Page 74 of Promise Yule Be Mine
We pried the dogs away from their little gifts and went out into town.
“Anything in particular you’re craving?” I asked and turned into Grand Avenue.
“I don’t know. What kind of food do you like? I could do with some Asian.”
“Do you like Korean Barbecue? Or Indian? Springfield has pretty much anything.”
“Hmmm. I wouldn’t be opposed to Indian, if you’re not.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I love Indian.”
“Perfect,” he said and I had the sense his question had been a test. A test I’d passed with flying colors.
To be honest, he had too.
I may have been the owner of an All-American pub but that didn’t mean I wasn’t into food from all around the world. I mean, I wasn’t going to kick him to the curb if he only liked burgers and fries, but it would make life so much easier if our interests aligned.
I found a selection of Indian restaurants in the area and we made our way to one I’d heard good things about. We walked onto the heated terrace and took a seat.
Nova rubbed his hands together and blew on them, and I felt a tad guilty.
“Shoot. I didn’t think of that.”
“Huh?” Nova frowned and turned to me.
“I’m so used to sitting outside all year round if I have the dogs that I didn’t think they’d be a problem if I brought them over.”
“What? Nonsense. I love that you brought them with us. It shows how important they are to you. And if they’re important to you, they have to be important to your partner.”
Partner.
That word had always left a bitter taste in my mouth but for some reason, when Nova said it, it didn’t sound so bad.
“So you don’t mind?” I looked down at his hands and he smiled.
“Of course not. Although maybe we can switch seats if you don’t mind so I can be under the heater.”
I glanced at the lava-red lamp above me and nodded. “Sure,” I said and stood when Nova stared at me with a smirk on his face. “What?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Actually, why don’t you stay put and I can scooch right next to you.”
“That works too,” I said and sat back down, pulling my chair to the side so Nova could fit his beside me.
“There,” he said, threading his fingers through mine. “Much better.”
I stared at him, the butterflies in my stomach going completely haywire and spreading through every part of me, through all my limbs, my mind, and I couldn’t help but breathe him in, breathe in the moment and revel in the way he made me feel.
“What?” he asked when I hadn’t stopped staring for a while.
“Nothing. I…I was just thinking how perfect you are,” I said.
I didn’t know what someone melting looked like, but the way Nova reacted to my words could be described perfectly as melting into a puddle. He leaned closer, his lips seeking mine, and I put us both out of our misery and kissed him.
“That’s not fair,” he said when we pulled away from each other.
“What’s not fair?”
“You’re the one who’s perfect. Not me.”
