Page 32 of A Christmas Negotiation

Funny how making someone else happy could be such a lift to your own spirits. Not that Isabel needed a lift—she was already floating on air. “You make me feel good, too.”

They finished the tree and headed back inside, stomping the snow from their boots and peeling off the winter layers. The moment clothes of any sort started to come off, it all had to go. Jeremy approached Isabel like a man on the hunt, lifting her sweater up over her head, peeling her bra strap from her shoulder and kissing her bare skin.

She shuddered, in part from his touch and in part from the ambient temperature in the room. “There’s too much cold air from outside down here. Let’s go upstairs to your bedroom.”

He took her hand and led her through the house, zeroing in on his bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress and encouraging her to stand between his knees. He kissed her stomach, kneaded her breasts, and then pulled her down on top of him. She felt like a goddess, so admired and adored. That alone was nearly enough to send her into oblivion. The rest of their clothes were gone in a flash and they became a frantic tangle of limbs, mouths roaming and craving caresses. Isabel gasped when Jeremy drove inside her, relishing every delicious inch of him. He took deep strokes and kissed her neck, scratching at her tender skin with the stubble on his face. She wrapped her legs around his waist and used her feet to hold him tighter. It didn’t take long until he left her unraveling, calling his name and breathless.

Jeremy climbed out of bed and pulled back the covers, Isabel quickly ducking under them to get warm. With the postorgasmic glow taking over, and after their eventful morning, she craved sleep. Her eyelids were heavy, her mind fuzzy. “You wore me out, Sharp. I guess all of that fresh air and sex did me in.”

“Take a nap. You work like crazy and this weekend should be for relaxing. Plus, I remember that you told me the night we met that it’s one of your favorite things.”

Isabel grinned at the memory of them sharing their three universal truths that night. “It’s the truth. I absolutely love it.”

Jeremy reached over onto his nightstand for a book. “Perfect. You nap. I’ll read.”

When Isabel woke, she was nothing if not disoriented. Jeremy was gone, the room dark. She squinted at his clock: 5:12 p.m. She’d taken a three-hour nap, so much longer than she would normally sleep during the day. As she slowly woke, delicious smells filtered to her nose—garlic, herbs and possibly wine. Jeremy must have started dinner.

She padded down the hall to the guest room to grab a cardigan, popping into her bathroom to freshen her makeup while she was at it. Still not quite awake, she knocked one of her toiletry bags from the counter, sending the contents flying. She crouched down to pick up the mess, but her hand froze on a small box of tampons. For a moment, she stared at the blue-and-yellow swirl pattern on the package. It was as if she was standing on the edge of a realization, and reality was about to push her over the edge.I’m late.

Frantically, she fished her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the app she used to track her cycle. She was remarkably calm despite what the notification on her screen was telling her—she was six days late. Maybe this was the upside of having been a high-powered attorney for so long. Most panic-laden situations did not make Isabel freak out. Even when she could potentially have a very big reason for going into a tizzy.

Could she have gotten pregnant the night of the broken condom? It was the only possible explanation. Jeremy was the only man she’d been with in the last year. And if that was the case, what was she supposed to do about it? What would it mean? They were getting along amazingly and had an unbelievable chemistry, but this was going to throw everything on a fast track that Jeremy couldn’t possibly be prepared for. If he’d gone into a panic over the broken condom, she couldn’t imagine him reacting well to news of an actual baby.

She sucked in a deep breath. She had to get her act together. Phone still in hand, she flicked over to a different app and placed an order from the chain drugstore nearby. They could deliver her a pregnancy test tomorrow, along with a few other things to help hide the contents of the order, and she could take it Monday morning if she hadn’t started her period by then. It was the responsible thing to do, most likely completely unnecessary. She typed in Jeremy’s address, clicked Place Order and shoved her phone back into her pocket. It was probably nothing. Just her cycle being wonky.

When she reached the main floor and rounded the staircase to walk to the back of the house, she saw the tree lit up out on the patio. She ambled along the main corridor, her pulse thumping in her chest, while the aromas from the kitchen enticed her to move a little more quickly. Shewashungry. And she’d been incredibly tired.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Jeremy said, turning away from the stove.

Isabel’s heart did a full cartwheel at the sight of him. “Are you making me dinner?”

“I’m making up for last night and the noticeable lack of food.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a soft kiss.

“It smells amazing. Although I hope that doesn’t mean we don’t get to revisit the events of last night. Or this morning. Or this afternoon.”

Jeremy slipped his hand under her jaw and brought her lips to his. The kiss was enough to make her lose all sense of time and place, which was perfect. She couldn’t stack another worry inside her head. “I can’t wait to do everything we did last night.”

“Neither can I.” Goose bumps raced over the surface of her skin and she focused on the thrill of being with him.

“Did you see the tree?” He took her hand and led her to the patio doors. “It’s so beautiful. You’re a genius. I’m going to do this every year from now on.”

“How wonderful. A new tradition.” Isabel leaned into him and put her arm around his waist. The lights twinkled in the inky darkness outside and the wind blew enough to send snow from the tree boughs in puffs of white.

Jeremy wrapped his arm around Isabel. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Truly, the question could have easily been her own. “You can tell me anything.”

“I’m so happy right now.”

A heavy sigh left her lips, equal parts contentment and worry. “Me, too,” she replied, hoping against hope that this happiness would last.

TWELVE

Isabel’s worries about being pregnant had manifested themselves in some very specific dreams. The truly odd part was that they were still lingering, at least in her head. Half-awake with her eyes still shut, she heard tiny cries—baby wails so peculiar they didn’t sound human.

“The kittens.” She bolted upright, blinking in the early light of Jeremy’s bedroom. She reached over and shook his arm. “Jeremy. I think Cat had her babies.”

“What?” He managed to make disorientation adorable, lifting his head off the pillow, then plopping it back down. “We don’t have to do anything, right? You told me she can take care of them on her own.”