Page 74 of My Greatest Joy

Once Levi is out of the shower, he comes downstairs to let me know he’s going to bed.

“Good night, Fallon,” he calls out.

“Night,” I tell him. Dasher looks at me, then back at him before he follows Levi up the stairs. I stare at the ceiling, hating that I’m fighting a war within myself. And for what, exactly?

When the exhaustion takes over, I turn off the TV and make my way upstairs. As my feet touch the top floor, I stop and look at Levi’s closed door. Placing my palm on the wood, I slowly turn the knob and walk in. The Christmas tree in the corner is lit, andDasher’s asleep on his dog bed. I take a few steps forward, my nerves getting the best of me.

I haven’t walked into his room since that night we hooked up, but I’ve wanted to so damn bad.

Levi rolls over, and his eyes flutter open. He lifts the blankets without questioning why I’m in here. When I crawl in, he pulls me closer to his warm body. His strong arm wraps around my hip, but I spin around and face him.

When Levi’s lips slowly part, I lean in and slide my mouth across his. The kiss deepens as our tongues tangle together, and I’m nearly breathless by the time I pull away.

“What was that for?” he asks.

“You looked like you needed it,” I say, repeating the words he said to me earlier.

When I roll over, Levi’s strong arm captures me, and his warm breath tickles my neck. Though I live with some regrets in my life, telling him our night together was a mistake is another one. If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat, but maybe it’s for the best.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LEVI

DAY 12

With only twodays left before the festival this Saturday, the last thing I should be doing is taking a day off work. But it’s exactly what I do.

Fallon’s scheduled to fly out on Sunday, and I haven’t been able to take her to the ski resort outside of town.

A part of me is taking her for selfish reasons because I want to spend more alone time with her, especially after yesterday’s turn of events.

But I also want her to experience the slopes for her article.

After she crawled into my bed last night and kissed me, I knew the spark between us was still ignited. There’s no denying our physical attraction and chemistry, but we have more than that sizzling between us.

The way she opened up to me and shared personal details about her mom drew me even closer. Not only has she embedded herself into my home but under my skin as well. It’s hard to imagine what life will be like when she’s gone.

“All packed?” I tap my knuckles on her door and smirk when I see Dasher lying on her bed while she shoves things into her bag.

“I think so.”

“Great, we can head out then. Gotta take Dasher to my parents’ first.”

When Fallon walks past me, I grab her suitcase. “Let me.”

“Okay, thanks.” Her eyes meet mine as unspoken words float between us. Neither of us brought up the two kisses we shared yesterday, but waking up with her in my arms had me wanting to stay in bed with her until noon.

She lifts her computer bag and maneuvers it over her shoulder as Dasher and I follow her downstairs. Though she hasn’t shared many details about her article, I hope she’ll let her heart guide her. Once we drop off Dasher and chat with my parents for a few minutes, we hit the road. Fallon plays with the radio until she finds a station that isn’t playing Christmas music, and I chuckle at how her avoidance has returned.

“You have to admit, some of it is cringy.”

“They’re classics!” I argue.

She rolls her eyes. “Hard pass. I’d rather listen to Dasher’s heavy breathing in my ear than ‘Silent Night.’”

I gasp dramatically. “That’s criminal. Take that back.”

“Never!” She laughs, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve heard all day. As soon as I turn onto the road that leads to the resort, Fallon’s eyes widen as the building comes into view. “That place is huge. And look at all that snow.”

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