As Grant rounded the corner, I could see the small white bus parked right in front of my townhouse, and the butterflies really set in. Grant’s brow furrowed as he looked at it in confusion. A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed that Beck and Carter were mirroring his expression, and I took a deep breath, waiting for them to speak. I bit my lip, trying to block out the voice in my head that whispered they were going to hate it.
“Is that… a bus?” Grant asked slowly as he parked behind Beckett’s truck.
Carter followed up with a question of his own as he hopped out of the back. “Why is it parked here?”I grabbed my bags and carefully climbed out of the car as gracefully as I could. Why men needed giant trucks for my short self to climb in and out of was beyond me.
“I think it’s a school bus, or it was originally,” Beckett added as he came up and took my bags, always the gentleman.
I took a deep, shaky breath as I went to the front of the bus and started to dig around in my purse.
“Holls, I don’t think the angel maker is going to help you with that thing,” Carter commented dryly, making the other men laugh. With a glare, I quickly flipped him off before I triumphantly held up the key.
“Ah ha! Got it!” I exclaimed, smiling broadly. All three of them looked puzzled, eyes darting back and forth from me to the key. Beckett was the first to get it, his gaze flicking to the bus behind me and then back to the key.
“You bought… a bus?” Beckett asked slowly.
“Okay, so hear me out,” I started, trying to get my nerves under control. This wasn’t how I was hoping this would go. I was supposed to say Merry Christmas and have it be a big thing. Then all three of them were supposed to be excited. Aw fuck, I’ve messed up our first Christmas together. I’m a horrible person.
“Angel,” Beckett stepped forward, bopping me on the nose with a small bag. I frowned at him as I rubbed my nose, though he hadn’t actually hurt me. “I can see those thoughts swirling through your head, stop it.”
“My only thought right now is that I’m glad you hit me with the blanket and not the toolbox you’re holding,” I told him, mock pouting. He gave me a small smile, but I could tell he wasn’t letting me off the hook.
Wringing my hands, I took a deep breath before holding out the key to them. “Merry Christmas! It’s my gift to all three of you.”
“A bus?” Carter asked again.
“Well, we’ve talked about camping more often as a getaway, and I thought that this would be the way to do it,” I told them as I forced the key into Beck’s hand. “After the whole ripping the tent while trying to have sex incident, I figured that something sturdier would work better. So, after looking at some stuff, I found information about Skoolies. You take old buses and basically create your own camper. This way, we could make it exactly how we want it to fit all of us.”
They didn’t say anything for a solid minute, and it was the longest minute of my life. Then Grant put his bags down on the sidewalk and came over to take the key from Beck. He unlocked the door and walked inside to look around, Carter following him a second later. Beckett, however, still stood in front of me, watching carefully with those warm green eyes.
“Do you like it?” I asked, uncertainty making my voice small as I looked up at him.
His face softened to match the look in his eyes as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. “I love it,” he reassured me softly. “It’s a surprise, for sure, but I think it’s a great idea. Like you said, we can get what we want and put it in there.”
“Exactly! Plus, no trying to sleep on the hard ground and we can get AC or at least a fan.”
Grant laughed at that as he exited the bus with Carter not far behind. He swept me into his arms and planted a big kiss on my lips, stealing away my breath. “This is a great present! I already have a ton of ideas.”
“Just remember that it’s for all of us and not just you,” Beck told him as he grabbed the bags again. “I’m taking these inside, and then I want a look too. I can already see you itching to draw out plans.”
“Of course I know it’s for all of us,” Grant protested as he hurried after Beck, “but I can visualize it all right now…”
I shook my head at them as they walked into the house. I couldn’t hear them anymore, but I was sure they were still having their back and forth. Ever since they came out and things became official between them, they’d settled into this teasing battle of wills. I loved it and them, and I knew that when it came to topics that mattered, they’d be able to put aside any playful bickering and take it seriously. I knew I could count on them, and that was both a wonderful and startling thing to realize.
“Thank you,” Carter murmured as he pulled me into his arms. I smiled at the man left outside with me, but it was easily overtaken when he kissed me deeply.
“You like it too? I have to say, I was really worried you guys would be upset that we didn't discuss it first,” I softly explained as I nuzzled my face into his neck and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Gorgeous, you must be exhausted from all that overthinking,” he told me gently. “It’s the perfect gift. Plus, it will give us all something to do together after it’s done.”
“Kind of like a test run for us getting our own place, eventually?” He froze in my arms and pulled back to get a good look at my face. A blush heated my cheeks as I gave him an unsure but game smile while he searched my expression, his shock clear. “What?” Okay, so I might have taught them to be a little overly cautious when it comes to me and commitment-related topics. Totally my fault.
“It’s just... I honestly never thought I’d hear you say something like that, given, you know—”
“That I’m a total emotional wreck and have a ten-piece set of luggage?” I tried to joke. “I’m not saying right now or even soon. Eventually, I’d like the four of us to have our own place.”
