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

just perfect.”
    “You’d say that even if I weren’t.”
    “In my eyes, you’ll always be, so you never have to worry about that.” I kissed her bare shoulder and squeezed her against me. Her ass was in my crotch, and I loved the way it felt.
    “So, what should we do while we wait until midnight?”
    “How about we make love in front of the fire?”
    “Ooh…that’s romantic.”
    I lifted her in my arms and carried her into the living room where my fireplace sat. I hadn’t used it in years but I knew it worked. I set her down on the ground then turned on the gas.
    “Now, all we need is a bear rug.”
    I got the fire going then turned back to her. “You have your grizzly for that.”
    ***
    We lay naked together on the floor and watched the clock strike midnight.
    “Merry Christmas.” She dug her fingers into my hair before she kissed me.
    Our lips touched lightly, sending chills down my spine even though we spent the whole evening making love. “Merry Christmas.”
    “There’s no one else I’d rather spend it with.”
    “Me neither.” I placed kisses down her body, kissing her shoulder and then her flat stomach.
    “So, are you ready to open presents?” Her eyes beamed with excitement, and I knew it was because she was anxious to give me her gift, not the other way around.
    “Yeah.”
    She walked to the tree and fetched the two gifts. Then she set them on the ground beside us. My gift was in a small jewelry box, and hers was much bigger. I didn’t have a clue what she got me.
    “Who wants to go first?”
    I grabbed the small box and handed it to her. “You go.” I spent a lot of time on her gift, and I knew she would love it.
    She didn’t hesitate and ripped the wrapping open. When she uncovered the dark wood of the box, she popped it open.  Inside was a platinum necklace with a locket in the shape of a heart.
    She lifted it from the box and examined it. On the front was an engraving in small cursive writing. We Are Forever . Her eyes watered as she read it. She sniffed loudly then blinked the tears away. She hadn’t even opened it yet.
    Her small fingers found the groove and she popped it open. Inside was a small picture of us. It was taken in South Carolina. I remembered the day perfectly. Francesca just made a new muffin creation, and once they were out of the oven, we got into a small food fight. I snapped a picture of us together on my phone but never showed her. We were just friends at the time, but even then, I knew what she meant to me.
    “Hawke…” Tears poured down her cheeks as she held it in her palm.
    The sight brought warmth to my heart. Making her happy was a selfish act because it brought me so much joy. She didn’t care about money or jewels. All she cared about was the love underneath. “I’m glad you like it.”
    “Like it? I love it.” She closed the locket then gripped it in her small fingers. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
    It took me a while to hunt down the perfect necklace for her. I wanted something nice, something that wouldn’t rust for the rest of her life. I ended up going to Tiffany’s for it, but she didn’t need to know that.
    She put the necklace on then felt it dangle around her throat. It fell right above her chest, the perfect location. “Thank you so much.” She moved into my arms and hugged me tightly, the tears from her eyes soaking into my shoulder. “You’re so sweet.”
    “Merry Christmas.”
    “Merry Christmas.”
    I continued to hold her, feeling happier than I’d ever been in my life. I’d lost so much and experienced so much sadness, but when Francesca loved me, I forgot about all that baggage entirely. She breathed new life into me.
    When she pulled away, her eyes were dry. “Now open mine.” She handed the box over.
    I examined it before I ripped the wrapping off. Underneath was a simple cardboard box without any clues to what was inside. I broke through the tape and pulled out a blanket.
    At first, I didn’t understand what