“What do you mean?” I whispered.
Kent’s hands dropped from my face. He looked over my shoulder like he was seeing something from his past.
“The way I grew up,” he said. “I could have everything I wanted, whenever I wanted it. Money was never an object. Opportunities were handed to me. I dreamed of summers onyachts surrounded by models. Of luxury imported sports cars that cost more than most people’s houses. Of glamorous parties in my penthouse with new women in my bed every?—”
“You can stop,” I said, smiling slightly despite the pang of jealousy at the mention of other women.
He looked back at me, his expression apologetic. “Sorry. The point is all my dreams have been shallow. Selfish. About accumulating things or experiences that would make me look successful or feel important for a few minutes.”
He pulled me closer.
“And then I met you,” he said simply. “And this town got under my skin. I realized I’ve been driving in the wrong lane my entire life.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, though whether they were from the cold or the emotion in his voice, I couldn’t say.
“I want you,” Kent continued, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. “I want everything that comes with loving you. The early mornings and the late nights. The family dinners and the business meetings. The way you get excited about Christmas lights and hot chocolate and making sure every guest feels like they’re part of something special.”
He reached for my hands, threading our fingers together.
“I want to argue with you about Christmas decorations and watch you turn skeptics into believers. I want to help you restore this place to its former glory and then keep making it better. I want to wake up every morning knowing that the work I’m doing matters. I want to know I’m building something instead of tearing it down.”
The sincerity in his voice was almost overwhelming. This wasn’t the smooth corporate speak I’d heard from him before. This was raw and unfiltered and so vulnerable.
“I want a life that has meaning,” he said. “And you’ve shown me what that looks like.”
I stared up at him, taking in the way the Christmas lights played across his features, the way his eyes held mine with intensity and hope. This was the man I’d glimpsed in moments throughout our time together.
This was the man I’d fallen in love with, even when I’d been trying to convince myself I hadn’t. Without another word, I leaned in and kissed him.
When we broke apart, both breathing a little unsteadily, I kept my forehead pressed against his.
“Let’s go home,” I said.
“Where?” He was teasing and I loved it.
“Let’s go.”
Kent’s answering grin was brilliant enough to power the entire light display around us. “Lead the way.”
We walked back toward my apartment hand in hand. Tomorrow would bring more conversations with my family and a lot of details to work out but tonight was just for us.
CHAPTER 58
KENT
She unlocked the door, and I was back. It was crazy to think I felt more at home in her tiny little place than I did in my penthouse. There was nothing fancy about it.
But it felt like home.
“You can put your bag in the room,” she said. “Do you want something to drink? I could make hot chocolate, or?—”
“Actually,” I interrupted, remembering the drink she’d made me during my first visit. “Could you make one of those hot toddies?”
Her face lit up like I’d just given her the best gift imaginable. “Really? You want one?”
“I’ve been thinking about it all week,” I admitted. “Kept trying to recreate it in my apartment but could never get it right.”
“That’s because it’s not just about the recipe,” she said, already pulling out ingredients. “It’s about the intention. The care that goes into making it.”