“At some point in a non-specific timeframe in the future, huh?” A smile tugged at his lips, and I playfully smacked his chest while I tried to hold in my amusement. Hey, being able to laugh at my own emotional baggage is a big step.
“I’m communicating and being honest, okay? Small steps.” He grinned at me before kissing me again, the heat between us rising until the only thing that could tear us apart were Beck and Grant’s catcalls when they came back outside.
“Merry Christmas!” Grant called out as he ripped the curtains open to fill the room with sunlight. I grumbled and pulled the comforter over my head in protest.
“Five more minutes!”
“I thought you liked Christmas, princess?” I could hear the amusement in Grant’s voice, though I tried to ignore him as I turned to snuggle into Carter’s side.
Carter slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him. His morning wood pressed against my back, and I ground into him, but cold air suddenly hit us both as Grant ripped the comforter away.
“Nope, no. None of that! Get up, both of you.”
“You’re just saying that because you aren’t the one beside her.” Carter laughed as he squeezed me before he sat up.
“We could celebrate in bed first?” I offered with a smirk, and I heard them both freeze, considering my offer. Then heavy footsteps came up the stairs and I looked over in time to see Beckett enter the room. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in my naked body on the bed, the comforter on the floor, and the other two men eyeing me.
“Breakfast is ready downstairs... or are we starting with dessert?”
I sat up at that, unable to resist. “Breakfast?”
“Lost to food,” Carter chuckled to himself as he turned away. “I don’t blame you. I’m starving after last night.”
I gave him a sassy wink and rolled out of bed to go to the bathroom. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll be down.”
Quickly, I got myself ready and threw on my traditional Christmas onesie. I looked myself over in the mirror and grinned, happy that the red and white snowflake print still looked amazing on me.
It’s a good thing I dance, or all Carter’s food would make it impossible for these to fit.
I passed by Beck’s plastic Christmas tree, noting that it was still almost empty compared to the big tree downstairs with ornaments galore. We’ll have to fix that next year. Visions of tiny dildo ornaments danced in my head, and I almost cracked up at the thought of turning our bedroom tree into some kind of sex toy display. Making my way downstairs, I smiled at my guys when I found them in the kitchen. Beckett was plating food while talking to Grant, a huge smile on our boyfriend’s face. Carter was fixing coffee for the four of us, humming along to whatever song was stuck in his head, and a moment later, I figured it out. “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. Not exactly Christmas-y, but I couldn’t fault his taste.
“Enjoying the view, princess?”
I smiled at Grant as they all turned to find me in the entrance of the kitchen, unabashedly watching them. “It’s pretty adequate.”
“Excuse me? Adequate?!”
I around the island, avoiding Grant but getting snagged by Beck’s arm around my waist. He nuzzled his face into my neck until he lightly bit down, the delicious little sting making me go boneless in his arms.
“Maybe you’re slightly more than adequate?” I managed breathlessly.
“Hmmm,” Grant considered my answer while Carter grinned, as content being a watcher as I had been. “I don’t know if that’s good enough.”
“I’m sure you can convince me to change my answer tonight.” I licked my lips. “Holiday sex is always amazing. We could revisit some of the new things we tried out recently.” Beckett growled, and I shivered since he was still lightly biting my neck.
“I’m game.” Carter smirked at all of us as he took a long slurp of his coffee. We all looked at him, intrigued by his ready answer, but before any of us could respond, he kept speaking. “But if we’re making it through all the family and friends stuff we have planned today, you guys might want to think of some other things.”
Beckett released my neck, and I tried to think of anything else besides the innovative way we’d used the string lights a few weeks ago. I didn’t think I was the only one having trouble given how Beckett and Grant were both adjusting their sweatpants.
Carter shook his head, but I could see the twinkle of laughter in his eyes as he tried to distract us. “How about we show you your first present?”
“First present?” I perked up, my head whipping around as I tried to determine who the gift was going to be from.
“This is from all of us, gorgeous,” Carter answered my unspoken question.
“Oooh, what is it? Where is it? Give me!” I practically begged, but Carter shook his head before my eyes were covered by Beck’s hands. “Hey!”
“It’s a surprise,” Beck’s husky voice rumbled by my ear, and I smiled in anticipation of what it could be. He walked me out of the kitchen and came to a stop inside my living room before he took his hands off my face. I looked around, trying to figure out what they wanted me to see. Everything looks... normal. Am I really that blind?
“The loveseat, angel,” Beckett murmured after I was silent for too long. What loveseat? Then I saw it. A beautiful orange loveseat right beside my favorite orange sofa. How the hell did I miss that?
“We can all fit in here now!” I clapped my hands, so excited they’d found something to match my baby. The fact that they’d built on something I loved when I knew it wasn’t exactly everyone’s taste was so thoughtful. Who knew a couch could make those butterflies swoop around again? “Where did you even find it?” I hurried over and excitedly sat down on the loveseat, running my hands over the soft orange fabric. A wide grin escaped; they had found the perfect addition to the living room.
