Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
But now I have someone too—or at least it looks like I do, she thought guiltily. But to be honest, it felt like she had someone, too. Being close to Grath wasn’t awkward anymore—it felt natural and right. His long, muscular arm around her made her feel safe and warm—literally since he was generating extra body heat for her to keep her toasty. It was just so nice and cozy, she wanted to forget they were just pretending and enjoy herself.
So she sighed and laid her head on her Protector’s shoulder as they sipped hot cocoa and ate buttered popcorn and watched the random assortment of Christmas movies her mom had drawn out of her dad’s beat up old ball cap.
It was the best Christmas movie marathon Mattie could ever remember and at times she could almost pretend to herself that she and Grath were really dating and this whole ruse wasn’t going to end as soon as they got back to the Mother Ship.
TWENTY-SIX
GRATH
“The movies we watched tonight…they all seemed to have a common theme running through them,” Grath said, as he changed into his sleep trousers. “All about loving and giving to others.”
“That’s what Christmas is supposed to be about,” Madeline told him. She had just finished her shower and had changed into a silky red nightdress that looked wonderful against her creamy skin.
The gown wasn’t skimpy—it fell to her knees. But the material it was made of was thin and stretchy and Grath could clearly see her full breasts and tight nipples poking against the silky material. Not to mention her full hips and ass and the soft curve of her pussy mound. He had to look away before the mouthwatering sight made his shaft hard.
“I still don’t fucking get how Christmas made the Grinch’s heart grow, though,” he pointed out. “Was that really healthy for him? At the end there, it looked like he had cardiomegaly—a severely enlarged heart.”
“Don’t be silly—you can’t take it literally,” Madeline chided him. “It just means that he started to love the Whos down in Whooville instead of hating them. They took him in and made his heart grow with their love and acceptance.”
“Kind of like the way your family has taken me in,” Grath remarked thoughtfully.
“If you’re asking me to compare you to the Grinch, well—that’s definitely a valid point,” Madeline said dryly. “You were always so grumpy before you came down here with me. You’re like a whole different person now.”
“A person you like, I hope, little girl,” Grath said, grinning a little. He thought about explaining why he had been grumpy—thought about telling her that he’d wanted her from the first moment they shook hands and he felt that tingle, informing him that she was right for him, but that he could never have her because he couldn’t bond her to him.
But no…that would alter the mood too much and he didn’t want that. Tonight had been one of the most fulfilling and entertaining evenings he could ever remember having. He hadn’t understood all of the movies they had watched together, but he loved watching them with Madeline curled up against him. The buttery popcorn was salty and the hot cocoa was sweet and creamy and her soft curves pressed against his side felt incredibly right.
He had no words to express what the movie marathon with her family made him feel. Accepted? Included? Maybe even loved. It was certainly an experience he would never forget even after this mission was over and he had to go back to putting distance between them.
“I’m really enjoying all your family’s holiday traditions,” he told Madeline, as they climbed into bed together. “Do you have any others?”
“Are you kidding?” She turned towards him, lying on her side as she curled into a ball for warmth. “We have more traditions than you can shake a stick at!”
Grath frowned.
“Why would I want to shake a stick at your family traditions? Is it a special kind of stick? A holiday stick?”
“No, no!” Madeline laughed. “It’s just a saying that means we have a lot of traditions.”
“Such as?” Grath prompted her. He wanted to know what else he could look forward to.
“Oh, such as on Christmas Eve after breakfast, we all go ice skating on Lowler’s Pond.” She shivered. “Brrr—I’m not looking forward to that one. It’s so cold out there on the ice!”
“You really have a hard time with the low temperatures around here, don’t you, baby?” Grath murmured. Putting an arm around her, he drew her close to his side and began increasing his body heat output to warm her.
“I really do,” Madeline agreed, cuddling close to him, just the way he loved. “I don’t know why—my mom and dad and Anna got used to the cold weather right away. Well, my mom was actually raised in New England and that’s why she always wanted to move back, but my dad is from Arizona and Anna was born in Florida the same as me. They adapted almost immediately, but I just can’t seem to. I love spending Christmas with my family but I spend ninety-five percent of the time feeling like I’m freezing to death!” She shivered again. “I wish I could heat myself up like you can,” she added, giving Grath an envious look.