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Orlando came out of the bathroom not too long later, a towel wrapped around his hips, his hair loose and dripping down his back. I was just putting the food on his plate when he came downstairs into the kitchen.

“Smells good, love,” he said, making himself a tea with the water I’d already boiled in the kettle. He kissed my cheek and went into the dining room.

I followed him with our plates, and sat down at the table beside him. He dug in, ravenous, while I just pushed my eggs around on the plate.

“Are you okay?” he asked after a minute or two, when he saw I wasn’t eating. “You’ve barely touched your food.”

I shrugged. I didn’t want to be the jealous girlfriend about this, but it bothered me that Kate had called him. I began to wonder how many other times she’d called when I wasn’t there. I’d been cheated on before, and it wasn’t something I wanted to go through again, especially with Orlando.

“Charlie?”

I sighed and looked up from my plate. He was staring at me intently. “It’s stupid, don’t worry about it.” I reached over for the butter I’d set on the table earlier, and began spreading some on my toast. “Kate called while you were in the shower. I told her you’d call her when you had a chance.”

“She called here?” He paled slightly. “Charlie, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I didn’t look at him, just focused on my toast. “You didn’t know she would call.”

“I know, but it can’t have made you feel very good,” he said, reaching over to still my hand, so I didn’t grind the knife right through the bread. “Nothing’s going on, I promise.”

“I never said there was, now did I?”

“No, you didn’t have to,” he said, squeezing my hand gently. “I know it’s in the back of your mind, though, the same way the fear of you and Sean hooking up is always in the back of mine.”

My eyes snapped up to his. “You still worry about that?”

“I wouldn’t say I worry, but it’s there,” he said, a kind of sadness creeping into his eyes. “I trust you, love, don’t get me wrong, just as you trust me, but when I know you’re around him so much, of course it enters my mind from time to time.”

“As long as it exits as quickly as it enters,” I said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. “I’ve never had any interest in Sean that way, but you had a pretty intense relationship with Kate. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t concern me a little.”

“Had is the operative word in that sentence,” he said, kissing my palm. “I don’t want you to be jealous of her, because she’s in the past. We’ve both had lovers before each other, but we’re together now, and there’s no one else, right?”

I nodded. “Right. She wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. You should call her.”

He looked at me, dumbfounded. “You want me to ring her back?”

“Yes,” I said, picking up my fork again. “I told her you would. There’s nothing for me to worry about, so why wouldn’t you be able to call a friend back and wish her a Merry Christmas?”

“I’ll do it when we’re done eating,” he said, picking up a piece of the vegetarian bacon on his plate.

When we finished our meal, he called Kate back, while I got dressed and put my hair up for the day. I picked through all of the fabulous clothes he’d given me for Christmas, wanting to wear all of them at once, and finally settled on a dark green peasant blouse with flared sleeves and an empire waist, a long, black pencil skirt, and the stilettos I’d worn the day before. I was just wrapping my hair in hot rollers when Orlando came back into the bedroom.

“Did you get a hold of her?” I said, securing a roller with a pin.

He nodded. “Yes,” he said. “She’s in the States, at her parents’. I think she was a little surprised to hear from me.”

“She probably didn’t think I’d tell you,” I said, grabbing another roller from the steam tray. “You should get dressed. We have to leave shortly.”

“I know,” he said. “That blouse looks beautiful on you.” He kissed my neck lightly, then set about pulling out clothes for the day. I finished putting the rollers in my hair, then applied my make-up.

We got to his mother’s house shortly after four o’clock that afternoon. I had to admit, I was nervous again, not so much at seeing Sonia for a second time, but at meeting his sister and father. He helped me out of the car when we arrived, and slipped his arm around me as best he could, with our bulky coats, then kissed me gently.

“Relax, love,” he said, his eyes shining down at me. “They don’t bite.” He grinned.

“I know,” I said, leaning into him. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

We went up the walkway, and were greeted by delicious smells as soon as we walked in the door. Orlando led me into the living room, where the tree stood, lights blazing, with piles of brightly coloured packaged underneath it. There was a lot of chattering coming from the kitchen, so we went toward it.

“Merry Christmas,” Orlando said, opening the door. He had me firmly by the hand and pulled me forward. I felt so small and out of place for a moment, until Sonia came over and gave me a big hug.

“Mum, you have enough food here to feed an army,” Orlando said, looking around at the massive plates of food, everything from turkey with all the trimmings, to ham, to pies and cookies. “There’s only four of us.” He grinned widely and kissed her head.

Samantha, Orlando’s sister, came into the room from the stairs at the back. “Hello!” she said brightly, hugging her brother. She had dark hair, like Orlando’s, and her eyes were similar to his, but she didn’t have his height. She was beautiful, nonetheless. “Is this her?” she said, gesturing to me but looking at Orlando, a mischievous look on her face.

