On Christmas Eve, Selena knew Raymond wasing back, so she hit the mall to snag some Christmas stickers for Manston Manor.
Raymond hadn''t hit her up all week, and she was swamped with herpany''s hiring process. She was so busy she totally spaced on Christmas.
It wasn''t until John called, saying he''d be home tonight, that she rushed to the mall in the evening to grab some Christmas stickers.
Just an hour after she pped them up, she heard a car engine outside the courtyard.
Selena plopped on the sofa, eyeing the table full of dishes the servants whipped up, and shut herptop.
Raymond got out of the car and scoped the ce; Manston Manor hadn''t changed a bit.
He''d pictured a big Christmas tree and tons of decorations on his way back.
He''d been abroad for the past few years and hadn''t really done Christmas right.
To be real, he never really had.
Because he got the news of Christopher''s ident around Christmas, and every year around this time, Abigail and Catherine would end up crying, making it tough for the family to enjoy Christmas. Plus, when Christopher was still around, the family''s focus was always on him. Raymond was in the military back then, and Christmas in the military wasn''t exactly festive.
He hadn''t celebrated Christmas much, but seeing how others did on his way back made Manston Manor feel even colder and lonelier.
Raymond was already fuming, and now he was even more pissed.
He punched in the door code, swung the door open, and saw Selenaing out.
She was rocking a casual cotton dress, and when she saw him, a smile spread across her face. "Mr. Montague, you''re back."
Raymond nced at the untouched dinner on the table. ''Is she waiting for me toe back and eat together?'' Raymond thought.
He was supposed to be back an hour earlier, but the doc had to treat his wounds again, which held him up a bit.
"Yeah," Raymond replied.
Selena quickly took his coat.
Raymond''s eyes scanned the room, which still hadn''t changed much, except for the Christmas stickers at the door. It was just like before he left. He only saw half-hearted effort.
But it was Christmas Eve, and he didn''t want to start a fight.
Selena also felt a bit guilty and hung his coat on the rack.
Raymond was sharp. If someone was so half-assed about celebrating Christmas with him, it meant she didn''t like him, so he didn''t need to dig for answers. They ate in silence.
After dinner, Selena wanted to say something to him, but seeing him take a folder upstairs, she figured he was heading to the study for a meeting. She took herptop to the bedroom, chatted with Andrew for a bit, and then took a shower.
Lying in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
At 11:30 PM, she felt someone open the door and immediately shut her eyes.
She heard Raymond''s footsteps moving around the room, then the sound of water running in the bathroom.
After who knows how long, the water stopped, and Raymond opened the bathroom door.
Raymond didn''t dry his hair there but went to the guest room to dry it beforeing back.
Selenay on the other side of the bed, feeling someone sit on the edge.
She was about to give up pretending to be asleep when she felt Raymond lightly poke her cheek with his fingertip.
She looked up and met his gaze.
Raymond was wearing pajamas, loosely tied with a knot.
"Penny, there are still ten seconds," Raymond said.
Selena didn''t react immediately. After ten seconds, he grabbed her hand and bit it lightly. "Merry Christmas. We''ll go buy gifts together in the morning, then I won''t hold this against you." His voice was deep and rich. He lifted the nket and got in.
"The first sex of the New Year, I want it with you," Raymond said.
He was never one for sweet talk.
Words of love spoken in bed always carry a hint of sensuality.
Selena already felt guilty about the gift, and seeing him willing to let it go, she didn''t hesitate to prop herself up and kiss his Adam''s apple.
Raymond felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, and all his gloom instantly vanished.
That night, he was as rough as ever, gripping her waist and going at it fiercely.