Read A Christmas Together for Free Online

you?” She ate a forkful of perfectly cooked eggs and felt her eyes roll back. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had butter.
    His low chuckle jangled her nerves. “Just this particular one—it’s the blonde hair, I think. Dig in, we’ll burn off the calories soon enough.”
    She had a good idea how he meant to go about doing so. “Please tell me you’ve changed your mind and decided not to be a chick about this.”
    He choked, coughed, and downed a mouthful of coffee. “Jesus, woman. Has anyone ever told you your mouth is going to get you in trouble?”
    She tapped her temple. “It’s my brain, actually. I figure things out a lot quicker than most people. I’ve been told it’s annoying.”
    He replied with a solemn nod.
    Shrugging off the not so subtle criticism, she forged on. “Whether or not you’re relationship material is irrelevant. Unless you’re planning a career change, you’ll be out of the country most days of the year. Where the government sends your types, emails and phone calls won’t be easy. Why start something that’ll crash and burn?”
    He scowled. “Now look who’s getting ahead of herself. Jobs can change, if it comes down to it, and we’re eons away from that conversation.”
    Men, in her limited experience, lacked self-awareness. “I’m trying to let you off the hook. I grew up with workaholic parents, so I’m a pro at setting low expectations. You won’t find a more Zen fuck buddy.”
    After a log moment of silence, he chortled. “I would never have imagined a chick saying that.”
    Filling her mouth with meat and potatoes, she shook her head. “How sexist.”
    “May be. And you’re full of crap.”
    She gaped. “See here—”
    “If you thought sex was casual, you’d have had more of it.” Taking another bite, he chewed at an agonizingly slow speed.
    “Who’s to say I haven’t?”
    He grunted. “It’s written all over your face. I might not be a smooth talker, but I can read people fine. Your little ‘I don’t give a damn’ routine only fools one of us—and it’s not me. You want to pretend this isn’t serious because you’re afraid it is, and it scares you shitless.”
    For someone who couldn’t string together compliments without sprinkling in a few insults, he had a talent for dropping verbal bombs. He’d been right on the mark, too. “Fine. You win. Where do you see this going?”
    Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he pushed away his empty plate. “Do I look like I know? We had our first date yesterday.”
    “ You ,” she growled, “were the one who insisted on this conversation.”
    He chugged the rest of his coffee in one long gulp. “I needed to make it clear this isn’t a wham-bam-thank-you-Ma’am deal, which I did. As for what we are, I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”
    The man’s mind worked in mysterious ways. Having lost her appetite, she rose and started ferrying the remnants of their meal to the sink. “Anymore pearls of wisdom before I kick you out?”
    He stared at her from across the island. “We’re going to have sex—lots and lots of sex—by the time today is through.”
    She drummed her fingers on the edge of the counter. “Oh yeah?”
    “I’d bet my life on it, although the next thing I say will have your panties in a wad.”
    “Has it occurred to you to not blurt it out?”
    “I like to pre-define rules of engagement, so let’s get it out of the way.” He crossed his arms. “I have no idea when I’ll be in town again, I can’t write or call, but I will be back. I expect you here waiting for me.”
    Unsettled, she fell back on sarcasm. “Too bad. I’m moving to Bermuda.”
    “Are you always such a smart-ass?”
    “Are you always this bossy?”
    “As far as I remember.” His amused tone set her teeth on edge. “Okay, next up—neither of us sleeps with anyone else until I say otherwise.”
    “Until you say otherwise?” Needing something to do with her hands, she rinsed their