“Yes, Sam, this is Charlie,” he said, his arm slipping around me. “Charlie, this is my sister, Samantha.”

She hugged me tightly. “Nice to meet you,” she said when she released me. “Come in, sit down, there’s lots of food.”

“Colin got called away on business,” Sonia said, mashing some potatoes. “He said he’ll be back before you go back to New York.”

Orlando nodded and started throwing things into the salad bowl on the table. Samantha handed me a glass of white wine, which I accepted.

“Orli said you like it dry,” she said as I took a sip. “I bought the driest one I could get.”

“It’s perfect,” I said, setting the glass down. “Thank you. What can I do to help?”

“Oh don’t worry about it, dear,” Sonia said, adding more milk to the potatoes. “You’re our guest, you don’t have to do anything.”

“But I’d like to help,” I said, as I watched Orlando struggle with the salad. No matter what he did, all of the veggies sunk to the bottom, leaving only lettuce on the top. I took the salad tongs from him, and grabbed a bottle of oil and vinegar from the table, putting only a small squirt into the bowl, then began tossing it the way my mother had taught me. It only took a minute for everything to be fully mixed. I handed the bowl back to Orlando and set the salad tongs on the table.

“Thanks,” he said, blushing slightly. “I don’t cook, love, you know that.”

I smiled. “It’s fine,” I said softly. I stood up and went to where Sonia was making the stuffing, the potatoes having been finished. “Please, Sonia, put me to work,” I said, washing my hands in the sink.

“There’s a roll of frozen biscuits in the freezer, if you want to pull those out and put them on a tray,” she said, her face bright and friendly.

“Frozen biscuits?” I made a face. “Do you mind if I make some home made ones? It doesn’t take long.”

“Go ahead, dear,” she said, beaming. “I didn’t know you could bake.”

I began opening cupboards and pulling things out. “My mother taught me,” I said, setting the necessary ingredients on the table. “It’s only right that I help, since you’re hosting dinner.” I reached up to grab a bowl, but I couldn’t reach it. “Orlando, will you grab that bowl for me, please?” I was wishing I’d left my heels on.

He smiled as he got up and came over to me. He brushed against my back as he reached over my head to grab the bowl. He handed it to me, then put his hands on my arms, and pulled me back against him. He kissed my neck briefly, then released me and sat down again. I blushed hotly as Sonia and Samantha exchanged a knowing look.

A short time later, dinner was on the table, and I was pulling my biscuits out of the oven. The food was delicious, and the conversation was lively and friendly. I felt very at home with Orlando’s sister, as I had with his mother, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was proud of that. We opened gifts around the Christmas tree, and had some wine by the fire, then Orlando and I went home.

When we got back to his place late that night, I immediately went to the phone. I hadn’t yet called my dad, and I knew I should. It was midnight where we were, so it was only seven o’clock where he was. While Orlando got undressed in the bedroom, I sat on the sofa and dialed Aunt Tess’s number.

“Hello?” Deanna answered the phone on the third ring.

“Hey, Dee, it’s Charlie,” I said, smiling at the sound of her voice. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Charlie!” she exclaimed. “Merry Christmas! How’s London? Did you meet Orlando’s mom? What’s she like? Did he get you lots for Christmas?”

I laughed. “Slow down, baby,” I said, amused at her enthusiasm. “Yes, I met his mother, she’s very sweet, and he got me a bunch of clothes for Christmas. Oh, and it’s cold here, like it probably is there. How has your day been?”

“Aunt Tess got me an IPod,” she practically squealed. “It holds over 1000 songs, and it’s so cool!”

“That’s awesome, honey,” I said, smiling. Part of me really wished I had seen her face when she’d opened that gift. I felt a pang of sadness, but, hearing Orlando moving around upstairs, I pushed it aside. “Is my dad there?”

“Yup, just a sec,” she said, and I heard her put the phone down and call to him. A few seconds later, he picked up.

“Merry Christmas, Dad,” I said when he’d said hello.

“Merry Christmas, Charlotte,” he said. “I thought we’d hear from you earlier than this, but I’m glad you called. How was your Christmas?”

“We had dinner with Orlando’s mom and sister,” I said. “And with the time difference, it was too early to call before we left. Have you had a good day?”

“Oh yes,” he said. “Everyone is here, we’ve just finished dinner. It’s not quite the same without you, but we’re managing. Thank you for the card, dear, it was very nice.”

“You’re welcome,” I said softly. “Thank you for the money you sent. I’ll pick up something nice with it.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, then hung up. Orlando still hadn’t come downstairs, so I went up to see what he was doing.

