Chapter 10

After they finished eating, they wound up on the couch, Niles seated and CC lying on her side, her head on his lap.

"Does your family open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?" she asked him.

Stroking her hair, he responded, "Oh, on Christmas Eve, always. Yours?"

She shrugged. "Both. Divorced parents." She didn't elaborate.

He didn't press for details. "I did bring you a very small thing—"

"Don't sell yourself short, baby," she grinned, nudging him with her cheek.

Niles groaned. "A gift, a present. Under the tree."

"May I open it?" She asked, and he was charmed by how excited she seemed. "See, I have one for you, too," she added.

Niles glanced under the tree, surprised. "Let's both open them!"

CC slid nimbly into the floor and reached for the scarf-wrapped book, which she handed to Niles.

He rubbed the silky scarf between his fingers and quickly untied it, unable to resist the urge to inhale the smell of her perfume that clung to the fabric. "I'm keeping the wrapping paper, just so you know," he told her.

She grinned. "Would you look at the actual present?"

He turned the book over. "I know this poet! Her sonnets are lovely. And quite naughty, if I remember correctly."

"You already have the book?" CC asked, disappointed.

"I read it in school. And I never had an edition as nice as this one. Thank you," he said, joining her on the floor. He grimaced as his knees made contact with the tile.

CC snorted. "Old man."

"Here, wench, open your present," he said, and handed her the box.

She ripped into it and drew in a breath when she saw the loveliest lei she'd ever come across in all her trips to the islands. It was made of many varieties of brightly colored exotic flowers, all woven together in an intricate pattern. Under the lei a grass skirt was nestled, and CC laughed.

"Niles," she paused. "Is this out of some fantasy of yours?"

His ears turned red. "Remind me to tell you about a dream I had on one of my endless flights a few days ago."

She skimmed her fingers down his neck. "So you think I'm going to, what, model this for you?"

He swallowed. "Is there any chance of that?"

She smirked at him. "Could be."

"How can I convince you?" He asked, rubbing his thumb over her lips.

"Read to me?" She would never tell him, but his voice had turned her on since the day she met him.

"Is that all? I can do that. I have the perfect set of sexy sonnets right here," he said, stroking the leather cover of the book.

"Well, that's not all," she told him, and standing, pulled him up, too. She leaned over and bit his earlobe and purred a few words in his ear.

Niles's mouth dropped open. "But won't we get sand everywhere, Babcock?"

"Storms, sand, is there anything you're not afraid of?" CC demanded. "If I'm living out your fantasies, you're damn well going to live out mine."

"So you've fantasized about me?" he asked, supremely satisfied with himself.

"Oh stop it. Bring your gigantic ego over here and read to me," CC said, swatting his shoulder.

Niles reached for the reading glasses on the table beside the couch and CC choked back a whimper. The man knew how to wear a pair of glasses. She grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the couch with her, and they resumed their positions from earlier. She curled around him as he started to read, his voice like a caress over the sonnets she loved.

Days later, a sun-darkened Niles and a rather sunburned CC made their way back to Papeete in his rented motorboat. Sure enough, CC's rental had been demolished in Yasi's violent waves, but Niles's had been safe where they'd dragged it on the beach. He suspected he would owe an astronomical late fee, since he had originally just paid for a day, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was pretty sure he could convince Babcock to pony up the cash.

As CC guided the boat into a slip at the dock near the airport, Niles gathered their belongings. They'd sent for his bag at the hotel after the storm had passed, and he slid it over his shoulder before hoisting CC's suitcase out of the boat.

After settling the bill with a simple swipe of her credit card, they headed towards the airport. Spotting Jack making his way towards them, CC waved. Jack smiled at her. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Miss Babcock. I'm glad you made it through the storm."

"It's good to see you too, Jack. This is my friend Niles. Niles, Jack Campbell, Daddy's pilot."

Niles extended his hand and offered Jack a firm shake. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Think we can fit an extra passenger on the return flight?" CC asked the pilot.

"We can arrange something, ma'am, I'm sure." His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Glad to hear it, sir," Niles said, taking CC's hand.

She threaded her fingers with his. "I'm sure we have some empty space in the cargo area, right, Jack?"

"That's about what I was thinking, yeah," Jack responded, grinning at the look the two exchanged.

Many hours later, CC and Niles spooned together on the makeshift bed that doubled as a couch. CC rested her cheek on his hand as she spoke in a low tone, her words barely audible over the roar of the jet's engines.

"This may actually be the merriest Christmas I've ever had, you know."

He knew that she did not say such things easily, and he brought his other hand up to rub her hip. "Ditto," he said, his voice deep and intimate. "Hey," he added, "does this mean I never have to fly coach again?"

CC grinned and turned over to face him, trailing her fingers over his cheek. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "I think Santa really did get my letter, Babcock."

She brought her lips to his in a tender kiss. "I think he got mine, too."

THE END