’t bother to look back as I walked away, not wanting him to see the giant grin he’d put on my face.

  “Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper!” I greeted the couple with a jaunty wave and looked around for their family.

  “Their flight was grounded due to weather,” she said sadly.

  “Oh, no!” I gasped, wholly dismayed and having no idea what to do about it. I couldn’t even offer for them to Skype because the storm had knocked out our power, and while we had generators for heat, lights, and other necessities, there was no cell service or wifi. “Well, we’ll do our best to get you in touch with them as quickly as possible,” I promised.

  “Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Cooper said as she patted my hand. ‘Now, tell me all about this fine young man.” She grinned, and her husband rolled his eyes. “Is he what Santa brought you for Christmas?”

  I glanced up at Caleb, and he winked at me. “I guess so,” I replied, turning back to the sweet, older woman.

  She clucked her tongue and looked Caleb up and down. “You must have been very, very good this year, dear.”

  Her husband snorted, and Caleb laughed heartily while I blushed hard. “Um, well, I need to check in with my assistant manager, but I’ll see you two later. We are still going to make the big Christmas dinner we planned on.”

  The rest of the day was all hustle and bustle. With the blizzard in full swing and no end in sight, we had to start thinking creatively about finding a bed for everyone. Luckily, several groups offered to give up extra rooms.

  Colin’s parents insisted that we put someone in their extra room and on the pull-out couch in the living room. When I asked where Colin would sleep, his mother didn’t hesitate. “On the floor.”

  I slapped my hand over my mouth to hold in my burst of laughter. Colin didn’t find it quite so funny.

  “Why don’t you let him sleep on the couch, and you can use both the beds and couch in my suite?” Caleb offered.

  I knew where he was going with the suggestion, and I was more than okay with it, but I couldn’t help teasing him. “Where will you sleep?” I asked and scratched my head. “I guess you and Colin could share the couch.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened, and he looked a little panicked. It reminded me of the first time I tried jalapeño hot chocolate. Colin, however, was trying not to give away my game by facing the opposite direction and pressing his lips together. But his shoulders were still shaking; luckily, Caleb didn’t notice.

  “I, well…I thought maybe…um…” He looked so unsure. It was insanely adorable.

  It made me feel a little guilty, though, so I put him out of his misery.

  “I know!” I snapped my fingers as if I’d just had an epiphany. “You can sleep in my cabin!”

  Caleb sighed, clearly relieved. “That’s a great idea. Thank you.”

  “You should have seen your face, Adler,” I quipped as I walked away humming. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

  I felt a smack on my derriere when Caleb jogged up and slowed to walk beside me. “That was very naughty, Ms. Ashley,” he drawled.

  I blinked innocently. “I have no idea what you are referring to.”

  He reared back and put a hand over his heart as if utterly shocked. “And a fib? Are you sure you want to end up on the naughty list so early in the year?”

  I stopped and pivoted on my heel, then walked straight up to him until my breasts were pressed against his chest. Then I went up on my toes to whisper in his ear. “Depends on what kinds of naughty things put me on it. Some things are worth being a little bad.” I dropped back onto my feet and gave him a sassy wink before shocking the fruitcake out of him when I gently cupped his Christmas package and squeezed.

  Just as quickly, I spun back around and hot-footed it to my office. I’d never been so bold in my life, and my whole body was on fire. For multiple reasons.

  My desk phone was ringing, so I hurried to pick it up. “Some kids were goofing off,” Lacy—one of my lead housemaids—said in lieu of a greeting, “and…well, it doesn’t matter. The end of the story is that one of the rooms had two double beds covered in eggnog.”

  It didn’t make our job any easier, but I couldn’t help a small snort of laughter. “Let me guess. It was full of rum?”

  “I doubt they would have let it explode all over the room if it hadn’t been,” she responded dryly.

  “It’s Christmas, and they are stuck inside at a hotel. So we can give them a little slack, Lacy,” I told her cheerily. My tone was pleasant, but she knew I was serious. I was trying to be of good cheer, and I expected my staff to do the same.

  “I know, I know,” she sighed. “Merry Christmas!”