“Did you get lost up here?” I teased as I opened the bedroom door. He was sitting on the bed, a single pink rose in his hands. “What are you doing, darling?” I said, stopping in the doorway. Then I noticed the room. He’s put beautiful white satin sheets on the bed, and there were a few more roses spread on the pillows. The lights were dim, and white, vanilla-scented candles dotted the room. He knew how special those candles, and pink roses, were to me, as they always reminded me of him. He’d set up a small Christmas tree in the corner by the closet, with beautiful coloured lights blinking happily on it.

“I love you, Charlie,” he said, getting up and coming over to me. He handed me the rose, then kissed me, gently, yet passionately.

“And I love you, Orlando,” I said, reaching up to stroke the back of my hand over the stubble on his cheek. He’d left his hair down, tucked behind his ears, so I sunk my fingers into it, loving how soft it was, how sweet it smelled.

He pulled me backwards, toward the bed, then lifted me gently and laid me down. He began to slide my blouse up over my stomach, and I sat up so he could lift it over my head before starting on my skirt. When it had joined my shirt on the floor, he quickly went into the bathroom, and came back with a big, fluffy towel.

“What are you doing?” I asked, bringing my knees to my chest. He merely grinned as he reached into the nightstand. He pulled out a bottle of my favourite hand lotion, vanilla, like the candles.

“Roll over,” he said, his voice pitched so that it made me tremble. I could see his eyes beginning to darken, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I trusted him, though, so I flipped over onto my stomach, cradling my head on my arms.

“What are you doing?” I asked again. “Orlando?” He didn’t say anything.

I felt his fingers easily slide open the hooks on my bra, and push the straps down my arms. He covered me from the waist down with the towel, and smoothed my hair off to the side.

“You’ve had a long day,” he whispered, leaning down to gently nip my ear. “There’s a bubble bath drawn in the tub, waiting for you when we’re done here.” I heard him squeeze some lotion into his hands, and rub them together to warm it up. I nearly groaned out loud when I felt his hands begin to spread the lotion onto my back, his fingers tenderly kneading my flesh. I sighed as I relaxed under his touch, closing my eyes.

He spent a good hour massaging my body, from my neck and shoulders, down my back, over my legs, and down to my feet. When he was done, he wrapped the towel around me and carried me into the bathroom, where the bubble bath was waiting. I expected the water to be cold after an hour, but when my toes touched it on the way down, it was the perfect temperature.

When I was settled into the water, Orlando disappeared from the room, then came back with a book in his hands. “This is another one of your gifts, I wanted to save it for your bath,” he said, handing me the book. It was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, my favourite book. My copy had been destroyed when Ramsey had ransacked my apartment, and I hadn’t replaced it yet. I couldn’t believe he remembered how much I loved that book, having only mentioned it once.

“You spoil me,” I said softly, reaching up to smooth a stray lock of hair off his forehead. Tears welled up in my eyes as I saw the love shining from his. He leaned down and kissed me gently, then settled himself on the floor beside me. “You don’t have to stay,” I said, not wanting him to be bored while I read in the bathtub.

“I just want to sit here with you,” he said, leaning against the wall beside the tub, facing me. “Just enjoy your bath, love, don’t worry about anything else.” He produced his Pirates script from somewhere. “I won’t be bored, lots of lines to learn.”

“Why are you doing this for me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because you deserve to feel special,” he said, a small smile playing on his face. “You’ve made me feel like the most wonderful person in the world, and I wanted to return the favour.”

“How did I do that?”

He sat forward, so his face was only inches from mine. “You’re here, you came all this way, you gave up Christmas with your family, and you enchanted mine,” he said, lightly stroking my cheek. “You never cease to amaze me, to surprise me, to make me smile, to make me laugh. You make me feel loved like I’ve never felt before, and you’ll never know how much I need you in my life.”

Tears rolled down my face as my heart felt so full it was close to bursting. “I don’t know what to say, Orlando,” I said, my eyes locked on his.

“You don’t have to say anything, love,” he said, his warm breath mingling with mine. He smelled of mint, and of Orlando, and I leaned closer. I handed him my book.

“Join me?” I said, tucking a piece of hair behind his ear. “There’s plenty of room.” The tub was the size of a small swimming pool, I doubted we’d be anything but comfortable in it. I also knew that as soon as he touched me, I wouldn’t care if we were squeezed into a bucket, it would be exactly where I wanted to be.

I watched as Orlando stripped off his clothes and climbed into the tub beside me. As soon as he was settled, he pulled me into his arms and tackled my lips with his, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. I loved how his hands felt as they lightly brushed over my skin under the water, up my arms, down my back, over my hips, and lower. I pressed myself against him as best I could and kissed him ferociously. As we slipped into the sensations we were creating, I couldn’t help but think it had been a fantastic Christmas.