Page 125 of A Very Merry Enemy
After that, we gather around as Jake and Claire cut the cake. It’s beautiful, three-tiered, with white frosting and Christmas garland decorations. They feed each other bites and everyone applauds.
Holiday leans into me and I feel her relax.
This feels right. This is how it’s supposed to be. I lean in and whisper in her ear, “After the wedding, I’m peeling this dress off you.”
She glances over at me, biting her lip, trying to hold back a smile.
The rest of the reception passes in a blur. I don’t leave Holiday’s side. I’m constantly touching her waist, her back, or her hand. People are definitely staring. Phones are definitelytaking pictures. By tomorrow morning, there will be articles about us online.
I don’t give a single fuck.
When the reception finally winds down around midnight, guests start filtering out. Jake and Claire leave in a shower of sparklers and cheers, heading off to their place. They refuse to go on a honeymoon until after the twins are born. Claire said she won’t miss her niece and nephews’ birth. Jake agreed.
Holiday and I stand in the now mostly empty tent. The lights are still twinkling overhead, and soft music is playing. A few people are cleaning up around us.
“Come home with me,” I say.
She doesn’t hesitate. “I thought you would never ask.”
We walk out to the parking area where my truck is waiting. We parked our vehicles at the venue beforehand.
I open the passenger door and help her in, then walk around to my side.
As I start the engine, I reach over and take her hand.
“You sure about this?” I ask.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“That’s the correct answer.” I bring her fingers to my lips and kiss her knuckles. Then I drive us home. The anticipation is almost too much.
CHAPTER 26
HOLIDAY
The drive to Lucas’s house feels like the longest ten minutes of my life.
My hand is in his, resting on the console between us. His thumb traces slow circles on my palm and every touch sends electricity up my arm. The radio is playing soft Christmas music, but I barely hear it over the sound of my own heartbeat.
Fifteen years of wondering what it would be like to be with him again. Fifteen years of missing him. Fifteen years of trying to convince myself I’d moved on when I never really had.
And now I’m in his truck on the way to his house, and in a few minutes, he’s going to touch me the way I’ve been dreaming about since I left Merryville.
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. We turn onto his long driveway and my breath catches. I’ve been to his house before over the past few weeks but this is different.
He parks the truck and kills the engine but neither of us moves.
“We don’t have to rush anything.”
I turn to face him. “Whatever happens, happens.”
The look he gives me is so full of heat and want that I feel it in my bones. It’s the same words I said to him the first time wefooled around. I’ll never forget the way he kissed me like I belonged to him. It was the same way he kissed me tonight.
Lucas gets out and comes around to open my door. I take his hand and he helps me down. A chill rushes over me as our eyes meet.
We walk up the steps to his porch, and his face glows in the Christmas lights he must’ve put up. “I thought you were going to be a scrooge.”
“I did, too. Jake and Hudson helped me,” he says.