“There was a thrift store in Denver that had one,” Grant explained, sharing a smile of his own at my enthusiasm. “We figured you’d be happy to keep your beloved orange monstrosity, so we decided to find something to match it rather than replacing it.”
“Aww, don’t listen to his hurtful words, baby,” I crooned to my couch.
“We also have gifts from all of us,” Carter added, walking over to the tree and pulling out three small presents. He sat down beside me on the loveseat to hand me the gifts, and excitement shot through me like I was a little kid again.
“I didn’t get you guys anything else though,” I admitted awkwardly, unsure what I was supposed to do.
“The promise of sex tonight is good enough for me!” Grant called out with a wicked grin as he and Beck got comfortable on the couch.
“Besides, you got us an entire bus,” Beck interjected, motioning for me to start unwrapping my gifts.
“Well, if you say so,” I managed, considering the presents. All three were small boxes wrapped in different paper. One was a red and gold design, the second had blue and silver wrapping paper, and the third was wrapped with the comics section of a newspaper. I grabbed the last one and held it up in question.
“That’s mine,” Grant said, that crooked smile of his giving a tiny hint that he was a little nervous too.
I tore open the paper and opened the small box, completely unprepared for what was inside. There was a glass heart that had all four of our initials etched on it along with the year and the words “Our First Christmas” at the top. It reminded me of the ornament tradition my parents had started after adopting me. They’d gotten a new ornament each year to mark every Christmas that I was an “official” part of the family. I had every single one on the tree here. Emotion made me speechless for a minute, so I carefully turned it over in my hands and swallowed a few times, trying to keep myself together.
“Hollis?” Carter wiped at my face, which made me realize I hadn’t kept it together as much as I thought I could.
I let out a rough laugh as I rubbed my face with my hand, “Did you guys all get me gifts to try to break down some of my emotional walls? I need to know so I can mentally prepare myself.”
“I’m afraid so, princess,” Grant told me with a soft, understanding smile. “I had an idea that since we started a tradition of having two Christmas trees, we could keep the one in the bedroom as a private tree for the four of us. Each year we can get new ornaments and add onto it.”
Trying to keep myself together, I gave him a small wobbly smile. “I love that idea. Like a family tree.”
“Exactly.” Grant looked at me with a soft expression, knowing that my answer had been a really big declaration for me to make. With how important family was to me, Sugar Squad included, it was big for me to include the guys in that group. I might not have been saying that I loved them yet, but giving them that special title of family, of looking at our little foursome to care for each other, celebrate together, and grow traditions together, well, that was a big step.
I opened the other two boxes to find that Beckett’s blue and silver present contained a plastic ornament that held the tickets from our first date inside along with a picture of us at the concert. Really, they’re trying to kill me here. Dead at twenty-eight from emotional overload.
I burst out laughing when I opened Carter’s red and gold box, finding a giant taco ornament. Beck and Grant joined in my laughter as I turned to the man beside me to give him a huge kiss.
“My tacos were always the way to your heart, gorgeous. Just took me a lot longer to get there than I thought,” he whispered against my lips.
“You’ve always been there,” I answered before kissing him deeply.
“Next year I’m getting her a sex toy ornament if this is what a taco gets you,” Grant jokingly complained. I broke away from kissing Carter to join the others on the couch. Kissing Grant then Beckett.
“These are amazing. The best first Christmas ever! Even if all our coffee is cold by now.” I winked cheekily at them. It really was the perfect way to celebrate, and I was excited for the new ornament tradition Grant came up with for us. I couldn’t wait to come up with my own gifts next year; it was going to be epic.
About Suki Williams
> Suki Williams lives wherever life is currently taking her and her husband and daughter across the USA. She has always loved reading and writing, but after finding reverse harem she decided it was time to get serious about it.
Suki loves reading into all hours of the night, daydreaming frequently, and talking loudly about inappropriate things in restaurants. (It’s true. You can ask all her friends, it’s quite embarrassing for them.)
Follow me
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Also by Suki Williams
Beauty of Corruption, Lies and Loves Book 1
Performed, Besties and Booze Book 3
Co-writes with Jarica James
Nexus, Forgotten Prison Book 1
Broken, Forgotten Prison Book 2
A Midnight Hollow Christmas: An Encore of Dead End by Madeline Fay and Penn Cassidy
Chapter 1
October Hallowell
“Out of all the things I could have been, I was born a freaking zombie maker…” I grumbled, face in my hands. I looked back up, peering at Mads through the small mirror the aunties had given us to communicate across dimensions. “I’ve watched The Walking Dead and nobody wants that shit. Why couldn’t I have been something cool like a witch?”
It was the same lament I’d forced Maddie to listen to since I’d been assigned a new tutor at Midnight University shortly after she went back to the mortal world. At the time, I’d been excited, as it gave me something to do other than missing my bestie. But my tutor was relentless. She was an older witch who’d worked with necromancers in the past, and with the help of a few old tomes Baen had loaned us from The Wicked Quill, she was teaching me how to hone my skills…slowly.
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