“Let’s go finish our Christmas dinner, then.” I roll off him, albeit reluctantly because I don’t think I can go one second without being next to him or touching him now.
We sit together on my couch, half naked and blissfully happy as we finish our meals. Then my Christmas ends in the most perfect way with the most perfect person—with Rowan making love to me, again, until we are too tired to move. Until the only thing we are capable of is a lackadaisical shower, brushing our teeth side by side at the sink, and then wrapping ourselves in each other to keep warm on the cold, snowy night.
His arms come around me, pulling me into him and I sink into his love. His knees fit behind my knees, his hand captures mine with his fingers between mine, and I hold our hands to my chest.
He kisses my bare shoulder then the back of my neck as he whispers in my ear, “I love you.”
I bring his hand to my lips. “Merry Christmas, Rowan.”
It’s the best Christmas yet.
CHAPTER 35
Rowan
Natalia asked me to stay, so I did. Honestly, I would do anything she asks of me.
She snores, occasionally. Sometimes she drools, but I only see it if I wake up before her. Regardless, I don’t tell her I know because if she wakes up before me, she’ll wipe all of the evidence away.
Right now, she’s snoring softly—the sound more like heavy breaths from her parted and pouty lips—and there’s the tiniest bit of drool at the corner of her mouth. Her cheek is squished against my bare chest and this isthe wayto wake up.
Smiling to myself, I grab a tissue from the box on the night stand and wipe the corner of her mouth.
I look at Natalia sometimes and wonder how happy my mother would be for me. She wanted us to move on, which I haven’t entirely done because I don’t think anyone who loses their mother ever does, but I’ve found reasons togo on. I think that’s better.
Natalia makes me want to go on.
After so much grief and a lifetime of pain, I have Natalia. She is the thing good you never see coming. She is the good thing people tell you to remain patient for when all you can see ahead is darkness and death. She is the good thing that comes to show you life is better than you think it might be after all.
The soft alarm goes off on her home pod, the sound starting low before it increasingly grows louder. I ask it to stop, out loud, and sigh. I pull my sweetheart into my chest and she stirs.
“Nat,” I whisper and kiss her cheekbone. “Sweetheart, baby, wake up.”
“Hmm?” she moans softly and her fingers reach into my hair, her lids still closed. “Rowan?”
“Hey, sweetheart,” I rasp.
“Hmm.” A small smile encases her closed lips. “I think I need more kisses to wake up.”
I huff a laugh. “Yeah?”
“Mhhm,” she hums, smiling and curling into me.
I kiss her neckline, my stubbled jaw tickling her. She laughs loudly, her body contorting as she turns away from me. “Rowan.” She laughs, panting. “Rowan!”
I kiss her pulse before I pull back, my arms winding around her until her back is flush against my chest. I lean to kiss the tattoo behind her right ear.
“Merry Christmas,” I whisper.
“Hmm.” Natalia pulls my hand to her chest, wrapping my arm tighter around her.
And I wish there was a way to make this last forever—how close to her it makes me feel. The way she comes undone, and the way she undoes me in every way.
I. Love.Her.
She turns in my arms to kiss me. She moans again softly, adjusting her head on my arms to shut her eyes. She sighs before she quietly says, “I like this.”
I quirk a brow, my hand roaming up and down her spine. “Sleep?”
