He hands the seller some cash and slips the little bag with the ornament into my hand. He leans in, his voice a warm whisper against my ear.
“Not as pretty as you in that dress.”
My cheeks warm.“Ethan…”
Snow begins to fall heavier, soft flakes catching in his lashes, and he keeps my hand in his as we walk. It feels so natural I almost stop breathing.
We stop at a booth where you toss rings onto bottles.
Ethan grins at me.“What do you want?”
“I…nothing, it’s silly.”
He steps closer, gaze dropping to my lips before returning to my eyes.“Summer. Tell me.”
I inhale.“The little white bear.”
“With the red scarf?” He raises a brow.“Cute. Done.”
He has only one good arm, but he throws like he’s got everything to prove. One perfect shot.
The bell dings.
The booth guy whistles.
Ethan turns, triumph lighting up his whole face.“For my girl.”
My breath catches.
He hands me the tiny bear like it’s something precious.
I hold it to my chest.“Thank you.”
“You should see how you look right now,” he murmurs, leaning in, his breath warm on my ear.“If I kiss you here, in front of Santa and the entire town… you gonna slap me?”
My lips part.“No.”
His mouth stops an inch from mine.
“Good.’Cause I’m barely holding on.”
He pulls me to him and kisses me, deep, warm, stealing the cold right out of the air. The world blurs. People walk around us, lights sparkle, music swells…but all I feel is him.
When the kiss ends, he leans his forehead against mine, swaying us gently to the Christmas songs drifting through the square. People move around us, laughing, chattering, but we stay right there, close, warm… home.
???
We spend another hour wandering the stalls.
Lights everywhere.
Music drifting through the air.
Hot chocolate warming our gloves.
His hand always finds me, my waist, my lower back, my fingers. Like he can’t not touch me.
A Ferris wheel towers above the carnival, lit in green, red, and gold, spinning slowly over the snow-covered town. The gondolas sway like lanterns in the sky.
