“You love me?” I ask him. There’s no doubt in me; I just want to hear him say it.
“You know I do.” He smiles back. I stare back at him, and he immediately understands. “I love you, Kathryn. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” I giggle back, opening my lips for a kiss.
He leans in to give me one, and like in a movie, his phone buzzes beside him. We both groan.
“That must be my parents,” he replies, reaching for it. “Yep, it’s them.”
“You should take it.”
“Won’t be long. Should I tell them you say hi?”
I actually don’t know how to respond. I don’t even know if Blake has told them about me yet. “Um…”
“Don’t worry.” He smirks, answering. “Hey, Ma. Hey, Dad.”
Something inside me shifts. It’s not like I haven’t heard people talking to their parents on the phone before. But for some reason, when I hear Blake conversing casually with his, I feel an ache deep down.
I thought I’d dealt with the loss of my folks. It’s one of the reasons I hate Christmas so much and have avoided it. Not having a family to celebrate with just hurts.
But now, listening to Blake chat with his mom and dad, I wonder…Could I be part of this family one day?
I almost feel guilty for having this feeling—like I’m yearning to be part of something that isn’t mine. But I am Blake’s, aren’t I?
“Yeah, Mom,” I hear him saying. “You and Dad enjoying the sun down there in Florida?”
A pang of guilt hits me.
After hearing Blake wasn’t going to be getting Christmas off—thanks to me—his parents decided to take a vacation to Florida until the New Year.
If it wasn’t for me, we’d be having them over for a nice dinner tonight.
“Yeah, I love you too, Mom,” I hear him say. “Tell Dad I’ll call again tomorrow. Right now I’ve got to go spend time with my fiancé.”
My heart leaps. I nearly jump out of my pants.
Did he just say what I think he said?
My whole body feels tight as he hangs up and stands. His strong hands grip mine, and he leads me over to the tree. Before I can react, he’s on one knee in front of me.
“Oh my God…”
Smiling like a prince, he pulls a small wrapped gift from beneath the tree and hands it to me.
“Kathryn, my life hasn’t been the same since I met you. I thought I was just going to grind out an internship, but then everything changed.”
Is this really happening?
“I may be in control, but I have no power over how I feel when I see you, when I hold you, kiss you, and make love to you.”
I’m melting. My eyes are swelled with tears as he looks at me with such strength. His gaze tells me that without a doubt, this is a man I can trust with my life. A man who will never let me down.
My hands are trembling as I look at the gift wrapped in shiny red paper, bound with green ribbon.
It looks professional, but I know Blake did it himself. There’s nothing he can’t do.
“Do you want me to open it?” I ask, my voice quivering.
