She smacked his arm and he started to laugh. “I’m sorry!”
“You jerk!” she huffed, but her tone was affectionate. “Stop, stop it right now. I don’t want to cry in front of the Crock-Pots.”
“I love you,” he said again.
“I love you, too,” she said. “Now let’s go pick out a Keurig.”
…
Lissa watched as Ethan shoved the last of the presents they’d bought that afternoon into the hall closet. “Did they fit?” she called from the living room. She’d moved in about a month ago. Ethan had asked her the day after they agreed to get back together, and she’d managed to hold him off for a while. He’d finally put his foot down, because he wanted her there all the time. And to be honest, she wanted to be there.
He shut the door and made his way toward her. “We bought a lot of things.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a star now, making big bucks.”
He rolled his eyes at her, but it was true. Ethan as the face of Gamers was just about the best thing that had happened to the magazine, and to Ethan. He could still be a grumpy guy sometimes, but on camera, he really came alive.
He sank down on the couch beside her. “Look who’s talking?”
Not only had they already received all the funding for the first Rona Kingsman scholarship, but Lissa’s studio business had picked up. “I’m not as famous as you.”
He shrugged. “I only care about being famous to you.”
She laughed. “Oh, you’re famous to me all right, baby.”
He grinned. “So, remind me again of the holiday schedule.”
She held up her hand and ticked off her fingers. “Christmas Eve is with Grant, Chloe, Sydney, Austin, and Marley. Christmas morning is with my parents. Christmas afternoon and evening is with your parents. The day after Christmas is my family reunion .”
“Who holds family reunion s the day after Chistmas?”
“The Kingsmans,” she answered. “And I already told them you’re coming and the kids are excited.”
“Oh God,” he muttered. “Am I going to have to sit at the kiddie table?”
She swung her legs up so they rested on his lap, and then reclined on the sofa. “If you do, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
He rested his hand on her feet. “Oh, really? Hmm, actually I really want you to have to make something up to me. I’ll volunteer to sit with the kids.”
She laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
He began to massage her feet as he kept his gaze on her face. “The holidays will be busy for us this year.”
“Yes,” she said on a moan as he hit a knot in her arch.
“And you know what?”
“Hm,” she answered, her eyes closing.
“I’m grateful for that.”
She opened her eyes. “Yeah?”
He smiled. “Yeah and I promise not to be a Grinch. Much.”
She sank down further into the couch, with a smile. “Sure, whatever you say, Ethan. I’ll love you anyway.”
A chuckle reached her ears. “Yeah, I know.”
Did you love this Brazen? Check out more of our steamy titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Sign up for our Newsletter
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Acknowledgments
This series has been such a joy for me. The idea for the first book came to me on a whim, and I couldn’t stop writing it. I had fun challenging myself with a different story structure and adult themes. And I loved being an Entangled author!
Thanks so much to my editor, Heather Howland for working with me on this series. For caring about these characters as much as I did, and for working with me through countless edits until we got it right. Also, thanks for encouraging me to write about glitter!
Thanks to my agent, Marisa Corvisiero. Having you in my ring is so so comforting. You know me and this business and on top of that, you’re fun to hang out with!
Thanks so much to Nana Malone for talking me through some aspects of this book and for introducing me to Curly Nikki! I have spent way too much time on that blog!
Thank you to my writing friends, because I could not do this without you. Thank you to my Mobsters, who have been champions for Ethan from the beginning.
And thanks to my family, who put up with my absences while I’m knee-deep in characters and conflict. I love you!