“You need to be home with me; alone with me; holding me next to the Christmas tree, kissing under the mistletoe as candles blow.  Please come home soon, it's not the same without you.”

Nicole sung softly along with the CD that was playing in the stereo system.  She leaned up on her tip toes as she hooked an ornament on an open tree branch.  She smiled when she heard Chris’s voice come from the speakers while she continued to decorate the Christmas tree.  He couldn’t be there to help her decorate it because of meetings he had to go to so she went with the next best thing to make it feel like he was there.  Playing NSYNC’s Christmas CD, Home For Christmas.  She knew how cheesy it was but she didn’t care.  Anyways, it’s my favorite Christmas CD.  She reminded herself in her head as she stretched her arms over her head.

She fixed Chris’s shirt that she was wearing, and slowly a smile appeared on her face while the images of last night appeared in her head.  She had sex before, but she had never experience what she felt last night with Chris.  It was hot, wild, and passionate all at once.  His lips made her body quiver every time it made contact with her hot skin.  Hearing him moan her name in his husky voice made her crazy.  She felt her stomach flip and her knees go weak and shook her head to clean her mind.

“Just keep it together Nicole, you’re started to sound like a sex addict.”  She muttered out loud to herself.

She stepped back and admired her work.  Looking back at the boxes she saw there was one ornament left in the box; the Pittsburgh Steelers one.  She knew better than to put that one up so she moved it to the side for Chris to put on the tree when he got home.  Her hand rubbed her other arm softly, which covered in red scratches from the Christmas wreath she placed on the front door outside.  Matches with the scuff Chris left on my neck last night.  Nicole chuckled before tucking her hair behind her ears.  I won’t be getting this work done if everything keeps leading back to Chris in bed.  Focus Nicole.  She mentally told herself and moved another box out of her way.

Taking a couple steps back her eyes admired around her work.  Christmas garland wrapped along the railings that lead them upstairs, small miniature snowmen set on the table, and Christmas candles spread out throughout the whole house.  Feeling content with her work she walked past the other rooms that had some sort of Christmas decorations that had been placed in there till she came in the Kitchen.  She touched up the small fake bouquet of fake red, white and green flowers in a white Christmas vase that sat in the middle of the Kitchen table before lighting one of her Christmas candles that was positioned on the Kitchen counter, Pine Tree scented, and walked over to the flat screen TV.  She fed the fish in the fish tank that was above the TV before fixing the miniature nativity scene she set up beside the fish tank.  She smiled, remembering how every year when her mother was alive, that her and her mother would set up the same nativity scene, that she was fixing, when they would decorate the house together.

Christmas was her and her mother’s favorite holiday.  They both would spend days decorating the whole house while listening to Christmas music.  Her family was known for the marvelous holiday decorating that her mother would do.  She remembered going through boxes and more boxes in the garage after her mother passed and asking her father on certain decorations to take with her.  She felt like even though her mother wasn’t alive anymore, she had to keep the tradition alive, do it in memory for her.

Chris knew her love for Christmas and how she loved to decorate.  She couldn’t control her excitement when he told her that she could decorate the place however she wanted.  Nicole smiled as she couldn’t wait for him to come home to see what she had done to the house inside.  She was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed a red and gold material in the box to her left.

“Oh, the Christmas skirt.”  She said out loud to herself.  Shaking it, she walked back down the hallway towards near the front of her house where the Christmas tree was.  She raised a brow and curiously looked down at Busta when she saw the dog staring at the tree with his head tilt slightly.

“Don’t even think about it, Busta.”  She warned the dog while she got on her knees and started to spread the Christmas skirt around the bottom of the tree on the floor.  “Almost done Busta.  All we have left is put the Stockings up and we’re good as gold for the inside.”  She sat back on her knees and looked over the skirt to make sure it was positioned correctly under the tree.

“What the…”  She mumbled under her breath when she noticed something unusual.  She got back down on her hands and knees and looked under the tree and pulled the mystery object; the price tag.  “He would forget to cut off the price tag after bringing it back from the Christmas tree lot.”  Nichole chuckled, sliding down to her back and sliding under the tree as he worked on the price tag.  “Moron.”

Nicole bit on her bottom lip, gently tugging and wiggling the tag to slip it though the string to pull off.  “Busta,” She called out when she felt something tap against her foot, “I warned you to stay away from the tree.  You can not pee here.  Go chew on your bone.”  She groaned again when she felt him bump against her leg again.  “Busta, stop.”  She bent the tag and slipped it though the loop, getting the price tag free off the branch.  “Finally…Oh!”  She squealed when she felt herself behind pulled up from the Christmas tree.  She closed her eyes so the pine needles wouldn’t get in her eyes.  When she went to open her eyes she felt wamr, soft, lips instantly crash onto hers.

“I didn’t know Santa came early.”

Nicole opened her eyes and smiled when she looked into brown ones and felt her stomach instantly do a flip.  “You’re home early.”

