Page 62 of Starts With a Bang

“Turn it over,” I said.

Dom followed my instructions with great care. “Our first Christmas,” he read.

“Of many,” I told him.

Dom lifted his head, and it was my turn to brush away his stray tears. “How many?”

I carefully took the box from him and set it next to mine before giving him my full attention. “As many as you want.”

“All of them.”

I pushed Dom to the rug and lay on top of him. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

The stretch of days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve was the best of my life. Dom and I alternated between rowdy family time and tender private moments. I drifted through my days in a blissful fog I never wanted to clear.

I watched the flames dance in the outdoor fire pit and nestled closer to Dom. I’d never considered myself a lap cat, but my ass had never met thighs like Dom’s either. Thinking I was cold, he wrapped the throw blanket tighter around us.

“Everything okay? You’re awfully quiet,” Dom said.

“I refuse to believe that all good things end. Why can’t we just float from one good thing to another without saying goodbye?”

Dom nuzzled his cold nose against my neck. “Where’d that come from?”

“I just love this vacation bubble so much, and it’s making me sad to think about leaving it.”

Dom cupped my face and turned my head so he could look into my eyes. “Are you worried about what will happen to us when we get back to real life?”

“No. Maybe,” I admitted. “We both work a lot of hours. I have never felt so secure in a relationship, and I don’t want to lose this.”

“So we won’t,” Dom said.

“That easy, huh?”

“It can be,” he replied. “Tonight is the perfect time to make some promises to each other.”

I chuckled. “Most resolutions fail within the first month.”

“We’re not most people, and I’m not talking about making casual resolutions with little to no thought given to how to carry them out.” He tapped the end of my nose. “I want to make firm commitments to you.”

I angled closer to his big body. “Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

“Because you’re always on my mind.”

The melody to Willie Nelson’s song played in my head, but Dom kissed me before I could hum it. Best not to ruin this beautiful moment with my off-key renditions. “I love this idea. You go first.”

“Honest communication. Always.”

“Agreed,” I said, then kissed his lips. “Our relationship comes first. Always.”

“Easiest yes I can make.” Dom’s mouth lingered against mine when we sealed that promise. “Your dreams are my dreams, and mine are yours.”

“Hell yes!” I nipped his bottom lip after our kiss. “We create traditions like movie nights and stick to them.”

“Absolutely.” Another promise sealed with a smooch, but Dom slid his tongue between my lips to deepen our connection.

The patio door opened behind us, but we didn’t bother pulling apart.

“Countdown to midnight has started,” Molly Beth said. “The ball is dropping.”

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