  “That’s the spirit!” Her tone had been entirely fake, and not acknowledging it would bug her more than chastising her about it. “I’ll grab anyone who’s free, and we’ll get the room cleaned up in no time.”

  I ended the call and looked up when I heard a low, sexy chuckle. Caleb was leaning against my door jamb with his arms crossed over his white cable knit sweater and one ankle crossed over the other. “Having been a teen who loved sneaking Rum and Eggnog, I’m guessing you could use all the help you can get.”

  My mouth formed an ‘O’ as I gaped at him. Did he just offer to help? “You want to help clean up eggnog?”

  He laughed and walked into the room, rolling up his sleeves. Then he held out his hands. “I’m yours to command. Put me to work, boss.”

  By the time we had set out Christmas dinner for the guests, found everyone a bed, convinced an engaged couple not to call off their wedding, dealt with a sprained shoulder and a broken ankle, set up activities to help everyone have a little fun, and put out about a dozen other fires, I was exhausted. And completely astounded at the way Caleb had pitched in on anything I asked and more, no matter how dirty or silly the task. He actually appeared to be enjoying himself, and he had a way with the guests, making them smile and laugh.

  Little by little, he was stealing pieces of my heart. Although, I supposed it wasn’t really stealing if I gave them away freely.

  “Here.” Colin shoved two to-go containers of food into my hands. “You gave me all morning with my folks and some of the afternoon. Go home. Have dinner with Caleb. The staff and I can handle things for a night.”

  “Are you sure?” I scanned the room dubiously, but everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time.

  “Go.” He turned and yelled at Caleb to come over. He’d been serving the turkey he carved but immediately passed the job to our sous chef and hurried over.

  “What’s up?”

  “Take her home, make her eat, give her some red wine hot chocolate and watch one of her many, many ridiculously sappy Christmas movies. An obsession she thinks no one knows about. The DVDs are in the hot chocolate cabinet in the kitchen.”

  I gasped and poked Colin on the shoulder. “How do you know about that?”

  Colin mimed zipping his lips. Then he pointed at Caleb. “There’s a pumpkin pie in the back of the industrial refrigerator for you. Whipping cream too. Although, you’ll have to whip it.”

  Caleb watched him, scratching his head. “He can be a little freaky sometimes.”

  “Huh?”

  “Pumpkin pie is my favorite dessert. And…when it comes to baking, whipped cream is basically the only thing I know how to make.”

  I chuckled because he had a point. Colin did seem to have a sixth sense about things sometimes. Like right then, when he turned around and shouted, “Shoo!”

  Caleb laughed and took the containers of food from me, holding them in one hand and lacing the fingers of the other with mine. “That’s our cue, baby.”

  Chapter 7

  Caleb

  “You’re amazing,” I told Raven as I leaned back in my chair, completely stuffed from the meal we’d brought back to her cabin.

  She laughed and stood, bending over the table to collect the plates. “I didn’t cook it. And you made the whipped cream for the pie.”

  I took the plates and put them back on the table, then tugged her into my lap. “I know. That’s not why.”

  “Then, why?” she asked, a little breathlessly. Whenever she used that tone, it always went straight to my cock.

  “Watching you today, how you are with your staff, with the guests, everyone. They respect and adore you. You’ve been incredibly smart in your hires, like your chefs. This dinner was damn good.” I gazed at her with awe. “You just have a way with people that is special, a talent and skill that is key to successful hospitality.”

  “Thanks,” she replied with a bashful smile, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.

  I grinned because she was so fucking adorable. “This place wouldn’t be the same without you,” I told her honestly. “It would lose its charm, everything that draws people here.”

  Raven grinned. “Good thing it’s mine then, huh?”

  I laughed, but my stomach twisted inside. With the cell service and wifi knocked out, I had no way of contacting my family about my decision. I just needed to make sure I got to them first before anyone tried to contact Raven again.

  A change of subject felt like the safest course, so I lifted my chin toward the sparkly snowmen candle holders on her table. “There has to be a story behind your obsession with snowmen,” I predicted. “Spill.”

  Raven glanced around the room with a soft smile. “They are so happy and cheerful. They just make me smile.”

  I narrowed my eyes and dug my fingers into her ribs, making her yelp with laughter. “I’m not falling for that, baby. There’s more to it.”

