“Good, we can put it on the list with the one on the bathroom counter.”
The heat in my cheeks rose, but his kiss soothed it. Gabe had no problem taking me whenever and wherever the urge to touch me hit him. And I couldn’t resist him, so I never stopped him. Knowing Gabe, he would have backed off if I’d told him it was the wrong time. He was too sweet not to, but I was too addicted to his touch to ever say no.
“I love your blush,” he said. “And your neck.” He gave it a kiss. “And your ears.” A bite to my earlobe. “And these shoulders.” A lick that kicked my libido back into gear. “These breasts.”
The list of places continued to grow, his love nips and kisses following each until I was a mess again. By the time we left the closet, the day was over.
Gabe’s fingers tapped the steering wheel, excitement buzzing from him and infecting me.
“Where are we going?” I asked, scanning the road for any hint.
After leaving me completely weakened when I woke, he’d announced that he had the day planned for us. A day that calledfor me to dress nice but wear comfortable shoes, a combination that didn’t match up.
“It’s a surprise,” he said, taking my hand and kissing it while he waited for the light to change. He continued to drive into the city, passing over the Blue Bridge with the morning sun sparkling on the water below.
When we pulled into the parking garage, I eyed him, thinking how cute his devious smile was and still clueless as to where he was taking me. He led me out of the garage, and only when we were heading with others into the theater did I gasp and jerk him to a stop.
I looked up at him with wide eyes. “Is itThe Nutcracker?”
His smile widened until it lit his face.
With a squeal, I threw my arms around his neck. He picked me up as I kissed him and gently lowered my feet to the ground. This man amazed me more every day. He caught everything I said and did, storing that information for moments like this. My family had attendedThe Nutcrackerat the local theater every year since I could remember, and I’d lamented the fact that I would miss it this year. But Gabe had ensured I wouldn’t, once again reminding me why I loved him so intensely.
Hand in mine, he took us inside, buying me hot chocolate before leading me to the best seats in the house. My heart was bursting by the time we left, and I couldn’t imagine the day getting any better until it did.
“Why are we stopping at the mall?” I asked as he opened my door for me and held a hand out to help me out of the car.
“Another surprise,” he said.
Shoppers packed the mall with bags and packages, but Gabe kept me tucked next to him, guiding me through the crowd to his destination. Stopping in front of the Christmas store, he turned to me. Confidence faltering, he gazed down at his feet and palmed the back of his neck.
“My mother loved Christmas. She would decorate the entire house, and my sister and I would help. But…” He dropped his hand and shoved it into his pocket. “My father hated it. And after a time, his shadow infected it. Every year there was less until it just stopped when I was thirteen.” Hazel eyes, misty and dark, met my sight, and my heart broke a little more for him. “You reminded me of what it was like before that, Tori. Your excitement, the traditions you and your family have. I want that with you. Can we?—”
“Gabriel Hughes, are you asking me to decorate for Christmas with you?”
He chuckled, the stress fading from his features. “Yeah.”
“Hmm,” I feigned concern. “That’s a big step.”
His sheepish grin had me grabbing his hand and dragging him into the store. We filled basket after basket until we walked out with four giant bags of decorations.
“I don’t know where we’re going to put all this stuff come January,” I said as he closed his trunk.
“We’ll make room. Ready for some lunch? I have one more surprise after that.”
I rubbed my stomach. “I could definitely use some food.”
Over lunch, I pressed him for more details about Christmas in the Hughes household, but his walls were back in place. There were so many moments when he closed up that I still didn't know what to make of it. We’d been dating for six months, and I still barely knew anything about his past. He seemed to live through my memories, and it hurt to think his were so bad that he wanted someone else’s. Maybe in time he would open up more like he had the night he’d told me about his father. I suspected whatever demons he carried they would hurt me to hear. I loved him too much for them not to.
This was life with Gabe. Secrets and mysteries, surprises and sweetness. A dichotomy that had me in a fairy tale most days,with the darkness pushing at my periphery. I couldn’t help but worry that it would invade my happiness and turn my fairy tale into a nightmare. Only the knowledge that Gabe was too sweet to let that happen, to let anything hurt me, kept my anxiety in check. I allowed the secrets to persist, knowing he had his reasons and that as someone who loved him unconditionally, I had no choice.
“It’s not a day trudging through the snow to get the perfect tree, but it’s the best I could find.”
My jaw went slack when we pulled in. Christmas trees of all sizes filled the lot of the farm.
“We can cut one down or take a pre-cut one home,” he said, scratching his cheek. “I think they have a small store, too.”
Speechless, I continued to stare out the window.
