Jack’s fingers slip in between our bodies, caressing my sensitive spot. The combination of sensations is overwhelming, and a minute later, I’m calling out his name, tightening around him as my body explodes in release once again.

He shudders his own release a minute later, burying his face in my hair and muffling his groans. His hips continue to roll slowly, as we both come down.

Jack props himself up on his elbows as we catch our breaths. He pushes a stray strand of hair behind my ears, his fingers tracing down along my jaw. “I really fucking love you.”

I laugh, pulling him down for a quick kiss. “I really fucking love you too.”

We collapse, lying flat on the pillows, my leg thrown over his, our fingers interlocked.

A few minutes later, Jack rolls onto his side, tugging me onto mine so we’re face-to-face. “Not to totally kill the vibe or anything, but I can’t really let tonight pass without telling you how much the past month has meant to me. It probably goes without saying that the holidays haven’t been the easiest time of year for me since the accident.” He cups my cheek in his hand. “This is the first holiday season in a long time when I felt like I had a family.”

I tilt my head up to kiss him, scooting closer into his embrace. “When I was deciding where to go to college, New York stood out among the rest for a particular reason.”

He runs his fingers through my hair. “And what was that?”

“I felt like New York was where people came to make their own family. And that’s what I wanted more than anything. More than money or a degree or a good job. I wanted to make my own family.” I meet his gaze, a waterfall of emotion mirroring my own.

“You made a damn good one, sweet pea.” He kisses my forehead, tucking my head into his chest.

“And it’s yours now too, Jackpot.” I wrap my arms around him, burrowing into his warmth and falling asleep.

On Christmas, we swap out the vintage Real Housewives marathon for a stay-in-bed-and-have-lots-of-sex marathon. Jack throws on a robe to grab the Chinese food delivery, but it’s the only time either of us puts clothes on throughout the day.

The following day is when the real work on Bridge and Blooms will begin, and so I relish this day of so-called rest. The hours we spend cuddled under my covers, the feel of Jack thrusting inside of me, the laughter and the giggles, and eating leftover pie and drinking wine in the center of my bed like it’s a picnic blanket.

It’s the best Christmas I’ve ever had.