I was all antsy as she opened it and pulled out the small Tiffany’s box. She started untying the bow.

“Wait! What are you doing? I won’t be able to rewrap that.” I reached over to snatch it from her, but she put a hand up to stop me.

“Don’t worry, I will.” She unwrapped the paper carefully and opened the blue box, lifting the black lid. She stared at the cupcake charm resting on the black velvet.

“It’s stupid, isn’t it?” I asked, suddenly unsure of my choice.

“No, it’s not stupid. It’s perfect. She’s going to love it.”

I gave myself an internal pat on the back. Score one for Stryker. If only the rest of the holidays could be this easy to manage.

Tenley’s irritated cursing distracted me from the task of choosing between a gray button-down and an electric-blue one.

“What’s up, kitten?” I called from inside my closet.

“I need help. The zipper’s stuck.”

I stuck my head out. Tenley was standing in front of the mirror, neck craning as she tried to get the zipper past her waist. Her ink was mostly on display, as was the lacy bra-and-panty set she’d been parading around in for the last twenty minutes. It was the reason I’d disappeared inside the closet. We’d already had sex twice last night. Tenley had been needy and aggressive, which meant if we went another round this morning, I risked putting her out of commission or making us late for the holiday celebration at Cassie’s. Or later, since we were supposed to be there in fifteen minutes and it took at least that long to get there from here.

I came up behind her and swept a few stray hairs over her shoulder so they wouldn’t get caught in the zipper. Tenley let go and the dress slipped down. I could see the thick lace band of her panties and then the soft, perfect swell of her ass. My dick got excited and I mentally told it to back off.

Tenley was out of sorts this morning for obvious reasons. I remembered what the holidays without my parents had been like the first couple of years. I had coped with ink and drugs.

“We could start on the color next week if you want,” I suggested as I backed the stuck zipper down.

“Really?”

“Yeah. There’s no reason not to. We can work from the shoulders down.”

“That sounds good. I’ve missed being in your chair.”

I looked up at her reflection in the mirror. The chair had been the first place where we’d honestly connected with each other on more than a physical level. It was the bond that came from artist and client. Except ours went far deeper. “Me, too.”

I was careful not to snag the lace overlay as I zipped her up. For all her undercurrents of rebellion, Tenley liked girlie dresses, which I liked, too. It made the ink and the steel underneath that much sexier. Her dress was so pale, the blush of pink was almost white. It was strapless, highlighting her still-too-prominent collarbones, but she’d gained a little weight since her return, as had I. I expected the holidays would help add to the softness in her curves, thanks to the barrage of baked goods she made.

I pressed my lips to her shoulder, and because I couldn’t help myself, I kept moving toward her neck. Tenley tilted her head to give me better access. Leaning against my chest, her hand came up and curled around my shoulder. I trailed kisses to the hollow under her ear.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, that sultry voice making it hard to stop.

I stepped back so she didn’t feel the raging hard-on that threatened to make us later than we already were.

Tenley’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “Where are you going?”

“To get dressed.”

“Oh?” Her eyes moved down my bare chest and stopped below my waist. “Maybe you need some help with that.”

“I think I’ve got it covered.”

Tenley followed me into the closet anyway, and it took a lot longer to get dressed than I’d anticipated. Tenley’s version of being helpful included trying to persuade me to let her take care of the problem behind the fly of my pants. Eventually she gave up and picked a shirt and tie to go with my black dress pants.

She took her time as she buttoned the shirt, starting at the bottom and working her way up, covering the ink as she went. When she was done, she offered to tuck it in. I declined. She sighed, picked up the pin-up-girl tie, and slid it under the collar around my neck.

“You know how to tie a tie?”

She nodded and bit her lip in concentration as she began a double Windsor knot. “My dad taught me when I was twelve. I was better at it than he was. He used to have me preknot all his ties so he could slip them over his head rather than fiddle with them. Connor was just as bad—” She shook her head. “Sorry.”

His name was like an electric shock, she spoke of him so rarely. Her hands shook as she pulled the knot tight. Her palm smoothed down the front and I caught it, bringing it to my lips to kiss her knuckles.

“I know today is going to be hard for you. You can talk about him if you want to. It won’t upset me.” He couldn’t come back and take her away. But his memory could incite guilt, eating away at her and making it difficult for her to be open with me.

Her eyes remained on her feet. “I can’t. I’ll cry.”

“That’s okay. I have tissues.”

I pulled her into my arms and she snuggled in tight. Her slender body shook as she fought against the tide of emotion threatening to sweep her away. It had been like that the last couple of days. I’d find her standing in front of the tree, fingering an ornament with tears streaming down her face. She always wiped them away and brushed it off, but I knew what today would be like. So many years ago, I was in the same place.

When she pulled away, her focus stayed on the collar of my shirt. She adjusted the lapels and straightened my tie again, even though it didn’t need it. Her breathing was deep and even. When she finally looked up, her eyes were shiny with unshed tears and her smile was weak. She’d crack at some point today. It was inevitable.

“You look so”—she cocked her head to the side—“normal.”

“Is that bad?”

“Not at all. I like you dressed up. It’s sexy.” Her fingers skimmed the rings in my bottom lip and trailed down my throat, tracing the perimeter of the collar. “I know what’s under there. I know what you’re hiding, when other people don’t.” She stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss the corner of my mouth.

I totally understood. I loved that Tenley had my art on her back and it wasn’t on display for just anyone. It would rarely be seen in all of its intricate glory, and most of the time, only the top of the wings would show even in a strapless dress. Tenley’s delicate, little nose ring was the only visible sign of her inner self, but I knew better. And I liked that.

I turned my head and deepened the kiss. My hands went to her waist, and I barely resisted the urge to go lower and squeeze her ass. Now wasn’t a good time to start in on that kind of thing; her emotions were already so high. I reluctantly backed off.

“I want to give you a present before we go,” I said as a distraction, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.

That got a real smile out of her. “I have one I want to give you now, too.”

I followed her out to the living room. TK was rolling on the floor, batting around her catnip mouse. More gifts for her were coming tomorrow, such as the cupcake kitty bed. Tenley couldn’t get over how cute it was, or that I’d bought the damn thing. There had been a lot of laughter over that.

Some of the presents were packed in a tote box to take to Cassie’s, but quite a few were still under the tree. I dug around in the back, where I’d hidden the gift bag. Tenley dragged a large box out from under the tree and sat on the couch, propping the box against the coffee table.

“You go first.” I handed her the bag with the white, springy ribbon.