And it's going to be perfect.
The rest of Christmas Day passes in a blur of happiness. We make hot chocolate, watch movies, and build Lilliana's new Lego set together. Every time Maren and I accidentally brush hands or exchange a look, Lilliana giggles and makes smooching noises.
"You're going to be insufferable about this, aren't you?" I ask her.
"Yep!" She grins. "Does this mean you'll kiss her in front of me now?"
"Lilliana—"
"Please? I want to see!"
Maren's laughing so hard she's crying. "Your daughter is a menace."
"She gets it from me," I admit. Then, because Lilliana's bouncing in her seat expectantly, I lean over and kiss Maren softly.
Lilliana cheers like we just scored a goal.
"There," I say. "Happy now?"
"Very happy." She settles back into her Legos. "This is the best Christmas ever."
I catch Maren's eye and smile. "Yeah. It really is."
5
Maren
Iwake up to winter sunlight streaming through unfamiliar windows and a warm, solid body pressed against my back.
For a disoriented moment, I don't know where I am. Then Henry's arm tightens around my waist, pulling me closer, and everything comes rushing back.
I'm in his bed. In his room. We made love last night and then fell asleep tangled together in his California king with the expensive sheets and the view of the snow-covered forest.
"Morning," Henry murmurs against my neck, his voice rough with sleep and impossibly sexy.
"Morning." I turn in his arms to face him, and god, he's beautiful like this—hair mussed, jaw shadowed with stubble, eyes still soft with sleep. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Best sleep I've had in years." He pulls me closer and kisses me slowly. "Having you in my bed is..."
"Everything?" I offer, echoing his words from yesterday.
"Yeah. Everything." His hand slides down my side, over my hip. "You know what else would be everything?"
"What?"
"Waking up like this every morning for the rest of my life… I know we need to take things slow, figure out logistics, tell my parents." He cups my face. "But I'm in this, Maren. Completely. I want this to be real. I want you to move in properly. I want to marry you someday. I want Lilliana to call you Mom if that's what she wants. I want everything."
Tears prick my eyes. "I want that too. All of it."
"Good." He kisses me again, deeper this time. "Because I'm never letting you go."
His hand slides lower, between my thighs, and I gasp into his mouth.
He rolls me onto my back and settles between my thighs. "I need to be inside you again. Need to feel you."
I'm already wet just from his words, from the weight of him, from the promise in his eyes. "Then take me."
He doesn't need to be told twice. He's already hard, and he slides into me slowly, deeply.
