Page 20 of A Very Grumpy New Year

“You’re crazy,” I whisper, and he nods.

“I know. Don’t you think that I know that? You drive me crazy, Cora. I’ve never been like this with anyone before. I’ve never felt even a fraction of the things that I feel for you for anyone else. I don’t know how to act around you or how to control my instincts when it comes to you.”

“What were you going to do when I moved out?” I ask him.

“Not let you.”

“How were you going to do that?”

“I was hoping that I’d be able to convince you to stay. I was hoping that I would have enough time to show you that we were perfect together. I was hoping that I would be able to get you to fall in love with me too.”

We stare at each other in silence for a beat; the only sounds are the muted voices and music from the party.

“Well, you did,” I say softly, and he blinks.

“Did what?” He asks carefully, like he’s afraid to believe that I might be saying that I love him too, and I smile up at him.

“You made me fall for you too.”

“What?” He asks, his eyes wide in shock.

“I love you too.”

He closes the distance between us quickly, and his lips find mine. He kisses me passionately, his hands tangling in my hair as his tongue licks into my mouth.

The wind whips my hair around us, and I can hear the sounds of the party from inside, but all I can focus on is Huxley. His hand slips around my waist, pulling me close, and the rest of the noise and distractions fade away. His green eyes meet mine, intense and smoldering, and I feel my breath catch as I stare up at him.

The snow falls gently around us, blanketing the world in quiet as we stand on the porch, close enough that I can feel the warmth of him radiating against the cold. Huxley’s eyes are intense, his gaze fixed on me, his breaths visible in the winter air. It’s almost surreal, this moment, this silence that pulses with an unspoken electricity between us.

He reaches out, brushing a snowflake from my cheek with the back of his hand, his fingers lingering just long enough to make my skin tingle. My heart thuds in my chest as he tilts his head, his eyes searching mine, his face close enough that I can see the flecks of green in his dark eyes.

“Cora,” he murmurs, his voice rough and low, filled with something that sends a thrill down my spine.

He leans in, and before I can think, before I can even take another breath, his lips find mine. The kiss is soft at first, just a whisper of warmth in the cold, his mouth gentle but possessive, as if he’s savoring this moment. I let myself melt into it, my hands finding his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath his jacket, the solidness of him.

The kiss deepens, and a shiver runs through me, though it has nothing to do with the chill. His hands slide to my waist, pulling me closer, his body heat seeping through our clothes. I feel him press into me, every inch of him as he wraps me up in his arms, the world falling away until there’s nothing but the two of us and this kiss. My hands slide up to his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as his lips move over mine, slow and deliberate, coaxing, exploring.

He pulls back just enough to look at me, his breath mingling with mine, his eyes dark and hungry. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that?”

“Good,” I whisper, breathless, and that’s all it takes.

His mouth crashes against mine, harder this time, his kiss filled with a raw need that makes my knees go weak. He presses me back against the porch railing, his hands roaming over my back, pulling me even closer, as if he can’t get enough. I feel his warmth everywhere, igniting something inside me that I’ve never felt before.

He breaks away just long enough to murmur my name against my lips, his voice rough with longing, his hands framing my face as he gazes at me, his eyes filled with an intensity that takes my breath away.

And then his mouth is on mine again, his kisses deep and insistent, making my head spin. I lose myself in him, in the warmth and strength of his embrace, in the way he holds me as if I’m the only thing that matters. The snow falls softly around us, silent witnesses to a moment I know I’ll never forget.

He’s really mine,I think with a smile.

“Are you two coming back inside?” Ginger calls, and we pull apart.

“Yeah, in a second!” I call back, and she gives me a knowing smile before she heads back inside.

“I love you, Cora,” Huxley whispers as he presses his forehead against mine.

“I know, crazy,” I say, and he glares at me until I laugh. “I love you too.”

He smiles and presses another kiss to my lips. I shiver as the wind picks up and pull back.

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