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smiled and gestured to the couch in the family room.
    While she headed to make him coffee he didn’t really need or want, he readied the room for just one of the surprises he had in store for Holly.
    *     *     *
    Thanks to a fast-brewing machine that made four cups of coffee at a time, Holly had coffee ready for herself and Dylan pretty quickly. She knew he liked his black, so she added milk and sugar for herself and walked back into her family room.
    Instead of the bright space she’d left behind, Dylan had transformed the room. He’d shut off the overhead lights and turned on a small lamp in the corner along with the multicolored bulbs on her Christmas tree. From her small CD player, uplifting holiday music filled the air around them, while Dylan sat on the couch with a small wrapped box in his hand.
    From across the room, she felt the heat of his stare branding her much like his heated touch. God, he was sexy. No doubt every woman who saw a similar pose from the pages of a magazine dreamed of him staring at her, wanting her, only having eyes for her .
    He was every woman’s fantasy, and for this short span of time, he belonged to her. She was lucky, but she wasn’t deluded by his fame. She had enough self-respect to believe that, for as long as Dylan was with her, he was lucky, too.
    She walked inside and set the cups down on the table. “I like the atmosphere,” she said softly, grateful for the thoughtful gesture.
    He grinned. “I did the best with what I had.” He toyed with the ribbon on the small box, rubbing the satin back and forth between his fingers, in the same way he’d massaged certain parts of her body with gentle yet arousing care.
    She swallowed hard, searching for a distraction. “What’s in the box?”
    “Part of your Christmas gift.”
    “It’s early! I didn’t know we were going to exchange gifts tonight. Mine isn’t even wrapped yet.” She got something special for him when they’d separated the day they’d been in Boston. She hadn’t decided when to give it to him.
    He stood and grasped her hand, pulling her down beside him on the couch. “I want you to have this and I don’t want anything from you in exchange.”
    “Not even if it’s the watch you were eyeing in the store window?” She tipped her head to the side and looked at him through not-so-innocent eyes.
    He shook his head. “You noticed that? Man, you are something else. Want to know what my—what Melanie got me for Christmas last year?”
    She stiffened, but he held on tightly to her hands. “No, but something tells me you’re going to tell me anyway.”
    “She bought me a weekend for two at a spa. Seaweed wraps, facials and full-body massages.” He grimaced, his disgust with her gift evident even now, a year later.
    Holly burst out laughing, her nerves over the mention of Melanie giving way to complete shock and amusement. “She really doesn’t know you at all.”
    “No, she doesn’t. Not like we know each other.” He held out the gift box. “It’s sentimental, not expensive,” he said, his voice dropping low. His tone held a hint of embarrassment.
    She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not looking for anything expensive. I wasn’t looking for anything at all.”
    “I know, but this is something I want you to have.” He rose and began pacing the room. Obviously something was on his mind, so she set the box aside until he could explain.
    “About a month ago, I dreamed about you. Nothing unusual—I always dream about you.”
    Her breath caught in her throat. “You do?”
    “Yeah. That time, I dreamed about us exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve, and I was determined to make that dream come true again. As soon as possible.”
    Despite her resolve to remain strong, her throat swelled and her heart began pounding hard in her chest. “So you really came back for me?”
    “I told you I did.” He jerked his head towards his gift. “Open it.”
    She did as he asked, untying the bow and