He moves towards the bookshelf where an old record table sits. Opening it, he places a vinyl on it and turns it on only loud enough for us to hear. Even though the artist has long since passed away, it’s my favorite album and I listen to it on repeat year after year. The old-timey sound of their voice makes me smile. He comes up beside me and takes my hand, placing his free one on my waist.
“This place has always belonged to you, Noelle. You are as much a part of it as it’s a part of you.”
Spinning me around, we begin to slow dance to the music. My free hand falls to his shoulder to steady myself and I take a step closer so my chin rests on top of it. The fireplace crackles as the wooden logs start to fade into ashes and ember.
“You, this place,” he says into my ear as we sway back and forth. “They hold some of my favorite memories of growing up in Evergreen.”
“Yeah, me too,” I murmur. The hand he has on my waistsnakes around and holds me by my lower back. We spin around slower than the beat of the music, holding one another as the vinyl switches over to a new song.
“Nick?” I start hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“The other night…when we were…”
“I know what night you’re talking about.”
We share a laugh. Finding my courage, I ask what I’ve been dying to ask all week.
“You—you said you love me. And then today you said you’ve meant everything you’ve said since coming home so—” My words get caught in my throat when he pulls away and looks at me. The green in his eyes steals my breath away and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge.
“I meant what I said, Noelle. I do love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.” His hand comes to frame my cheek.
“Then why—why did you leave? Why did you end things?” My throat gets tight and I hate that I’m dredging up the past while we were sharing probably the single most romantic moment I’ve ever had in my life. But I have to know. I have to ask.
His sigh is so heavy it’s as if he’s finally dropped the last twelve years of guilt he’s been carrying around with him. Leaning in, he presses his lips to my forehead before looking at me.
“Because I was scared. And stupid. And way too young to believe that I had found my soulmate. But I had, Noelle, and it’s you. It’s always been you.”
Unable to blink it back, a stray tear rolls down my cheek which he wipes away with the pad of his thumb.
“I’m sorry for hurting you and I’m sorry for leaving you. But I promise, I’m not going to do that again. You’re it for me, Noelle. And while I can’t make up for the last twelve years, Iknow I can do everything in my power to make the next twelve, twenty, hell, sixty years the best ones yet.”
I want to believe him. I want to know that he means what he says but we’ve been here before. And I’m the one stupid enough to let myself get here again. He holds my face with both hands and hovers his lips close to mine.
“Let me show you how much I love you,” he whispers before pressing his lips to mine.
He kisses me so fiercely that I have to take a step back and catch myself. Holding onto his wrists, I lean into him to counterbalance us until he pushes against me harder, walking me back until my back hits the wall. Knocking into it, a loudthudrings out through the nearly silent inn.
“Jesus, Nick. Do you want someone to come down here and see us?” I say between heated exchanges.
“I don’t know, would you be into that?” he hums, smirking against my lips.
Bringing his hands to my waist, he walks me back across the small hallway, lips still on mine, and guides us towards the small office behind the check-in desk. He closes the door behind him and flips on the light. Quickly taking in the space, I catch a flash of a smile on his lips when he sees the desk. Grabbing me again, he picks me up and sets me down on top of it. With my arms wrapped around his neck, I let him press his tongue into my mouth, savoring every single bit of his need that I can. When his hands start to reach for the bottom of my sweater, I stop him.
“We can’t do this here,” I breathlessly protest.
“Why? Scared you’ll like it if we get caught? That’s a thing for some people, you know.” Every time he presses his lips to my throat my brain becomes a little more fuzzy.
“We can’t do this here because it’s where I work. Someone could come down, the phone could ring, our party couldarrive.” I list off all the very valid reasons why we definitely shouldn’t have sex right now.
“Come on, sugar,” he mumbles. The vibration of his voice sends a wave of desire straight to the center of my legs. “What’s one time?”
The sound of the question breaks something in me and I’m scrambling to get his clothes off. He’s doing the same, making quick work of my skirt and lifting it above my knees. His hands move with precision as he slides my underwear down my legs and drops them to the floor. I gasp when his fingers find my center and discover that I’m already wet and needy for him.
“Christ, Noelle,” he groans as he starts to play with me. “Are you always this wet or is this all for me?”
Smirking, I pull him in by his neck and whisper against his lips. “What can I say, my husband really does it for me.”