Chris nodded his head and bent his body up, pulling her along with him.  He raised a brow in question when he saw the price tag in her hand.  “I thought Santa made his gifts.”  He took the paper out of her hand and looked down at it.  “Mhm, I thought you were priceless.  I guess I was wrong.”  His eyes sparkled mischievously.  “You’re worth a Christmas tree.”

Nicole chuckled and smacked her arm against his stomach.  “You left it on the tree.”  She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her check against his shoulder.  “Like I said before, you’re home early.”

“Mhm.”  Chris nodded his head as he looked around the room.  “Meeting didn’t take long.  I like what you did with the room.”  He told her before pressing his lips against the side of her head.

“Thank you, oh!”  Nicole maneuvered around him and picked up the small box.  “I left your Steelers ornament for you to put on the tree.”

He smiled as he took the yellow and black ornament out of its box and positioning it near the front of the tree.  He took a step back and wrapped his arm around her waist.  “Now it’s perfect.  So this is all you did today?”

“Not just this room.”  She smiled and took his hand in hers while she showed him the rest of the house.

“I’m surprise you didn’t do anything to the marionettes on the wall.”  Chris teased once they walked into the kitchen.  He had an amused look on his face, smiling, while he watched her show him the house.  Her face light up bright in each room with look of pure joy and happiness across her face.

“Oh I’m going to hunt down mini Christmas hat’s for those.”  She told him with a smile and tugging him into the Family room off the Kitchen.  Chris laughed while he followed behind her, smirking when he saw the fake snow atop of the TV and the small nativity scene next to the fish tank.

“Is this the nativity scene you told me about?”

Nicole nodded her head, looking at him briefly before looking back at the small figurines.  She sighted softly when she felt him stand behind her and wrapping his arms around her from behind.  He rested his chin on her shoulder and pressed his cheek against hers.  “I like it.”  He kissed her cheek.  He pulled her back closer to him while they stood in silence.  Chris knew how much she loved Christmas, how much her mother did, but he also knew how sad the holidays made her on missing her mother.

He also knew how much he loved seeing her in his shirts; wanting to bring her back up to the bedroom and repeat the amazing night they had the night before.  Before performing his act, his eyes caught something in front of him that alarmed him.

“What the hell…”  Chris pulled her arms out and looked down at the red scratches that covered her arms.  “Is that from the tree when I pulled you out?  Shit, if it is, I’m so sorry.”

“No.  I got in a fight with the Christmas wreath I put on the front door outside.”  She turned her head and grinned at him.  “I won.”

Chris laughed, hugging her closely towards his body and pressed his lips against her neck.  “You’re crazy.”

“I know.”  Nicole turned around in his arms and wrapped them around his neck before pressing her lips against his.  “All I have left is putting up the stockings over the fireplace than the inside is complete.”

“You’ve been a busy bee today.”

“Yep.  And  Tomorrow is Christmas cookie baking.”

“Oh?”  Chris eyebrows rose while he broke out in a wide grin.  “Perfect day to have off.”

“You can help me bake them.”

“Who said anything about me helping you bake?”  Chris said with a teasing glint in his eye.  “I was talking about eating them, and I know something we could do while we wait for them to bake in the oven.”

“Oh God.”  Nicole mumbled while she pushed herself away from him.  “You can’t eat them all.  I need some to give to the guys.”

“Fuck them.”  Chris joked before plopping down on the chair and turning on the TV.

“Well, if you insist.”  Nicole replied with a shrug of her shoulders.  She grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and walked back towards him.  “It won’t be hard to get Joey for it, but I might have to work harder on getting Lance to screw with.”

“Oh so very funny, Nicole.”  He said sarcastically with an eye roll.  He grabbed her by the waist and yanked her onto his lap.  “But, speaking of screwing…”  He shifted slightly underneath her and kissed her neck softly.  “Seeing you in my shirt is driving me crazy.”

“I couldn’t tell.”  Nicole replied with a smirk.

Chris groaned before flipping her on her back on the couch and climbing on top of her.  His lips quickly found hers and felt his body go crazy.  She knew the right buttons to touch to make his body go crazy, he didn’t know how she could do it, but she did it every time.  He felt his stomach flip when her fingers slid up the back of his shirt.  He felt his whole body go hot from her touch.

That I never knew the meaning of Christmas 
‘Till you came into my life
I was lost in the dark
‘Till you opened my heart
Like an angel shining bright
I wished on a star
And girl here you are
Suddenly I realize
That I never knew the meaning of Christmas
‘Till I looked into your eyes

The worlds from the CD player repeated in his head while his lips were attacking her neck, her perfume flooding his nose, and his knees went week.

Those words hit his heart.  It was just what he was feeling at that moment.  He slowly lifted his head up and opened his eyes, watching her eyes slowly flicked open, sparkling and joining his.  He was lost until he bumped into her, and she opened his heart. She changed him for the best.  He had a feeling that this would be the best Christmas he had ever had.

His eyes dropped to her lips, watching her bite on her bottom lip and he groaned before dropped his mouth back on hers.

He was falling, and falling hard.