“Didn’t you see what I got at the store? Of course with marshmallows.”
Inside, we stripped out of our wet outer clothes and hung them by the fire to dry. I busied myself in the kitchen, heating milk and cocoa powder while Eamon built up the fire. The domestic routine felt natural, comfortable, like we’d been doing this for years instead of days.
“Extra marshmallows,” I announced, carrying two steaming mugs into the living room where Eamon had settled on the couch.
“Perfect.” He accepted his mug gratefully, wrapping his hands around it for warmth. “Though I think I lost feeling in my toes about twenty minutes ago.”
“That’s what you get for living in the big city for too long,” I teased, curling up beside him. “You’ve gone soft.”
“Soft?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll show you soft.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise.” But his tone was playful rather than menacing, and when he pulled me closer, I went willingly.
We sat by the fire, drinking our hot chocolate and watching the flames dance in the grate. Through the window, I could see our snowman—Seamus—standing guard over our snow angels, both already starting to blur as new snow began to fall.
TWENTY-TWO
EAMON
I woke slowly, awareness seeping in like honey, sweet and thick. The first thing I noticed was the solid warmth pressed against my back and the strong arm wrapped around my waist, anchoring me. Charles. My eyes fluttered open, and I smiled, relishing the intimacy of waking up with him, our bodies fitted together like puzzle pieces.
He stirred behind me, nuzzling into the nape of my neck with a contented sigh. I rolled over to face him, my heart swelling at the sight of his sleep-mussed hair and heavy-lidded eyes blinking open to meet mine.
“Good morning,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. The sound sent a shiver down my spine.
“Mornin’, love.” I cupped his stubbled jaw, brushing my thumb over the curve of his cheekbone. He leaned into my touch, a soft smile playing at his lips.
Our mouths met in a lazy, languid kiss, the kind that had no destination in mind except to savor. Charles hummed against my lips, the vibration igniting sparks under my skin. I licked into his mouth, tasting hints of sleep butnot caring. I wanted to taste all of him, to map out every inch of his mouth until I knew it as intimately as my own.
Charles’s hand slid into my hair, his fingers tangling in the dark strands as he deepened the kiss. His tongue stroked against mine, slow and sensual, stoking the embers of desire that always seemed to smolder between us. I rolled him onto his back, settling my weight on top of him as I kissed a trail along his jaw, down the column of his throat. He tipped his head back with a soft moan, giving me better access.
“I love waking up with you,” he whispered, his hands roaming over my back, mapping the planes of muscle. “I wish we could stay here forever.”
My heart clenched at his words, a bittersweet ache blooming in my chest. If only he knew how much I wanted that too—to freeze this moment in time, to live in this perfect bubble where nothing existed but him and me and this connection between us. But I couldn’t give him forever. I couldn’t even give him the truth of who and what I was.
All I could give him was now. This moment.
We kissed until the need for air became too great. I pulled back reluctantly, resting my forehead against his as we caught our breath. Charles’s eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with desire. It would be so easy to roll him onto his back, to lose myself in his willing body again. But the insistent pressure in my bladder demanded attention.
“Hold that thought,” I said, pecking his lips once more before extricating myself from his embrace. “Nature calls.”
Charles made a disgruntled sound at the loss of contact but released me. I slipped out of bed, hissing as my bare feet hit the cold wood floor, and padded to the bathroom. After relieving myself and splashing some water on my face, I studied my reflection in the mirror.My hair was a wild mess, my lips slightly swollen from Charles’s kisses.
But it was my eyes that gave me pause. They were brighter than I’d seen them in decades, alive with a light I’d thought long extinguished.
Happiness. That’s what it was. For the first time in longer than I could remember, I was truly, incandescently happy. And it was all because of Charles.
The realization hit me like a physical blow, stealing my breath. Charles had become my entire world, the center of my universe, in such a short time. And now the thought of leaving him, of going back to the cold emptiness of my existence before him, was unbearable.
I gripped the edge of the sink, my knuckles turning white as I fought the surge of emotion threatening to overwhelm me. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with my charge, to let him get under my skin and into my heart. But here I was, head over heels for a man I’d have to leave behind as soon as this assignment was over.
The creak of floorboards made me jerk my head up, and I had just enough time to school my features before Charles appeared in the doorway, a soft smile on his face.
“I missed you.” He moved behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“In the three minutes I’ve been gone?” I managed to keep my tone light.
