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Previously:

"You're really good at that." I laughed at her blunt compliment.

"Well thank you, ma'am." She placed her hand on my stomach then moved it down slowly.

"Wanna do it again?"

I couldn't get enough of Bella. I wanted to spend all my time with her, but it was more than just physical attraction. I enjoyed all our time together, even when we just talked. She was smart. Crazy smart. Like Mensa smart. I didn't even know what that meant until I'd spoken to my father after I'd completed physical therapy. I wasn't surprised that he'd looked into her. He was a physician, but he was a father first. He trusted no one with his children unless he'd thoroughly vetted them.

I learned that Ms. Bella Swan had graduated from high school early. By early, I mean at the age of 14. She'd gone to college, finished in three years, and then began medical school at the age of 17, five years ahead of her peers. Even though she was brilliant, she was down to earth too. We could talk about football, apparently a favorite sport of hers, just as well as we could about the local culture and religion. She was a curious person, thirsty for knowledge. Probably a byproduct of her brain. Often, when she'd get going on a topic, she'd stop herself and apologize. I was slowly breaking her of the habit, assuring her I liked hearing her get worked up over a subject, most often her work.

I pieced together a few things she'd said about her past, and from what I could gather, she'd had a bit of a rough childhood. Kids can be cruel, and kids that didn't understand another, well, they could be the worst. She grew up being criticized and made fun of for her intelligence, so it was understandable that she was gun-shy about it. We'd get there eventually. I wanted her to be proud of her intelligence. I thought it was one of the sexiest things about her. That and her arms. Bella had mentioned the other night that she liked to do kickboxing to keep her in shape, and her body was badass as a result.

On top of that, she was willing to put up with my love of Christmas. I had told myself to take this Christmas slow, ease her into it. But my best friend had other plans. Jasper and I hadn't been cleared to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday. There had been chatter from the terrorist cell we were monitoring about a possible attack. Not knowing when it was planned or who the target was, the brass decided they needed all hands on-deck in case a rapid deployment was needed. Bella was staying on base too. Her father, the only living family she had, was not going to be able to get away from work, so she decided not to go back to an empty house. That was fine by me, because it meant we got to spend the holiday together. She cooked a fantastic meal and had me invite Jasper to join us. I was happy to have my best friend finally meet my girl, but I should have known he'd out me.

"Are you sure you're ready for Christmas with this one?" he asked her as we sat on the couch, uncomfortably full from all the delicious food. Bella was in the kitchen making something at the stove, a secret recipe she wouldn't reveal quite yet. I didn't know where I was going to put any more food.

"Well, not quite. I still need to find him a gift," she said distractedly as she focused on the pot stirring slowly.

"That's not what I mean. Your boy here is fucking obsessed with Christmas." I reached over and hit him on the stomach drawing an uncomfortable groan. I almost felt bad. Almost.

"Really?" I turned to see her looking at me with an amused smile.

"Absolutely."

"I'm not obsessed," I tried to defend.

"He's lying," Jasper jumped to talk over me, ignoring my glare. "I'm talking decorations, Christmas carols, gifts, the whole nine yards. He even believes in Christmas magic." I groan, and had I had the energy, I'd have beat his ass for that comment.

Jasper paused to take the proffered cup from Bella. I took one as well and scooted over to make room for her beside me. She sat down, gently wriggling around until she was pressed tightly against my side with her feet tucked under herself. I wrapped one arm around her shoulders as I took a sip of homemade hot cocoa and hummed in satisfaction.

"This is perfect, Honey," I told her quietly. "It tastes just like my mom's. How'd you do that?"

"Christmas magic." She smiled and winked before turning her attention back to the traitor.

"He's almost unbearable." Jasper continued to spew his lies. "I can barely sit in the office this time of year. It's like Christmas threw up all over the place."

"I am not that bad," I said haughtily, and turned to look at Bella. "Don't listen to him, Baby. He's delusional. I think all the turkey got to him." She giggled and shook her head.

"Tell me more," she said excitedly looking back at Jasper.

"Actually, I think Jasper needs to go. He's got some work to do." She scoffed smacking me on the chest lightly.

"I don't need to say more," Jasper said knowingly. "You'll experience it soon enough, and you'll regret not running away when you had the chance. Just remember, I warned you." I rolled my eyes but smiled when she pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"I think it's cute."

"Only because you haven't been the focus of it." Jasper laughed, drained what was left in his cup, and stood walking to the kitchen to put it in the sink. I looked over at Bella.

"I'm not that bad." She grinned cheekily.

"Sure, Honey." I felt my ears heat which caused her to giggle.

"Bella," Jasper said as he came back to stand in front of us. "Thank you kindly for the wonderful meal. My momma and Aly Kat will be happy to hear I didn't starve today. After all the sweetness from that cocoa and you two," he grinned impishly as I scoffed, "I'm going to go call my wife then take me a nice long nap." Bella handed me her cup and stood, pulling my best friend into a hug. Seeing them get along made me happy.

"I'm glad you came over today," she said while pulling away.

"Thank you for the invite." He walked to the door and turned to me. "I'll see you in the morning at the office." I nodded. "Lock up behind me kids. And don't do anything I wouldn't do." He was laughing at himself as he shut the door. Bella clicked the deadbolt and turned to me.

"Bed?" I groaned.

"As much as I want to, I don't know if I have the energy," I told her honestly. She rolled her eyes then came to pull me to my feed.

"I meant for a nap, you big perv. Jasper has the right idea." I followed behind as she pulled me along.

"I'm not the only perv in this relationship," I muttered quietly. She pulled off her pants, placed her glasses on the nightstand, and crawled into the bed as I did the same.

"I know." Her answer sounded sleepy. "Nap first. Sex later." I nodded and drifted off with her in my arms.

A/N: 05/01/18 Hello everyone. This is exactly why I don't like to have a set posting schedule. Life happened this week - crazy work stuff, best friend's wedding, unexpected injury, six hour wait at urgent care...the list goes on. I'm sorry to those who expected this earlier and it didn't come.

But I'm here now! I hope you liked this update. For those who didn't read me before this story, I wrote a one-shot for a Christmas contest, and this is the expansion of that story. For those who joined me from Christmas Magic, this should sound familiar. We're moving forward with these two, and I can't wait to bring y'all more. Let me know what you think - even if it's just a few words or a smiley face. :)