Happy Friday!
I hum as I spread the honey seasoning packet over the spiral ham, making sure to sprinkle it between each slice. Potatoes boil on the back burner, lima beans are in the Instant Pot, the peppers and onion are already chopped for the cornbread, and a can of cranberry sauce is chilling in the fridge.
A pair of wandering hands grip me from behind as I pop the ham back into the oven. "That looks amazing," Edward says, taking a deep sniff. "It's been a long time since someone has made me Christmas dinner."
I spin in his embrace. "Please tell me you're not serious."
He shrugs, his eyes falling to the bar top behind me. "I'm serious, but it's cool. I have you now."
Hope surges to life inside me, but I beat it back. He doesn't mean it in the way I wish. He does have me, and I am going to serve him the best damn Christmas dinner he's ever had.
"You do," I respond, smiling cockily. "And you're in for a treat. My mom and dad divorced when I was eleven, so if there's anything I know, it's how to cook."
"Your mom teach you?"
"No," I respond, laughing incredulously. "I learned to cook so my dad and I wouldn't starve. My mom moved to Florida."
"I'm sorry," he says softly.
"No, it's fine." I shake my head. "It worked out for all of us."
"Good." He grips my waist, his thumbs brushing against my hip bones. "I'm one lucky shit," he says, his pretty green eyes full of sincerity. "I couldn't have picked a better person to be snowed in with."
"Ditto," I say, leaning in to meet his already searching lips.
It's a soft and languid kiss that's interrupted by the beep of the Instant Pot. Leaving his warm embrace, I release the pressure and hurry to throw together the cornbread and get it in the oven with the ham. While those bake, I drain the potatoes and mash them before adding grated garlic, mayo, butter, salt, and pepper.
Edward's face appears over my shoulder just as I swipe my finger into the fluffy white goodness. "Wanna taste?" I ask, holding it toward him. "Does it need more seasoning?"
His lips wrap around my finger, and his eyes fall closed. The vibration when he hums travels along my nerve endings and centers in the very core of my soul. The atmosphere in the room becomes charged, and the heat from the stove only adds to the roaring fire between is.
"Fuck," I whisper as I pull my finger from his lips.
"What was the question again?" Edward asks, looking as dazed as I feel. "Oh, yeah. Seasoning." He shakes his head. "You taste divine."
"Not me," I say, giggling like a schoolgirl. "The potatoes."
He licks his lips. "Maybe I should take another taste."
"No way." I step away from his reach. "We'll never make it to dinner if we try that again."
"Dinner is overrated."
I put my hand on my hip. "Excuse me?"
"Okay." He throws up his palms. "It smells absolutely mouthwatering. Can I help with anything else?"
I point to the fridge. "You can get the cranberry sauce out and slice it."
The timer dings and I grab my oven mitts. The ham is piping hot and sizzling beneath the foil. I set it on the stovetop and reach back in for the cornbread. With all my components ready, we work together to set the table with food, plates, and silverware. After it's done, we settle in chairs beside each other.
"I hope being stuck here isn't keeping you from Christmas with your family," Edward says, placing a slice of ham on my plate. "I know you haven't been able to call anyone."
"I have a couple girlfriends who're probably going to give me hell," I reply, sighing. "And Emmett's likely worried, but as for family, my mom is in Fiji and I lost my dad to cancer last summer."
"I'm sorry about your dad." He brushes my hair back so he can meet my eyes. "As for Emmett …" He pauses, his face screwing up. "Tastes like a cheating asshole name to me."
A giggle burst from my lips. "It does."
"Tell your friends someone else needed you more." Edward laces our fingers together and brings my hand to his lips so he can press a soft kiss to the back of it. "You can't possibly know what it means to have you here with me."
"I do know." I smile, my heart aching. "More than you can imagine."
See you Monday :)
