Page 9 of Snowbound Princess

The intensity hadn't changed, but Bastian broke through her mental walls with the last blow. Kayleigh sobbed into the plush cushions, unable to continue. She hoped he wouldn't be too angry. So many times she'd wanted him to magically show up and take care of her, but for it to play out in reality seemed overwhelming. Emotions and memories she hadn't thought about in years surfaced and rushed forward.

“Five.”

The last blow never hit. Instead, Bastian sat down on the couch, and tugged her into his lap. She cried for a long time while one of his hands rubbed her back, soothing her mentally as much as physically. They stayed there for a while, and she loved the security his arms brought. It was better than the warmest blanket.

"Do you feel better?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then planted another on her cheek.

"A little bit," she admitted. "Are you going to kiss me for real?"

“Not right now. We have other things to talk about.”

She rolled her eyes, but he had a point. He kept saying they weren't just going to fool around and then go their merry ways separately. No, if she did anything sexual with him it would be the start of some type of relationship.

“Well, like I said, you've been rejecting me for a while, Bastian, so I'm not sure what's changed.”

"Let me dust off your memories since you only called up the negative ones. It's been our tradition for almost twenty years to have Christmas Eve dinner at your house. Ever since you graduated high school, your favorite game seemed to be the 'my date is hotter than you' game. You would show up fashionably late, in the shortest skirt imaginable, with an arm draped over your boy toy. Most of the time, you picked a gentleman who wasn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree if you know what I mean."

"All of the men," she corrected his disparaging remarks, "who I've brought home, were of adequate intelligence but, of course, no one can match your brains." Kayleigh knew better than to argue with his recollection of events. Bastian had a near photographic memory when it came to people, places, and gatherings. Law school had shaped him well, but he would have made a fine detective if he'd picked it as a career choice instead. "What else have I forgotten?"

"Five years ago. My girlfriend at the time fell asleep early, drunk on adult hot cocoa. You jumped into my lap. To be fair, you weren't sober. Do you remember what you told me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to suck on your candy cane and jingle your sleigh bells." She pouted. "You didn't accept my offer."

"Oh, no. You missed my counteroffer, sweetheart." Bastian shook his head. "I replied you could engage in some magical holiday antics with me, but only if we were a couple. Your eggnog addled brain must have forgotten."

"Hm." She had let his reply slip from her memory. "I guess so. What else?"

"Three years ago, you cornered me under the mistletoe and whispered into my ear as I kissed your cheek. Do you recall what you said?"

"Something along the lines of how I pictured your face whenever I made out with my boyfriend." She'd replayed that moment so many times. It had been a huge mistake on her part, but she hadn't been sober for that holiday either.

"What did I say back to you?"

Kayleigh shrugged. "I don't know."

"I told you to get rid of that bozo, and to give me a chance. At least you made a good choice to leave him after he put his hands on you."

"Well, it wasn't my immediate decision, but after my ex threw me out of his swanky loft in the city, I didn't have much choice."

"Threw you down a stairwell in said swanky loft," Bastian clarified. "According to the police report."

"How did you get a copy?" She rubbed the back of her neck. "Never mind. It makes a lot more sense since I heard you and Rhett kicked his ass the next night."

"Your statement is conjectured. Meaning you have no proof."

"Remind me never to get into an actual argument with you," she huffed. "Listen, I'm not a doctor, but I've watched enough Grey's Anatomy to understand how difficult it is to break multiple bones while alone in your own house. Some sort of trauma had to occur."

"Watching a television show does not make you a medical expert. For the record, most serious accidents do occur while alone in your own home. Though most people wouldn't classify a broken clavicle, three fingers on his non-dominant hand, and a few toes overly traumatic. After your ex-boyfriend left the emergency room, he had his mommy and daddy whisk him off to a private island to recover." Bastian exhaled slowly. "What are you getting at, Kay?"

"I'm not sure, but all of that is from a while ago. You don't have recent shit to throw at me." She bit down on her lip. Bastian hadn't rejected her as often as she'd believed he had. No, she had been so vamped up on the revenge train, seduce and destroy, she'd disregarded his genuine attempts.

"I'm not throwing anything at you, just brushing away some cobwebs. Eighteen months ago, I drove three and a half hours down to see you, but I arrived to an empty house. I suppose you had better things to do than talk to me. You never bothered to apologize."

"I'm sorry I didn't invite you in that night, but the thought of seeing you shook me to my core. I didn't want to disappoint you anymore. I told you a lot of things on the phone. I opened up to you about my career and how worried I was about the future and how insecure I am in relationships. I'm an even bigger mess today.”

“I drove out there to help you without the expectation of anything more. If we'd wound up in a more intimate relationship, then it would have been great, but I had no intention of pressuring you. I'm taking a chance today because I'm ready to support you in whatever way you need in order to get you back on track. I love you, Kay. I always have."

"I've loved you since forever. Will you forgive me?"

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