Cassandra loves peppermint.

Especially around Christmas, whether it's candy canes or the little round peppermints that you could buy by the hundreds - it doesn't matter, she eats all of it. So, when it comes time for Jake to get Cassie something for Christmas, he knows the perfect gift.

Home-made peppermint bark.

Three bars of Portland's own Moonstruck milk chocolate, a box of candy canes, and a bottle of peppermint extract and he's ready to go. He even has a box and a fancy ribbon - although, he's not that great at tying fancy knots. An hour after crushing multiple candy canes, melting the chocolate, and pouring in a small amount of extract - he's got it on a cookie sheet and in his fridge to harden.

When it's all cracked into bite-sized chunks, arranged maybe not as artfully as it could be in the tissue lined box, and the ribbon is tied into the best bow he can finagle, he scrawls her name on a tag and attaches it to the box.

For the first time in a while, Jake Stone is excited for Christmas.

Christmas Day.

Jake whistles some cheesy Christmas tune while he prepares the coffee, careful to keep the noise low so as not to wake Cassandra. It's not his first Christmas with her, but it is his first with her and it is definitely his first with her in his bed, and that thrills him.

It's why he made sure to wake before she did so he could do this. He pours the coffee into two mugs, grabs her gift from his fridge, and arranges it all on a tray before making his way back to the bedroom where she's curled up in his bed. To his surprise, she's staring at the door-frame with sleepy blue eyes when he appears with her gift.

"Mornin', sweetheart." Jake smiles, sidestepping the trail of clothing on the floor to get to his bed.

"What's this?" Cassie stretches and sits up against the headboard.

"Well," he hands her the tray and pulls back the covers to get back in bed. "I went to get your gift and it goes good with coffee so I made us some fuel."

"My gift?" she looks over at him shyly. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I didn't buy it. I made it." he pushes the box towards her. "Open it."

Not one to argue when it comes to presents, Cassie undoes the bow and eagerly opens the box. Inside is a pile of the most mouthwatering peppermint bark, she's ever laid eyes on. "Is this…?"

"Homemade. I know you like peppermint so.." Jake pulls a piece of the chocolate treat from the tissue and holds it up to her mouth. "It's milk chocolate. Portland's own moonstruck."

She takes the treat, sucking every drop of chocolate from his fingers, if only to relish the way his eyes darken slightly. The mix of mint and chocolate is perfection and her eyes close, moan escaping before she can stop it. "It's heaven, Jake."

"Yeah?" his eyelids droop, heavy with want, because, oh God, how he'd like to kiss her. Taste the chocolate and mint in her mouth.

"Yes." Cassie breathes, looking up at him. "You should taste it."

"I think I will."

And, he does.

He tastes it the very moment he sweeps her up in a breathless kiss. It's all want and need and he groans at the taste of chocolate and mint lingering in her mouth. He's never been one for peppermint but damn, he could get used to this.

"You're right, sweetheart." Jake is breathless but grinning when he pulls away. "It is good."

Cassie just giggles.