Hearing this makes what she's trusted me with even more precious.
This locks my lungs up and causes my arms to tighten around her. “We don't have to sleep together, but I want you close so I know you're safe. I can take the sofa in one of the guest rooms and you can have the bed.”
“No, I want to sleep with you. I really want to.” She twists to look at me. “I'm just... what if I'm weird about it?”
“How would you be weird?”
“What if I snore or steal the covers or have some terrible sleeping habit I don't know about?”
Her answer is so adorable, a laugh rumbles through my chest. “Sweetheart, I've slept in mud, in the desert, on planes, in helicopters, in metal bunks surrounded by thirty guys who definitely snored. If you think anything you do is going to bother me, you're wrong.”
“But what if?—”
I kiss her, slow and thorough, trying to chase away her worries.
“Here's what's going to happen,” I say quietly. “We're going to go to the bedroom. We're going to get ready for bed like normal people. Then we're going to lie down together, and I'm going to hold you while you fall asleep. That's it. No expectations. No pressure. Just you and me and a really comfortable bed.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Because it is easy. This isn't complicated, Liberty. I want to sleep next to you. Want to know you're safe and warm and right there if you need anything. Want to wake up with you tomorrow morning. That's all.”
Her smile is shaky but genuine. “Okay.”
“Great.” I stand, pulling her up with me. “Let me grab our stuff. You pick which room you want.”
“The one with the waterfall,” she says immediately. “The big one... if that's okay?”
“More than okay.” I head for the hallway where we dropped our bags earlier, gathering both duffels. When I return, she's still standing by the tree, arms wrapped around herself.
“Come on, beautiful. Let's get settled.”
I lead her down the hallway to the waterfall suite, using voice commands to bring up the lights—but just barely. Soft amber illumination glows from hidden fixtures, making the crystal veins in the stone walls shimmer like captured starlight.
Liberty sighs, stopping in the doorway.
The roomisspectacular. The massive metal and leather bed sits on a raised platform, dressed in white linens that look cloud-soft.
Small strands of lights are woven through the natural rock formations overhead, creating a canopy of twinkling stars. The waterfall cascades down one wall into a shallow pool, the gentle sound immediately soothing.
But it's the Christmas touches that really make it special. A garland drapes along the headboard, a small tree is tucked in the corner, and deep jewel-colored ornaments are scattered around the room. Everything feels lavish.
“This is... magical,” she says, stepping into the space.
“It's ours. For tonight and tomorrow night and however many nights we want it.”
She turns to me, eyes bright. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making this feel safe. For not rushing. For just... being you.”
My throat tightens. I set the bags down and pull her close, resting my chin on top of her head. “There's nowhere else I'd rather be. No one else I'd rather be with.”
We stand like that for a moment.
“Bathroom's through there,” I finally say, nodding toward the en suite. “Why don't you take it first? I'll unpack and play with the controls on this ridiculously futuristic bed.”
She nods, grabbing her bag. But she pauses at the bathroom door, looking back at me with an expression I can't quite read. “Hey, big guy?”
