Page 33 of Snowed In

I close my eyes as his words wash over me. That feeling in my gut that’s been expanding? I recognize it now, but I’m still not ready to name it. “Yes,” I whisper. “But… it’s so soon. We just met.”

His arms tighten. “Believe it or not, I’ve lived the very best days of my entire adult life right here with you. I’ve shared everything that I’ve kept to myself. I’ve bared my insecurities and wounds. And youstilllook at me like I’ve hung the stars, Gabe. I want this every day. To wake up with you in my arms every morning. I want to spend my days making you smile and go to sleep every night listening to you breathe.”

Fuck, I can’t breathe right now! His lips brush mine softly.

“I want the things we talked about last night, Gabe,” he murmurs against my mouth, stealing my breath for his own. “I want the quiet wedding in the mountains and the house on the farm and the kids running around. Then I want to grow old with someone. I want it all, and I want that someone to be you.”

“We’re either making the best decision or the very worst decision of our lives,” I whisper.

“Look at me,” he murmurs. I force my eyes open and stare into his. “I’ve already made the worst choices in my life. So I know that you’re the best decision. Iknow,without a doubt.”

Everything that I’ve refused to name agrees with him. I smile and try not to let it be too watery. “Me too. I want all that.”

He smiles, kissing me right there next to the stupid phone that nearly tore my heart out.

“Just think, if I hadn’t paid for this room with the add-on feature of a fire keeper, we might never have met,” I murmur.

Edries huffs. “I guess I wasn’t paying for solitude whenIpaid for this room. I paid for the backdrop to the best mistake to ever happen to me.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake,” I say. “Maybe it was Santa.”

He laughs. “I don’t care what or who’s to blame, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“We still have a lot of days to change your mind.”

Edries shakes his head minutely, his forehead against mine. Our eyes locked, though too close to truly see each other. “No,” he says quietly. “The only thing that’s going to happen over the next several days is me falling further in love with you every single day.”

Okay, that’s it. A tear escapes down my cheek. “I want that,” I whisper.

“You already have it.”

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