Page 35 of Riding Dirty for Christmas

“Jack?” She turns to me. “Have you ever considered having live music here?”

“Never really thought about it. Why?”

“Because...” She walks to the far corner, gesturing with one tinsel-wrapped hand. “If you moved these tables, you'd have the perfect spot for a small stage. You could draw crowds from all over the county, beyond the locals.”

My chest tightens. She's talking about my bar like she sees its potential. Like she sees me. Every suggestion she makes, every minute she spends here, only confirms what I already know - she belongs here. With me.

“Maybe even—” She stops mid-sentence, her hands dropping. The tinsel slips from her fingers, pooling at her feet. “Sorry. Got carried away there. I've got that spring collection deadline when I get back to work.”

The warmth seems to drain from the room. The reminder of her leaving feels like a knife to the gut. My fingers close around the mistletoe in my pocket as I watch her retreat behind her professional facade. Outside, snow begins to fall again, thick flakes visible in the glow of the street lights. Not this time. I won't let her run from this - from us.

We work in comfortable silence, wrapping lights around the tree. Eden balances on the stepladder while I hand her each strand. Our fingers brush with each pass, sending electricity through my skin. When she stretches up to adjust a wayward branch, her sweater rides up, revealing a strip of skin that makes me forget how to breathe.

“I'll get the top,” I say, climbing onto the bar. The ancient wood creaks beneath my boots as I reach up to fix the highest strands. While Eden's focused on arranging ornaments below, I pull the mistletoe from my pocket. My fingers work quickly, securing it to the beam overhead where she won't notice - not yet. Eachtwist of wire feels like a promise, a silent plea for her to see what we could build together.

“Ready?” Eden steps back from the ladder, her finger hovering over the switch.

The lights flicker to life. Eden gasps, spinning slowly to take in the transformation. The tree sparkles, casting dancing shadows on the walls. She's never looked more beautiful.

“It's perfect,” she whispers.

“Come here.” “Come here.” I reach for her elbow, drawing her beneath the mistletoe. “One more tradition.”

Her gaze drifts to the mistletoe above us. The Christmas lights cast shadows across her face, highlighting the sprinkle of freckles across her nose.

“Sneaky,” she whispers, but doesn't pull away. The hint of a smile plays at the corners of her mouth, making my heart slam against my ribs.

“No more sneaking.” I keep my hand on her elbow, feeling her pulse race beneath my fingers. “I'm done pretending.”

“Pretending what?” Her voice is soft, almost challenging.

“That I don't need you.” I trace the curve of her cheekbone. “This place wasn't home until you walked in. Nothing was.” The truth of it hits me hard - how empty everything felt before her.

I slide my hand into her hair, tilting her face. When our lips meet, everything else fades away. The kiss is soft at first, tender, full of everything I've been holding back.

When we finally break apart, she stays close, her forehead resting against my chest. “I have to go back to the city afterNew Year's,” she whispers. “My whole life is there - my work, my apartment, everything.” But the way she clings to me tells a different story.

“Then we'll figure it out.” I tilt her chin, watching emotions war across her face. Hope, fear, desire - all of it naked in her expression. “I'm not asking you to give up your dreams, Eden. I'm asking you to let me be part of them.” My thumb traces the curve of her jaw. “Let me be the person you come home to.”

Her fingers trace patterns on my chest, right over my racing heart. “What if we mess this up? What if—” Her voice catches. “I've never wanted anything this much. It terrifies me.”

“What if we don't?” I brush my thumb across her bottom lip, still swollen from our kiss. “What if this is exactly where we're supposed to be?” The Christmas lights reflect in unshed tears in her eyes, making them shimmer. “What if everything in our lives - every choice, every mistake, every wrong turn - was leading us right here?”

“Silent Night” plays softly in the background, and Eden's fingers tighten in my shirt. In this moment, with snow falling outside and Christmas lights twinkling around us, everything feels possible.

“You're mine, Eden.” The words come from somewhere primal and possessive. I brush my thumb across her lip, feeling her shiver. “I've been waiting my whole life to find you. And now I'm never letting you go.”

Her hands slide up my chest to curl around my neck, pulling me closer like she needs me as much as I need her.

“I love you.” The words rush out, raw and honest. “I've known since that first night. And I'll fight whatever I have to - your job, this town, our parents - to keep you.”

She makes a small, broken sound that tears at my heart. “Say it again,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

“I love you.” I pull her closer, breathing her in. “With everything I am.”

“I love you too.” Her fingers trace my jaw, memorizing me. “God help me, but I do. I've been fighting it since that first night.”

The confession breaks something loose in both of us. When our lips meet again, it's all fire. She arches into me, a soft sound escaping her throat that sets my blood burning.

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