Page 124 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

"I just…" she swallowed. "I don't like it. I know it must seem small to you. But my social media is a LinkedIn for my work. I don't…I don't cultivate attention. I don't want it."

"We can keep our relationship quiet, private, just like you said we should. We could be more careful about how we are in public. Rose and I talked earlier about announcing a quote-en-quote breakup sooner rather than later. Lizzy, it doesn't happen often, I promise. You'll see that."

"Unless the show gets picked up."

"Even if that happens, we won't be famous. We'll have a slightly larger group of people who know us, but not a lot."

"I don't know…"

"I'll shield you from it."

"How?" The word was hardly more than air, as if her throat had grown tight.

I clenched my teeth, at a loss.

"It's okay," she sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as me. "It was exciting while it lasted."

"No, don't talk like that. You know what happens less than a random posting a picture of me?" I waved my hand in the chasm growing between us. But she'd hidden her face. "This. A connection like this. I was drawn to you from the first time I saw you. And it's grown stronger every time since—every time I've kissed you, touched you. This is exceptional. I've never felt it before, and I'll never feel it again."

"How do you know?" she whispered.

It was so obvious. I couldn't believe that I had to say it aloud. "Because there is no other you."

She met my eyes, unshed tears clinging to hers. "I don't know if I can, Will."

"No, Lizzy," I pleaded.

"It's better to stop now. It'll just be harder later."

"It won't. It's already too hard. Come on. This isn't what either of uswants."

"Wanting something doesn't make it meant to be."

Reaching a hand to her face, I cupped her chin, urging her to meet my gaze. "But we are."

She shook her head and took a step back. It was the wrong direction. All of this was the wrong direction.

Two words laid my once flying hopes to rest. Buried. Dead.

"I can't."

Lizzy

Six Nights Before Christmas

I stretched, sore in the best way, an echoing ache of the night before. My body remembering before my brain found consciousness. A big hand snaked up my hip, wrapping a powerful arm around my waist and pulling me against his chest. Will nuzzled his nose into my hair and groaned, rumbling against my back, quaking through my core, thundering in my chest. Such a small noise, for its overwhelming effect.

This was a morning I wanted to repeat over and over and over.

A lifetime of these mornings, I didn't know the silent prayer was in my mind until it was fully formed flying on wishful thinking.

"I could get used to this." Will's sleep worn voice in my ear.

"Yeah," I answered lamely, suddenly conscious of how bad my breath must be.

Moving my hair from my naked shoulder, his lips drew a random constellation on my skin. My self-consciousness disappeared with every burst of sensation until a sigh escaped my lips and I was languid under his attention. He urged me onto my back, his elbows on either side of my face supporting his weight. My eyelids fluttered open. Above me, he took me in.

"I didn't expect you, Lizzy."

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