  Raven jumped from my lap before I could tickle her again. “It’s… it’s silly. That’s all.”

  I stood and walked over to her, taking her hand and leading her to the couch. But when I gestured for her to sit, she shook her head and padded over to the fireplace.

  The fire blazed and cast an orange glow on her white-blonde hair, creating a halo effect around her, and I couldn’t help thinking how appropriate it was. Sent from heaven, she was my angel, breathing joy and happiness into my life.

  “Okay,” she said after a deep breath. “I’ll tell you. But if my mother ever finds out, I’ll know it was you and break your Christmas balls.”

  I swallowed my chuckle and nodded solemnly, crossing my heart.

  “For the most part, all I ever wanted was to run The Snowed Inn. It was my dream, and I worked for it every day until I achieved it.”

  “For the most part?” I echoed.

  “Yes, um. I’ve told you a little about my parents. Well, despite my frustration with my mother, and weakness for needling her in retribution for her meddling, and general lack of confidence, my parents have a solid marriage. They absolutely adore each other.”

  This sounded promising…

  Raven had a whole group of five crocheted snow…people—I assumed since some of them had distinctly female features. But they all fit together, clearly meant to be a set. She took one of the smaller ones and cradled it in her hand as she studied it with a dreamy expression.

  “And, I know they both want what’s best for me. My mom made me my first snow family. She made a set like this for each of us kids and said this way, no matter what, we’d always be together for Christmas.” She laughed and set the little snow baby back in its place. “My brother may not admit it, but he takes his with him any time he won’t be home for Christmas. My family always makes me want to drink fruitcake hot chocolate,” she laughed. “A mix of fruits and nuts, but somehow we make it work.”

  “Do they make a fruitcake flavor?” I couldn’t help asking.

  She shrugged, “If they don’t, they totally should.”

  Turning back to face me, she ran a hand through her hair and shuffled her feet. “Anyway, my fruity mother thinks I need a man to help me run the business and to make me happy. It’s ridiculous. I can stand on my own two feet just fine. And, I love my life. But…”

  I leaned forward just a hair, eager to hear what she said next.

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t have moments of loneliness. And, especially now that I’ve achieved my other goal, I also dream about a family of my own. A husband who cheers me on and loves me completely.” She tilted her head and gave me a sassy smile. “If we burned up the sheets in the bedroom, that would be a bonus. Like Mexican hot chocolate. Deliciously spicy.”

  “Definitely a bonus,” I murmured, picturing us naked and entwined in a bed, consumed by fire and need. Fuck. I forced myself to lean back and bring one ankle up to rest on the opposite knee to hide my hard cock trying to burst out of my jeans. I also made a note to buy that hot chocolate flavor by the case.

  “It would certainly be a lot more fun when we’re making our own little snow babies.” She laughed and looked away, her cheeks staining pink again.

  Kids? I honestly hadn’t thought about them. I’d been so focused on Raven and the idea of a future with her. Did I even want children? My eyes swept from Raven to the snow family and back to her. Warmth bloomed in my chest, and a smile curled my lips. My answer to that question would most likely have been no if you’d asked me a few days ago. Now? As long as I was making those snow babies with Raven, then the idea sounded wonderful. Our own little snow family.

  “Anyway, I always loved the happiness and love the snowmen represented to me, so now, I collect them and display them everywhere. My own, secret little way of giving it to others as well.”

  I held out my hand. “Come here, baby,” I requested softly.

  My tone had her meeting my gaze with eyes that twinkled with hope and something else. Something I was pretty sure I was feeling too.

  She quickly closed the distance between us, and I captured her hips, lifting her and settling her on my lap, her legs resting on both sides of mine. I kissed her nose before brushing my lips tenderly over hers.

  “I don’t think it’s silly at all, baby. It’s a sweet dream and—”I paused for half a second before deciding to throw caution to the wind,“—I believe it’s going to happen for you. Sooner than you imagine.”

  Raven’s smile was blinding, and she wrapped her arms around my neck before pressing her mouth to mine.

  My tongue pushed inside, and I groaned at the taste of cinnamon and cream. I cupped her ass and pulled her even closer, so her pussy was cradling my cock as it strained against my jeans.