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“Shit! It’s cold out here,” Mason muttered as he pulled his leather jacket tighter against his body. He turned to throw me a scowl. “Why the hell are we out here?”
“We’re picking out a tree for the station,” I said as I turned to look at him. “It’s a tradition that the detective gets one.”
Pulling his cigarette from his lips, Mason’s scowl increased. “Like I said, why the hell am I here?”
“Because we’re helping!” Felix said as he looked up from the pile of snow he was building up in front of him. “It’s fun!”
Mason snorted as he shoved the cigarette back between his lips and took a long drag off it. He shoved his hands deep into his jacket, turned and stomped through the snow towards the awaiting SUV. “I’ll be in the car with the heater cranked up.”
I frowned, shaking my head as I lifted the ax and rested it against my shoulder. “So much for bonding, Felix.”
Felix wasn’t even listening to me because he was too busy with the stack of snowballs he was building. He was already in mid-toss when I finally was able to put together what was happening. It wasn’t until I heard the Nate yell “Don’t do it,” then a thud, Mason screaming “What the fuck?” and then Felix taking off for the forest. Mason ran past me so fast it was a complete blur and I was knocked over onto my ass as he flew past me.
Nate turned to rush over to help me up but was stopped by another who had ran up behind me.
“I got it. Go make sure Mason doesn’t hurt Felix,” Adam said as he looked at Nate.
“I’m sure Mason won’t hurt him,” Nate said with a chuckle as he zipped his coat up a little higher. “Well, maybe not too much.”
“Make sure it’s the latter, please.”
Smiling, Nate nodded as he turned away from his friend to look at me while I still sat on the cold, snowy ground. I don’t know if my cheeks burned from the embarrassment from being knocked down on my ass or from the cold and sitting in the snow. “Find us a good one, Eve,” he said before he took off in a hurry to chase down the two younger members of Unit Bravo.
I rolled her eyes as I tossed the ax off my lap. Just as I started to push myself up to my feet, I felt Adam down on one knee beside me, scooping me into his arms to left me up from the ground.
“Were you injured?” Adam asked as he stared down at me with those gorgeous green eyes.
I found myself lost in those green eyes more than once. I see them in my sleep regularly. They’ve saved me from my nightmares in my sleep and in reality. The green as the pendant embedded in the pendant I wore against my chest.
“I’m…” I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling it swollen shut. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
It could have been seconds or minutes or hours that I was held in his arms. My gaze captured by his as he held me in his arms like some damsel in distress. To be truthfully honest, I would not care if he ever set me down, but I knew he would. Our relationship was still new and sometimes I even find it hard to believe has happened. If it wasn’t for Adam and the others I would have been dead.
My arms wrapped around his neck as he held me. The heat of his body warming me from the cold that covered my backside. A faint tug at his lips teased me of a smile but I must say his face would crack at a full smile.
“Are we to be like this for some time, Detective?” he questioned.
I smiled, twining my fingers behind his neck as I looked at him. “My dear, Commanding Agent. I hazard the guess that I am but a feather in your arms.”
“Then if you are a feather, should I hold you tighter that the wind doesn’t carry you away?” he said, gripping me tighter.
“And where do you think the wind would carry me to?”
He smiled down at me before bringing his lips to my ear. “Even inches are too far away from my side, my dear Evelyn.”
I turned my head to bring my lips closer to his. A simple, soft kiss that quickly increased with the desire that I had for him. This man could make me melt in his sight and rage until I wanted to strangle him. Strangling him would be completely pointless since he’s a vampire who is immortal.
I pry myself away from him as my hands slide down to his shoulders. “As much as it pains me to lose your arms wrapped around me and continue to feel your lips against mine, Adam. You’re going to have to put me down.”
“And if I don’t wish to?” he asked, lowering his head to rest his forehead against mine. “I enjoy having you in my arms.”
“I enjoy being in your arms,” I said. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes to try to focus on what we’re actually there for. “But I have to get this tree back to the station. Captain Sung will have my head on a pike if I don’t get it done.”
I felt him lower me to the ground, but he kept his hands on my waist, his forehead against mine as we stood there staring at each other. It was cold, snowing and all I could think about was the man before me, holding me close to him.
