Page 46 of Kiss Me

Taehyun watches me with astonishment and mock horror as I begin singing the lyrics at the top of my lungs.

Though he tries to appear annoyed, I don’t miss the sparkle of laughter in his eyes when I dance around him, still unraveling the lights.

“Here,” I say once the song is over, handing him part of the lights. “These lights aren’t going to hang themselves.”

We not only place lights around the tree, but then stream them along the banister of the second floor. Next, we move on to hanging up the tinsel over the fireplace and some candles.

“Oh, perfect, they brought stockings for each of us.” Another one of my gasps startles Taehyun. “They even printed our names on them.”

I show off the glitter lettering that reads ‘Tania’ in one hand and the other that reads ‘Taehyun’.

“They thought of everything. Wait …” I trail off as I give Taehyun a strange look. “How did they know to add my name to a stocking? I’m not listed on your reservation as a guest here.”

“That’s because I told them to add your name. And to make sure they spelled both of ours correctly.”

He takes the stockings from my hands and holds them up as if displaying his own handiwork.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve had my name spelled wrong for shit like this.”

I laugh and nod. “Honestly, I can probably guess. My name is only five letters and it’s spelled pretty much exactly how it sounds, but the number of times I’ve gotten ‘Tonya,’ ‘Tammy,’ or even ‘Teresa’ on a few occasions is insane.”

“Teresa doesn’t even sound like your name.”

“That’s what I said. I can only imagine how painful it is in your case.”

He nods before wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me into his body.

“I used to go by Tae to make it easier for pronunciation, like Hyung.”

I jut my head back. “Hyung?”

He blinks. “Oh, Dae.”

“Why do you call him hyung?”

“In Korea, men call our older brothers, relatives, or friends hyung as a term of respect.”

“Ahh.”

“Anyway, I decided to use my full name once I realized names like Schwarzenegger and Gyllenhaal could be pronounced correctly by the masses, then so could mine.”

“Good for you,” I say, feeling genuine pride. “Names are important.”

He gives me a long, simmering look that I feel down to my core, before I clear my throat.

“Anyway, I made damn sure they spelled it right this time.” He nods to the stockings that are now in my hands.

“One of the million parts of this holiday you said was your favorite was seeing a stocking with your name on it hanging over the fireplace. And waking up on Christmas morning to open up the goodies in your stocking first.”

I told him that two nights ago while we stayed up late into the night talking. I spilled all of my secret favorites about this time of the year. Memories that I haven’t shared with anyone in many years poured out of me.

Some of which even I had forgotten about until I started talking.

“I used to think there was some magic in this holiday as a kid,” I say, looking down at the stockings in my hands. I peer up and see Taehyun’s intense gaze on me.

“I’m starting to believe that again.”

CHAPTER 12

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