Page 65 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

Jensen twines his fingers with mine and leads me over to the fireplace. “Want to enjoy the fire for a little while?”

“Sounds perfect.” I slip off my heels and my black coat, leaving myself in a long-sleeved black dress that hugs my figure and stops just above my knees.

Jensen gets a fire going and turns to me, giving me a warm smile that makes butterflies flutter in my stomach. Somehow, he can still do that to me, even after all these months together.

It has been the best year ever so far, and it’s not even over yet!

“Your mom insists on hosting Thanksgiving at their place this year, but we can do Christmas at our place again,” Jensen tells me as he wraps his arms around my body, holding the small of my back.

Our place. A few months ago, I ditched my tiny studio and moved into Jensen’s penthouse. I spent more time there than inmy own apartment anyway, and when he surprised me with a key, there was no way I was going to say no.

I loved waking up with him in the morning and falling asleep in his arms at night. We had finally built a routine with each other, and I didn’t think I’d ever felt so at home before. It’s like I’ve finally found the place where I truly belong.

“That sounds perfect. I think we should host Christmas every year,” I tell him with a hopeful glint in my eyes. “I like having Oliver, Holly, and my parents all together. It’s like our own little family we made.”

Jensen smiles and nods. “That’s what I want too.”

I stroke the hair on the back of his head, reveling in the moment as the fire lightly crackles next to us. Warmth settles in the cozy cabin, surrounding us with comfort as we hold each other close. I can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend before we dive back into the craziness of work.

“I’ve been wanting to do this trip for a while now,” Jensen admits.

My eyebrows lift in surprise. “Really? I thought you just planned this on a whim because we were getting a little burned out.”

Jensen shakes his head as his hands move to my hips, his thumbs lightly rubbing circles against my waist. “I’ve been wanting to take you back here for months. I was just waiting for the perfect moment.”

I tilt my head at him. “Perfect moment?”

I study his face, my heart fluttering with curiosity and a bit of nervous excitement. The way he’s looking at me, with that mix of tenderness and determination…I can’t help but feel like something big is about to happen.

A thousand thoughts rush through my mind. Is he planning something? Does he have another surprise up his sleeve? WithJensen, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected, but this feels different. It feels…monumental.

“To show you how much I love you.”

My heart stops as he slowly lowers himself down to one knee on the fluffy, white rug in front of the burning fireplace. I part my lips to speak, but no words come out as my shock renders me speechless.

Is this really happening? It’s really happening!

Jensen pulls a black ring box out of his back pocket and holds it in the palm of his hand. “It took me weeks to find the perfect ring. I refused to settle for anything less because you deserve the world, Alyssa. And for as long as I live, I’m going to give you that and more.”

Hot tears flood my eyes as I gaze down at him, my hands already starting to shake as I try to hold back my tears as much as I can. This is it. The moment I’ve dreamed about but never dared to imagine could be so perfect, so utterly us. I blink through my tears, my heart swelling to the point of bursting as I look at him on one knee, holding my grandmother’s ring—the ring I’ve always cherished, that has meant so much to my family.

I think of all the times my grandmother told me about her love story, how she met my grandfather and fell head over heels, knowing he was the one from the first moment they met. She used to tell me I’d find that kind of love one day, a love that would sweep me off my feet and change everything. And here it is, right in front of me.

Jensen’s voice breaks through my thoughts, his eyes never leaving mine. “I love you, Alyssa. You’re the person I want to spend the rest of my days with…”

His words wrap around me, filling every empty space in my heart. I can barely breathe, barely think. All I know is that this is the man I want to spend forever with. The man who makes everyday brighter, who challenges me to be better, who loves me for exactly who I am.

“Will you marry me?”

It takes everything in me not to sob and to actually give him a verbal answer as tears continue pouring down my cheeks.

“Yes! Of course, yes!”

The words burst out of me along with the breath I didn’t know I was holding. A wave of relief and exhilaration crashes over me, making my knees feel weak. I feel like I’m floating, like every fear and doubt I’ve ever had is melting away, leaving only this beautiful, brilliant truth: I’m going to marry the man I love.

Jensen’s smile could light up the darkest of nights as he slips the ring onto my finger, his hands steady despite the tremor of emotion in his eyes. I can’t stop the tears from falling, can’t stop the laughter bubbling up from deep inside me. This is everything I’ve ever wanted and more.

Jensen smiles in pure relief, even if he shouldn’t have thought for a single second that I would say no. He carefully admires how the ring gleams in the firelight.

---