Page 77 of A Lifetime of Afters
Let the memories in.
The silent echo of laughter.
Love was, most definitely, all around me.
Chapter Twenty-eight - Santa, baby.
Waking up Christmas morning with my butt pressed against Hawk’s hip ranked in my top ten best feelings ever. I wiggled against him. My voice husky with sleep, I asked, “You awake?”
“Mm-hmm,” he hummed.
I wiggled my butt again, more forcefully. “Come and cuddle me.”
“Can’t,” he answered shortly.
“Why not?”
“Your cat is on my head. Don’t make any sudden movements. I don’t want him to scratch my eyes out when he tears across the bed.”
“Are you scared?” I guffawed.
“Terrified,” he replied.
I twisted around to face him. The soft white winter morning shone on his beautiful face and my cat was indeed wrapped around his head, his tail hooked under his chin.
The only thing Hawkley moved were his eyes.
I leaned up on my elbow. “You’ve got quite a predicament there,” I noted.
Bruce opened his eye and winked at me.
Is it possible to wink with only one eye? Wouldn’t every blink be a wink? No, there was a distinct attitude that went along with winking and Bruce had definitely just winked.
“I think Bruce likes you now,” I smiled.
“The feeling is not mutual,” he growled.
Bruce chose that moment to stretch and knead his paws into Hawk’s hair.
With his eyes screwed shut, Hawk waited for the torture to stop. “Think you could lift him off of me?”
“But,” I rolled onto my stomach and rested my chin on my palms. “You’re bonding.”
“I’ll bond you in a minute,” he threatened.
“Promise?”
“Noelle, I have a present for you but if you don’t get your psychotic cat off my head, I won’t give it to you until tomorrow.”
I didn’t think he’d had time to get me a present on top of the birthday present he’d already given me. I sat up abruptly and clapped my hands over my cheeks, squealing, “You got me a present?”
Bruce startled, leaping to his feet and flying out the door while Hawk screamed and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
“Ow, fuck!”
I peered over the edge of the bed, working to keep my face straight. “You okay?” I cocked my head to the side. “I wonder if Max has any advice to help with your pussy phobia?”
Looking at me sideways, he reached up and pulled me down with him then straddled me while I laughed. Taking both of my wrists, he pushed my arms up over my head and gently encased both of them in one hand.
