to be the one to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. Let me. Please.”
She shook her head but didn’t move away. “I…I don’t know. I don’t know if I can believe you, Noah. I’m afraid.”
Noah slowly wrapped her in his embrace and felt the first glimmer of hope when she didn’t resist. “I know, sweetheart, and I’m sorry. I hate I made you feel that way. Please give me a chance to make it up to you. To make it better. I promise you, Maddie, that I’m committed to making things right, making you happy.”
Tucking a finger under her chin, Noah prompted her to look up at him. He smiled down at her. “I love you, Maddie. You make me happy. You give me hope. Let me do the same for you.”
And then she melted against him and snuggled into him, loving the feel of his arms around her and the warmth of his body. “I missed you,” she said quietly.
“I know, baby. I missed you too.” He kissed the top of her head and then led them back to the sofa where he pulled her onto his lap and simply held her.
They stayed like that for several long minutes when Maddie raised her head. “Hey, when you were out on the porch earlier, did you happen to see anyone leaving here?”
He looked at her quizzically. “You mean like Santa?”
She chuckled. “No. Okay, maybe.”
Rather than answer, Noah cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. It was slow and sweet and Maddie couldn’t help but curl into him. She would have gone on kissing him all day…if she didn’t have to yawn so badly.
Pulling back, that’s exactly what she did and then blushed. “Sorry. It’s very early and I didn’t get much sleep.”
Noah hugged her close. “You want to go back to sleep for a little while?”
She yawned again and then nodded. “I thought I was going to stay up but suddenly I can’t keep my eyes open.”
He stood with Maddie still in his arms. He walked to her bedroom and gently placed her on the bed. “Get some sleep. Call me when you wake up and I’ll come back down and watch you open your presents.”
“You’re leaving?”
The lopsided grin he gave her told her it wasn’t what he wanted to do. “Do you want me to stay?”
She nodded and held out a hand to him, and the look of pure relief on his face made her smile. Silently, she watched him strip down to his boxer briefs, and then scooted over so he could climb in beside her.
It was pure bliss when he shut out the light and wrapped her in his arms. “Sleep,” he whispered and kissed Maddie’s cheek.
With a small purr, she snuggled in closer and closed her eyes and thought, “This is the best Christmas ever!”
****
“What’s the matter?”
Maddie was looking at the gift she had just opened in stunned silence. “Um…”
“Come on, hold it up so I can see!”
She looked at him and slowly held up a red lace teddy. Noah gave a low wolf-whistle and Maddie carefully folded the garment back up and put it in the box.
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s…it’s an odd gift for her to give me.”
“Her?”
Nodding, Maddie replied, “Kiera. I figured she was the one who snuck in here and did all this since she knew I was so bummed about Christmas this year and…” Then she looked at him and it hit her.
It wasn’t Kiera.
And it wasn’t Santa.
It was Noah.
A small gasp of surprise came out. “You? You did all of this?”
He nodded.
“But…but how? Why?”
Reaching for her, Noah took her hand in his. “I never gave you your key back. I knew I had upset you and ruined your Christmas plans so I wanted to give something back. I didn’t think you’d catch me out on the porch at four-thirty in the morning though,” he said with a sheepish grin.
“You went shopping?”
He nodded.
“But you hate shopping.”
One finger stroked her cheek. “You’re worth it.” And then he leaned forward and kissed her – kissed her as if his life