He lifted his head from mine and took a tentative step away from me. His hands dropping to his sides as he began to tilt his head back slightly. “They’re coming back.”
I took a long breath, the cold air filling my lungs and caused me to shiver. Reaching down, I grabbed the ax and turned away from him. Still working on the PDA with him but I’ll take whatever I can get with Adam. “And I better find us a tree.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Adam said as he took the ax from me and then took several steps away from me towards the tree that I had been wanting to chop down.
His strength is impressive. I know I teased him about becoming a logger after watching him in the park toss that tree that was in our path like it was a toothpick, but it is amazing. The tree came down like it was nothing when he swung the ax with such speed that I didn’t even see it move. If it wasn’t for the tree falling, I wouldn’t have known he had hit it.
“That’s a fine tree, Eve,” Nate said as he stood beside Adam. “It will look wonderful in the station.”
Felix smiled at me before he turned to look over his shoulder. “Can we get home now? Eve said she’d teach me to make egg nog.”
I had completely forgot I promised him that. Honestly, I hate the stuff. Egg nog is better when it’s being poured down the drain as I’m drinking the bourbon that is if Mason hasn’t drank it all yet.
“I did promise you, didn’t I?”
“You did!” he said, clasping his hands in front of him. “And you promised to watch movies all night, too. The ones where the beautiful woman tries to make the handsome guy see how wonderful the holidays are while trying to make him realize that he’s madly in love with her.” His eyes shifted from me to look at Adam. “Maybe you’ll want to watch, too. Huh?”
Adam frowned as he finished strapping the tree to the top of the SUV. Turning around, Adam looked at me and Felix with absolutely no expression on his face. The man is a statue and unreadable. I’m usually good at reading people when I interview them or interrogate but this man has a stone-cold poker face. I wonder what he’d do in Vegas at the card table?
“Sure, Adam. Evelyn said it would be fun,” Nate said as he stepped up behind me. “She said something about a drinking game while watching.” He looked down at me, scratching at his scruffy cheeks. “You still need to explain that to me.”
“Whatever it is, I love games,” Felix said.
I let out a nervous laugh as I looked at the three. “Um…where’s Mason?”
“He’s back at the house, warming up,” Nate said. His eyes lifted over me to look at Felix. “He needed to change his clothing because someone decided to bury him in a snow drift.”
Great…now I’ll have a pissed off Mason later to deal with, too.
“If the Detective would like me there as well, I will join you,” Adam said.
“Really?!” Felix and I both said at the same time.
All he did was nod in response, turned and walked back towards the SUV. “We need to get this to the police station soon.”
I felt Nate’s hand on my shoulder and heard him chuckle. “Minor victories, Eve. Take them when you can.”
I nodded my head as Felix wrapped his arm around mine to urge me to walk alongside him.
“So…egg nog, movies and what else do we need for tonight?” Felix asked. “This will be so much fun.”
I started telling him how Tina and I would do the night. I almost feel guilty for doing it without Tina because it’s been a holiday favorite of ours since high school. Well, less alcohol back then but now there’s copious amounts of it and ice cream and Chinese food or pizza.
Reaching the SUV, Nate was holding the passenger door open for me to allow me to sit up front with Adam. Climbing up, I got inside and enjoyed the heated seat. My backside was still cold and wet from being knocked on my ass. A quick stop by my apartment to change my clothes was in order, then off to the station to put up the tree. The volunteers will decorate it. I’ve never really had a reason to celebrate the holidays because there’s never really been a reason to.
Listening to the chatter of the two men in the backseat and the gentle brush of fingers against my hand from Adam as he drove was slowly warming me up to actually wanting to celebrate with them. Whatever way they want to since I know they’re not very fixed on any belief. Then there’s me who is completely agnostic. I don’t doubt a higher power, but I just haven’t met them yet to believe in anything.
This may be a new start for them since they’ll have a chance to celebrate something for the first time in their own house. And for me…to have a family to enjoy it with. Three brothers and the man that I loved. Who knows, I may even invite my mother and try to work more on building that bridge between us.
Maybe one of those fabled holiday miracles might happen. There’s still a lot of days left before the end of the month. Anything is possible.