From the doorway, Chris spoke, alerting them to his presence. “I promise not to do that to you, darlin’.” He strode to the bed, clad in only a towel around his hips, and climbed in, filling the space behind her to capacity, but he didn’t touch her. “I know I’m not always the brightest bulb in the box, but for however long we have together, I won’t take it for granted or play games with you.” He glanced at Julián with a knowing look in his eyes. “You two been fooling around?”
She turned her head and lifted her hand to his cheek, drawing him to her for a kiss. “Yes. You smell good.” She stroked his chin with one of her knuckles.
“Took my time shaving for you too. Feel that. Smooth as a baby’s butt,” he said with a grin as she stroked his jaw and cooed.
Julián stretched and said, “Yeah, Chris is a bit of a cover girl when it comes to hygiene.”
“Hey, Julió, can I help it if I want to look my best for my girl?”
“No, Guido, I just wish that the end result didn’t mean an empty hot water tank for the rest of us,” Julián said with a chuckle, thinking that Gwen might as well see their brotherly banter in action. “Careful not to mess up your hair gel and lip gloss there, Guido.”
Chris grinned at him and knocked him in the shoulder with a big, hammy fist. “You know I don’t use hair gel and lip gloss, motherfucker.”
“Sure, Guido, sure. Then tell me how you keep your hair so pretty?”
Gwen turned toward Chris and looped her arms around them, ignoring their mock sparring. “You do have pretty hair, Chris,” she murmured as she gazed up at him admiringly and ran her fingers through his black, wavy hair. “I love how it feels between my…fingers.”
Julián held back a chuckle as Chris growled and became focused on what she was saying. She had a gift for saying one thing and meaning another and Chris had just clued in to that fact, which the tent pole in the towel around his hips attested to. “Thank you, darlin’. I love the way your fingers feel sliding through it. Just grab a hold anytime you want and I won’t mind.”
Julián didn’t hold back his laughter. He kissed Gwen’s shoulder and said, “I’ll save you some hot water, love. Have fun.”
He caught Chris’s look of gratitude before he turned from the room, satisfied that she was in good hands and that her worries had diminished. Her giggles made him smile as he started the shower. They weren’t expected at the Martinezes until ten thirty. They had most of the morning ahead of them and Gwen to play with and love between them. It was going to be a good morning.
Chapter Ten
Late on Christmas morning, Teresa plopped down with a happy sigh on the couch next to Gwen in the Martinez family den. Shredded wrapping paper was scattered everywhere, kicked around by Michael and Eleazar as they played with all their toys. Gwen smiled at her friend, noting the peace in her features.
“You and the baby feeling okay this morning? I figured with all the excitement, Angel and Joaquin would be getting you to lie down to rest.”
Gwen, Julián, and Chris had arrived midmorning on Christmas at the Martinezes’ invitation. The kids made lots of noise but Gwen had noticed almost immediately that a quiet peace still pervaded the house and their hostess.
Before Teresa could reply, Angel returned to the den carrying a large steaming mug and took a seat next to Teresa. “Give the marshmallows a few minutes, beautiful. They’ve only just begun to melt.” He blew on the steam and stirred the spoon in the mug, then turned it in his hand so that she could take it by the handle. She smiled and leaned toward him for a kiss and whispered, “Thank you.”
That was when Gwen noticed the ring sparkling on Teresa’s index finger. She gasped and Teresa grinned as she blew on her hot cocoa and let Gwen inspect her hand more closely. “That was my Christmas gift from Angel and Joaquin.” The band was yellow gold, and two lovely yellow-green peridots were set on either side of a larger round-cut diamond that sparkled with fiery brilliance.
“Absolutely gorgeous. Is peridot your birthstone?”
Teresa nodded and stroked the lovely silver locket which she wore on a chain around her neck. “Yes. Angel gave this to me for my birthday the year we began dating. And yes to your other question too. I’m fine. As you can see, they won’t let me lift a finger.” She gestured toward the men, who were all on the floor with the kids, even Julián and Chris. Gwen could recall Christmases growing up but none of them had looked this laid back.
Her mom had kept everything on a tight schedule. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows would never have hit the carpet around the Christmas tree, which would’ve stood in the corner, perfectly decorated, all the ornaments evenly spaced and color coordinated. Even the wrapped gifts would’ve been color coordinated and evenly placed underneath the tree. There wouldn’t have been any visitors prior to lunch, which would’ve been on the table promptly at noon. Her mother would’ve chased every shred of wrapping paper, every little wad of tape until the house was once again pristine…at least until the year Gwen turned eighteen. There hadn’t been a Christmas that year.