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“Evy… Evy… Evelyn. Evelyn, this will go a lot faster if you stop laughing.”Rick O’Connell tried not to smile at the sight of his wife half bent over the back of his favourite armchair in an effort to hold herself up, trying to regain control of her breathing.“I’m so— I’m sorry, darling,” she managed to gasp out, pushing herself up and wiping stray tears from her cheeks.Pressing her lips together in an attempt to halt any more laughter, Evy surveyed her husband’s handiwork.The tree they so carefully picked out together looked like… Well, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to quite find the words to describe it. Tinsel was wrapped, not around the tree as was traditional, but from bottom to top, woven between branches. Ribbons of different colours were tied to random branches in no sort of pattern or order. Every single porcelain bauble they owned was also hanging on the tree haphazardly, dangerously close to the edges of the branches. And was that a bunch of grapes hidden in the middle? Most wonderfully of all, though, was a halo of tinsel wrapped around Rick’s head.Folding her arms, Evy beamed at him as she rounded the armchair. “What was the question, darling?”Looking down at her from where he stood on the top step of the ladder, Rick waved the candles in his hands. “Do you put candles on top or on the edges of the branches—” “Definitely not on the edges. Just one goes on top.”“All right.” Tossing all candles but one over his shoulder into the chair behind him, he produced another ribbon, from where she didn’t know, and attached it to the branch at the top of the tree.Then, he held his arms out and turned to her. “Am I done now?”“Yes, I think you are.”Watching him climb down from the ladder, Evy couldn’t stop smiling. Jumping down from the second to bottom step, he moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she leaned it against his shoulder.“Do you like it?” he murmured.“I absolutely love it,” she whispered, tilting her chin up to brush her nose against his jaw.“Still glad you let me do it?”“Absolutely.”“Liar.”He smiled as his lips found hers and stopped her protestations, turning her towards his body. Her arms slid around his waist as she leaned in to him, their lips moving gently.“Mmh…” she hummed after a few moments, drawing her head back. “I have to finish wrapping presents—”“Presents? Mmh, what have you got me, sweetheart?” he murmured against her lips, having chased them as she moved, both arms wrapping around her waist.“I am not telling you, Richard O’Connell,” Evy laughed as she tried to turn her head away, walking backwards.Rick moved with her, turning his attention to her jaw and neck as he made a low sound. “Did you just full name me, Mrs O’Connell?”“I believe I just did, Mr O’Connell, so pay attention and take me seriously.” She was nearly bent backwards once more, this time over his arms, in her effort to avoid his sinfully delicious kisses.“I always take you seriously, ma’am. Very seriously.” The words were murmured into her ear and had her knees weakening slightly. Thank goodness he was supporting her. As always.
Oh, stop it.
She still had a shred of resistance left in her.“Good. So release me, you cad, and let me get on with my work. You have to finish the rest of the decorations.”“I’ve finished them.”“Oh, really? So the stream of holly and ivy half hanging off of the banister is intentional?”“Yes.”“As is the wreath lying at the floor outside the front door?”“Yes.”“And the abundance of clementines that have fallen down the stairs, too?”“Yes.”“Wonderful.” She pushed at his shoulders as she tried to straighten up, biting at the inside of her cheek to stop a smile.“Well, there is one thing I haven’t put up yet,” Rick interjected, easily keeping her against him whilst shifting her to his other arm.“Oh, really? And what’s that?”One corner of his mouth lifted as he moved a hand behind her ear, then swiftly pulled it back, a tied bunch of mistletoe suddenly between his fingers. “Oh, gosh, what’s this?”Slowly lifting it above their heads, he arched an eyebrow as he watched her, unsuccessfully, fight off a smile.“I am not impressed—”“You are so impressed, sweetheart.” Lowering his head, he brushed his lips against hers, catching her lower one slightly as he murmured, “You know, I know quite a few other tricks, too…”A wide smile spread across her lips as she tilted her head back and he bowed his own, beginning to trail a line of kisses down her neck.