Page 84 of Winning the Nightcap

“Let me see, Bec.”

She snaps her eyes up to look at me. “What? No, that’s…private.”

“Your napkin…is private?”

She stares at me, frozen. Her hand hiding her napkin from me, half-tucked under the edge of her plate. It’s adorable how guilty she looks. As if it’s a greater offense to not eat the shitty food I made for her than for me to feed her shitty food to begin with.

“Yes, okay! I spit it out! Aiden, god Ireallylike you but this is…awful.So awful. I’m so sorry.” And by the end of her apology we’re both laughing.

“Shit, I know. Give me your plate. This belongs in the trash. Don’t even look at it. I’m afraid the one bite we had will make us both sick for the rest of the trip. We’re probably on borrowed time.” I gather our plates and walk to the trash, scraping both clean and putting themin the sink. “If this is it for us, just know, I wanted to buy frozen pizza, but Evie said I was a shitty boyfriend if I didn’t put in more effort.”

She stops laughing, her eyes locking with mine, a shy smile on her face. “Boyfriend, huh?”

Like an idiot, I didn’t think twice about using the word even though we’ve been taking things slow. I’m in no rush to label anything; I want Bec to be ready for that next step, but the word just slipped out, feeling so natural I didn’t even realize what I had said until she questioned it.

“How would you feel if I said that’s what I wanted you to call me?” I ask, trying to get a feel for her reaction.

She stands up and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around me and leaning her head against my chest. Instinctively, I hold her close, breathing in the smell of her shampoo, her hair still damp from the shower we took together before dinner. Having her in my arms like this calms my nerves. It reminds me that even when I stumble over my words and feel like I’m fucking this all up, this is where I want to be. Whenever my arms are around Bec, my mind completely empties of everything but her.

“Before, I would have said that word wasn’t necessary. That we don’t need labels. But I think I’ve been playing it scared. Scared of letting myself have what I want. Scared that I’ll lose it like I always do.” She looks up at me and my arms tighten around her, wanting her closer even though we’re as close as we can be. “I think calling you mine would make me happy, Aiden. But only if you call me yours too.”

I run my fingers along her jaw, tilting her chin and kissing her. Holding onto each other tightly, I feel her body melt into mine, and I know that hearing her say that to me is all I’ve wanted since I met her. Since she first smiled at me. Since she first made me feel like more than my career. More than my past. More than the expectations others hold for me. More than the expectations I hold for myself. Shemade me feel like I was enough. I don’t ever want to stop trying to do the same for her.

I think I love her.

The thought hits me, and I shove it away, too thrown off by it to deal with it now.

I pull back from our kiss and look at her. We’re both breathing hard, still holding onto each other, and I drop my forehead to hers.

“I’ll tell anyone who will listen that we belong to each other. I’m just sorry you can’t brag about your boyfriend’s cooking skills. As it turns out, they’re nonexistent.”

“Seems like you’re about as good a chef as you are an artist.” She yelps and giggles when I slap her ass. “Have no fear boy toy, I never come unprepared.” She pulls away from my hold, leaving my arms empty, and I feel the urge to pull her back to me.

“Boyfriend, you mean.”

“Ah, right. It’ll take some time to get that right. I’ll have to update your contact info on my phone.”

Smart-ass.

She walks into the bedroom and returns with her carry-on bag. She drops it onto the counter with a thud. Before I can question it, she tips the bag upside down and a mountain of snacks and a few drinks fall onto the counter.

A small giggle escapes her, and I realize my jaw is hanging open, taking in the vast array of chips, trail mix, and candy in front of me. I have no clue how it all fit into her bag to begin with.

“Uh, Bec? Did you rob an airport vending machine?”

“Okay, as myboyfriend, you can’t judge me for what you see here.Thisis how I travel. I’m a mood snacker. I never know what I’m going to want on the plane ride, and their on-plane snack options never cut it. Besides, flights make me nervous and the snacks help. So tonight, our dinner options are this or thelovelymeal you made us. What’s itgoing to be, Price?”

Caught off guard by her reasoning, I pause.

“Wait, you don’t like flying? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I haven’t flown a ton in the past, and this was admittedly the first time I flew anywhere alone.” She shrugs, beginning to pick through the pile to find a snack. “But I wanted to see what you had planned. I wanted to see you.”

“You faced your fears for me, only for me to try to poison you. God, I’m the worst.” I grab her hand and pull her back into my arms.

“If I have to share my mood snacks with anyone, I’m glad it’s you,” she whispers seriously into my ear before her laughter lights up the room around me.

Chapter Fifty-One

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