Free Wednesday (Timeless Series #3) by E. L. Todd Page A

two-week vacation.
    I stayed home and waited for her, knowing she would come over the second she could. It was difficult to be apart no matter how short the time period was. When I said goodbye to her in the morning, it was always painful. And when she walked through the door, it felt like an eternity since I’d last seen her.
    The lock turned and the front door opened. “Baby, I’m home.”
    It took her a while to get used to her key but she finally got the hang of it. “I’ve been watching the door for the past hour.”
    She was still in her work clothes. Flour and sugar was caked on her black t-shirt, and her hair was in a braid. She set a pie on the counter. “I thought we could indulge tonight.”
    Being in a relationship had its drawbacks. For instance, I ate a lot more because I was always with someone. But I had to keep myself in check otherwise my eight pack would disappear. “Christmas is early.”
    She immediately pulled off her shirt and tossed it aside so she wouldn’t get flour all over my apartment. Then she removed her jeans and stood in her bra and panties.
    I whistled loudly. “I’ve been a good boy this year.”
    “You have.” She headed toward me then jumped into my arms.
    I gripped her ass then kissed her hard on the mouth, feeling higher than a cloud. “Want to take a shower?”
    “With you? Or without you?”
    “Always with me.”
    “Then, yes, I would.”
    ***
    We ate the pie right out of the box, forks in our hands.
    “Damn, this is good.”
    “We make the best Dutch apple pie. I know that’s a little cocky but whatever.” She dug in and scooped out enormous chunks.
    “It’s not cocky when it’s true.” I only took a few bites because I’d never cared for sweets. “Are we going over to Yaya’s tomorrow?”
    “Yep. And I got her the cutest purse. It’s pink and it’s Guess.”
    “That’s nice of you.”
    “I think she’ll like it. Pink looks good on her.”
    “What did you get Axel?”
    She ate another bite before she set down her fork. “He loves the Yankees so I got him and Marie tickets.”
    “He’ll love that.”
    “What did you get him?”
    “A basketball.”
    She chuckled. “Actually, he’ll love that.”
    “What did you get Marie?”
    “Well, since she’s married now, I got her a cooking set with her new last name engraved into the dishes.”
    It didn’t surprise me how thoughtful she was. “That’s perfect.”
    “Well, Marie liked to cook but she wasn’t very good at it. Maybe now she’d be more excited to practice.”
    The Christmas tree was in the corner by the window, and the lights flickered. She and I decorated it just like the last time we spent Christmas together. Now that she was mine, the experience was different. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, actually being happy during Christmas time.
    My gift for her was under the tree, and I knew she brought mine over the other day. I was relieved when she only got me one present because I did the same for her. Neither one of us cared about the number of gifts we exchanged.
    Any gift I got her would never compare to the one she’d already given me. Her journal was a sacred possession, and I still read it when we were apart so I could feel close to her. It kept me company on the loneliest nights of my life.
    “Should we exchange gifts with everyone else?” I’d prefer it if it was just the two of us, but we could do whatever she wanted.
    “How about we do it tonight—at midnight?”
    “That sounds perfect.”
    She closed up the box and left the forks inside. Neither one of us were hygienic with our food because we shared everything. “I can’t believe I ate half this pie.”
    “I can. I watched you do it.”
    “Don’t remind me.”
    I tickled her side. “You’re lucky you eat everything in sight but remain so tiny.”
    “I’m not tiny. I’ve got an ass and a tummy. Marie is tiny.”
    “She’s too skinny.” I grabbed her hip and pulled her into my lap. “You’re